Exciting new changes are coming to my blog!
Exciting new changes are coming to my blog!
Monday’s article themes will be disability awareness, advocating, health care, and other issues that fall within this category.
Wednesday’s articles will be about faith and inspirational stories.
Friday’s article themes will be focus on fun, book reviews, short stories, and other interesting topics.
This year I have added a new feature Podcast Shorts to my podcast platform. I’m planning on doing longer podcast episodes once my iron levels stabilize.
Here is the link below if you prefer to listen:
https://anchor.fm/alexandra-mars1/episodes/Tier-One-Review-e15scp0
I read Tier One by Cindy Gunderson, and I found the dystopian romance novel entertaining and thought-provoking. I can’t stop thinking about the main character, Kate.
About Story:
Kate works as a health care worker and is a mother of two boys named Tal and Bentley. She paired with Eric, who is a researcher in genetics and the father of her children. Paired means married in the novel. Kate and her family live in the Tier One System, which means they get the best of everything because of their genes and behavior by following the rules.
In the novel, the society is structured in three zones: Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. In Tier Two, people get fewer supplies and have fewer freedoms because of their behavior and genetic structure. Tier Three for the undesirable people that have no future within the society. And the others don’t obey the laws. The inhabitants of Tier Three only received necessary supplies.
People only live in their forties because of cancer. And if a person rarely reaches fifty because the cancer rate is so high.
A little backstory, a virus that swept through the world, causing governments to meltdown as society fell apart. A man named Berg rose, taking control and eventually creating the Tier system that Kate lives in.
Kate was born in Tier One and conditioned to obey, and sacrifice so society can improve. (By sacrificing denies what is best for the individual to improve society.)
About the Plot:
While at work, Kate meets a young man named Nick, and she has an immediate attraction for him, but she loves Eric and committed to him. Until Eric makes a breakthrough discovery in his research on genetics, how to eradicate cancer that changes Kate’s life forever.
My Thoughts:
One day, I was on Facebook, and I saw this ad for Tier One. What intrigued me about this novel that the book was advertised as a clean romance, meaning no sex scenes. I brought the novel because I found the story about a woman who was a mother, health worker, and wife intriguing. Kate was no teenager trying to save her world from a powerful government. She was just a mom wanting what was best for her family, her marriage, and herself.
The novel is told from Kate’s point of view that pulled me into the story. I would like to have more detailed descriptions of places. For the descriptions were short and vague. The dialogue was excellent, and I loved the narration too. I keep thinking about Kate and her struggles and what will happen to Kate and her family in the next book called Tier Two. Yes, I am planning on reading the next book.
My rating:
I give Tier One four stars because the descriptions were lacking, for I had a tough time seeing Kate’s world in my mind. The author did an excellent job on dialogue and kept the pace going throughout the novel and how she foreshadowed certain events. Gunderson carefully took her time about revealing the backstory of Kate’s world and her personal history, too.
This novel is available on Amazon and now available on Unlimited Kindled.
Have you read Tier One? Or are you planning on reading Tier One? Let me know in the comments.
My latest book review of the Killing Trail is up on my podcast. Just tap or click on the link below to listen, and have a great day!
https://anchor.fm/alexandra-mars1/episodes/Book-Review-of-Killing-Trail-e11ibbi
https://anchor.fm/alexandra-mars1/episodes/My-book-review-on-Specter-of-the-Past-e10p61i/a-a5i2ju9
What book did you read?
The book I will review today is a Star Wars novel called, the Hand of Thrawn, book one is called Specter of the Past, and there are two books in the series.
What is the story about?
This novel takes place ten years after the first trilogy of Thrawn: The Last Command. The Empire is in shambles and holding on to star systems, as their resources are dwindling, continuing to fight against the Rebellion.
When an imposter arrives, pretending to be Thrawn makes his return to influential officials in the Empire. A mysterious fleet of ships appears to the Empire and the Rebellion, searching for Thrawn.
Leia and her children are vacationing on Wayland, and she discovers a data card with vital information that reads the Hand of Thrawn.
The New Republic also has its struggles and issues within the government and the Caamas incident that is causing protests and uprisings throughout New Republic’s star systems; and the government is at a breaking point.
What is your rating on the novel?
I give this novel five stars, and I found the story thrilling and exciting. It didn’t disappoint, and it felt like I was watching another Star Wars movie in my mind. I enjoy seeing the characters older in their new roles as leaders within the government. To see Luke, Leia, and Hans growing and being pushed out of their comfort zones and facing new threats.
Did you enjoy the story, and why?
Yes, it was a great read. I have always enjoyed reading about these characters; and discovering an author that can flush out these characters adding to their development by giving them new challenges is always a fantastic read. One reason I enjoyed this novel by this author is that he shows the New Republic’s government experiencing the growing pains of rebuilding its civilization because of the Empire.
Here is why:
The New Republic’s leaders were always on the offensive against the Empire during the rebellion; and now, they are to handle trials and tribulations, forcing Luke, Leia, and Han into new roles within the government.
Another thing that I liked the story focuses on Leia and Han’s marriage and their children. One of the opening scenes with Leia at the beginning of the novel is Leia’s on vacation with her children. Halfway through the novel, a scene with Leia and Han being an ordinary couple was a nice touch. It gave the story some realism how a couple matures as they get older after having a family of their own.
Also, the author focused on Luke and his struggles to use the force. Luke is seeking to find the balance between his roles of being a Jedi Knight and a Jedi Master. I found the character development intriguing to see Luke coming to this point in his life, trying to understand his role in the universe; it is a far cry from seeing Luke as a farm boy in the first Star Wars movie. It was a fascinating concept and excellent development on the character of Luke Skywalker.
Anything about the novel you don’t care for?
No, for the plot moves along at a nice pace, and the characters shoved out of their comfort zones; and additional aspects revealed about the characters that I saw these characters in a new light.
The Persian Gamble is the second novel of the Marcus Ryker series written by Joel Rosenberg, and it is the continuation of the saga.
Each of the three novels in the Ryker series is broken down into acts, The Kremlin Conspiracy was the first act, the Persian Gamble is the second act, and the Jerusalem Assassin is the third act, which I am in the process of reading now. The fourth novel, the Beirut Protocol in the series, was just recently released.
The Persian Gamble had a confusing second chapter that threw me, after reading about Ryker in the first chapter, but I stayed with the story, and it turned out the chapters second thru six were crucial.
Then in chapter eleven began Ryker’s storyline, and so did the action. The Russian and American governments are hunting Ryker and his friends after the assassination of Russian leaders. Ryker is figuring out how to convince the American President and other government officials to rescue him and his friends by offering information from preventing a world war.
Once I read chapter seven, the story started to fall into place, reeling me in; I was hooked. The story was a thrilling ride filled with drama, action, and adventure.
Throughout the novel, I kept wondering what was going to happen to Ryker and his friends. The last few chapters were spectacular, I felt like I was watching a movie in my mind, and the ending was superb.
I enjoyed reading the Persian Gamble was exciting and entertaining. If you are looking for an excellent Christian political-thriller, I recommend the Kremlin Conspiracy and the Persian Gamble.
https://anchor.fm/alexandra-mars1/episodes/My-review-for-The-Persian-Gamble-eshn70
The Kremlin Conspiracy is a well-written story with excellent characters with tons of action. I found the story gripping and entertaining, and Joel Rosenberg delivered an exciting novel.
The main character Marcus Ryker is a powerful and authentic character that moved the story forward. Ryker is introduced as a teenager, Rosenberg used the storyline to reveal Ryker’s character, creating a bond between Ryker and the reader on his journey to adulthood.
Oleg Stefanovich Kraskin is a supporting character who lives in Russia. He comes from a wealthy, influential family and his fiancé is the Russian President’s daughter. Oleg is the complete opposite of Ryker and stayed in the background and not wanting to cause trouble for him and his family. Oleg desires a promising future for Russia and wanting to start a family as he accepted the president’s aide position.
As the story unfolds, Ryker and Oleg’s lives became intriguing, and thrilling to read as their lives intertwined.
I loved how Rosenberg took his time to develop these characters, allowing the reader to connect and bond with them throughout the story.
The Kremlin Conspiracy was a fantastic and thrilling read. I kept wondering what was going to happen next.
If you are searching for a Christian political thriller, then The Kremlin Conspiracy is an excellent choice. The novel is available on kindle unlimited.
This past weekend I read the novel From The Sky. It is the first book in the trilogy of Beyond Moondust, and the next two books are available on Amazon. On Friday, I downloaded a free e-book, and I brought the audio version too.
It was a fun read and I like Samantha (Sam) for she was strong and courageous. other times, she did some really stupid and dumb things that got her into trouble. After all, she was a teenager and teenagers don’t always make the greatest choices.
It was a simple read of a love story about two teenagers filled with tragedy, danger, and figuring out what the future holds for them.
I also felt there was a lot of potential underneath the story waiting to emerge, but it never happened.
After chapter 10 the formatting becomes wacky, and it continues throughout the rest of the book. It’s not every page but like every few pages. It is annoying.
This next part contains spoilers alert.
The novel had the potential to become an epic read, but the author chose not to dive into those elements.
The chapter titles, in my opinion, gave away the plot by outlining certain events in the chapters. For me, they took away the feeling of being on the edge of my seat wanting to know what would happen next.
The beginning of the novel after the prologue gets very confusing, I almost stopped reading it. I didn’t. What the novel needs is a timeline; to guide the reader to understand the events that were taking place for the character. It would help tremendously!
There were times the pacing of the story move too quickly that caused more confusion.
Sometimes, the characters would refer to events that happened in the backstory but gave very vague descriptions about those events; so the reader had to assume. I didn’t like it.
The main plot of the story was Sam falling in love with an alien and the consequences that happened in her life. It drew me into the story, and why I kept reading to see how it would end.
Of course, it was a cliffhanger ending.
I gave this book 4 stars because I enjoyed it was a fun read. I simply excepted what the author had written a love story about a teenager who falls in love with an alien. I also enjoyed the audible book too.
Right now, I don’t have any plans to finish the series.
Ten thousand years ago, a single alien super-ship survived a desperate battle. The vessel’s dying crew set the AI on automatic to defend the smashed rubble of their planet. Legend has it the faithful ship continues to patrol the empty battlefield, obeying its last order throughout the lonely centuries.
In the here and now, Earth needs a miracle. Out of the Beyond invade the New Men, stronger, faster and smarter than the old. Their superior warships and advanced technology destroy every fleet sent to stop them. Their spies have infiltrated the government and traitors plague Earth’s military.
Captain Maddox of Star Watch Intelligence wonders if the ancient legend could be true. Would such an old starship be able to face the technology of the New Men?
On the run from killers, Maddox searches for a group of talented misfits. He seeks Keith Maker, a drunken ex-strikefighter ace, Doctor Dana Rich the clone thief stuck on a prison planet and Lieutenant Valerie Noonan, the only person to have faced the New Men in battle and survived to tell about it.
Maddox has to find a place hidden in the Beyond and bring back a ship no one can enter. If he fails, the New Men will replace the old. If he succeeds, humanity might just have a fighting chance…
I finished The Lost Starship at end of January. It was an intriguing and exciting read, but at other times, it was a slow read.
Captain Maddox was a intriguing who had flaws that landed him in trouble. There were times he wasn’t likeable because of his decisions but I could understand.
I also like the supporting characters it brought out Maddox’s qualities and his flaws. Boy, did Doctor Rich do that. She was a remarkable character.
The New Man concept was interesting. The human race went into space and colonize encountering no aliens until the New Man.
The beginning opened with the urgency of the New Man threat heading towards Earth and surrounded colonies in the solar system.
Maddox accepted a secret mission to locate and bring back an ancient starship from the Beyond. Soon after that Maddox’s troubles started when he was assembling his crew.
There were slow parts and needless stuff that blogged the pace, which started in the second half of the story’s middle. Captain Maddox had assembled his crew to locate the ancient starship that’s when the story’s pace changed.
The climax leading to the ending didn’t have the punch or the wow factor I was expecting. I found it lacking the excitement. When the final battle happened, it felt like a pop from a deflated balloon.
The ending was nicely which wrapped up all the characters’ storyline. That answer all my questions and allows the characters to be in the second book of the series.
The reason I enjoyed the novel because there were a lot of nail-biting scenes kept me on the edge of my sit. I wondered what would happen when I was not reading.
I gave it four stars, and I’m planning to read the second book in the series.
Alexandra Mars 