 Lori
L. Lakereviews 4 books this issue ~Lori L. Lake, author of Stepping Out, Different Dress, Gun Shy, Under The Gun, and Ricochet In Time, and reviewer for Midwest Book Review, Golden Crown Literary Society’s The Crown, The Independent Gay Writer, The Gay Read, and Just About Write. |
 WIZARD OF
ISISBy Jean Stewart Bella Books P.O. Box 10543 Tallahassee, FL. 32302, 2004/$12.95/244 pgs/ ISBN: 1931513724 At long last, this sequel resolves the cliffhanger we were left with at the end of the fourth installment of this immensely entertaining sci-fi/fantasy series. When last we saw Isis’s leader Tomyris “Whit” Whitaker, her jet and that of fellow soldier Danu Sullivan had been chased by enemy forces into Elysium territory. In this continuation of the WINGED ISIS storyline, Whit and Danu crash land and are faced with the difficulties of hiding and surviving in enemy lands. By a stroke of good luck, they fall in with a group of Amazon rebels. But the enemy is hot on their trail, and they are outnumbered hundreds to one. The women of Isis live in Freeland, a democratic city-colony on the western side of the U.S. On the other side is Elysium where religious fanatics, corrupt men, and the Regulators, a Gestapo-type of police force live violent, miserable lives. The highly technological and deadly Elysium men want nothing more than to destroy Isis and take their resources, and only the Border shield powered by satellites stops them. Unfortunately, the Border has developed inconsistencies, and that’s how the enemy got in. Though the Freeland forces did repel the Elysium attackers, they can’t afford to lose Whit or Danu, and a rescue mission must be planned. Unfortunately, as with most Isis emergencies, the plan is not quickly decided upon, and Whit’s partner Kali and Danu’s girlfriend Tor are tortured by the wait. When the two women take off prematurely on a journey to rescue the two fighters, they set in motion a series of events resulting in battles, chases, and the death of a key character. Stewart’s plotting is deft and focused, her characters well-rounded, and the storyline compelling. Nobody writes lesbian adventure fiction like she does. I have said it before that Stewart’s work in its own special category: a hybrid of science fiction, adventure, and romance in a uniquely lesbian framework. WIZARD OF ISIS has an exhilarating pace and engrossing plotline. I couldn’t put the book down until I came to the end, and I eagerly await the next installment.  Geography
ClubBy Brent Hartinger HarperTempest 1350 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY. 10019 2003/$6.99 paper/$15.99 hardcover/232 pgs ISBN: 0060012234 Russel Middlebrook is a 16 year old high school sophomore hiding a big secret: he’s gay. He keeps a low profile because he doesn’t want to be treated like the school outcast and scapegoat Brian Bund upon whom all manner of dirty tricks and teenage cruelties are visited. Instead, Russel spends his time with Gunnar and Min, a guy and girl known for their brains, but who are also “occasional visitors to the border region of high school respectability” (p. 6). Russel is not eager to leave that border. Ever. By a fluke Russel learns that another student is also gay, and he embarks upon that universally heady, intense journey where falling in love seems oh-so-right. He joins the baseball team to be with his boyfriend—even hits a home run—and suddenly he’s living in the Land of the Popular. But he also meets some other kids who are gay and lonely. They have an inspiration to start a gay/lesbian support group, but in order to keep out those who would mock and exile them, they call it Geography Club. Unfortunately, the secret does not stay confidential, and the fallout is more than Russel thinks he can bear. Will he choose to take the coward’s way out? Or can he stand up to the ignorant people all around? With a light touch and a sense of humor, Hartinger tells a very serious story, one that is being played out in high schools across the country. With unerring accuracy, he depicts the isolation and fear first of one young man, then of a small group, and he reveals the courage and support it takes for any gay or lesbian high school student to stand up to the crowd. By the end of this novel, I had tears in my eyes. The story is moving, the characters are classic, and the discoveries Russel makes are ones that both high schoolers and adults should all learn. Highly recommended.  The Price of FameBy Lynn Ames BookEnds Press P.O. Box 14513 Gainesville, FL 32604, 2004/$17.99/278 pgs ISBN: 1932667075 Kate Kyle has worked hard for many years to rise to the position of lead anchor for the WCAP TV news program in upstate New York. Little does she know that she will become an overnight sensation when disaster strikes at the state capitol, and she happens to be the only news person on the scene to relay the news live, on camera. She also helps with the rescue efforts, and her live report is carried nationally. Being thrust into the limelight has a dual positive effect: she is accorded fame, and the adoring focus brings her into contact with journalist Jay Parker, who happens to be an acquaintance from Kate’s college days. Jay and Kate’s lives have touched before—twice, actually, under appalling circumstances. But the third time’s a charm, and this time around there is no stopping the attraction. They embark upon a love affair with more passion and intensity than either of them has ever felt before. But once again, disaster strikes, and this time it’s entirely out of their control. Will the price of fame mean that these two will be crushed? This is romance writing at its most absorbing, with all the angst and uncertainty of missed communications and misdirected intentions. Ames touches on many aspects of these two women’s lives, past and present, and though the reader can’t help but root for their relationship, there is no way on earth it can work for them…or could it? THE PRICE OF FAME is well worth the foray to find out the answer to that question.  WALKING WOUNDEDBy Jessica Casavant Yellow Rose Books PMB 210, 8691-9th Ave Port Arthur, TX 77642-8025, 2004/$13.95/262 pgs ISBN: 1932300201 When police detective Alex Ryan’s lover dies in a mysterious murder, Alex is nearly paralyzed with grief. It doesn’t matter that she and her partner had been on the rocks for some time—Alex saw her die and had been involved in the catastrophe. The trauma and pain are intense. In response, Alex resigns from her detective job and leaves friends, superiors, and colleagues behind who are shocked by her total withdrawal from society. She moves into a small apartment above a bookstore owned by Megan Cartwright who lives in the other apartment in the building located across from Alex. Little by little, the two women are drawn to one another, but the ghosts of the past intrude. Everything about Alex’s lover’s puzzling death is unsettling and haunting. And then another woman is killed under suspicious circumstances. Alex sets out to look into the murder and its possible connections to her lover’s death. Her single-minded pursuit of the truth destroys the budding relationship with Megan. Will it destroy Alex, too? With a balance of action scenes, police procedural, and romance, this cross-genre novel has it all. WALKING WOUNDED is an engrossing story about one woman striving to return to the land of the living after being emotionally shattered. The final denouement is exciting and intense as the threads of Alex’s past and present unwind and she comes to understand that she is not soul-dead after all. But will this knowledge cost the life of someone dear to Alex? Don’t miss this second installment of the “Boston Friends” series. Highly recommended. ~Lori L. Lake, author of Stepping Out, Different Dress, Gun Shy, Under The Gun, and Ricochet In Time, and reviewer for Midwest Book Review, Golden Crown Literary Society’s The Crown, The Independent Gay Writer, The Gay Read, and Just About Write. |