The Shayton Chronicles Book 1: Destiny Sets by Karen Fainges BOOK REVIEW

The Shayton Chronicles Book 1: 
Destiny Sets
by Karen Fainges

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite 

Here on Earth the stories of vampires are a bit twisted and not so true, but in another parallel dimension there is a world called Shayton that is inhabited by real vampires and they are nothing like the stories. On Shayton the world is in danger of collapsing and the ruling Council is always on the lookout for ways to correct the issues and stave off the collapse. Lisa is the daughter of the king, but she has been banished from Shayton and lives on Earth. Now the council wants her back, and selects a human to bring with her for a purpose, providing a godChild. The Shayton Chronicles Book 1: Destiny Sets follows Lisa as she is brought back and conceives not one but two children and the lives of Lisa and Tony, the children and Shayton that follows their conception and birth. Karen Fainges takes a paranormal or fantasy novel and adds the elements of a family saga to give a new and different novel on the idea of vampires and their coexistence with our world.

The Shayton Chronicles Book 1: Destiny Sets begins what promises to be a unique and fun novel series. Even though it could be called paranormal or fantasy, I think the best genre label for it should be family saga. It follows Lisa and Tony, then their children around through life to the point where they are once again reintroduced to their parents. Talkar is followed as he fights for his place in the world of Shayton, then as he leaves and finds a fulfilling life on Earth with Molly, and later a child with another species. Karen Fainges does a wonderful job of creating a story that you want to follow from the beginning, characters that you relate to and feel for. Although this book spans a great deal of time, it almost feels as it is all happening within moments of each other. This is definitely a good book for adults, highly mature young adults and those loving the idea of a new approach to vampires.

The Shayton Chronicles
Book One - Destiny Sets
Book Two - Tamal's Journeys
Book Three - The Children of Tamal


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John Smith - Last Known Survivor of the Microsoft Wars by Roland Hughes BOOK REVIEW

John Smith - Last Known Survivor of the Microsoft Wars
by Roland Hughes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .

In only 50 short years, the population of the Earth has dropped to a mere 5500. What? How you are thinking? Well, everyone blames it on something called the Microsoft Wars. What John Smith contains is an interview between a man, John Smith, who lived through the wars and a naive reporter who traveled to met John by horseback. Remember the dated November 13, 2013. John starts by telling her that he can not answer her questions about the wars if she doesn't understand what the world was like before, because it is nothing like that now! Roland Hughes takes the ideas that humanity has taken it's greed and selfishness a little to far and overturned the whole banking system, then separate small factions started using weapons on each other resulting in the Earth of this time having 12 continent.

John Smith references the novel by George Orwell, "1984", and yet I feel this book has that same feel. It is a warning that if we don't stop and take notice of what we are doing and how things are going we could easily end up with this reality. Roland Hughes even gives some great examples how things that are occurring currently in society are actually things that were predicted in "1984".
This is not a sit down and read a feel good novel, this is something to make you think, to invoke conversation. It would be a perfect book for a book club discussion or a roundtable. There are just so many things that can be pulled from this story that will engage your brain. Ir you are in the mood for something with some meat, something to grab hold of and really digest, then this book is what you need!~

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