S.D. Reeves Books

Books, Short Stories, Poetry

S.D. Reeves

Rev Req: The Irish Fiasco, by Geoff Quaife

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I received this book for an honest review. All expressed opinions, cynical or otherwise, are my own.

As I think I have illuminated before, historical fiction is a difficult genre to tackle. You are either going to irritate a history nerd, or a fiction nerd; almost always a no-win situation. This isn’t non-fiction, and it takes more than pure research to make these characters live again. In this matter, how does The Irish Fiasco fair, by Geoffe Quaife fair? It does OK.

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Rev Request: Carnival of Heaven, by Ryan Olson

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I have reviewed a lot of books over the years. Folk tales, mysteries. Space Operas. Heaps of fantasy novels. There have been several good stories among them. And nearly thrice as many bad. It is however the rare work that can squeeze any emotion out of my dark, dream crushing heart. Carnival of Heaven, a unique mix of memoir and fantasy by Ryan Olson, is one of these.

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Rev Req: The Pearl of York, Treason and Plot, by Tony Morgan

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I received this book for an honest review. All expressed opinions, sarcastic or otherwise, are my own.

Oh, historical fiction, how we love thee. It’s always been one of those deceptively difficult genres to write in. Fantasy authors like myself tend to poo-poo it because it, on the surface, doesn’t require direct world building. But think about it a little deeper, and you realize that narrative is a misleading. Good historical fiction is both blessed and cursed by facts. On one hand you are buoyed by a real setting to ground your story in. On the other, the information we have on your chosen era may be incomplete, or just plain wrong. History is a living medium, and our knowledge of it is ever changing. Plus, licenses must be made to make it readable. In the end you are either going to tick off your average reader or be put into the crosshairs of a history nerd. Hard to win.

That out of the way, Tony Morgan’s A Pearl of York, Treason and Plot, is a respectable undertaking. 

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Pandora’s box of world-building elements

"Curses of Scale is a Pandora’s box of world-building elements, and Reeves shows great skill at parceling out the pieces of lore and mystery that today’s fantasy readers crave. Readers will be sure to enjoy this crafty, utterly transportive novel." ~Red City Review

Curses of Scale

Curses of Scale
5
2018-06-20T13:10:53+00:00

Curses of Scale

"Curses of Scale is a Pandora’s box of world-building elements, and Reeves shows great skill at parceling out the pieces of lore and mystery that today’s fantasy readers crave. Readers will be sure to enjoy this crafty, utterly transportive novel." ~Red City Review

A coming of age tale with a lot to say about life

" Curses of Scale is a coming of age tale with a lot to say about life and taking charge of one's destiny in the search for independence. " ~ Readers' Favorite

Curses of Scale

Curses of Scale
4
2018-06-20T13:10:17+00:00

Curses of Scale

" Curses of Scale is a coming of age tale with a lot to say about life and taking charge of one's destiny in the search for independence. " ~ Readers' Favorite

A character-driven, fantasy adventure

‘A character-driven, fantasy adventure. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Curses of Scale
4
2019-01-26T20:13:04+00:00
‘A character-driven, fantasy adventure. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

Vivid scenery and quirky characters populate The Melody of Three

"Each character has something driving them, some fierce motivation behind their actions, but the full importance of their goals isn’t quite revealed until the end, and sometimes not even then. Each character has flaws, personality quirks, and all the little details that make them full-fledged people and not just tropes or puppets – it’s easy to get interested and invested in what happens to them." IndieReader

The Melody of Three

Curses of Scale
4
2021-10-06T13:42:13+00:00

The Melody of Three

"Each character has something driving them, some fierce motivation behind their actions, but the full importance of their goals isn’t quite revealed until the end, and sometimes not even then. Each character has flaws, personality quirks, and all the little details that make them full-fledged people and not just tropes or puppets – it’s easy to get interested and invested in what happens to them." IndieReader

An exquisitely written start

"Reeves writes with both the mechanical acuity of Shakespeare and the warm, wry wit of Terry Pratchett...This is an exquisitely written start to a new fantasy series that demonstrates the dangers of an irresistible distraction."Red City Review

The Melody of Three

Curses of Scale
4
2021-10-06T13:45:08+00:00

The Melody of Three

"Reeves writes with both the mechanical acuity of Shakespeare and the warm, wry wit of Terry Pratchett...This is an exquisitely written start to a new fantasy series that demonstrates the dangers of an irresistible distraction."Red City Review
4.3
5
Curses of Scale