jbronderbookreviews

Kunokeph by Dale Crowe

Kunokeph is a military fantasy/thriller set in near-future Iran with an American Special Operations team on the run making a discovery that will rewrite history and shake the foundations of many religions. People have said “We are not alone” for years. It turns out, we never were.

Amazon     Goodreads

Author’s Bio

Dale Crowe graduated from Seneca High School in Upstate South Carolina. After serving ten years in the US Army Infantry he was honorably discharged as a Sergeant. When he returned home from the Army, Dale decided on a career in Electronics and attended ITT of Greenvile, SC and graduated with an Associates of Science in Electronics Engineering Technology.

While in High School Dale discovered a love for creative writing and was a founding member of the SHS Creative Writing Club. He mainly wrote poetry and lyrics and didn’t get into writing short stories until his second tour in the Army.

Military science fiction stories and stories about anthropomorphic beings in science fiction or fantasy settings made up the majority of his writing and remain his favorite genres to this day along with horror, history, politics and social commentary.

Dale currently lives near Seattle, Washington with his partner of more than a decade and is studying Screenwriting and writing novels, playing guitar and doing what he tells everyone is “singing”. Local opinions vary.

Amazon     Twitter

My Review

5 stars

A special forces team is in Iran to test out equipment. While there things go wrong and they take shelter in a cave. They meet a monk for St. Christopher who leads them to safety. Captain Garrison decides to take a look around and is found by some monks in a restricted area. It seems they have discovered the Kunokeph.

Garrison and his team are up for one heck of an adventure when the mission they are on goes south and they have to take cover in a cave. By accident and curiosity the soldiers find themselves in the presence of the Kunokeph, a dog faced ancient alien that has been prosecuted throughout history.

This is an interesting alternate history. I like how Dale Crowe has fit the Kunokeph into our world. It is a quick read that will make you think about the possibilities. What if an alien race came to earth to help but where ostracized because of their looks?

I think this is a well written book. The dialog flows well and it was easy to get into the story. Thankfully it is a quick read because I read it in one sitting. I am definitely curious to read other book from Dale Crowe.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank Ari at Candid Book Reviews for the opportunity to read and share this book.

Read Full Post »

Black Sugar by Miguel Bonnefoy & Emily Boyce (Translation)

A prize-winning author’s magical realist fable about greed and corruption in Venezuela, Black Sugar gives a fascinating view of the country’s social and economic development throughout the twentieth century through the story of a family of sugarcane growers. It tells of buried treasure and the legendary privateer Henry Morgan.

Amazon     Barnes and Noble     Goodreads

Author’s Bio

Miguel Bonnefoy was born in France in 1986 to a Venezuelan mother and a Chilean father. In 2013, he was awarded the Prix du Jeune Ecrivain, which has previously helped to launch the careers of writers such as Marie Darrieussecq. Octavio’s Journey is Bonnefoy’s first novel, written in French.

My Review

3 stars

This story starts with a bang as we follow along as Captain Morgan dies clutching his gold. Three hundred years later, on top of the sunken ship, we meet the Oteros and their sugar cane farm. There we follow along as the family works the farm along with searches for the treasure.

This story is about the hunt for the golden treasure along with the treasure of family and love. Serena Otero is the heir to the family sugar cane farm but dreams of being swept off her feet. When Severo Bracamonte offers to help Serena’s family, she thinks he is going to be her prince charming. Serena is sorely disappointed in Severo while all he wants is the treasure. But a discovery brings them closer and they find that there is more treasure than just gold and emeralds.

I was quickly drawn into this story with Henry Morgan and the crash of his ship. But then we transition to modern day and the action comes to a screeching halt. From there it is a good story of love but I hate to admit that I wanted to get back to the action, adventure, and treasure hunting. I was also not expecting the ending but it did wrap everything up.

I loved the cover and the beginning but the pace of this book threw me off. I think it will appeal to many people. It was a good read but not really one that I would normally read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank MZPR for the opportunity to review and share this book.

Read Full Post »