Book Review: HERO is a Four Letter Word by J.M. Frey

eARC

Expected Release Date: Sept. 23, 2013

Publisher: Fast Foreward

Author: J.M. Frey

Big thanks to JM for providing this book for review!

Good and Evil. Two sides of the same coin? Or something less defined, something more liminal? Entertaining and always thought-provoking, author J.M. Frey offers three remarkable stories that explore the grey area of the hero/villain dichotomy in this debut short story collection. Funny and irreverent, "The Once And Now-ish King" finds King Arthur reborn. "Just A Four Letter Word" follows Jennet, descendant of mythic lovers. In "The Maddening Science", a former supervillain is forced to return to a life of crime to save his stalker. Heroes. Villains. Monsters. Fairy Tales. Myths. Legends. Who is the good guy, who the bad, and who gets to decide which is which? After all, 'hero' is just another four letter word.

JM has done it again, you guys! This is such a fun book!

First, lets look at that cover. LOVE, right?! It's so great!

HERO is a Four Letter Word is a collection of three short stories.

In the first story--which is the weakest of the three--King Arthur is reborn. 

I can't say much without spoiling it, but this one was a bit too weird, even for me. It was amusing, yes...but just a bit too odd and out-there. 

The second story was right up my alley, and very familiar.

You ST:TNG fans will remember the episode where Dr. Crusher's Grandmother dies, right?

This story was so similar to that episode...but it had fae! I love me some fae. ;)

The third story was definitely my favourite.

Being a former City of Heroes player--a superhero MMO that shut down just about a year ago now (and that I will miss until the day I die), this one hit close to home.

It's about a former supervillain, who is doing his best to try to live a normal life,  who unknowingly meets his stalker and saves her life.

HERO is a short book that makes a great afternoon read. I definitely recommend it to you grownups who enjoy genre or romance.

Book Review- The Dark Side of the Glass by J.M. Frey

eBook
Release date: June 1, 2012
Publisher: Double Dragon Publishing
Author: J.M. Frey
Thank you to J.M. for providing this eARC for review.

Mary was a fan of the vampire drama ”City By Night”, until she woke up in the show. At first, Mary is thrilled – who wouldn’t want to live alongside their favorite TV characters? The charm fades when Mary realizes that the extras still don’t speak, the matte paintings don’t become real, and all the infuriating flaws in the writing are just amplified when you have to try to interact with the shallow characters.  And then, of course, the lead character Leondre DuNoir falls for her! But Leondre’s admiration comes with its own set of problems: Antonio, Leondre’s psychotic stalker, has a habit of killing off the girls-of-the-week. To stay alive, Mary has to find a way home from a world that, pardon the pun, totally sucks.

I've been a fan of J.M.'s for awhile. I first saw her on the SPACE channel's Doctor Who season finale special that aired awhile back.
Then I met her briefly at the SPACE channel's season six screening last April.
I started following her on Twitter and Facebook, and I've been meaning to pick up her first book, Triptych, for awhile now.
So when she put the call out asking bloggers to review her new novella, I jumped at the chance!

The Dark Side of the Glass is an amazingly FUN read! It breaks the fourth wall in a magical, wonderful way.
I couldn't help but think...What would it be like if I woke up in my favourite show, Doctor Who or Once Upon A Time?
According to Ms. Frey, it wouldn't be as great as you'd think. ;)

Mary is a fantastic character. Very easy to relate to, with her many flaws and quirks.
And Leondre (LOVED his name! Ha!) was perfectly written.
I often wondered if J.M. herself had somehow experienced waking up in a fantasy TV land, her leading man was written so well. ;)

The writing is fun and light, with just enough humour and romance to keep you turning the pages.
There are more than a few laugh-out-loud moments.
It's a short book, but there's a LOT written in those 100-ish pages. I definitely didn't feel cheated or left wanting as I so often do after finishing a short book.

And without saying too much, I'll say that the end is brilliant. I LOVED it, and it left me grinning like a fool.

This book is unique and refreshing and I really enjoyed every minute of it.
It would make a great day-at-the-beach or long-commute read--Although you might get a few stares from strangers once you start giggling aloud at the funny bits.

It reminded me so much of a Canadian vampire show that I used to love, 'Forever Knight', and it even had a touch of 'Angel' to it--albeit the lighter episodes of both.

I can't recommend this book enough, and I really feel like this review isn't doing it justice.
So....PLEASE read The Dark Side of the Glass! And then go tell J.M. how awesome it was!