Mike Kearby

Okay I admit it. I am not a big fan of vampires. I read this book based on the description. To me the description just sounded so interesting. It just sounded like something other than the usual vampire book. You know the type of book I am talking about, the one where everything is focused on the next vampire kill. The vampire is more interested in finding the next kill or feeding than having any type of story or plot. So, this book is one of those where I step outside my comfort reading box and read something I normally would never read. You should try stepping out of your comfort-reading box.

So many authors do not explain about the background of their characters especially is there is a vampire in the book. I do not know why they do this. It helps so much to make a book more readable, interesting and catching. Well, this author did NOT let me down. He did not go into a fully background with a long detailed over the top boring reading about the character’s past. He explains about the characters past, but in a way that is not mind-boggling or boring.

Yes, I knew going in this was a vampire book. Something I usually stay far away from. With that being said, please remember that I do not normally read these types of book so my understanding or opinion may be really out of left field.

Kavachi’s Rise reads like a horror book from the beginning to the end. A page-turning book will keep readers on the edge of their seat wondering what will happen next. Who will get it, which one is the monster, will the prey get away, yes, it has all of that and more. If you like, reading vampire books then this one a book needs to be on your TBR pile.

Okay, I admit that whenever I sit in a certain chair in my house I fall asleep. It is the most comfortable chair. The dogs, bunnies, cats and I pile into this large over-sized chair. I curl up with a book, cup of coffee and a glass of sweet tea. Well, I fell asleep reading this book. However, every time I sit in this chair I fall asleep reading. The words just lull me to sleep and I am out with a bunny on my lap, a cat near my head and the dog trying to push me over to have more room. Therefore, reading this took longer than normal for me.

The gist of my review:

Should you read this book? – Yes

Will I read the next book in this series? – Yes

Thanks for such an interesting and unusual read Mike.

The bunnies and I give this book 4 carrots.… (mais)

I received a copy of this book from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.

To be honest, finding this book listed as a horror title does not do it proper justice, for although some of the scenes depicted are quite gory, they feel justified in their appearance. It also isn’t just another vampire story, nor is it just a mystery and thriller. It is so much more than just a paranormal story, incorporating lore from the old Romany, or gypsies of Europe: Nazi predilection and fascination with genetic manipulation for a master race, governmental manipulation for positive ends and even some manipulation that relies on ties of friendship and loyalty.

There is a heavy reliance on the long history of atrocities perpetrated against the Romany, as a society that has long been ‘different’ and feared for that difference, makes an interesting choice as three of the four major characters are all Romany in origin, the fourth is drawn into the action as a young girl. That sense of isolation and not having many people to rely on seems to become another character, as it is near palpable as the story unfolds. In a world where the government has taken everything from them, from their fangs to their real names, Tomas and Kara feel they have found a friend and ‘uncle’ substitute in Nikolai. This story was not meant to have a happy ending: manipulations for one person’s gain will always result in someone losing, and that becomes more apparent as the story progresses as well. What isn’t answered is who manages the last manipulations, and just where will it end?

The story was beautifully written with inclusions of language and imagery that is as hauntingly beautiful as it is graphic. Since I am particularly prone to reliving horror stories (I haven’t read one in years after a bad experience) and I didn’t have sleepless nights with nightmares from this book, I am hard pressed to call it a horror novel. Of course, it has horrific elements, most of which deal with man’s inhumane treatment of one another; this really is a book that a conspiracy theorist would adore. I am looking forward to see where the author goes with this series of stories
… (mais)

In a haunting tale that has many correlations to the society of today, Kearby has crafted a society that has overridden the rules of habeas corpus and the judicial system in favor of the District Evidentiary Panel. With a simple rule of three, people are judged without trial, and dyed with a color that relates to the crime they are believed to have committed.

With his trademark descriptive language, often blunt, matter of fact phrasing, and talent for maintaining a level of tension this was a short story that kept you turning the pages, trying to find some positive end.

A story that will make you think long after the last page is turned, it alternately becomes the genesis for thoughts on race, crime, punishment and the ever-growing vigilante movement. A great short read that is disturbing and entertaining and masterfully crafted.

I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review for Full Moon Bites. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.… (mais)

In the second of this series of Fone Stories™, the Illusionist has all of the traits I have come to know in the 3 titles I have read by Mike Kearby. A unique twist on a situation, person or time; one good hint that tests a reader’s attention and exposure to vocabulary, a spare writing style in which every word is necessary and none are disposable, and an ending that is completely guaranteed to keep you thinking long into the night. In what has become the “must read” series of stories for me, Kearby again twists fantasy and reality to present an Illusionist with the power to create items from his simple imagining or need. With his little bulldog Leurre, Fredrick heads to Las Vegas to ply his trade on a casino stage. What happens next will have you handing your eReader to random strangers telling them they MUST read it.

I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review for Full Moon Bites. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.
… (mais)