Book Review: Talion By Mary Maddox

This is a nightmare thriller with well written suspense.
Talion by Mary Maddox

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Cantraip Press (March 27, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0984428100
• ISBN-13: 978-0984428106

Price: Print $12.99
Kindle $3.99
Genre:  Fantasy Suspense
My Rating:  3.5 of 5

Back Cover Description
The dying body has a thousand voices, and all of them speak to Conrad (Rad) Sanders. Fifteen-year-old Lisa Duncan has no idea she has attracted Rad’s interest. At a mountain resort in Utah, he watches as vivacious Lisa begins an unlikely friendship with Lu Jakes, the strange and introverted daughter of employees there. Lu enters his fantasies as well. He learns she is being abused by her stepmother and toys with the notion of freeing her from her sad life and keeping her awhile as his captive. Lu seems like an easy conquest who could be persuaded to act out his fantasy by turning against her new friend.

But something else is watching Lu . . .

From Amazon Kindle description:
"'Silence of the Lambs' meets 'The Turn of the Screw' . . . .The story is propelled by suspense, and made delicious by Maddox's Ray Bradbury-like gift for deft, deep-shadowed description . . . Those last hundred pages just about turn themselves."
Dan Hagen Charleston Times-Courier.

Review: I am conflicted on this book. There is some excellent writing but some gruesome descriptions and excessive use of foul language in parts made it hard for me.

I have to agree with Mr. Hagen’s comment that “Those last hundred pages just about turn themselves.”  The thing is you have to read the first 200 pages to get there and I almost didn’t make it.  There is foul language near the beginning which gave me pause but I kept reading.  Just before midway the language was so bad I almost put the book aside as I had not been drawn in enough to really be enjoying it. Since I had committed to review the book I pushed through and the last portion of the book was masterfully suspenseful and saved the rough beginnings.

The serial killer stalks two teenage girls: the spoiled and rebellious Lisa and the poor, beaten “trailer girl”, Lu.  Lisa is the niece of the owners of a resort where she is spending the summer as a punishment.  Lu is the daughter of the handy man and a mean stepmother who live nearby in a trailer.  Lisa befriends shy and solitary Lu mostly because there is no one else for Lisa to spend time with.  Lu’s only other friends are imaginary: Talion, the angel, and a vampire and demon. These characters are a bit confusing when first introduced as they are not really explained until further along. I felt that the relationship with these characters should have been made earlier and could also have been more clear. Talion is the friend that Lu seeks for comfort during her pain and misery. He is the only one who loves her but even he seems to have some darkness.

The author does a good job developing the deranged character of Conrad, "Rad", the serial killer who is deranged and very “sick”, cruel and brutal - thus the comparison to “Silence of the Lambs”. The descriptions of the kills are pretty graphic.  Although I liked the flash backs which fill in the killer’s backstory, at times the flow of the writing seemed bumpy. The stalking and mystery parts were well done and the tension and suspense leading up to and after the girls were kidnapped was the best part of the story.

I feel like I missed something because I am not sure why the book was titled "Talion." I felt that gave a different expectation.  I would say the book is more suspense thriller than fantasy. The author is skilled at portraying interesting characters and providing detailed descriptions some of which are very realistic, but they are not all pleasant. If you like thrillers and can handle the gore - think Hannibal Lecter - and the foul language then do give this a try.  I would like to read more from this author if the language was toned down a bit.
WARNING: This book contains graphic and gruesome killing scenes and rough language.

Learn more about the author and view the full tour schedule HERE.

Check some of the other Tour Stops for other reviews and interviews. Here are a few other review links:
A Moment With Mystee
Minding Spot
From the TBR Pile

Thank you to the author and Pump Up Your Book Promotion for providing this book for review.

Visit The Sweetest Romance Holiday Party UPDATE- NEXT Monday 12/20/10.

SORRY EVERYONE - I got the date wrong. At least you will be ready for next Monday the 20th.
Calling all Sweet Romance readers! Join the party today at The Sweetest Romance Holiday Party hosted by The Sweetest Romance Authors.

Share a  holiday memory at THE SWEETEST ROMANCE Blog link above on 12/20 to be entered to win one of the several good books they are offering. I see some reads I really enjoyed this year so check it out!

It's Monday! What are you Reading December 13, 2010?

This meme starts at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books!

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I finished three books this week;  posted three Reviews with Giveaways; one Author Guest Post; one Comment Giveaway.

As noted before, for this feature I will only be giving a rating and a short summary comment on books I read from my TBRs or as fillers - which aren't many :).

I got to visit a little early last week.  Still dealing with new software training short handed for most of the week. We are actually busy which is a mixed blessing.

These were last week's posts plus some Winner posts not listed.

•  It's Monday What are You Reading? December 6, 2010.  

•  Monday Mailbox.

•  Book Review and Giveaway: The Heir by Grace Burrowes; Historical Romance; my rating 4.5.

•  Guest Post - Research Tidbits by Grace Burrowes.

•  Book Review and Giveaway: The Remains by Vincent Zandri; Thriller; my rating 4.25.

•  Book Review and Giveaway: Duchess of Sin (Daughters of Erin) by Laurel McKee; Historical Romance; my rating 3.5.

•  Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway December 10, 2010.

•  Sunday Words of Encouragement December 12, 2010.

•  Enquiring Minds want to know Meme - Week 15 Plus Comment Giveaway.

Finished Reading:

Print and Kindle:  The Remains

by Vincent Zandri; Thriller.

4.25 Review and Giveaway linked above.

 

Print: Duchess of Sin (Daughters of Erin) by Laurel McKee; Historical Romance.
3.75 Hachette Reiview and Giveaway linked above.

Print and Kindle: Talion by Mary Maddox;

Fantasy and Suspense.

Some good writing

but I have mixed feelings about this one.

Check my review on Tuesday.

Reviewed for Author and 
Pump up Your Book Promotion.

Line Edits/Releases: ΕΞΙΣ: gods, ghosts, and battered cellphones by Anne Abad. A collection of science fiction stories will be released this week!

Currently reading:
 
Print:  Beneath the Thirteen Moons by Kathryne Kennedy; Fantasy Romance. What a wonderful imagination this author has! I am a bit more than half way. Reviewing for  Sourcebooks. Author Interview, Review and Giveaway to post on Thursday December 16.  Don't miss it! 

He's a ruler in a divided world...
In the magical, watery world of the Sea Forest, the divide between the rulers and the people is an uncrossable chasm. Handsome, arrogant prince Korl Com'nder has lived a life of luxury that is nothing more than a fantasy to the people he rules. Until the day he is accidentally kidnapped by a beautiful outlaw smuggler and is forced to open his eyes to the world outside his palace walls.
She's an outcast, but at least she has her independence...
Mahri Zin would stop at nothing to save her village, and when they needed a healer she didn't think twice about kidnapping one. But when she realizes that the healer she so impulsively stole is none other than the crown prince of the Sea Forest, Mahri knows that this is her only chance to change the fate of her people...

Kindle: Rescue Me by Jennifer Johnson; Sweet Contemporary Romance. I am halfway through this one too and really enjoying the easy read.

Product Description
Sitting in front of her parents’ house in a U-Haul truck at midnight, Amy Mann decides it’s time to break it to them that she’s divorced from her husband and moving back home with her seven-year-old son, Toby. As Amy settles into her hometown, she has a plan to get out of debt, get her college degree, and put her life together.

Enter Captain Riley Pennimon, local firefighter and superhero to Amy’s son. Riley is kind, brave, and civic-minded. The captain does not fit into Amy’s putting-her-life-together plan, and yet he is way too good looking without a shirt. Much to Amy’s chagrin, Toby decides that Riley is just what they need for a happily-ever-after.

But, can Amy make peace with the demons of her mistakes and let the captain rescue her? And…can Riley let go of the pain of his past and grab onto the family he’s always wanted?

Audio:  The Reversal by Michael Connelly; Legal Thriller.. I am halfway through this audio. Even got my hubby listening to this good mystery.  I will post the review and Hachette Giveaway soon; maybe by week's end. 

Product Description
Longtime defense attorney Mickey Haller is recruited to change stripes and prosecute the high-profile retrial of a brutal child murder. After 24 years in prison, convicted killer Jason Jessup has been exonerated by new DNA evidence. Haller is convinced Jessup is guilty, and he takes the case on the condition that he gets to choose his investigator, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch.

Together, Bosch and Haller set off on a case fraught with political and personal danger. Opposing them is Jessup, now out on bail, a defense attorney who excels at manipulating the media, and a runaway eyewitness reluctant to testify after so many years.

With the odds and the evidence against them, Bosch and Haller must nail a sadistic killer once and for all. If Bosch is sure of anything, it is that Jason Jessup plans to kill again.

Audible:  Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book 1) by Cassandra Clare; Urban Fantasy. (A personal book pick.) I didn't get much listening on this one this week.

Product Description
Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Line Edits:  I am moving closer to three more releases.

Upcoming December books:
Print:
Next week:

December 21: Susanna Kearsley Author Interview. I am reading The Winter Sea for Sourcebooks review; Fantasy.

I will be squeezing these in the next two weeks for Sourcebooks.
Devil's Desire by Laurie McBain; Historical Romance.
Dating Mr. December by Phillipa Ashley;Contemporary Romance.

Kindle:
Books on hand to read for Turquoise Morning Press and author.
Kentucky Blues by Cat Shaffer; Romantic Suspense.

Reviewing for Author:
No Greater Love by Kinzie Monroe; Inspirational Romance.

Enquiring Minds Want to Know Meme Week 15 PLUS Comment Giveaway

This meme is hosted by Dollycas Thoughts for Thursdays - which are hard for me to make.  The goal is to get to know our fellow bloggers and visitors better. Each week Dolly asks some questions for us to answer and then link up. I am late doing the post but I am trying to to participate as I would like to learn more about blogger and follower friends.

WEEK 15 QUESTIONS

1. Do you have an artificial or real Christmas tree?

We vary and have had both many years.

 

We have a live tree this year but may also put up an artificial tree. Above is our tree from 2007 which I think our daughter decorated as we don't usually use those gold balls for the tree but for window valance decorations. 

2. Do you feel you decorate just enough, over the top, or not enough?

Just enough for each year as the spirit moves us! 

One year we had LOTS of outdoor decorations including deer (like above), bears, snowman, presents and three car train. And of course the nativity. That was maybe five years ago before both children moved out.  Last year DH gave those decorations to our daughter and son in law who have more energy (physical if not electrical) to put them up. We'll be having Christmas here this year so we may have to borrow some of them back. :)

3. Do you have a favorite Christmas Cookie, if you have a recipe, please share?

Sandtarts:

I am not the cook in our family. But my mother always used to make Sandtarts. Here is a link to a recipe I found at Chickens in the Road Blog.

So who else from my followers wants to share on any of these questions? How about I offer a Christmas book or Christmas decoration to a commenter? I'll be doing a post of Christmas books and decorations available for this Giveaway in the next day or so.
Rules: a) Must be a follower; b) open internationally and an international winner may get a book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.
I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made by Friday 10PM.

Sunday Words of Encouragement December 12, 2010

We sang our Choir Program this morning and the songs were WONDERFUL.  The week before Christmas I plan to do a music video each day - I have been able to find at least five of the songs on our program, plus this one.  Since this is a medley I thought it would be fine for today as we prepare for the holiday.
I am wrapping presents today for Christmas and my granddaughter's 3rd Birthday party.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week preparing and attending holiday festivities!

A Verse for Today:

Isaiah 9:2

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light -- on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

A prayer for today:
Let us pray, Lord God, may we, your people, who look forward to the birthday of Christ experience the joy of salvation and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving.