The Slender Reed ~ John W. Cassell

Disclosure: I received a copy through LibraryThing's Member Giveaway programme.

While this tale of one man fighting political and judicial corruption within his own purview is set in the ‘80s it is easy to see how by simply changing a few names it could be the lead story from any media outlet thirty years later. Le plus ça change le plus ça reste le même.

Initially, I thought the setting of this novel to be Small Town U.S.A., but the more I read, the more I felt that perhaps it was more of a rural subdivision or borough of some larger city. There were other perplexing moments in this novel, which I ultimately chalked up to a lack of knowledge of the American political and judicial system. There were such a mix of levels of political offices and varying departments with their hands in the pot that it was a bit difficult keeping them sorted. Eventually I concluded that this was a deliberate way for the author John W. Cassell to give the non-official a sense of just how convoluted politics and the law can get. While we assume they are supposed to be making decisions to keep us functioning and adapting laws to ensure order, they are often at loggerheads when the ultimate goal is the economy. This is where we realise that economy and individuals are not viewed as compatible and one must decide with which they will side.

Cassell’s protagonist Cranford has all of this to deal with as the man with the dubious role of State’s Attorney, a role I determined sits at the apex of both points of view. As the fulcrum between money and humanity, it is a place where sometimes one must skirt the lines to take back control of what is right, by not allowing cynicism and complacency to run roughshod.

I appreciated the appendices explaining radio codes and ‘insider terms’, but felt that an brief explanation or chart explaining the different political positions and what level of government they are meant to serve would be quite useful for a non-American market. I searched the internet for information and found that it impeded the story’s flow. Otherwise, I quite liked the message and the spark of hope that perhaps in time, with the right people, that politics and the law can share a stage.

Publisher: Inkwater Press
Publication Date: 2 February 2012
Format: Paperback

Review originally appeared on the now defunct Bookworm's Buffet Blog

Fire & Ice ~ Patty Jansen

Disclosure: I won a copy from LibraryThing's author giveaway programme.

I do not read many fantasy novels, but I have been extremely fortunate over the years that friends have recommended some brilliant ones.. This time I stepped out on a limb without ‘professional’ guidance and put my name for an author’s copy of Fire & Ice from LibraryThing and was honoured to win a copy. As in my few other fantasy novel experiences, I was not disappointed. In fact, I am looking forward to reading the next instalment.

The concept of this series, whether intended, is an allegorical tale of our times - discrimination, segregation, moral superiority and polar bears. Well, yes, polar bears are not precisely an everyday sight for most of us, however, their use in this novel tells of our own uses of animal for sport and the repercussions of attempting to tame the wild.

The centre of power is the City of Glass, the population ruled by a Regent intent on claiming the crown with help from his Eagle Knights, while the son of the former King, living outwith the city’s borders amasses a force of ‘deformed’ individuals who are able to tap into the world’s largest power source. While these two fight for control, the inhabitants are stuck in the middle, unsure, confused and understandably afraid. Patty Jensen wonderfully crafts this tale adding unpredictable scenarios and expertly paces the tension. Moments of the everyday are fused between chess-like moves by the elite, such as a difficult child delivery and light-hearted moments between young soldiers. The main characters are all connected through complicated webs of blood and association, which also serves as a means to add moral dilemma to the mix - all the things we expect in a world where greed and survival meet in the battlefield.

I have yet to read the other two books of the trilogy, but intend to as this first instalment has gripped me and I am invested in the characters and have made my own predictions, which I expect will be wildly off the mark due to Jansen’s ability to throw curves on the straightest of all roads.

Publisher: Capricornica Publications
Publication Date: 6 October 2011
Format: e-book

Review previously appeared on the now defunct Bookworm's Buffet Blog

The Steel Deal ~ James Blakley

Disclosure: I received a copy directly from the author.

Sunny Busco is a 55 year old private detective in L.A., prone to self-deprecation who prefers the conveniences of the 70’s over the technological progress of the .com age. Thus there is an innate irony when he is hired to deliver the most advanced self-forming steel to New Mexico.

I was very pleased to read an new hard-boiled detective story, and while the set-up suggests it will not be a series, it harkens back to the no-nonsense P.I.s who prefer to withhold their suspicions until there is enough weighty evidence before making a declaration and who have the good sense to refrain from revealing details to everyone involved in the case. Busco is embroiled in a case that pits him against higher authorities whose sole purposes is to complicate everyone’s lives and to prevent anyone from discovering the truth. Undaunted, the protagonist, an unwilling dupe, collects the puzzle pieces and is handsomely rewarded for his discretion and ability to dissect the elaborate scheme. The author, James Blakley, uses this opportunity to remind us all that life is more than just a little satisfactory when we appreciate the things we have, even if it’s only a beat up car, good mates and a modest roof over our heads.

I don’t want to come off as sounding like all this story has to offer is a slightly cranky P.I., there are brilliant moments of hilarity, coincidence and some terrific banter between all these strong characters. Plus, he does encounter resistance, complications and some characters that would drive a Dali Lama to lose patience. So, if you desire a quirky detective, colourful characters and a plot that might just explain why the world still needs spies, this could just be the book for you.

Publisher: Inkwater Press
Publication Date: 3 September 2010
Format: Paperback

Review originally appeared on the now defunct Bookworm's Buffet Blog

The Weeping Empress ~ Sadie S. Forsythe

Disclosure: I received a copy directly from the author.

What happens when someone’s life is dropped into a foreign place with all they know is beyond their grasp? Chiyo Alglaeca is such a person. With an inner strength she was unaware she possessed, she fights her way back home in the only ways she knows how. Teaming up with two rebels, they elude the emperor’s forces as a mysterious cult threatens to envelop Chiyo in their schemes against the oppressive ruler. Fed by fear, then anger, finally an unshaken resolve and against all odds she finds a way return to her family.

I found myself completely disoriented at the beginning, then slightly defeated, only to realise that the author, Sadie S. Forsythe, has this wonderful ability in ensuring that the reader shares an emotional relationship with the protagonist. Few would feel differently if torn from all they know and dumped in a strange place, speaking a different language and where emerge peculiar customs. The author has done a wonderful job of mashing up different cultures to create a colourful landscape and vivid characters in a pre-modern technological age. I was only ever unsure about time. There a places where an indication of how much time has passed is mentioned, but I still did not understand whether I was meant to think that time was part of the urgency, or whether the story developed over the span of years. Perhaps this was intentional in order to ensure the reader’s continued sense of shared bewilderment with Chiyo.

Other than the issue of time, I quite enjoyed this novel. It is a story about a shift in time and space, but it definitely does not fall within the realm of romance. This is a book about survival and the human spirit. It also explores how a person can be at once caring and loving while cleaving their enemy in order to get back at those who were taken from us. This is absolutely a story about a woman’s strength - not the type of strength generally placed in her sexuality, rather it’s about that power we all possess deep in our humanity.

Publisher: Lulu.com
Publication Date: 14 December 2011
Format: Paperback

Review appeared on the now defunct Bookworm's Buffet Blog