Every so often, I take a break from my writing (I guess you could call it a much-needed "Brett Break") and take on the challenge of acquainting myself with a new author, i.e. one that I'm totally unfamiliar with.
On one such occasion, I dove right into Ian Kane's novel "FADING EMPIRES" (Volume 1) and, even though it was outside my usual genre, I was totally blown away by it and anxiously look forward to future volumes in the series.
Here's what I wrote as a review of the novel, awarding it a much-deserved 5-Star rating:
"If subsequent novels in this series are as good as this initial
entry, then it's safe to say that Ian Kane has a sure winner on his hands!
Expertly written in such a way that it successfully captures and holds onto the reader's attention from start to finish, this book vividly conjures up a world that is often quite nightmarish, especially in the sense that a future of this nature is not exactly out of the question, considering the often unpredictable tide of global events.
And yet, despite the creepiness, it's re-assuring to note that characters like Kilbane and (especially) Lita are able to retain their sense of humanity and compassion, rendering the events of this novel all the more life-like. Contrast is provided, of course, in characters like Pike (my favorite), whose bullying nature emerges as all the more dangerous, considering his powerful physique.
Zigzagging back and forth from one scene to another, the narrative is often episodic in nature, but this technique only serves to enhance the tension that is created in the mind and mood of the reader.
I can easily picture this as a Showtime or HBO series, and in the best of all possible worlds, it would surely be considered highly competitive.
Needless to say, I'll probably be investing a good deal of my time in reading future volumes of this series."
Expertly written in such a way that it successfully captures and holds onto the reader's attention from start to finish, this book vividly conjures up a world that is often quite nightmarish, especially in the sense that a future of this nature is not exactly out of the question, considering the often unpredictable tide of global events.
And yet, despite the creepiness, it's re-assuring to note that characters like Kilbane and (especially) Lita are able to retain their sense of humanity and compassion, rendering the events of this novel all the more life-like. Contrast is provided, of course, in characters like Pike (my favorite), whose bullying nature emerges as all the more dangerous, considering his powerful physique.
Zigzagging back and forth from one scene to another, the narrative is often episodic in nature, but this technique only serves to enhance the tension that is created in the mind and mood of the reader.
I can easily picture this as a Showtime or HBO series, and in the best of all possible worlds, it would surely be considered highly competitive.
Needless to say, I'll probably be investing a good deal of my time in reading future volumes of this series."
Check it out!
DAVE
