Karma
Robert Zitella
Bluewater, 2008
ISBN: 9781604520125

In Elburn, Illinois, former Sheriff Brad Jenkins has become the mayor, a job he expects to enjoy. However, lately Brad, happily married with two kids, has been suffering from intense nightmares that seem vividly realistic and the smell of burnt flesh when he is awake. He is pushing development projects including the construction of a new school, but at his first town meeting with the council he loses control and feels a need to make the opposition submit to his will and a desire to inflict pain especially on Tom Dasche.

That night Brad awakens on Tom’s lawn with his body caked with mud and blood. He races home arriving at 4:30 AM frightened and wondering how he ended up at Tom’s place. Later that morning he learns someone killed Tom’s dog. As the nightmares intensify, Brad increasingly loses control of himself; a physician and psychiatrist do not help him though they try. Finally when he sees tanks and other major abuses, Tom realizes what is going on; he concludes he is seeing flashes of his past life. He accrued the most negative KARMA in history as a charismatic man in the 1930s and 1940s that mass murdered millions without a second thought. His accumulated debt is enormous.

The underlying concept is incredible as the lead character slowly learns why he is losing control of himself; he owes a KARMA debt from his previous life that is so exorbitant, it seems like it might take eternity and more to balance the scale. Brad is terrific as he knows he is losing control and goes for help to prevent that from happening. As he begins to learn the truth behind his visions, the smells, and his actions, readers will wonder if he will start paying off his KARMA deficit or increase the debt ceiling. Robert Zitella uses a person living the American dream to provide a unique reincarnation tale as Brad learns he was no hero in a previous life; instead her was the most infamous genocidal monster in history.

Harriet Klausner

Keeper of Dreams
Orson Scott Card
Tor, Apr 2008, $27.95
ISBN: 9780765304971

The collection is broken into categories with six Science Fiction entries; eight Fantasies; two Literary; two Hatrack River (short novels related to Alvin Maker); and four Morman Stories. Each entry has notes afterward in which Orson Scott Card provides additional information. The compilation showcases the depth of the author as Mr. Card runs the gamut of the sci fi-fantasy continuum. Many have children especially teens and the lead characters are caught up in complex moral scenarios or questions on ethical choices. The “nonreligious” Morman tales are obviously timely and although Mr. Card explains that he targets Mormon readers as a Mormon writer; other fans might think these are “weird”, but many of these others in the audience will still appreciate tales of characters facing personal crisis inside a “ward”. Well written throughout, readers will relish the deep yet wide skills of Mr. Card to coax his audience to think beyond his enjoyable KEEPER OF DREAMS.

Harriet Klausner

Kushiel’s Mercy
Jacqueline Carey
Grand Central, Jun 2008, $26.99
ISBN: 9780446500043

Prince Imriel de la Courcel struggles with the deaths of his wife and their unborn son although he loves Princess Sidonie, heir to the Terre D’Ange throne. Still with her help he begins to move on and hopes to marry his beloved soon. However, Sidonie’s mother Queen Ysandre places a stipulation on their marrying; she orders Imriel to bring his evil seditious mother Melisande Shahrizai to justice or he will never obtain permission to marry her daughter.

As the royal prepares for his quest, a spell is cast that convinces everyone in the capital including Imriel that his beloved Sidonie loves the visiting prince of Carthage; she obviously believes it too as she sails to Carthage to wed him. Imriel seems to be the only one to recall that he and Sidonie have been in love, but when no one believes him he realizes great magic is afoot. As he prepares to rescue his beloved, he also struggles to prevent a crippling war from occurring.

The finish to the second trilogy (see KUSHIEL’S SCION and KUSHIEL’S JUSTICE) is a superb entry due to the excellent characterizations even with sexual themes less active than in previous books. Imriel and Sidonie are a wonderful pairing trying to overcome her mom’s opposition and a devious enchantment that challenges the power of love. Fans will appreciate KUSHIEL’S MERCY as Imriel is trapped between his deep loyalty to his people on the brink of a deadly war and his ensorcelled beloved on the brink of a deadly marriage.

Harriet Klausner

A Kiss Before the Apocalypse
Thomas E. Sniegoski
Roc, May 2008, $14.00
ISBN: 9780451462053

He was old before the earth was created. Archangel Remiel of the host of the Seraphim fought when Lucifer and his allies rebelled and though he was on the winning side, he witnessed the atrocities that angels committed. He left Heaven and came to earth. After several millennia as a hermit he hid his angleic personna to live amidst humans and even loved a human. He currently calls himself Remy Chandler, twenty-first century Boston private investigator.

His former Heavenly brothers, the Seraphim led by Nathanial visit him. Nathanuel asks on behalf of the Creator for Remiel to find Israfil, the Angel of Death who disappeared a week ago earth time. He has the five seals that would call up the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the fifth seal giving them permission to proceed with their mission. The Seraphim fear Israfil, like Remy, has taken human form, which means no one is collecting the souls of the dead leaving broken and dying but never dead people praying for release. To avoid the Apocalypse and to bring death back into salvation, Remy takes on the assignment, but finds traitors amongst the allies who supposedly aid him.

This reviewer prays there will be more novels starring Remy, a being who could return to Heaven any time he wants, but so far chooses to live amongst humans because he relishes the emotions that Heaven does not have. Not everyone will agree with his choice as many people strive on going to Heaven not running from heaven, but the audience will believe he is on earth for a reason as he does great things for humanity. This heartwrenching beautiful urban fantasy will grip readers with its potent emotional fervor.

Harriet Klausner

Kindred Spirits
Jocelyn Kelley
Signet, Mar 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 9780451223449

In the North Yorkshire Moors of England, sisters China, Jade, and Sian Nethercott mourn the loss of their father, who recently passed away. However, the middle sibling Jade has moved on since meeting the ghost of murdered Sir Mitchell Renshaw and her soulmate Lord Gideon Bannatyne (see LOST IN SHADOW). China affectionately remembers how he believed in ghosts although she has never seen an apparition. That is until China meets Roman era spirit Quintus Valerius.

The centurion explains to China that he is cursed to wander the earth until he rescues one of his descendents from being killed; since almost two millennia have past since he died, Quintus knows failure. However, his plan this time differs than in the past when he tried to intercede directly. Quintus plans to injure Major Alexander, Lord Braddock, who was admitted into the Order of the Bath for his courage during the Napoleonic Wars. That will mean he is forced to stay home to heal and ergo prevent his murderer from succeeding. China tries to help Alex heal, but the war hero cannot sit still even as they fall in love while Quintus omitted the rest of the story that China’s future is tied Alexander in life or death.

KINDRED SPIRITS is a terrific, lighthearted, paranormal Regency romance that will have everyone believing in ghosts. China is a courageous heroine who rescues Alexander and brings him back to her isolated home Nethercott Castle to heal. Fast-paced, fans will wonder whether the love between them will end the curse with a happily ever after in this life or eternity together in the afterlife (it is a romance). Jocelyn Kelley provides a delightful charmer filled with subtly like setting the time frame ten years after Napoleon claims emperorship, her devoted readers will look forward for Sian’s encounter.

Harriet Klausner

Kill Whitey
Brian Keene
Cemetery Dance, Apr 2008, $25.00
ISBN: 9781587671784

Globe Package Service employee Larry Gibson is a loner who does not have much of a life. He works four hours a day at sixteen dollars an hour with health benefits before taxes. He has no close friends, but occasionally hangs out with co-workers Darryl, Jesse and Yul. They go to the Odessa, a popular strip joint owned by Whitey where Larry sees Sondra dancing and immediately lusts for her.

He goes back with and without his co-workers as often as he can afford to as she is always there. One night she fails to appear; the owner sends people for her. Larry accompanied by Darryl finds Sondra hiding under his car. The trio goes to Larry’s apartment where she explains that she is pregnant and the father Whitney wants her to abort the fetus. Jesse who stayed at Odessa is tortured into revealing where Larry lives. They kill Darryl and hit Larry, but he escapes with Sondra. Whitey survives due to being a descendent of Rasputin. No matter how many bullets Larry put in Whitey he refuses to die. Larry knows he must rescue Sondra, but is clueless how to do it.

This supernatural thriller would make a fantastic horror movie as everything seems normal until a spin into Kreuger-Jason territory as there is a lot of violence that is appropriate to the fast-paced story line. Readers will pity Larry whose “significant other” is Webster the cat until he meets Sondra. Brian Keene provides a strong horror thriller that will please his fans.

Harriet Klausner

Kiss of Fire
Deborah Cooke
Signet, Feb 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 9780451223272

Were-dragon Quinn Tyrrell prefers to be by himself forging incredible objects rather than be part of the pack of shapeshifting dragons. He simply does not trust his Pyr peers. When he finds his human soulmate is Sara Keegan, he is euphoric until he realizes they are the key players in a prophecy that could leave them dead.

Quinn in his dragon persona saves Sara from a killer although she wonders who drugged her as dragons are not real. To her surprise she is attracted to Quinn and grateful that he came to her rescue. However she does not believe his revalatione that she is his life mate even if their touch results in sparks and will birth the next dragon-smith with him. When Slayers attack them, the former accountant confronts Quinn demanding he explain the bottom line to her. He informs her that besides mating, they are the firestorm if they live long enough; to survive, they need the Pyr, but he distrusts his peers.

The first Dragonfire romantic fantasy is a wonderful tale due to the lead female whose orderly world of numbers no longer exists; Sara’s mental adjustment to all she learns makes the paranormal elements including specie dragon-shifter seem genuine. The story line is fast-paced and filed with action as Quinn knows he can no longer be the lone ranger of dragons and Sarah wonders how she went from debits and credits to fighting Slayers and falling in love with a dragon. KISS OF FIRE is an excellent thriller with more to come.

Harriet Klausner

King and Queen
C.A. Thomas
Outskirts Press, Oct 2007, $17.95, 230 pp.
ISBN: 9781432707309

She was fourteen and he was nineteen when they became betrothed with their families’ blessing. Yeshua loved Mary with all his heart and saw the innocence in her that touched him deeply. Mary the Magdalene felt Yeshua was different than any other man in existence but she loved him with the whole of her heart, understanding him when his own disciples were confused. Yeshua thought of Mary as his uncrowned Queen, a Nazarene high priestess who worshipped the Mother Goddess with Yeshua’s approval for what is the Father without the Mother.

The disciples especially Peter and his male followers were angry and jealous that at times he paid more attention to Mary than he did to them. He sat with her when he preached and he was not afraid to caress her in public and treat her as an equal. They had three children, a boy and two girls and Jesus loved his family. He saw the future and knew that Mary would be reviled, her name an anathema to many people even though she gave much to the world completing the circle of Jesus’ life.

Although the basic essence of how the bible describes Jesus is not changed, C.A. Thomas shows Jesus as being as much a man with a man’s feelings and needs as he is part of the Divine. He states that Jesus treated men and women as equals. The women played an important part in Jesus’ life because as he lay dying at the cross, they were the ones with him. C.A. Thomas has a written a beautiful love story that allows readers to see the times in which Jesus lived.

Harriet Klausner

Keepers of the Flame
Robin D. Owens
Luna, Jan 2008, $14.95, 400 pp.
ISBN: 9780373802623

On the world of Amee in the realm of Lladrana, there is a war going on against the Dark an evil entity from another dimension who wants to rid the orb of humans. It uses the Master to send monsters against the people and the Marshallss and the C hevaliers fight them. Now the Master has sent something to the cities and towns; a new disease that the medicos can’t heeal. The city master Sevair Mosif pays for a Summoning of an Exotique from earth with medical skills. What they get are identical twins Elizabeth who is an MD and Bri who practices alternative healing. Both have healing hands and are able to cure the afflicted.

Both the twins insist they will return to Earth when the Snap occurs. While they are there they look for a way to heal the disease and later look for a cure for a mutation of the disease so the Chevaliers will avoid this fatal illness contracted on the battle field. Both women are accepted and people make it clearthat they want them to stay. Bri finds love with Sevair who is the first person who accepts her for who she is and Elizabeth falls in love on the rebound with the noble chevalier Fauchon. Tragedy strikes when one of the twins takes ill on the battlefield and nobody knows how to save her.

There is one more summoning before the Exotiques and their husbands go to the volcanic island where the Dark resides and try to undo the spellknot protecting evil; having two Exotiques summoned, the author changes the dynamics of previous storylines as each twin has their own story. Readers will be enthralled with this latest entry in the series (see GUARDIAN OF HONOR) and eagerly await the next book when the final summoning and battle takes place. Robin D. Owens is a worldbuilder who makes the audience believe in the realm she creates.

Harriet Klausner

Killswitch
Joel Shepherd
Pyr, Nov. 2007, $15.95
ISBN: 9781591025986

In the far future, genetically altered soldier Commander Cassandra “Sandy” Kresnov has become second-in-command of the Callayan Defense Force. The job would be extremely difficult under any conditions, but is made geometrically impossible since President Neiland has strongly pushed making Tanusha, capital of Callay into the capital city of the Federation.

Earth military and political leaders are outraged by the affront Neiland proposes, especially since they write the orb off as a backwater second rate world stealing their power and influence. They send the Federation Fleet which surrounds the planet and occupies Callay’s space stations; irritating the Callayan people who fully support the maintenance workers refusing to repair the outsiders’ vessels. War seems imminent although Sandy hopes not; she also worries that a mole has gained access to her forces, but while she tries to uncover the double agent, she must deal with a GI who looks like her sister’s twin. Special Agent Ari Ruben learns that an assassin is sent by The Alliance to eliminate Sandy by turning on the KILLSWITCH embedded in her brain.

The third Cassandra Kresnov futuristic science fiction thriller (see CROSSOVER and BREAKAWAY) is an exciting outer space tale. The story line is fast-paced as the subplots focus on how far individuals and groups will go to maintain or gain power. Sandy has become the focus point of the two acerbic sides, but to survive she must hide; yet if she goes underground, the chances of the Federation’s military succeeding in an all out assault is increased dramatically as she is one of the CDF’s key leaders. Joel Shepherd’s fans will not be disappointed with this superb Kresnov novel.

Harriet Klausner