The Thirteenth Tower
by Sara C. Snider
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
In a medieval time period of manor houses and servants, of travel by walking and visiting troops of entertainers that created a festival in town, we are introduced to Emelyn. Emelyn has the unique history in town has the baby that was left on the doorstep of the manor house and they allowed the housekeeper to raise the baby and she became a servant girl. Everywhere she goes she see's pity in the eyes of some, promise in the eyes of a few but no real hope for her in the town of Fallow. Just outside of town is a large tower, this is the home of the Magistrates, of Magi what they really do is unknown to most and Emelyn knows even less about them, but as she is on an errand the morning of the village festival she sees two of them walking past the manor house. The evening of the festival becomes strange and unsettling, a young man Corran befriends Emelyn and rescues her from a dance which everyone seems entranced in but her. The Magi come and offer her escape, and she and Corran follow. The Thirteenth Tower follows Emelyn and Corran on this journey, which will become on of self-discovery for Emelyn. Sara C. Snider does a wonderful job of wrapping a message into a neat package of a story.
The Thirteenth Tower is about the Magi towers, but it is also about discovery. Emelyn will discover who she really is on this journey, what she is capable of where she wants to go with her life. She will face fears and challenges that she never expected and find truths that she never imagined. This is not only about Emelyn, but we learn about the Magi, about two in particular Percival and Aldren, two completely different men. One willing to go to any lengths necessary to gain knowledge no matter the cost, the other determined not to repeat his own mistakes. Sara C. Snider not only gives us a story on the growth and development of a little girl, but on the corruption that power and absolute knowledge can also bring. Humanity is the balance and it must always be weighed when counting the costs of gaining knowledge. This is a great book for young adults and older readers as well. It has a theme and story that should entertain and well as educate readers.
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Albatross: Birds of Flight
by J.M. Erickson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Alex Burns has seen it all in his tour fighting terrorism, but upon finding out some classified information he is starting to think differently about his job. Too bad his bosses don't agree, next thing Alex knows he is the target of friendly fire. He survives but has no memory, so the government is watching him closely. What starts off the plan called Albatross is the government's disregard for anyone else. When they think Alex knows something, they start trying to kill off anyone he might have talked to, which doesn't sit well with Alex. J. M. Erickson takes you into the mind of a special forces agent done wrong, and a government that has no problems in killing innocent people to keep secrets. Add to that those innocent people who managed to get away and it's no so much revenge as a way to get the government to leave them alone they are looking for.
From the very beginning, when you meet Alex Burns and all through the times he and Dr. Caulfield are together, you learn of a man with so much more to offer than what he was trained to do. You come to feel for Alex and Dr. Caulfield. You sympathize with the life that Sam and Becky had to live through and you want the best for them, and you even understand why they are doing this. Albatross also reveals the dark side of governments, especially when certain areas have too much control without any supervision. J. M. Erickson tells a believable yet at the same time unbelievable story of a man slated to be knocked off by his own government, and what happens when they don't do the job and he is left to act later. This is a great read for anyone, you will be swept away with the intrigue and suspense.
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Dream Child
by J.J. DiBenedetto
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Dr. Sara Alderson is in the middle of her residency, and she hasn't had a dream that needed her interference since her first year of med school. Just when she is about to believe that they have disappeared from her life forever, she gets the biggest shock of her life as she discovers her four-year-old daughter Lizzie has inherited her gift too. Dream Child follows Lizzie's dreams as she meets a new friend on the train to Washington DC for the week, and ends up dreaming about him. Sara and Brian have to calm Lizzie's fears and at the same time work to figure out what her dreams mean. This time Sara is more willing to reach out to other people in the family and allow them to know what is happening, instead of trying to do it completely by herself. J.J. DiBenedetto weaves this story around the children, not only Lizzie, but Sara is working in Pediatrics and a number of the patients on that floor are also introduced into the story as side stories, which are wonderful and heart-warming.
Dream Child is the third book in J.J. DiBenedetto's Dreams series of Cozy Mysteries about Sara, who can see other peoples dreams. It is a light-hearted and fun mystery that is an easy read. Sara has grown up, but there are still times when she is quite flaky and unsure of herself, and yet other times in the book where she is strong and confident. Lizzie is suppose to be a four year old, but sounds much more like a six to eight year old. Also she is allowed to follow her mother around the hospital while she is on rounds during residency, which would never be allowed in any hospital. Then again it's a story, it's not meant to be real life. Being that this one of a series, you can actually read this book without having read the series. It doesn't refer back to the other books much and if it does, it gives you the information you need to understand what it is talking about. If you are into quirky, cozy mysteries then this is the book for you.
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