Sol of the Coliseum by Adam Gaylord - An enthralling, rich Fantasy world from a unique perspective.

Today, I am reviewing the Fantasy story Sol of the Coliseum by Adam Gaylord and published by Mirror World Publishing. Seen through the eyes of a born slave, Sol, Gaylord paints the picture of a tyrannical empire that condemns its prisoners and conquests to death by combat in the eponymous Coliseum…where, once you enter, you never leave. Sol climbs the ranks, becoming a fighter of skill and renown, but when a special prisoner is offered to him as one of his victory prizes, he learns that the world outside is more enticing than he knows…but will he risk his life, and those he cares about, in a possibly futile escape attempt?

I give this book a 4.75/5. Here is my breakdown.

Characters: 5/5. This is the real strength of the novel, the best thing about it and what made me excited as I kept going. Gaylord has created a world populated by relatable, interesting characters that each have stories of their own – the stoic yet paternal guard captain Grall, the Spoils offered to Sol as victory prizes, the shifty and misunderstood Slink – even “bit” characters jump off the page and demand to be recognized as real. And they are. Well done!

Plot/Storyline: 5/5. By setting this story in the Coliseum, Gaylord sets himself up for a story in which we, the readers, are necessarily denied all the perspectives. It allows us to discover the world through Sol’s eyes, revealing secrets as he discovers them. I found the plot gripping and highly entertaining, and once I got into the meat of it I couldn’t wait to devour the book. .

Mechanics: 4/5. When I first started reading the story, I got scared – there are heavy exposition periods throughout the book, and, especially before I had gotten invested into the book, I was worried that the exposition would drag on too long, weigh too heavily. It did not. While I won’t claim that I needed all of the information that Gaylord shared through his “author voice,” none of it was boring and the way he wrote it was entertaining. Overall, the language of the book was high-quality, descriptive but concise, and I have nothing but praise for the combat scenes and the character interactions, both of which can be difficult for authors.

Spelling/Grammar: 4/5. Only a few typos throughout the book. Nothing of significant consequence.

Overall: 4.75/5. An excellent low-magic fantasy read, filled with rich, fun characters and offering a sobering look at hope and will. It was a pleasure to read, and, like so many indie books that I have reviewed, I found myself wondering why I had taken so long to get started on this one!. Thank you, Adam. It was a fantastic read, and I wish you continued success!

Capering on Glass Bridges by Jessica Hernandez - A very promising first installment and a great Fantasy read!

Today, I am reviewing the YA Fantasy story Capering on Glass Bridges by Jessica Hernandez. Telling the story of Kaia Stone, a young woman who has grown up differently than the others she knows, the book describes how the Utdrendans send her and others into the cursed kingdom of Mar, with knowledge from years ago that may undo their horrific doom.

I give this book a 4/5. Here is my breakdown.

Characters: 5/5. I enjoyed these characters very much. Hernandez did a fantastic job in creating an interesting interplay between the various members of Kaia’s party. Their back-and-forths were fun and credible, and their griefs and sorrows equally so.

Plot/Storyline: 4/5. A very solid fantasy adventure story. I think that Hernandez did a good job making her fantasy world interesting (a coming-of-age ceremony in which people are bonded to a homunculus-type being, for instance, and the magical power of Speaking). The effort is apparent, and she does it justice.

Flow/Construction: 4/5. I have no complaints here. The story moved quickly and easily. I can’t recall feeling like the scenes were dragging or slowed down. Again, a solid performance here. 

Spelling/Grammar: 4.5/5. Very insignificant, minor mistakes occasionally found. Nothing problematic or unusual.

 Overall: 4/5. Jessica Hernandez shows her talent in this book. I’m not sure if it’s her first book (but I think it is), and if so then she can only improve from here. I really hope there’s more to come!

 

Artificial Light by Nathan Wall - A mix of elements I love...but a book that I didn't.

Today, I am reviewing the Science-Fiction/Fantasy story Artifical Light by Nathan Wall. As with my last entry, this one crosses genres by mixing science with mythology and religious apocrypha. It is the third in a series, and I can’t help but think that I might have enjoyed it more if I had read the first two.

This genre describes one of my favorite types of book – in this one, several gods/Angels are factioning off, breaking into different groups. The birth of an “angel-born” sets off a pogrom of sorts, leading to the death of Osiris and the exile of his family.

I received an ARC copy of this novel to provide my honest review. However, I was not able to complete the book, stopping after about 30% due to issues with its construction that will be covered below.

Still, I give this book a 3/5, based on what I did read. Here is my breakdown.

 Characters: 4/5. Easily the strongest point in the book. The idea of intermixing mythologies appeals to me enough that I do it in my own writing, and, individually, the characters that Nathan has created seem like real people – even with all their strange, supernatural powers – and have realistic motivations. I wish I could have gotten to know them a bit better in the first third of the novel. 

Plot/Storyline: 2/5. I still have no idea what was going on in the story. The prologue, showing the death of Osiris (presumably…again, I only finished 1/3rd the novel) was well done and exciting, but after that, I feel like the author lost track of his character threads. I understand the concept of a slow build, but after 30% the book had failed to hook me at all.

Mechanics: 2.5/5. The pace and the constant jumping between perspectives worked together to defeat me. I felt like my attention was being divided by too many different points-of-view, by time-jumps, and by occurrences across time and space. This kept me from engaging with the story – I don’t know who’s doing what, I’m not even sure who IS what.

Spelling/Grammar: 4.5/5. The copy was very clean and easy to read. The words chosen were well-picked and I didn’t find any significant issues of grammar. Thank you!

Overall: 3/5. This could be good. This could be SO, SO good. All the essential pieces of an excellent story are here. I believe that Artificial Light is an uncut gem – ready to burst forth, once we trim away the parts that are obscuring the inner beauty. I couldn’t finish it, but that doesn’t make it bad – just a little too slow, a little too jumpy for me. Keep at it, Nathan. Thank you for writing.

You can find the book at the link below.

Birth of Hope by A.J. Trevors - A rushed, cliched story...but glimmers of potential show through. 2.75/5.

Today, I am reviewing the Science-Fiction/Fantasy story Birth of Hope by A.J. Trevors. I classify it as both genres because, although the novel has a strong science-fiction element, with unexplainable technology, alien races, and multiple planets, there are also things that are unexplainable through the lens of science in the book’s universe. This is the first in the Gaia Chronicles series, and releases in early February. In this story, there is an interplanetary invasion by the Vangarian, a lizard-like race capable of summoning extra-dimensional beings called Spectres. These Spectres are so powerful on the battlefield that only another can defeat one…but the allied races don’t have the ability to summon them.

Or do they?

I received an ARC copy of this novel to provide my honest review.

 I give this book a 2.75/5. Here is my breakdown.

Characters: 3/5. Meh. The characters in Birth of Hope were, in the main, one-dimensional and uninteresting, although not actively dislikeable. The main character is very much a “Gary Lou,” someone who has few defining characteristics other than that he is a prophesied “Chosen One” who has the most power of anyone, despite his lack of training. It’s a tried-and-true cliché, but that doesn’t change the fact that it IS one, and so the author needs to use special skill in pulling it off. J.K. Rowling pulled it off by making Harry Potter weak in several areas, making him relatable, plying him with flaws and supporting him with other characters. The other characters in Birth of Hope feel like window-dressing for the drama that is Damien, props that propel him toward bigger and better things rather than people in their own right. Even his struggles with negativity, hopelessness, and anger don’t feel genuine.

Plot/Storyline: 2/5. Even more clichéd than the characters. The story is fast-paced and allows little time for character development. Twists are thrown in with little or no foreshadowing and the whole thing feels generally unsatisfying. It picks up a little bit at the end, but I still was left feeling like I had wasted my time.

Mechanics: 3/5. The pacing wasn’t bad. Although I was dissatisfied with the storyline, I didn’t feel like the writing itself was dragging me down, or that the author spent too much time on any particular thing. The time advances were difficult to wrap my head around, as the situation would greatly change during a chapter break and I would have to dig into the text to find out how much time had gone by.

Spelling/Grammar: 2/5. In the ARC version that I received, there were several missed periods (several per page in many places) and verb tense shifts, flipping from past to present and back again. The author has told me that these were fixed, so I won’t factor them too heavily into my final rating. 

Overall: 2.75/5. I think that this author has potential. The idea of the Spectres is interesting and his descriptions of them are actually very well done. I think that he could benefit from another two drafts, getting some feedback from beta readers on what is working and what isn’t in the story. I recommend looking at Stephen King’s On Writing, as I do with all new authors. It’s a highly informative book that really helped me get started in my writing career. Thank you, A.J. Trevors. I wish you the best.

Good luck!

 

The Keeper and the Rulership by Emily Martha Sorensen - engaging, a lot of fun, and a worthwhile read!

Today, I am reviewing the Fantasy story The Keeper and the Rulership by Emily Martha Sorensen. While this is definitely a YA (Young Adult, for our newcomers) style book, I enjoyed its in-depth character development and plot very much.

In this book, we follow the adventures of the young woman, Raneh, as she learns why she has magic and comes to terms with her destiny. This is a very solid YA fantasy, with enjoyable characters, that stays away from the most onerous of tropes.

I give this book a 4/5. Here is my breakdown.

 Characters: 4/5. Sorensen does a great job in establishing the characters and their motivations. Each is sufficiently distinct from the others and has obvious motivations that make sense. Their interactions are fun and they fit well within the world that she’s established. I enjoyed spending time with them; their behaviors were consistent and well-reasoned, with little of the “random” things that characters can do because of “plot necessity.”

 Plot/Storyline: 4/5. A fun story that, while it doesn’t leave profound, lasting marks on my soul, was a very worthy use of my time. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent in Raneh’s world, walking beside her as she came to her realizations and made her decisions. The development of the world was well-done, and felt very real to me. My only concern with the storyline is the ending. The ending itself was fine, but it felt abbreviated, like it came too soon after the climax of the story with insufficient denouement. I would have liked more wrap-up.

Technical Aspects: 4/5. The story moved quickly and was a treat to read. I had a good time and didn’t trip up over choppy sentences, poor dialogue, or exposition. A well-constructed book that allowed me to access the story.

Spelling/Grammar: 4.5/5. There were a few, very few, typos in this book. Well done!

 Overall: 4/5. This is a very solid book, clean, fun, and well-crafted. I enjoyed it very much and want to read more from Sorensen. She is very talented and I look forward to seeing more of her work. Thank you!

The Mansion's Twins by Rose Channing - Exciting, engrossing, and a treat to read!

Today, I am reviewing the YA portal fantasy story The Mansion’s Twins by Rose Channing. The first in the At The Crossworlds series, we get pulled into the lives of two ordinary teenagers who discover they have extraordinary powers. Fleeing from their unpleasant and borderline abusive home lives, Ellie and Savannah, aged 14, learn that they are unwitting refugees from a world of magic, and that it lies in their hands to save it from itself.

I give this book a solid 4/5. Here is my breakdown.

 Characters: 4/5. I found Channing’s characterizations interesting and well played. She added a large cast to the story, which can get a little confusing when they’re introduced rapid-fire, but did a good job of delineating and clarifying who is who and what each of them could do. I could have used more clear descriptions of the gifts and magical talents that each knew, but overall I feel this is a strength of the novel.

 Plot/Storyline: 4/5 Classic portal fantasy – kids brought from our mundane world into a magnificent, wondrous place filled with magic, but they have to save it, and they’re the only ones who can do so. But classic doesn’t mean boring, and the world that Channing has created weaves itself into the storyline like a tapestry. I enjoyed it very much.

Flow: 5/5. Another strength, and always a pleasure when done right. This book was fairly long for a YA intro book, but it blew by very quickly. Channing does her pacing right, keeping us in suspense just long enough before the reveals, and ratcheting up the tension at the right times. Well done!

Spelling/Grammar: 3/5. I noticed several typos, many that could be attributed to autocorrect error or which were simply missing words. Another run through by a good proofreader would clear up almost everything.

 Overall: 4.5. A real treat. I haven’t read YA in a long time (most of my submissions are adult fantasy/sci-fi) and I’m pleased to recommend Rose Channing and The Mansion’s Twins. Pick up this book if you want realistic characters, an intriguing storyline, and a great time.

GR3T3L-1 by V.M. Sawh - Uniquely amazing! 4.75/5 stars!

Today, I am reviewing the Science-Fiction story GR3T3L-1 by V.M. Sawh. The book opens with two robots, interestingly named H4NS3L and GR3T3L, crash-landing on a strange planet with no clear mission. GR3T3L quickly shows herself to have mental abilities far beyond the combat drone H4NS3L, including asking questions about feelings and emotions, and using reasoning to solve their problems.

This is an excellent book, filled with character development, interesting scenarios and environment, and intriguing plot. I give it a 4.75/5. Here is my breakdown:

Characters: 5/5. I really enjoyed both the main and supporting characters of this story. Both robots played their parts well, and watching their interactions and their development over the course of the book made me happy and made me care about them. The supporting human characters, met chiefly through flashback and recorded programming input, felt realistic and understandable, viewed as they were through the lenses of robotic understanding.

 Plot/Storyline: 5/5. Engaging from start to finish. Sawh drops us in the middle of the action and pulls off the slow reveal with aplomb. Like the breadcrumbs from the titular characters’ original story, I was hooked from the beginning, wondering where we were going from here. I won’t spoil the ending, but I was reading it to work, and it made me tear up. It was good.

Flow: 4.75/5. Every reveal is timed well, keeping the reader interested the whole time. The language used is clean and effective, telling the story and maintaining the sense of immersion. My only stuttering point was at the beginning, when Sawh used the word “metal” like ten times. In the first page or two. It just made me shake my head and laugh a little.

Spelling/Grammar: 4/5. There were some typos in this book. Overall very good, but I did note a few missing words and misspellings.

 Overall: 4.75/5. I knew going in that this was a solid piece of work, but as it went on it pulled me deeper and deeper. It’s not long, but it’s amazing and unique. I’ve never seen a book take on this perspective before, and not since R. Daneel Olivaw have I been as interested in what is going on in a robotic mind. Well done!