Review: Prophecy (The Children of the White Lions #2) by R.T. Kaelin

Title: Prophecy (The Children of the White Lions #2)

Author: R.T. Kaelin

Publication Date: September 25, 2012

Publisher: Terrene Press

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 658

Source: eBook from Author

Rating: 

Synopsis (from Goodreads): The God of Chaos is marching. The Borderlands is nearly overrun, shredded by his army. In a dusty village, ninety-four residents led by two soldiers make a last stand. During the assault, one of the enemy isolates Rhohn Lurus, a Dust Man. Yet rather than kill him, the monster gives him a cryptic message and begs he carry it east, claiming it could halt the war.

At Storm Island, Nikalys, Kenders, and Jak are adjusting to their new lives as leader, mage, and soldier. In the nation’s capital, nobles spar, some conspiring with the enemy while others ally together to halt Chaos’ advance. New friends will be made, old rivals rediscovered, and secrets revealed. 

The stage is set. War is here. And the Progeny must stop it.

  

    Yet another spellbinding installment from someone who is slowly becoming one of my favored authors, R.T. Kaelin! In case you missed it, I did a review on his first book in the series, Progeny, plus an interview. You can see the review here and the interview here. Be sure to check them out!

   The more I delve into this series, the more I feel like I'm reading a contemporary rendering of  Lord of the Rings. This book didn't quite move at the same pace as Progeny, but I did really enjoy seeing the characters grow. Kaelin's style of writing is like a breath of fresh air every time; smooth and detailed. He clearly thinks through his characters, settings, and storyline rather than simply scratching the surface.

     Like previously stated, Prophecy moved a bit slower for me (as 'middle' books of a series usually do). I love that Kaelin has developed a world of his own with many different species and mythology. However, there was a point that became a little overwhelming. Thank his gods in the back of the books for those references, because without them I would have gotten very lost! That being said, I would advise readers to look those over before starting the first page, they are very helpful and actually interesting to read.

     The things I really enjoyed about this installment: The character development. Nikalys, Kenders, and Jak are all having to face situations that call for a certain maturity that is still coming to surface for them. Here we get to watch them grow. 

A lot of questions were beginning to be answered. We learned a lot more about the history of the White Lions, the 'who' and 'whys.'

We discover there is a prophecy that gives us a glimpse of the future, setting the stage for the rest of the series. 

We are also introduced to more characters, which, as long as you keep up with it, is an extra feat to the work.

     Although at times it was a little harder to get through the extreme detail in this book, I'm finding myself falling in love with this series. One day, when it's finished in its entirety and is available as a set, I'll be one of the first to get it for my bookshelf. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Lord of the Rings or Eragon. I've even been pushing for my husband to read these novels because I think he'd really like them, too.

     As always, I'm looking forward to book 3 to see what happens with our beloved heroes and the future of the Oaken Dutchies. Also, be sure to grab your copies of The Terrene Chronicles that accompany this series (I actually still need to read these...)!

Cinematic Saturdays: The Hunger Games

As I’m sure most of you know (because we’re a bunch of shameless nerds), the theatrical trailer for Catching Fire was released this week. In honor of this embarrassingly momentous event, I’ll be focusing on Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games! ::Confetti shower::

Title: The Hunger Games

Author:  Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publication Date: September 14, 2008

Pages: 374

Genre: Dystopian

Rating: 

Summary (from Goodreads): 

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender.

If she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Please direct your attention to the puffy Carolynn of yesteryear as she gushes about the series.

I excitedly fidgeted in a packed theater at midnight to see this film, and at the time I was in no way disappointed. Truthfully, I’m still not because I love this franchise so gosh darn much. But if I’m being objective there are a few things the film could have handled better.

As with many films quickly adapted from popular books, The Hunger Games does disappoint a bit in the visuals department. While movie studios occasionally create art, their primary objective is to make money. So when an overnight sensation like Suzanne Collins’s stroke of genius explodes onto the scene, they all scramble over themselves to start making ticket sales as quickly as possible. This doesn’t usually manifest in any one huge way, but rather a bunch of small ones.

Some examples are;

1) The fire in all of Katniss’s outfits is underwhelming and looks completely artificial. 

2) Peeta’s camouflage is laughable.
3) The Capitol city, which Peeta describes as “huge,” looks tiny and fake

4) The “dogs” in the final moments in the arena are in no way frightening

You sure did.

Okay, I can’t go on. I can’t say anything else negative about this movie. So there are parts that disappoint, that doesn’t stop it from being completely gush-worthy. Also, Jennifer Lawrence's overall delightfulness cancels out anything less than perfect about this movie. I mean, really. She's awesome...

Us too...

If you're a book fan still craving some movie bashing, I'd like to encourage you to watch this hilarious, albeit occasionally incorrect, criticism by one of my favorite youtube channels, Screenjunkies (makers of Honest Trailers). Have fun!

Rating:

What do you think should have been handled differently? Feel free to comment below!

 
As always, thanks for tuning in. You can purchase either the novel or film in the links below. See you next week!

 

Review: The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home by Nick Zukin and Michael Zusman

Title: The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home

Author: Nick Zukin & Michael Zusman

Expected Publication Date: September 3, 2013

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC

Genre: Cookbooks

Pages: 272

Source: ARC from Publisher

Rating:

Synopsis (from the Amazon):  For Jewish deli devotees and DIY food fanatics alike, The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home is a must-have collection of over 100 recipes for creating timeless deli classics, modern twists on old ideas and innovations to shock your Old Country elders. Photographs, historical tidbits, reminiscences, and reference material round out the book, adding lively cultural context.

If you don’t happen to live near one of the new wave of artisan-style Jewish delis that have sprung up around North America over the last few years, not to worry. With this book, the world of Jewish deli, in all its unsubtle splendor—can be yours in the comfort (and privacy) of your own kitchen. And it’s not that hard. Really. On top of all the Jewish deli classics,The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home offers updates and new angles on the oldways that are bound to thrill the palates of a modern generation of eaters focused on quality ingredients and a lighter-handed approach to a traditionally heavy cuisine.

The chapters are organized into:  Starters and Sides; Soups and Salads; Eggs, Fish, and Dairy; Beef; Bagels, Bialys, and Breads; and Pastries, Desserts, and Drinks. The range of favorite recipes include: Crispy Potato Latkes with Chunky Ginger Applesauce; Summer Chicken Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumber and Cracklings; Wise Sons’ Chocolate Babka French Toast; Home Oven Pastrami; and Celery Soda.

Added cultural context comes from quick-hitting interviews with Joan Nathan and other Jewish food luminaries; histories of a few deli stalwarts such as bagels and pastrami; and first-hand reports from within the walls of the authors’ favorite temples of modern Jewish gastronomy located across the country including: Mile End Delicatessen in New York City; Wise Sons Delicatessen in San Francisco; Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen in Portland, OR; Stopsky's Delicatessan in Mercer Island, Washington; and Caplansky's Delicatessen in Toronto.

    I should almost make recipe books a segment here on The Indigo Quill. I've almost been doing one cookbook a week! :)

     Today we have another unique cultural book called The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home. This book has a beautiful layout and each segment is very well organized. It is simple, yet creative and has gorgeous, pictures. I really enjoyed the information included in this cookbook. It gave us some history and a deeper look into the food we would be making. It isn't just food, but a culture and tradition. 

     The recipes themselves were REALLY easy and detailed. It was easy to follow and is something a person like me could easily do on my own! It even tells you how to keep the food warm while working on other parts of the recipe. It was really wonderful to not be completely lost when trying to make something, I hardly even needed any help.

     The recipe I chose were the Fluffy Potato Latkes. To complete the dish, we made some fish and topped it with our own aioli (mayo+creole+hot sauce), tomatoes, and a lemon slice.

Here is our final product:

     They look like sausage crossed with pancakes, but they were extremely delicious. We were also able to make a little extra to take to work the next day. I had some of the girls at my salon try some and they loved it! 

     Unfortunately, this isn't published until September. But I would advise you to preorder it and/or put it on your wish list because this will be a handy book to keep if you want to make something a little different! I, personally, think it would be fun to mix some recipes from this book with the recipes in the Amish Cookbook we reviewed recently. Guess we'll have to try!

Shalom and Kol Tuv,

Spotlight: Deadly Gamble by Shirley Kennedy

Title: Deadly Gamble

Author: Shirley Kennedy

Publisher: Inkspell Publishing

Publication Date: June 14, 2013

Pages: 370

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Source: ARC from Author

Summary (from the Author):  When attractive Kristi Andrews is hired as Assistant Marketing Director at the Parthenon hotel/casino in Las Vegas, she’s focused on succeeding at her new job. But from the very first day, strange events occur: a deadly escalator accident—the strange death of a candle shop owner—a psychic’s warning that the Parthenon is doomed AND IT’S ALL KRISTI’S FAULT.

Shocked and baffled, Kristi must determine if she could be responsible for the mysterious, evil presence that seems to haunt the hotel. She’s aided by a man she’s just met—famous western historical author, Mike Garvey. Attracted to Kristi, Mike goes one hundred fifty years back in time to draw upon his knowledge of old Las Vegas and the Santa Fe Trail. They are the key to a puzzling mystery which Kristi must solve if she wants to save not only the Parthenon but the entire Las Vegas Strip from total disaster

  

Shirley Kennedy wrote and published Regency romances for several years for both Ballantine and Signet.  She switched genres to write a wagon train romance. When struck with what she called “a great idea” about a haunted casino in Las Vegas, she was compelled to abandon both  Regency England and the Old West to write DeadlyGamble. 

Born and raised in Fresno, California, Shirley has lived in such diverse places as Denver; Houston; Torrance, California; Bogota ,Colombia; and Calgary, Alberta, Canada where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Sciences at the University of Calgary.  She worked as a computer programmer/systems analyst for several years before she went back to her first love, writing.  

Shirley lives close to her two daughters in Las Vegas Nevada. Brutus and Sparky, her two editorial assistants on the furry side, love to nap in the sunshine next to her computer while she produces her next novel. 

 

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

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Review & HUGE GIVEAWAY: Along The Watchtower by David Litwack

Title: Along the Watchtower

Author: David Litwack

Publisher: Double Dragon Publishing

Publication Date: June 3, 2013

Pages: 214

Genre: Fantasy

Source: ARC from Author

Rating: 

Summary (from the Author):  A Tragic Warrior Lost in Two Worlds…

The war in Iraq ended for Lieutenant Freddie Williams when an IED explosion left his mind and body shattered. Once he was a skilled gamer and expert in virtual warfare. Now he’s a broken warrior, emerging from a medically induced coma to discover he’s inhabiting two separate realities. The first is his waking world of pain, family trials, and remorse—and slow rehabilitation through the tender care of Becky, his physical therapist. The second is a dark fantasy realm of quests, demons, and magic that Freddie enters when he sleeps.

In his dreams he is Frederick, Prince of Stormwind, who must make sense of his horrific visions in order to save his embattled kingdom from the monstrous Horde. His only solace awaits him in the royal gardens, where the gentle words of the beautiful gardener, Rebecca, calm the storms in his soul. While in the conscious world, the severely wounded vet faces a strangely similar and equally perilous mission—a journey along a dark road haunted by demons of guilt and memory—and letting patient, loving Becky into his damaged and shuttered heart may be his only way back from Hell

  

Please enjoy this gripping excerpt from Along the Watchtower by David Litwack. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $650 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of each book.

Becky

On the ground floor, the center of the hospital opened into a small courtyard, an insecure space with too many places for insurgents to hide. I took a quick breath and tensed.

“Wait up, Ralph.”

“It’s okay, Freddie. You’re safe here.”

“Give me a minute. It’s my first time out.”

I surveyed the perimeter. A few benches. A flower garden dominated by hydrangeas, but not like the softball-sized blossoms my mom used to grow. These were small and paler than the Cape Cod variety, which were a blue that could compete with the sky.

At once, I could see my mom, hands buried in the hydrangeas, grooming her flowers—one of the few memories I could bear to recall. Me and my brothers in the driveway shooting hoops. Mom telling us to keep the ball out of her garden. She was happy then, surrounded by her family, her garden, and the ocean.

I looked past the hydrangeas to find purple asters and some lilies too. But no roses. For some reason, I’d been hoping for roses.

Despite the nice day, the courtyard was deserted, except for a woman about my age who sat on a wooden bench, finishing up a brown-bag lunch. Her eyes were closed and her head tipped back to take in the sun, making her appear to be dreaming. Sitting alone on the bench, her face seemed framed by flowers.

When she heard us coming, she sat up, straightened her scrubs, and smiled.

“Hey, Ralph. What do you have there? Another victim for me?”

“Becky,” Ralph said. “What’s up? This is Freddie, Lt. Williams, our newest patient. We’re trying to bring him back from the dead. Freddie, meet Becky Marshall, one of our physical therapists.”

I nodded a greeting to her, not much in the mood for small talk. She tilted her head to one side as if evaluating me. Then she gave me the kind of look that said we’d met before, if not in this world than in another, and that she intended to make a difference in my life.

“Is he ready for me?”

“Soon. If he’s assigned to you.”

My attention was drawn to a soda can on the bench next to her. I’d seen too many IEDs in soda cans.

She caught me fixating on it and grinned.

“Just my diet Pepsi, Freddie. See?”

She chugged what was left and tossed the can into a nearby trash basket. Then she crumpled the bag into a ball and to show off, stepped off exactly five paces and shot the bag into the basket in a perfect arc.

“Nice shot,” I said.

“I make that shot every time.”

“Yeah, right.”

She came close enough that our knees were almost touching and hovered over me, sizing me up.

“You’ll be mine,” she said finally. “I can tell. I get all the hard cases.”

As she walked away, light on her feet like a dancer, I fumbled for the wheel of the chair, trying to spin it around so I could watch her go. But Ralph had set the brake.

 

<h1 align="center">The Gardener</h1>

The white butterfly fluttered before her face. When she saw it, she reached out a hand and at once it landed on the curve of her wrist.

“Now there’s a fine omen for you,” she said. “Light knows we need one these days.” She whispered some words and the butterfly flew off across the courtyard and out over the castle wall.

A fine omen? Perhaps. But I’d learned to be wary. I stepped forward, scuffling my boots to make noise. She ignored my presence. Not until I was a pace away did she turn.

It was hard to say if she was beautiful or even pretty. Soil from the garden had splattered her cheeks and marked her forehead with a splotch that looked like a raven. A muddied apron hid her shape. But I took note of a glint in her gray-green eyes, as if the flowers had conspired to lend their color. And her mouth was a crescent moon upturned on its side.

The corners of the crescent twitched when she saw me but only for an instant. Then she went back to her work as if I were invisible. Her hands cradled each bloom as she sliced off the heads with a small knife.

“Are you spirit or demon?” I demanded.

She made no answer.

I drew my sword, relieved it slipped so easily from its scabbard, and stretched it in her direction. She watched the point from the corner of her eye but kept her head down and continued to work. Finally, I nudged her with the tip.

She let out a yelp. Only then did I realize I’d thrust too hard, and the blade had slit her garment. I backed off at once, ready to apologize, but then recalled my encounter with the assassin. I poked again, more gently this time.

“Why do you keep doing that?” she said.

“To see if you’re real.”

She stood and faced me, feet set wide and planted squarely on the ground.

“Why shouldn’t I be real?”

She was tall for a girl, her head rising above my chin, and had a bearing unlike a servant. When I continued to challenge her, she reached out and eased the point of my sword to one side.

“Would you put that silly thing away?”

I began to back off, then remembered the circumstance and held firm. “Why didn’t you say anything when I first approached you?”

“Because we servants aren’t supposed to talk to you royals.” She lowered her gaze and turned back to the flowers. “I’m sorry . . . Milord.”

“What’s your name?”

“Rebecca.”

“Rebecca. My name is Frederick.”

She paled and then bent in a deep curtsy, her brashness collapsing into two whispered words. “The dauphin.”  . . .

I wandered in a circle, hands folded behind my back, and inspected the flowers, unsure of what else to say. Then a thought occurred to me.

“Do you have roses in this garden?”

“No roses, Milord. I have asters and hydrangeas. Some fall crocus. And climbing the wall to the watchtower, sweet autumn clematis. A bit of monkshood underneath and tulips in the spring. But no roses.”

I must have looked disappointed. She came closer and reached out, but not enough to touch me.

“It must be lonely, Milord, a terrible burden. Every morning as I walk from my village to the gardens, I see the darkening clouds and wonder where my strength will come from. Then I remember. The dauphin will protect us. Save Him Oh Goddess, I pray. If only I could do something to help.”

I mumbled a thank you and turned to go, but stopped when I saw her examining her damaged apron.

“Are you here every day?”

“No, Milord, I have other gardens as well.”

“Come tomorrow, and I’ll bring you a new apron to replace the one I tore.”

She curtsied more deeply this time.

“I’d be so grateful, Milord, but I have nothing to give in return.”

“No need.”

“Ah, wait.” She took her small knife and clipped off a bulging blossom at the stem and handed it to me. “Now place it in water the first chance you get.”

I accepted the gift and admired her through its petals.

“Thank you,” I said. “Tomorrow at noon.”

As I walked away, I glanced over my shoulder to get one last look at the gardener. She was back at her work, resuming her song and snipping away, so light of hand and foot. As she blew away a curl that had drifted across her face, the summer dress rustled against her skin. I inhaled the scent of the flower and thought I caught the sun peeking through the clouds over Golgoreth.

And for the first time since my father died, goddesses seemed possible.

The urge to write first struck when working on a newsletter at a youth encampment in the woods of northern Maine. It may have been the night when lightning flashed at sunset followed by northern lights rippling after dark. Or maybe it was the newsletter's editor, a girl with eyes the color of the ocean. But he was inspired to write about the blurry line between reality and the fantastic.

Using two fingers and lots of white-out, he religiously typed five pages a day throughout college and well into his twenties. Then life intervened. He paused to raise two sons and pursue a career, in the process becoming a well-known entrepreneur in the software industry, founding several successful companies. When he found time again to daydream, the urge to write returned.

There Comes a Prophet was the first novel in this new stage of life. His second, Along the Watchtower, will be published in June 2013.

David and his wife split their time between Cape Cod, Florida and anywhere else that catches their fancy. He no longer limits himself to five pages a day and is thankful every keystroke for the invention of the word processor.

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Along the Watchtower is a gripping story of a man who comes face-to-face with death in Iraq, which causes him to travel in and out of parallel worlds through his consciousness. In our world, he is Lieutenant Frederick Williams. In a world that he escapes to during his recovery from an IED explosion, he is Prince Frederick of Stormwind. I say these are parallel because the happenings within each world coincide with the other, and we are taken through a journey of Frederick's recovery of different kinds.

Frederick is a man of many tragic circumstances. Through life and the war, he has lost his parents, brother, and comrades. Throughout Along the Watchtower, we go alongside him as he attends to the grueling task of overcoming (and realizing) his past and current guilt, shame, and mourning. This is a fantastic painting of a soldier's lament, the heart wrenching ability to overcome many trials not by any means of a weapon, but by means of discovering what lies within himself. We watch him grow and heal throughout the story as he realizes what he is truly responsible for, and what belongs simply to fate.

In the parallel world, Prince Frederick also has to work his way to 'King' status. When we first discover Stormwind, we received word that the King had died. This made Prince Frederick next in line to the throne, however, he must pass several tasks first.

Frederick has to overcome several trials in both worlds, whether physically or emotionally, before moving on with his life. In the real world especially, he has to heal before processing and accepting the loss off his fellow soldiers.

I thought this book was very well done. It grabs the reader by the heart on the first page and doesn't release it until well after you've finished the last one. Frederick may be fictional in this story, but there are many realities hidden within him. I'm sure many of us know them personally through ourselves or our loved ones. Litwack did a beautiful job painting a story for us of life, loss, and mostly, hope.

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, both Along the Watchtower and There Comes a Prophet by David Litwack are on sale this week. What’s more, by purchasing either or both of these fantastic books at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes. The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $650 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of each book. All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment--easy to enter; easy to win! 

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