DREAMBOUND

5 stars out of 5

When I started this book, my first thought was that believability was going to be stretched beyond the limit - and I was spot on. That said, count me as one who took a deep breath (make that two or three) and decided to go along for the ride.
 

And what a ride it is! Part Peter Pan, part Harry Potter, part Narnia and all fantasy with roots in reality, it really blew me away. One big reason is the unique presentation: Written as a cleverly composed compilation of notes, interviews, emails, book excerpts and other interactions between Bryon and other characters, it's far from any of the standard writing styles common to most books. Basically, it follows the frantic attempts of successful writer/reporter Byron James (nee Kidd) to find his 12-year-old daughter Liza. The girl, it seems, left a note, meaningfully stashed in her favorite fantasy book, to inform her parents that she was leaving home to find her way to "the end of the world." Byron and his wife Val are devastated, of course, but Bryan - knowing that several other children have gone missing in similar fashion and never been found - takes it to a whole new level by vowing to find her and bring her back.

Not a little of his intensity is born of guilt; he blames himself for failing to give Liza the attention she deserved and not supporting her strong beliefs in the fantasy world she clearly loved. And, his attempts to win Val over to his assertion that Liza is still alive fall mostly on deaf ears; separated from Byron and in therapy after Liza's disappearance six months earlier, she's struggling to come to terms with her grief and isn't inclined to drag things out any longer. And that brings up another point: while Bryon's dogged determination to find Liza is commendable, he's not the most lovable of heroes. Put another way, his controlling, misogynistic attitudes make it easy to see why he no longer has a wife and daughter. Still, there remains a clear and present danger to Liza - and there are some signs that he's trying for an attitude adjustment - so (insert a couple more deep breaths here) I gave him a pass.

Early on, Bryon concludes that the author of Liza's favorite books, Annabelle Tobin, is central to the disappearance. The wildly popular series has spawned a huge following, right down to an annual event similar to Comic Con. Now, all those fans are clammoring for the sixth, and final book, to be completed; but so far, Annabelle's promises to produce are empty and the author has become a virtual recluse. Just to land a meeting with her, then, is the first significant hurdle Bryon must overcome. The rest of the story follows Byron's progress - complete with gains, setbacks and near disasters - as he tries to follow the path Liza took to get wherever she went and, hopefully, find that she's still alive, able and willing to come back home. Loved it - and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the privilege of reading and reviewing a pre-release copy.

Dreambound by Dan Frey (Del Rey, September 2023); 400 pp.

CIRCLE OF DEATH

4 stars out of 5

I'll go on record as saying this one is about as implausible as they come, but it didn't take long before I jettisoned my "Awww, c'mon, you can't be serious" attitude and enjoyed the heck out of it. It doesn't hurt, of course, that I'm old enough to have been a huge fan of "The Shadow" radio broadcasts, which ran from 1937 to 1954 (never mind where I fit into that timeline). This book is the second in the series featuring The Shadow's alter ego, Lamont Cranston; it's a first for me, but it won't be the last.

The year is 2088; a lot has happened since those old radio shows came to a halt. The Shadow, needless to say, didn't; in fact, it seems he's been rather active for way longer than we ever suspected. These days, he lives as Lamont Cranston in New York with his wife, Margo Lane (remember her??), his "youngest living descendent" Maddy and Maddy's grandmother Jessica; the city is just starting to recover after devastation caused by a baddie named Shiwan Khan before The Shadow brought him down. Margo has a few powers of her own, honed from years earlier, and Maddy, well, is a prodigy. The world, it seems, is divided into two major sections, with each "ruled" by a leader. As part of New York's recovery, the city is hosting a World's Fair - a blatant attempt at boosting goodwill and good feelings amid an overall atmosphere of despair.

But the powers-that-be are so consumed with maintaining a feel-good atmosphere that they sweep some nasty incidents under the rug - incidents that don't go unnoticed by Lamont and Margo nor, when they hit "home," Maddy - a headstrong girl who's just beginning to grow into awareness of her heritage and capabilities. Beyond that, it appears there's a ne'er-do-well who seems to be trying to destroy the world as it exists - known only as Command - and it's up to Lamont to put the kabosh on his mission (encouraged by the President of the Americas). To do that, Lamont calls in the troops - descendants of his trusted colleagues from the past, like Jericho, Moe, Burbank, Hawkeye and Tapper.

From this point on, you're on your own; I won't spill the beans except to say that there's fodder left for the next adventure (but really, who knows what lurks?). I'm already salivating; meantime, I'll thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for letting me read and review a pre-release copy of this one. 

Circle of Death by James Patterson and Brian Sitts (Grand Central Publishing, July 2023); 368 pp.

THE DROWNING KIND

5 stars out of 5

Mysterious and spooky, altogether ookey, I say with a nod to "The Addams Family" theme song lyrics. And to make matters even more creepy, I was so close to the end that I took it upstairs to finish before I turned out the bedroom light to go to sleep. Do not - repeat, do not - do that. Even if you're got just one chapter to go, finish it in daylight hours.

Let me warn out the outset, though, that the story leans far more toward Stephen King's version of creepy than your average psychological thriller. So if you can't get into the concept of a man growing "Thinner" day by day because he consumed a piece of cherry pie, this book probably isn't for you. I, however (huge Stephen King fan that I am) have no problem with otherworldly things that go bump in the night.

In this case, they tend to go bump in the deep, dark pool. It's more of a health spa, used for decades by people looking for miracle cures even though it's on private property. At one time, an upscale hotel drew guests from far and wide; now, it's owned by a young woman named Lexie, who inherited the property and the house that was built on it from her grandmother. Clearly, Lexie has mental issues - thought to be manic by her family including her semi-estranged sister Jackie (Jax).

But then, something awful happens; Lexie turns up dead, apparently having drowned in the now-gate-protected pool. When Jax gets the call, she not only feels great sadness, but guilt because she hasn't responded to a flurry of calls from her sister in recent days. When she returns to the Brandenburg, New Hampshire, property, she soon learns that Lexie had been frantically conducting research on the history of the property and the pool - which in fact has been the scene of many other deaths since the late 1920s.

Through flashback chapters, readers learn about Ethel Monroe, a newlywed back in 1929 who wants a baby and learns about the pool's healing powers which include, rumor has it, the granting of wishes. The problem? What the pool giveth, it taketh away; it's tit for tat, and no wish comes true without a corresponding loss of some kind. Certainly everyone who has begged the pool for help over the years has paid a price, from Ethel back then to Jax and Lexie now. The ending is one I expected - nothing else, I think, would have worked - but that doesn't mean it's a welcome one (especially late at night when you want to fall asleep after closing the book).

The story does get a little repetitive, mostly as accounts of what happened or is happening are shared among the various characters. But that's really not a criticism; it's a riveting tale from beginning to end. The bottom line? Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a pre-release copy to read and review.

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon (Gallery/Scout Press, April 2021); 285 pp.

ONCE UPON A RIVER

5 stars out of 5

Is it possible to "read" a fine art painting? The practical, show-me-the-facts side of me would say no, but that's exactly the feeling I got when I finished this exquisitely written book. Part folklore, part fantasy, part romance and part mystery, this one's got it all - and then some.

In the beginning, I must admit, I wasn't sure of anything except that I wouldn't be able to breeze my way through (not exactly what I needed at the beginning of a busy holiday season). And at first, I had a little difficulty keeping the characters, and facts from fiction, straight. But the writing drew me in - and in - and very soon I was totally hooked (make that enthralled) and more than a little eager to get to the finish line.

Central to the story, set in ancient times, is the River Thames; in the beginning, revelers at the nearby inn in the midst of their usual storytelling when without warning, a seriously injured stranger barges in, carrying the body of a very young girl. Believing her to be dead, they put her in a cold room and call in local nurse and midwife Rita. At first, she confirms the death and tries to patch up the man - a photographer - who brought her in. But then, the unthinkable happens; Rita notices a slight pulse. Wonder of wonders, the girl is alive. Now, besides wondering how that possibly could have happened, they want to know who she is.

There are three possibilities: One local family's child was kidnapped about two year earlier, another man's daughter is believed to have been drowned by her mother, and another local woman - one who keeps to herself and lives a mysterious and solitary life - claims the child is her younger sister (never mind that because of the age difference it's a virtual impossibility). Thrown into the mix are tales of river gypsies and Quietly, a ferryman who is believed to save those whose lives the river threatens to take (or, in the alternative, usher them to their final destination).

The story follows, both past and present, the lives of these characters and those who play major roles in their lives as they try to find the child's identity and what really happened to her. It's an emotionally charged journey interwoven with superstition, deception, love and sadness - all revolving around that all-knowing, all-consuming river. 

In short, highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy. 

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield (Atria/Emily Bestler Books, December 2018); 480 pp.

ASHLEY BELL

5 stars out of 5

A mind is a terrible thing to waste, or so it's been said. And for sure, prolific writer Bibi Blair - grown daughter of perpetual Hippie parents Nancy and Mitch - is making the most of hers. Bibi's amazing story begins when she's diagnosed with a rare, incurable cancer - told by her doctors that she has no more than a year to live.

Not gonna happen, Bibi insists - and proceeds to make a remarkable full recovery unheard of in the medical community. But then, her life takes a different turn: From a soothsayer recommended by her surfer-dude father, Bibi learns that escaping death comes with a catch; she was spared only so she can save the life of someone named Ashley Bell.

From that point on, the story gets crazy - with chapters weaving in and out from the present to events of Bibi's somewhat offbeat childhood. Each chapter peels back clues as to what's going on, most of which fall into the realm of fantasy (well, maybe, but then again, maybe not). A big reveal somewhere around the 60% mark hits like a ton of bricks, and from then on, the story takes a turn toward the even more bizarre. The ending, which in many ways is unsatisfying, brings up a whole new dimension in and of itself that kept me wondering for several days after I finished the book.

The drawbacks? Maybe too many words; no matter how well crafted they are, some of the chapters seemed to drag on a bit. And if you don't like fantasy mixed in with reality - and perhaps not being able to discern which is which - this probably isn't the book for you. 

Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz (Random House LLC, December 2015); 578 pp.

THE LOST ISLAND

4 stars out of 5

There's no shortage of action in this, the third in the series featuring Dr. Gideon Crew - a thief turned scientist with a terminal illness that could take his life at any given moment. As one might expect, that means he's got nothing much to lose, so he's willing to go where no man has gone before.

And man, he does exactly that. I enjoyed it thoroughly - in some ways even more than the first two - but I warn that you'll need more than a modicum of creative imagination to get through it; some parts (make that most parts) cross over to the realm of fantasy. Still, it's fun, moves along quickly and, all in all, didn't dampen my enthusiasm for the series in the slightest.

This one begins as Gideon is brought in to steal a page from the Book of Kells, which is on display in New York City under seemingly impenetrable security. Of course, he pulls it off - only to deliver it to his "boss," the invalid Eli Glinn, who promptly dunks it in something to remove the text and drawings to reveal an ancient treasure map. But all that glitters isn't gold; rather, it's a long-hidden secret that could change the course of both Gideon and Glinn.

Together with a young, beautiful woman named Amy (with whom he was ordered to partner up), he sets off on a journey that traces those of ancient Greeks and takes them to never-before-seen territory. There, they discover - well, you'll just have to read the book to find out what - but suffice it to say the adventure nearly costs them their lives.

I wasn't sure whether a fourth book will be forthcoming, but after finishing this one, it's pretty clear there's one in the works. Count me among those on the waiting list!

The Lost Island by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Grand Central Publishing, August 2014); 368 pp.

THE GATES

5 stars out of 5

After I read all of J.K. Rowling's beyond-wonderful Harry Potter books, I said to myself, "Self, no one could possibly top these as young-adult fiction, at least not in the fantasy realm."

T-h-h-hat's my story and I'm stickin' to it. But tell you what: John Connolly gives her a darned good run for the money. This, the first in a fantasy thriller series featuring 11-year old Samuel Johnson, conjures up visions of things almost more frightening than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or any of the other obstacles Harry and his pals ever encountered. And, it's written with lots of humor (mostly around the 6th- or 7th-grade level, to be sure, but then that's right about where my funny bone got stuck a long time ago so I can relate). Really.

The plot centers on young Samuel, who through no fault of his own runs into supernatural elements while he's out trick-or-treating (a couple of days early to get a head start) in his hometown of Biddlecombe, England. Some kind of portal, it seems, inexplicably has opened up that allows very nasty dead folks - the kind who live in Hades, if such a place exists - to return to the present. Of course, they aren't here just to see all the new technology; no, they're hell-bent, so to speak, on destroying the world as Samuel, his family, friends and loyal dog Boswell, know it (Boswell: Samuel's dog. Get it)? Thrown in the mix is Nurd, a surprisingly likable demon lord who got through the portal by no fault of his own and, also by no fault of his own, befriends Samuel.

Needless to say, Samuel has a tough time trying to convince the adults about what he knows is happening - that is, until they start seeing it for themselves. But then, what's a mother (or a cousin or a Vicar or a scientist) to do? Lots of mayhem, mangling and heads coming out of places no head should ever be ensues, with creatures both human and not losing their lives and dozens of limbs until a solution is found (thanks, of course, to the ingenuity of Samuel and a couple of his young human friends).

Interspersed throughout are links to footnotes, and while I didn't bother checking them until I'd finished the book, I'll advise readers not to miss reading them at the end. They, too, are humorous, but perhaps more important (at least to parents and teachers), they have considerable educational value, to-wit:

"Because atoms are so small, and are constantly recycled, every breath you take contains atoms that were once breathed by Julius Caesar and Elvis Presley. So, a little bit of you formerly ruled Rome, and sang "Blue Suede Shoes."

"Whenever someone uses the word 'glitch,' which means a fault of some kind in a system, you should immediately be suspicious, because it means they don't know what it is."

Brilliant.

The Gates by John Connolly (Atria Books, October 2009); 308 pp.