Category: Book Reviews

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Book Review – Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings.

Castle of Wizardry (The Belgariad, #4)Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Castle of Wizardry is an epic fantasy novel. It has a prophecy, a magical orb that only an innocent child can touch, sorcerers, magic and all that stuff that makes up a good fantasy.

The Cover: The cover feels a little dated, but you’ve got to expect that with a book that was published in 1984. Taking that into consideration, I think the cover has aged well and it has all the elements I would expect of a fantasy novel cover. I love the title font, it works really well for me and the image itself clearly resonates with me as a fantasy reader.

The Good Stuff: David Eddings writes a solid fantasy story with well developed characters in a well developed world. He tells a good story that will pull many readers in, even if they do not enjoy the style of writing. With so many fantasy novels to his name, if you do enjoy his books, Mr Eddings has the bibliographical ability to take you on an epic fantasy adventure.

The Bad Stuff: The writing style can have a tendency to tell rather than show. I have a personal dislike of strange spelling for names, eg. ‘Ctuchik’, I have to pause as I wonder at the pronunciation. This held me back from immersing myself into the book at the initial stages, but I got over it as I read on.

I enjoyed this book, David Eddings makes good use of his vocabulary in the novel and in my opinion, despite the tendency to tell, this book is still a thoroughly enjoyable read. This one gets 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

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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 – The Heir of Night by Helen Lowe

The Heir of Night (The Wall of Night, #1)

The Heir of Night by Helen Lowe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Heir Of Night is a tale of Malian, heir to the house of night, finding lost powers and protecting the people of Haarth against the Darkswarm.

The Cover: I have a different version of the cover displayed here. The copy I have has a young girl with a sword standing in a brick archway as flames rise up in the background behind her. I prefer the one I have to be honest, but both of these convey a fantasy novel and fit well with the genre.

The Good Stuff: I found this book to be a well written with a richly crafted world. The protagonist and other main characters are well defined, and there are some very dark creatures.

The Bad Stuff: You may get the urge to give up on this book as it is quite slow to get started.

There seems to be a lot of mixed reviews about this book. I sit in the camp of those that enjoyed it. In my opinion it was an interesting read with a good storyline. I’m giving it 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

Amazon.com
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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 – The Magicians’ Guild by Trudi Canavan.

The Magicians' Guild (Black Magician Trilogy, #1)
The Magicians’ Guild by Trudi Canavan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Magicians’ Guild is basically a story about Sonea, a girl with innate magical abilities that appear when she throws a stone at a magician of the guild in anger. On realising she has magical power the guild search to find her before her magic consumes her, but she thinks they want punish her for throwing the stone and so is in hiding.

The Cover: There is a great cover on this book. The Black image on the white background is clean and crisp. The font works really well and the image is a good fit. All together it clearly represents the genre and targets the audience it is aimed at.

The Good Stuff: I liked the different characters and cultures within this story. The character is likeable and well developed and crosses a clear arc within the story. The world is also well established.

The Bad Stuff: Trudi Canavan tends to use a lot of internal thought to convey what she wants the reader to know or think, this irritated me a little. Some of the story was also a little predictable.

Overall this was a very enjoyable book, Trudy Canavan has created a solid fantasy world with interesting characters that will carry you through the story and leave you wanting more. I give this one 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

Amazon.com
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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 – The Orc King by R.A. Salvatore.

The Orc King (Forgotten Realms: Transitions, #1; Legend of Drizzt, #17)

The Orc King by R.A. Salvatore

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Orc King is a classic fantasy novel about the search for peace amid the struggle for power.

The Cover: I love this cover. The artwork is great and screams fantasy, but if it wasn’t clear enough the title cements it in the genre. The font also works with this title.

The good stuff: The characters are well rounded and interesting. I aslo liked the magical weapons, the creatures, and the locations. The story is set in a well established world and has all the elements of a good fantasy novel.

The Bad Stuff: There are some over technical explanations within the fight scenes that detract from the story. Some long and clunky sentences.

In my opinion, this is a great fantasy novel with Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, magic and magical weapons. What more could you ask for? This one gets 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

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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 – Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland

Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story

Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story by K.M. Weiland

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story, as indicated by its title, is a book for writers who want to learn about novel structure.

The Cover: This has a strong non-fiction cover. The clear font, title, artwork and colouring clearly show what the book is about and who the target audience is.

The Good Stuff: If you want to learn more about story structure, this is the book for you. I was familiar with the content, but it served as a refresher for me. It is written in plain language and explains the key components around structure. I was actually surprized by the amount of content in this book and I recommend it if structure is something you wish to improve on.

The Bad Stuff: There really isn’t anything I found that was bad about this book. The experienced writer will probably know the information within the pages, but this is inevitable really. Any writer who practices long enough will eventually learn most of the knowledge and techniques that are available.

Overall, Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story is well written, easy to read and takes a very comprehensive look the elements of structure. I am giving this one 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

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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 – Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by David Gerrold

Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy

Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by David Gerrold

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Worlds of Wonder – How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by David Gerrold is a non-fiction title for writers who are looking to learn about the craft of writing in the genres of science fiction and fantasy.

The Cover: I really wasn’t sold on this cover. It didn’t really suggest the book was non-fiction, the picture didn’t really work for me, and I really didn’t like the font used on the title and author name. It made the book look less professional to me. If I took the text away from the cover all together, this could have been a sci-fi, horror, or thriller novel in my opinion.

The Good Stuff: Wow! I thought the last book I read on the craft of writing was good, but this book blew me away. This has to be the best book for writers that I have read. David Gerrold really has a firm grip on the craft. I am the target audience for this book and it did its job, really hitting the mark for me. The chapters are succinct, no waffle, no filler, no repeating the same thing 3 times, just solid direct writing. The words run smoothly and make perfect sense to me as a writer and to top it all off, my version was published in 2001. David Gerrold’s text is relevant today as much as it was back then and seems to be timeless.

The Bad Stuff: I’m pretty sure I have covered all the bad stuff in the cover section.

Overall, I found this book to be pretty amazing. If you can only afford to buy one book on writing this year I would recommend you make it this one. It is clear and concise, covers a wealth of information, provides some solid advice, and the writing is interesting. This one is getting a star making, writer creating 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

Amazon.com
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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 – Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction by Lisa Tuttle.

Writing Fantasy & Science FictionWriting Fantasy & Science Fiction by Lisa Tuttle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction by Lisa Tuttle is a non-fiction book for writers that covers off on everything you need to know to become a good speculative fiction writer.

The Cover: I have the 2nd edition of this title and the cover is the perfect fit for this non-fiction title. It is simple, has a clear title, an image that suits a book on writing, and strong, clear fonts.

The Good Stuff: I found this to be one of the best books for writers that I have read. It is written in a very natural, smooth flowing way that makes it easy to understand. The advice within this book is sound and will help writers of all genres. It covers off on pretty much everything you need to know as a writer and contains all the information I have obtained from numerous other titles, all in the one place, without waffling on with pages of unnecessary words.

The Bad Stuff: I acknowledge that this title was printed in 2005. It has plenty of information on Style, character development, plotting, etc… It also gives details on agents, publishing, editing, and cover letters. While this content is all perfectly valid and I believe still current, the book would be even better if it had some reference to Indie publishing and e-books. Maybe this will come in a newer edition.

Overall, this is an excellent book for new writers and I feel it would make a good addition to many experienced writers book shelves. I found it an interesting and easy read with valuable information on the craft of writing. This one gets a well-deserved, writer-making, story-forming 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

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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.

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Book Review – Eyes Like Butterflies by Terence Hodgson

Eyes Like ButterfliesEyes Like Butterflies by Terence Hodgson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eyes Like Butterflies by Terence Hodgson is a non-fiction title packed full with similes and metaphors from English literature.

The Cover: The cover is simple and clean looking. I wouldn’t say the design depicts the book as a non-fiction title, as I could just as easily see it working on the cover of a fiction novel. However, it is not a cover that doesn’t work for non-fiction and I think it suits the title quite well.

The Good Stuff: As the book blurb alludes to, this really is a treasure trove of similes and metaphors, from the short and snappy to the longer and poetic. They are indexed from A to Z under headings relevant to the content, such as: eyes, smiles, etc. Whatever your taste, you are bound to find something that resonates with you within the pages of this title.

The Bad Stuff: To me this is more of a reference guide than a read through book. I found myself skimming for content I like, just because there are so many metaphors and similes.

Overall, this is a great book for writers or poets to stimulate their imaginations (or readers who like this sort of thing). It gets a ‘mind-stiring like clothes in a tumble dryer’ 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

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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.

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Book Review – The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner

The Forest for the TreesThe Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

The Forest for the Trees (An Editor’s Advice to Writers) by Betsy Lerner is a non-fiction title offering advice to writers.

The Cover: I love the cover to this book, it is simple yet creative, with a clean crisp look and clear text. This cover conveys the message that it is a non-fiction title for writers.

The Good Stuff: Hmm… Where do I start with this one? This book has numerous good-review snippets from respected sources on the front and back covers, and on the first page inside. It is well edited and the formatting makes good use of margins and spacing, making it easy to read and giving it a clean look inside. There is a nice little leaf icon for the page breaks and the version I have has used good quality paper that feels lovely on the fingers too. The writing style is easy to read, the words flow smoothly and it is entertaining.

The Bad Stuff: Okay, I’m going to put a caveat on this. I’m not sure I gave this book a fair chance. After the first few chapters I lost interest and really skimmed the rest of the content. I just felt very let down. It promised so much, yet as a self-published author, in my opinion it failed to provide much real advice at all. Maybe I missed it with my skimming, but it seemed to me to be more of an insight into the lives and types of writers, than an offer of advice.

Overall, I wanted to love this title. Everything about it drew me towards it with the promise of a good read. And it is well presented, well written, and entertaining. It just isn’t what I wanted it to be. I’m giving this one an ambivalent 2.5 out of 5 golden bookmarks because I’m having a strop.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

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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.

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Book Review – Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card.

Characters and Viewpoint (Elements of Fiction Writing)Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card is a non-fiction title designed to assist writers with their character creation as well as other writing techniques.

The Cover: I’m sorry to say that while this is a suitable non-fiction cover with a clear title, I find it rather boring. To me it looks like one of those school books you are required to purchase for the curriculum, only to find you never need refer to it. If not for the title I doubt I’d have picked this one up at all.

The Good Stuff: This is a very good book for the beginner writer and still offers some insights to the more experienced. It is packed full with practical advice and techniques that are clearly explained. The author’s style is easy to read and enjoyable (nothing like the stuffy feel book cover gives off). I picked up a few tips for myself and certainly found some parts of the text thought provoking and stimulating.

The Bad Stuff: As with many non-fiction titles I read these days, I feel there is unnecessary filler within the pages. It may just be that I like to get straight to the point and move on, or it may be that I am familiar with a lot of the information and am looking for something new. Either way, I found myself skim-reading or skipping through some parts of this book.

Overall, I found this to be a good title focused on developing interesting characters. Some parts of this book stimulated my thoughts on things I consider I already know. Other parts gave me inspiration around things I have given little consideration to when developing my own characters. For these reasons, I’m giving this one a character building 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

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Amazon.com.au
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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.

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