I always love discovering a new author, so I take a lot of chances on unknowns. For the most part, many fade away into obscurity, quickly forgotten after I’ve finished their books, that is, if I even make it all the way through. So naturally I’m delighted when I come across one who exceeds my expectations and makes me feel like I’ve stumbled on a keeper! “Albatross: Birds of Flight” by J. M. Erickson isn’t the type of book I’d normally gravitate to, but I thought the premise looked interesting and the writing sample was promising. I was pulled in right away and impressed with the author’s ability to weave a dynamic plotline that was both unpredictable and compelling. There are many characters in this novel, and there is a handy mini-bio for each at the end. We see the story unravel through different perspectives, which always makes for an interesting formula. If I had one beef, it was the excessive use of italics and the characters’ ‘thoughts’ throughout. Personally I think it would have been much stronger narrative-wise had been done differently, and not as much. However, it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment and I’m eagerly looking forward to the next one in the series and am happy to have “discovered” J. M. Erickson! (5 stars). Karen Matthews- Indie Book Reviewers, Goodreads, Librarything, Shelfari, Barnes & Noble

I’m not one for recapping plots (that what the description is for), but I admit at first I thought maybe it would be kind of like “The Bourne Identity”, which wouldn’t be a bad thing because I loved that series! However, I found that while there may be some familiar elements to “Albatross”, the author J.M. Erickson delivers with a fresh style all his own. He does a great job of describing the actions and the scenes. Sometimes too good, as I didn’t think we needed to hear the characters inner thoughts so much. It did seem to slow the pacing down in some parts, and it takes away from the mystery, and sometimes I almost felt like I was reading two stories at the same time... For the most part the editing was solid, only few small things here and there (and the too-frequent use of italics), but all in all, it felt well-constructed and professionally executed. Mr. Erickson is obviously a gifted storyteller and I’m diving into the next book in the series right now. (4 stars). Corey Banyan- Indie Book Reviewers, Goodreads, Librarything, Shelfari, Barnes & Noble

Loved the intense, gritty, detailed nature of this novel. Didn’t as much love some of the dialogue, but in the end still a great book and I want to read more of the series to see what happens. The ending seemed pretty open and so be prepared to have the next book handy. Glad they are all published already. Nothing I hate more than waiting for a book to be released. Definitely some twists I didn’t see coming… some I did. There is some time jumping and the story frequently shifts from one character’s POV to another’s. Sometimes these transitions weren’t as clear as they could be, and a few times I found myself glancing back a few pages to refresh. But for the most part was pretty easy to follow and I liked the storyline. Could see this being a movie. Fans of military thrillers will enjoy it. Is worth a read. (4 stars). Sam Ryan- Indie Book Reviewers, Goodreads, Librarything, Shelfari, Barnes & Noble

Indie Book Reviewers

Albatross" Birds of Flight - Book One 

A riveting read that I finished in the span of an afternoon and evening. It was so good, I couldn’t put it down until I reached the end. And when I finished, I immediately started in on the next one! The author has such an easy and engaging writing style, and I liked how we could see from different characters’ points of views and what they were thinking. There’s a ton of action and I like that the storyline is intelligent and complex enough to keep my attention from start to finish, but not so convoluted that I was ever confused or bored. I thought the characters were well done, and even though I wish I could actually picture what they looked like more (physically), I thought their personalities were pretty believable and fleshed out. I’d never read a story like this before and I can’t wait to read more from this author. I’ve already started in on the next one, “Raven”. Recommend to readers who enjoy well thought out and faced-paced thrillers. (5 stars). Stacy Decker- Indie Book Reviewers, Goodreads, Librarything, Shelfari, Barnes & Noble