2012

Book Reviews 
Mark O’Doherty  - Cosmic Temple –Ascension Books

The Vortex is a pathway from the world of Era to its moon. It was created by the God-King Ramos, but his death has sparked a great division.
A vicious war is being fought between the humans, their Zimraque allies and the inhabitants of the moon, the Alranians.  Moranet Sinew, a human drafted into the worst brigade of the army becomes drawn into in the complexities of this novel. 
The first part of this novel is about the war and part that Moranet must play. Although it is a Fantasy war, it is still a war and could take place anywhere. The writing is stilted and uncomfortable and the author could use the services of a good editor. He tries to embody the violence and uncompromising hardness of warriors but falls short of this.
However once Moranet get away from the army and the story moves into true fantasy involving the Warrior Priestess Doraneth, the human warrior, Aria, the true High Seeress Gillah, the dwarf-like Tyfans and the Blood Dragons, the story and the writing improve. It is as if the author is now describing far more credible territory and we, strangely enough, can empathize far more with these fantasy characters than we did with the earlier mostly human ones.
Moranet needs to find his way to the Cosmic Temple as this is the only way to bring some sort of peace to the two worlds.  The search is not only a physical one but an internal unfolding that leads him to an understanding of his inner self. The Temple can only exist for those who can understand why it is needed.
The ideas are intriguing. It is just a pity that some of the execution seems lacking in skill. As I previously mentioned, the services of a good editor would greatly improve the output of this promising author.

Gail Jaimeson

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Alan G. Morris - Missing and Murdered – A personal adventure in Forensic Anthropology. Zebra Press

This is not a SF book, but I still found it a very intriguing read.  The author states that it is not a Forensic Anthropology text book and he is correct about that.
Forensic anthropology in South Africa is a young science. Anthropology is the science of Man that deals with his physical characteristics. Forensic Anthropology is a specialist field that deals with the evidence that can be gleaned from human remains, both hard tissue as in bones and soft tissue as in desiccated or mummified flesh. 
This is a particularly south African book and the chapters in it refer to many cases I have heard of or seen referred to in the newspapers.
Particularly interesting to me is the reconstruction of facial features using human skulls. I am sure that many of us will remember the references to this in the novel “Gorky Park”. In this novel there are actual pictures of reconstructions of South African skulls.
There a chapter on muti murders and also on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the victims of political violence. Rather sad but also interesting is the case of Sarah Bartman, who remains were displaced in a museum in Paris.
While probably not everyone’s  cup of tea, and I am really not sure why this book was sent to us among SF novels I found it very interesting.

Gail Jaimeson

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Laureen Kate - Passion – A Fallen Novel –Random House Struik
 
This would appear to be book 3 in a series. It continues the story of Luce and Daniel, who are suffering under a curse that denies them their great passion. Each time they come close to discovering their love for each other, Luce dies.
They find each other across the centuries and she hopes to finally discover why she has to keep dying.  They need to study their past to try and find out what is causing these horrific episodes.
The blurb on the back of the book says “How many deaths can one true love endure?” To be absolutely honest, “I don’t give a damn.”
I found this third volume tiresome and have no inclination to go back and read the first two books or to go and look for any others. 
Boring.

Gail Jaimeson

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Gary Kuyper - The Sensing - A Deep South Supernatural Thriller - Inkubator

Theodore Stone had a Teddy Bear called Zommie. Zommie lost his eyes and they were replaced by Nan, or Nancy Mangrove. She also goes by the name of “Mad Nan”. Zommie’s button eyes now look as if he is dead. They are stitched on with an “x” instead of a square stitch. Nan says he now has X-ray vision.
Ted grows up and as he does so he notices that those people who wish him ill come to a less than desirable end. 
He also discovers that Nan does not age in the way that one might expect.
This short novel is very entertaining. Although you begin to know what is actually happening, the author keeps you guessing and I found that I needed to keep reading to see if I was correct.
Light reading but well written and good fun.
Read it for yourself and see.

Gail Jaimeson

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Amanda Hocking - Switched - Book 1 of the Trylle Trylogy Uncorrected Tor Proof

Wendy Everly’s mother believes she is a changeling and not her own child, in fact that she has replaced her true male sibling. This affects Wendy’s childhood. So when Finn Holmes appears in her life and says he will take her to find her own people, Wendy leaves her own family and goes off with him.
He tells her that she is, in fact a princess and has to be trained to take the place of the Queen. She discovers that Rhys, who is human, is in fact the real child she was swopped for and so the true child of her so-called mother.
This novel reminds me a little of the “Twilight” series, in having a heroine who does not believe in herself. It does not actually say but I am fairly sure this is meant to be aimed at adolescent girls.
It’s very easy reading but rather light on ideas.

Gail Jaimeson

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