Monday, July 5, 2021

Double Review: A book about conspiracies and a flash fiction anthology

The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time: Decoding History's Unsolved Mysteries by Brad Meltzer

This was a bit of a disappointment. It just barely skimmed the surface of these conspiracies. There was really no depth. Maybe I was just expecting too much from it, but I think it would've been better if it had been longer.

It wasn't all bad, though. It shed some light on some familiar conspiracies and introduced me to some new ones. It was very interesting reading about the rumors surrounding the Spear of Destiny. And the sections about John Wilkes Booth and then the missing Confederate gold held my interest. As did the bit about the gold at Fort Knox.

But there were some duds here too. The Georgia Guidestones, White House cornerstone, and Da Vinci's apocalyptic predictions didn't really stick with me. They kinda slipped my mind as soon as I finished them and I didn't remember them until I went back and looked at the table of contents. And don't even get me started on the chapter about JFK's assassination! What a total and complete letdown!

This was an okay read. I learned a few new things and have a few more questions about some things. But if you're looking for a book of conspiracies with depth, this isn't it.

3 STARS

(At the time of posting, it's available in Kindle Unlimited)

Sensational: Havok Season Four (Havok Flash Fiction Book 4) by Various Authors

This was a great collection of flash fiction featuring a broad range of speculative genres. There's something here for everyone. And I loved that I could read them when I had a spare minute or two.

Like with any anthology, I enjoyed some stories more than others, but they were all unique, thought-provoking and well written.

Some of my favorites were Window by Sarah Wilson, Poisoned Melody by Kaitlyn Emery, A Recipe for Disaster by L.G. McCary, The Alien Mask by Paul Regnier, and Dolor of Defeat by Ronie Kendig. (Kendig's story is connected to her Droseran Saga, and it really made me want to dive right into the main story. I can't believe I still haven't read it. I've gotta remedy that soon.)

This anthology was a fun way to discover new authors. It always amazes me when an author can pack so much story into such a small space.

4 STARS

(At the time of posting, it's available in Kindle Unlimited)

2 comments:

  1. Sorry the Meltzer book lacked the depth you wanted. That's disappointing.

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    1. Yeah, I guess my expectations were too high on that one.

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