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Urban Fantasy Christmas Adventure

My first Christmas-themed read of the season is a NATO Rapid Response Team thriller by J. Gunnar Grey.

Star of Wonder (NATO Rapid Response Team) (Volume 2)
by J. Gunnar Grey
Paperback: 130 pages
Publisher: Dingbat Publishing; 1 edition (October 19, 2014)
ISBN: 978-1940520223
Kindle: 474 KB
ASIN: B00ONEAAHC
Free copy received in exchange for an honest review
Available in Paperback and Kindle on Amazon

An Urban Fantasy Christmas Adventure

It's Christmas Eve in Houston and Captain Kenneth "Kennie" Rutland, USMA, is definitely not in the Christmas spirit. He's an engineer by training, and a member of an elite NATO Rapid Response Team, and lately he's been getting burned out by being little more than a hired gun. Going out on a run to shake off the crankiness, he gets the feeling someone is watching him. So he looks around and there's a horse looking at him. A horse no one else seems to notice. He looks away, looks back and now there is a drop-dead gorgeous woman staring at him. That no one else seems to see.  That's just the start of a very odd Christmas Eve for Kennie.  There's magic, danger, warriors, werewolves, evil, a damsel in distress, a hint of romance, and a wonderful rediscovery of the Holiest Night of the year.

This is a charming urban fantasy adventure to get you in the mood for Christmas. The writing is confident, the characters are likeable, and the action is exciting without being overly graphic. I would classify it as a clean read.

In the Kindle version, there is a free sample chapter of the first book in this series, Shakedown.

I look forward to reading more books by  J. Gunnar Grey.

The two books in this series are:
 

Test American Sniper

American Sniper by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice
Memorial Edition
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: William Morrow; Reprint edition (October 15, 2013)
ISBN: 978-0062290793
Kindle: 6535 KB
Publisher: William Morrow (October 15, 2013)
ASIN: B00CO4GO7I

The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History
Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Harper; Reprint edition (January 29, 2013)
ISBN: 978-0062238863
Kindle: 17426 KB
Publisher: William Morrow; Reprint edition (January 3, 2012)
ASIN: B005GFPZYK


In honor of Veterans' Day, I thought I'd do a post on American Sniper. You've probably seen the movie (if not, do see it, incredibly wrenching). As good as the movie is, the book is better, as Chris Kyle talks about his life in a straightforward, conversational way. There are at least two editions of the book on Amazon. The more recently published one is American Sniper: Memorial Edition and it is available in Hardcover and Kindle. The earlier one, which is a reprint of the original edition, is American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History and it is available in Paperback, which is the copy I have at the moment, and Kindle. (Aside, this shows the weird way Kindle books are priced. In this case, the Kindle version of each edition is basically tagged to the printed version - so if you get the Kindle version of Hardcover it will be more expensive than the Kindle version of the Paperback, but I have no idea if there is  any difference in the file contents. Maybe the Hardcover Kindle has more extras. )

American Wife: Love, War, Faith, and Renewal by Taya Kyle with Jim DeFelice
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (May 4, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0062398086
Kindle: 5560 KB
Publisher: William Morrow (May 4, 2015)
ASIN: B00OG9UA10

This year, Chris Kyle's widow Taya, who readers will remember had sections where she spoke in American Sniper, has published her own memoir titled American Wife: Love, War, Faith, and Renewal. It's on my To-Read pile. A quick scan shows it has more family photos of the Kyles (including cute shots of Chris and Taya when they were toddlers). I'll do a longer review in the future. By the way, if you happen to be a Goodreads member, American Wife is a semi-finalist in the 2015 Goodreads Choice Awards, which is still being voted on. (The Kindle version is a steal right now at just $1.99.)

If you want to own either of these books, or even if you want to own a copy of the incredible movie American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper and directed by Clint Eastwood,  I have links from  Amazon below the fold.

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The Soul Mirror (Collegia Magica #2) by Carol Berg

The Soul Mirror by Carol Berg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Carol Berg kept me up all night reading her all-too engrossing book! I love the intrigue and the setting of this series, and I have always liked the main character since she first appeared near the end of book one. There is   twisted deviousness and devious twists, betrayal, redemption and love in this story of magic and blood.


Looking forward very much to the next book, which I am guessing will feature my favorite chevalier and one wronged and bitter brother.


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In for a Penny by Rose Lerner

In for a Penny by Rose Lerner
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (June 2, 2015)
Paperback: 306 pages ISBN: 978-1619225565
Kindle:  814 KB ASIN: B00I6BQZC2

I loved this! A lot of Georgette Heyer, a bit of Austen, actual danger, and a bit of of modern regency romance, and altogether a lovely feel-good story.
I actually read this when it first came out in mass market paperback, which seems out of print now.
I'm so glad it's been reissued by a new publisher.
Available in both paperback and kindle on Amazon .
 

The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card

The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the overall story, mainly the Danny chapters. The worldbuilding is interesting. In the Danny chapters there is a reuse of tropes seen in Enchantment which was an enjoyable read. It starts out with me, as a reader, worried that the story would devolve into Lord of the Flies, but  Card manages to spin it in a  hopeful direction.


The Wad chapters remind me of Hart's Hope which is a repulsive book, imo, and probably for that reason, I found those chapters repellant.


I think Card is talented at telling stories that center on children's innocent amorality, but he really stinks when he tries to go into archetypes, so I am a bit worried about the sequel. But on it's own, I liked this book.


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