Book Review: The Quest for Freedom (The Conquest Trilogy, #1) by Matthew D. Devitt

The Quest for Freedom by Matthew D. Devitt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Non-stop Action! Action! Action!

The Quest for Freedom is the first book in author Matthew Devitt’s rough and tumble The Conquest Trilogy, and if you’re looking for a story that hits the ground running, is full of action, and desperate hand-to-hand combat, this book is for you. With its straightforward plot to free the enslaved humans, multiple supernatural/mythical races, and comrades-by-necessity elements, I was transported back to the days of classic DnD gaming and fellowship.

The main character, Fletcher Rush, is one of the humans whose ancestors had coexisted on the planet Affer alongside angels, demons, elves, and others until their collective success began to feel like a threat. Banding together, the other kingdoms overtook the humans and divided the survivors up amongst the victors to serve as slaves for all eternity. Four hundred seventy-three years later, Fletcher is the hero who rises from obscurity to free his people.

The action is truly non-stop as Fletcher, his sidekick, Ji, and the various companions they pick up along the way, battle their way across the planet to secure a future of freedom for the human race. The good guys are earnest and driven, with their focus on their crusade from start to finish. The bad guys are evil, entitled, and in charge, until Fletcher and company arrive on the scene. The fight scenes are plentiful, vivid, and, at times, graphic in their depiction of the damage inflicted.

The planet of Affer features different kingdoms of supernatural beings, with a variety of wild terrain in between for the heroes to traverse, but my favorite was the abandoned human capital of Admont. As a bonus, the author includes a wonderfully illustrated map of the world, as well as a simple pronunciation guide for many city names, places, and more unusual character names.

The book is not complex literature, just a bit of fun, and I would definitely read the rest of the trilogy. But I wish the author would stop using CAPS throughout to emphasize shouted or excited dialogue. We get it.

I recommend THE QUEST FOR FREEDOM to fans of epic fantasies that harken back to the early days of the genre and nostalgic DnD gaming.


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Book Review: The Bloodstained Bricks by S.M. Sykes

Blood Stained Bricks by S.M. Sykes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An imaginative, horror-laced story set in the Land of Oz before the well-known visit by Dorothy Gale and Toto.

The Bloodstained Bricks by S.M. Sykes is a compelling and imaginative story set in the mysterious Land of Oz before the well-known visit by Dorothy Gale and her little dog, Toto. Told similarly to the style of the original book, Sykes has doubled down on that story’s elements of horror with monsters of a more modern vintage. Instead of “Lions and tigers and bears,” readers get “Monsters and Vampire and bats.” Oh my!

The heroine of the tale is 17-year-old Dolly from Millsboro, Delaware, who ends up “over the rainbow” with her German Shepherd, Apollo, in much the same fashion as the movie: by tornado. However, her home is destroyed, and the boy from down the way, who had been trying to rescue her and the dog, is wrenched, unconscious, from his pickup and presumed to perish: a much more tragic and dark turn of events from the start. The heartache of the loss of her friend revisits Dolly throughout her ordeal in Oz.

The plot follows the pair as they struggle to get to the person with the power to get her home. The story has a pair of amethyst slippers, but they cleverly transform into footwear that is more suitable for Dolly’s travel needs when the heels are tapped together. Apollo also proves to be way more helpful than that trouble-magnet Toto, protecting his mistress with fervor and the heft and attributes to actually do some damage. While the flying monkeys make appearances, they are on Dolly’s side this go-round. However, their replacements, sent by the evil leader of Emerald City, more than compensate for the monkeys’ about-face. Led by a mysterious, masked Vampire under the thumb of the cruel leader, they are pursued by a werewolf and a nightmarish creature called the “Semblance,” created from the re-animated body parts of the dead (think Frankenstein’s monster), who can regenerate if he becomes dismembered. The trio is seemingly unstoppable, and the pursuit becomes a battle of wits between Dolly and her remote helpmate, a Munchkin technological genius assisting her from his home in the target destination of Amethyst City known as “The Mechanic.” What follows is an exciting race for safety.

While a little slow getting started, the action soon picks up, making for a suspense-filled tale, and there is some fun dialogue between Dolly and Vampire at times. However, I thought their second escape from the tower was a bit long and convoluted, and it really felt like an idea that was added on later. Also, there are still quite a few typos, missing words, and misused homophones. However, overall, the story is entertaining and somewhat nostalgic, and it ends with a twist and the option for a possible sequel that I would certainly want to buy and read.

I recommend THE BLOODSTAINED BRICKS to readers of horror or dark fantasy, especially those who enjoy stories such as fairytale retellings.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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Book Review: After the Darkness by Justin Richman

After The Darkness by Justin Richman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An action-packed post-apocalyptic tale where danger comes from every direction!

After the Darkness is a riveting new post-apocalyptic tale featuring terrifying, seemingly indestructible aliens and the desperate human survivors of a city. Society quickly collapsed with the coming of The Drifters, aliens that feasted on the human inhabitants of the planet. The handfuls of survivors huddled together in small groups to maximize their resources while they scrounged the remnants of their broken city for critical leftovers from the past and avoid detection by the predatory invaders. Izzy and her dog Shadow work together as a team, locating and retrieving useful and necessary supplies for their camp situated on the town’s outskirts. But when a roving band of lawless scavengers arrives, making the abandoned local prison their base of operations and claiming the entirety of the city as their territory, Izzy discovers the real threat to their survival may not be The Drifters but her fellow human beings.

Wow! This story is one exciting sequence of events after another from start to finish. The action kicks off on page one with Izzy’s capture by the evil leader of The Reavers, followed by an attack from the alien Drifters, and things never let up from there. The plot is tense as one threat after another presents itself, and Izzy, Shadow, her friend Matt, and a surprise benefactor work to overcome insurmountable odds. The author makes their successes believable and their losses shocking and heartbreaking. A horrifying twist is that victims of The Drifters can be infected, resurrected, and used to lead the aliens back to their former compatriots’ hiding places, where they help exterminate all those they encounter.

Izzy, the heroine of the story, is initially relegated to less vital roles in her hidden community when the head of their camp dismisses her skills and potential value. Still, she perseveres and proves herself more than capable over and over. As if the day-to-day, hand-to-mouth existence of the camp isn’t dire enough, the kidnapping of one of their members sparks a chain of events that pits them against the evil Reavers entrenched behind sturdy prison walls. Not only does this amp up the suspense, but it forces Izzy to face all the fears Hawk embodies.

This author’s writing just keeps getting better and better. The plot is well-paced, and the storylines are tight and focused. The settings are vivid and easy to visualize, putting the readers right in the scene with the characters. I highly recommend AFTER THE DARKNESS to readers who enjoy thrilling post-apocalyptic tales of action, adventure, and suspense.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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