Happy Easter

Here are a couple of new ones from me. Enjoy!

KARMIC WARRIOR, David Kuzminski, www.scribd.com, FREE, 97 pages, reviewed by Barry Hunter.

One thing about Dave’s writing is he feels at home in any genre. I’ve read his science fiction, fantasy, detective, and others that combine the genres and some that have a humorous tone as well. This is one of his fantasies that takes on the “Warrior” story but adds a twist.

The king has sent his men out to rid the kingdom of all male children in order to prevent a new KARMIC WARRIOR from appearing to protect its citizens. A KARMIC WARRIOR is able to tell the character of a person by their auras. Valoria and her mother are escaping the city when the soldiers question them, but since she is a girl, they let them go.

Valoria is left with Danel to give her the training she needs to complete her destiny. After training she sets out with a “loyal companion” – who is clueless as to who she is, and they have several adventures and end up married with children before she is able to complete her destiny.

This is a fast read and tells a good story with patience and perseverance as the moral. My only fault is that it is too short. Kuzminski has plenty of material for another or three stories about these characters and their adventures.

BARNALBY THE GRAPE, Patrick Welch, www.double-dragon-ebooks.com, $5.99, 116 pages, ISBN: 9781554047321, reviewed by Barry Hunter.
Pat Welch is another of those authors who can make themselves at home in any genre. He is equally adept at science fiction, fantasy, mystery and horror. He also has a wicked sense of humor that will rear its head at unexpected times to make you snicker.

This time out, it’s the story of Barnalby, a servant of Tithonus, who used him as a servant, scribe or cook, whatever he needed. The only problem was Tithonus was tiring of Barnalby and had to come up with a unique way to be rid of him, but realistic enough to get another servant from the city.

Tithonus decides to send Barnalby on a quest to bring him back a Quetzal feather. He gives him a map scroll and sends him on his way with some jewelry and goods to trade for what he would need. As these quests usually go, Barnalby gets out into the real world where his naivety causes some of his problems and the quest takes off for places unknown.

Barnalby is befriended by a Magician - charlatan to be precise – and sets sail only to be marooned. He manages to net a large fish that pulls him to another island where he must save Princess – that’s her name – from a dragon and when receiving his award, a deaf chamberlain announces him as Barnalby the Grape, and once a title is given it can’t be changed.

He has other adventures as he goes on his quest only to find a surprise answer to his quest.

Pat has written another interesting entry into his literary canon and the stories of “The Quest”. I would have enjoyed a longer adventure as this is well written and enjoyable. Kudos to Pat Welch for another job well done.