Greater Oceans than Thine by Nelson McKeeby

Javier al-Rasheed is once again taking the crew of the Tea Merchant Remarker on another adventure, seeking riches, fame, and of course, tea. This being the third book in the series, we are shown more about the other crew members aboard the ship, their previous lives, and how they came together to form a sort of “found family” community among the crew. They would do anything for their captain, including following him into the great unknown of Ocean, seeking to find a lost island that is not on any map in the hope of obtaining an extremely rare tea that cannot be found anywhere else. However they only have a very old journal to try and guide their way on this adventure, meaning that the odds are not in their favor. And failure will likely mean the death of the entire crew if they cannot find a place to replenish whatever supplies they run out of on their trip.

I read a review copy of this book, and I enjoyed the story. I loved learning about many of the more minor characters aboard the ship, as well as their lives and adventures, both on the ship and in port. I found their stories fascinating and also enjoyed seeing the brief glimpses of their interactions with the captain, who has changed somewhat from who he was before the last grand adventure and has settled more calmly into the role of a ship’s captain.

This was a somewhat different story than what I expected, and seemed in some ways to be a collection of stories about the crew of the ship, but realized that isn’t that what actually does make it a continuation of the same tale? If we don’t know who the characters are and why they choose to follow the captain, potentially to their deaths as well as his, then we are missing out on an important aspect of the story.. The crew of the ship are “found family” to each other, and that is something very important to the tales we read about the Remarker.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to reading the next book in this series, which I believe is supposed to be the final one. I should warn you that this book does end on a sort of cliffhanger, for though the story in this book is complete, it sets us up for a very dramatic-seeming final book. Also, while it does not occur in this story, there is a reference to the previous rape of one of the characters, as well as another character who was both abused and raped (slavery) when hearing about her tale.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

To Slay a God, by Brian Fitzpatrick

When the god of pestilence and decay seeks to enter their world to continue a path of world destruction that it has successfully completed on other worlds, Severina and her companions must destroy it before it can destroy everything. But what happens once they manage that task but die in the process. And when they all arrive in the Sunless Crossing, can they help to save the realm of the dead from a dead god that wants to take over that realm before venturing on to destroy every other world?

I read a review copy of this book and, like the previous books in the Sunless Crossing series of Black Ballad tie-in novels, this was an interesting one. I liked seeing how the characters reacted to learning not only were they now dead, but that the evil they had thought defeated was now working on taking over the realm of the dead. I enjoyed the differing perspectives from the characters. You could easily see how their lives had affected the way they viewed their deaths and afterlives.as well as the surprises that were thrown at them.

I also liked how we could see their views on multiple things changing as the characters learned more about not only their new surroundings, but about themselves along the way. I truly enjoyed the obvious character growth that takes place in this story. It is one that if you aren’t paying attention, you may not notice it, but that when you are watching to see how and if the characters grow and develop along the way, it is clearly there.

If you like fantasy stories full of adventure and that have a good vs evil theme, books that are RPG tie-in novels, and the Black Ballad RPG game then I believe you will enjoy this book. Even if you haven’t played Black Ballad or play RPG games, this is still a very entertaining fantasy adventure novel that I think many will enjoy. I recommend giving this book, and this series, a try.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

The Adventures of Alex the Pirate: Treasure Island by Tom Oldaker

Alex is a young boy with a big imagination, Alex enjoys playing pirates. For him, this involves learning how to be a pirate, learning about ships and their parts, and discovering buried treasure. He has a lot of fun doing all of these things, and manages to learn while playing.

I received a review copy of this children’s book. And while it has been a very long time since there were young children in my household, I thought this was a very cute book with some interesting ideas. It includes games for the kids reading the book to play with their friends, while learning as they play.

One thing the reader does need to know about before trying to play the games is that the author is from the United Kingdom rather than the United States, and so when the book mentions football, it is referring to what we here in the US call soccer. It is something readers will want to keep in mind when setting up the games for energetic children to play as a group as if you call it “football” here in the US, the kids will think you are talking about a different sport involving a different type of ball than what they expect when hearing the same word in the UK.

Even though I do not have any young children in my household, I thought this book was cute and something that many parents who  have active children that possess an overabundance of energy will find to be a fun entertainment for their youngsters to engage in.

I do recommend, however, that this book be read either as a hard copy or on a color reading device. As my kindle is only capable of reading in black and white, some of the photos were a little on the dark side, making them sometimes a little difficult for me to see parts of the drawings for how to set up for the games. But I do think that younger children, who are likely not yet old enough for early chapter books, will find this book enjoyable, and the games a great deal of fun.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Dusk Walker" by Crystal Wood

Echo's former mentor has gone missing from the realm where the dead souls who have not yet moved on to their final destination reside. No one knows what has happened to him, but Echo is determined to find and help him out of whatever trouble he may be in. Did I mention there seems to be a soul eater on the loose in the realm of the dead as well? So a party of adventurers is gathered to solve this mystery and rescue Echo's missing mentor.

This is the first book in s new series. It also ties to/is set in the world of a new Role Playing Game called Black Ballad. (I will be posting an upcoming review of the RPG as it has not yet been released, so keep your eyes open for both the RPG and my review of it.) I read a review copy of this book, and enjoyed it. It is a complex tale that involves both the realm of the living and the dead, though the majority of the tale takes place in the realm where the dead souls live. Some things may at times seem a bit contradictory, but I promise you that if you keep reading, they are explained in a way that makes complete sense as to why they actually do not contradict what you may have thought was happening. (Sorry that I can’t be clearer here, but I don’t want to include any spoilers in my review.)

I enjoyed this book. It was a fun tale that reminded me of when I was in high school & played a lot of D&D adventures as well as read a lot of the books that tied into those settings. So for me, while the setting was a different realm, the concept had me remembering my high school days & my enjoyment of both the game and the books. 

If you are like me and either both played RPG games & read the books, or if you simply enjoyed the novels associated with the various D&D realms, then you will definitely enjoy this book. And if you've not previously tried either one, but enjoy a good adventure fantasy novel, then give this one a try. I found it fun and entertaining. (And no, you don’t need to have any understanding of the game to enjoy the accompanying novels.

https://amzn.to/3TZbsOL (Link to book on Amazon)

https://4horsemenpublications.com/product/dusk-walker-a-black-ballad-novel-chronicles-of-the-crossing-1/ (Link to the book on the Publisher's website)

https://books2read.com/u/3nMO28 (Books2Read link to other vendors)

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

"Over the Falls with Gabby and Maddox" by Steve Altier

Gabby and Maddox are siblings. Maddox is on a baseball team and Gabby is in dance classes. Secretly though, she yearns to play baseball like her younger brother does, while at the same time not wanting to hurt her mother's feelings by telling her she'd rather play baseball than dance. Then one day their parents surprise them with a vacation trip to Niagara Falls, and the family goes on their adventurous vacation to New York.

This was a sweet chapter book meant for young readers. Gabby and Maddox get to explore Niagara Falls, learn some of the fun and interesting history of the great landmark, and make some new friends along the way. This was a very sweet story that shows and teaches some history of the falls in a fun way as well as shows that girls can do anything that boys can do.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book and enjoyed reading it. My daughter is currently too old for this book, but I think she would have enjoyed it when she was still young enough for it.

You may also find this book through the following vendors:

https://books2read.com/gabbynmaddox01