Hello everyone! I am so excited to share today a special review. Recently I had the pleasure of reviewing author M,E, Grantham’s Shifting Realities: The Hill. Today I am happy to share writer and content creator Aly Avina’s review of the book. Some may know her as Aly with the Curves, and today she is sharing her thoughts on this book as well. I hope you all enjoy.
“Shifting Realities: The Hill” by M.E. Grantham is a thought-provoking, suspenseful tale that crosses genres in a beautifully intricate and compelling way. It is no easy feat to blend sci-fi with metaphysical fantasy and political strife reminiscent of our own modern America but that author does so seamingly effortlessly.
You will easily lose yourself within the pages of this tale of resilience that will have you feeling as though you are on your own spiritual journey with these incredible and well-developed characters that Grantham has expertly crafted. With the stunning backdrop of Ireland setting the scene for this eerie, powerful read, you will be on the edge of your seat as you find out what is drawing these characters to each other and how this will impact not only their lives but the world as we know it. Will they stand together and create a better world and future or will they fall, leaving us all in perpetual misery and defeat? This is the question that will be on your mind throughout this unbelievable and astonishing read as it builds to its inevitable climax.
This fictional tale is intriguing, suspenseful, and is not one I’m soon to forget. I thoroughly enjoyed the character development and the way the author detailed the feeling of there always being meaning or a reason that things happen. That the energy that is put out into the universe by us all is actually connected to a bigger, more important picture. It is not only a beautiful sentiment but a scientific study that will make you reflect on your own life as well as the world we live in. If you haven’t picked up your copy of “Shifting Realities: The Hill” by M.E. Grantham, be sure to do so immediately! You won’t want to miss out on this one.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Today I am honored to be joined by guest reviewer Aly Avina, who read and reviewed this amazing book and is here now to share her thoughts with you about the novel. Thank you to Aly for taking the time to give her thoughts on this book to us and to author Chuck Regan for sharing his novel with us all. I hope you all will enjoy. – Anthony Avina
The Synopsis
After a hundred years of heroes, gods, and monsters tearing the world apart, governments resort to extreme measures in attempts to regain control. The year is 1982. U.S. President
Kirkpatrick has instituted harsh penalties against unlicensed vigilantism while secretly funding a program to create an army of super-powered agents. After newly-registered hero Scamp is arrested for murder, he must choose to either reveal his true identity and become a slave to the state, or cling to the fleeting hope of redemption.
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Just what is a “hero”? What qualifies someone to be considered a true hero—one moment’s action, or a lifetime’s pursuit of an ideal? A costumed disguise is, by nature, deception, and deceptiveness is by no stretch a heroic characteristic. But what if deception were necessary to safely and routinely perform acts of heroism? And when might heroic intentions become overpowered by self-serving actions? How might a set of rules meant to assure proper behavior for heroes become a means to hide corrupt intentions? When does blind vengeance serve justice? If there was a universal system for rating heroic intent, how would you or I measure?
FOR BLOOD OR JUSTICE is the first book in the STORMKIND series of novellas and short stories which will attempt to offer answers to these and other questions. Stormkind will delve
into the spiritual/karmic drive of heroism, including the impact of past lives on the present and an entirely new mythology of good and evil entities.
Chuck Regan has created a vivid and dynamic world in his new superhero noir series, For Blood or Justice: Stormkind. The novella features a world filled with costumed vigilantes with amazing superpowers. This alternate universe begins almost 100 years ahead of the events that take place in Book One. In the 1890s, the Ghosa meteor crashed in the Indian Ocean, effectively filling the Earth with some unknown form of radiation.
By 1912, this caused pubescent children to be afflicted with a disease called The Wrack. This meant they either died, became some form of mutant, or were given super abilities. The latter group was a rare one to be in.
These superpowered individuals are known as Stormkind. So when we fast forward to the 1980s, we meet Dan Haeckel, who works at a comic book shop and has recently discovered he has powers. While Dan is eager to become a Stormkind, his friend Scott doesn’t make that entirely easy for him to stay on the straight and narrow.
One of the most incredible parts about reading this novella is immersing yourself in this fascinating world that Regan has created. Dan is relatable in his geeky nature while the
Stormkind world has aspects that is reminiscent of our own real world. The fact that there are registered and unregistered vigilantes made the story that much more exciting, as well.
I definitely enjoyed the addition of footnotes at the end of the chapters because it added more understanding to the world that Regan had created and allowed me to fully dive into this universe headfirst.
Bloodstock was a favorite character of mine with his unique powers and wonderful personality. This true crime detective struggled with his powers at times and had a depth to him that made him one of the most exciting characters to follow. Though, I do wish he had been in it more.
The final act was packed with plenty of action that will leave the readers shocked by the actions of the villains and what is taking place before them, but it is done wonderfully so.
The Verdict
For any superhero fan, this is one you won’t want to miss. It is a fresh take on the superhero genre with the added flair of noir in the mix. While it definitely could use more powerful female characters, this first installment was meant to be “the boy’s club” of superheroes. So you’ll definitely get your female heroes fix when Book Two comes out and they will approach things differently than the original heroes you met.
Book One questions what it means to be a hero and what justifies their non-heroic actions. This universe will suck you in and it’s heart-pounding action will keep you there. Be sure to get your copy of “For Blood or Justice: Stormkind: Book One” when it’s released June 1st, 2019!
Chuck Regan began his career writing and illustrating comic books. In 2013, he became a regular contributor to Zelmer Pulp, and has since published 25 short stories, and 3 novellas in the speculative fiction, horror, and noir genres.
Chuck continues to develop several novels, including a military space western about colonists on Mars, a Lovecraftian alternative history World War II, and a post-apocalyptic dark science fantasy based on his comic series Nether.
Aly Avina is a Southern California-based freelance writer and blogger. She is always looking for her next great book to read. She also loves curling up with Netflix and her dog, Charlie.
