The Gatekeeper by James Byrne (Dez Limerick #1)

The Gatekeeper by James Byrne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC. This is not a paid review..
This book was awesome! A great new series to look forward to! Dez Limerick is the man!

Dez is a Gatekeeper.. which as he explains means he opens doors.. all kinds of doors, very covert doors at times. He also has skills that raise him a bit above those around him.

While taking a break from gatekeeping, he goes to California to play bass in a band for a bit.
But being a gatekeeper he notices things. Like all the makings of a kidnap attempt to a very high profile woman in his hotel. Being a gentleman, he has to help.

Asked by the woman, Petra Alexandris, chief legal counsel to Triton Industries as well as the owners daughter to find out what is going on, Dez uncovers a diabolical plot that will not only affect her company but the USA as we know it.

Great characters, fantastic language and the engaging Dez make this a must read for any thriller fan.

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Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz ( Orphan X #7)

Dark Horse by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A special thank you to Net Galley for the ARC.
It does not get any better than Evan Smoak (Orphan X). The joy about this series is the growth in the character. X is a complicated man to say the least. But, you really could not expect anything less from the way he was raised. But, it is a joy to see a writer of Hurwitz caliber stretch what is the most dynamic character in thriller fiction.
After, the cliffhanger ending of book #6, Prodigal Son, it has been a tense year waiting to find out what is going on..
In Dark Horse, Hurwitz puts X in the most dangerous mission of his prolific career. He is asked by a cartel leader to rescue his daughter from a brutal, rival cartel. X, after taking stock and meeting the man asking for his help is surprised at the person he meets. He decides to help by infiltrating the rival cartel. What he finds there is a brutal, unhinged psychopath and an army of sicarios and fighters. He also finds something he never expected. Which almost does the operation in before he can begin it.

Added to this dilemma, back at home his love interest Mia finds out she has a serious medical condition which could mean her death and leave her little boy Peter motherless and well as fatherless. Throw into the mix tension with his adoptive niece Joey, and X has to figure out what it means to be family and just where caring and love can lead.

Fantastic book ! If you haven't read this series buy Orphan X today and get going. Every book of the 7 is better than the last. I savored this book even though I could have read it in a weekend.

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The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers #1)

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had heard a lot about this series and it did not disappoint. Becky Chambers has done a remarkable job of creating characters and a large galactic star system complete with planets and aliens and their customs.
This book was fun, but not fluffy. There was great depth to the crew about the Wayfarer. The Wayfarer is a tunneling ship which basically punches holes in space by creating black holes that people can travel large distances through.
A job comes up that will set them up for a long time, but it is possibly dangerous and will take some time. The complexity of the crew cannot be overstated and the only way to do them justice is to read this yourself. You will be hooked fast and I think thoroughly enjoy book one of what appears to be a great series.

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The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I bought this book over a year ago just because I really love epic fantasy. I'm not the biggest dragon fan, but love the world building, etc..
In June , I saw an article gave suggestions. If you love Game of Thrones, Read this. So, I gave it a shot.
It was good, it kept me reading. The world building was good. The story never bogged down. It was worth the time.
Of course, as with most fantasy or science fiction of our day, there has to be the obligatory LGBTQ trope. This author according to her bio identifies as "queer", so keep that in mind.
But, a very good book with a lot of action and great character building. I just mention the other because I have friends who like to know those things up front.

Would love to see a sequel.

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The Water Keeper by Charles Martin ( Murphy Shepherd #1)

The Water Keeper by Charles Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. Great writing, great storyline and engaging characters.
I have never read a book by Charles Martin, but I will be from now on. The Water Keeper was tremendous.
It also dealt with the very real problem of sex trafficking and the worth of souls.

Looking forward to The Letter Keeper and more of Murphy Shepherd.



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The Island by Ben Coes ( Dewey Andreas #9)

The Island by Ben Coes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Island rocks! A caution though.. DO NOT start this book unless you intend on finishing. Besides being a very good thriller, this book is a cautionary tale about those who would do us harm and just how easy it would be to cause total chaos in our country.
Coes has really done an amazing job of ratcheting the tension. The first third of the book take place at a pretty sedate pace, then wham! The last 2/3rd covers just a few hours on a morning in Manhattan as Hezbollah attacks in a massive way.
The President is giving a speech at the UN and it is the perfect opportunity to take him out, but first they need to cut off the island of Manhattan. Not only that, not content with just those plans, there is also an attack on the Fed which would cripple not only the US but the worlds financial markets. It's a very ingenious plan, except for one thing. Dewey Andreas and Rob Tacoma.
Sowing even more chaos are hundreds of embedded Iranians, who, when the sign is given, go from being your friendly Uber driver or neighbors, to killing everyone in sight.
The summer's must read.
Take a trip to the island. You'll never think of New York the same.

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The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons ( A Chorus of Dragons #1)

The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Many thanks for the opportunity to have an advance reading copy of this book. I have heard a lot of buzz about The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons and the hype is well earned. I found The Ruin of Kings fresh, something new that will resonate with readers of epic fantasy. The most interesting thing I found with this book is that it flew by.. Highly readable with hints of mystery, made the pages turn.
The story is told from two different points of view, both relating past events. Our narrators are a demon jailer named Talon, and it's prisoner, Khirin, who may or may not be much more than what he seems. The world building is first rate and well as well fleshed out characters.
No spoilers here, but read this book, you will find yourself waiting for book 2, very impatiently.

This is an addition to the review. I guess back in 2018 I just read a large teaser of this book, because once I saw the book in the stores it was pretty big and I felt I must have missed something and boy did I.
This initial entry to the series in very well done and meaty. This is well worth the read and should be given a place on every epic fantasy readers shelf. If you are in mourning over the Wheel of Time being done and Game of Thrones taking a lifetime, read this. The author has i believe the first 4 out, so no waiting!!!



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