Showing posts with label Enclave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Enclave. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Review of Enclave by Thomas Locke


About the Book ~

To save his enclave's future, he must risk his own.

Nearly one hundred years have passed since the Great Crash. What was once America is now a collection of enclaves, governed at the local level and only loosely tied together by the farce of a federal government.

Catawba, one of the largest and most affluent enclaves in the southern region, is relatively stable. It maintains successful business relations with nearby enclaves. But when a new vein of gold is discovered beneath the feet of its citizens, it's only a matter of time before trouble finds them.

Now Catawba's fate depends on an untried young trader named Caleb. Could his plan help secure the enclave's future? Yet Caleb is keenly aware that if his secret were exposed, he would not live to see another dawn.

For more information about Thomas Locke and his books, check out his website here!

My Thoughts ~ 

Enclave was...

It was like The Last Ship meets X-Men while being tinged with the Wild West!

That sounds awesome, right? Well, it was awesome! Dystopian and post-apocalyptic story lovers, Enclave needs to be added to your TBR immediately!

The story is told from the point of view of Caleb and Kevin, two very different men thrown together by hate and power-grabs from the mongrels welding their unlawful position against everyone, especially those with special secrets.

Sorry, no spoilers. Hehe!

I would have loved a little more backstory, specifically details about the Great Crash because I like to have ALL the details. However, it wasn't hard for me to imagine the country turning into the lawless wasteland described in Enclave. I especially loved the message the story spoke to me, about fighting for each other, standing by one other, and about welcoming all. Enclave showed a true democracy founded on equality rising out of muck of the evil. Truly inspiring, like a futuristic revolutionary war!

Four Stars ~ Enclave by Thomas Locke was exactly the type of thrilling story that I'd like to read a lot more! I am unaware if this is a series or not. The ending wrapped up the important details like a standalone story, but it also left some room for a sequel. So...we will see! LOL!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Connect with Joy on her websitepersonal blogdevotional blogFacebookTwitter, and Instagram!

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Review of Hideous Beauty by Jack Cavanaugh



About the Book ~

This would isn't what you think it is...

Every day invaders slip across our borders to infiltrate our government, our schools, our neighborhoods. Homeland security can't stop them. The armed forces are no threat to them. Powerful and unseen, they cannot be stopped. They have been doing this for millennia.

On what should have been the best day of his life, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Grant Austin learns of a plan to assassinate the president of the United States. Every attempt to sound the alarm is thwarted, and Grant soon finds himself at the center of an even greater battle that predates time as he stands alone against ancient powers and unspeakable evil--evil that can only be described as a hideous beauty.

For more information about Jack Cavanaugh and his books, check out his website here!

My Thoughts ~

Imagine a bookworm with buggy eyes frantically turning the pages who then bursts out laughing.

That was me while reading Hideous Beauty by Jack Cavanaugh. I don't have any pictures, so you'll just have to take my word for it. ;-)

I stayed up until two in the morning to finish reading Hideous Beauty! Then I was wide awake for almost an hour because my mind kept dwelling on the events of this thrilling story! This author stole precious sleep from me, which basically means he did an amazing job!

Grant Austin was an author and a history nerd, so I automatically liked him. Plus, his sarcastic tendencies could rival Lorelai Gilmore. I can't tell you how many times I started to laugh in the middle of a tense scene because Grant couldn't help but toss those comments out like confetti! Grant had lived his life without putting any stock in God, that is until he ticks off a fallen angel, gets attacked by some demons, and then annoys a good angel just by being alive. It amused me how long he continued to fight the idea of God's existence even after all he'd experienced. But when he finally came to God, it was in a way that only Grant Austin could: epic with a touch of sarcasm!

While the supernatural thread is amazing, the political plot works stupendously with it! I found that to be just as fascinating! Intrigue. Murder. Suspense. The all-too-familiar reality that some leaders are not the façade they present to the world. Who doesn't love a good political thriller? But when you throw in the supernatural forces of Heaven, you've got yourself one dozy of a ride!

The author clearly did a lot of research for this story, blending Biblical fact and fiction in such a way that I had to keep reminding myself that this was just book! While Hideous Beauty is utterly enthralling, readers will close the back cover with an air of sobriety as they contemplate the fact that the spiritual realm does operate in unison with everything we see. Truly, Hideous Beauty is a powerful testament that while all sorts of junk may be happening around us, God has already won!

Four Stars ~ A thrilling ride! Hideous Beauty is the first book in Jack Cavanaugh's Kingdom Wars Series! I'm very excited to read the next book, Heavenly Mortal, which releases February 2019!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!
 
Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.
 
Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blogFacebook, Twitter, and Instagram!