Tag: Fiction

Posted on

Book Review – Magician by Raymond E. Fiest.

Magician (The Riftwar Saga, #1-2)

Magician by Raymond E. Feist

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Magician is an epic fantasy novel about the lives of Pug and those around him, their victories, their defeats, their friendships, oh… and there is magic.

The Cover: A good traditional fantasy cover that clearly demonstrates the genre and gives you some idea of what sort of story you’re going to get.

The good stuff: While Magician bears some similarities to Tolkien’s work, it is an epic tale in its own right. Feist has put an original spin on a plot that has been used before and has some well rounded characters. His world building is done well, creating different races and cultures in worlds far apart. The Magician has everything a great fantasy epic should have: magic, magical weapons and armour, dragons, elves, dwarves and more.

The Bad Stuff: If I said I had just read a book with wizards, dwarves, elves, goblins and a mad king, what would you think of? Well, The Magician is not the title that most people would think of. As mentioned above, there are a few similarities to another well read epic fantasy in this book. There’s also some over explaining and repetition, with a fair bit of telling in the writing style.

In my opinion, this is a great fantasy novel and is a much loved classic that deserves a space on the shelf of any true fantasy fan. 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:

amazon.com
amazon.com.au
Kobo

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 on social media.

Posted on

Good News! Easy Prey and Making Magic Coming to Even More Retailers.

Image by Jcrakow

Hello Readers,

Just a quick note to let you know that Easy Prey and Making Magic will soon be available from even more retailers. I am working on making them available from Apple, Barnes and Noble, and Overdrive as well as other retail outlets. So keep your eyes open as they should be available in the very near future.

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. You can also find his titles available in some libraries. 

If you liked this post, why not share it with your friends?

Posted on

Book Review – The Lascar’s Dagger by Glenda Larke.

The Lascar's Dagger (The Forsaken Lands, #1)

The Lascar’s Dagger by Glenda Larke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Lascar’s Dagger is the tale of a Saker Rampion, a spy of the Va faith who, coerced by an enchanted dagger, is unwittingly drawn into a stranger’s quest.

The Cover: For me, this is a great cover. I love stories with thieves or assassins and I would grab this one off the shelf just at a glimpse of this cover. It is a strong fantasy cover in my opinion.

The Good Stuff: I really enjoyed this book. The characters are interesting and apart from Saker, they all have strong, clear traits and they stay ‘in character’ throughout the book. The author, Glenda Larke, builds a believable world with a diverse ensemble of characters. She has some creative ideas and weaves some interesting plot lines.

The Bad Stuff: In my opinion there are two major logic flaws within this story. The main character, Saker Rampion, is a veteran spy and I quote “the pontifect’s best; the hunter after truth, the clever spy, the sharp witted investigator.” For a man who is all this, I found him likeable, but incredibly stupid. Saker makes rash assumptions when there is evidence to the contrary. And then there is ‘the thing’ that princess Mathilda hides from the world. I won’t tell you what it is, that would spoil your read if you do take a gander at this tale, but honestly, I have my doubts that she could hide something like this, in this world, under the conditions imposed upon her. I also found some info dumping in the text and some ‘telling’, both of which could have easily been dealt with through different writing techniques.

As a reader it is easy for me to criticise Glenda Larke’s writing. As a writer, I know how easy it is to make these sort of mistakes and still not notice them after reading the story a hundred times. On the whole, Glenda has created an original story with some great characters, set in a believable world. Her prose makes for an enjoyable read and I will certainly read more of her works. I’m giving 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
amazon.com.au
Kobo

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 review please share it with your friends on social media.

Posted on

Book Review – Story Genius by Lisa Cron

Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages That Go Nowhere)Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel by Lisa Cron

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a non-fiction title that looks at planning and forming connections between your characters and the reader’s emotions using the craft of writing.

The Cover: The cover is a good fit with the non-fiction genre and the image is fitting for the concept spoken about within the book.

The Good Stuff: This book covers some of the techniques a writer needs to know: Plotting, planning, characters arcs, etc… but it is done an entirely new way compared to other books I have read on these topics. There is some great information in this book and I did find the concept interesting and somewhat enlightening. The author is obviously talented and experienced in this field, and shares a wealth of her knowledge with the reader. I certainly found some insights into new ways of looking at things that I will put into use.

The Bad Stuff: I hate to say it, but I struggled through this book. I struggled because I like to get to the point quickly, but the author seems to waffle on a bit too much for me. I’m not saying it was a bad book, because it wasn’t bad by any means. I struggled because the examples were in a genre I do not read. I struggled because the author tries to make a closer connection with the reader. I struggled because it was too nice and fluffy for me. I can see many readers would love this, but it isn’t for me.

Overall, for a writer, there is value in reading this book. If you write romance or ‘chick lit’ you will probably love it. If it were written using horror or fantasy examples and was more succinct, I would have raved about it. As it stands, I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. I’m ranking this one 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks for a worthwhile lesson in connecting with readers.

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

amazon.com
amazon.com.au
Get it on Kobo

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 on social media.

Posted on

It’s Good, But It’s Not Good. You Should, But You Shouldn’t – Now I’m Confused!

ask blackboard chalk board chalkboard
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Hello Readers,

I submitted my latest story to my writer’s group and got some feedback yesterday. It is always interesting when you receive differing opinions, but it makes it hard to work out which way to go with your writing sometimes. The submission was a fantasy/horror piece that started as a short story. I finished it some time ago and had been letting it sit after some previous feedback. The general consensus at that time was, they loved the concept, but it was more than a short story and I should continue writing it.

I picked it back up about a month or two ago and started to add to it. I have some new characters and I’ve built a bit more of a plot. I’ve also added more details around the concept and had to alter some of the previous content to align it with the changes. Anyway, after my latest submission there were a couple of people that really loved it and gave me glowing feedback. And then there were others who felt confused, said it needed to be clearer,  and had questions on how the concept works. I’m not big on the details, as a writer I don’t think everything needs to be explained. I like to throw things out there and let my readers read between the lines, drawing their own conclusions. After all, I write fantasy and some things can’t be explained, they just are. But my dilemma is that some people thought I should leave it as a short story and others thought it could be a longer work. Now I’m wondering what to do. Do I leave it as a short story, publish now and move on to my next project, or do I carry on and turn it into a novella or a novel? I may just keep writing, send both versions to my Beta readers to see which they prefer, hoping there is a clear winner.

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. You can also find his titles available in some libraries. 

If you liked this post, why not share it with your friends?

Posted on

Book Review – Knights: The Eye of Divinity by Robert E. Keller.

The Eye of Divinity (Knights, #1)The Eye of Divinity by Robert E. Keller

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 Knights: The Eye of Divinity by Robert E. Keller is a fantasy novel that follows the story of Lannon Sunshield, a young boy from a poor home, who is taken on as a squire by the knights of Dremlock in a time of trouble.

The Cover: This book comes with a typical fantasy cover that is well suited to the genre. It is not a spectacular cover, but the artwork is professional and conveys the type of story between the pages. It would sit comfortably on the shelves of any bookstore alongside other fantasy novels.

The Good Stuff: I enjoyed this book. The characters are likeable and have their own individual personalities. The dialogue is done well, it seems natural and lends towards building the characters individuality. The world is believable for a fantasy world. And there’s magic, fantasy creatures, magical weapons and an array of character classes you would expect to see in a fantasy novel. The story runs smoothly enough and Mr Keller has provided a fun, creative read.

The Bad Stuff: I had some issues with the authors writing. Firstly, there are comments in parenthesis sporadically throughout the book, which pulled me out of the story. I feel there was no need for the parenthesis and in some cases, the comments. The majority of the story is told to us, I would much have preferred to have been absorbed in the story through more showing. There are big information dumps. I like it when the description is fed seamlessly into the story so that you don’t even notice it, but in this book you have to pause the story each time a new character or location is introduced while you read through lines of description. There is also a problem with the Goblin Lords in my opinion. Maybe I just didn’t get it, but the reasoning for their ‘invincibility’ doesn’t make sense to me at all. If they are what we learn them to be, they would not be a harm to anyone and the knights would not waste any time on them. Another thing that disappointed me was the lack of female characters. There are squire trials and mention of female dorms, yet we hardly see any female students at all. There are a couple of female characters, but they always seem to lurk in the shadow of their male counterparts and are never really given the opportunity to shine.

Overall, despite the issues I had with the writing, this is an enjoyable fantasy novel with a solid story that the author has put a lot of thought into. On that basis, I’m giving it a goblin crushing 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

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

amazon.com
amazon.com.au
Kobo

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 on social media.

Posted on

Book Review – The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie.

The Heroes

The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Heroes is a story of war and the men fighting on both sides of the battlefield.

The Cover: In my opinion, this cover isn’t too bad, but it is by no means great. I get more of a fantasy feeling than I got from the cover of Red Country, but either could be a book on Roman History. It does suggest there will be violence.

The Good Stuff: It didn’t take me long to adapt to Joe’s style, and I love it. This tale is gritty and dark, but it feels so real. There are numerous characters, all with their own problems and flaws. I expected dragons and magic, I got blood and gore, and I was not disappointed. Joe has a way with words that makes everything seem real. His characters are genuine and crass. His action scenes will make you squirm, and his storytelling will keep you reading to the end. I loved this book so much so that I would say it is the best book I have read… ever! I have found my favourite author at last and I hope to have many more hours of enjoyment from the other stories in his collection of titles. Good work Mr Abercrombie.

The Bad Stuff: This was the first of Joe Abercrombie’s books I read (I know, I started out of sync… Why? It just happened that way.) The style threw me at first, sentences with words missing, written as they might be spoken colloquially. Coming in under the fantasy genre, I also expected a little more magic, strange creatures, other races, etc… But I got over the lack of these very quickly.

This is a great book and I was left entirely satisfied. I’m giving this read an amazing 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks, just as soon as I can wipe the blood splatters off my face.

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

amazon.com
amazon.com.au
Kobo

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 on social media.

Posted on

Book Review – The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Review – The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson is a story of hope. Vin is a Skaa. A slave girl who has learnt to trust nobody. Oppressed, beaten and betrayed, her life feels worthless, until she meets Kelsier, then everything begins to change.

The Cover: A solid fantasy cover that depicts the story well.

The Good Stuff: I loved this book. There is an ‘allomantic’ magic system like I have never seen before (maybe it’s been done before, but this is the first time I have seen it). Personally, I love martial arts and I love the Matrix. The Mistborn in The Final Empire remind of both, they’re like magical Ninja’s with Matrix type abilities. Who doesn’t love a magical Ninja! Kelsier and Vin are both strong characters you will love, both with their own tear jerking stories. The Inquisitors are an original and ominous foe and the Lord Ruler is as much a god as he is made out to be. The characters work well with their individual traits and the world is well constructed with class distinctions, and a believable economy built off the backs off the Skaa.

The Bad Stuff: Okay, I’m going to be quite critical here in a nit-picking way, because I am actively looking for something to say on the bad stuff. Honestly, for me, it came down to two things. Firstly, in the beginning, there was a lot of white boarding in meetings. This took me out of the fantasy world and dropped me into the reality of my day job. There was also some word repetition with sentences ending in the same word or the same word being used several times in a paragraph. On the whole, these things were not a big issue for me, like I said… I’m nit-picking here!

Overall, this is a great fantasy novel and I look forward to reading the rest of Brandon’s books. If they are all as good as this one, I’m in for a very enjoyable time. This one gets a mist swirling, steel burning 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

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

amazon.com
amazon.com.au
Get it on Kobo

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 on social media.

Posted on

Book Review – Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie

Best Served ColdBest Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie is ultimately a story of revenge. Monzcarro Murcatto is betrayed by the man she has spent years elevating to a position of power. Strangled, stabbed, beaten and thrown down a mountain side clinging to life by a thread. All those involved will come to wish they had done the job right.

The Cover: Though not what I would consider a traditional fantasy cover, it is appropriate for the story and its genre. There is also a hint at the blood and gore between the pages.

The Bad Stuff: Not for the faint hearted, there is blood, gore and treachery. A bad point if you don’t like these things.

The Good Stuff: There is blood, gore and treachery – and so much of it. Abercrombie’s style is so raw, so tough, so gritty, that for me it’s like a fine blue cheese – filled with everything rotten, but tastes so good and leaves you wanting more. The characters, as always, are so mean and so bad arse, yet so well developed that you can’t help but love them. If you’ve read Joe’s other books, there’s reference to characters like ‘The Bloody Nine’, ‘The Cripple’ and others, that make the memories come rushing back and have you thinking “Oh yeah, I remember that” or “Yep, that sounds like something they would say/do,”. I loved this book as much as his others and even though it follows the story of new and less explored characters, they became my new best friends.

Wow! How does Joe do it? How does he make you love such despicable characters? Set in the same world as the First Law Trilogy this book continues the story of some of the characters I have come to love, building on their characters and giving insights into how they became who they are.

This one gets a bone crunching, skull smashing 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks with a splash of blood for good measure.

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

amazon.com
amazon.com.au
Kobo

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 on social media.

Posted on

It’s all about me, but it’s just for you.

cropped-Allan-Walsh-logo-8.jpg

Hello Readers,

Okay, so I know readers are an inquisitive bunch and most of you like to get to know a little about the authors you read, so I thought I would make this post about myself. Hopefully it will give you a bit of an insight into who I am and what I like to do with my spare time.

Now where do I start? Hobbies is probably a good place. To be honest, with a full-time job, most of my spare time is taken up with my writing and the business of being an author. On the occasion when I find I do have some spare time or those days when I really just want a bit of a break, I do love a good movie. My favourite genres would be action/adventure and sci-fi movie. I don’t just watch mainstream movies either, I will watch movies from around the world. I love a good international movie and recently watched an awesome South Korean flick called ‘The Villainess’. Some of my favourite movies would have to be The Matrix, Ninja Assassin and The Princess Bride. As for TV shows, well I can’t go past Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead and the recent version of West World for the commonly known shows, but I also like things like Untouchables and Acquitted on the lesser watched world TV scene.

What else can I share with you? Ah… I really enjoy going out somewhere for a coffee, whether it be a new café in a peaceful surround or an established coffee shop in a bustling, inner-city suburb. Similarly, I like to go out for a drink in a small bar somewhere with a couple of mates or have a small group of friends over for a few beers and something to eat.

As far as sports go, I love martial arts and I enjoy watching UFC or other contact sports on the TV. I also like to think of myself as a bit of an artist and I’ve been told that I’m quite accomplished at painting miniatures (and while I don’t play D&D, I do love the card game ‘Magic the Gathering’). I’m not so good with watercolours, but I enjoy painting with them. I am my own worst critic when it come to my art , but while I don’t generally like the pictures I paint, I do have some pieces that I’m proud of. I also like ink as a medium, I really like the look of things drawn in black ink on white paper.

Activity wise, I enjoy bush walking from time to time, but more-so adrenaline fuelled experiences, especially the ones that involve me driving. Whether it is a V8 dune buggy, a Lotus on a skid pan, or an HSV speed trial – I’m up for it!

And that’s about it for now,

I hope you enjoyed learning something about me.

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. You can also find his titles available in some libraries. 

If you liked this post, why not share it with your friends?