Thomas Winship

• Rated 5 stars

“In “Horizon,” the fourth—and final—installment of her “Elemental Enmity” series, author Christie Rich brings events to a most satisfying conclusion … but not before she subjects Rayla, and her readers, to another million or so (I’m exaggerating, but only a little) of her trademark twists and turns ...

From the book’s opening chapter, readers who believed that Rayla had finally decided her destiny at the conclusion of “Genesis” are immediately separated from such foolish notions. The poor girl still has a long road ahead of her. Along the way, she spends a “moment of feeling like the biggest douche ever,” and continues learning new insights and wisdom, such as “careful is for beggars and bastards.”

Is there an HEA in Rayla’s future or do the lustful lords abandon all hopes of exclusivity and draft a timeshare plan? You’ll have to read “Horizon” to find out, but I promise you won’t be disappointed. And, for those who hate to see a good thing end, I urge you to look at “Horizon” not as an end, but rather a beginning … the beginning of Rich’s next thrilling novel.

I highly recommend “Horizon” to YA, PNR, and fantasy fans.
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Thomas Winship wrote this review Monday, March 18, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“In “WitchLove,” the third installment of her “Witchblood” series, Emma Mills seems determined to prove that her bag o’ tricks is far from exhausted. I mean, the series already features vampires, witches, and angels ... and she tosses zombies into the mix.

So, what’s next? What else can she possibly throw into the cauldron? Dragons? Dwarves? It’ll be interesting to find out.

Nevertheless, “WitchLove” finds us returning to poor Jess—if you can call being a vampire and a witch poor—a trio of months after the catastrophic conclusion of “Witchcraft.” Not much has happened during those months, beyond grief, but things heat up quickly. In short time, Jess responds to yet another surprise by fleeing her home and taking up residence with her witch family in the States.

The transition is less than smooth. Along the way, she finds that one love interest kisses like a brother (not cool), another has serious jealousy issues (even worse), and yet another sneaks into her room one night and tricks her into sucking his blood (could be worse, I suppose). Oh yeah; she’s also unwelcomed by a jealous cousin and has to deal with the aforementioned zombies.

I loved the nod to “The Little Mermaid” and the discussion of whether or not “American tasted different.” The book’s pace was markedly slower than its predecessors—far more YA drama than action—which isn’t my preference, but the ending more than made up for that.

About the ending: if anyone had asked, I would have said it was unlikely that “WitchLove” would deliver an ending to trump “Witchcraft.” No one asked, of course. No one asks me anything … but that isn’t the point. Nor is it the point to explain that any doubt I harbored had nothing to do with Emma’s abilities—which are tremendous—and everything to do with the jaded New Yorker in me, who finds faults with endings far more than the average reader might. The point is that amazing endings are hard to find and even harder to write … and by this point, Mills doesn’t need an amazing ending to hook people into the next book.

Nevertheless, Mills delivers a killer ending. Anyone who says he/she saw it coming is lying. Period.

I highly recommend the “Witchblood” series to YA, paranormal romance, and even light horror fans everywhere.

I can’t wait for book four. Let there be dragons!
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Thomas Winship wrote this review Monday, March 4, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“I’m a huge Rachel McClellan fan. I read “Fractured Light” and “Fractured Soul”—I even beta read a future novel—so I know what I’m talking about when I say that she is an amazing writer.

When I first heard of “Confessions of A Cereal Mother,” I was interested, but slightly skeptical. Yes, I had already seen what she could do with fiction … but non-fiction is a horse of another color. And humorous non-fiction, to boot? Talk about one heckuva challenge. Still, the book blurb alone was enough to convince me that McClellan could probably pull it off.

And pull it off, she did. I’m not prone to wetting myself due to laughter or anything else—not yet, at least—but I came real close on several occasions. “Confessions” is that funny. In fact, it’s nothing short of comedic genius—particularly to anyone who has children.

McClellan regales us with the situations that parents everywhere experience—not only the obviously funny ones, mind you, but everything from the mind-numbingly boring everyday interactions to the heart-stopping-near-tragic ones. Faced with similar circumstances, few among us are even able to appreciate any inherent humor. Fewer still are able to capture it, distill it, bottle it, and hand it out as a gift.

McClellan is among those few. Her book is more than funny; it’s crafty and witty and touching … and should be required reading for all new parents. In fact, I highly recommend “Confessions of A Cereal Mother” to any person who has ever had a child, known a child, or been a child.

Thank you for your confessions, Rachel McClellan.

See this review during Rachel's book tour stop at vaempires.com on 3/13/13.”

Thomas Winship wrote this review Sunday, March 3, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 5 stars

““After the Fear,” the debut novel by Rosanne Rivers, is a thrilling read. As a dystopian-esque YA that features people forced into gladiatorial battles to protect their families and hometowns, it will suffer the inevitable comparisons to “The Hunger Games” … but it stands on its own merits.

The storyline is intriguing. The drama isn’t overwrought and there are enough surprises and action scenes sprinkled throughout to keep the pace crisp. Sola and Dylan are compelling leading characters, even if Dylan seemed far too humane for a person who’d been killing for so long. Coral was reprehensible as the girl we love to hate and Shepherd Fines was flat out creepy.

I’ve said it before; forgiveness isn’t really my thing. As such, I admit rooting against Coral from the beginning. I really didn’t want a creative twist that allowed her some sort of redemption/salvation in the climactic finale … but I braced myself for it (and I won’t say whether or not it came!).

Alas, Sola’s request/wish was predictable. However, it was also understandable, so I won’t hold it against the author. In fact, here’s a shocker: Rivers left us with no immediate sense of whether or not a sequel is coming/needed. I’m sorry; do stand-alone novels even exist in the YA world? JK, of course, but the author—intentionally or otherwise—built a foundation that simply begs for further stories.

I highly recommend “After the Fear” to all YA, urban fantasy, paranormal, and supernatural fans.

See this review during Rosanne's book tour stop at vaempires.com on 3/26/13.”

Thomas Winship wrote this review Sunday, March 3, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

““A Vampire’s Game” is a short story addition to Peter Dawes’ Vampire Flynn series. Through a pair of trysts—first with another vampire and then a human—Dawes exposes the reader to new levels of depravity and debauchery that his star character is capable of.

In my review of “Eyes of the Seer,” the first novel in the series, I noted that there was something endearing about Flynn and that I couldn’t help but wonder whether or not Flynn would have a chance for redemption. “A Vampire’s Game” inspires no such sentiments. It’s Flynn at his worst—and Dawes at his best—and thus well worth a read.

I highly recommend “A Vampire’s Game,” and the Vampire Flynn series, to all horror, paranormal, supernatural, and vampire fans.
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Thomas Winship wrote this review Wednesday, February 27, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

““The Key Inheritance” represents another home run for Jen McConnel. The sequel to “The Burning of Isobel Key” bounces once again between the present and the distant past, ushering readers once more into the worlds of Lou and Isobel Key.

When we last saw Lou, she was abandoning the man she loved to reconnect with long-lost family. In the decade since, she’s made great strides—most notably, from bookstore clerk to professor—but she still hasn’t rediscovered love … although all of that may change as she returns to Scotland on the heels of a relative’s death.

Lou never expects to run into her old lover. Or a ghost from her distant past.

In “The Burning of Isobel Key,” I felt the historical piece was the more compelling than the contemporary part. The tables are turned in “The Key Inheritance.” The tension between Lou and Brian—coupled with the inevitable “what might have been” heartstring tugs—overshadows the blasts from the past. Again, it isn’t a bad thing, as this is clearly Lou and Brian’s story.

How does it end? Do the star-crossed ex-lovers reconcile? Will a ghost from the past wreak havoc on their tale? Why does Lou’s mouth taste like dirty laundry? WTF does Sharon have to come out of the broom closet about? And who the hell is Sharon, anyway?

The answers to these questions, and more, can be found within the pages (or pixels) of “The Key Inheritance.” I highly recommend it to YA, NA, paranormal and even light fantasy fans.
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Thomas Winship wrote this review Wednesday, February 27, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Will Millar’s “Infernal Machines” is touted as a horror novel, but it’s more than that. Sure, it’s horror … but there are elements of drama, mystery, sci-fi, occult, action, and more so thoroughly threaded throughout that it seems like calling it horror sells it short.

Describing it isn’t easy, either. At various points, I was reminded of Stephen King’s “It” and “Needful Things,” “The Goonies,” and pretty much every monster movie I ever watched. Yet, it isn’t just derivative regurgitation. It has monsters of the human (serial killers, white supremacists) and inhuman varieties. It has coming of age moments. It makes strong statements about families and love. It speaks of choices and the price of such choices. It even shares some age-old wisdom: “when the Universe throws you a break, it possesses a child’s patience.”

Regardless of whether it’s easily genred (not a real word, I know) or described, “Infernal Machines” a damn good book. I highly recommend it to all horror, paranormal, and supernatural fans.

See this review during Will's book tour stop at vaempires.com on 3/28/13. ”

Thomas Winship wrote this review Wednesday, February 27, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“In “Eyes of the Seer,” Peter Dawes introduces us to a new vampire and a new vampire series … yet both feel like old friends.

This isn’t a complaint. Dawes knows the classic vampire archetype and uses it to craft a tale that manages to be both timeless and refreshing at the same time. Flynn is, in many ways, the quintessential vampire. He’s a ruthless, heartless, soulless killing machine … but there’s still something endearing about him. Even while he’s sinking deeper and deeper into depravity, one can’t help but wonder whether or not there will be a chance for redemption and whether or not there is some hidden truth that will alter our understanding of the situation.

I won’t spoil the fun, but I will say that Dawes: 1) doesn’t disappoint, and 2) isn’t predictable. In fact, he displays writing chops that are quite enviable. I truly enjoyed this tale and I look forward to reading more. Thankfully, “Eyes of the Seer” is the first book in “The Vampire Flynn” series and the second book is already in my possession.

Well done, Mr. Dawes. I highly recommend “Eyes of the Seer” to all horror, paranormal, supernatural, and vampire fans.
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Thomas Winship wrote this review Monday, February 18, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Many of the poems in Robert Zimmermann’s “From Where I Stand” hit me right in the gut. I didn’t expect it. I’m not much of a poetry guy. And, no, that admission has nothing to do with too much testosterone, pig-headedness, or any of the other lovely attributes most men are accused of possessing in abundance. I simply don’t enjoy reading what I don’t understand … and, too often, I don’t understand poetry. So much of it seems to be a) self-indulgent, self-impressed drivel, b) deliberately unclear, misleading, and/or nebulous, or c) some combination thereof. I’m all for a strategic bit of symbolism or a well-placed double entendre here and there, but most of the time just say what you mean to say, for cryin’ out loud!

Outburst aside, Robert Zimmermann’s poetry tells me that he’s a man after my own heart. He says what he means to say and lays it out there in language even blockheads like me can understand. And appreciate. When he writes of his relationship with his parents—the pain, the confusion, the fear—every emotion leaps off the page and burrows into the reader. For a brief period, you become Robert Zimmermann. It’s brutal. It’s beautiful. It’s magical.

Don’t get me wrong, some of the poems have a real WTF quality about them … but that’s my shortcoming, not the poet’s. “From Where I Stand” is an amazing collection of poems and I’m glad I took the time to enjoy them.
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Thomas Winship wrote this review Monday, February 18, 2013. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Noelle Blakely’s “Chasing Destiny” introduces readers to Alexander and Aurora Lake, vampire elders whose privileged existence is about to be challenged when the earth is changed by a solar event.

Forced to flee their home, the Auroras only manage to grab a few provisions, but they are wise/lucky enough to grab one essential item: Sara, their nubile young employee who becomes both a food source (she’s human) and the third member of their ménage à trois (she’s hot & bothered).

So, the trio travels around, dodging danger by day and lettin’ the fur fly by night. It’s kind of like what “Three’s Company” might be like if aired today on HBO or Showtime. There’s way more sex than danger—which is what most of us prefer, I wager—but don’t let that fool you; the danger is very real. Still, lines like this made the danger seem very far away at times: “He found her true rosebud nestled in the beautiful flower between her creamy thighs.”

Ol’ Alex discovers rosebuds so often that he must be a master gardener by now (not to mention making Charles Kane jealous as hell), and I admit, if the world’s ever coming to an end … that’s how I want it to end.

“Chasing Destiny” also features werewolves—they keeps their shirts on, for the most part—and outlaw humans eager to establish a new world order. Framing the story is the tale of Destiny, a new breed of vampire I’m eager to read more about.

As the first book in Blakely’s “A Dangerous Destiny” series, “Chasing Destiny” establishes a compelling storyline and likeable characters that should please fans of all ages—well, the ones old enough to handle roses without getting their fingers pricked, at least.
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Thomas Winship wrote this review Sunday, February 17, 2013. ( reply | permalink )