June 2022 Indie Book Reviews

June 2022 Indie Book Reviews by Joseph Poopinski

The Symbiosis
By Casie Aufenthie
Unexpected Exceptions to Standard Equations

4 stars

If you love it when a plan comes together, then stay tuned for the further adventures of Casie Aufenthie’s Samara & Tristan from The Drift. This sequel (book two of a trilogy) continues to illustrate how their crusade for a free, equitable & just world may or may not come to fruition as well as their “fated” romance. The cast of colorful characters find just enough innovation, self-discipline/sacrifice, teamwork, resilience or fortitude to take the fight to Fang & the Council. Wyatt warms up. Emmeline remains broken. Kip cracks fluffy bunny slippers jokes. Following his own clever & foolproof battleplans, reminiscent of those drawn up by Hannibal from 80s TV’s A-Team, Tristan engineers a coup & masterfully upstages Fang. However, she’s far from finished…

Browse The Symbiosis for a thrilling science fiction adventure but savor it for how richly that yarn is told. I’ve unraveled a few hidden (or not-so-hidden) gems such as petrified persons harkening to Narnia, the Nothing from the NeverEnding Story & a truthful prophecy couched in gloomy drug or dream-fueled delusional ravings as seen in the Dune series among others. Within the dialogue & narration, runs a thread of commentary on love: It highlights love’s many versions including friendship, family & romance, appreciating its vast dimensions, varied intensities & fragility, but sternly warns against falsification. Go ahead, give your special someone an authentic hug! The skillfully arranged marriage between hyperbole at the conclusion of chapter three with juxtaposition in the first sentence of chapter four must be experienced first-hand. Perhaps most memorable, for me, are the rules, habits & patterns laid out in the history of the society, the Council’s political monopoly, the Faraday family or Emmeline’s fantasy world of rainbows & unicorns—these things we know—being suddenly turned inside out, flipped upside down & spun backwards too! Some variables limit our wildest expectations while other factors—the unknown outliers & curveballs—breakdown entire formulas. Could the solution be psychic powers?

Emma & the Minotaur
By Jon Herrera
Who Doesn’t Like Pickles?
4 stars

Emma doesn’t like pickles for some reason & Jake has a litterbug habit. Perfection is unobtainable, but Jon Herrenra’s Emma & the Minotaur gives readers a decent glimpse. It’s a quick & easy allegory of a brave middle school girl who must solve a missing persons mystery & become a Valkyrie to save her friends, family & the world as we know it. The simple good versus evil plot encompasses fantastic characters (my favorites were the walking beribboned trees that sing, Sprinkles the sarcastic cat & Titanius the lightning unicorn), a little science, a lot of magic & some old-fashioned perseverance. The keys to Emma’s (or anyone’s) transformation aren’t those distant, radical powers of great wizards & kings, but rather plain ordinary skills & hobbies. Through breathing meditation Emma journeys inwards, discovers her hidden talents—listening, names/speech, music & light—and confronts her worst fears! During a memorable moment, the book’s scariest monster, Minotaur, relishing his established dominance, condescends to our heroine & her friends just before their showdown, sneers, “girl” & “horse,” to Emma & Titanius respectively. Long after I finished this first portion of Emma’s larger story, images of its beautifully epic midnight ride remained with me, refreshing & inspiring my spirit during the following weeks’ most trying moments. Please eat those pickles & toss that rubbish in the proper bin!