Mini Book Expo For Bloggers

Paul of Dune [MonieG's review]

MonieG doesn't mind the editorial inconsistencies she finds within this newest installment to the Dune series, Paul of Dune:

Paul of Dune takes place between Dune and the second Frank Herbert book, Dune Messiah. In my opinion the Dune series all flow from one from another but equally each book stands on its own. Dune left off with Paul Atreides as ruler of the known universe and now Paul of Dune takes us into some of his history growing up and more information about him as the emperor.

In Dune, Paul is certain that his actions are correct and in Paul of Dune he begins to wonder. The book is very informative in that it gives us more information on his family and his interactions with some of the main characters. It provides more information than the other books because their storylines weren’t set up to give is the in-depth background like this book.

Anybody who has read all fourteen of the other books will see some discrepancies such as Paul’s mother Jessica not previously knowing who her father was and in Paul of Dune she does but the discrepancies are easily overlooked for a true Dune fan.

The authors wrote the story in such a way that I can easily imagine the scenery, the heat, the movement of the sand and the cinnamon spice smell of mélange. It’s all brought to life for readers making the characters seem that much more real. The story runs very smoothly and I recommend it for all sci-fi readers.
* 5 stars *

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More information

• Book Site: The Official Dune Website
• Extra Info: Excerpt
• Planned TV Arts | Chapters.ca  | Amazon.com
• ISBN-10: 0765312948 
• ISBN-13: 978-0765312945

Paul of Dune [Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson]

Courtesy of Planned TV Arts

Frank Herbert's Dune ended with Paul Muad’Dib in control of the planet Dune. Herbert’s next Dune book, Dune Messiah, picked up the story several years later after Paul’s armies had conquered the galaxy. But what happened between Dune and Dune Messiah? How did Paul create his empire and become the Messiah? Following in the footsteps of Frank Herbert, New York Times bestselling authors Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson are answering these questions in Paul of Dune.

The Muad’Dib’s jihad is in full swing. His warrior legions march from victory to victory. But beneath the joy of victory there are dangerous undercurrents. Paul, like nearly every great conqueror, has enemies--those who would betray him to steal the awesome power he commands. . . .

And Paul himself begins to have doubts: Is the jihad getting out of his control? Has he created anarchy? Has he been betrayed by those he loves and trusts the most? And most of all, he wonders: Am I going mad?

Paul of Dune is a novel everyone will want to read and no one will be able to forget.

About the Authors

BRIAN HERBERT has been nominated for both the Hugo and the Nebula Awards. In 2003, he published Dreamer of Dune, a Hugo Award-nominated biography of his father.

KEVIN J. ANDERSON has been nominated for the Nebula Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and the SFX Reader's Choice Award. He set the Guinness-certified world record for the largest single-author book signing.

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More information

• Book Site: The Official Dune Website
• Extra Info: Excerpt
• Planned TV Arts | Chapters.ca  | Amazon.com

Product Details

• 4 copies available This book is CLAIMED
• Hardcover: 512 pages 
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (September 16, 2008) 
• ISBN-10: 0765312948 
• ISBN-13: 978-0765312945

Shipping within Canada & US sponsored by Planned TV Arts

First Daughter [Holly's husband's review]

As Holly explains, she's passed her First Daughter review role off to her husband, Alan:

I wanted to read this book. I wanted to read this book and enjoy it. When it arrived, my husband read it first, and after hearing what he had to say, I'm not reading it, and I'm posting his review instead! So, allow me to introduce our guest reviewer, Alan:

This book had so much going for it – a plot that was interesting, yet subtle. A hero, whose own struggles and demons gave him capabilities and determination. It even tied nicely into the election year politics. It could’ve been so much… but Eric Van Lustbader decided to use it for his own political vehicle. His thinly veiled attacks against the current (though soon to be gone) political administration were so crass, and quite frankly childish, that they over-rode what had the makings of a really good book.

Keep reading Alan's review...

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More information

• Author Site: Eric Van Lustbader 
• Click here to watch a video trailer for First Daughter.
• Planned TV Arts | Chapters.ca  | Amazon.com
• ISBN-10: 076532170X 
• ISBN-13: 978-0765321701

Aberrations [avisannschild's review]

Aberrations is a bit of a sleeper for avisannschild:

Aberrations by Penelope Przekop is the story of Angel Duet, a young woman who suffers from narcolepsy, a sleep disorder, and who has spent her entire life mourning her mother who died giving birth to her. As I read about Angel’s struggle to stay awake and uncover her family’s history, I struggled in turn to maintain an interest in this story. It’s not that the story itself isn’t interesting, but rather that the writing style just didn’t work for me. Angel’s voice is too odd, full of confusing and overly dramatic ramblings...

Keep reading avisannschild's review...

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More information

• Author's
  • Site: Penelope Przekop 
  • Facebook Page: Penelope Przekop
• Book Blog: Aberration Nation 
• Amazon

Product Details 

• Paperback: 336 pages 
• Publisher: Emerald Book Co. (July 1, 2008) 
• ISBN-10: 1934572039 
• ISBN-13: 978-1934572030

Shipping within Canada and US sponsored by Planned Television Arts

First Daughter [Carmen's Review]

I love it when someone beams over a good book they've enjoyed. Carmen, from c-alexis loved First Daughter so much you can actually hear her smile as she wrote her book review:

What a change of pace from the series of books that I had been reading -- and I loved every page, every line of it. Lustbader writes with such brilliance and suspence that it captivates you from the very beginning until the very end. The twist of McClure having dyslexia is impressive as Lustbader allows it to become McClure's unique weapon and not just as a lame attempt to defend those with his mental disorder. His writing is well-written, the research that went into it well-gathered and he explains all the government terms and procedures so well that you can undersand it even if you're politically-disabled.

Keep reading Carmen's review... 

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More information

• Author Site: Eric Van Lustbader 
• Click here to watch a video trailer for First Daughter.
• Planned TV Arts | Chapters.ca  | Amazon.com

Product Details

• Publisher: Forge Books (August 19, 2008) 
• ISBN-10: 076532170X 
• ISBN-13: 978-0765321701

First Daughter [Eric Van Lustbader]

Courtesy of Planned TV Arts

Sometimes the weakness we fear most can become our greatest strength . . . 

Jack McClure has had a troubled life.  His dyslexia always made him feel like an outsider.  He escaped from an abusive home as a teenager and lived by his wits on the streets of Washington D.C.  It wasn’t until he realized that dyslexia gave him the ability to see the world in unique ways that he found success, using this newfound strength to become a top ATF agent.

When a terrible accident takes the life of his only daughter, Emma, and his marriage falls apart, Jack blames himself, numbing the pain by submerging himself in work.  Then he receives a call from his old friend Edward Carson.  Carson is just weeks from taking the reins as President of the United States when his daughter, Alli, is kidnapped.  Because Emma McClure was once Alli’s best friend, Carson turns to Jack, the one man he can trust to go to any lengths to find his daughter and bring her home safely.

The search for Alli leads Jack on a road toward reconciliation . . . and into the path of a dangerous and calculating man.  Someone whose actions are as cold as they are brilliant.  Whose power and reach are seemingly infinite.

Faith, redemption, and political intrigue play off one another as McClure uses his unique abilities to journey into the twisted mind of a stone cold genius who is constantly one step ahead of him.  Jack will soon discover that this man has affected his life and his country in more ways than he could ever imagine.

About the Author

Eric Van Lustbader is the author of more than 25 international bestsellers, including The Testament and the three most recent Jason Bourne novels: The Bourne Legacy, The Bourne Betrayal and The Bourne Sanction.  His books have been translated into over 20 languages.  He and his wife, author Victoria Lustbader, live in New York City and Long Island. 

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More information

• Author Site: Eric Van Lustbader 
• Click here to watch a video trailer for First Daughter.
• Planned TV Arts | Chapters.ca  | Amazon.com

Product Details

• 3 copies available  This book is CLAIMED
• Hardcover: 400 pages 
• Publisher: Forge Books (August 19, 2008) 
• ISBN-10: 076532170X 
• ISBN-13: 978-0765321701

Shipping within Canada & US sponsored by Planned TV Arts

Aberrations [Carmen's Review]

Over on c-alexis, Carmen's review of Abberations is up. With a character named Angel Duet, how could this book miss? Carmen certainly enjoyed it (despite it being a lot like a "university" book):

 

There has obviously been a lot of research that allows for these amazingly real descriptions of what Angel experiences from day to day. The emotion of Angel's narration is raw and open. Readers will love how she goes on a journey to find the truth and you can't help but obsess about the truth too.

Keep reading Carmen's review...

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More information

• Author's
  • Site: Penelope Przekop 
  • Facebook Page: Penelope Przekop
• Book Blog: Aberration Nation 
• Amazon

Product Details

• Publisher: Emerald Book Co. (July 1, 2008) 
• ISBN-10: 1934572039 
• ISBN-13: 978-1934572030

Aberrations [Penelope Przekop]

Aberrations by Penelope Przekop

Courtesy of Planned Television Arts 

Twenty-one-year-old narcoleptic Angel Duet knows her father harbours secrets. He loves and protects her, but his suspicious refusal to discuss her mother s death drives Angel to worship an image created from the little history she does have: her father's sketchy stories and her mother's treasured photography, studies of clouds that have hung in the their foyer for more than twenty years. 

When her father's girlfriend moves in, the photographs come down, and Angel's search for truth becomes an obsession. As she struggles to uncover the past and gain control over the narcolepsy that often fogs her world, Angel descends into a dizzying realm of drugs, adultery, and confused desire that further obscures reality.