J.S. CookCritiques

What the hell? Last time I checked this book was available at dreamspinner, now it's gone! Anyone know what's happening with it?

What the hell? Last time I checked this book was available at dreamspinner, now it's gone! Anyone know what's happening with it?

Officially abandoning this book at 26%.
I'm struggling to stay engaged in the story with all the multiple POVs and the dark nature of both the story and the characters and their relationships.
I'm not deleting the book from my Kindle as I may come back to it at some point in the future, it's issues aren't with the quality of the writing, but for now this book is not for me.

3.5 Stars but rounded up because it is definitely better than a 3.

***This review does not include the story I contributed.***

As the blurb says, "Humankind possesses a dual nature, the ability to rise to the brightest heights—or sink to the darkest and most perverse depths." That is exactly what this anthology showcases in a collection of fourteen stories that go across genres, time periods, and heat levels. Each individual piece explores one of the seven virtues and the seven vices, and all I can say is that you should expect the unexpected.

The Dark of the Sun by Amy Rae Durreson
If you ask people to define faith, you’re probably going to get quite a few very different answers that will mostly depend on what, if any, religion the person belongs to. As a virtue, it can therefore take many different forms, and Amy Rae Durreson chose a made-up one for this short fantasy tale set in a world both very similar and very different from ours. There are pale northeners, most of whom are well educated and live in Aurea, dark southern people who lead simple lives, and the east is mountainous,. Slavery existed, at least in the past, and not everyone believes in a higher power any longer. For those who do believe, the sun is their god, and it is this faith that gets tested every time an eclipse occurs.

Tomal, the narrator of the story, is a priest in his fifties and lives in a simple village in the south, but he spent five years at a northern university when he was younger and speaks Aurean. He feels like a fraud because he lost his faith when his husband of thirty years died a year earlier. So when a group of Aureans appears in his village to observe the eclipse, accompanied by a high priest, Tomal fears the game is up and he will be fired. But what follows is not at all what he expects, and what happens as he leads the strangers up the mountain so they can see the eclipse from the shrine, is entirely unexpected and nothing short of miraculous.

I found myself pulled right into this world of faithful sun worshippers, skeptic astronomers, and, of course, Tomal with all his doubts, anger, and issues. While the setting feels historical, the issues the small group of people deals with are very “modern”, and their world is very engaging. The occasional allusions to Christian faith made me smile, and yet the story has a feel all of its own, thanks to great world building. If you’re looking for an interesting interpretation of faith, death, and resurrection in a somewhat different format than the one you may be used to, then you will probably like this inspiring short story.

The Bank Job by Andrea Speed
What a hilarious and utterly entertaining story. With tongue-in-cheek humor verging on sarcasm, Andrea Speed presents this story about superheroes – except it’s told from the villain’s point of view. It has everything I would hope for when superheroes are around, from a heinous crime motivated by greed to endangered hostages and a daring rescue, ‘The Bank Job’ has it all.

The Destroyer is evil, conceited, feels superior, and wants to complete “just one more job” before he leaves town for good. Greed at its best, for sure. His inner monologue as he thinks about the bank robbery in progress, his utter disdain for “the guys in capes”, and his complaints about how difficult it is to recruit quality minions to do the dirty work are hilarious. He is so convinced of his own genius that he ignores any and all warning signs – until it is much too late.

I really like stories about superheroes, but I have to say this satirical turn-the-tables tale was just as good. If you like your superheroes all serious and focused, this is not your story. But if you’re up for a bit of fun - okay, a LOT of fun - you’ll definitely enjoy this version of events!

Prudence for Fools by Sean Michael
In this world with vague links to Chinese culture and a historical feel, seers and the magic they can do is no longer respected by everyone. Del of the Red, an old seer who has served the City of Clouds for decades, is ridiculed and banished by a new king. He should be looking forward to living with his husband Brawn’s tribe, the Ugul. They make Del feel welcome like one of their own, but his further visions for the city won’t leave him alone. Del throws prudence to the wind and returns to a city where nobody wants to listen to him.

Del clearly takes his calling as seer seriously. Some of the visions are so clear and compelling that to resist them would mean madness for him. It must be difficult to deal with a force that is so strong, and I can see why Del ends up giving in. The second reason is that he wants to save as many people from certain death as he can, and many do end up listening to him. Del is very concerned about his husband, so he travels alone – not a good idea under the circumstances. Luckily, Brawn is a stubborn as Del!

This is a wonderful story about mature lovers who try to out-stubborn each other, but their love ensures they don’t do any real damage. if you enjoy historical settings, magic, and watching idiots get punished for their stupidity, then you will probably like this short story.

The Gate by J.S. Cook
Set in Newfoundland during World War Two, ‘The Gate’ is a dark story of anger, aggression, and two men fighting for no rational reason that I could see. Then again, the vice covered here is anger, and that is most often not rational, so I think that is a good fit.

Jack, the narrator of the story told in first person and present tense, owns a café in an Army town and does quite well for himself. He and his bartender have things well in hand, until a dry cleaning business opens up next door and all kinds of problems pop up. The nasty chemical smell is bad enough, but when the owner erects a gate closing off the alley (and Jack’s access to garbage disposal), things get out of hand.

While this is definitely a story that belongs in the “noir” category, and I was more than shocked by the ending, I can’t say there weren’t enough hints that should have made me realize what was going on long before the big reveal at the end. Very nicely done!

Heirs to Grace and Infinity by Carole Cummings
I have often wondered what would happen if magic were real in our world. Carole Cook explores this situation where theurgists (wonder-workers, magicians) are licensed, everyone is tested for magic ability, and the Orthodox Party is running the country. They have been illegally and relentlessly eliminating unlicensed magic users for a long time, using an organization called the Bureau. Even children are not safe from them, and the methods they use to suppress magic are utterly cruel.

In come two characters who tell the story in alternating sections. One man is only known as “the Sorcerer”, and his command of magic is pretty awesome. He has been secretly freeing prisoners, children and adults alike, and I loved the descriptions of his activities. The second main character is Jackson, a captain working for the Bureau, who is reputedly one of the most loyal men in their employ. He is tasked with finally capturing the Sorcerer, but as it turns out, he has his own agenda.

This is a fascinating story of loyalty and betrayal, higher-ups who are hungry for power losing sight of basic human rights, and the men who end up fighting for justice and a better world for everyone. If you’re looking for an entertaining mix of action/adventure, political thriller, with superhero-like characters fighting injustice, corruption, and an authoritarian regime, then you will probably like this short story.

The Rendering by John Inman
Gluttony is a sneaky vice. It makes the "sinner" feel good at first, but often has unforeseen, and in Otis's case, horrendous consequences. I felt for Otis, I really did. He likes his food, and he may overdo things but in the end he is very human and very lonely. There were lots of hints throughout that his story would not end well, but I still hoped for the best almost until the very end. But the moment it turned out that Otis's blind date was a candle maker - I knew what was going to happen. Horror in its purest form, but - like gluttony - in this story it sort of sneaks up on you.

Marvelously horrific!

Covetous by Pearl Love
Envy is not considered a vice for no reason – it is one of the most destructive forces around. And the main character of this story, marketing executive Jonathan, feels it in spades and on so many levels that I am not surprised it ruins his life. Maybe not in the way I expected, and I don’t wish what happens to him on anyone, but pay for his jealousy he does.

This is a well written, more than slightly horrific dark story with a paranormal touch. I can’t say that I liked it, not being into horror, but it is well worth reading. If you ever feel the “green monster” about to make an appearance, remember Jonathan!

Hope by Rick R. Reed
Hope may be a virtue, but it is also a pretty fundamental part of human life, almost a necessity. So much so that I don’t think many people realize it – until it is no longer there. This story, set in 1997, makes this painfully obvious when Todd has to deal with not one but two major blows to his life. The source of new hope is somewhat unexpected, at least parts of it, and I liked that little paranormal twist a lot.

Todd has been living it up in the big city – not really caring about the long-term, and enjoying as many men as he can. Then he gets hit with a double whammy – his mother dies of cancer before he can make it home, and his own health goes from “perfect” to “how many months do I have left to live”. He moves back to his small hometown and into the house his mother left him, and begins to fall apart. Not just does he have a ghostly woman appear in his hallway at night, his cute neighbor is clearly interested in him. But Todd can’t take things further with him no matter how much he wants to – or can he?

As stupid as Todd may have been in terms of the risks he took without even thinking about it, that is a very human condition. The way he dealt with his mother’s death was touching, and his slow recovery of his balance was a joy to watch. No, everything isn’t perfect at the end, but that isn’t what hope is all about. If you like stories about real men with real problems, yet with an added touch of the mysterious, then you will probably enjoy this short story.

Horseboy by J Tullos Henig
Pride is one of the vices, and gets a pretty well-known mention in the 1611 King James version of the bible. According to Proverbs, 16:18: Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. And that is exactly what this fantasy story is about. It is set during the Crusades and features a Muslim trans* horseboy and the Templar knight he encounters when fleeing from the Infidels after they attack and burn his hometown while he is out grazing the horses. The Templar is only just alive, his companion was not so lucky.

Sabiq is used to hiding. His mother was beheaded for witchcraft, and the one thing she taught him as he grew up was to hide his abilities, and hide who he is. So he became a boy and uses his talent with horses to make a living unobtrusively. But all those efforts may be for nothing when he finds two of the enemies who destroyed his home in the desert – one Templar knight is already dead and the other is hanging on by a thread. Sabiq faces a tough choice: should he save the wounded man or should he save himself and let the man die? They are enemies, after all, and Sabiq has much to lose. It is by no means an easy decision.

Even though Sabiq has long ago learned not to be proud, the Templar has only now lost the man he clearly cares about. The level of his devotion has to remain a secret, and he suddenly faces total dependence on Sabiq. If you like stories with a moral as well as a touch of magic, then you will probably enjoy this short trip into a fantastical version of the past.

Train to Sevmash by Jamie Fessenden
Set in 1967, at the height of the Cold War, this is the story of Jax, an American agent tasked with taking out a Russian soldier so he can take his place and gain access to Sevmash, a military base. They meet on the train, but from the moment Jax lays eyes on Yuri things do not go as expected.

The gradual change was very well done, and the sparse but intense emotions fascinated me. "Charity" is a hint as to what happens - but the time period does not allow for a true happy ending. Still, I loved the way Jamie Fessenden pulled me into the situation and made a whole time period come alive.

Red Light Special by Rhys Ford
Lust may be classified as a vice, but based on this story, I think it should be up for parole! 'Red Light Special' is a very funny fantasy tale set in an alternate world where fae are in charge of keeping law and order. Or at least their definition of it. You have Fiach, who is only half fae and temporarily in charge of Detroit. His ninety-nine cents store made me laugh, and his assistant, a dryad, was hilarious. Fiach runs into all kinds of trouble with an escaped succubus, and eighteen-wheeler, and irreverent graffiti mentioning Oberon himself. Fiach is joined by a full elf named Oengus, the knight of Chicago come to retrieve the escaped lust demon.

If you like fae and want a good laugh, give this story a try. I loved the solution Rhys found for a happy ending as well!

Traitor by Clare London
Fortitude is a virtue I don’t often think about, but it is similar to determination and stubbornness, which I am very familiar with on a personal level. In ‘Traitor’, Clare London shows the positive aspects of “mental strength and courage that allows someone to face danger, pain, etc.” (as per Merriam-Webster). It’s set in a London of the near future, one where right-wing terrorists have become so dangerous, that there is an entire Department (yes, with a capital D) of MI5 devoted to eradicating them by any means necessary. and you can take that literally, and exactly the way it implies.

The story focuses on two men. Aiden is an agent who has been working for the Department for a while. He is fiercely loyal, a master interrogator, and well known for his dedication to braking anyone who enters his interrogation room. He is the narrator of the story, and his intense, coiled anger and determination to get the latest prisoner to talk firmly jumps off the page. The man he has been tasked to get information from this time is Cam – a former fellow agent (and more) who defected to the Neo Aryans. That makes it personal for Aiden, and he scared me with his passion for revenge – and I was not the one in the interrogation room!

The masterful description of what happens next, the psychology at work for both men, and the ultimate resolution are well worth reading. If you enjoy the duplicity of the spy business, if you are ready to have your morals questioned, and if you’re looking for a read that is the perfect illustration of fortitude in more than one way, then you will probably love this short story as much as I do.

Couches of Fabric and Snow by Brandon Witt
Sloth, as becomes obvious in this story, is a debilitating vice if someone succumbs to it as fully as Levitt, a young teacher. The story describes five days in his life, and at the beginning things didn’t seem so bad at all. Yes, he was a little lazy, he liked his home comforts, and didn’t feel very energetic about his job – or anything at all, really. But as the week progresses, and the full extent of his issues emerges, I began to worry. By midweek I wanted to shake him so he’d wake up to see what he was doing. And by the end of it I was ready to jump inside the book to pull him back from the disastrous, slow, and inevitable slide he seemed, by that time, unable or unwilling to stop.

Wow! With its completely harmless beginning and horrific end, this story is a perfect illustration why sloth is a very dangerous vice indeed. Well done, Brandon!

What a setup! An inventor who is a reclusive billionaire, bitter about life, and spends his time in a wheelchair hiding from the world. A curious newspaper reporter, who is desperate for a story to save his failing career and cannot leave well enough alone even if his life depends on it. Add a detective out to uncover some shady deals with possible mob connections, and an informant who is more than he seems. This is a mystery of the complicated kind and a very suspenseful yet entertaining story all in one.

Walter is facing serious trouble and the potential end of his career as a newspaper reporter, yet he can't stay away from a story on corruption and the mafia in New York. Not even threats to his life seem to matter, he is determined to uncover the truth. He is stubborn and possibly suicidal, but without men like him, a lot more criminals would be able to sleep easy. Walter's observations and thoughts, chaotic as they were at times, made me laugh and kept me entertained.

Chase lost his parents years ago, he had an accident, and is in a wheelchair. He initially spends a lot of time feeling sorry for himself and drinking. I can’t say too much about him and his secrets because discovering what drives him is a big part of the mystery and makes the story more interesting. Watching him slowly unthaw and then fall for Walter was a fascinating process. Neither he nor Walter are very social, but they are drawn to each other despite the challenges a relationship between them has to offer. The resulting growth - in fits and starts – is very rewarding.

If you like a good mystery with a heavy side of romance, political backstabbing, and lots of dangerous situations, if two loners who learn to trust each other are your thing, and if you’re looking for a read that is as tension-filled as it is action-packed, then you will probably like this novel.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

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Read for the Q4 quarterly gang bang challenge.

I had a hard time with this book. Not the book's fault at all. It just really pushed at my personal comfort level. I won't rate this because I didn't completely finish reading it. I got to the end of chapter 14, then was unable to read on, but was still curious about what'll happen to Dante, Rouen, Valentin and others, so I read backwards: I read chapter 25, then chapter 24, so on until chapter 20. I might read chapters 15 - 19 someday, but not right now.

This was a hard book for me because of the way the characters suffered... but they were also cruel to others, so I started to distance myself from them to care less about them. Even so, I kinda liked the way vampires were portrayed in this novel; it felt more... realistic? (if I can use that word to describe mythical beings) that they didn't always care about human lives now that they weren't human.

Read for the Q4 quarterly gang bang challenge.

I had a hard time with this book. Not the book's fault at all. It just really pushed at my personal comfort level. I won't rate this because I didn't completely finish reading it. I got to the end of chapter 14, then was unable to read on, but was still curious about what'll happen to Dante, Rouen, Valentin and others, so I read backwards: I read chapter 25, then chapter 24, so on until chapter 20. I might read chapters 15 - 19 someday, but not right now.

This was a hard book for me because of the way the characters suffered... but they were also cruel to others, so I started to distance myself from them to care less about them. Even so, I kinda liked the way vampires were portrayed in this novel; it felt more... realistic? (if I can use that word to describe mythical beings) that they didn't always care about human lives now that they weren't human.

Reading this book it was like going back on the same place and time when Bogard and Bergman, as Rick and Ilsa, kissed in front of an airplane in Casablanca.

Only that this time, Jake, the American adventurer who is managing a brothel in an far away from the common routes Moroccon town, Maarif, is not in love with the wife of a French revolutionary, Christopher, but with the man himself. But Christopher is not the only man with a place in Jake’s heart, there is also Nicolas, his former Foreign Legion fellow soldier, and now Chief of Police in Maarif. It’s not clear if Nicolas and Jake arrived together in Maarif, or if they are there together since there is more than friendship between them, what is clear is that, even if obviously in love with each other, no one of them is ready to live it.

Nicolas has the reputation of ladies’ man, always with a willing and beautiful woman in the bed, even if always with that air of mourning widower. I had the impression that Nicolas, even if ore romantic at heart than Jake, is not yet ready to openly live their love, like he had some bad experiences in the past, even if those experiences are not explained. On the other hand Jake, former male prostitute (for men) and who lived in an openly gay relationship with Christopher, is not managing a female brothel, and has like hardened his heart, not allowing people, and especially men, near it.

The murder of a German officer in Jake’s brothel is a trigger for all a series of events, first of all the realization for both Nicolas than Jake, that there is not time to waste, that they have to catch each moments and live it at fully. While in life Nicolas and Jake are fully grown men plenty capable to take good and well thought decision, in their private relationship, Nicolas and Jake are still at the try and mistake phase. Nicolas is in love with Jake, but he is not sure of him and of himself; he is still not ready to share all his trouble with a soul mate, he still believes to be a lonely soul, still endorsed to take decision, even life changing decision, alone, without consulting his partner. On the other side, Jake, who long ago has understood that the real love of his life is Nicolas, sometime still clings to the idea of his youth lover Christopher, that is more an ethereal figure, than the real man who Christopher is become.

The development of the story is both linear than complex: basically the story follows Nicolas and Jake in few days of their life and the reader is plunged in their story with little preparation. There is no background explanation, sometime a flashback here and there helps the reader to understand their relationship, but those flashbacks are never enough long to give the fully explanation. At the end of the story, we know something more on Nicolas and Jake, but, truth be told, they maintain a mystery aura that makes them even more interesting and fascinating.

All the supporting characters have specific personality, even the lesser important ones, like Jake’s girls, or the most interesting, like Frederik Abaroa, that I wouldn’t mind to see having his own story, maybe with the sweet girl who “entertains” him one night. The story is set at the beginning of the century, between the I and II World War, but truth be told, the historical setting remain a bit on the second scene, since all of them are living in a situation that is suspended in time, far from the society of the time, people come and go, and the world outside is flowing a rhythm that is not the same in Maarif.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1608201015/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

Inspector Devlin and his constable slash lover Freddie Collins are back in this second Victorian London mystery. This time bodies are surfacing with strange marks on them as if they have been bitten, leading Devlin into a dark, atmospheric world of cults, vampires, rentboys who can quote Shakespeare, and grotesque photographs.

I liked this better than its prequel, A Cold-Blooded Scoundrel. The mystery in this one had a touch of the macabre which kept it interesting even when the sequence of clues failed to draw steam. I find myself genuinely chilled at certain parts with the photographs and with Devlin’s memory of his childhood minder Cathy, who always smelled of blood. Even more so, I enjoyed the characters in this second outing. I’ve said that this series’ strength is its characters, and they come into their own in The Paragon of Animals. I like that J.S Cook doesn’t let Devlin or Freddie rest on their laurels. They continue to be affected by real problems and issues.

With that said, the story can be abrupt, and people appearing and disappearing at dramatic moments can get silly. The grand climax at the end with Freddie was emotionally jerking, yes, but I’m not sure it fit in with the rest of the book. It seemed to come out of nowhere. Similarly, other parts of the book seemed a bit random. The bits with Harker’s love troubles, for example. They were nice, but one scene goes into Harker’s head, and then we never travel then again. It’s uneven stuff like that which leaves me wondering exactly what Cook intended.

The Paragon of Animals was good but with some edits, it could be really good.

When a series of deaths occur in London, Inspector Phillip Devlin of Scotland Yard thinks he knows who did it: an old classmate from his school days. Aided by his young constable Freddie whom he may or may not have feelings for, Devlin investigates the mystery. He soon learns that not only is he after the murderer; the murderer is after him.

I thought this was a fairly bland mystery. It was mostly straightforward and there was nothing terribly exciting about it that kept me on the edge of the chair. However, if the plot was weak, the characters did make me take a second look. Devlin was interesting and likable. He had this weariness about him. It wasn’t broody cynicism, but a kind of low-key, tattered weariness like you would associate with a man who’s been at his job for way too long. He doesn’t leap onto clues with a burst of glory; he just does his job and does it well.

I liked Freddie too, even if his characterization was overly simplistic. Actually, it wasn’t his actions that made him simplistic; it was the way the narrative kept presenting him. For example, even when he would do something completely normal, other characters would jump on his lack of intelligence. Cook kept on trying to make Freddie seem stupid in comparison to Devlin. It was too much, in my opinion. There was too much ‘telling’ instead of ’showing’ in general that made A Cold-Blooded Scoundrel seem amateur. But stylistic and plot quibbles aside, I enjoyed Devlin and Freddie and their fumbling romance. I don’t think I’ll read the book again but I would definitely be up for seeing more of the two.