The Rose: Volume 1: A Dystopian Sci-Fi Thriller by PD Alleva - Non-Stop Action!

The Rose: Volume 1: A Dystopian Science Fiction Thriller by PD Alleva

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

The Rose Vol. 1 is the first in a series of dystopian sci-fi thrillers. The first thing that made me want to read this was mostly curiosity. A description of the book includes the end of a world war, alien vampires, gray aliens, enslaved humans, and human rebels. My question was, how is the author going to bring all these plot points together and make a cohesive story out of them? The answer is he did it masterfully. This story is packed with action set in a world where there seems to be little hope for humanity. Once one opens this book, it is difficult to set aside, and there is no end to the thrills, twists, and turns.

Well written and edited, if you enjoy sci-fi monster stories with vivid descriptions of brutality, this is a book you will really sink your teeth into.

Soon after World War III, people are gathered in "refugee camps," supposedly for their own safety. What they are is fodder for alien vampires for genetic experimentation and food.

Sandy Cox is taken by the aliens and awakes in a lab tied to a table, and her unborn fetus has been taken from her for some nefarious purpose only known to the vampires. She makes it her sole mission to get her baby back while others work to rescue her and others from the horrors of the alien laboratory.

Phil, a freedom fighter, is armed with combat knowledge, and a pair of sacred alien blades, and a crew of rogue soldiers. He fights his way through the complex feverishly to free Sandy, her child, and others. All along the way, they run into vampires, grays, and genetically enhanced humans and monsters.

There isn't a lot of background on the war or the characters in this story, so there were none that really stood out to me except for Phil. He is a soldier who has seen a lot of combat with the aliens and knows how to kill them. But there are a lot of them to face and his success is not assured. He and his rag-tag bunch put up a gallant fight. There is never a dull moment in The Rose!

I would have liked to have a little more background on World War III and the factions involved. Apparently, the US has been invaded by both Russian and Chinese troops and there has been a hell of a fight which left the US vulnerable to the Alien invasion. It isn't clear if the alien invasion is an isolated thing, or a widespread problem. Perhaps these things will be covered in future installments of the story. While I would have liked more history, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of this imaginative and complex story told from the human point of view and the alien perspective.

The aliens in The Rose think pretty well as we do. They have their agenda and pursue it. What that agenda isn't completely clear, but it revolves around Sandy's baby and perhaps may be revealed in future volumes of the story.

My takeaway from The Rose is how humanity has to be ever vigilant. It would seem while people of the Earth were busy fighting each other, it left, at least the US, wide open for an even more horrible threat from extra-terrestrial beings who see people as a source to gain scientific knowledge.

For me, this was more of a Sci-Fi Horror story than anything else. It is an engaging and entertaining story that is full of blood and guts that some readers may find disturbing. Alleva's descriptions are quite vivid and detailed, adding to palpable visions of violence perpetrated against not only humans, but against aliens as well. If this story doesn't give one chills, it would make me wonder if the reader has no feelings at all.

I recommend The Rose Volume 1 for those who enjoy a story that moves at warp speed with twists all along the way. It is certainly a journey into the darkness that will thrill, and maybe even cause a few nightmares.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Born in Brooklyn, New York, raised in Westchester County, New York, living in South Florida since 1992. A child of the 90’s PD has coined a new genre, Alternative Fiction. Why? Because Multi-Genre Author sounds like you’ve got marbles between your cheeks. 

Horror, Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Supernatural, Dark Fiction, Thrillers and Mysteries, a little bit of sumpin sumpin for readers who enjoy intellectual and yet over the top lets blow our minds and rock out to amazing and extraordinary stories, heroes and villains. PD's latest release is The Rose Vol 1, a dystopian science fiction thriller, a series that features a sophisticated although primal and ravaging species of Alien Vampires living in hollow earth who have conspired with alien greys and elite humans in an attempt to subjugate the human population. Vol 1 was published on October 7, 2020 with Vol 2 slated for publication in early December 2021. PD will also publish his horror novel, Golem in early October 2021.

PD can best be described as a kind hearted, compassionate, hypnotizing, mesmerizing, do good save your life simpleton who would rather hang out all day with the characters in his books than venture too far away from home. A lover of isolation, meditating on the beach at sunrise, and howling at the moon after sunset, he’s either the life of the party or the oddball sitting alone in the corner with that really strange look in his eye as if he’s talking with people that are just not there, perhaps receiving a few concerned stares as he laughs at himself or maybe a funny joke one of those voices just told him. OH, All IS WELL ISN’T IT?

PD loves the creative process that comes with writing. From the spawning of a new idea to jotting down notes or sending a hurried email to himself even during the most off time to do so (the book always come first), to the artful craft of editing all the way to publication, there is nothing better than producing an exceptional book. 

An avid reader who loves to talk books, PD will write short reaction reviews for the books he has finished and has not one issue answering questions from readers as they come.

Well, there it is...

Qapla!

Three Aliens Walk Into A Bar: The Invasion Of Lake Peculiar Book 1 By Jack Ravenhill - A Funny Little Story With A Few Problems

Three Aliens Walk Into A Bar: The invasion of Lake Peculiar Book 1 by Jack Ravenhill

How could anyone resist a title like Three Aliens Walk Into A Bar? Well, I couldn't. I learned about this book from a blog I subscribe to that recommends books in various genres. Along with the title reading like the opening to a bad joke, I was drawn by the cover.

Three Aliens is a Sci-Fi Comedy focusing on strange characters who have gathered in a small town somewhere in Minnesota. It is full of funny situations, but only funny; I wouldn't go as far as to say hilarious. The characters are a group of widely diverse types ranging from somewhat normal to outrageously strange.

While the story wasn't what I would call great, it is good. It is solid and moves at a quick pace and is easy to read mostly, which brings me to my major complaint about the book.

I think the author should have run this book past the editor a few more times. The text has so many typos I found myself looking for them and being taken out of the story.

Now, before anyone goes off calling me a "Grammar-Nazi" I'll say no matter how many passes someone makes over a text, a few things will be missed. I've learned this from my writing. I've read several books that have one or two minor problems and tend to forgive them, but Three Aliens has so many, I could not ignore them and must wonder if this story wasn't rushed to release.

Despite the typos, I enjoyed the story and was entertained.

A phone app called Astra is showing numerous objects approaching the solar system from deep space. Scientists say the nature of these objects is inconclusive and could be anything. Later, it seems the objects' movements are not responding to gravity well encounters, and they appear to be accelerating as well. Many people jump to the conclusion that alien invasion is imminent. And with that, chaos and bedlam take hold in large population centers.

Gus and Sam, a couple of gamer-types, react as well. Gus decides it is time for a road trip to see a woman he has been internet gaming with calling herself the Night Fox. In Gus' grandiose thinking, this woman is his erstwhile girlfriend, and he is determined to meet her. Sam, Gus' meek-mannered sidekick, goes along for the ride against his better judgement.

When their car becomes inoperable along the way to the Canadian town where Night Fox lives, they catch a ride with a paranormal radio talk show host. Following another vehicular mishap, they wind up in Lake Peculiar, Minnesota, thanks to a good Samaritan who rescues them.

Meanwhile, Journey Devereaux, and her grandmother are evicted from their cabin in the Canadian woods and told they will have to move on. Thanks to the efforts of Sam and the good Samaritan that saved him, they can bring Journey to Lake Peculiar. Out of the goodness of his heart, Sam does this for Gus' sake, thinking she is the mysterious Night Fox.

In Lake Peculiar, there lives a collection of numerous types of people. All are interesting and some are down-right, well, peculiar.

When the aliens arrive, it is rumored the Russians launched nuclear weapons at a mothership and it resulted in the complete and utter destruction of Moscow in retaliation. Many are convinced this is an actual event, causing everyone to assume the visitors from far away are malevolent. However, when three members of the alien race arrive in town, they don't seem bent on destruction, or anything else for that matter. They just seem to stand and silently observe while the sleepy little town goes about business as usual.

Of the three principal characters of this story, Gus seems to be the most interesting, and the most irritating. He sees himself as a classic Renaissance man who knows everything, but he is really just full of crap. He has the uncanny ability to extrapolate fact from thin air with little or no evidence and gets on everyone's nerves. When the aliens arrive, he becomes a self-appointed goodwill ambassador to the aliens. Most of the people of the town just go about their business while Gus continues his boisterous proclamations of how the aliens will be a beneficial addition to the community. Everyone tends to ignore Gus once they find out what he is all about.

Sam is the opposite of Gus. He is wholly unassuming and rarely insinuates himself on anyone. He is almost powerless where Gus' influence is concerned and often finds himself worse off for it. Sam is a nice kid, and one gets the impression he is smarter than he lets on. As the story unfolds, he shows quite a bit of growth and should be an interesting character in future books.

Journey is blind and is also quite smart and independent. She has accepted the situation that robbed her of sight and despises pity and goes to great lengths to avoid showing any vulnerability. She is the best developed among all the characters in Three Aliens, and as such, the most interesting.

The blurb for the book promises that "if you enjoy Garrison Keillor's Tales from Lake Wobegon, you'll love Lake Peculiar." I would have to agree with that statement. My favorite point of plot is the irony of the townspeople's reaction to the aliens on their doorstep. While as the title suggests, the three aliens do not walk into the bar, but they do little else other than mildly intimidate the population of the sleepy little town. Everyone except for Gus avoids contact with them, but still, they remain seemingly unfazed by the most incredible event of human history.

I enjoyed this story, but I'm on the fence about whether I will invest time in the promised sequels. I was intrigued and entertained by Three Aliens, but I don't feel invested in the story enough to commit. That's not to say it isn't a fine story, it just has a few weaknesses - aside from the poor editing - that may be a little off-putting. Mostly, I have known too many people like Gus in my lifetime and am not sure I want to expose myself to the attitude in my entertainment.

I would recommend this book to someone who might look for light and entertaining story with lots of action and head-scratching logic. It's not bad.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jack Ravenhill loves to build strange and complex worlds rich with unforgettable characters, hidden corners, and looming questions. His favorite stories break down old categories and invite you into fresh and fascinating ways of thinking. Whether it's robot fairies or small-town aliens, whether the stakes are the fate of the world or a teenage heartbreak, Jack always gets you through with heart, humor, and a feast among friends.

Well, there it is...

Qapla!