ALISON MCBAIN
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The Black Tide: Rebellion (Book 2) by Baileigh Higgins

8/13/2017

 
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I recently finished reading The Black Tide: Rebellion (Tides of Blood, Book 2) by Baileigh Higgins.  I did a full review of Book 1: Remnants at Bewildering Stories, which you can read here. I was also so excited by the first book that I asked Ms. Higgins if she'd do an interview with me, and she was kind enough to agree.  You can read the full interview with her here.

Now, let's dive into Book 2 of the series.  Almost everyone else is gone after a deadly disease called The Black Tide has swept across the world.  In the first book, the disease was passed manually from victim to victim when in close proximity to someone who was sick - sort of like the flu.  The way to avoid contagion was wearing a mask and avoiding contact with bodily fluids.  But the first book closes on a horrible mutation of the sickness, which makes it airborne.  The survival strategies of hiding from the disease become useless, and the second wave of The Black Tide wipes out nearly everyone.

Ava, her younger sister Lexi, and two acquaintances of theirs are four Immunes, who remain untouched by the disease.  But with death surrounding them, they flee their hometown of Riebeeckstad to a remote cabin owned by her ex-boyfriend's family.  Ava's still in love with Brian, her ex-boyfriend.  They had a brief romance during the first phase of the disease, but he's a soldier, and he was sent to guard the border of South Africa before the second wave hit.  Yet she still hopes against hope to see him again, although she knows it's highly unlikely he survived.  Immunes are fairly rare.

Yet in Book 2, the reader anticipates a reunion between the two of them.  Brian does survive the second outbreak, and he is traveling back from the border with two fellow soldiers, everyone else having perished.  His only mission is to find Ava again.

Ava, meanwhile, is just trying to survive.  She meets four other Immunes when she makes a supply run to the nearby town, and she's unsure whether she can trust them or not.  Her decision could be the turning point of her life, and might lose her the hard-won peace that she's found with her friends and family at the cabin.

Although Book 2 is a bit slower, action-wise, than the first book, I really enjoyed the slow build of tension.  As a reader, you just know something's about to hit the fan.  And the ending of the book doesn't disappoint, being as much of a cliffhanger as Book 1.  I went to turn the page and - darn it! - there wasn't any more.

Book 3: Vanquish will be available in October - and I can't wait to see what happens next (although I'll have to!).  If you're a fan of apocalyptic fiction, this is a great series to pick up.  I'd definitely recommend it.

The Model Man by Genie Davis

8/7/2017

 
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It's summer, and to me that means summer reads.  I want something light and fun and fluffy, gosh darn it.  I live near a beach, so I'm going to pick up a few beach books.

Enter The Model Man by Genie Davis.  This book really hit the spot.  It's got thrills, it's got mystery, it's got love and a lot of silliness.  Although marketed as a romance (and there's plenty of romance), it also has a strong whodunit element to the story.  It reminded me strongly of one of my favorite writers, Janet Evanovich, but not in a derivative way.

So if you're looking for a fun read to prop up your piña colada, this might be a good choice.  I'm happy to go look up some of her other books, too - after all, summer's not over yet!  For a full review of the book, check it out here at Bewildering Stories.  Enjoy!

Skin (Guessing Tales Book 4) by K.A. Krake

7/31/2017

 
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Although I've been reading this genre all my life, it wasn't until recently that I heard the term "science fantasy,"  which is the mashup of science fiction and fantasy.  So think magic and machines, unicorns and space ships.  It can be a lot of fun to cross the boundary that separates the two, since I feel that science and magic should, actually, be similar.  Just like science follows rules, magic should have rules, too.  I'm not a big fan of: "And then there was magic, so it solved everything!"  Nope.  Not for me.

But I digress.  If you want to take a look at a fun new science fantasy mashup, turn to Skin by K.A. Krake.  Although it's the fourth book in the series, I didn't feel like I was deprived by jumping right in.  You can read a full review of it here at Bewildering Stories.  I hope you enjoy reading Ms. Krake's impressive world building as much as I did.

Tremors by Gary Beck

7/10/2017

 
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For those of you who have read my reviews for a while, you’ll know that a poet I enjoy reading is Gary Beck. One thing that I think informs his poetry is the breadth of his writing experience: in addition to poetry, he has written plays, he has written essays, and he’s the author of novels and short stories.  I recently picked up his latest poetry collection, Tremors, which I think is one of his strongest poetry collections to date.  The review was published today in Bewildering Stories.  I hope you like it as much as I did.

And if you'd like to learn more about Mr. Beck and his writing, head over to my blog here to read my interview with him.

​Enjoy!

Dark Cloud on Naked Creek by Cindy O'Quinn

7/3/2017

 
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One element of fiction that I enjoy is the nonfiction aspect of it.  What I mean by this is that I always like to learn something new, something factual from the real world. For example, I love to read about a profession I’m not familiar with or a location I’ve never heard of or been to or, just generally, a way of life that is different from mine.
It was with this thought in mind that I picked up Cindy O’Quinn’s book Dark Cloud on Naked Creek.  It explores the world of Appalachian folklore and the "Cunnin' Folk," and while it is speculative fiction, it had a lot of interesting details about a way of life that is unique.

If you'd like to know more about the book, please check out the review published in Bewildering Stories today.  You can read the review here.  Hope you enjoy it!

The Black Tide I: Remnants by Baileigh Higgins

5/8/2017

 
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I'm behind in posting this in the book reviews section of my website, but in addition to the interview I did with author Baileigh Higgins, I also reviewed The Black Tide I: Remnants for Bewildering Stories.  I really enjoyed the book - I found the characters intriguing, the plot full of twists and turns, and I couldn't stop turning the page.  I also suppose it doesn't hurt that apocalypse fiction is one of my favorite genres.  The full review is available here and my interview with Ms. Higgins can be found on my blog here.

One reason why I'm updating my website now is that the next book in the series, The Black Tide: Rebellion is coming out on July 18th, just a couple weeks from now, and I'm really excited to read it!  I have it on pre-order, so look out for a review of it soon.

Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich

5/1/2017

 
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I've long been a fan of Janet Evanovich's writing.  She is a prolific author, having published over 60 books, and she's still going strong.  What I like best about her writing is her sense of humor - I've actually laughed out loud more than once when reading her work.  She - and her characters - don't take themselves too seriously.

So it was with great pleasure that I picked up Tricky Twenty-Two, a recent addition to her Stephanie Plum series.  As the name implies, this is the 22nd book in the series, and it was as fun as the first 21.

If you'd like to read more, please check out the full review at Bewildering Stories magazine.  I hope you enjoy reading it!

When the Tree is Dry by Alice S. Hill

4/17/2017

 
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For those of you who know me, you'll know that I'm a history buff.  I'm always happy to read nonfiction books, and I absolutely love very detailed fictional stories set during pivotal moments in time.  I especially enjoy reading history from around the world.

Alice S Hill's debut novel, When the Tree is Dry is set in fairly recent times, but it is filled with life and death struggles for basic human and political rights in Zimbabwe.  I'd definitely recommend it for anyone who is looking for a fast-paced story filled with sympathetic characters, mostly female protagonists, who must do what they think is right - for themselves, their families, and their country.

A full review of the book has been published at Bewildering Stories - you can check it out here.  Happy reading!

The Wanted Lawman by A.C. Smith

4/4/2017

 
I recently read A. C. Smith’s The Wanted Lawman - a classic Western full of adventure, romance, gun-slinging, good guys and bad guys.  The writing is really strong, with plenty of twists and turns, good touches of humor, realistic dialogue, as well as likable characters. It’s easy to root for the good guys and boo the bad guys - there’s little confusion as to who is who.

A full review is available at Bewildering Stories magazine.  I enjoyed reading 
The Wanted Lawman, and I hope you do, too.

Occult Detective Quarterly, edited by Sam Gafford and John Linwood Grant

3/27/2017

 
I recently had the pleasure of reviewing the first issue of Occult Detective Quarterly, edited by Sam Gafford and John Linwood Grant.  It's a great magazine, and I would recommend it - a full review is available at TOUGH blogazine.
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    I read a lot - depending on my writing schedule, I can usually read about a book a day.  Some of the books are fantastic and I would love to recommend to everyone - some, not so much.  Either way, I thought I would share a few thoughts on what I'm reading at the moment.

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