Official Website of Allan Walsh
Hello Readers,
March is upon us. And with the new month, comes a new giveaway. That’s right. I have teamed up with even more authors for this Series Starter Giveaway. All the books here will introduce you to a new series that may turn out to be by your new favourite author. So why not check them out by clicking the image above or following this link.
Happy Reading!
Hello Readers,
Today brings another quote from the fantasy novel ‘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,
I’ve done a couple of posts about free books this month and I’ve had a great response, so I thought I would do one more. If you want to grab yourself some more free fantasy reads this month, just head over to the February Fantasy Promo by clicking on the image above.
Happy Reading!
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.
If you liked this post why not share it on social media?
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?
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.
If you liked this post why not share it on social media?
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.
If you liked this post why not share it on social media?
Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Half a King 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. 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 by what I must say is without doubt 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?
The Bad Stuff: (Insert the sound of Crickets chirping here).
Overall, this 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.
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 post please share it on social media.
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.
If you enjoyed this post please share it on social media.