New Reviews!

I read a couple of really good books recently, and I wanted to share them here.

First is Kim Hornsby’s latest book, THE DREAM JUMPER’s PURSUIT:

The Dream Jumper’s Pursuit is the third book in Kim Hornsby’s Dream Jumper series, and it’s just as good as the first two books. We rejoin Tina and Jamey (now married, and with a new baby of their own), living a peaceful life in Maui. But things quickly change – Jamey’s old Army unit wants him (and his ability to dream jump) back. And if they learn that Tina can now dream jump as well, they might draft her, too.

And then a much more immediate threat emerges: the child of Janey’s ex-wife is kidnapped by his father. The trail is cold, and only the psychioc talents of Jamey and Tina can find the boy. But to do so, they’ll have to chase the absuctor through three countries. Along the way, secrets will be revealed, and both Jamey and Tina will learn that some of the people closest to them are not what they seem.

I’m not going to spoil any of the twists and turns, but there are some genuine surprises here, and it definitely helps if you’ve read the first two books (although the author does do a good job of reminding readers what’s happened previously). It’s very well written, the characters are strong and well-developed, and as with the other books, the author has a knack for dexcription that really makes you feel like you’re right there with the characters.

 

And second is Rachel Kelly’s first novel, COLORWORLD:

Rachel Kelly’s “Colorworld” is the story of Wendy, a young woman who’s dealing with a lot – college, a job, an empty bank account, supporting and raising her younger brother, coping with the fairly recent death of her mother. She’s also got something of a gift – her senses are extraordinarily keen, and she can sense what other people are feeling when she touches them. When she sees a ad offering money for volunteers for experimental “hypno-touch” treatments to cure allergies and other ailments, she doesn’t really believe it’ll work, but she can’t turn down the cash. She goes in skeptical, and wakes up a day later, to learn that her senses are far improved, she can sense emotions from across the room…and when she touches anyone else with her bare skin, they die.

If that sounds a little bit like the origin of Rogue in X-Men, well, Wendy and her younger brother think so, too. And if the research institute Wendy goes to, to try and understand what’s happened to her, and hopefully to control or reverse it, reminds you of Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, that’s no accident either. The author describes Colorworld and its sequels as “superhero books set in the real world” and she does a fantastic job with that premise.

The book is well written, the characters are complex and well-developed, the ideas the author plays with are compelling, and there are twists and turns aplenty along the way. The story is told from Wendy’s first-person perspective, so we’re in her head the whole time as her abilities blossom, as she falls in love, and we see everything that her newly expanded senses reveal in beautiful detail.

I highly recommend this book, and I’m already onto Teleworld (book 2 in the series).

I interviewed Rachel and her husband last week – check it out!

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