Book Review: THE KNOW PRESERVATION by Ed Kurst

The Kindle edition

It has been a while since I read a sci-fi novel, so it was with some uncertainty that I volunteered to read and review THE KNOW PRESERVATION.

Quantum physics, nuclear reactors, particle accelerators, the past, the present and the future all rolled into one heck of a ride.

The start of the story will leave you confused and wondering what is going to happen with all the characters and their agendas. I quickly realised that to keep track of what is going on, and it was a good idea to read as much of the beginning as possible. There are many characters in this story and keeping track of them had been a challenge. Often authors assign names, and therefore identities, to unimportant characters, and it creates havoc for the reader in trying to keep them straight.

In The Know Preservation, there are nineteen characters of which seventeen play a major role in the story. The other two are not featured so prominently, but they are important to the backstory to understand the history. It wasn't always clear who was who since the author sometimes used only their first names or last names during introductory chapters. It took a chapter or three to start connecting the names to figure out which characters were in the scene or dialogue.

I liked John Preston, the main character. He is an engineer and was portrayed in ways that could only be described as typical of engineers. His character always acted within the constraints set upon him by the author. His physical limitations resulting from his health issues were offset against his intellect - his biggest asset being employed in the plot. He wasn't a soldier, and neither was his character ever changed into one even in the combat scenes.

I also liked Stacey Hanson. Her determination and will to win were portrayed in every action and decision in the story. You understand her motivation and drive soon, and you have to take your hat off to her in the way she manages to do what is required.

You also get to meet the great Albert Einstein. His character flows seamlessly into the plot and his contribution to it is quite believable. Some of his travels with John delivered amusing scenes.

John and Stacey's journeys into the past and future are fraught with problems as they start to unravel secrets that have been kept from them. They learn about the real reasons two particle accelerators were built on opposite sides of the globe. They uncover the role-players, the double agents, the undercover agents, the horrors of the past, and the decisions that were in the distant past made to set generations of people on a path towards averting a catastrophe.

As soon as the action starts, the story becomes easier to read and yet the tension proportionally ramps up to throat tightening levels. What are they going to do? Will they take the risks to change the outcome? Will the risks be worth the price they could pay?

The action in the story is handled with aplomb and an exceptional eye for detail. The resulting one-on-one combat scenes are graphic, and you will feel the pain, the suspense and in some case the helplessness the characters are struggling with as they try to fulfill their mission.

Some of the other characters will gain your sympathy, yet others will make you cringe in horror at the things they do or have done. The good guys are not perfect people, which makes their characters so much more likable.

As an engineer myself, I love the humour and have a huge appreciation for the author's handling of the science in the story. It might not be easy for every reader to get the science (fiction) in the story, but I suggest that you battle on as the story will unfold in more palatable scenes.

The writing was well executed, and the story moves forward at a good pace. Despite the complications of the scientific terminology in the story, it was a terrific read and a thrill ride from the first page.

The first chapters are short, and it will help the reader to read them in one sitting to get a feel for the story and the multiple plot lines. My notes were detailed for the first twenty chapters to try and keep track, but after that the storyline flowed, and the different plot lines started to flow together or made more sense as the story unfolded.

The ending was written to leave a well-defined start for the next book, and yet not so open-ended that you feel dissatisfied with the result. It is the first book in a trilogy, and I look forward to the next book. I can safely say that Ed Kurst has at least one fan.

My rating of The Know Preservation by Ed Kurst:

Linzé's Mischief: 5 June 2016

The past week saw me focusing on getting one thing done: reading a book. Yeah, I love books and it isn't every day that I have to give up other stuff to read. The book, The Know Preservation, is scheduled to launch tomorrow and I am one of the first reviewers of this debut science fiction novel. Nope, not going to tell you any more. Pop around tomorrow after 1 am my time (GMT+2) to find out if it was worth the effort to put my social life on hold for a week.

Francois and I went to Sandton City this morning. Since we don't live in Jo'burg it usually becomes a half-day excursion. Gautrain from Centurion to Sandton, breakfast, shopping, and sometimes even lunch.

Today though we went for a reason: to buy a sword. Yikes! There is a very nice shop in the mall that stock all kinds of knives, swords and other kinds of martial arts weapons. Yeah, they are real. The replica swords don't have sharpened blades, but trust me, it is not a toy.

He settled on a beautiful specimen. It is a replica of someone's weapon from somewhere in history (he still hasn't told me whose) and will make a nice prop for photographs. He bought his first sword in Spain a few years ago and lugged it all the way home through two countries.

When I first saw the oddly shaped box thing he carried through the baggage terminal at OR Tambo International, I thought he bought a rifle. 😳

A Facebook friend posted a link about Bullet Journaling a day or two ago. I have been giving it a try since then and will see how it pans out in June. Makes only sense to try something new for a while before deciding if it is working or not. If you want to see if it is something you would like to try, visit www.bulletjournal.com for more info.

I have been trying another handwritten method, but the A3 page is simply too big to have on my desk. It constantly gets in my way, and frankly became more of an irritation than a help; so Bullet Journal = Plan B for June.

I have also started to read (for review) a romance novel by an Indian author. I have read another book of hers before and didn't particularly like it. This one, however, six chapters in, is a different story altogether. I like it but will only give a final verdict in my review coming in the second half of June. My review is part of a blog tour of the book, and one of the last reviews on the tour. From what I can gather so far, the other reviewers really loved the story.

Lately, romance was getting a touch lackluster for me, and I have only looked into reading books that are different. Will this one make the grade? We'll see.

I contacted a publishing company to edit and publish the non-fiction book I have been threatening to finish since the middle of last year. Since I am now committed, maybe it will get done this year.

I also bought another book on writing during our shopping trip this morning. Sure, I have about eight of them, but what the hell - I can always learn something new and hopefully improve my writing skills, right?

On the editing front, I will remain an idiot, and grateful that there are other people out there who are better at it than I am.

So here is to the editors of this world! If not for you, my stories will not be half as good as I think they are. 😝

Okay, I will stop now.

Have a great week, until next time!

Linzé's Mischief: 29 May 2016

I stare at my computer screen and think, half the year is gone. Poof! Just like that. It isn't fun to realise that the novel I should have published in the next two weeks, isn't finished yet (editing still in process). With the deadline for the second book looming, I really need a kick in the pants.
While it doesn't count as a valid excuse, I have been reading the next book on my review list - with a pen and a notebook. Usually, I make a few notes as I read, about the characters and the story, but this one is in a different class altogether.

Image from 123rf.com

Not that I don't enjoy the story, but taking notes is essential for this book. You will see why very soon since the due date for my review is the 6th. Then it is the last book on my present list. I think I shouldn't take on any more to read for review until the two books on my to-publish list are ready for the professional editors.
Spent some time today doing the outline for my next art project - sunflowers in pastel. I suppose I could have spent the time editing, but after a good lunch with the in-laws sitting down would only have resulted in a nap. At least, the time drawing I spent standing upright with a white pencil and a dark blue A2 size paper stuck to the board on my easel.
There is a public holiday coming soon that I can spend getting started on the drawing. I will share as soon as it starts to look like something worth looking at.
My first blog serial has now finished, and you can look out for the next one coming in about the middle of June. It is slightly delayed due to my review commitments. The cover and synopsis are already uploaded on Wattpad if you want to take a peek.
With a busy week lying ahead for me, I wish you well, until next time!

Cover Reveal: All of Me by Jonali Karmakar

*** Cover Reveal ***

Title: All of Me

Author: Jonali Karmakar

Length: 69 pages

Publication Date: May 29, 2016

ASIN: B01G0P8JGK

Book Blurb:
All of Me is a collection of thirteen little stories that have been gleaned from real life as well as imagination. Exploring a range of genres, these throb with everything primal to human nature: fear, angst, joy, love, and longing. Some stories are designed to elicit smiles, chuckles, and maybe even a belly laugh or two whereas some are meant as a reality check. Universal in nature, each story provides a glimpse of what women empowerment or a lack thereof can mean in a person’s life.

From a small hamlet in India to the roads of Australia; from a mother’s betrayal to a daughter’s confession; from an extra marital affair to a same sex relationship learn for yourself the what, how and whys.

Originally written for anthologies and ezines, these stories have been revisited and updated for this new collection.  

About the Author:

Jonali Karmakar is a fiction writer with a Masters in English. Writing is not just her passion but her way of dealing with life. She loves being able to escape into the worlds she creates. Everything that she writes becomes a part of her and she wants her readers to know the woman behind those words. In addition to being an educator, she works as a content editor for a local news portal. She has been providing editing, proofreading and translation services for the past few years.

Jonali’s work has been published in several journals, anthologies and poetry collections both national and international. An avid reader, she loves flipping pages of anything and everything on the table and reviewing the same on her blog Eclectic Moods. She feels that reading and writing are the flip sides of the same coin. Writing is her way of communicating with the world. When she’s not writing or teaching she loves to experiment with her paintings.

She has quite a few accolades to her name.

Contact the Author:

Blog * Twitter

This Feature is a part of the Blogger Outreach Program by b00k r3vi3w Tours

The Friendship Affair

Not all long lasting marriages are happy. But what do you do if divorce is not an option?

University friends, Stephanie and Nick, meet again after twenty years. But life has not been easy or simple for either of them. Will this friendship affair stand a chance against reality?

CHAPTER 20

“You love me?”

The absolute amazement on her face almost made him laugh. Almost. In fact, it would have been funny if it wasn't for the fact that her eyes were unnaturally bright and got wider by the second.

They were standing in her living room. Ever since they had left the restaurant, she had been silent, and those were the first words out of her mouth.

He stepped closer and took both her hands in his.

“I do. I don't know why our lives had turned out the way they had or why we hadn't pursued a relationship when we were young, but right now the past makes no difference to what I feel for you.”

Stephanie slowly backed away to sit on the couch.

He never understood why anyone wanted white furniture, then he remembered that she had no children to worry about. He joined her. He moved a little closer but didn't reach for her much as he wanted to.

She blinked and looked at him with even wider eyes. “You really love me?”

He smiled and took her hand despite his inner voice telling him to give her some space.

“Without an ounce of doubt.”

Her silence was a trifle disconcerting. “Talk to me, sweetheart. What are you thinking?”

Stephanie blinked, and two tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. She didn't look away from him. In fact, something changed in her expression to make him hold his breath.

“I love you too,” she whispered and then looked down. Slowly she folded her hands over his.

“But I cannot offer you anything beyond an affair. I cannot divorce Frederick. I am sorry.”

Nick quickly reversed their hands when she made to get up.

“Oh no, you are not giving up on us. I don't believe that you have to remain married to ensure his care, there must be other options.”

He pressed two fingers to her lips when she wanted to protest. “If it turns out that there is no other way, then so be it. We can define our relationship. We are not young anymore, Annie. I don't want to be without you for however many years I still have left in this life.”

“What about your children?”

“Don't worry about my kids; they are mature enough to understand. Besides, you make me happy, and that is all they want for me anyway.”

He lifted her hands and pressed a kiss to each of her palms. “So what do you say?”

Stephanie began smiling, and his heart jumped at the love he saw when her eyes lit up. “I say, yes!”

He grinned and leaned forward to kiss the woman he knew was going to make the rest of his life one happy affair.

~ The End ~

The story is also available on Wattpad

Linzé's Mischief: 22 May 2016

Tree stump pencil on white A4 paper
(bad pic, sorry)

I like to draw and paint and stuff and sometimes think I am the next Picasso. (Yeah, hardly!) But then you never know until you submit three pastel paintings for an international competition and cringe when the submit button sounds so final.
Make no mistake, I love my pencils and pastels (non-painting phase, clearly 😝) and do spend hours upon hours shading and sketching and getting dust all over me and the table and the floor. Even managed to mess in the garage, right under Francois' car. That will teach him to leave it outside!

Rose I drew while writing
Galen's Hope (A5)

Spent most of today organising my pencils. They drive me crazy because I want them on my desk, but not in my way. Finally got that sorted out.
Francois made a photograph of sunflowers I took, black and white for me as my next project. I am also contemplating doing the same photo in colour with pastels. Love the rich vibrant colours of the pastels.
My next bird project will be a Bateleur, aka short-tailed eagle. A photo was taken by Francois of the bird about to fly from a tree branch.
If it sounds to you like I am procrastinating in my writing (or rather editing) it is because I am. I started editing Waiting for Adrian, but yeah, I should have been finished with chapter four already. I have to make a plan this coming week, time is few 🤔.

Finished the Tai Chi course I had started in December 2015. It might sound like a long time, and it took longer than I thought it would, but I am so happy with the end result. At the end of the last episode, the presenter goes through the entire routine from start to end. I managed to follow, keep up and do the forms in time with him. I am so chuffed with that.

Jackal Buzzard - pencil on A2 white paper
(from a photo taken by Francois)

I wrote a review about it. There were many thumbs down from people about other 5 star reviews about the course, and I have to wonder why. I set myself the target to learn the forms however long it took me. Maybe they expected it to be easier.
Trust me, it looks easy, then you watch someone else do it and think, WTF?! Then you try and follow along and practice, and then it suddenly isn't that difficult at all.
I had a great time learning the Yang style forms.
I only hope they will make a course for the 42 forms too. As far as I understand it is usually the competition style forms, but why not?
In the meantime, I will continue my daily Tai Chi practice of the 24 forms.

The submissions for project JOURNEY have been coming in and there are only a few days left. The editors are already busy with the early submissions. If all goes to plan, the anthology might even see publication earlier than originally planned.

Tuesday will see the last chapter of The Friendship Affair. I hope you liked the story. The next one will be coming online in June and will be available on Thursdays.

So here is to a great week to all of us, until next time.
 💖
Linzé

Book Review: THE SEEING PLACE by Aziza Eden Walker

BUY THE EBOOK

I volunteered to the review the book. It is a romance novel set in South Africa, in Cape Town, mostly. We meet Thuli first, a woman who knows what she wants and has achieved a lot of success in her professional life already. Although you get the impression that she is older (I expected her to be in her early forties), it is actually a surprise when she does reveal her age to Andile. She is portrayed initially as rude and arrogant, and I found it difficult to like her especially her lack of manners when she first meets Andile.

Thuli's behaviour throughout the story is fairly consistent, and you eventually come to like the character. Yes, she does have good manners. The reader learns why she is so ambitious, and it is not difficult to empathise with her. She keeps some things to herself. This has some artificial feel to it, especially since all the characters in the story apparently knew this, and didn't tell Andile until later. Not all the supporting characters liked Thuli, so keeping the information to themselves did not make sense.

Andile is portrayed as a hard-working, yet struggling actor who has his own issues. He is likeable from the start, and comes across as the more human character. His issues and character traits are well portrayed in his behaviour towards the other characters, and shown rather than told. His inner dialogue also supports the behaviour he exhibits towards Thuli and the supporting characters.

Andile and Thuli's first meeting seemed to be the typical boy meets girl, they don't like each other and then fall in love kind of scenario. Their impressions of each other and interactions between them was reflected in their thoughts afterwards, instead of more focus being given to their actual dialogue and interaction.

There were several other characters in the story, and in some scenes I felt that their contributions were not supporting the main plot in moving the story forward. The scenes between Thuli and Andile could have been longer and more intense in some cases, instead of sacrificing words and scenes to have some of other characters in the story. This includes the love/sex scenes between the two main characters.

The sex/love scenes might have been edited to suit the publisher, to reduce the level of heat intended by the author. These scenes still felt too short for two people who had been desiring each other for a while. There was also very little emotion in these scenes and a lot more focus was given to the act itself.

The use of non-English words in the story was not too much and contributed to the local ethnic feel of the setting and the characters.

The opening of the story was well done. By the time Thuli gets to the small coffee shop, you feel just as hot, irritated and tired as she did.

The ending was done in such a way that it suited the style of the story, with a fairly satisfying result to tie up their happily ever after.

Overall the story was likeable and I read the whole thing in one sitting.

MY RATING of The Seeing Place