Perfection Unleashed by Jade Kerrion
Though I seldom read sci-fi, I'm really glad I read this one. In a world where humans occupy the same space as clones, in-vitros, and mutants, there is bound to be conflict and discrimination. In the book's beginning, a perfect, genetically engineered being named Galahad is marked for extermination by a pro-humanist group. With the help of mercenary, Zara, he escapes, but four mutants (abominations) are let loose as well. A wealthy businessman calls in his friend, Danyael, an alpha mutant with empathic and healing powers to help Galahad who was injured in the escape. Danyael happens to look exactly like Galahad and the book continues to unravel why that should be so.
The story moves along at an exciting and comfortable pace with plenty of action scenes.
What contributed most to my enjoyment was the skillful handing of the interplay between genetics, telepathy, empathy and healing. It shows that Jade Kerrion has a degree in biology. While I can envision a character with empathy and healing powers, Kerrion draws on imagination and physiology to aptly describe the types of things an alpha mutuant with healing power would experience as his power dwindled or increased.
The editing seemed to be very good.
Conversations between the protagonists were natural and many times revealing. The author used italics for the thought transfers from the telepaths and the abominations, too. This was very effective.
Perfection Unleashed is Book 1 of the Double Helix Series by Jade Kerrion, and is a worthy read.
The Not So Beautiful Game - Muncaster United Football Club by Robert Lee and Mara Mihalache
The book is a very funny spoof of a UK football (soccer) club and the zany characters associated with the team and its supporters. (That there would be a joke right here about athletic supporters is a clue to what you'll find) The rise of the once-cursed, losing M.U.F.C. to victorious legend comes about with a lot of tomfoolery and wild escapades. For sports enthusiasts there is plenty of action on the field, and for those who like me are just former soccer moms, the games are followable.
For me, I couldn't take so much hilarity, slapstick, and bawdy humor in one sitting, but savored it in reading spurts. The pace is good, but there are thirty some notes included here and there that you have to go to the end to read and then click back. I didn't get the first few (British references?) and I didn't like to interrupt my reading to find them anyway. The book is longer than I expected.
As the authors take every (yes, every) opportunity to make it humorous, there is much enjoyment to be had. But as I mentioned before, I purposely doled out my entertainment.
British spellings are sometimes different from American ones, so allowing for that, I didn't notice any errors.
The dialogue fits the characters well and puns and schticks are rampant there too.
From my viewpoint, you don't have to be British to like this book, but it might help.
Love's Second Chance by Mike Lynch
A Christian story of a struggling church, Love's Second Chance focuses on Dana Rogers and her faithful life at New Covenant Church. Church goers may identify with trying to halt the dwindling attendance at church by God-centered means. Dana, of course, is alone because a tragedy took her former boyfriend and becomes interested in Evan Johnson, a member at New Covenant.
If I say it took me a while to finish this, you may get the impression reading it is a struggle, too. Not really. The pace is a little slow but I have three comments about why it took so long in the next section.
In the first chapter, Dana is supposedly reading to children about the battle for their town, Fairhaven.
While the next few pages were an interesting piece of history, it was too long and battle-oriented for children. I wondered if maybe they were high schoolers, which would make more sense, but the children had recess after the reading. That put me off the book for weeks. When I picked it up, I found grammar and punctuation errors, despite the fact that the book had a traditional publisher. I dislike not finishing a book (though I have done it) so I overlooked some bland dialogue between Evan and Dana and read again. (I was expecting spitfire Doris Day and obstinate James Garner, but I think the author is too young to remember that type of interplay). As I got past two thirds of the book I found that the story got a little more exciting. I was surprised to find more mystery and plot toward the end.
I kind of put Enjoyment, Editing, and Dialogue together in the previous paragraph but I wanted to say one more thing. There was a feeling of naturalness and true faith in the conversations Dana had with Pastor Terry. There are many scenes, prayers, and faith declarations which ring true and will delight Christians who read it.
When you're done reading, you may also enjoy:
OR:
An evil man dies of blowfish poisoning and Japanese chef, Hoshi Sato, seems to be responsible. A Lieutenant James mystery.
http://ow.ly/nQCrR at Barnes and Noble
http://ow.ly/nfG40 at Smashwords
http://ow.ly/ll9PU at Amazon
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