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BOOK BLOG TOUR


BROUGHT TO YOU BY AUTHOR
M.J. FLETCHER

THE DARKENING DREAM

by

ANDY GAVIN

available now at amazon.com

FIRST OF ALL,

I must apologize to Mr. Gavin.  I received this book back in February to review.  I read the book, wrote the review and somehow forgot to post it.  

Now, for the story

synopsis  (Amazon)

The Darkening Dream is the chilling new dark fantasy novel by Andy Gavin, creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter.

Even as the modern world pushes the supernatural aside in favor of science and steel, the old ways remain. God, demon, monster, and sorcerer alike plot to regain what was theirs.

1913, Salem, Massachusetts - Sarah Engelmann's life is full of friends, books, and avoiding the pressure to choose a husband, until an ominous vision and the haunting call of an otherworldly trumpet shake her. When she stumbles across a gruesome corpse, she fears that her vision was more of a premonition. And when she sees the murdered boy moving through the crowd at an amusement park, Sarah is thrust into a dark battle she does not understand.

With the help of Alex, a Greek immigrant who knows a startling amount about the undead, Sarah sets out to uncover the truth. Their quest takes them to the factory mills of Salem, on a midnight boat ride to spy on an eerie coastal lair, and back, unexpectedly, to their own homes. What can Alex's elderly, vampire-hunting grandfather and Sarah's own rabbi father tell them? And what do Sarah's continuing visions reveal?

No less than Gabriel's Trumpet, the tool that will announce the End of Days, is at stake, and the forces that have banded to recover it include a 900 year-old vampire, a trio of disgruntled Egyptian gods, and a demon-loving Puritan minister. At the center of this swirling cast is Sarah, who must fight a millennia-old battle against unspeakable forces, knowing the ultimate prize might be herself.

Received from author for honest review.

This is a very dark story.  A bit too dark and frightening for my tastes, but very well written.  The vampires of Andy Gavin's stories aren't cute, funny, handsome, or happy.  No Barnabas Collins or Twilight characters here- these vampires are dark, brooding and more like Stoker's vampire.  A blood sucking unapologetic abomination.

The story takes place in Salem, Ma...A city that invokes images of witches and witch hunts.  Well, no witches now. It's the year 1913.  I love the locale of this story.  I live in New England and find I wish to revisit Salem each time I read a book that takes place there.  This story is no exception.

There is a strong religious undertone to this story.  All religions, Judaism, Christianity, Greek Orthodox and Ancient Egyptian...a  multitude of themes very skillfully weaved together.

Two characters stand out in this novel.  Sarah and Alex.  Of course, they come from different religious/cultural upbringing.  Sarah is Jewish and Alex is a Greek Orthodox.

I think this book was a bit too gruesome for me...I'm not a fan of vampires, especially Stoker's kind, but I appreciate the talent and writing style of Mr. Gavin and his attention to detail.

I give this book 4 stars.

now, about the author

Andy Gavin is an unstoppable storyteller who studied for his Ph.D. at M.I.T. and founded video game developer Naughty Dog, Inc. at the age of fifteen, serving as co-president for two decades. There he created, produced, and directed over a dozen video games, including the award winning and best selling Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter franchises, selling over 40 million units worldwide. He sleeps little, reads novels and histories, watches media obsessively, travels, and of course, writes.

Find him at: http://andy-gavin-author.com

This biography was provided by the author or their representative.

(obtained from Amazon website)

ORBS OF POWER

BY

ROB RODENPARKER

received from author for honest review

AVAILABLE MAY 11

product description (Amazon)

Join Prince Alorin and his bride-to-be Princess Bellany on their journey to vanquish evil from the three kingdoms of the continent of Aedaria. To do so, they need the Orbs of Power that give their human hosts incredible powers, but they need to find them first. During the Sealing War of years past, the orbs were created to help defeat the demons and devils that threatened to take over the lands and conquer all of the kingdoms. After the war the orbs were scattered throughout the continent, and only a few remain guarded.

With an amusing cast of supporting characters and plenty of villains to battle, Orbs of Power will take you on an exhilirating journey full of romance, politics, and adventure. Along the way you will encounter heroes and sorcery, devils and demons, and fantastical creatures such as centaurs and merfolk. Follow these two unlikely young heroes as they learn to harness their newfound powers while discovering each other on their path to becoming king and queen together and trying to save humankind.

MY REVIEW

A wonderful fast paced fantasy. Starts with a bang and the adventures just keep coming! This story is full of all sorts of magical/mythical creatures. Dragons, devils, banshee's, merfolk, centaurs...did I mention DRAGONS? I love dragons-even when they are villains. This book is not short on villains.

Of course, the good guys, Alorin and his Princess Tyana are amazing characters. He is a handsome young prince betrothed to a woman for the sole purpose of keeping peace and making a stronger kingdom. Tyana is the daughter of a more powerful ruler from a neighboring kingdom. No Disney princess here- she is described as plain looking, opinionated and very strong willed. She is also intelligent, loyal and extremely likable. Alorin is also a lovable character, he's not afraid to admit to his weaknesses.

Alorin discovers he's a SYNCH HOST. A host to the power of one of the mystical Orbs. The magic and mystery just gets deeper after this discovery.

This story is full of everything you can imagine. It has romance, battles, magic, evil and DRAGONS!!!

I loved it and I think you will if you like fantasy, kingdoms, and/or magical creatures, or just if you like a fun story. It's a wild ride!

addendum: I noticed from Amazon's description, the Princess's name is now Bellany.  I received an ARC of this book from the author.  There may be some minor changes, such as names, from the version I received. 

about Rob

Rob RodenParker is an information technology professional, a part-time author and publisher, and a full-time husband and father of two awesome kids. He loves creating new worlds and crazy characters and hopes that you will enjoy reading all about them

for more information about Rob and his books check out his website at
http://robrodenparker.com/

Orbs of Power is available at http://amazon.com/