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Book Review: Path of a Novice by R.K. Lander.

Path of a Novice (The Silvan, #1)Path of a Novice by R.K. Lander

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Path of a Novice by R.K. Lander is a debut novel and the first book in ‘The Silvan Trilogy’ series. The story follows an elf named Fel’annár trying to prove his worth by chasing his dream to become a captain in the kings army. But things are complicated by the struggle he has with his mixed heritage and a secret that has been kept from him all his life.

The Cover: There are a couple of versions of this cover, the one I have depicts a cloaked elf standing in the forest. He wears a leather jerkin, bow knocked in hand, with sword and quiver slung across his back. I like this cover and feel it is a good match with the genre and certainly fits the story. The font is also a good match and the colour choices contrast well. The other cover I have seen shows the upper torso of a bare chested elf and looks more like a fantasy-romance novel to me. I doubt I would have picked the book up if I had come across this cover first, and that would have been a real shame.

The Good Stuff: R.K. has built a clearly defined world with cultural and political issues that bring it to life. The enemy are many, with a variety of deviants and Sand Lords that I want to learn more about. It has all the elements of a great fantasy with its magic, swordplay, bowmanship, and creatures. I like the characters and their interactions, the prose runs smoothly enough and provokes emotion well in places. There are also passages from elven chronicles at the beginning of each chapter that added that little bit of extra flavour to the book for me. A job well done by the author in my opinion.

The Bad Stuff: This novel is not without its problems for me. I felt that there were some unnecessary words that slowed the prose and made the sentences longer than needed. These could have been stripped back, especially in the action scenes. There are some strange names too, which some readers won’t mind and may even expect, but I find that they pull me out of the story at times as I try to wrap my head around the pronunciation. The author also uses some uncommon words, which is fine when only used once or twice, but used more often, they stand out like a lit beacon.

Overall, despite the points listed in the bad stuff above, I found this to be a great epic fantasy and I really enjoyed it. When a tale is as good as this one, any minor issues roll over you like fire on a dragon’s scales. This is a solid debut novel and I can only see R.K.’s work getting better from here. I’m giving this one a tree loving, sword dancing 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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A Thank You in These Troubled Times

Hello Readers,

While I appreciate all who purchase my work and read my stories, I would like to say a special thanks to those of you who have purchased one of my books during this time of Covid-19. My book sales only provide a small income, but during these times, it is my only income. So, please take a moment to feel good about yourselves for helping out a fellow human being. And for those of you that have offered to support me through subscriptions if I create a Patreon account, you are amazing people. You all are. Thank you!

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review: Blood of Heirs by Alicia Wanstall-Burke

Blood of Heirs (The Coraidic Sagas #1)Blood of Heirs by Alicia Wanstall-Burke is a debut fantasy novel that follows the separate paths of two protagonists in a dark and perilous world. For the purpose of full disclosure, Alicia is a part of my writers group. Due to circumstance however, I have only met her twice and this is the first time I have had the pleasure of reading her work.

The Cover: This is a good cover for the genre. The image shouts fantasy, the colour hints at the underlying tone of the book, and the font is well contrasted and clear.

The Good Stuff: This is a solid debut fantasy novel. The world is clearly defined and well-built with some nice touches that distinguish between the different cultures within the world. There are some formidable enemies, and as with any good fantasy there is a sound magic system. The characters are individual, well developed, and have their own distinct stories. The prose runs smoothly and I found there are some great quote-worthy passages within the pages. One I particularly liked was “His plan had to work. If it didn’t, he’d have the blood of thousands on his hands; such a stain would never wash clean.”

The Bad Stuff: This is nit-picking, but there are a couple of minor inconsistencies that drew me out of the story. In chapter five they’ve been waiting for the snow, but it hasn’t come. Then we move to chapter seven and Ran’s mother queries if the snows have come early? There is also a mention in one sentence that Lidan has been studying her parents, but then a little further on we hear that she has been avoiding them. This had me thinking how she could study them if she was avoiding them? I also question a couple of the words choices, such as sofa – this seems too modern for the setting to me.

Overall, having not read any of Alicia’s work prior to this book, I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this story or not, but after chapter four I was hooked. The minor issues noted above did little to detract from my enjoyment of this book. It is a great fantasy novel, and while Lidan has a solid storyline, I really found myself drawn into Ran’s story. I’m giving this one a magic pulsing, steel slashing 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks with a deep guttural growl for good measure.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Ramblings of An Author in Times of Lockdown.

Hello Readers,

Many people are doing it tough around the world in the current environment and yours truly is no exception. Like many others, I’ve been looking at ways I can generate a bit more income while I’m out of work in these times of Covid-19. I read a statistic just yesterday that said you have a 0.5% chance of getting a new job in Brisbane right now. If you’re looking for work too – I know, it doesn’t fill me with confidence either, but hey, we’ve got to keep trying or that chance reduces to 0%.

It has been good to see communities helping each other out in these times. I’ve seen people volunteering to get groceries for other who are in isolation, businesses offering free courses, writers offering discounted books (myself included), friends playing games via Zoom, etc. I’ve even started learning the guitar again through a free online course from Fender. It has been a welcome distraction from everything else that’s been going on over the last couple of months.

I’ve also been finding it a struggle to write at present. You’d think this would be the ideal time to knuckle down and get some writing done, but it’s hard for me to get into the mindset with everything else going on around me. I will need to get more work out if I want to break even with my writing though. I do have some new short stories I have finished, but I need to get them edited and that costs money, so I need to hold off on those until I find a new job. I could put ads on my website, but I’ve always hated going to websites only to be inundated with them, so I’m very reluctant to use ads on my own website. I had arranged with a couple of local businesses to get some of my art up for sale on their walls. Then lockdown measures were put in place… that’s going to have to wait until the restrictions are lifted now (which thankfully isn’t looking too far away here in Queensland).

In the mean time I’ve been toying with the idea of adding one of those ‘buy me a coffee’ donation type plug-ins to my website. But then I got to thinking. My short stories cost less than a cup of coffee anyway – and my readers get something to read during isolation. It’s a win-win right?

So, if you want to help out this author in these uncertain times, don’t buy me a coffee, buy one of my books! You’d make this guy really happy, and who knows, you may even enjoy my stories.

How are you coping in the current environment? Feel free to let me know in the comments section below.

Happy Reading.

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Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review: Emotional Amplifiers by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi.

Emotion AmplifiersEmotion Amplifiers by Angela Ackerman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This title is really a reference book for authors to assist them with their writing. It is a companion to The Emotional Thesaurus which I have not read at this time, but based on this companion, I am interested in getting myself a copy.

The Cover: This is a strong non-fiction cover. The colours and fonts work well and the image fits as a writers companion guide.

The Good Stuff: This book is a great idea and could be very useful to a writer who wants to develop their characters and/or their story in the spectrum of the emotional amplifiers explored. If it just had more reference material on a broader range of emotions, it would be a worthy addition to any writer’s toolbox. My guess is that the content I would like to see in this companion book has already been captured in the authors other work, The Emotional Thesaurus. I hope to find out soon enough.

The Bad Stuff: I know this is only a companion, but the book is very short and there are only about 14 pages of narrative to guide the reader on the use of the contents. The remainder of the book is reference material and I feel the book could have been fleshed out with both more narrative from the author and more reference material.

In my opinion, this book will be a good guide to assist with writing, if only it had more content it could have been an amazing reference tool. I’m giving it 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review: Writing Active Setting – Characterization and Sensory Detail by Mary Buckham.

Writing Active Setting: Characterization and Sensory Detail (Writing Active Setting #1)Characterization and Sensory Detail by Mary Buckham

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book has been written to help writers improve their skills, focusing on… you guessed it, characterization and sensory detail.

The Cover: I like this cover. The colours work well together and it has a text book type feel to me which suits the non-fiction title. The image ties in with the title, but I don’t feel it fits the subtitle very well. On the whole it is a good cover for the genre, but I feel there is some room for improvement.

The Good Stuff: I picked up a couple of things from this book which have made it a worthwhile read to me. How much each individual gains will depend on their skill level and experience as a writer. If you are a new writer, this book will give you some good advice.

The Bad Stuff: I found there were a lot of examples in the book, and some I did not find to be great examples of what the author was trying to convey. I think the book would have read better with fewer examples. I do understand however, that different people relate to different things, and therefore multiple examples may help them to better pick up and understand the techniques being used.

Overall, for me, this is not a bad book, but the benefits will be relative to the reader’s experience. This could be said for a lot of non-fiction titles and therefore the value will be dependent on the reader in these instances. For me, I’m giving it 3 out of 5 Golden book marks.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review: The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King.

The Bazaar of Bad DreamsThe Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King is a compilation of short horror stories.

The Cover: There are a couple of different covers for this book; a black one with a hollow face and a white one with an array of colour. I have a copy of the white cover version, and while I do like this cover, it is not a good fit for the genre. It is a crisp well-presented cover, but this is a book of horror stories! The bright, cheery image does little to convey that. The font works for me, but the impact is totally diminished by the kaleidoscope of colour behind it. I feel the other version of the cover is a far superior one for this genre.

The Good Stuff: I’m probably going to upset a few Stephen King fans here, but I didn’t find much to talk about here. It is a professionally presented book, but for me, the stories are slow, they are not very interesting, and the ones that did tweak my interest fell short of the mark at the end.

The Bad Stuff: I have tried to read King before, and never been able to get into his stories. I do enjoy the movie adaptations of his books, yet I’m not a big fan of his writing style. But there are thousands who rave about his writing and hail him as the king of horror, so it would seem he just doesn’t work for me. I wasn’t hooked into any the stories I read in this book. I must admit that this one is going onto my DNF list (only the second book to land on this list to date). I got to page 189 and that is enough for me. That covers 8 of the 21 short stories within the book, and only 2 of those I read caught my interest, yet turned out to be disappointing in the end for me.

Overall, I found it a labour to read as much of this book as I managed to get through. I kept going for as long as I did in the hope that I would connect with one of the stories and really start to enjoy it. But this just wasn’t meant to be. I’m comparing this to an old horror movie where the ghosts are just actors wearing sheets with eye holes cut out, this one gets an unexciting, fright-fizzling 1 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Book Review: Become An Amazon Keyword Master by Peter MacDonald

Become an Amazon Keyword Master - Maximize your Amazon Book SalesBecome an Amazon Keyword Master – Maximize your Amazon Book Sales by Peter MacDonald

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Become an Amazon Keyword Master by Peter MacDonald claims to show you how to increase your sales by using more effective keywords.

The Cover: This is a typical non-fiction cover and fits the title well, the yellow text on blue background works, but the red text is hard to see/read on smaller images of the book cover. The font choice works for me, but I would change the red text to white or a similar light colour that works with the blue background.

The Good Stuff: This book is well presented and does provide some useful information. It will give you a better understanding of search engine optimization (SEO), and the differences between Amazon and Google. While I believe the author is incorrect on the issue noted in ‘The Bad Stuff’, he still has a good grasp on maximising your keyword efficiency and there is merit in the method he uses.

The Bad Stuff: I’m no expert on this topic, but I believe the author may be mis-informed on identifying keywords other people are searching on. The method described to find Amazon’s most popular keywords is, in my opinion, incorrect. I believe that when you search on Amazon, they provide you with search options tailored to your own interests and search history – Not the most popular searches by other people as suggested. This is an older title from 2014 and I can’t see that there is an updated version. It could be that the keyword issue noted was correct at time of publication, but with Amazon continually evolving and changing their algorhythm, some of the information in this book is likely to be inaccurate.

Overall, I found this to be of some use and believe the methods described will be of benefit, even if I do disagree with the authors understanding of how to find optimal search words. I’m giving this one 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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Are you searching for authors like Joe Abercrombie? Why not check out this list.

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Hello Readers,

I know I harp on about Joe Abercrombie (JA) being my favourite author, and that’s because he is, but I have been trying to find some new favourite authors to add to the list. So I put a call out through some of my groups on social media to find similar authors to JA, and this is what my contacts came back with:-

  1. Anthony Ryan
  2. Luke Scull
  3. Daniel Polansky
  4. Mark Lawrence
  5. Scott Lynch
  6. Brian McClellan
  7. Richard Kadrey
  8. Charlie Huston
  9. Peter Newman
  10. Ed McDonald
  11. Steven Erikson
  12. Jonathon French
  13. Brian Staveley
  14. Michael R Fletcher
  15. Richard Morgan
  16. Anna Smith Spark
  17. Stephen Donaldson
  18. A Z Anthony
  19. Glen Cook
  20. Jay Kristoff

I haven’t read all these authors yet, but I have added them to my list of authors to try. Of those I have checked out, I offer my opinions below:

Anthony Ryan – I love this author and have added him to my favourites. I read his novel Blood Song, and while I don’t get a JA vibe from his work, I really enjoyed the book. Anthony has his own style and tells a great story. I highly recommend checking him out.

Luke Scull – This is another great author that I have added to my list of favourites. I read his Grim Company novel and I found his world and characters to be very similar to JA. In fact I constantly found myself thinking this guy is so like 9 fingers, or I love these Northmen. Luke does have a style of his own and tells a unique story that is interesting and pulled me through the book. I highly recommend giving him a go.

Daniel Polansky – I read the novel She Who Waits by this author. I can’t say that I see any resemblance to JA other than the world is really gritty. I didn’t love this author, I enjoyed the book enough to finish it, but I doubt I will read anymore of his work. The world was not quite what I expected or wanted and it threw me off a little right from the start. If you like Grimdark that isn’t your typical medieval world, don’t discount this author. His style is sound, his characters are well rounded, and his writing is solid, his world just wasn’t what I was looking for and I don’t particularly like 1st person POV. If however you are chasing an author similar to JA, I’d give this one a miss.

Brian McClellan – I read Wrath of Empire from this author, and I loved it so much that I have also added Brian to my list of favourite authors. I didn’t draw any similarities between his work and JA’s. Brian has his own style, a great world, great characters, and a good storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed his work and would definitely recommend him, just don’t expect his work to remind you of JA.

Richard Kadrey – I didn’t actually read this authors work, I picked up one of his books and read the first few pages. It didn’t grab me because it seemed to be more of a western world and I was after good old medieval fantasy. So, I can’t really make any comparisons to JA for this author, nor recommend/criticise his work.

Peter Newman – I tried to read The Vagrant by this author and it’s the one book on my DNF list. I didn’t like the authors style or the world the story was set in. I certainly wouldn’t compare this author to JA. I do not recommend reading this authors work if you’re looking for something similar to JA. I’m not saying don’t give him a try, I’m just saying this author isn’t for me and I can’t see any similarity to JA’s work. I do know people who have read and enjoyed this author, so make your own mind up on this one.

Well, I’m still working through the list myself and this is as far as I’ve gotten. I’m keen to give Mark Lawrence, Scott Lynch, Steve Erikson, Brian Staveley and Ed McDonald a go. So I’ll probably prioritise these above the others, but hopefully I will find a few more gems on this list that will be added to my favourite authors list.

Happy Reading!

This post was updated Sept 29, 2024. Check out the updated version here. 

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Book Review: Art & Craft of Writing – Secret Advice for Writers by Victoria Mixon.

Art & Craft of Writing Fiction: Secret Advice for WritersArt & Craft of Writing: Secret Advice for Writers by Victoria Mixon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As you can guess from the title, Art & Craft of Writing: Secret Advice for Writers by Victoria Mixon is a non-fiction title providing insights into the craft of writing.

The Cover: This cover has a warm feel to it and it works for the non-fiction genre. I’m not a huge fan of the font used, but the black band with white writing makes the text clearly visible.

The Good Stuff: I have been writing for some time now and I’m always looking for new information. There were one or two nuggets in this book for me, but mainly it was that Victoria looks at things from a slightly different angle and explains them in a slightly different way. This resonated with me and I will keep this book on hand for reference in the future.

The Bad Stuff: It’s a pretty short book and a lot of the information has been covered before.

Overall this book is put together from the authors most popular blog posts. In my opinion it is worth a read, you may not get new information from it, but you may look at things with a new found appreciation and understanding. This one gets an ink splattered 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.

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