Author JL DuRona’s love for mythical, macabre and peculiar does not disappoint in his fantastical tale entitled, “The Berge Sisters Tour The Neitherswarth.” He received his BA in Children’s Literature from Castleton University in 2007 and earned his MFA from the Center for Cartoon Studies in 2011.
If you are a fan of books like Goosebumps, by R.L.Stine and The Night Gardener, by Jonathan Auxier, then you are in for a wonderful journey into the wondrous world of the The Berge Sisters!
Stepsister’s Cal and Lacey have a tumultuous beginning but as they embark on a crazy journey into a world unknown located in the depths of her great uncle’s mysterious mansion their relationship grows into love and respect. Monster’s, spiritual forces and relatable themes are all found in this well-written, thoroughly engaging chapter book for the young adult population. Although, as an adult, I enjoyed the complexities of the characters and the interesting twists and turns that held my attention throughout.
JL DuRona birthed a wonderfully paced young adult story that will keep even adults turning the pages. His characters were well crafted, likable as well as relatable. The plot was suspenseful and engaging. He used contemporary themes such as step families, sibling rivalry and death of a parent and was able to write them in a way young adults can relate. His use of prose was brilliant! All in all, I give his first book five stars and I look forward to his next book!

One of my favorite past-times is to read independent books, either comics, novella’s or novels. Recently, I had the pleasure of reading a very cool novella by one of our frequent visitors to our weekly youtube stream. I did a short review of his work and wanted to share it with you. The book, entitled, “The Revenant and the Tomb”, by Herman P. Hunter can be found at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

A Fantasy, Lord of the Ring Vibe!

Venture into the fantastical world in which magic, demons and a mysterious strange young man named Halsedric embark on an adventure led by a weathered old guide who just wants to get paid. The story begins in a squalid tavern as Halsedric convinces Drahm to take him to the Horn of Torgiv, a mystical mountain that Durham has led others before, only to find their demise. The old guide assumes that Halsedric is after the riches supposedly hidden in the depths of the cold, dark tomb. However, Halsedric is not who he seems to be and is after much more than prosperity. The agreement is made. The time is set. The journey begins. Other notable characters that join the two unlikely compadres is Tulvgir, a Wodeman whose muscular build and toughness makes him seemingly invincible. They are also joined by a young woman, Herodiani, an Elanni, she is an expert hunt and other mystical arts.. The four begin their expedition toward the dark and diabolical tomb.

The character interaction along with supernatural events kept my attention throughout this well written novella. Hunter uses a distinct eye dialect especially with Drahm and Tulvgir which helps to give the story a “Lord of the Rings”vibe. The story’s plot, pacing and overall tone demonstrates Hunter’s keen ability not only as a writer but a significant story teller. You will not be disappointed!

Independent comic book creators continue to flood the comic book market. Which in my opinion is fantastic! Recently I picked up a book entitled, Melvin #1 created and written by Timothy Lee Olson. This is Tim’s first comic book and he put in a sincere effort in bringing his characters to the pages!

The positives.

The story is told in linear narration, the basic plot structure of a good guy sent to rescue a girl, is a familiar one, however there are a few surprising twists and not all is what it seems.

The main character, Melvin, is a cool warrior archetype who is given a mission by his Master. The mission is to rescue Princess Alice, a rebel archetype who goes against her father the King by sneaking around and winds up in trouble. As the story unfolds we learn that Melvin has incredible strength and Alice’s beauty does more than turn a head.

The pacing of this 37 page story is good, the layout of panels, and coloring were all interesting.The protagonist Melvin battles many beasts and cultists from another world while trying to rescue Alice and return to their world. Alice surprises Melvin by fighting her way out of captivity and battles monsters and cultists in her escape. The two meet up and plan their return. The story itself is interesting and has some dynamic elements to keep the reader engaged.

Areas that need work:

The most prominent area that should be addressed is the dialogue and the amount of information given during the narration. In both instances, an editor would have been able to help shape these areas by decreasing unnecessary words to make the statements stronger.. For example, when Melvin is assessing the situation he says, “I feel I must hurry”, take the words “I feel” out and say “I must hurry.” The dialogue continues with this “…I don’t think she has a lot of time left to live.” Again, take out “I do not think” and just state “She has no time left to live.” As a reader, I want to be able to get to the point of what is happening. It is a common mistake that amatour author’s make but something that is easily rectified by using an editor.

The overall story arc was good, there was a conflict that was addressed and the best part for me was a cliffhanger at the end. I will now have to get Melvin #2 to see what happens. This is an action packed comic book with a 1980 flair!

Scott Harris-King is a comic book creator that brings us a hero from the Golden age of comics. Chuck Chandler, a hero initially introduced in the Boy Comic series, makes his return in this jammed pack comic book. Featuring Chuck Chandler and Scott’s original character,Trixie Trouble, the contentious duo take on crime like no other! The Crime Buster, Issue one picks up from when the Boy Comic series left off with issue #119.

One thing I really enjoyed while reading this comic book was the detail in which Scott offers not only for his character design, but the background information found at the end of the book. Scott put’s substantial effort in so that his readers can get to know the characters by offering a brief bio for each character. You have a good sense of whose, who, before you even delve into this fast, paced fun tale.

The art style is in the likes of the classic Archie and Scooby Doo comics. The black and white art fills each page with action. The caption boxes are placed well within each panel. Some of the page layouts were quite creative, they may not be to everyone’s liking but I enjoyed the freedom and diversity.

The Crimebuster comic offers the reader a walk down memory lane. The story is set in the 1950’s at a college called Curtiss Tech. Scott brings us an exciting story filled with mystery and adventure that provides the reader with more than a 20 minute read!

Check out Scott’s website and order a copy of The Crimbusters #1 for yourself. He also has a digital copy free!

https://www.crimebustercomics.com/