Welcome to Feathered Quill Book Reviews, a place for readers to find their next treasure. Along with reviews of many well-known titles, this site also searches out unique books from small, independent presses.

Feathered Quill Book Reviews prides itself on giving the reader an honest, unbiased critique of each and every book on its website. So slip off your shoes, pour yourself a cup of coffee, explore our pages, and discover many wonderful gems in the world of books.

Spotlight Reviews

Frozen in Time: Murder at the Bottom of the World

By: Theodore Jerome Cohen
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Publication Date: April 2010
ISBN: 978-1452002705
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: September 3, 2010

Ted Stone would often rub a six-inch scar on his leg, a scar that could easily take his mind back in time more than forty years. It was a time of murder, mayhem, yet a time when memories of accomplishment could just as easily be tucked in the folds of adventure on the North Antarctic Peninsula in February of 1962. It was an austral summer that would become as ingrained in his mind as much as the scar on his leg. Ted, a young grad student at the University of Wisconsin, was going to help fellow student, Canadian Grant Morris, collect much needed rock and fossil specimens needed for his doctoral dissertation. Dr. Woollard also knew when opportunity came knocking and quickly convinced Ted of “the importance of the International Gravity Network and the need to acquire additional data at the end of the North Antarctic Peninsula.” (pg. 25) Ted realized he might be taking on too much, but a Worden gravimeter was added to his packing list.

Two years before the expedition, an earthquake measuring 9.5 on the Richter scale rocked Chile on May 22, 1960, but at the same time a country was feeling the devastation nature can wreak, two men stepped forward to lay claim to unimaginable treasure. Two Chilean NCOs, Raul Lucero and Eduardo Bellolio, worked late into the night rifling the safety deposit boxes in the Banco Central de Chile vault, a vault they should have been guarding. The riches were indescribable...imagine an 18K yellow gold Patek Phillipe simply there for the taking. After secreting their cache, the two heavily tattooed thugs would hide behind their jobs, jobs that would later bring them in contact with a young gringo, Ted Stone.

The team from the University was prepared to work and had made provisions for survival in an unforgiving climate, but they were unprepared for something else at Base Bernardo O’Higgins. The evil was on the move with them as Lucero and Bellolio too made their voyage to that “wind- and snow-swept outpost on the North Antarctic Peninsula...one of the oldest, permanent bases on the frozen continent.” (pg. 89) Meanwhile, Ted began to take readings with the gravimeter to tie his station into the Antarctic Gravity Network and Grant began to see great possibilities in the bleak landscape.

The team began to work, yet were totally unaware of the danger that hung over their heads. Lucero and Bellolio met on the ice, but a third man decided to push the envelope and blackmail them. The business at hand was to kill seals because the dog team needed to be fed. Yes, yes. He could have more money. The bloody seal lay next to the blackmailer. Lucero and Bellolio boarded the launch leaving him behind. “One by one the orcas placed their heads on the iceberg, attempting to use their weight to tip the ‘seals’ into the water.” (pg. 109) The blood had begun to flow at the bottom of the earth. Who would be next? Were the treasures of Chile worth the lives of all on the expedition? The echoes of Captain Robert F. Scott’s voice were almost palpable as the landscape roared, “Great God! This is an awful place!”

This marvelous blend of long ago memories and fiction slowly draw the reader down to the end of the earth and onto the Continental Glacier where a small group of men suddenly found themselves unexpectedly fighting for their very existence. The tale does not thrust the reader into the crashing waves of drama immediately, but rather draws him in slowly. One of the things I liked most about this book was the leisurely way in which I found myself voyaging south right along with the team. With the descriptive passages of the landscape and the unforgiving climate one can almost picture Sir Ernest Shackleton working and struggling alongside the young men as they worked. The twists and turns of this adventurous mystery were not immediately evident, but rather surfaced toward the end of the book. There are several black and white photographs interspersed throughout the book that created a wistfully nostalgic view of this adventure. Numerous footnotes are included for those interested in knowing more about topics mentioned in the book.

Quill says: If you like your fiction to read like dramatic nonfiction, Theodore Jerome Cohen will be more than willing to accommodate your request as he takes you to the bottom of the Earth where you’ll find murder and mayhem blended with a dash of chilling drama!

For more information on Frozen in Time: Murder at the Bottom of the World, please visit the book's website at: AuthorHouse.com

Restless Heart

By: T. William Phillips
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc.
Publication Date: June 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4502-3251-7
Reviewed by: Pamela Victor
Review Date: August 30, 2010

“My restless heart beats to a rhythm of its own. A rhythm that has been lost in time and nature and has become so deeply hidden that few ever hear it….My restless heart is a map with no end.” So begins T. William Phillips’ novel about Konrad Quintero de Leon, a young man in love with life, thirsty for knowledge and adventure, and driven to explore the world beyond the strangling confines of aristocratic city life in the 1840s.

Konrad’s restlessness takes him to Europe, New Orleans, Texas, Mexico and beyond as he searches to discover what kind of man he wants to be. Scholar, swashbuckler, gentleman, lover, warrior – Konrad tries on every hat that interests him in his quest to fulfill his wanderlust. The author paints a detailed portrait of Konrad, the embodiment of the passionate spirit of youthful maleness. “I have this insatiable thirst to see and touch and taste everything,” Konrad says. “I want to experience and learn as much as I possibly can – while I can.”

Phillips uses this portrait of a young man freed from the restrictions of society in order to render a time in life when one is able to see the social rules objectively. Konrad is resistant to fitting into “civilized” society. He chafes at the restrictions of the aristocracy. Yet he maintains a visitor status in the other worlds he steps into as well. Although Phillips has incorporated a great deal of careful historical details into this clearly well research book, the tone and verbiage remains based in the 21st Century. Thus Konrad has a time-traveler quality, perhaps an apt reflection of his “otherness” mindset.

Although there is the appealing social commentary of The Graduate in this book, the overall boyish, romantic view of the open road, women and life feels very much like the exhilaration of an Indiana Jones movie, particularly in the sections when Konrad is a Texas Ranger. The author imbues Konrad with superhero qualities that carry the reader through the middle of the book at a galloping, sword-slinging, shoot-‘em-up pace. Readers fight alongside Konrad during a battle of the Mexican-American War, “I was among the first to make it to the top and was immediately confronted by a Mexican soldier who attacked me with his bayonet. With my left arm, I knocked his rifle away from my body, and with my right hand, I drew my sword and swiftly stabbed the soldier through the gut….We stormed through the doors of Bishop’s Palace and were greeted by an explosion of gunfire. We fired back as we charged inside.” Can you almost hear the exciting soundtrack?

Konrad has his soft side too, and Phillips has created a fine balance between yeehaw exploits and quiet intimate moments. Konrad becomes entranced by the beautiful, free spirited Anastasia, who he describes as “the metaphor to which all beautiful things were compared.” Will Konrad choose to be with the woman he loves or his need to quell his restlessness? The author offers tantalizing tastes of this romance throughout Restless Heart which culminate in a dramatic conclusion.

Phillips carries readers eagerly along on Konrad’s adventures with his fluid story-telling ability and nice descriptive language. Though Restless Heart is a substantial length (a bit over 500 pages,) the story is well edited and remains captivating from beginning to end. No doubt many readers will look forward to another book from this young writer.

Quill says: Set in 1840s America, this timeless tale of young manhood offers an engaging read as it delivers romance, adventure, and thoughtful reflection all in one thrilling coming-of-age story.

For more information on Restless Heart, please visit the author's website at: twilliamphillips.com

Days of Slint

By: Ted Bernal Guevara
Publisher: Xlibris, Corp.
Publication Date: December 2009
ISBN: 978-1441596420
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: August 30, 2010

Haim Shipp is a young African American man from Detroit who has moved to Synon, Indiana to attend college. Excited about his courses, Haim is, unfortunately, about to also experience racism from many of the residents of this small community.

The year is 1948 and Haim has been given a scholarship to the local college as a way to make amends for the town’s past deeds – 18 years earlier an angry mob lynched Haim’s uncle. He was even given the loan of a new Mercury by the local Ford dealership. Haim never met his late uncle, but appreciated the fact that he could earn an education from his uncle's tragic death.

Early in the first semester, Haim meets 17-year-old James Dean. Dean is immediately taken by Haim’s ’48 Mercury while Haim is intrigued by the future actor’s motorcycle, a Czech C/Z. Unlike so many of the town’s residents, Dean doesn’t notice the color of Haim’s skin, he simply sees a fellow car lover. The two soon become good friends.

Days of Slint is written in the first person, with the narrator’s voice changing, from chapter to chapter, between four main characters and a multitude of minor individuals. The main players are Haim, his girlfriend Michelle, James Dean and Ms. Mel, a teacher whom Dean admires greatly.

As the story progresses, we see the development of Haim and Dean’s friendship and glimpses of the daily lives of the main characters. Michelle, or Chel to her friends, seems intent on proving Haim has eyes for another woman while Ms. Mel battles her feelings for young James Dean and Erael, the man she plans to marry.

What really makes this book work is the author’s use of so many narrators. In some spots, we see events through the eyes of two African Americans, Haim and Michelle, where they are treated abhorrently simply because of the color of their skin. Next, we’re shown the same event through the eyes of the perpetrator. In other sections, we see the flow of time from character to character, with interpretations changing to match the bigotry or innocence, of the narrator. It’s a fascinating look at human nature.

If you’re a reader who likes a book with a lot of action and plot twists, this may not be the right book for you. However, if you prefer a story that really makes you stop and think, you should consider Days of Slint. The author does an excellent job of drawing out the feelings of both the characters and readers. You will smile as you read some parts and froth with anger at others. As for the title? While it may sound strange, it will make perfect sense as you finish this book, which has an unexpected and powerful ending.

It should be mentioned that the text would benefit from an editor’s hand as there are a fair number of typos in the text – “I’m just concern about you…” (pg. 223) A careful editing would add to the overall readability of this book.

Quill says: Days of Slint is a powerful reminder of the dark days of deep hatred that have plagued this country.

For more information on Days of Slint, please visit Xlibris.com

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