Review: The Rebel Within by Lance Erlick

The Rebel Within
Lance Erlick
Finlee Augare Books
Published on March 25, 2013

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When Annabelle attacks an opposing team member at a basketball game, she faces dire consequences. Though she is a volunteer with the police force, she may be sent to a rehabilitation facility far from home and the younger sister she dearly loves. Annabelle’s only alternative is to join a fierce group of government agents called Mechs. All she wants for herself is a quiet life as a restaurant owner and a place to keep her adopted sister safe.

In Annabelle’s world men are exiled, quarantined or forced to fight to the death in the annual games which serve as … Continue reading

Review: Secrets of the Realm by Bev Stout

Secrets of the Realm

Secrets of the Realm
Bev Stout
Published by Bev Stout
Published on April 28, 2013

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After her uncle’s death, Annie’s aunt blames and severely punishes her. Determined that life as a street urchin will be far better than survival beneath her cruel aunt, Annie runs away. She leaps at a chance to serve as a cabin boy aboard the Realm. If she is to last the voyage, Annie will have to conceal her gender and perform as well as any seasoned sailor. Some among the crew members are deeply superstitious and would not take kindly to a woman on board their vessel, not to mention the … Continue reading

Review: Winter Shadows by Casey Bond

Winter Shadows
Casey Bond
Tate Publishing
Published October 29, 2013

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The day Claire’s father warned her about has finally arrived. Armed with few provisions, Claire and her father join friends and church members fleeing from government mandated confinement in quarantine camps. At first the camps may have been necessary to prevent a deadly pandemic from decimating the entire population, but surely the threat has passed, and the government may be using fear of this disease to round up the remaining citizens and control them. Determined to live free, Claire’s father has created a living space off the government grid, and he’s taking anyone willing to come along.

At first Claire isn’t too thrilled … Continue reading

Review: Exile by Rebecca Lim

Exile
Rebecca Lim
HarperCollins
Published June 9, 2011

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As punishment for crimes she can’t remember, Mercy is exiled from the angel world, forced to live human lives, driven from one life to another in an endless cycle of suffering. This time, Mercy finds herself within the life of Lela, a dedicated young girl whose life revolves around caring for her terminally ill mother.

Mercy weaves through the day-to-day commitments of Lela’s small life, but her focus remains turned to the limited fragments she can piece together from the past. In dreams, Luc visits her, telling her of their great love for one another, begging her to find him, or to find the man … Continue reading

Review: Alpha Gene by Angel M. Huerta

Alpha Gene
Angel M. Huerta
White Goblin
Published June 29, 2013

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After being unjustly accused of murdering his friend and partner, Dr. Lucas McKenna relocates to a small town in Maine to live a quiet life pursuing his passion: genetics. When he is mistaken for an obstetrics physician and delivers a child who mysteriously flickers in and out of his visibility, the doctor believes he may have stumbled onto the next great evolutionary leap in humanity. He follows the girl’s progression and soon discovers several more children who seem to possess extraordinary gifts. While the doctor’s actions may seem creepy, he assures the reader he is only pursuing the science and intends no … Continue reading

Review: City on Fire: A Novel of Pompeii by Tracy L. Higley

City on Fire: A Novel of Pompeii
Tracy L. Higley
Thomas Nelson
Published September 24, 2013 (Originally published 2011)

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Ariella, a slave girl in service to a lustful, vicious master, finds her chance for escape during a secret celebration to honor Bacchus. Before she can flee the city, however, she is drawn to a young slave boy in a troupe of gladiators. His resemblance to her missing younger brother moves her heart, and she takes his place among the troupe members, setting him free. As a gladiator, she conceals her gender and hopes to make a name for herself, winning enough favor among the people to be rewarded with freedom.

Young Roman nobleman … Continue reading