Guest post by Micheal French
It is always a pleasure to share this page with experienced, thoughtful authors. Micheal French, author of the newly released book Cliffhanger, is a bestselling author, respected businessman, and avid traveler. Read on to find out what keeps him writing after all of these years:
[Read more…] about Evening with Author Micheal French: why I continue to write for 50 years
There comes a time, as a reviewer, when you will cross paths with a book that strikes a dissonant chord with you. On one hand, you can recognize the mastery in the writing, the plot, and characters. Yet, on the other, the damn thing is your antithesis. For me 1969: A Brief and Beautiful Trip Back is just such a book. I am not its target audience. But I can still admire the craft.
[Read more…] about Rev Request: 1969: A Brief and Beautiful Trip Back, by Sea Gudinski
I received this book for an honest review. All expressed opinions, cynical or otherwise, are my own.
Do you remember the last time you had a meal, that, whether it was too salty, sweet, or a combination that started off tasting wonderful, but where your appreciation of it changed at the end? Maybe you even considered this might end up among one of your favorite foods. The thing is, halfway through you are already getting tired of the overbearing flavor. And by the end, you’ve forgotten what drew you to it in the first place. The Sword of Kalki is a bit like that, in the sense that a more lenient application of some of the aspects that I initially found quite alluring, would have served it better in the long run.
I received this book for an honest review. All expressed opinions, cynical or otherwise, are my own.
The suspension of disbelief. Fantasy books live by it, and there is a lot that is often explained away under the dubious Deux Ex Machina that is magic. Pretty cut and dry. However, start tacking on sub-genres into your fantasy novel, or maybe dialing back the more magic-like aspects, and you will find yourself having to dodge extra obstacles to maintain that suspension. By the Sea, by Steven Lamperti, is a whimsical fantasy book that at times stumbles when it tries to run.
[Read more…] about Review Request: By the Sea, by Steven Lamperti
I received this book for an honest review. All expressed opinions, cynical or otherwise, are my own.
Something is missing in modern fantasy today. The lion’s share that forms the bulwark of the genre’s ground troops seem lacking – like they are missing an important piece of their equipment. As if in haste, they all decided to leave their helmets back home before they went a-sieging the castle. Oh, there are several of the usual tropes. Fey creatures. Magic. However, the stories lack gravitas; the weight that these otherworldly things should bring. And this is where I find myself with Kater Cheek’s The Witch’s Jewel (Kit Melbourne book 1). Excellently written, with engaging characters, but a setting where encountering of the unusual has all the significance of suddenly deciding to order a different cup of coffee.
[Read more…] about Rev Request: Witch’s Jewel by Kater Cheek
I received this book for an honest review. All expressed opinions, cynical or otherwise, are my own.
Atmospheric novels are my bag. Whether it is horror, science fiction, or regular old literary. The Affliction of Praha, a historical mystery by Simon Gillard, has that in spades. But it is not perfect. There are tense issues, POV issues, and a smattering of other problems that are – naturally – exactly what I expect in a debut novel. Still, I am not one to complain too loudly over something I enjoyed.
[Read more…] about Review Req: The Affliction of Praha, by Simon Gillard
