Book 101 Review

By Daniel LucasEducation Arts Books

Book 101 Review episodes

July 14, 2024 A Life Eternal by Richard Ayre
Is it a gift or a curse to be immune to death, to be chosen to live forever? An eternal life, unable to die, to be killed, to live on in perpetuity while all around you age and die...
When Sergeant Rob Deakin is mortally wounded during the First World War, he is destined to become just another nameless casualty of a terrible conflict.
However, a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger will change the course of Rob’s life forever… Not only has he been healed, but he cannot die, and he will never age.
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32 min
July 11, 2024 Day of the Long Knives: A post-Soviet political thriller by Paul Clark
Olympic hero turned peace campaigner Ruslan Shanidza sets out on his most ambitious undertaking, leading a campaign to unseat the brutal strongman who rules his post-communist homeland.
He assembles a fractious coalition of rivals and former enemies. But they must confront some very dangerous men, who have so much blood on their hands that they can never allow their grip on power to slip.
The conflict quickly escalates as the President and his henchmen plot a murderous crackdown. Ruslan soon learns that he has placed himself and his family right in the firing line in an increasingly desperate fight to the finish.
This third Ruslan Shanidza novel can be enjoyed without reading the other two. It is a political thriller rooted in time and place that draws upon real historical events as it races to its denouement.
"Clark uses real events as inspiration, weaving history into an engaging narrative…told through the story of Ruslan and his family alongside a cast of other (many unsavoury) characters. It’s a style I enjoy…It’s also engaging in a way that I found myself thinking about it while I wasn’t reading it… Although the last in a trilogy (and I haven’t read the others), that didn’t hold me back and it can be read as a standalone."
Lachlan Page, author of Magical Disinformation and The General of Caracas
"…the quality of the characters depicted in this book was superb. The author did an amazing job at comprehensively developing the characters by giving them really strong personalities that will stick with the reader till the end of the story.
"…gripped my interest throughout the entire book due to its powerful message of freedom from tyranny. The political and military aspects of the book were very intriguing...
"I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and thrillers...if you seek a great read, Day of the Long Knivesby Paul Clark is the book for you."
OnlineBookClub.Org Official Review
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27 min
July 10, 2024 Way of Argosi by Mr.Sebastien De Castell.
The first of three prequels to the bestselling Spellslinger series.
The Alchemist meets The Three Musketeers—with card tricks. A brilliant origin story of adventure, wit, and philosophy to enrapture devotees as well as newcomers to the Spellslinger series.
Ferius Parfax has a simple plan: kill every last inhabitant of the spell-gifted nation that destroyed her people, starting with the man who murdered her parents. Killing mages is a difficult and dangerous business, of course, but when she meets the inimitable and extraordinary Durrall Brown, she discovers that physical strength is not the only way to defeat evil of all kinds. So Ferius undertakes to study the ways of the Argosi: the loosely-knit tribe of tricksters known for getting the better of even the most powerful of spellcasters. But the Argosi have a price for their teachings, and by the time Ferius learns what it is, it may be too late.
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43 min
July 10, 2024 Way of The Argosi by Mr.Sebastian De Castell
The first of three prequels to the bestselling Spellslinger series.
The Alchemist meets The Three Musketeers—with card tricks. A brilliant origin story of adventure, wit, and philosophy to enrapture devotees as well as newcomers to the Spellslinger series.
Ferius Parfax has a simple plan: kill every last inhabitant of the spell-gifted nation that destroyed her people, starting with the man who murdered her parents. Killing mages is a difficult and dangerous business, of course, but when she meets the inimitable and extraordinary Durrall Brown, she discovers that physical strength is not the only way to defeat evil of all kinds. So Ferius undertakes to study the ways of the Argosi: the loosely-knit tribe of tricksters known for getting the better of even the most powerful of spellcasters. But the Argosi have a price for their teachings, and by the time Ferius learns what it is, it may be too late.
43 min
July 10, 2024 Way of the Argosi by Sebastien De Castell
The first of three prequels to the bestselling Spellslinger series.
The Alchemist meets The Three Musketeers—with card tricks. A brilliant origin story of adventure, wit, and philosophy to enrapture devotees as well as newcomers to the Spellslinger series.
Ferius Parfax has a simple plan: kill every last inhabitant of the spell-gifted nation that destroyed her people, starting with the man who murdered her parents. Killing mages is a difficult and dangerous business, of course, but when she meets the inimitable and extraordinary Durrall Brown, she discovers that physical strength is not the only way to defeat evil of all kinds. So Ferius undertakes to study the ways of the Argosi: the loosely-knit tribe of tricksters known for getting the better of even the most powerful of spellcasters. But the Argosi have a price for their teachings, and by the time Ferius learns what it is, it may be too late.
43 min
July 08, 2024 Book 101 Review on our Sapha Sunday
Sci-fi fantasy characters often serve as the bridge between the known and the unimaginable, embodying the essence of exploration and innovation. These characters, whether human, alien, or a creation of pure fantasy, navigate worlds where technology and magic redefine the boundaries of possibility. They are architects of their destinies, wielding advanced technologies or arcane powers to confront challenges that stretch the limits of their courage, wisdom, and moral compass. Through their journeys, they confront not only external adversaries but also internal conflicts, exploring themes of identity, responsibility, and the nature of humanity itself. Their stories are set against a backdrop of vast galaxies, dystopian futures, or realms where dragons soar and cities float among the clouds, offering a canvas for the exploration of complex ethical dilemmas, the consequences of power, and the quest for understanding in a universe of endless diversity. Sci-fi fantasy characters, with their rich backstories and diverse capabilities, invite readers and viewers to question what it means to be human and to imagine what lies beyond the horizon of our current understanding.
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35 min
July 06, 2024 Spellslinger by Sebastien De Castell
A would-be mage with no magic of his own has to defeat powerful enemies with only cunning and deception in the first book of an exciting adventure fantasy series from Sebastien de Castell.
Kellen is moments away from facing his first duel and proving his worth as a spellcaster. There's just one problem: his magic is fading.
Facing exile unless he can pass the mage trials, Kellen is willing to risk everything -- even his own life -- in search of a way to restore his magic. But when the enigmatic Ferius Parfax arrives in town, she challenges him to take a different path.
One of the elusive Argosi, Ferius is a traveller who lives by her wits and the cards she carries. Daring, unpredictable, and wielding magic Kellen has never seen before, she may be his only hope.
The first novel in a compelling six-book series, bursting with tricks, humor, and a whole new way to look at magic.
Spellslinger SeriesSpellslingerShadowblackCharmcasterFor more from Sebastien de Castell, check out:
The Greatcoats QuartetTraitor's BladeSaint's BloodKnight's ShadowTyrant's Throne
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44 min
July 04, 2024 The Jersey Death Squad by Mark Meding
This is a story about four friends who grew up together in rural northern New Jersey. The four are close enough to be brothers- chosen family- whose loyalty and love for one another becomes a powerful force in their lives growing up. But when the boys witness a tragic accident befall a local police officer, they are severely impacted, especially upon learning the full extent of the injury. As the boys witness the impact of the tragedy on their friend's wife and family, they create a pact: if any one of the boys should ever become a mental or physical burden to their friends or family, the remaining friends need to end their life. Decades later, once the boys grow up to be men, they are devastated to learn that due to a horrible accident, one of them meets the condition they had described in the pact. The remaining friends connect with one another and set off on a journey to get to their soul brother to fulfill their fateful obligation. A compelling, frequently funny story about reconnection, friendship, and love that asks the question....?? can the boys fulfill the pact and murder their friend this many years later and with so much to lose? ??
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29 min
July 02, 2024 Sebastien's acclaimed swashbuckling fantasy series, The Greatcoats. was shortlisted for both the 2014 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy.
Sebastien de Castell had just finished a degree in Archaeology when he started work on his first dig. Four hours later he realized how much he actually hated archaeology and left to pursue a very focused career as a musician, ombudsman, interaction designer, fight choreographer, teacher, project manager, actor, and product strategist. His only defence against the charge of unbridled dilettantism is that he genuinely likes doing these things and that, in one way or another, each of these fields plays a role in his writing. He sternly resists the accusation of being a Renaissance Man in the hopes that more people will label him that way.

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38 min
June 30, 2024 The Prussian Prince: An Austro-Prussian War Novel by Cody C.Engdahl
The Prussian Prince is a swashbuckling adventure that'll take you into the heart of the Austro-Prussian War, featuring historically accurate depictions of the Battles of Tratenau and Königgrätz, with real historical characters such as Otto von Bismarck, King Wilhelm I, the Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, and so much more as Germany marches toward unification and dominance over Central Europe.
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40 min

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