Nancy Brauer

Review of Wormwood by D.H. Nevins

// January 17th, 2011 // No Comments » // Blog

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fujur/157822428/

What would you do if you were hiking and the world came to an end?

The start of Wormwood by D.H. Nevins begs that question. Young outdoorswoman Kali is strolling along when the ground churns and the sun disappears behind ominous clouds. Even more disturbing is the fact that Tiamat, a striking man she’d met ten years earlier, seems to be commanding the destruction from a rocky peak. Kali survives the initial chaos to discover that the earth is toast and Tiamat is more than he seems.

Wormwood is a post-apocalyptic novel of survival interwoven with a paranormal romance. I should note that post-apoc isn’t my cup of tea. The typical amount of destruction and despair is too depressing for me. I agreed to read Nevin’s manuscript after meeting her at Readercon 2010. Her enthusiasm for her story is infectious.

Overall I enjoyed Wormwood. Nevins has created a mythology that borrows from Christianity without being preachy. Kali is a tough, resourceful protagonist, and Tiamat a half-angel tortured by his orders from on high. The sexual tension between the two is palpable. Nevins does a good job describing the landscape before and after the apocalypse, as well as drawing the primary and supporting characters. She either is a proficient outdoorswoman herself, or has done her research. Survival for the remaining humans is difficult, but not impossible. Kali’s and Tiamat’s story comes to a conclusion, but leaves room for a sequel.

If you enjoy post-apocalyptic tales with a healthy dose of paranormal romance, Wormwood will not disappoint. I wish Nevins the best of luck with finding a publisher!

Review of Broken by Susan Jane Bigelow

// January 10th, 2011 // 6 Comments » // Blog

I received an ARC (advance reader copy) of Broken from the book’s publisher, Candlemark and Gleam. At first I was worried that I’d overcommitted and didn’t have time to read the book. But once I started reading I made time to finish it. So without further ado, here’s my review.

If superheroes ever come to be, the dystopian future of Susan Jane Bigelow’s Broken is entirely probable. Broken is set a hundred years in the future, where humanity is seemingly united under one government and the United States is a backwater. Extrahumans like the titular character Broken are required by law to live in the Extrahuman Union Tower, a gleaming skyscraper towering over the half-ruined New York City.

Broken is similarly ruined. After losing the ability to fly, she fled the Tower and moved to Skid Row. Michael, a young Extrahuman who sees possible futures, drags her out of her self-imposed exile. He needs her help to flee Earth to escape the increasingly oppressive government. Michael carries with him two burdens: multiple bleak futures for himself, and an infant in his backpack. All of the possible futures show the orphan to be a great leader. Whether the boy becomes a liberator or despot depends on Michael’s and Broken’s journey.

Bigelow skillfully weaves multiple plot threads and character arcs through the detailed world she’s created. Broken, Michael, and their ally Monica are well-developed and sympathetic characters. Rooting for them during their trials came naturally. Along the way we meet multiple secondary and tertiary characters. Each is appropriately imagined and fleshed-out. Despite the large cast, I was never confused or forgot who a character was.

The aspect of Broken that I enjoyed the most is the juxtaposition of superhero tropes like silly names and costumes with the dark side of humanity. Humans are slightly evolved animals; it doesn’t take much for a demagogue to whip his or her followers into a xenophobic mob. Bigelow explains why caped crusaders with names like Silverwyng and Sky Ranger exist in the Broken universe. The explanation and the world’s history are doled out gradually through the plot and character interaction. Between that and the book’s quick pace, I had trouble putting it down.

If you’re in the mood for a dystopian, superhuman, sci-fi adventure, I highly recommend Broken. It’s a fun yet serious read; no cackling supervillains necessary.

Broken makes its debut on January 25, 2011.

Strandline earns a four-star review!

// January 9th, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Blog

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/4729836979/

Gavin Williams posted a glowing review of my sci-fi/action serial Strandline on Web Fiction Guide. Thanks, Gavin! He wrote:

“Strandline” features a futuristic world where the United States no longer exists, but the west coast features a Western Coalition. There’s a Republic and also independent states like Strandline, a man made island in the Gyre of the Pacific. One of the most interesting things about the way “Strandline” is written is that the details are naturally brought up in the interactions of characters, instead of in big expository info-dumps. So I’m not sure geographically where the Republic might be (I’m guessing China?) but I like how the characters act like real people.

The story revolves around nictans who can teleport over vast distances, and apparently some (or all?) are telepathic. Kristin, raised in the Coalition, doesn’t know much about nictans, but has recently learned that she has the same abilities. What little exposition there is comes from her encountering new ideas, and readjusting her world view.

There is apparently some conflict between the different political groups, with Greenmen attacking ships. They apparently have different powers than what the nictans have shown so far, as one seemed to have energy or telekinetic powers, manipulating oil and sea water.

There are plenty of creative details to enjoy, and lots of geo-political intrigue developing, along with the focus on Kristin and her experiences as she learns about herself and her place in the world. All kinds of opportunities for interesting suspense and conflict, and lots of room for character development. This story has tons of potential and it will be interesting to see where it leads.

The “Republic” is the Republic of Hawaii. The Hawaii part isn’t mentioned until the fifth or sixth episode. I try to write natural-sounding dialog, and I didn’t think that the characters would use the country’s full name in the earlier conversations. Anyhoo, there are two Strandline world maps on the media page. I have to check them from time to time to remember which countries still exist.

If Strandline sounds like your sort of story, please give it a try. New episodes are posted every Friday. You can get updates by email or by RSS.

WANTED: Three sentences

// January 3rd, 2011 // No Comments » // Blog

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/diamondgeyser/1289952682/

Not just any three sentences. I’m on the prowl for three sentences about Strange Little Band.

Reviews are a key element in promoting any book. Since I don’t have the marketing arm of a big publisher behind me, obtaining reviews of Strange Little Band is essential. Neutral and positive book reviews are forms of social proof. They persuade a potential reader to give the book a try because other people already have read it and like it. They’re a vital way to make one novel in a sea of printed and electronic books stand out.

If you’ve read and enjoyed Strange Little Band, please write a three sentence review of the book. (If you go longer, I won’t complain. ) Here’s an example that was posted on Smashwords by Lisa M.

The plot is filled with lust twists and turns that will have you sitting at the edge of your seat. It can’t compare to a book half its size with double the amount of action and intrigue. A nail-biter that is not for the weak at heart! Worth every penny that you pay.

Okay, that was four sentences, but you get my point. A review doesn’t have to be the excruciating grade school experience of writing book reports. It should only take a few minutes.

I’ve written my review. How do I share it with the world?

Thanks to the intertubes, that’s easy. It depends on the edition of SLB you have.

• If you have a paperback copy, post your review on this Amazon listing.
• If you bought an electronic version through Smashwords, post your review here.
• If you bought the Kindle edition, post your review here.
• If you bought an electronic version through Barnes and Noble, post your review here.

Additionally, if you have a Goodreads account, please please please post your review here as well. Goodreads is the best thing since sliced bread for book promotion. (Not that sliced bread helps promote books… er. Moving on.)

To those of you who’ve already taken the time to review SLB, *MWAH* You rock my world.

SLB review roundup

// December 29th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Blog

Reviews for Strange Little Band are coming in slowly but surely. So far the majority of readers give the non-sappy paranormal romance a thumbs up, as evidenced by its overall four-star rating on Goodreads.

Here are excerpts from the most recent reviews.

The plot is filled with lust, twists and turns that will have you sitting at the edge of your seat. … A nail-biter that is not for the weak at heart! Worth every penny that you pay.

— Lisa M. on Smashwords

Goodreads reader Happy put Strange Little Band at the top of her Awesome List for 2010. On Goodreads she gave the novel five stars and wrote:

This is really good! I had a late start today because I couldn’t put this book down once I began reading it last night. … I’m impressed and will soon be slightly depressed when this ends.

I first read about Strange Little Band on Galaxy Express. When I followed the link I found I could download the first half of the book free. I found the story fascinating and had trouble putting it down so I purchased the full book from Smashwords.

— J.C. Jones

Both of the main characters are strong and manipulative; it’s refreshing to read a story with such complex characters and so much hidden politics at play.
…
Technically, this is a dark paranormal romance, which is personally not my cup of tea. But this isn’t the [porn without plot] you’d expect from the genre, this is something slightly more twisted, set on a background of a corporation that is as mystifying as it is sinister. … it soon develops into a nail-biting tale of corporate intrigue as Addison and Shane build up a tentative trust only to find all of Triptych against them.

— A.M. Harte’s review on Amazon

 
More reviews can be found on Goodreads and the Strange Little Band website.

Here’s a treat for anyone who read this far. Use coupon code CM87Z to purchase an electronic copy of SLB from Smashwords for $1.50. It’s normally $2.99. Choose from these ebook formats— ePub, PDF, Kindle (.mobi), LRF, and Palm Doc (PDB)— or read the ebook online. The coupon expires on January 1, so hurry!