When Fiction offers More...
There's more to life than meets the eye. There's more to superpowers than leaping tall buildings. There's more to the future than just repeating the past. And there's more, always more, in fiction, as in these books I've enjoyed reading recently.
Christine Amsden's Cassie Scott detective series sort of came to an end a while ago, except it turnjed out there was more to her characters' tales; soon there'll be more again as the next book is released. Frozen by Christine Amsden takes a paranormal series with romantic overtones into the world of parents and children. It's a recognizably real world where all modern parents live, wondering about the places their children will inhabit, their children's skills and how they'll cope, and an unkonwn future that holds so many untold hidden fears. It's also very convincingly the world created in the rest of the series, with magical powers that don't solve all the world's problems, and magical people who struggle with that real-world rejection of anyone who's different. Add magical mystery, and enjoy it, when it comes out, with some well-balanced, full-flavored three-star coffee.
J.J. DiBenedetto's Dream series is another series centering on very believable, mildly paranormal characters who age convincingly. In Dream Home, the family is uprooted to a new home where Sara and Brian start new jobs. But strangers aren't always welcome in small towns, and Sara's problems with colleagues aren't helped when she can see into their dreams. More homely than the other novels, this one includes the trials of parents of teens as well as newcomers to town, then works toward a very humanly scary conclusion. Dream Vacation sees the family take a trip to France where Sara's dreams of teens in trouble don't quite reveal the problems facing her own child. Scarily real and pleasingly resolved, it's another great entry to the series, to be enjoyed with a well-balanced full-flavored three-star coffee.
The Land of Falling Stars by Troy Hallewell is a well-wrought short coming-of-age story set in the author's RazorWire world. There are just enough hints to provide depth to the world and leave the reader eager for more. It's a strange dystopia, and just what are those stars. Enjoy with some dark five-star coffee and look out for more.... always more...
Christine Amsden's Cassie Scott detective series sort of came to an end a while ago, except it turnjed out there was more to her characters' tales; soon there'll be more again as the next book is released. Frozen by Christine Amsden takes a paranormal series with romantic overtones into the world of parents and children. It's a recognizably real world where all modern parents live, wondering about the places their children will inhabit, their children's skills and how they'll cope, and an unkonwn future that holds so many untold hidden fears. It's also very convincingly the world created in the rest of the series, with magical powers that don't solve all the world's problems, and magical people who struggle with that real-world rejection of anyone who's different. Add magical mystery, and enjoy it, when it comes out, with some well-balanced, full-flavored three-star coffee.
J.J. DiBenedetto's Dream series is another series centering on very believable, mildly paranormal characters who age convincingly. In Dream Home, the family is uprooted to a new home where Sara and Brian start new jobs. But strangers aren't always welcome in small towns, and Sara's problems with colleagues aren't helped when she can see into their dreams. More homely than the other novels, this one includes the trials of parents of teens as well as newcomers to town, then works toward a very humanly scary conclusion. Dream Vacation sees the family take a trip to France where Sara's dreams of teens in trouble don't quite reveal the problems facing her own child. Scarily real and pleasingly resolved, it's another great entry to the series, to be enjoyed with a well-balanced full-flavored three-star coffee.
The Land of Falling Stars by Troy Hallewell is a well-wrought short coming-of-age story set in the author's RazorWire world. There are just enough hints to provide depth to the world and leave the reader eager for more. It's a strange dystopia, and just what are those stars. Enjoy with some dark five-star coffee and look out for more.... always more...
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