Official Website of Allan Walsh
Hello Readers,
Here is another quote for you, this one is from the fantasy novella ‘The Crimson Guild’.
What are your favourite book quotes? Let me know in the comments.
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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Hello Readers,
Today I’m sharing a quote from ‘Blood Rage’, I hope you like it.
What are your favourite book quotes? Let me know in the comments.
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.
If you liked this post why not share it on social media?
Hello Readers,
Following on from my ‘Do you like to read?’ – free book sites post yesterday, I thought I would share a ‘February Fantasy Promo’ with you. If you like to read fantasy you can pick up some great fantasy books for free just by clicking on the image below.
Happy Reading.
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.
If you liked this post why not share it on social media?
Hello Readers,
For those of you who love to read (which I’d say is most, if not all, of you who are reading this), there are plenty of books out there that the authors want you to pick up for free. Amazon, Kobo, Apple, etc… they all have them. Just search on ‘Free’ on you should find a heap. But there are other places too that you might not be so familiar with.
There are arguments in the writing world both for and against free books. Some feel that authors should not be giving away the work they have laboured over. Others feel that providing free books helps an author to be discovered and build a fanbase that will go on to purchase backlist and future books. I can see both sides of the argument and I am not here to judge. I think it should be the author’s decision whether or not they make their books free. Personally, I don’t mind giving away some freebies to help readers discover my writing, nor do I mind receiving them in the search for new authors for me to discover. As a reader myself, if I have obtained a free book and enjoyed it, I feel I should pay back the author by rating their book and/or providing a review. But, once again this is a personal choice.
So today I’m going to share a few links with you that are home to free books.
Bookworms Discover provides free books from Indie authors on the 1st Thursday of each month. You can find them at https://www.bookwormsdiscover.com/
Goodreads has regular book giveaways you can enter and a draw determines if you win a copy or not. You can find them at https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway?all_countries=true&sort=featured
Prolific Works (previously known as Instafreebie) is a platform that provides exclusive access to sneak peeks, advance previews, and special giveaways. You can find them at https://www.prolificworks.com/about/
Freebooksy is another site that provides free books, you can find them at https://www.freebooksy.com/
These are not affiliate links; I do not receive any kickbacks if you visit these sites from the links provided. I just wanted to share the details of a few of the sites that I have used in case you find them useful, and in the hope it helps other great authors get discovered. And if you haven’t done so already, you can even pick up freebies from the home page on this site.
How about you? Do you know any good sites for Free Books? I’d love to hear of them if you do, especially if they are specific to the fantasy genre. Feel free to let me know in the comments.
Happy Reading!
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.
If you liked this post why not share it on social media?
Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson is a YA fantasy novel about a boy called Alcatraz, given up by his parents at an early age, only to be shifted from one home to the next because of his talent for breaking things. But there is more to this boy than meets the eye and the librarians’ know it.
The Cover: I really don’t like this cover, but I can’t deny that it fits with the story, the genre, and it pitches the book to a YA audience. It isn’t unprofessional, but it certainly isn’t the best cover I’ve seen.
The Good Stuff: I really enjoyed this book. No I mean it, I really enjoyed this book. Even with all its typos. They just didn’t bother me because I was enjoying it so much. It is witty and fun from the very beginning. It even has some good tips for budding writers as Alcatraz tells his story through a first person POV – And the most surprising thing of all, is that I hate first person POV. The way Sanderson handled this was pure style.
The Bad Stuff: I’m sorry, but I have to say it. This book was riddled with typos, missing letters, word double ups, etc… and could do with a thorough edit. But honestly, I can’t say anything else bad against this book.
Overall this book is creative, well-paced, light hearted and fun. If you are looking for something a little quirky that will make you smile, I strongly recommend it. I’m giving this one a gadget breaking 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks.
Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:
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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The Puppeteer: The Seal of Solomon – Book 1 by Shannon Reber
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Puppeteer is about Enya, a young princess whose father has been possessed by a demon seeking to take over the lands. What Enya doesn’t know is that she is a Fire wielder and is only just starting to realise she has magical powers. Can she learn to control her powers and defeat the evil trying to take over the land?
The Cover: I don’t mind the cover to this title, but it feels more like a mystery/horror/thriller cover to me. The colours work together and the fonts are clear, but I would not have picked it for a Dark Fantasy title. I think the author could benefit from aligning the cover more closely to the genre.
The Good Stuff: There is a good storyline in this title with some good ideas and some interesting characters. The Gatekeeper is my favourite and I would have liked to have known more about him and his story.
The Bad Stuff: I say this frequently and I recognize that it is a personal preference, but I really do not like 1st person unless it is done very well. It wasn’t done badly, but it wasn’t done well enough for me to overlook and this took away from my enjoyment of the book. Another thing I didn’t like which I can also attribute to personal taste, is the Chapter titles. The chapter naming convention is to use the name of the character whose point of view (POV) the chapter is written in. This confused at first, once I realized the convention, it disappointed me. Eventually, it helped me, as some chapters were not immediately clear who’s POV we were in and a quick glance at the chapter name solved this. The story is also very dark in places, and while this demonstrated the character traits through their actions, I didn’t feel like the same tone/mood was set through the description and word use in these parts of the story.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I could have taken or left it. It did not draw me in enough to push me through with a want to read, so much as I continued because I had committed to reading the book. Considering my personal dislike for 1st person I’m going to lean on the generous side and give this one a smouldering 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks.
Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:
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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Hello Readers,
We are now at the end of January and I thought it was timely to give you a quick update on my goal progress. As you will probably guess, I have been keeping myself busy. I still haven’t secured a new job, but I’m hopeful something will come up soon. I guess it has given me time to focus on my double diploma. I’m now well into unit 2 and boy is it a lot of work, but I am enjoying it.
I have managed to get some writing done, but not enough to be proud of. I estimate I’ve hit about 2000 words since the start of January and that’s across 2 stories I’m writing, so no real dent in anything there. I have managed to read 3 books out of my 12 book target though, which has really surprised me.
My newsletter following is also growing and has increased from 350 to 412, so it looks like I’m on track to get to 600 sooner than anticipated. If I keep going at this rate I will have to re-evaluate and increase my goal here.
I’m yet to receive an English student through my volunteer tutoring, I was expecting to get someone assigned to me this month, but it hasn’t happened. I think I will hear something on this soon though.
As for increasing my reviews, this is probably my most ambitious target as I’m looking at an additional 8 reviews on each of my books. It may not sound much, but with 8 titles it comes in at 64 reviews and they are not easy to come by. So if you have enjoyed one of my stories and not yet left a review, you would make me very happy if you did so. Not only would it help me move towards achieving this goal, it would also help me as an author by providing the ‘Social proof’ new readers often look for on my writing.
That’s about it for my goals so far. So what about you? How are your goals coming along?
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.
Fondling Your Muse by John Warner
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Fondling Your Muse is a non-fiction title that provides advice to writers. It is described as a hands on guide to writing your very own New York Times best seller.
The Cover: I have a hardback copy of this book and the cover is awesome. It has a texture to it that looks like soft leather. The colour is good, trimmed with gold and the white font pops. It is a beautiful cover that drew me to the book straight away. I wouldn’t say that it screams ‘non-fiction writing guide’ to me, more like a book of poems or a religious text, however the title sparks interest and the sub-titles tell you exactly what the book is about.
The Good Stuff: The cover is awesome. The content itself is very tongue-in-cheek funny which you will enjoy if you like that sort of thing. The book does also have writing related information, which for the complete novice may be of some use.
The Bad Stuff: I was really disappointed with this book. The quality of the cover and its bindings gave me high hopes. I was sorely let down by the comedic style of writing, which had me questioning when the author was serious and when he was just fooling around. Maybe it’s me and my sense of humour, but I just didn’t get all the humour. Yes, I laughed in places, but I also thought it was ridiculous in places. I don’t mind a bit of humour, but I expect a certain level of sophistication from a non-fiction title, and this book just didn’t cut it for me.
Overall, you will get a laugh from this book, but you have to ask yourself ‘is that what I want?’ Honestly, I don’t usually get so snarky about books, maybe I was just having an off day, but I felt like I wasted my time on this one. I really don’t want to waste more time reading it again to find out if that was the really case. So, if you’re keen, give it a go. You may love it and tell me just how wrong I am, but I’m only giving this 2 out of 5 golden bookmarks (and that’s solely because I love the cover).
Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from:
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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The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy (Volume 1) Edited by Darin Park and Tom Dullemond
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a non-fiction title with numerous contributing writers, and is written for writers. It is a compendium that covers a broad range of material for writers of fantasy and will be useful to those writing in this genre.
The Cover: The image is a good fit for a non-fiction title geared towards writers and the quill lends itself to the fantasy genre. The title clearly conveys what the book is about, but while the fonts are suitable enough, I feel the title fonts could have been a little better. Overall, a strong cover for the title.
The Good Stuff: This book would be a fantastic addition to any fantasy writer’s reference library. It is packed with useful information on topics relevant to the fantasy genre, from medieval food and clothing, to religion and world building. This book has detailed information weapons, armour, and much more. It also provides links to websites and further reference material that is relevant and may be of use.
The Bad Stuff: If there is any bad stuff, I did not notice it. I am very satisfied with this book as a reference guide for writing fantasy.
Overall, this is a fantastic reference guide. It covers a great deal of topics relevant to the fantasy writer and will open your eyes to, or at the very least remind you about, checking your facts. The content is both interesting and great for future reference. I’m ranking this one 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks.
Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from this link:
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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Never: Prequel to The Amber Isle by Ashley Capes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Never: Prequel to The Amber Isle by Ashley Capes is a short fantasy story about a thief with bad blood (hmmm… why does that sound familiar to me). We follow the story of Never as he steals he way towards a cure.
The Cover: Okay, I’m adding a new section for cover design in my reviews as I feel they need to be spoken about. I love the cover on this book and probably would not have bothered to pick this title up if not the beautiful artwork. It screams fantasy to me, provoking a mood of gritty action and danger. Just my kind of book.
The Good Stuff: I must say that once I got over the character’s name and the writing style, I actually enjoyed this story and the world building that was developed over this short story. It is certainly a fantasy set in a world I enjoy to read. The characters were also quite well rounded for a short story. The storyline isn’t bad at all, but as with any new author you read, it may take a few pages to get into the swing of things. I’d say give it a chance and see what you think, I found it free on amazon and if the end matter in the book is up to date, you can get the following book free if you sign up to My Capes Newsletter.
The Bad Stuff: The name of our protagonist threw me off. Every time I read his name I was confused by the actual meaning of the word, expecting a sentence to form somewhat differently. The writing style didn’t grip me and pull me in either, I found it a bit passive.
Overall the story was interesting and well-paced, I wasn’t fully invested in the characters, but feel if I were given a little more time with them, I would form a stronger bond. If you are looking for something quick to read with a fantasy setting, I’d say give it a go. I’m giving this one a shadow hugging 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks.
Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:
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.
If you enjoyed this review please share it on social media.