Indie Book Corner: Just a Drop in the Ocean, by Grant Leishmann

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Longing love, hard life, and pen pals.

Just a Drop in the Ocean was an overall enjoyable read for me, though I had quite a few problems with the book's middle act.  Throughout I was treated to the true to life, poignant, cultured, often hilarious, and deeply troublesome lives of the book's two leads Teresa Mercado and Nick Stevenson.  I was also treated to two very distinct cultures in the book, as the Philippines and New Zealand feature heavily in the story, about as much as the two leads.  So first we'll go over what I liked about the story, then what I didn't like, followed by my overall thoughts.  A Drop in the Ocean was a long book and I had tons of thoughts about it throughout (it's a thought provoker no doubt), but I'll keep this as short as I can.

This book was written in two strong mature voices that were very distinct from one another.  I found it to be overall well written with enjoyable and sympathetic protagonists, though there were times when the protagonists would push my buttons with just how much they were willing to be pushed around.  The book opens up very strong with the first third being chocked full of beautiful metaphors and deeply descriptive and thought provoking prose.  The descriptive style remains throughout along with a smattering of Filipino language and a wealth of evocative vocabulary words (that I had to highlight and look up) which all made the book a much more enjoyable read throughout.  There was also a constant undercurrent of humor both dry and standard which kept the book from falling into its oftentimes depressing subject matter.  The whole journey felt like a true human experience more times than not.

Of the two leads, I found Teresa Mercado to be the most enjoyable to read about from chapter to chapter.  Teresa is a woman with all the attributes most men would kill for.  She's smart, compassionate, fun, loyal, and ambitious, not to mention smoking hot.  Throughout the book, life continues to hit Teresa hard and yet she continues to fight back and make her way through her struggles with her family intact.  If Teresa loses a job, she will find a better one.  If Teresa if cornered, she will fight out of that corner.  That makes her the strongest lead, I'd say.  Her personal life was very interesting as well, considering all of the various careers she found herself in and she never strayed from her one true goal, keeping her family together and happy.  Nick was enjoyable (in parts) as well, but his life was much more stationary than Teresa's, which isn't to say he didn't have his problems.  He had two massive ones that haunted him throughout the book.  I just found him to be an overall weaker lead as he seemed more passive to his problems.  It was great to see how Teresa and Nick lived such diverse lives that still ran parallel to one another and how many close encounters they unknowingly had throughout, like fate was guiding them the entire time.

Another cool little thing about the book was how it was a time capsule encapsulating several moments in turning technology throughout the decades.  We got to see the start of the internet age, the boom of webcamming, the rise of social media, etc.  I loved seeing how Nick and Teresa responded to these new changes.  Beyond that the book takes some interesting twists and turns and goes on quite a few tangents (for better or worse).

As much as I loved the book, it still has some glaring flaws that hold it back from being one of my favorite reads (which it could've easily been).  The first flaw is the length of it.  I feel it's far far longer than it needs to be to tell the story it wants to tell.  I attribute this to the overreaching and repetitive middle act which follows the same formula for both Teresa and Nick for so long that it becomes predictable and boring for as long as that stretch of the story persists.  Typically for Teresa it would go something like: she builds her life up in a new city, something comes to mess up that life (usually the same antagonist), she's broke and moves elsewhere, and the cycle repeats a few times.  Usually some new friend of hers steps in and helps her out along the way, but see the problem with this is it's done enough that you see right through it.  Unfortunately the formula repeats often enough that it majorly impeded much of my enjoyment with the book and padded it out too much for me.

Feeding right in with my last problem were the two main antagonists for the book, who both happened to be the spouses of both leads.  You have Nick's gold-digging and possibly insane wife Marivic and Teresa's womanizing and abusive husband Marlon.  The two started off well enough, when you could see shades of their greed and abuse but eventually they become so over-the-top in their abuse that I could only see them as cartoon villains.  The book has such a fine autobiographical feel that this really takes me out of the experience.  A lot of books use convenient excuses to get protagonists out of trouble, but this one use convenient excuses to get the protagonists into trouble and that convenience usually comes in the form of the spouses from hell.  The antagonists also weaken the protagonists to the point where they aren't enjoyable to read.  Both protagonists become glorified yes men/women whenever confronted with their spouses and putty in their hands.  Nick especially suffers from this to the point that I wanted to skip through his chapters, but Teresa can't escape it either unfortunately.  Luckily this mostly only lasts for the middle part of the book and once through that the protagonists return to form.

Once we get to the final act things get good again and the book ends on a very enjoyable high note.  Altogether, I'd say that this was indeed a book that spoke to me on several levels and one that felt intensely personal.  It definitely felt autobiographical all the way through and once the author all but confirms it during the final chapter, I could only nod my head that my hunch was correct.  I've experienced a love like Teresa and Nick's, trading letters, texts, and emails with a few penpals in my lifetime and I've experienced unrequited love to the same degree that Teresa seems to feel throughout her life.  Both leads desires for that partner that got away, it definitely speaks to me and the hardships they faced speaks to me as well.  Their struggles were my struggles and that's what kept me turning the page.  I wanted to see if life got better for them, just like I wonder if life will get better for myself.  All in all, I found their struggles and what they gained by the end of them to be empowering.  It mimicked how I felt throughout my time reading the book, almost beat for beat.  So at the end of the day, I'd say that Just a Drop in the Ocean was an enjoyable read that began strong and ended on a high note.

Positives:

+Strong Mature Voice
+Well written
+Enjoyable and sympathetic protagonists
+An in-depth look into Filipino and New Zealand culture and characters.
+A smattering of Filipino language.
+A wealth of evocative and useful vocabulary words.
+Well rounded vocabulary of words
+Loads of humor throughout.
+The story speaks to me on many levels, encompassing much of real life
+Pen pals in love also speaks to me, and the pain of unrequited love
+Some nice subtle mature touches early on
+Strong friendships (mainly due to Teresa's appeal)
+Descriptive
+nice use of metaphor early on
+Lots of deep descriptive thought provoking writing at beginning
+Teresa's career choices and ambition, her political life, leadership
+Many time capsule moments, such as the start of the internet age, webcamming, the rise of social media,
+Teresa is pleasantly open-minded
+Book takes some surprising turns and tangents (for better or worse)
+A few risqué and funny moments.  Lots of deep and profound ones too
+A decent amount of forethought, detail, and research are put into each situation
+I do like the realism of life that occurs in the book
+I like the ending (very hard fought happiness)

Negatives:

-Probably longer than it needs to be.
-Repetitive middle act (build up to happiness, brief happiness, convenient problem).
-Middle act paints everyone as mostly unenjoyable Nick and Teresa's weakness, their husband and wife's callousness, other characters suddenly turning antagonistic, though there are some sub characters who remain enjoyable.
-Many books use convenient excuses to solve problems.  This one uses them to create problems.
-Nick's lack of backbone really is troublesome and stretches on so long that it borders on unreadable for me.
-Occasional odd punctuation, sometimes thoughts don't have quotes or italics to separate them.
-The antagonists of the book are sometimes cartoonishly malicious to the point it's unbelievable.
-Some subtly would have been nice in some places, like when Nick and Teresa cross paths, the author instead spells it out with intruding narration.
-Narration spoilers oftentimes ruin later scenes scene we're told the outcome ahead of time, most egregiously, the scene with Mr. Aguilar.

Indie Book Corner: Bookminder by MK Wiseman

A well written book about a klepto wannabe mage and her reluctant guardian mage.

The Quick and Dirty

+Well written. Detailed descriptions, good pacing, and dialogue that flows and feels natural.
+Multi-layered, flawed, and sympathetic characters.
+Well thought out magic system with uniqueness to it.
+There is legitimate excitement to be found whenever magic is used. There's such a build up for it thanks to our magic starved protagonist and we get a detailed description of how it works usually making the unreal seem real.
+Magic isn't just some limitless ability. It requires resources, focus, and skill. Liara's learning is tempered with great realism.
+Wiseman's subtlety and understanding of human nature made Liara a complex and interesting character to read about, despite her frustrating tirades. Very good stuff.
+Takes place in the real world.

-It takes a while for the plot to get moving
-Towards the middle and end Liara's self importance and poor decision making really make many of her chapters detestable to read despite the great writing.
-Nagarath's apologetic nature and unwillingness to put Liara in her place also tended to grate on my nerves because it was repeated so often. I wish he stood up to the foolhardy Liara more. Same can be said of Father Phenlick.

Review

Bookminder, by M.K. Wiseman, is a clever book to read for fans of complex and unique magic systems. As a matter of fact, the whole book is dripping with this sort of magick from start to finish. It's two protagonists are mages, from Liara the wannabe to Nagarath the master mage. One of the coolest aspects about this book is that it takes place in the real world, some time in the past. Great references are even made to historical events, fairy tales, and even that famous wizard Merlin.

The book is also very well written. I had no problems slipping into the Croatian locales of Dvigrad, Parentino, and Vrsar. All the dialogue between the characters felt natural and nothing of note took me out of the story. I mostly enjoyed the multi-layered and flawed characters such as Father Phenlick, Nagarath, and even the impetuous Liara (though she frustrated me to no end). I felt great sympathy for them as they tried to succeed in their various goals and lamented past mistakes as we all do. Their flaws, failures, and desires to fix them resonated deeply with me.

One of the cooler and funner aspects about the book is its magick system, which is based in real life lore. I had fun learning about some of the origins of the magick here as well as the rules to its use such as the Laws of Magick Creatio and Transferre. Very unique stuff that also happened to have a huge impact on the story. With the way that the magick was explained and implemented, there was excitement each time that it was used. There was a weight and consequences to using this world's magick. Magick isn't just some limitless resource in Bookminder. It requires resources all its own, great focus, and great skill. I thought Liara's learning of it had a nice grounded realism to it, which I always enjoy when I read fantasy. I like touches of reality that add consequences and weight to the story.

I loved this book in every possible way except for one. The only thing that annoyed me about the book at many turns was Liara's own selfishness and the way that the other characters seemed to get wrapped up in trying to help her but be made the villain by her and their own guilt-ridden consciences. It wasn't pleasant to read, I must admit. I hate seeing brats get their way and this happened more often than not. But...it was handled very well at the end of the day. One scene comes to mind as Liara makes horrible decision after horrible decision and comes to lament past mistakes about trust right as she is making the exact same mistake. She can't see that she is making a series of the worst mistakes in her life even while continuously making them because she is young, foolish, and way too wrapped up in her current existential crisis. That's good writing in my book (ugh, no pun intended).

Though this portrayal makes the characters involved unlikable at many turns in the story, it is also true to character and true to circumstances. The circumstances that each of the characters find themselves in along with the reasons they are connected to Liara properly setup their motivations. Though annoyed with Liara's self importance and stubbornness and the other character's lack of willingness to simply tell her to shut up, by the end I found her to be someone that I could root for.

The overall plot was not really anything too special, but it was a nice setup to motivate these characters and see them in action. The ending mostly wraps up everything, but leaves some possibilities open for a sequel. I'm not sure if one is planned or not but I would certainly get read it as I found Bookminder to be highly enjoyable.


Purchase at Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Bookminder-M-K-Wiseman-ebook/dp/B0198HKWSU

Indie Book Corner: Fantasy of Frost: The Tainted Accords #1, by Kelly St. Clare

 *click cover for free download today 4/13/15*

*click cover for free download today 4/13/15*

A good introduction to a promising Fantasy series.

My Likes

+        Interesting and entertaining cast

+        Intriguing protagonist

+        Many mysteries

+        Imaginative customs for the Solati and Bruma.  They are like introvert vs. extroverts

+        Olina kicks ass

+        Olina is selfless

+        Narration fits Olina's personality

+        Detailed and methodical action

+        The author sticks to continuity really well.  (Ex. Character injuries heal realistically.)

My Dislikes

-        Plot slows down in the middle.

-        I sometimes found Olina's stubbornness and rebelliousness annoying.

-        The ending comes out of nowhere.

-        Not much is resolved by the end.

I was given this copy of the book in exchange for a review.

Full Review

FoF begins right at the start with its characters.  We're introduced to Olina, our protagonist, and the world of her people, the Solati, and the visiting delegates from Bruma.  We're also introduced to Olina's love interest, Kedrick, A Bruma prince who proves to be charming, kind, inquisitive, and madly in love with Olina.  Olina is the centerpiece of the story and Kedrick is the fulcrum upon which it all balances.  Olina proves herself to be a very interesting character with a lot of intrigue surrounding her and her past.  The story is narrated through her own first person POV.  One thing about the Solati is that they are reserved and subtle in almost all of their actions and decisions.  They find openness and familiarity very uncouth.  Because of this Olina has a very measured way of talking and it follows through with her thoughts during her POV narration.  Her thoughts are very matter of fact and measured which fits with her Solati upbringing.  That's very good attention to detail on the author's part.

Characters

Olina

Olina is a very fascinating character and lives an interesting life.  She is a Solati princess and next in line to be queen, called Tatuma by the Solati.  She lives her whole life dedicated to the goal of being a capable and strong Tatuma after her mother Avanna.  Olina has a lot of strangeness to her including the fact that she spends a lot of time helping out at an orphanage despite it being frowned upon.  She finds some comfort and solace here with these kids, more than her normal life affords her.  Another strangeness of hers is the fact that she sneaks out and trains in combat arts with an old soldier.  This is a huge secret for her but she enjoys the training and has confidence in her fighting abilities.  Olina's biggest strangeness though is the fact that she has to wear a veil at all times around others.  She doesn't know why but it's always been this way.  The only time she's taken it off resulted in the murder of an innocent child because the child had seen her face.  But beyond her strangeness Olina is strong-willed to a large degree.  She works hard to accomplish her goals and does everything possible to see them through.  Her demands and attitude annoyed me at times but there was no question that her strength of character and will were nearly unmatched.

Olina and Kedrick

They share a world crossing love but are each a part of a race that finds the other repulsive.  The Solati sly, reserved, and measured while the Bruma are brazen, brash, and impulsive.  That cultural divide is strong on both sides and yet these two find solace in one another.  They're are both kind, strong, quick-witted, and open-minded.  There is something about Olina that attracts Kedrick despite the fact that he can't see her face and Olina is experiencing feelings for Kedrick that she never thought possible in herself.  They both change in small and profound ways because of their devotion for one another but it's a sad sort of love because you know that everything is working against their union including the very rules of their cultures.

The Tatuma Avanna

Cold and cruel.  She's an ice queen that ironically lives on the fire world.  I'm surprised she hasn't melted yet.  Her ice doesn't come from her body temperature or any sort of powers but instead from her temperament.  She treats Olina like a bag of s*** each and every chance she gets.  She is less of a mother and more of a dictator.

The World

Olina's people, the Solati, live on a dangerous world called Osolis that's engulfed by flames.  Their own homeland is only a few 'rotations' from being burned away and so the Solati migrate when the heat and fire becomes threatening and build their houses and other buildings with a fire resistant wood called Kaur.  They depend on the cold from the ice World, Glacium, to keep temperatures regulated in their own homeland just as Glacium depends on their heat to keep its world from completely freezing.  There are Kaur forests and boiling lakes throughout Osolis.  The Solati wear lightweight fabrics and breezy clothing like togas to keep cool.  The Solati of Osolis are typically a subtle and measured race with customs that one could call prim.  The Solati also have strange naming conventions for their people.  Solati children are all born with have an O at the start of their names but when they get married the drop the O.  So if Olina ever gets married for instance she'd become Lina.  Just don't call her that before she's married or you'll be committing a very major faux pas unless you're closely related to her.  And let's say Olina gets married and becomes Lina, if her husband ever dies then as a widow she's now Alina since widowers get an A to start their names.  I tend to like quirky customs like this and think it's really cool.

The Bruma on the other hand live on the world of Glacium, an ice world that's the total opposite of Osolis.  Large sleds are the main transport of Glacium and most of the Bruma's houses and structures are wrought with solid stone.  Furs cover everything from people to beds in large piles and alcohol is the beverage of choice for adults for the warm and mirth it provides.  The Bruma of Glacium are a large race, even the women who tower over the average Solati.  The Bruma are prone to speaking their minds and are very hot-blooded and vulgar.  Sex isn't shied away from in Bruma culture and even open talk of it is embraced.  Though preferring to dress in warm furs and leather the Bruma women sometimes like to dress very scantily clad during festivals to the delight of the men.

The Plot

The plot points in Fantasy of Frost each hinge on a major event.  Because I can't talk about these main events without spoiling anything I'll try to be as vague as possible while giving a decent synopsis.  I said I'll try, keep that in mind.  Okay so the beginning of the book is dedicated to us getting to know Olina, her problems, her world, and the characters around her.  All of this leads to the first major event of the book, someone dies, and this changes everything.  From then on we're taken to a new place and must piece together the mystery of the person who died.  All the while new questions spring forth such as Olina's connection with her veil.  Well the decent synopsis part failed because I can't figure out how to say more without spoiling it.

Final Opinions

I really enjoyed Olina's journey in Fantasy of Frost.  I feel that she's tested so many of her own limits during her ordeals that she's become a much stronger person and that's compelling to read about.  I think the worlds of Osolis and Glacium as well as the customs of the people of both worlds very intriguing and worth exploring more.  I also really enjoyed all the other characters and the humor and warmth they brought to the story.  These are characters that really helped change Olina and they are characters that the lonely and broken need to recover.  I do feel that more resolution could have been provided at the end of the book.  None of my questions were answered and a lot was left hanging.  I also feel that the way it ended came out of far left field but at least it promises more to come.  I'm looking forward to the next book and continuing Olina's journey, just remember not to call her Lina.

You can visit Kelly at http://www.kellystclare.com/ and find some fun little snippets to hold you over until the release of Fantasy of Flight: Taint Accords #2, on May 24, 2015.

You can also pre-order Fantasy of Flight at Amazon.com by clicking the cover image below.