Barry Hoffman (1)

The sequel to Hungry Eyes, Eyes of Prey is as sensational as the first, slightly longer, and just as interesting. As the back cover blurb announces, Lysette begins a personal vendetta of sorts to defend herself against attackers. Take power for herself being the vulnerable victim no longer. Clean up the streets and put peace in her heart once again.

Soon the police are on the trail for a killer, but Shara and Deidre are the only ones who can uncover the truth. This makes it a bit tough if Shara finds she shares a certain connection with the new killer Lysette. And Deidre finds herself feeling left out of the deal, while pushing against several sides in her own life.

What will be the outcome?

Intense. That's the perfect word to describe it. At times bleak and tragic, at other times strong and determined, but always intense. Lysette is a worthy character to read about and I dug her, especially the relationship she held with Angel. Revelations that came to her at the ending were surprising. I felt for her tortures and much of it was sad beyond belief. In small ways she was written a bit shallow, but this can be forgiven since Hoffman had the two other major characters to focus on as well. Deidre is back as in the first but more is delved into her personal life. She is still as interesting as she was from the Hungry Eyes, yet a little more fleshed out. Hoffman does a great job of showing her life through small things, letting the reader get a personal impression for themselves. Shara is back and the same but with different purposes. She's still as strong as ever but at times exasperated me, as I'm sure she did Deidra.

The pace is solid and swift, in high gear from start line to finish. Hoffman's style is unique and clever. His words are creative but not overly complicated to where they become tiresome. Enthusiasm for his characters shine through.

An excellent sequel to Hungry Eyes, if you were left wanting more -- this is a great runner up. Even as a stand alone book, Eyes of Prey is a great read with a multitude of social commentaries… (mais)

This one isn't your everyday, run-of-the-mill revenge tale. Shara is a woman who, after suffering a tragedy as a child, sets out to kill a certain number of people for her own private reasons (interesting ones they are.) Deidra, a reporter who knew Shara a long while back, is called in to do the story and also try and help capture the killer. Hungry Eyes focuses on the strong bond the two characters share, as well as the anticipation of the outcome. The plot isn't complex but it is interesting and unpredictable.

When told through Shara's eyes there's a great cat and mouse game being played out. I genuinely felt her emotions about the past and Hoffman writes about memories well enough to let the reader feel the torture the character went through. The main character isn't a regular type of serial killer -- although at first glance it may look like it. There's a purpose to her methods and it's hard to dislike her no matter what she does. Her goal is to get a certain amount of rapists/abusers off the street and through her thinking this will heal her own unique psychological torments. She's strong, intelligent, loves to play psychological games with her friend, and also alone. I LOVED seeing in her head. Her whole viewpoint on the world was so unusual and also tragic yet strong. She didn't play the victim role but her mind was messy and paranoid at times -- great stuff! She's had a hellacious life but doesn't let that hold her back, although she is bitter about people. I really enjoyed who she was and give applause to Hoffman. And the tattoos!!? A definite surprise and something creepy about them at first once revealed.

Deidre as the reporter who knows Shara is behind the crimes is also well-written. She's intelligent herself but newer to the psychological play Shara's used to. A genuinely nice person, her vulnerability comes through and it's a good change in heroine roles. Bottom line: These characters are not stereotypical, they are purely three dimensional, unusual, and fascinating.

Eyes of Prey has a good pace, although it's not focused on action. It does start a little slowly, and just as it's about to try your patience, it speeds off. Much of it is soaked with mental thoughts and ambitions, a very character driven story. The style is easy to understand but well-versed. Hoffman has a talent with words and uses them wisely. He also has a knack for dialogue that I admire.

If you are ever in the mood for a psychological thriller, Hoffman's trilogy is the way to go. The first book, Eyes of Prey, is sensational! Genuine emotion is painted on, and I loved every minute of it. When you care about the characters and outcome as much as Hoffman wants you to, this is a book that will cause grief once the final page is read. Not because of the outcome, but because it's actually over.… (mais)

Hoffman has created a fascinating world in this book. The society he has created has women subservient to men. Dara, an orphan is unlike the other Shamra in many ways. First, the society of people has blue eyes, and she has brown. Secondly, she completely disagrees that women should marry and do the bidding of their husbands. She believes in equality for all. Third, she has visions. This all comes in handy when they are invaded by the Trocs. Dara and a few others escape. They appoint her the leader of the rebellion. To help her people she must journey to unfamiliar lands to find help. The story has many things going for it. It teaches girls today that they can do anything that boys can do. It also teaches what happens when a society is so wrapped up in itself that it ignores warning signs of conflict. I believe my students; both female and male will enjoy this addition to my library at school. I look forward to reading the second and third book in the series, “Shamra Divided”, and “Chaos Unleashed”. This is another great fantasy book.… (mais)

Chaos Unleashed is an action pact book, with a fast-paced plot, and awesome characters. The heroin, and main protagonist, Dara, was my favorite. At only 17 years old, she is someone that young girls can look up too. She is smart, strong, loyal and brave. She demands respect, speaks her mind, and will not allow someone to keep her down.

In the third installment in The Shamra Chronicles, Dara travels to Stone Mountain, where her people, the Shamra, originated from. She meets a new group of Shamra that she never knew existed, ones that she herself directly descends from. She feels at home, for the first time in her life. But for Dara, life can not stay peaceful, and she must go and fight Chaos, a monster who hasn’t caused trouble in the past two hundred years.

Dara, along with the people she grew up, the family she originates from, and old and new friends, decides that they will fight Chaos and his army, and learn everything they can to be able to win. At the same time, there are many changes occurring in Dara’s life that make her question her past and her future.

The best part of this book for me was how fast-paced the plot was. Something is always happening and there was never a dull moment. Sometimes I notice in books a scene will just go on and on, just because the authors feel like they should. But Hoffman has a way with words that doesn’t feel forced or rushed. Because of this, the plot kept my attention the entire time.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an adventure. I think it would be especially perfect for middle school kids, and what is great is even though the main character is a young women, I think boys and girls alike would enjoy her story.

I read Chaos Unleashed without reading the first two books in the series, Curse of the Shamra and Shamra Divided, but I never found myself confused because everything was explained. I cared about Dara and her story, and will definitely be reading the first two books!… (mais)