Encore Moo: A Lawnmowers, Inc. Novella - P.J Benney

Synopsis:

Sometimes Nicholas Wyndham is happy, but it depends which one of him you ask. There are dozens of versions of him, and they’re trying to make contact. The laws of physics are of no concern to a man who can send emails to a parallel universe. Naturally, some of the Nicholases, the clueless ones, are getting worried. Their post keeps going missing, and their kitchens are haunted, and their partners grow suspicious. In the wake of the Lawnmowers, Inc. scandal, Nicholas Wyndham is having a crisis, and Nicholas Wyndham is the only man that can help him – if he can reach himself in time.

Review:

This is such a fun Novella I actually cant contain my good emotions whilst reading it. There are dozens of Nicholas Wyndham, and its quite fascinating to watch them discover what's happening to them and try to figure out what to do about it. Its a quirky novella at that, I mean it's just brilliant to read because there are so many versions of Nicholas and some of him freak out some of them find it perfectly logical when it comes to explaining recent happenings in their lives. There's also Beth and Violet, each of them playing parts in many of Nicholas' lives (this is very absurd and slightly confusing to write) Depending on which one of him you ask but they're more loved by him than not so that's a positive for them. It's great to see that Present Violet is linked to Déjà Moo in the way that she would write vegan friendly recipes for Lawnmowers Inc, well that was before it went in flames anyway.

I don't think I can make this review as long as my others just down to the fact it's a novella and I refuse to ruin anything for you all because there's no fun in spoiling anything for anyone. Take my word for it, Encore moo is funny and exciting and although seemingly confusing to follow its easy peasy.

A plot that's so twisty turny and funny that part of me can't understand how P.J.Benney managed to stay on track whilst writing this and even bought up the question of did he get confused at all? We do get to see a few familiar faces come the ending of the novella and it was a nice way to end it.
Once finishing Déjà Moo I knew I had to read Encore Moo just to allow me to fill the hole left in my life now I had finished the first book. Once again P.J Benney did a great job mixing his humour into the writing creating something unique and quite beautiful. I loved how even though a Novella and nearly nothing to do with Déjá Moo how Benney managed to keep a link between both stories.

It's an easy 5/5 from me, I cant say a single bad thing about the Novella, its a perfect little read to fill a period of time with and tie you over until Bovine Intervention coming in 2018. Even though not a genre I have read lot of besides Déjà Moo. The door has definitely stayed opened and I'm looking forward to reading more of the genre and P.J Benney's work.


Links
Click here to see Déjá Moo: A Lawnmowers, Inc. Novel on Amazon
Click here to see Déjá Moo: A Lawnmowers, Inc. Novel on Goodreads

Click here to see Encore Moo: A Lawnmowers Inc. Novella on Amazon
Click here to see Encore Moo: A Lawnmowers Inc. Novella on Goodreads

Click here to see P.J Benney's Twitter
Click here to visit P.J Benney's Website

Déjà Moo: A Lawnmowers, Inc. Novel - PJ Benney

Synopsis:

Lawnmowers, Inc. is London’s biggest (read: only) cattle-powered garden maintenance corporation. But after his Holstein mascot, Lily, goes missing, celebrity CEO Daniel teams up with reclusive witch Cynthia to uncover a conspiracy that threatens to destroy their futures and rewrite their pasts. With a detective hunting a werewolf in Camden Market, a coven of magi controlling London's biggest news channel, and a reporter desperate to expose a public scandal, it's only a matter of time before the city discovers both the fate of the bovine superstar, and the existence of magic itself...

Review:

Daniel Wesley never had his sights set on fame or riches but they had found him, he's now a CEO who has made an empire out of showing the world that the cows offer more than their milk and meat - that they're great lawnmowers. At The Grazing Day Fair in Hyde Park all is going good and well until Daniels speech comes along, he passes out on stage in front of everyone including reporters and awakes to find his mascot named Lily is missing.

There are a lot of great things to say about this book. First of all, the writing is hilarious. Good job I didn't count how many time I actually laughed or scoffed because that would be large number if I'm honest. I found the entire book to be well-written, both grammar and plot wise, everything was so meticulously planned out to be what it became its blew my mind. The story kept moving, the pace was spot on, and I was undoubtedly hooked from the start until the finish.

There are so many characters in this book that I just love, and you get to follow a good number of them throughout the story, we have a witch called Cynthia Pannettiére, her missing wizard boyfriend called Errol, a werewolf hunting ex detective Vincent Burgess, a wicked witch, an elderly couple of wise mages, a secret order of magical monks - and a fair few more fascinating characters. One I actually loved a lot is History. Yes History is a character, who comes across as just a sort of living being whom makes many appearances throughout the book and watches down on all things as they happen, happened, or will happen... you know because... time is relative...right?

I love how this book makes you really have to think!  And just when you think you’ve got things figured out, here comes a twist and you’ve got to keep reading to find out what happens next. I mean I think a lot of people would think this book hard to follow because of how its written but its really just an ordinary book that is as simple and easy to follow you just have to take everything in.

The end of the book, whilst it ties up the biggest issue at hand, it still leaves some things open to smoothly transition into a second book. I really cant say much as to what I expected going into this book but I can say is that it is extraordinary. I did have no expectations because I don't tend to read much of this genre so of course I didn't know what to expect but to have a character who is a cow, quite damn literally is one of the best things ever. The characters are so realistic and some quite quirky it just made them more relatable.

P.J Benney will surely go far with this book and all those that may come, his humour and writing are just something that when mixed together are so unique and quite beautiful if I may say so. Its an easy 5/5 from me, I cant say a single bad thing about the book except for the fact it had to come to an end, even though not a genre I read lot of, Déjá Moo has definitely opened that door for me and given me a little kick through it.

Déjá Moo is just the first, there is also Encore Moo a Novella and Bovine Intervention will be coming out in 2018.



Links
Click here to see Déjá Moo: A Lawnmowers, Inc. Novel on Amazon
Click here to see Déjá Moo: A Lawnmowers, Inc. Novel on Goodreads

Click here to see Encore Moo: A Lawnmowers Inc. Novella on Amazon
Click here to see Encore Moo: A Lawnmowers Inc. Novella on Goodreads

Click here to see P.J Benney's Twitter
Click here to visit P.J Benney's Website

The Eye of Nefertiti: A Pharaoh's Cat Novel - Maria Luisa Lang

Synopsis:

The Eye of Nefertiti is both a stand-alone novel and a sequel to The Pharaoh’s Cat. The time-traveling ancient Egyptian feline with human powers returns together with his beloved Pharaoh and his close friends, the High Priest of Amun-Ra and Elena, an Egyptologist’s daughter.

The cat is quick-witted, wise-cracking narrator as well as free-spirited, ever-curious protagonist, and the story he tells is an exotic, imaginative, spell-binding tragicomedy. The cat travels from present-day New York City to England, both ancient and modern, then to ancient Egypt, where he confronts a horrible demon and experiences a sublime emotion. Once back in England, he descends into a psychological abyss so deep only the Pharaoh can save him.

The Eye of Nefertiti interweaves feline and human, past and present, natural and supernatural. It contains numerous surprises, twists and turns, intriguing characters, both human and animal, fascinating revelations about ancient Egyptian history and culture, and an ingenious application of the Tarot and an Italian opera.

Review

I must first of all thank Maria for supplying me with a free copy of the book in return I am to truthfully review it.

The Eye of Nefertiti is a stand alone novel but is also a follow on from the first book A Pharaoh's Cat. Having read the first book I felt it easy to transition into this book but I know that having read this book that even if you haven't read the first book, everything is pretty much in here for you to catch up on anyway so it isn't really too necessary to read the first unless you want the detail.

After the ending of the last book, we are in New York and its been a few months and there is now a new addition who is very much an adorable little fella. As it was with the first book, its a quick read and easily completed in a sitting or 2 depending on the time you have, and it still isn't a simple book about a cat, it looks at the deep meanings of connections, mixing emotions with historical fiction and magic. We see more than just ancient Egypt and modern day New York this time, we also get to see both modern and ancient England which made me smile because I love it when books are based in my country for some reason. Throughout the book there is a mystery that must be solved and we’re left very curious as to how things will play out. Although it is easy to work out a couple of bits and bobs as I say, as a whole the way things play out was just a big surprise for me.

We once again have a number of amusing moments to play audience to; we once again get to explore ancient Egypt and have a mystery to solve as well as having interesting characters and have scenes that pull at a variety of emotions. It gives us all we could expect from the story.

I simply just loved this book, having already fell in love with and attached myself emotionally and mentally to all of the characters in the last book I just simply moved into this book and with each page turn I was finding more and more reason to stay connected and laugh and cry or a mix of the both. The plot was very interesting and unique and I just couldn't put it down. With all of the new messages and lessons I finished the book with a sense of something, I'm not even sure what but I was kind of refreshed and seeing the world ever so slightly different. It opened my eyes in some way and I'm pretty sure I cried for a little while but no one needs to know that.

Leaving this the very same way I left the first book, its an easy 5/5 and if any of you check this out, come back tell me how you felt about it all and lets see how different or same our experiences were.

The Pharaoh's Cat - Maria Luisa Lang

Synopsis:

The Pharaoh’s Cat, a tragicomic fantasy narrated in the present tense by the cat himself, tells of a free-spirited, wise-cracking stray in ancient Egypt who suddenly acquires human powers and immediately captivates the young Pharaoh, making him laugh for the first time since his parents’ death.

The cat becomes the Pharaoh’s constant companion and, at the royal palace and on a tour of Egypt, participates in the festivities, developing an insatiable appetite for good food, wine, and gossip. Gradually, he renews the Pharaoh’s ability to enjoy life and inspires him to become a stronger leader. The bond of selfless love they share will change Egypt’s destiny.

The cat has a good friend in the High Priest of the god Amun-Ra and seeks his help in solving the mystery of his human powers and the supernatural manifestations that plague him. He has a mortal enemy in the Vizier—the second most powerful man in Egypt--who hates him for his close relationship with the Pharaoh. The Vizier’s persecution of the cat ultimately results in his fleeing with the High Priest to present-day New York City, where they find an ally in an Egyptologist’s daughter.

Review:

First of all I want to thank Maria for providing me a copy of The Pharaoh's Cat in return for a honest review, I hope you enjoy.

The Pharaoh's Cat is such a lovely read, you can pretty much get through it in a day or 2 if you have some time to kill. I didn't really know what to expect from such a book with all the aspects of it combining bits of several genres but it was such a great read that I'm pretty attached to now. Its not simply a story about a cat, it is so much more, of love and friendship the repercussions of actions and most noticeably Egyptian history I suppose and even more messages about how actions can effect lives. These lessons and messages are not plainly put to you, they are so delicately woven into the storyline that is sweet and spans thousands of years.

The story told from the perspective of the cat, The Pharaoh’s Cat is made up of amusing moments. In both ancient Egypt and modern day New York, we get to play audience as the mystery surrounding the walking talking cat is unrolled and solved. Throughout, we encounter several interesting characters and watch as many wonderful and uplifting scenes unfold. It really does pull you in and I found myself simply unable or unwilling to put the book down for hours on end.

With the characters and the scenes I completely fell in love, to keep the story short some scenes that I wished had been plumped out more were short but still very adorable and vibrant. I got attached to everyone and thing, it was just too hard not to. Characters shown on the negative side had my bad emotions whilst every other character shown on the positive side got all of my great emotions and when plot twists came I'm sure both loads of emotions clashed and fought with each other for a long time. Although short and simple The Pharaoh's Cat made me laugh, cry, curse and simply just forget the real world for a while. I love the information about Egypt and how well it all fitted into the story.

Once finishing the story I moved right onto the second book and simply fell further in love. Short, sweet and simple this book gets a 5/5 from me. Even though some people saw parts as negatives which bumped down their ratings I simply just loved this book to much to not give it a 5/5. if you need a short book to fill in a hole, something to laugh at and love definitely check out this book and I hope it has the same effect on you as it did me.

Let There Be Linda - Rich Leder

Synopsis

Leder's black comic caper tells the tall tale of estranged brothers Mike and Dan Miller—accountant and con-man talent agent respectively—up to their necks in the virtual quicksand of LA's San Fernando Valley during the hottest summer in Southern California history.

The root cause of their problems could be the missing seventy-five thousand dollars, or the sadistic, loan shark dwarf and his vicious giant, or the psycho comedian cop on the case, or the coke-snorting dentist, or the deranged zombie real estate developer. Or perhaps it’s the poodle—the poodle is suspect, no doubt. Or maybe it's the grocery store checker who breathes life into death. Oh yes, it could be her too.

And so to repair the head-on collision the Millers have made of their personal and professional lives, the brothers summon their mother back from the dead to clean up the wreckage. But what the Miller men discover is that screwing with the laws of nature is forever and always a violent, bloody, hysterical, and hilarious idea.

Review:

I don't think I've ever gone through so many emotions in one book. I read this whilst on holiday and I had been feeling quite sick and so I went to bed and got to reading. It was nearly 12pm but I got into it anyway. You do not understand how much more sick I felt when I read the part about to god damned poodle. My stomach ended somewhere in my feet next to my brain.

Good looking talent agent Danny Miller owes a hefty amount of cash to the sadistic Harvey Mineral and his muscle Omar, but Danny gets an idea from Jenny Stone who is looking for representation for her (very literal) unbelievable ability to bring dead things back to life.
Danny has seen Jenny’s power work and knows that some people will pay top money to have loved ones returned. Like Danny’s dentist, Donald Greenburg, who lost his poodle, Chachi, to Harvey’s cruelty.

Danny brings his brother Mike who is an accountant into the picture after he was recently let go due to accusations of embezzlement. Donald unfortunately pays the $75,000 resurrection bill by borrowing from Harvey, so the loan shark and Omar keep a close eye on the cash. But it all doesn't end there, even more people are interested in the money, a cop who is also a stand-up comic named Gary Shuler and a very crazy real estate developer called Judd Martin, who blames Mike for bankrupting him.

The book is a tale that tosses logic far out the window and it makes it so much better that way, I have tried over and over to portray my thoughts about this book but none of them seem to actually hit the spot. its a lovely mix of humour, gore and family values. You really have to read it to understand how hard it is to fathom words to describe it. I do recommend it to anyone who wants laughter and gore mixed into one. Although you may think you wont like the book, you have to be persistent and I promise you'll get hooked eventually.

I'm not sure what else I can say, its a funny read but somehow it didn't hit the spot completely and therefore I'm going to give it a 4 out of 5.