Starving Review: Witchy Eye by D. J. Butler

Witchy Eye by D. J. Butler (Amazon, Goodreads)

They say that every literary recipe has been made, that every menu theme has been explored, and that’s true. But as they say, the devil really is in the details. While the recipes and themes have been told, there are always new ingredients and new elements that can inject a fresh, delicious filling to an old theme. Often, in modern fiction, we do this by fusing genres and recipes, taking elements from a variety of meals and turning it into a fresh one. So, after that long preamble, we get to today’s meal, Witchy Eye, an alternate-history epic fantasy 19th-century historical fiction tale by D.J. Butler. Does Mr. Butler find new life with this fusion dish or does it fall like a bad souffle?

Before we prime our pistols, let’s recite the oath of the Starving Reviewer:

1. I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan of the genre
2. I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible

Starving Review: Yesterday’s Tomorrow (Tomorrow’s War Book 1) by G.W. Pomichter and William DuPree

Yesterday’s Tomorrow (Tomorrow’s War Book 1) by G.W. Pomichter and William DuPree (Amazon, Goodreads)

Ah, alternate history recipes! What can’t you do? From Nazis with spaceships to Ben Franklin summoning dragons, alternate history meals can present all sorts of bizarre scenarios … and quite a few starkly realistic ones. That is the intent of today’s meal, to show an alternate contemporary environment, diverging only a short time before the present day and trying to stay fiercely grounded in the real and natural. Does Yesterday’s Tomorrow capture the essence of realism and push forward this alternate history?

Before we find out, let us take the Starving Review oath:

1. I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan of the genre
2. I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible

Starving Review: Apocalypse Disrupted: time shift strategy by Timothy A. Freriks

Apocalypse Disrupted: time shift strategy by Timothy A. Freriks (Amazon, Goodreads)

One of the high points of my work for Starving Reviews LLC is that I always get a new variety of meals out of the pantry.  While I’ve dined at the table of political thrillers in the past, this one adds a swirl of alternate histories and time travel to spice the mix up.  Of course, we all know that adding new spices to any recipe is there’s always a chance that the new ingredients screw up the meal.  Is Apocalypse Disrupted an example of that or does it pull off the blending to make a better whole?

Before we answer that question, let’s review the Starving Review rules:

1. I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan of the genre
2. I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible

Starving Interview: Timothy A. Freriks, Author of Renaissiance

Good morning, friends!  It’s time once again to open the pantry, pull a fresh dish to review, and bring in that dish’s chef into the kitchen to have a few woods.  This week, we talk to Timothy A. Freriks, author of Renaissance.  Let’s see what’s on his mind!

Starving Review: This Changes Everything (The Spanners Book 1) by Sally Ember

This Changes Everything (The Spanners Series Book 1) by Sally Ember (Amazon, Smashwords, Goodreads)

Every once in a while, I feel like I have to break the rules set down for me by the Starving Reviews, LLC corporate office. So far, I have restrained myself because, well, I’m starving, darn it! I need this literary sustenance to flow and I dare not cut off my biggest supplier. Today, though, I may wind up breaking that creed, as today’s long-delayed culinary snack can’t be dissected without some SPOILERS!

Starving Review: Lifeforce Volume 1: The Lost Path by Govinda Rajah

Lifeforce: The Lost Path (Lifeforce Book 1) by Govinda Rajah (Amazon, Goodreads)

All literary cuisine represents a work of passion from their authors.  Often this passion leads to excellence in the wordsmithing kitchen or, at the least, allows the reader to overlook most minor oversights for love of the story, both their own and the love cooked into it by the authors themselves.  However, sometimes, despite that passion, a literary meal can arrive on the reader’s plate half-cooked and no amount of love can overcome a meal in such a condition.  You can never argue that Mr. Rajah is not passionate about his book and its subjects but does that passion lead to success?

Before we answer that question, let’s put our hands over our hearts and recite the Starving Review pledge:

1. I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan of the genre.
2. I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible.