Neil Perry Gordon

Bhark is a clan Chief along the shores of Lake Neith in 3300 BCE. His time as Chief has been cut short, however as Bhark's rival, Shadrach claims that he is the rightful heir. Shadrach takes Bhark's wife and daughter, kills his son and banishes Bhark to the Similaun Mountain. Bhark forms a plan to get his clan and family back when he encounters the soul hunter Creyak and seer MIko. Creyak and Miko have other plans though and when Bhark dies in the mountain pass, his soul is trapped between the upper realm and the lower realms of Gehenna. When Bhark's body is found in 1991 as the mummified Iceman named Ötzi, Bhark must complete the quest through Gehenna in order to save his soul.

Otzi's Odyssey is a metaphysical journey combining historical fiction, mythology and fantasy. From the beginning, the writing pulled me into Bhark's world. The point of view switched between Bhark's life in 3300 BCE and his soul as his body was found in 1991. It was exciting to read Bhark's thoughts as he witnessed his body being found and examined. I loved the descriptions of Bhark's village, landscape and clan relationships. It made the unknown time period come alive. I was intrigued as Bhark learned of his mission through Gehenna and the different realms. Bhark's character along with his daughter Amina and the seer Miko strengthened during this time. The different realms and the souls that Bhark encountered there were very interesting as he attempted to complete a mission he did not fully understand. Many new twists and turns unraveled during Bhark's mission in Gehenna that created layers of suspense. The ending wrapped up a little quickly for me, but was still satisfying. It seems that Bhark's soul still has more of his mission ahead of him and I'm hoping to read more about Bhark and his family soon.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.… (mehr)

Alaska, historical-fiction, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, adventure, coming-of-age, YA-only-means-no-gratuitous-erotica*****

A pair of young men who are best friends took the advice Jack London gave them at their high school graduation in San Francisco in 1898 and went off to spend the summer panning for gold in Alaska and learned a lot of life lessons. The characters are all believable and interesting, especially the Norsemen who practice the old religion (we are Norse). Lots of adventure with plenty of twists and surprises. We loved it!
Frank Block is a very good narrator but it is clear that he is not a voice actor. That was perfectly fine for me and the teenager!
I won this audiobook in a giveaway! Yay me!… (mehr)

Sam Rothman and Liam Kampen are headed for the wilds of Alaska in an attempt to strike it rich and have some adventure. After a stirring speech by Jack London at their high school graduation, Sam and Liam leave their hometown of San Francisco to venture to the Turnagain Arm region. Before departure, Sam's father warns him that his Jewish name may not be the best to use in Alaska and Sam decides on the name of Percy Hope. Upon the boy's arrival, Magnus Vega, a local saloon owner, declares that he will name the neighboring town after the first person off the boat. Percy becomes the talk of the town before even striking gold. As Percy and Liam get settled and learn the ways of the land, they see that Hope follows the rules of the Catholic church and Reverend O'Hara while the neighboring town of Sunrise is ruled over by Magnus and his devious ways. Percy and Liam find out what they are made of as they are captured in the rivalries between towns, enemies and religious groups.

As Jack London tells Sam, every good story needs conflict, danger, a battle between good and evil, a relatable hero as well as twists and turns. This is exactly what Hope City delivers in a fast-paced and exciting read. I loved the setting of wild Alaska during the gold rush and the many different settings that Sam and Liam's adventures took them through from the rivers of the Turnagain Arm, to the new towns, the native villages and the open waters. Both Liam and Sam were great characters who took different paths while in Alaska offering two different views. The point of view switched between Sam/Percy and Magnus which confused me a little at first, but became clear after the first few chapters. Through these two different points of view the fight between good and evil was evident; however, what makes a person good or bad was more difficult to tell. The inclusion of the Asatru religion made for many more interesting twists and turns as well. With a very exciting and unexpected ending, Hope City makes for a wonderful historical adventure.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.… (mehr)

Moshe is a cobbler in 1960's Manhattan. He runs the same cobbler shop that his father began as a immigrant and where Moshe discovered that he was a tzaddik. In Judaism a tzaddik is a righteous person who is given powers by the Almighty. Moshe had the ability to comfort people in times of great pain, but hasn't felt the connection for awhile. Moshe's skills as a tzaddik are called upon one day by a man named Gray who works for city councilman Arnold Lieberman. Arnold has come upon a rasha, the enemy of the tzaddik who uses their powers for evil. The rasha is Solomon Blass who uses his prophetic dreams for his own benefit and has become part of New York City's crime ring. As Solomon ages he seeks to put his son Myron in control by making him mayor. In order to stop the rasha, Moshe begins training in the dream world in order to destroy the rasha's soul.
The Righteous One is a follow up to A Cobbler's Tale. While it is not necessary to read A Cobbler's Tale first, it does help to understand how Moshe's gift originated. The Righteous One creates an intersection between the organized crime of New York City in the 1960's and Jewish magical realism or the tzaddik, rasha and the dream world. It did take me a little while to get into the story as the points of view bounced between Solomon and Myron and Moshe and Arnold. I felt more grounded in the story as Moshe learned more about the dream world with Noa and Gray. I would have loved to learn more about these two, especially Noa's lineage. I also enjoyed the character development of Myron's character. Through Myron, the effect of organized crime on New York City's infrastructure becomes apparent. His character was also one who went through a lot of transformation and I wish his story wasn't cut short. Moshe's revelations as a tzaddik and his abilities in the dream world were intriguing and I would have loved to spend some more time there.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.… (mehr)