Tag: book review

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Book Review: Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

This was a re-read for me, below is my original review with a few added comments:

Half a King by Joe Abercrombie is the story of a boy with his life planned out, suddenly forced to become a king, only to thrown from grace to the depths of depravity where he strives to take back his life and his rightful place among his people. More so, it is a story of greed and betrayal, friendship and loyalty, but most of all… Vengeance.

The Cover: I like the cover for this book. The image on my copy is that of a party of six figures walking past a twisted tree on a rocky outcrop. It is clearly a fantasy novel with both picture and font lending themselves to the genre.

The Good Stuff: I have been trying to read a wider variety of authors over the last year, but I was only a few pages into this story when I thought to myself – ‘Damn, I’ve missed the quality of Joe’s writing’. This is another great book, which I must say is without doubt, written by my favourite author. This title has the same amazing character development, great description, and everything else I love about Joe’s work. Maybe not as gory or bloodthirsty as his First Law Trilogy, and certainly less coarse, making it more suitable for a broader audience. I am a big fan and with quality writing such as this, who wouldn’t be?

On re-reading, I found that I had forgotten so much of the detail within this story that it almost seemed like I was reading it for the first time again, and I loved it! The way Abercrombie weaves and twists his plot, building character depth with so many great characters (such as Yarvi, Sumael, Nothing, and Shadikshirram to name a few) with a thoroughly engaging story, is masterful in my opinion. This title is a pleasure to read and makes me want to re-read Half a World and Half a War now.

The Bad Stuff: (Insert the sound of Crickets chirping here). On re-reading once again… (Crickets chirping) Overall, this really is a great fantasy novel with all the elements I love – good world building, great characters, and a solid story line with twists and turns you will… and won’t, see coming. I’m giving this one a whip lashing 5 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.

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Book Review: Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence

Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence is the second book in The Ancestor Series.

The Cover: The version I have has a grey background of cloud with a lone female figure holding a sword, walking amongst a number of spears and blades. The title is in a silver font with slender curved edges that flow into points, resembling scimitars in my opinion. I like it and think it fits the genre well.

The Good Stuff: This is the first book I’ve read by Mark Lawrence and I was not disappointed. This author knows how to write a good fantasy. I only wish I had started with the first book in the series. Having said that, it wasn’t hard to pick up and read this book out of sequence. The writing style is good and the story pulled me in. There is also plenty of magic, plenty of action, and plenty of blood and gore.

The Bad Stuff: There were a couple of times when I felt things were over explained, mostly near the end of the book where the action really picks up. I didn’t like the prologue either and was relieved that the style it was written in did not carry across the whole book. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, it has everything I like in my fantasy reads. I will definitely be reading more from this author. It gets a thread weaving, path blazing 5 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: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A Heinlein

Stranger in a Strange Land by various Robert A Heinlein is a Sci-fi novel about a man from mars who visits earth.

The Cover: The cover image on the version I have shows a mountain range that forms the profile of a human face lying down against a somewhat psychedelic sky. I can’t say the cover clearly defines it as Sci-fi, but I would have assumed it to be so. The artwork is a bit boring to me, but the title font is a good choice and is clear in white against the coloured background. I will say this is a 1991 publication of this book and it seems the image has been updated since.

The Good Stuff: I did enjoy the beginning of this story and found I wanted to read more. I think it was a good concept and I did find myself liking the characters more as time went on.

The Bad Stuff: I believe this book was originally published in 1961 and it shows. It is quite sexist and it doesn’t seem to be just the characters that come across this way, but more a reflection of the attitudes at the time of writing. There are parts that go on unnecessarily about things that have little relevance in my opinion (such as the mailing system introduced to review the mail received by the man from mars). The book also goes on about religion too much for my liking.

Overall, I got bored with this book about halfway through, started to skim, and ended up giving up on it about 2 thirds of the way in when it was banging on about religion too much. If you love this book, I’m sorry. It just isn’t my cup of tea and only gets a mind vanishing 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 – Heroes wanted by Various authors.

Heroes Wanted by various authors is a fantasy anthology.

The Cover: The cover image depicts some fantasy characters/creatures from the stories within and definitely fits with the genre. The artwork is good and the title font is in a good choice in a nice contrasting colour, making it clean and clear. The only thing I feel letting it down is that it is a very dark picture that tends to make the image a murky smudge on the thumbnail images you see online. Overall, I like it and fits the genre.

The Good Stuff: This is definitely a fantasy anthology, and you get exactly what you’re expecting in that regard. It was free on Amazon when I picked this title up and here are a few good stories between the covers, so great value in that respect. Anthologies are a great way to sample the works of a number of authors to see if you like their writing, and it can be worth it when you find one you like.

The Bad Stuff: As with most anthologies, you get ‘a mixed bag’ of stories from a variety of authors. Some are good stories and some you will likely skim through or skip. Sometimes this feels a little disappointing, but then I try to remind myself that it isn’t really an issue, especially when the book is free. Truly, if I can find one author I like from the various writers, it is far better than trying a novel by an author I haven’t read, only to find I don’t enjoy their work.

Overall, I enjoyed some of the stories, but not as many as those I skimmed or skipped. I didn’t find another favourite author is this book, but there are a couple I would give another go on one of their longer pieces of work. This one gets a sword slashing, magic blasting 3 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.

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Book Review: Half a War by Joe Abercrombie

Half a War

Half a War by Joe Abercrombie is the third book in the Shattered Sea Series.

The Cover: The cover version I have is mainly black and white with figures on the attack, fighting their way up a hill. It seems to me that defenders sit behind a shield wall with the prow beast of their ship at there backs; a scene from the story itself. The artwork is split across the middle by a mirror image in inverted tones. The title sits in the middle within a circle of scrolling waves and stands out in large red letters. I’m not a fan of font used for the title, but overall it is a nice cover in my opinion and fits the genre.

The Good Stuff: Once again, Abercrombie delivers some solid characters in a grim world. The plot has all the twists and betrayals I have come to expect from this author. My favourite character in this one would have to be Raith, followed by Koll, Rin, and Blue Jenner.

The Bad Stuff: I would like to have seen more of Rin in this story, and I actually expected to see a lot more of Thorn Bathu. In fact I was looking forwards to seeing more of Thorn, but I was left a little disappointed that she didn’t play a bigger part. I suppose her story had been told in the previous book. The elf ruins/relics/weapons also didn’t really work for me, it is clear what they represent and brings reality into the fantasy world, but I want my fantasy to be just that… fantasy.

Overall, I enjoyed this story, but not as much as the previous two in the series. This one gets a sword hammering, shield banging 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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Book Review: Make a Scene by Jordan E. Rosenfeld

Make a Scene by Jordan E. Rosenfeld is a non-fiction title that covers the creating good scenes and other techniques within the craft of fiction writing.

The Cover: The cover is simple and clean with three basic colours, a swirling floral design, and some circular images. It clearly represents a non-fiction title to me. The white font is well contrasted against the bold red behind, but without the title and subtitle, I would not know this is a book about writing. It is a pleasant and professional cover, but personally I think it could be strengthened with some imagery more significant to the theme.

The Good Stuff: This is one of the best books I have read on the craft of writing, and that is saying something when you have been writing for many years and read many books on the subject. Despite the title, this book actually covers a great deal more than crafting a good scene. It talks about POV, setting, character development, plot, dialogue, and so much more. I have had this book sitting on my bookshelf, gathering dust for over 3 years now, in no rush to read it. The title deceptively understates the content of the text within. If I had known what lay between the pages, I would have picked this one up much sooner. I learnt a great deal from reading this book and that blows me away. Maybe I’m now at a level where I have a greater understanding and I’m able to absorb the information and understand it, or maybe this book is just written in such a way that it makes it easy.

The Bad Stuff: Nope, sorry… there isn’t any. I’m super impressed with this title and will be referring back to it again and again in the future.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and wish I had done so sooner. The author talks you through the techniques of writing in a way that makes it easy to understand, enabling you to grasp the skills needed to write a good novel. I very much recommend this title to anyone who feels they have not yet mastered the craft of writing. This one gets a scene-building, story-making, 5 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: The Trouble with Peace by Joe Abercrombie.

The Trouble with Peace by Joe Abercrombie is book 2 in the Age of Madness Trilogy and continues the saga within the First Law world.

The Cover: There is more than 1 version for this book. I have the colourful cover depicting a flaming battle scene in the background with the standard of the wolf at the fore. It is a good cover, it aligns with others in the series and is typical of an Abercrombie cover. Looking back after reading the story I feel it really fits well with the book itself. The image works with this Grimdark title, I like the fonts, and it stands out on a shelf.  

The Good Stuff: Come on guys, you must know by now that I love Abercrombie’s work. He just has a way with words that sings to my mind. The characters, as always, are great. The story, as always, is gritty and gripping. The plot, dare I say it… as always, is full of politics and betrayals. What’s not to love about it. I love the character of Rikke, along with Stour and Vick. The Northmen really make these novels for me, that’s the raw fantasy side of things I love, but even the more refined characters can blow me away. Don’t wait, just grab yourself a copy and read it!

The Bad Stuff: Okay, I’ll be honest, this wasn’t my favourite Abercrombie title, but it is a great book. I love the dark, gritty, fantasy side of Joe’s work, and I find that as the world moves forward making ‘progress’, the fantasy is slowly draining away. Which is why I prefer the First Law Trilogy. But I will still continue to read his newer work in this world, because he is just so good.

Overall, this is another cracking title from (in my opinion) the Grandmaster of Grimdark, Joe Abercrombie. Actually, I think that might be my new nick name for him – Grandmaster Grim! Honestly, if you read within this genre and you haven’t read any of his titles, give him a go. He is a great author. This one gets a polearm piercing, battle raging 4.5 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. If you liked this post please share it with your friends on social media.

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Book Review: Tales of Magic & Destiny by various authors

Tales of Magic & Destiny is an anthology containing 12 short fantasy stories.

The Cover: I do like this cover, it depicts an ominous dragon confronting a mage in the midst of casting a spell. The image is strong and tells the reader to expect fantasy between the pages, I just wish the title font was as strong as the image. The font lets the cover down in my opinion, and it is a shame because the artwork is so good.

The Good Stuff: There are 12 stories to wrap your mind around, and none of the 12 stories were bad. I read through most without skimming, and found the majority of them held my attention. They are all fantasy stories as the cover promises and the writing is competent.

The Bad Stuff: There are quite a few typos in some of these stories. It is easy enough to read through and work out what the sentences should say, but it does pull you out of the reading experience each time you hit one. While the stories weren’t bad and held my attention, I was disappointed with the endings of some and found others a little average. There were probably 2 stories I enjoyed more than the others, but none of them really grabbed me and pulled me in.

Overall, this book was okay. None of the stories really stood out to me, but if you have an hour or 2 to burn it will pass the time. The writing wasn’t bad, but in my opinion, the stories weren’t great either. This one gets an average 3 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 a Successful Indie Author by Craig Martelle.

Become a Successful Indie Author by Craig Martelle is a non-fiction motivational guide for Indie Authors.

The Cover: There are two covers I’ve seen for this book. The first cover is bright and stands out. It typically represents a business focused non-fiction title, but the image is a fairly good representation of the content inside. Personally, I don’t love the colour choices, but the cover seems to work for this book. The second (and the cover on my copy) is more tailored to authors, the colours are more neutral, the font clean and clear, and the title wraps up what to expect within. I much prefer this cover, I just find it easier on my eyes.

The Good Stuff: I actually really enjoyed this book. I found the content to be very informative for new authors, it is also very motivational and inspiring. Not only that, it is a very down to earth, no-bullshit, kind of book, written in plain language. That is always a bonus in my mind.  

The Bad Stuff: I don’t believe there was any bad stuff really. The large majority of the content applies to anyone who embarks on the course of Indie Authorship, however, this book is aimed at an American audience. It has content specific to that region, but that is the target audience, so I guess I can’t knock it for that. I would just say to those outside the U.S. who read it, be aware of this and research what is required for you in your country. A specific example of this is the section on setting yourself up with an EIN and/or an LLC. These refer to an Employer Identification Number and a Limited Liability Company. The Australian equivalent would probably be a Tax File Number and a Trust.

Overall, I found this an easy and enjoyable read. It was informative and inspiring. I’m going to give this title a positively influenced 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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Book Review: Legends by Various Authors

Legends 1 (Legends 1, Volume 1of2)

Legends by Various Authors is an anthology containing 5 novellas by well-known authors, set in the worlds they are famous for creating.

The Cover: I like this cover, it represents one of the stories in the book written by Terry Pratchett and captures the humour perfectly. The cover does tell me I’m going to get fantasy inside, but it also says this book is for a younger audience and I don’t think it hits the mark here. Terry Pratchett’s story certainly is, but not all of them are in my opinion. The font works for the genre and there are big hitting names on the cover that are known for their fantasy.

The Good Stuff: For fans of the authors whose work is contained within the pages, this title will take you back into the worlds you love with a story you may not have read. There should be at least one story in here for every fantasy buff to enjoy. Personally, I really enjoyed the story by George R.R. Martin. Overall it is well edited and has some interesting characters. As I said before the authors are all well-known and are as follows:

Terry Pratchett

Anne McCaffrey

George R.R. Martin

Tad Williams

Robert Jordan

The Bad Stuff: I don’t know if it is just the author’s style or if the story by Robert Jordan was not edited that well. It’s as if words were missing here and there, but again, it could just be the style of writing. I was disappointed with two of the stories and ended up skipping to the next author. Out of the other three stories, I only really enjoyed one. I really wanted to enjoy Robert Jordan’s story, the world building was great, holding my interest until the end. I liked the characters too, but the story and the writing style didn’t grip me and have me excited to keep turning the pages.

Overall, this book was a bit of a let-down for me. I wanted so much to enjoy every story, but it just wasn’t to be, the writing wasn’t bad, the stories just didn’t draw me in. I’m only giving this one an average 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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