M.A. Abraham

First Contact
Tantalus, Book 1
By: M.A. Abraham
Narrated by: Brian Callanan
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary.
I really enjoyed this book! It has two stories going on at one time. One story is of the ship and occupants traveling to Mars, but they end up missing Mars and find a planet that is hidden somehow magically behind Mars. There is murders and intrigue going on during the trip on the ship. The other story is on the Planet Tantalus where the ship is heading to. There is just as much trouble is happening there. Great suspense, fantasy, science fiction, romance, mystery, well developed characters, and world building. Loved the plot development and how the two stories weave together.
The narrator was wonderful at building emotions, suspense, romance, and perfect for all kinds of voices. Enjoyed it as if I was watching a movie! Loved it! Can't wait to follow up with book 2!… (més)

Actual rating: 3.5

I don't know whether I should be offended or not.

On one hand, there is that giddiness and longing at the concept of Life Mates, wherein you can just take one look into their eyes and know they are The One. It is similar to that of the idea of soulmates. Then again, just because you are Life Mates doesn't mean guarantee that you would get along just fine although, in this book, love comes with the Life Mates territory.

On the other hand, a stated by a reading update, if one of the couple doesn't want to recognize the bond, then perhaps one should desist from forcing the issue. Like, really, the amount of male posturing and egotism displayed here but it is "tempered" by their devotion, care and love for their mates.

But woman empowerment and independence! That is why I liked that Eden resisted so much. If she wanted Gabriel then she must come to the relationship of her own decision not because it was done deal because of the Life Mate bond.… (més)

A FANTASY REALM WORTH VISITING!

The plot only gets more intriguing as I move through the series. The light elven enjoy humor and camaraderie between themselves which contrasts sharply to what the elven on the other side of the portal face daily. Few women are left, food is scarce and yet they struggle on, hoping for a miracle.

I think the author has the right of it – women with their strength of character and honor are able to help destroy evil in whatever realm they find themselves as well as any honorable male.

New interesting characters are added to the community of elven we’ve met previously, making this realm even more enjoyable. It is clear-- family, honor, tradition and adventure play important roles in drawing me to the awesomeness of the fantasy world author Abraham unfolds.

Dragons carry the day when they confront the Demons. I love the relationship and respect Serenity has with her dragon—tenderness in such a creature. The dragons, even though beasts, have their honor and know what is evil.

If you haven't yet started reading M.A. Abraham and are a lover of fantasy, dragons and realms unknown, this series is most certainly for you. She keeps me coming back!… (més)

One of the main reasons I love the fantasy genre so much is for its epic worlds and descriptions. The adventures have a monumental feeling with a wonderful lore supporting the main story arc. That is exactly what I got when I read Gabriel.

I came across this book because I joined its Blog Hop that was hosted by Innovative Online Book Tours. The author, Miss Abraham, wrote my very first author guest post on my blog, Journey with Words; and after reading the book’s excerpt I knew I wanted to read the full story.

The tale revolves around Gabriel, the Chief of the Elven Military Forces, and his destined bride to be Eden, a free spirited Elven maiden that prefers to spend her days from tree to tree and fighting just like her brothers instead of conforming to the expected role she, as a woman, is supposed to fill. The couple’s conflict develops because Gabriel is used to be followed to the last word without hesitation while Eden is used to not follow anyone’s orders. Eden is a strong female character, one that is more than capable to go head to head with the most stubborn character of the book, Gabriel.

I did have a problem with the book at first, since the elven society in general has a slight air of male chauvinism that after a while it was beginning to rub me off the wrong way.

There is a constant statement that was driving me mad, every time that Eden excelled at something it is looked upon by the male characters with such shock, that it was beginning to wear thin. Her success was more impressive than normal because she is a woman. One of the first comments of this sort comes from Eden’s own father:

"I understand. I know Eden can be difficult. She has never followed any path a normal Elven maiden would have. She has always been one to make her home in the trees and her love of weapons was something encouraged by myself. It seemed a smart thing to do at the time. I was already training my son Lociel and she was just another student. It was a time of war and she needed to be able to defend herself. C'Liandra would have rather died than touch a weapon. Eden, On the other hand, is an exceptional fighter, especially for a woman." (Gabriel, pp. 29)

Now don’t get me wrong, Laurent –Eden’s father– loves her very much, but the mentality is there. However, as the series progresses there begin to be a switch in the balance empowering the women of the story that made me stick to the book until the very end. There is a good movement in the works and I only hope that it continues throughout the rest of the series.

The bottom line is that I enjoyed this book quite a lot. It’s a great fantasy, one that I recommend to anyone who loves the genre, and one that I definitively want to read the next book from.

This review also appears on my blog, Journey with Words.… (més)