The Book of Lost Fragrances by M J Rose: A Review

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AppId is over the quota

A French perfumer is commissioned in the 1800s to recreate a scent formula from Cleopatra's fragrance factory. It is believed that those who smell the euphoric scent find a portal to past lives. The Book of Lost Fragrances: A Novel of Suspense - part thriller, part ancient history, and part romance-surprises on many levels.

Martyred Tibetan monks attempting to prove reincarnation. Napoleon. Cleopatra's secret soul-mate fragrance formula. A modern-day near-bankrupt perfume company. The famous 18th century French L'Etoile House of Fragrance. Children cooking up scents to be used as a secret language for the nose. A jazz musician and martial arts instructor tied to the Chinese mafia. A past-life therapist.

All are linked by a secret fragrance.

Jac L'Etoile, haunted by the past and her psychotic episodes, tries to cope when her brother, Robbie, disappears. Preferring to live in reality, Jac reluctantly delves into the hazy history of her family's two hundred and fifty year old perfume business to find her brother and save their legacy.

Well-known for her erotic thrillers, best-selling author, M. J. Rose, produces a new historical fiction suspense novel. Fascinated with reincarnation, as evidenced by her three-book Reincarnationist series, Ms. Rose imbues her new novel with a unique plot line.

This is bold writing with an intriguing, original plot. Ms. Rose is a master of intrigue. Suspense and sensuality build through the novel as the characters embark on separate treasure hunts for the mysterious fragrance. While the plot concept is compelling, the execution is less impressive. The novel is overpopulated, dampening its intensity. The story line digresses into so many changing points of view and scenes that the reading is frustrating. The many elements are fascinating and informative, but don't relate well to each other. Finally, congruence is found but seems forced. If the reader is patient, the last third of the novel satisfies as an electrifying thriller. The book's most interesting elements are the art of fragrance making, the reoccurring link to reincarnation, and unexpected rekindled romance.

Atria Books through Netgalley graciously provided the review copy.

Holly Weiss is the author of a historical fiction novel, Crestmont, writer and reviewer of newly-released books.
http://www.hollyweiss.com/.

Free reprint of article if entire bio is intact.

The Constant Struggle by Dr. Alonzo Gaston

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Star Chamber Brotherhood, by Preston Fleming - Book Review

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The trouble with dystopias is that, on certain fundamental levels, they tend to be unsustainable. Through inherent instability, the surging need to be free within the human animal or simply not taking into account certain aspects of human nature, dystopic societies in fiction tend not to be terribly functional in the long term. Preston Fleming understands this, and in his chronicling of Frank Werner's adventures in Star Chamber Brotherhood, set in the same universe as his novel Forty Days at Kamas, he details with a confident hand the many ways in which dictatorships and empires fall.

As the novel begins, Frank - who survived the rebellion at the Kamas correctional camp and was eventually given amnesty - is carving out a comfortable life for himself in 2029 Boston. A bar owner by trade and bootlegger by necessity, Frank has learned to live in the margins of legal society, and has even found love. Not everything is perfect, as indicated by his ongoing search for the daughter he lost track of years before, but things are going as well as could be expected, until an old friend from his Kamas days appears with orders left over from his days as part of the prisoners' government. The warden of the Kamas camp has taken a high-ranking federal job in Boston, and Frank's orders are simple: kill the former warden for his crimes against the prisoners. However, while his orders are simple, the task isn't, and Frank finds himself and his collected teammates tested in unanticipated ways.

For fans of Fleming's previous work, there's good news to be had; the author manages to skillfully weave in the political content of his previous work but in a less obtrusive fashion. Parallels to Soviet society are explicitly drawn in Fleming's depiction of Unionist America, but he does so without belaboring the point, choosing to reveal information more via background sketches or quick dialogue than with infodumps or excessively on-the-nose quotations. In addition, Werner is a more dynamic protagonist than Forty Days at Kamas' Paul Wagner; principled but willing to work hands-on, capable and smart, Werner makes things happen instead of allowing events to happen around him, making his adventures inherently more involving. However, not everything Fleming touches on in his previous work functions as smoothly; the occasional touches of mysticism and religious experience in Forty Days are expanded on in Star Chamber to the plot's detriment, as certain aspects of the plot are advanced through vague metaphysics instead of concrete action or as a result of certain principles. Fleming takes care not to lay it on too heavily, but given the rigorous thought and construction evident in the rest of the book, the metaphysical elements here smack of authorial handwaving instead of legitimate narrative construction.

Even so, despite the occasional misstep, Star Chamber Brotherhood remains a solid piece of politically charged entertainment, built around an engaging protagonist and a tightly machined plot that moves smoothly toward a well-earned resolution.

Reviewed by: Nicole Sorkin, Pacific Book Review

http://www.pacificbookreview.com/

Book Review: A Satan Carol, by Alan Steven Kessler

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AppId is over the quota

A Satan Carol by spiritual horror author Alan Steven Kessler combines elements of the macabre and parody/satire to explore the concepts of free will and evil. Not having read in this horror subcategory before, I was intrigued when I received a copy of this ebook for review.

The story begins in 1848 Ireland during a time of intense famine. A poor, nearly starved boy dies in the countryside, releasing a 'golden soul,' a special soul full of kindness and healing power. Had he lived, he would have infected generations with goodness.

The tale then moves 180 years later to Christmas Eve in Massachusetts, where we encounter Katie Katz, a troubled, pregnant 14-year old who's planning an abortion. Revolving around her are various characters who are interconnected in some way, either by family ties or by Mr. Green-aka the Devil-who has an agenda and will stop at nothing to tempt them and play with their conscience.

Among these characters are Katie's father, Harvey Katz, a top notch lawyer who defends rapists and killers, does drugs and treats women like objects; her grandfather Orem, who's cursed with prophesies and visions no one believes; Fritz Mueller, a gruesome doctor who performs abortions and uses the fetuses to extract a serum that could affect people's growth. There are others, too, such as Katie's mother and Harvey's assistant.

Through the generations, Mr. Green has been following these people since birth, trying to shape their destinies to suit his purposes. At the top of his agenda, of course, is the golden soul and the way it could affect his son Pal. Though we have an idea that all the characters are pawns in Mr. Green's evil games, it isn't until the middle that we get a clearer picture of what's really going on.

Mr Green tries to convince and trick his victims with dreams and hallucinations, but in the end, they have free will. As the plot evolves and the characters opt to follow the right path, Mr. Green grows increasingly frustrated. In fact, he becomes exhausted and whiny, prone to temper tantrums. After all, it isn't easy bending the fabric of time and trying to be everywhere at once.

Who is the ghost of Christmas Eve? Is it Pal, Satan's son? Is it Katie's unborn child? Or is it the golden soul itself? Will Satan get his way in the end?

A Satan Carol moves back and forth in time and is told from multiple points of view. It is a well-written story with a heavy message that will especially appeal to Christian readers. Though some of the segments are gruesome and bordering on the bizarre, at times Kessler uses dark, twisted humor to lighten the prose. The story explores the universal theme of good versus evil with a particular focus on the power of free will. Kessler writes with a lot of attention to detail and some of the paragraphs are quite long, especially in the first half of the book. The pacing is faster in the second half, with less exposition and lots more dialogue.

A Satan Carol is an out-of-the-ordinary read that invites self pondering. Recommended for readers of horror and Christian fiction who'd like to try something different.

A Satan Carol
by Alan Steven Kessler
Wild Child Publishing
ISNB: 978-1-61798-013-8
Copyright 2009
290 pages
$5.99
Formats: PDF, HTML, ePub, Mobi, Lit, PRC
Spiritual/Christian Horror
Author's website: http://www.askessler.com

Mayra Calvani is an author, reviewer and freelance book publicist. She also offers online workshops on the art of book reviewing and picture book writing. To learn more about her books, workshops and promotional packages for authors, visit her website at http://www.mayracalvani.com/

Join her mailing list and receive the free ebook, "Reviewers Talk about Their Craft," as well as the first lesson of her Slippery Art of Book Reviewing Workshop.

What Are Urban Fantasy Books?

Paranormal books are all the rage these days. Many are being turned into movies and those that aren't are still rocking the book market to its core. Publishers simply can't create enough fantasy and paranormal books to readers of satisfy..

At the center of these paranormal urban fantasy genre reads is the. It's a genre that is widely popular in both the adult and young adult book worlds. Even middle grade books are coming out with more of them for readers to devour.

But what is "urban fantasy" exactly? With all the fancy book genre and subgenres within them, in all the different genres can get a bit confusing. So hopefully this article will help clear up what exactly it means in the book world.

Let's first break it down. We've got the word "urban", and we've got the word "fantasy".

When we think of fantasy we think of elves and otherworldly adventures like the famous the Lord of the Rings saga. If those types of books are what you think of when you hear the word fantasy, then you'd be right in categorizing them as such. (A) A fantasy world takes place outside our own realm of existence. New and fictional worlds are created to house fantasy creatures and lands within them.

Now let's look at the other word, "urban". "Urban" by definition means a populated city or town, but in this case it can also be expanded to the modern world as we know it. Many of us may not live in Chicago or New York, but for the most part we live in a modern urban society (populated).

So when you put those two words together you get essentially "fantasy within our modern world". So these are the fantasy realms and creatures we've come to know have broken the boundaries into our own very ordinary, and sometimes very boring, world.

An urban fantasy can feature a multitude of characters such as vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, fairies, elves, etc. There are no limits to the kinds of creatures an urban fantasy can provide. But the only requirement is that they are among our world as we know it right now.

Some people argue that the difference between paranormal and urban fantasy is that paranormal is when these creatures are in the outskirts of our world and the population as a whole doesn't know about them; whereas with an urban fantasy they are part of, and very much out of the closet to, our population.

This will probably be something that is debated for as long as paranormal books are around. But I personally believe the urban fantasy is anything involving mystical and fantastical beings who make our boring and plain to the world a little bit more exciting just by being a part of it.

Love the urban fantasy books? Then be sure to check out my reviews for paranormal books to find ideas for your next read urban fantasy.

Generation, A Novel Reviewed

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AppId is over the quota

The beat poet, Kenneth Patchen, in his poem Street Corner College, wrote-

Last year was a year ago; nothing more.

We weren't younger then; nor older now.

We manage to have the look that young men have;

We feel nothing behind our faces, one way or other.

We shall probably not be quite dead when we die.

This is the starting point, the primary conceit, for the novel Generation by William Knight. An evil corporation (is there another kind?) is swimming in the gene pool with unforeseen results. An age old fear, beyond the fear of death, the fear of waking inside your coffin, is the basis of this novel. The dead in this work are not in coffins but in a forensic research facility where they lounge around in the open, in various states and stages of decomposition and decay, for the benefit of science. A facility like the one described to great effect in the non-fiction work, Bones. The unfortunate semi dead reside in a strange limbo of part joy and part helpless remorse which Knight treats with sympathy and skill.

I admit to liking the lead character based on a prejudice. As a private detective I often used pre-texting in my work. Pre-texting is making believe the world is something other than what it is. It is pretending to be blind so people you are talking to don't guard their actions in front of you. It is pretending to be something you're not in order to disarm someone's suspicions. Knight's character does this and does it well.

I found myself unsure of wanting to read the parts about the near dead. But in this book the reality of the dead and that of the majority or the living never really touched each other but there is more to come judging by the ending and I look forward to reading it. The idea is compelling.

If the novel needs a weakness, I felt a weakness in the love relationship. At least I was unconvinced by it. The actors seem to turn into completely different people when it came to sex. But at least it got them naked and vulnerable and... Well I don't want to ruin this part for you. Here's where it gets good again.

It's written in British English as opposed to American English. But in fairness, British English should be called simply, English. Be ready for things like curb spelled with a 'k'.

Read it, it's fun. GENERATION.

Thanks for listening.

Joseph Valentinetti is an author of novels: fiction and fiction based on fact. He writes articles on a variety of subjects, from impressions of travel spots to speculating about the name of the moon, but his focus is on his writing and author interviews. Get better acquainted at http://www.valentinetti.com/. Join his site, pick up his feed and become part of the dialog. Read A Book.

Books - An Eternal Passion

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AppId is over the quota

Authoring of books since ancient times has been considered as a work of art, an art which has been recognized throughout the annals of history as art works of excellence. Books are one of the richest source of inspiration and one of the most effective means of motivating others. While books are acknowledged to be the finest source of inspiration to others who read them, an avid reader gets a first hand impression of the writer's psyche since the books have been written taking into account the personal experiences of the author. The author writes in order to express a desire to share these experiences with the readers. A large variety of books have been authored by reputed and famous authors which have covered a myriad themes ranging from fiction, non-fiction, history, literature, scientific fiction, management, medical science, information technology and each one of these books have contributed significantly towards the development of the human mind.

The sharing of experience through books has been deemed to be invigorating for readers who emulate the essentials that apply to their lives. Books are known to have completely transformed lives of people thereby altering their lives dramatically. The habit of reading books is inculcated during the early stages of a person's life. There are several factors that lead to the development of the hobby of reading books. Primarily, it is the atmosphere in the family which either allures or deters a child to read books. The upbringing of the child in the initial stages is of utmost significance. A child's mind is extremely fragile and supple and therefore can be easily sculpted and molded.

When it comes to writing reviews on books, it is all the more important that the reviewer takes into account all the aspects of author's writing especially what precisely he wants to project to his reader. One of the most important factors that a person while writing a book review is that he should give his critical views dispassionately and without any prejudice or a bias.

In this manner, a reviewer considers all the positive and negative factors of the contents of the book and gives a totally unique and distinct review. It would be pertinent to mention that a book reviewer simply does not give into any internal or external pressures that he may encounter during the time of reviewing a book or a work of an art.

Reviewers and critics have always been held in high esteem in literary circles because of their unbiased and dispassionate reviews. In fact, when a reviewer writes about a piece of writing, he stands aloof from the events of the book and judges the book as if from a distance. It is this distancing from the writer that makes him an outstanding reviewer.