Larry Rodness

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. Emylene Stipe, is considered a Goth Princess by the Gothic community. Her parents Theo and Vandy run a very profitable Goth nightclub where they are considered royalty. On a quest, parcially to find herself, and to rebel, Emylene moves into an apartment of her own, this is when her life gets turned upside down. She meets a young girl with no name with huge secrets that could destroy Emylene’s world.

This isn’t a sunshine and roses romantic vampire story. Those are pretty predictable and I was really pleased to see something fresh and unique. This was an intriguing novel that held me captive for hours on end. Emylene is a really gutsy main character; she has bravery beyond her years. This was an amazing novel, rich in history that keeps you guessing until the very end. This is a must read and one of my favorites for this year.

… (mehr)

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Alexander Malefant is a travelling life insurance salesman. He enjoys bringing peace of mind to families. His job brings him to the quaint town of Elora on Halloween. Preparations are underway for their annual festival, but upon his arrival, very peculiar things begin happening in the town. Will he be able to survive the night and help the people of this town reunite with their missing children?

This story took me completely by surprise. It has witches, ghosts and creepy people, like your typical horror story, but it also has an unexpected depth to it. This book has lots of action and leaves you unable to put the book down. Things aren't always what they seem and it gives you many "wow" moments. Larry Rodness has written another amazing story with an ending you won't see coming.… (mehr)

Every time I read a historical thriller, it makes me wonder why I don’t put more on my list. Thankfully authors like Larry Rodness are kind enough to choose me as a reviewer, and I get the opportunity to once again remember how much fun it is to be lost in a read that is outside of my norm. When I first read the synopsis, what intrigued me most was the idea of a single item having so much power. The power to throw an entire religion into absolute chaos. What would someone do with all of that power? I was eager to found out.

The beginning of this story is excellently crafted, in my opinion. It gives you all the relevant information surrounding the Judas Robe, and provides the footing necessary to weave your way through the rest of this twisty story. It was also much appreciated that, although there are historical reference points, the story doesn’t ever feel bogged down. One of my biggest issue with historically based stories is that there tend to be big infodumps that feel forced into place. Rodness proves that you can share the key points, without making the reader lose traction. If anything, the intro made me more excited for what was to come.

Now here’s where I had a bit of issue. From the first time I met Joel, I knew that I was going to like him. As a protagonist he is the kind of person who feels realistic and therefore relatable. Part of me knew that he was going to be thrown into danger, probably sooner rather than later. However I enjoyed getting to get to know him, and the intricacies of the relationships he had with the people around him. I have to give kudos where they are due, all of the characters that he comes into contact with also feel like real people, so it makes it easier to understand Joel’s motivations later on. However, this is also the part of the story where I started to feel a little lost.

It is tough to explain fully without accidentally spoiling anything for potential readers, so I’ll tread as lightly as I can. By the point that the reader is fully immersed in Joel’s world, there are so many plot points flying out in all directions. It makes sense, since the underlying plot of this book is vast. There are so many different groups vying for this one item of power, all for their own reasons. The larger that the story grows, and the more characters that there are to follow on their own separate small quests, the harder that it gets to follow everyone.

At one point Joel’s girlfriend was so angry at him that her personality completely changed, and I had to flip back a chapter to realize that I missed a key point where that change happened. I really wanted things to be a little tighter, so that I could more easily find myself immersed in this epic story. Instead I felt like I was grasping at all the threads and trying to keep them in one bundle. By the end I was caught up again, and the ending was extremely satisfying. Thus, the 3-star rating.

Overall I did enjoy this story immensely, and am looking for more from Larry Rodness! Like I said, this is generally not my genre of choice. So the fact that I enjoyed this so much makes me extra happy. I will be waiting for more!… (mehr)

La perversidad existencialista y el mundo gótico
Perverse de Larry Rodness

La historia consta de dos partes, la primera, el autor nos introduce en el mundo de Emylene, un universo gótico, para muchos puede resultar tedioso pero para mí fue fascinante porque era mi primer contacto con esa realidad, sus características, sus interacciones, sus costumbres, etc.
Y la segunda parte de la historia, el contacto con el vampirismo y lo sobrenatural, para quienes os gusta el tema de vampiros, lo váis a disfrutar, está enlazado a dos grandes historias de amor, romances trágicos y desgarradores.
Entre estas dos partes, el autor toca temas como la rebeldía de una adolescente gótica y su búsqueda por encajar en una sociedad opresora. Emylene intenta controlar su vida, ser dueña de sus actos y no sentirse una extraña en su propio mundo, buscaba entender lo más oscuro de la naturaleza humana, y en esa búsqueda su destino estaba pasándole factura.
Otro punto que toca el autor es sobre la sociedad como ente en la existencia humana, más allá del vampirismo y cómo coexistir, está el propio comportamiento de las personas y sus demandas existenciales, como los juegos de azar, el alcohol, sexo y prostitución, ¿necesidades básicas de la naturaleza humana o una forma de escapar de la presión que ejerce la sociedad en cada individuo?, desde el adolescente que ya va sintiendo esa presión hasta el adulto que tiene que hacer frente a las demandas de la sociedad en que vive. Existe una perversidad existencial inherente en cada persona en mayor o menor grado que nos hace actuar como tal y formando parte de este ente llamado sociedad.... en fin, es interesante el planteamiento que ofrece esta obra versus la ligereza y el misterio que abarca lo sobrenatural y el vampirismo.
El ritmo de lectura es al principio es lento pero no por ello menos interesante y a medida que va avanzando aumenta la velocidad hasta un punto de volverse trepidante.
La trama de la historia es una especie de thriller con alta dosis de suspense y carga emocional. No se descubre toda la verdad hasta la última escena.
La historia es atractiva con personajes de lo más espeluznantes, sus caracterizaciones están bien construidas y profundizando en sus lados más oscuros.
Duras pruebas tiene que enfrentar Emylene, al final puede descubrir que pueden existir segundas oportunidades para poner las cosas en su lugar y seguir siendo ella misma en su esencia.
El nivel de fantasía es propio de una historia sobrenatural y de vampiros, sorprende la alta dosis de intriga, describiendo los hechos con mucha creatividad e imaginación.
El nivel de erotismo no es elevado, solo se menciona levemente, no hay escenas de sexo, se mencionan algunas fantasías sexuales y sueños eróticos pero sin ser explícitos.
Realmente una historia intensa, sobre todo por ese tono existencialista que se deja connotar.

http://warmisunquausten.blogspot.com.es/2013/08/la-perversidad-existencialista-y...
… (mehr)