Tag: Reading

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Here Are My Top 10 Reads, What Are Yours?

For this post I thought I would give you a rundown of my 10 favourite books as they stand right now. You may notice that the top 5 are all by the same author. I make no apologies for this. This is my favourite author and I’m yet to find another whose writing I enjoy so much. Then the next three are again from one author – but I note that one of these titles is clearly different from the other two. Anyway, here they are:

1 – The Blade Itself by Joe Abercombie.

The Blade Itself (The First Law, #1)

Wow! I love this book so much. It has everything I want: fantasy, magic, blood, gore, great characters and more. If you haven’t read this, you’re missing out.

2 – Before they are hanged by Joe Abercombie.

Before They Are Hanged (The First Law, #2)

Oh, so awesome.

3 – Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercombie.

Last Argument of Kings (The First Law, #3)

Oh, so twisted.

4 – The Heros by Joe Abercombie.

The Heroes (First Law World, #5)

Oh, so gory!

5 – Best Served Cold by Joe Abercombie.

Best Served Cold

Oh, so good!

6 – Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson.

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz, #1)

This book was a pleasure to read. It is witty and quirky, well paced and fun.

7 – The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson.

The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)

I loved the magic system in this book, I found it to be very original and interesting.

8 – The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson.

The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, #3)

Because I enjoyed the first book so much and this continues the story.

9 – The Lascars Dagger by Glenda Larke.

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

I liked this because the characters were interesting and the paganism that was included in the story really helped to build a magical world for me.

10 – Blood Faerie by India Drummond.

Blood Faerie (Caledonia Fae, #1)

This book surprised me and I found it a really enjoyable read.

And there you have it. So what’s your top ten?

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.

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Hidden Gems and Book Surprises. What Are Yours?

Hello Readers,

I recently read a book that really surprised me. It is called Blood Faerie by India Drummond, if you’re wondering and you can find my review on my previous blog post. Anyway, I was browsing on amazon when I came across this freebie. I had not read anything by the author previously and it appeared to be in the fantasy Genre, which is my genre of choice, so I thought I’s grab a copy and give it a go. The book was not what I expected at all. While it had a large element of fantasy, it was set in the real world and was more of a crime/thriller. And do you know what? I really enjoyed it.

Here are a few others I picked up blindly that turned out to be really good:

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson
The Lascar’s Dagger by Glenda Larke
A Keepers Tale by JA Andrews

So, it set me wondering, how many readers had stumbled across a book they really enjoyed? I don’t have any answers on that question, but you may be able to help out. I’m interested to know what books you have stumbled upon that turned out to be a hidden gem?

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. 

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Book Review – Blood Faerie by India Drummond

Blood Faerie (Caledonia Fae, #1) Blood Faerie by India Drummond

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Review – Blood Faerie by India Drummond

Blood Faerie by India Drummond is a kind of fantasy crossed with a crime/thriller. It tells us the tale of Eilidh, an outcast Faerie living in a human world, trying to catch a killer roaming the streets of Scotland.

The Cover: This cover was quite simple and gave me the distinct impression of a fantasy novel. While it is a good fit with the story, I’m not entirely convinced it fits this genre mash-up.

The Good Stuff: I really enjoyed this book. The writing is good, I was drawn in by the likeable characters and I found this to be an original storyline (at least it was like nothing I have ever read before). It was an interesting read that kept my interest all the way through. No mean feat, given it was not what I was expecting.

The Bad Stuff: I was expecting a fantasy novel and I got a genre mash-up, this may put some readers off. There were one or two moments when I questioned the story content, for example, Eilidh has lived in the human world for 25 years, watching, and yet she does not know what a treadmill is? She’s never been in a house or a car. There is a loose reason for this and I grudgingly accepted it because I was enjoying the story so much I wanted to read on. I also felt that the climax fizzled, it was all over in the blink of an eye. It was like the author said, that’s it, I’m done. It’s all over. I feel this could have been handled so much better with just a little more effort and it would have turned a good story into a great one.

Overall, this book is well worth a read. If I had known it was a fantasy-come-thriller I doubt I would have picked it up. I am so glad I didn’t know! This was a pleasure to read and I really wanted to keep turning the pages. A little disappointing at the end and for that reason I’m giving this one a heart gripping, bone cracking, 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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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Time To Check In – How Are Things Looking?

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Hello Readers,

Welcome to my new site – allanwalshauthor.com, I hope you like what you’ve seen so far. I’m quite pleased with the result and feel it looks more professional than my last website. The new site has been up and running for a few weeks now, and so far I haven’t come across any teething problems. I don’t tend to view my own site from the front end as much as my readers though, so I thought I would reach out to you and see if you have had any issues. If you have come across any stray links, problems with downloadable content, or just spotted a spelling mistake or two, please reach out to me by email and let me know. Alternately, you can leave me a comment below to let me know what you think of the new site, any issues or ideas on how to improve it.

Over the last weekend I was thinking about the sort of posts to put on this new site. I certainly want to gear it towards my readers and your interests. If you’ve been following the site, you will have noticed that I have re-posted my 10% club posts from my old blog. I wanted to get the samples of my work up on here for new readers visiting the site that might want to see some of my work. I’ve also decided to continue with my book review posts, this way you can see what I’ve been reading and what I thought of the books. I may also transfer some of my previous reviews over from the old site, but I will try to layer these between new posts so you are not just getting a lot of content you have seen before. I’ve started this off with a brand new review of The Destroyer by Michael Scott-Earle.

Being an Indie Author can be time consuming at the best of times. It is a big machine and the cogs need oiling to keep everything running smoothly. I have spent the last few months setting things up so the wheels don’t need as much grease, and now that I have established my new site and set up the tools I need to continue my journey with a little less effort, I hope to focus more on my writing. I look forward to giving you all something new to read in the future.

Until then, 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. 

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Would You Like To Try My Writing? Here Is A Piece Of ‘Easy Prey’.


Easy Prey High Res e-book cover

Hello Readers,

For the seventh sample of my work in the 10% Club series of posts, I give you a piece of ‘Easy Prey’, a short horror story about a dead beat looking for trouble. If he keeps on looking, he may just find what he is after. I hope you enjoy this snip of horror.

Easy Prey by Allan Walsh

Deb climbed the cellar stairs and glared across the main room of Shaw’s Bar at the guy hunched over the jukebox.

Mack.

She’d been trying to avoid him all night, just like every other woman in the place.

He dropped a coin into the Wurlitzer, pressed a few buttons and sat back at the bar, swigging his beer. ‘Free Bird’ bloomed out from the jukebox, filling the smoky air with its sullen tone. The top corner of the latest band poster drooped from the weatherboard wall, as if the music weighed heavy on the paper.

“All done?” Judd asked, handing Deb a bar cloth.

“Yep. Next time I’ll show you how to change the barrel,” she said, wiping her hands on the cloth. “It isn’t hard, you’ll pick it up quick enough.”

“I hope so.” Judd flicked his head towards Mack. “Who’s that? One of the regulars?”

“He’s a regular alright. I wish he wasn’t though. He gives me the creeps. Look at him, sitting there with a week’s worth of stubble, greasy hair and backyard tats all up his arms.”

“You shouldn’t judge him on appearances. Maybe he’s not a bad guy,” Judd said.

If you enjoyed this sample of my writing, please share it with your friends.

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. 

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Book Review – The Destroyer by Michael Scott-Earle

The DestroyerThe Destroyer by Michael-Scott Earle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Destroyer by Michael Scott-Earle is a story about a legendary warrior, awoken from centuries of slumber to help defeat a magical enemy from his past.

The Cover: I love the cover on this book and it is a great fit for the story itself. The book is listed as fantasy and the cover certainly places it into that Genre for me.

The Good Stuff: There is a great story here that pulled me in from the very start and kept me reading. In fact, I wanted to keep reading even though there were things about the story that I did not like (refer to ‘The Bad Stuff’ below). I loved the characters (except Paug, I found him to be a little annoying) and the author has created a great fantasy world where elves and humans are at war. The tone was quite dark, which I enjoyed, and quite sexual at times, which I was not expecting from a fantasy. The pacing was good, the book is well edited and the author is quite a competent writer, who I have no doubt will only improve as he progresses in his craft.

The Bad Stuff: I love fantasy and that is what I expected from this book, but at times it felt like a smutty romance novel. There is explicit sexual content within the pages that I was not expecting, after all, the book is billed as a fantasy novel. I also felt it was out of character, making it seem gratuitous. The author gives us details in the characters backstory showing a world where sexual promiscuity is commonplace and marriage is unheard of. Yet at this time, Kaiyer has betrothed himself to one woman and promised never to be with another? Fast forward to his re-awakening and Kaiyer is a horny devil who doesn’t understand the concept of marriage. It just didn’t gel for me.

I was confused by the change in point of view (POV) across the chapters and felt the need to be grounded in the POV character a lot sooner. That is, until I realised that each chapter heading is actually the POV character’s name and this method is carried through the whole of the book.

The author has a tendency to go into too much detail. This slowed the pace of the story and made it read a little like a step by step guide in places. On top of that I felt cheated at the end, there was no resolution. I understand that the use of a cliff-hanger is a good tool for an author to keep the reader turning the pages or buying the next book. The author has certainly used a great one at the end of this story, however, I would much prefer some kind of resolution with a cliff-hanger leading into the next book, than no resolution and a cliff-hanger which leaves me unsatisfied.

Overall I was conflicted over this book. The story was interesting and I really did enjoy it, but the cross-over in genres threw me and put me off. I was expecting a fantasy novel and got a cross between a fantasy and what I would call an explicit romance novel (though I don’t read romance, so it may just be classified differently). If the book had been labelled as such, I would have gone into it with a different mindset and been more accepting – If I had picked it up at all; romance is not my thing.

If you enjoy fantasy and romance you should love this, but if you are after a traditional type of fantasy novel you are going to be surprised and possibly even disappointed with some of the content. I’m giving this one a very tumultuous 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. 

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Would You Like To Try My Writing? Here Is A Splatter Of ‘Darkness In Shadows’.


DIS-72dpi-1563x2500 (2)

Hello Readers,

The sixth instalment from the 10% Club, a series of posts sharing samples of my work. This is an excerpt from the second short story I published, titled ‘Darkness in Shadows’. I hope you enjoy this little morsel of fiction.

Darkness in Shadows

by Allan Walsh

 

Moscow, 10.00 am, March 25th, 1986.

Kochenkov brushed his tunic smooth as he waited outside the rust covered door. He stared at the cracks in the grey concrete walls and wondered how much of a blast the old bunker would take if there was an attack. The handle of the door clunked and he straightened as it creaked open. “Colonel Gorev is waiting for you, Captain,” said a young blond soldier, saluting before he exited. Kochenkov removed his flat cap, pushed it up under his arm and stepped through the doorway. “Ah, Captain Kochenkov, what news do you bring for me today?” said the fat man behind the metal desk. He was trying to light his black and gold Sobranie. The smell of lighter fuel and ground flint wafted from his Zippo, filling the dimly lit room, as he repeatedly tried to strike a flame. “Such good machinery in these American Zippo, I just don’t have the knack to use them,” the colonel said, as he clacked the lid shut and threw the lighter on the desk. Kochenkov picked up the lighter and shook it. With a flick of his wrist, the top clicked open and he spun the flint-wheel against the palm of his other hand. A small ball of flame burst up and settled into a flickering cone of blue and white. The three gold stars on Gorev’s shoulder glistened as he leant forward and put his cigarette to the flame. He sucked a breath through the golden filter and puffed out a cloud of smoke, then started flicking through documents on his desk. “Well Captain, what have you heard?” “Colonel, our spies report the Americans have completed their new weapon.” The colonel’s cigarette drooped from his lips and he looked up at Kochenkov. “And … does it work, comrade?” “We’re not sure Colonel, they’re still running tests, but our contact says the initial results show a high probability.” “I’m going to need a copy of their plans, Captain.” “Yes Colonel, I will arrange it.”

#

Nevada, 12.15pm March 30th, 1986.

Corporal Jackson stood looking around the lab, running his fingers across the stubble on his head. He could see the corrugated roof of the huge, converted hangar, looming above. He had counted at least twenty doors on his way to room 13b and wondered just how many rooms there could be under this one shelter. “You there, what’s your name?” “Corporal John Jackson, Ma’am.” “Well Corporal Jackson, the damn batteries keep dying on this thing, give me a hand to move it,” Dr Norris said as she pushed a hunk of metal towards the centre of the lab. “Yes Ma’am,” the corporal replied as he placed his hands on top of the contraption and pushed. It gleamed in shiny chrome; its two antennae stuck out at symmetrical angles, facing forwards, and loops of wires coiled beneath the long cellular panels that stuck out to the rear. It looked like a large mechanical insect. “What is this thing anyway?”

If you enjoyed this sample of my writing, please share it with your friends.

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. 

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Would You Like To Try My Writing? Here Is A Flash Of ‘Making Magic’.

Making Magic posterized 1563x2500

Hello Readers,

The fifth sample from the 10% Club is an excerpt from ‘Making Magic’, a short fantasy/horror story with a touch of humour. I hope you enjoy reading this spellbinding fantasy/horror.

Making Magic by Allan Walsh
Alcus stared at a note pinned to the notice board. The corners were furled, itching to roll shut, but the words sparkled, as if calling to him.

‘Do you create your own worlds? Bring characters to life? Create magic you want to be seen? If the answer is yes, this may be the group for you.’

This could be it. The writers’ group I’ve been looking for. But what if they don’t like my work? What if they laugh at me? I can’t spend my whole life wondering. I’ve got to grow a spine, face my fears and get it done.

He grabbed his note pad from his pocket and scribbled the address inside.

The days passed, Alcus counting them down, the way he used to at Christmas when he was a kid. That same feeling of excitement fluttering in his stomach just like it used to. When there were no more days to count, he found his way to the address in his note book. He looked down at the writing on the page.

Room 1
The Old Library,
21 Orion Way,
Forest Hill.

Then peered up at the building before him. Lichen crusted rocks loomed up above the entrance, as if their weight smothered and squeezed the tiny door into the wall. Alcus felt goosebumps creep up his neck.

This is silly, I shouldn’t be here… But If I don’t go in, how am I going to know if my work is any good?

He grabbed the iron ring on the door, tugged it open and ducked inside. The doorway opened up into a large entrance hall. Alcus strode past a wooden sign pointing to a room with an iron-studded door at the end of the hall. He paced back and forth outside the door, stopped and rubbed at his chin.

Just go in Al, try it out. If you make a fool of yourself, just don’t come back, he reasoned.

If you enjoyed this sample of my writing, please share it with your friends.

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.