King Rao, the billionaire tech founder at the center of Vauhini Vara’s debut novel, The Immortal King Rao, is neither a king nor, strictly speaking, immortal. A brilliant man of modest origins—born into a fractious clan of Dalit coconut farmers in post-independence India and later immigrating to the US to study engineering at the dawn […]

Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/11/24/total-recall-immortal-king-rao-candy-house/

It is not uncommon for a novel to try to convince its readers that they should care. It is far less common for a novel to suggest that they shouldn’t. The beginning of Halldór Laxness’s Salka Valka, originally published in two parts in 1931 and 1932, is an exercise in lowered expectations. On a snowy […]

Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/11/24/village-people-salka-valka-halldor-laxness/

When they were undergraduates at Berkeley in the 1990s, Hua Hsu’s friend Ken was murdered, randomly and wantonly, in a carjacking. That is the precipitating cause of Hsu’s memoir, Stay True. The killing occurs a bit past the middle of the book and governs its trajectory: an edenic preamble followed by a long fall. Ken’s […]

Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/11/24/models-for-being-stay-true-hua-hsu/

Some two thousand years ago, in 325 BC, after a string of conquests across the Indus plains, the forces of Alexander of Macedon mutinied on the banks of the Beas River. They were exhausted and refused to advance, and Alexander grudgingly agreed to return home. First, he turned south and marched down the Indus, then […]

Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/11/24/pakistan-submerged-alizeh-kohari/

In February 1977, the Brooklyn-based artist Marilyn Nance was waiting on the airport tarmac in Lagos, wearing a white graphic tee that read “Okra is an African Word,” though in the image of her taken that day it is partially obscured. Fastened to her broad-rimmed straw hat is a sheet of paper on which the […]

Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2022/11/04/i-was-mobile-marilyn-nance-festac/

Before the Storm, by Erik Carter, is the fourth Silence Jones thriller novel narrated by Gary Bennett. As Silence investigates a murder at a celebrity’s lavish party, a nemesis emerges and forces Silence into the spotlight. Action-packed, Before the Storm was Carter’s best yet.

Before The Storm
by Erik Carter
Series: Silence Jones #4
Narrator: Gary Bennett
Source: Narrator
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate

Rating:
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.3x

NOWHERE TO RUN.

NOWHERE TO HIDE.

Vigilante assassin Silence Jones lives in the dark recesses of the world, but when he’s confronted with a world-famous nemesis, he’s forced to pull himself out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

Seven people die at an eccentric media mogul’s lavish party, and Silence suspects the man has used his celebrity connections to get away with murder. The more Silence investigates, the more deadly secrets he unearths.

As Silence grapples with powerful forces concealing the truth, he finds himself locked in a deadly battle of wits with a brilliant adversary who has deceived his way to the very heights of stardom—and whose ultimate goal is much more sinister than it initially seemed.

The next stand-alone action thriller in the pulse-pounding new series. Enter the world of Silence Jones. Hold on tight….

If you like action heroes with the steely resolve of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, the calculating will of Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X, and the raw power of Mark Greaney’s Gray Man, then you’ll love Silence Jones.

Unlock Before the Storm and start your Silence Jones mission today!

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Silence Jones’ name is whispered with fear in the criminal world. He is a ruthless assassin backed by a secret government group. We get to see all sides of Jones, from his painful injuries to the way he mourns the loss of his true love.

Sabrina Day, Elowen’s sister, is convinced that Elowen was murdered at the party of a celebrity and that it was orchestrated by said celebrity. The tragic accident left seven dead. Her research at a Kansas City library has caught the attention of two groups. The Watchers are one of them, and they send Silence Jones, who introduces himself as Jake. He and Sabrina attend another of Chase Andrade’s extravagant events. Things are about to get deadly.

The tale that unfolds will have your heart racing as we are given several perspectives, including those of Chase Andrade. While each of these thrillers can be read in any order, after book one, The Suppressor, it was exciting to see Silence in action, meet his therapist and see him make mistakes. Before the Storm grabbed me from the onset and held me to the last.

Twists, turns, vulnerability and more await you in this latest case. Sabrina ends up being an asset, and I actually liked her a lot.

While the stories can be found in Kindle Unlimited, I highly recommend you listen to the audiobooks narrated by Gary Bennett. He has become the voice of Silence Jones, drawing out the tension, reminding us of his difficulty in speaking and showcasing his inner turmoil.

Amazon* | Audible

Narrated by Gary Bennett, Before the Storm written by Erik Carter packed a punch delivering the best Silence Jones Thriller to date. #Audiobook #Thriller #AudiobookReview
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/11/before-the-storm-by-erik-carter.html

Ekstasis, the Return of the Sovereign Heart, by M. I. Dugast, is a novel that focuses on two different stories. One story is a product of metaliterature as there is a book in the book. On one side, David Wilkins is reading “Maps to the Sovereign Heart,” written by Mona Devek, and finds his life completely changed by reading the book. On the other side is the protagonist of the book Ericka, who goes through a lot in her life, dealing with her inner spiritual journey, nightmares from the past, and encounters with “The Elders,” her Spirit Guides.

Dugast writes in a quite descriptive and engaging way, helping the reader not get lost between multiple flashes forwards and backward by giving a place and date at the beginning of new chapters. The only down point is that the passage from Ericka’s adventures to David reading the book breaks the narrative tensions that had naturally formed while reading the book.

I appreciated the ties and interconnection between the two stories, making them feel like the same story and adding more depth to both. Furthermore, the connection between the ending, where Kadmon meets the Elders again, and the beginning, where he leaves them to go on a journey, feels particularly important after getting emotionally attached to the characters all book long.

Destiny, fate, reincarnation, and free will, are all themes readers will encounter in this novel. However, Dugast has woven them into a magical story that will leave readers stunned and catch their breath as they realize the intertwined lives of the fictional character are to the protagonist reading the story. The blurred lines of where one character’s life ends and the other begins will keep readers hooked, seeing how things all meet up and if the lines are entirely erased to create a new path they will take together.

Ekstasis, the Return of the Sovereign Heart, by M. I. Dugast, has an engaging metaphysical romance story and multiple plot twists that will have readers craving for more from the moment they first open the book. I recommend this novel to all readers looking for an interesting read and keen on knowing more about spiritual journeys and people overcoming their past traumas.

Pages: 810 | ASIN : B09NQRMRQX

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/04/ekstasis/

Trapped by Reese is a fiction story about four friends who meet during their freshman year in college when they are assigned to complete a group project together. Naomi Spencer is from an affluent family but had a unique childhood experience that left her anxious in social situations. Arnya Nicholas was raised by a single mother but comes from a large extended family, and she is into computers. Stephanie Stone was raised by her religious grandmother after her mother abandoned her. Jasmine Taylor grew up in foster care, and that experience has left her cynical, but she likes to draw. Despite their different personalities and upbringing, they find that they have a lot in common. But can their friendship last through all life’s changes after the end of college?

I liked that this story was told from the point of view of the four friends, which provided additional insights into the characters’ motivation. Naomi, Arnya, Stephanie, and Jasmine had very distinct personalities and might never have become friends if they were not forced to work together on a class project. At the beginning of the story, Jasmine was my least favorite of the four friends. But as the book progressed and other softer characteristics about her are revealed, I could understand why the other girls became friends with her.

I liked that this book showed several years in the characters’ lives, from the start of college to their lives after graduation. Most of the books I’ve read take place over the course of a few weeks or months and might have a short epilogue that gives readers a brief glimpse into what happens a few years later. This book was an unexpected and interesting change from that. However, this did cause an issue where large chunks of time were skipped over. I would have loved to have seen more time dedicated to the developing relationship of the four friends.

Trapped is a riveting coming-of-age women’s fiction novel that shares the story of four women that meet in college and how their lives are intertwined as they grow up. There is some romance, some drama, and lots of self-discovery as each of the protagonists finds their own path in life.

Pages: 321 | ASIN : B0B16K6FDH

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/04/trapped-2/

Vince and Lucia Rossi are married with two kids, Mario and Anna. Life isn’t the easiest for the Rossis’ in 1967 because, while struggling financially, Vince is also an abusive husband and doesn’t treat his family very well. Lucia is a strong women and does all she can with help from close friends and family. They get a lot of help from Sam who is married to Vince’s sister. He helps out by always being there for Lucia and the kids whenever they need him, even if he has to protect them from Vince. He really cares for them and wants them all to be happy, and I loved this part of Sam. Vince eventually pays for the consequences of his actions, which leave Lucia as a single mother with two kids to support.

One of my favorite characters in this thought-provoking book was Sam. He was so caring and generous with Lucia and the kids. He wanted what was best for them, even if it meant threatening Vince on how he treats them. He experiences some heartache in the story too but in the end he is as happy as Lucia. I know this is ‘Lucia’s Story’ but Sam just resonated with me.

I really enjoyed the emotional connection between the characters. It was heartwarming and one of the more compelling elements to this story. Lucia’s determination and passion shows through her love for hers kids. She was in a unhealthy relationship while in her marriage, but she never let the kids be affected by it or let it show. Lucia’s character has so much depth and I enjoyed how we got to explore that depth throughout the story.

This is a character driven story, with Lucia at the center of it, and I heartily enjoyed following her. The characters were all well developed, even Vince, as they all felt authentic. Vince was the main obstacle throughout the story and once he was gone there wasn’t much more to overcome. I would have enjoyed following Lucia through different events because I enjoyed seeing how she handled situations. I did love the addition of some characters, like Luke, who brought more entertainment to the story. The romance between him and Anna was sweet and lovely to read about. The story follows different characters and jumps back and forth between them, which keeps readers on their toes and ensures we’re always engaged with where the story is heading next.

Full Circle by Robert J Saniscalchi takes readers on a heartfelt journey with compelling characters. I would recommend this book to readers who are looking for an impassioned novel that exemplifies the importance of family and love and shows how honesty and loyalty play pivotal roles in our lives.

Pages: 120 | ASIN: B0BB845C37

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/04/full-circle-lucias-story/

The Literary Titan Book Awards are awarded to books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas. These books deserve extraordinary praise and we are proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and writing talent of these brilliant authors.

Silver Award Recipients

ZONT-2 and Beyond by Blair Wylie

The Parables of Chance by John Nicholson

Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/11/04/literary-titan-silver-book-award-november-2022/