The Lazarus Men: A Lazarus Men Agenda By Christian Warren Freed - A Fun Story About A Guy Who Was In The Wrong Place At The Wrong Time

The Lazarus Men by Christian Warren Freed

I received a copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was attracted to this book because of the cover art and the blurb. It appeared to be something I might enjoy, and indeed I did, with a reservation.

The Lazarus Men is a good, solid story with numerous twists and turns. It opens with some good action, and after a lull in the middle, it closes with some fast-paced battle scenes. Among the author's strengths are the characters. I found myself invested in the principal character from the start and he held my interest for the entire novel. I hoped he would make it to the end, and it never appeared certain he would. Along with the principal, there were several other characters, all well-defined and made to seem real. The world building was adequate for the story, and I enjoyed the descriptions of the settings.

The story was clearly written mostly, but there is one area I found disturbing, and it tended to take me out of the flow of the text. More on that later.

It was just another shift on the job for Gerald LaPlant, that is, until his employer called him in and promoted him for his prior service. And that was the last good thing that happened to him for quite some time. Unfortunately, he witnessed a murder and lost his wallet. Those who perpetrated the murder began stalking him and even came close to taking him out. See, the murdered man placed an object in his pocket before he died. An object of some importance to two of the most powerful people in the galaxy.

To save his own life, he fled to Mars, where he was followed.

Next thing Gerald knows is he cannot shake those after him. And what's worse, nearly everyone he encounters is after the object. His friends aren't really his friends, his enemies aren't necessarily his enemies, and poor Gerald does not know who he can trust, other than himself.

What is this object and why is it so important?

Principal character, Gerald LaPlant is an ordinary guy. He works and goes home. When he gets caught up in a world of intrigue, he is forced to go on the run. Confused and scared, he runs into a lot of other characters. Those he meets all have an ulterior motive because he has a key to a treasure beyond imagination. He came by the key when he witnessed a murder when it was placed in his possession without his knowledge. On his travels to other worlds, he meets an attractive archaeologist, a man he thought was his friend, and more than a few ruthless killers, as well as the masterminds who want to get their hands on the vast treasure to be found on the planet Cestus III. He is just a good guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and if he is not very careful, he will lose his life.

My favorite point of plot in The Lazarus Men is how the principal character seems unable to find allies in this story until he does find two. The ones he finds are the most unlikely people to be his friends. I loved this twist and the nature of the two people who help him because they are enemies and in competition until they decide to cooperate. Great irony there.

My takeaway from this tale is that when one holds the key to hidden wealth, one cannot trust anyone. Not everyone who is nice to you is your friend, and not everyone who is a threat to you are your enemies. Be careful how you choose your friends and keep your enemies close.

I found The Lazarus Men a great story full of twists and turns and is a fine sci-fi adventure one can get into. As I mentioned before, there is one thing that needs to be fixed in the book's text, and that is all the typos that appear through the whole thing.

I read enough that in nearly every book, I tend to find one or two typographical errors along the way, and mostly, I ignore them. It happens. If I know the author, I usually let them know I found them. Unfortunately, there are many in The Lazarus Men that interrupted the flow of the reading, and I had to stop and try to understand what the author meant to say. For this reason, I find I must give it a lower rating than it would otherwise deserve. With the copy I received being the third edition, I am a little disappointed the mistakes haven't been corrected at by now.

It is a great story that needs to be looked at by a copy editor.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Christian W. Freed was born in Buffalo, N.Y. more years ago than he would like to remember. After spending more than 20 years in the active-duty US Army he has turned his talents to writing. Since retiring, he has gone on to publish over 25 military fantasy and science fiction novels, as well as his memoirs from his time in Iraq and Afghanistan, a children's book, and a pair of how to books focused on indie authors and the decision making process for writing a book and what happens after it is published.

His first published book (Hammers in the Wind) has been the #1 free book on Kindle 4 times and he holds a fancy certificate from the L Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. Ok, so it was for 4th place in one quarter, but it's still recognition from the largest fiction writing contest in the world. And no, he's not a scientologist.

Passionate about history, he combines his knowledge of the past with modern military tactics to create an engaging, quasi-realistic world for the readers. He graduated from Campbell University with a degree in history and a Master of Arts degree in Digital Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He currently lives outside of Raleigh, N.C. and devotes his time to writing, his family, and their two Bernese Mountain Dogs. If you drive by you might just find him on the porch with a cigar in one hand and a pen in the other. You can find out more about his work by following him on social media.

Well, there it is...

Qapla!

Home on Derange by David Gerrold - Thirty Stories Designed To Be Entertaining And Perhaps Disturbing

Home on Derange by David Gerrold

I purchased Home on Derange directly from the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

In the introduction to this volume, David Gerrold writes:

"I suppose you are entitled to a warning.

"This is it.

"None of these stories are meant to be taken seriously."

He then proceeds to explain how the thirty entries in this anthology came into existence.

Home on Derange is a collection of thirty stories or other writings intended to be fun, and they most certainly are. It is a book full of varied speculations on life moving from the mundane into the extreme through the masterful use of language. If you enjoy reading tales with a twist, here is a book full of them. I found these stories so rich, I couldn't read them one right after the other. After almost every story, I had to set the book aside because my mind needed time to wrap itself around what I had read.

While I enjoyed every story in this book, I found a few favorites that stood out to me.

The first story is entitled "The Great Pan American Airship Mystery." A group of high-powered personalities take a trip on a passenger blimp across the United States. In their midst, there may be a threat as they discuss the more macabre aspects of their business.

Another of my favorites is "Crystallization." It is a look at a major city's problem of freeway gridlock if taken to the extreme. If you live in a rural area, this one will make you glad you do.

"The Kennedy Enterprise" is a speculation on what might have happened if the Kennedy family had gotten involved in Hollywood instead of entering politics. I found this one the most fun as I pictured JFK the way he was described. I couldn't help but laugh.

Those three represent only ten percent of what is contained in Home on Derange.

My takeaways from Home on Derange are twofold.

As a reader, I loved all the plot twists and swerves I found in this collection. These stories are all on the fringe and each one is bizarre. It is always nice to get away from serious sci-fi for a short time and enjoy something different. I found this an entertaining volume I will read again because there is so much to be found in those pages.

As an aspiring writer, I was mesmerized at the use of language. According to the author, every story, every chapter, every paragraph, and every sentence should be surprising to the reader. I loved the way he used the language to paint pictures of situations I found the characters.

Home on Derange is a marvelous collection of stories to read for fun and entertainment, as well as a diversion from life. If you're down, these stories will help one appreciate that no matter how bad one's own situation may be, it could be worse. A lot worse. They are all masterfully written and easy to digest a little at a time. It is not designed to be read from cover to cover in a single sitting. Each vignette is intended to be savored individually.

If you enjoy speculative fiction in small bites, this one is for you.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

David Gerrold lives in California with his son, daughter-in-law, and his toddler grandson. He is the winner of numerous awards for his writing. You can follow him on Facebook or through his Patreon page. He is a self-described curmudgeon, and you are highly advised not to tread on his lawn.

Well, there it is...

Qapla!