Starving Review: Blood Curse (Waves of Darkness Book 1) by Tamara A. Lowery

Blood Curse (Waves of Darkness Book 1) by Tamara A. Lowery (Amazon, Goodreads)

You know, for post-holiday literary cravings, one could do worse than pick up some fresh seafood. That being the case, that’s exactly what I did! Today’s literary meal is a spicy bit of historical fiction set during the Golden Age of Piracy. Magic, vampires, creatures, pirates, and rum are the promises of the day in Blood Curse so let’s hit the waves and see it the meal is as filling as it promises!

Before we tip back the rum barrel, let us swear our oaths to the rules of the Starving Review:

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: Tamara A. Lowery, author of the Waves of Darkness series

Good morning and happy post-Christmas to those that celebrate it! After my holiday food coma, it is time to get back to work here at Starving Author Industries and we start that work off with a fresh Starving Interview!

Today’s guest is Tamara A. Lowery, author of the Waves of Darkness series, the first of which will be this week’s Starving Review subject! Enjoy!

Starving Review: Intrusion (A Relative Invasion Book 1) by Rosalind Minett

Intrusion (A Relative Invasion Book 1) by Rosalind Minett (Amazon)

My literary foodies, it has been too long, hasn’t it? But I, your Starving Reviewer, am back in the saddle with some long stalled reviews for your culinary pleasure. Today’s dish takes a classic recipe of historical drama from a tense period of world history, but adds the interesting twist of setting the table for a young child. Will this new perspective on history prove to be tasty or bland?

Before we find out, let’s blow the dust off the Starving Review Creed:

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: J. D. McCall, author of South of Rising Sun

Good morning from the Starving family homestead in Georgia!  Despite my relative vacation, the Starving Author kitchens never entirely close.  Today, we bring in J. D. McCall, the chef behind today’s literary treat, South of Rising Sun, to find out what makes him and his writing tick.  Enjoy!

Starving Review: Fraudulent by Robert D. Spake

Fraudulent by Robert D. Spake (Amazon, Goodreads)

Back when I was a fragile young Starving College Student, I had a deep and abiding love of history.  Though never reaching the lofty goal of history professor, I retain my love of the past so naturally I began to salivate at the prospect of a tasty piece of period fiction coming up on my review plate.  Though the front wrapper is plain, any good reviewer knows to let the flavor of the text do the talking.  So will Fraudulent delight or despair?

Before we find out, it’s time once again to recite the solemn rules of the Starving Review:

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: Robert D. Spake, Author of Fraudulent

Good morning, my fellow literary diners!  As always, Fridays presents us a double course of delights, starting with a sit-down in the kitchen with the chef of today’s Starving Review, Fraudulent, Robert D. Spake!  Let’s dive right in!

Starving Review: The Twisted Spiral by Arlene Cabus Poerio

The Twisted Spiral by Arlene Cabus Poerio (Amazon, Smashwords)’

The literary world is filled with fusion.  Oft times the best way to spice up a tried-and-true recipe is to mix in a dash of an extra genre.  Mixed in the right quantities, these new ingredients can create fantastic new literary recipes.  Today’s treat mixes ingredients of fantasy, history, and science fiction to try to deliver something with some pizzazz.  Does it hit or does it miss?

Before we dig into this dish to find out, let’s take up the Starving Review Creed:

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: The Remnants by W. P. Osborn

The Remnants by W. P. Osborn (Amazon, Goodreads)

History and romance both make for classic ingredients to mix up into a literary recipe.  Sprinkle in a dash of drama with the horrors of war, shake until well-mixed, pour into a cake pan, then bake until fluffy and brown!  So, when I had The Remnants show up at my dinner table, following that recipe to the letter, I grabbed a fork and dug right in.  The question, though, is if the finished product is as good as all the ingredients mixed in would suggest?

Before I answer that question, let us look over the Starving Review Creed:

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: The Shadow’s Relic (Book 1) by Sean Brogan

The Shadow’s Relic (Book 1) by Sean Brogan (Amazon)

Look, writing is hard.  A literary cook has to have a good recipe, but be ready at a moment’s notice to improvise literary elements to produce just the right flavors to appeal to the reader.  In essence, to produce a fine literary repast is both an art and a science, requiring keeping on top of the large picture as well as the ability to micro-manage every story point.  If anything goes wrong, it can bring the whole meal down but if it all goes right, the writer creates something truly special.  The Shadow’s Relic is an excellent example of this principle of the micro and the macro intermingling to produce brilliance or mediocrity.  The question is … which does it produce?

Before we delve deeper, it’s time to recite the Starving Author 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.