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#Review : The Campus Killer #crime #book

Title: The Campus Killer
Series: Detective Ali Ryan Series Book 1
Author: Andrew Hess
Genre: Detective, Crime Thriller
Pages: 359
Reading Level: Adult
Content: R (intense violence, mature subject matter, alcohol use)

I admit that I haven’t read a lot of crime thriller, but if they were all like this one, I think I’d read more. The Campus Killer pulls you in right from the start.

The story follows a hotshot female detective named Ali Ryan as she tries to convince everyone that a recent string of suicides is actually the work of a serial killer. Besides the case offering the reader tons of mystery and action, Ali also tries to have a life, which only makes her feel more real.

The story alternates points of view, between Ali and the killer, but we also get a chance to get into the mind of some of the other characters through the narrator who’s tapping us into the killer. It’s an interesting way to see multiple viewpoints of the story coming together. When I first realized that the pov changed I was concerned about being confused, but I wasn’t in the slightest.

My issue with some crime stories I’ve read is that I rarely like the hero, but I liked Ali and I really liked her sister. It was odd for me not to root for the bad guy, but this killer was so whiny that I couldn’t stand him, which only made me like the story more. You know how it goes; characters you love to hate.

The main reason I didn’t give this book a five was because of pacing and the ending. The pacing seemed to speed up and slow down, which isn’t bad, but I felt that it lacked a rhythm that would have it flow better. Of course, that could simply be one of my personal odd quirks. Honestly, the book is not hard to read at all.

As for the ending, it isn’t bad either. It’s quite good actually. It’s just not the ending I wanted. Some people want Cinderella to marry the prince and I want her to inherit her own kingdom. So the author and I didn’t have the same ideas for the ending; no big deal.

This is a really good adult “curl up next to a fire and sip something warm” read.

Disclaimer: I received a beta copy of this book for an honest critique and then later purchased the final product.

I’d like to give this book a 4 ½, but am sticking with a solid 4.

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This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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Review: Cassastar

Title: Cassastar
Series: Cassastar #1
Author: Alex J. Cavanaugh
Genre: Space Opera
Pages: 246
Reading Level: Adult
Content: PG (military subject matter and some violence)

This book is not what I expected it to be at all and I loved it. The words “Space Opera” are suitable to describe this but there’s something else in this story that goes beyond sci-fi, fantasy, and space war.

CassaStar tells the story of a young Cassian named Byron who is talented and troubled. All he wants is a chance to escape Cassa and become a fighter pilot so that his life can have some meaning. His only problem is that, when compared to everyone around him, he has a bad and arrogant attitude, but he is good at what he does … oh and he’s “special”. Then there’s Bassa, enter wise man/mentor, but that’s where I’ll stop. I don’t want to give too much away.

I must confess that as chicks go I’m not much for emotional outpouring which is probably why I like action, sci-fi, and fantasy, but this book has given me a whole new perspective. When considering the very nature of the Cassians, I don’t believe I would be viewed even half as well as Byron was and he was pretty much an outcast with undeniable skills.  It’s one thing to make friends and to be able to mingle with your peers on a social level, but CassaStar takes social interaction and emotional bonds to a whole other level, plus there’s space ships and highly advanced technology involved.

This whole story is written in a very matter-of-fact way as to imply that everything that’s happening in the story is as it should be. You forget from time to time that you are not a Cassian and that you are simply reading a story. You are however supplied with a few moments that fill you with utter amazement as you imagine the pilots sorting through space and time and then going on grand adventures in their down time.

This is an action packed story, but it takes a while to get your heart rate going. Nothing is slow moving, but the author does take his time to really develop his characters and set up each scene for whatever it is that’s about the happen: a space battle, an emotional breakdown, a behavior evaluation, or even an intense dream.  With all this story has to offer, I’m still shocked that it all boils down to a great buddy story. This book is about friendship in a way most people haven’t considered. When two men go into war willing to die or live for the other, exciting things happens.

This story is suitable for most audiences though young children may not have the maturity to understand it and many women will not be initially attracted to it. I would challenge men and women to read this story and find that they probably really enjoy it, even if it is for very different reasons.

I give this book a 5.

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This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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Review: Spellbound

Spellbound (Spellbringers #1) by Tricia Drammeh

I give this book a 5.

This is one of those books that sat on my TBR list for so long, not because I wasn’t interested, but because I had a feeling once I started I wouldn’t want to stop, and I was right. I’m so glad the summer afforded me the opportunity to read this book without the constant interruptions I’m used to.

Spellbound tells the story of two girls who seem to live in completely different worlds, though they reside in the same town and go to the same school. The thing that draws these to ladies together is the pleasantly invading presence of the Alexander family. One of the girls could be “the one” this magical family has been looking for while the other will alter and change their lives in ways they hadn’t expected from a mere human.

Before I go into the why I loved this book, and I totally did, I just want to say that this author is amazing. I’d read her blog a bit before, but never really followed her writing; what a mistake. Her attention to detail and her respect for the diversity of her characters empowers me to be bolder in my own writing. She’s now one of my favorite authors and I’ll probably start stalking her a bit…Now back to the book.

Obviously from my last statement, you can surmise that the characters of this book are well-developed and likable. If you’ve read any of my other reviews, you know that YA is a struggle for me in general because of all the teen antics. This book was no different, but for some reason, I grew to like these characters and quickly got over there teen drama, especially when they started to face real physical and life-altering threats.

I like the way the setting aids the story. It takes place in a small town, but the world travels of the Alexander family plays a role in their daily lives. It’s sometimes easy to think that whatever is happening in the story will only affect their little town, but when characters star “popping up” out of the blue from around the world, it really puts matters into a global perspective.

I don’t usually go into too much detail about specific characters in my reviews, but I knew from the start I’d like Bryce, even if he didn’t start out in the best light and wasn’t around much. The descriptions of all the pretty people in this book had me shaking my head and remembering a few good times from high school when I dated basketball players. Ah, youth.

Then there’s the magical element of the story that goes beyond the surface. In this story, magic isn’t a separate entity that affects the character’s world; it’s part of their culture. There is a gray matter that I have been unable to clarify in the use of magic within this story, but I’m hoping the next two books (which I’ve already purchased) will straighten it all up. There are clear good guys and bad guys in the first story, but there’s foreshadowing that implies some characters and events will be more about picking sides than being right and wrong. Plus the ancestors of those with magic all seem to come from the same “people” but are dark and some are light…I can wait to read more.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes YA and or Fantasy and even a few who don’t. Anyone who appreciates cultural diversity in fiction will also appreciate this book, even if they’re not big into fantasy.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest opinion, which has in no way affected the rating of this piece.

This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords