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calbowen's review
4.0
Han Solo-like fantasy
The world is struggling to survive. A smuggler gets caught up in a war that he wants no part of. All because a boy decided to save his life. The
Excellent and fun read
The world is struggling to survive. A smuggler gets caught up in a war that he wants no part of. All because a boy decided to save his life. The
Excellent and fun read
andypeloquinauthor's review
4.0
The moment I opened the book, I was hooked. The villain was set up immediately, with just enough of a hint to make you fear him without really telling you why. I love a good mystery like that, so it helped me to want to read more.
My interest began to wane a bit in Chapter 2, and I was forcing myself to read by Chapter 3. The book was written well overall--very few typos, the occasional phrase I would never use, etc. There is a good amount of information given to keep you interested in wanting to know more, but without a huge info dump.
My main issue with this book was with the lack of description. The author uses the word "war wagon", but without telling us what it looked like, how big it was, etc. The main character spends a lot of time in this "war wagon", but I have no idea what it was. I thought it was a tank at first, but the description makes it seem WAY too big. Basically, I could only picture the immediate surroundings of the character, which made it hard to put myself in his world.
The writing was a bit erratic and jerky at time. The sentences were all TECHNICALLY correct, but the flow just wasn't there for me. The structure was very "UK-ish", which made it hard for me to read.
It tends to move quickly--sometimes too quickly, in my opinion. You get a lot of story, but without really getting a feel for the characters. The main character--Jacob--started off good, but I liked him less and less as the story went on. He's too cool (unrealistically so), and never experiences a moment of fear. His only "weakness" is his love of money, and the author goes out of his way to emphasize that WAY too much. At the end of the book, I strongly disliked the main character, and not in a way that would make me want to keep reading.
That being said, the diversity of the characters was pretty good. Some were a bit clichéd--the general with the walrus moustache, the predictable bad guy, etc.--but overall the characters were interesting. They could have used a bit more fleshing out, as it made me hard to care when they died or were in pain.
I give it a four-star rating because it was pretty well written and the story was interesting, but had the characters been more relatable, it would have gotten a five-star review!
My interest began to wane a bit in Chapter 2, and I was forcing myself to read by Chapter 3. The book was written well overall--very few typos, the occasional phrase I would never use, etc. There is a good amount of information given to keep you interested in wanting to know more, but without a huge info dump.
My main issue with this book was with the lack of description. The author uses the word "war wagon", but without telling us what it looked like, how big it was, etc. The main character spends a lot of time in this "war wagon", but I have no idea what it was. I thought it was a tank at first, but the description makes it seem WAY too big. Basically, I could only picture the immediate surroundings of the character, which made it hard to put myself in his world.
The writing was a bit erratic and jerky at time. The sentences were all TECHNICALLY correct, but the flow just wasn't there for me. The structure was very "UK-ish", which made it hard for me to read.
It tends to move quickly--sometimes too quickly, in my opinion. You get a lot of story, but without really getting a feel for the characters. The main character--Jacob--started off good, but I liked him less and less as the story went on. He's too cool (unrealistically so), and never experiences a moment of fear. His only "weakness" is his love of money, and the author goes out of his way to emphasize that WAY too much. At the end of the book, I strongly disliked the main character, and not in a way that would make me want to keep reading.
That being said, the diversity of the characters was pretty good. Some were a bit clichéd--the general with the walrus moustache, the predictable bad guy, etc.--but overall the characters were interesting. They could have used a bit more fleshing out, as it made me hard to care when they died or were in pain.
I give it a four-star rating because it was pretty well written and the story was interesting, but had the characters been more relatable, it would have gotten a five-star review!
dinnureads's review
2.0
Quite the raw and messy plot. The idea could be awesome, if a little more work would be put in....
terminalfin's review
5.0
As a fan of the Coilhunter Chronicles that Dean has put out, I immediately jumped on this one as soon as the audiobook was available. This book picks up in the same universe as the previously mentioned series and takes you on a journey along with Jacob, Whistler, and a handful of great characters.
The picture painted of the realm for the Great Iron War by Dean was, to put it mildly, otherworldly. He definitely has a way of setting the mood in terms of ambiance, scene development, and plot advancement, and I often had a feeling of experiencing what was happening at the moment. I will say, Dean definitely had me emotional at the end of chapter 31. I won't go into details, but that was one of the strongest moments, for me, in the story.
I can't wait for the next entry in this series. Bray, as always, did a fantastic job of bringing Dean's words to life.
5/5
The picture painted of the realm for the Great Iron War by Dean was, to put it mildly, otherworldly. He definitely has a way of setting the mood in terms of ambiance, scene development, and plot advancement, and I often had a feeling of experiencing what was happening at the moment. I will say, Dean definitely had me emotional at the end of chapter 31. I won't go into details, but that was one of the strongest moments, for me, in the story.
I can't wait for the next entry in this series. Bray, as always, did a fantastic job of bringing Dean's words to life.
5/5
carladionisio's review
2.0
Opinião em Português no blog Pepita Mágica: https://goo.gl/kVfFl7
actual rating: 2.5 stars
I received a digital arc directly from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I started reading Hopebreaker without knowing a thing about its plot. Dean F. Wilson contacted us through our email (which is available to anyone who wants to contact us, whatever the subject), offering his book in exchange for an honest review. I accepted and went to the unknown.
I’m going through a complicated phase in my life, and that has been influence any aspect in my life – even how much time I take to finish a book (it doesn’t matter if I’m enjoying it or not), and also my “openness” to them; some suffer from it, other not a all.
I think Hopebreaker is in the secont category, even though I took almost a month to finish it. I can, nevertheless, say that I enjoyed the book. I liked it, but I couldn’t feel any conection to this book. The plot has some interesting nuances, and in general it’s applealing, but it didn’t work for me.
I read it until the end, because, first, I don’t like to leave book unfinished (even though I have that right as a reader). And, secondly, since the author sent us the book in exchange for an honest review I like to give it a chance until the end. I finished the book without creating any kind of conection to any of the characters; they were not able to instigate my interest or empathy. Although I felt a bit curious about the plot. Who are these demons? How they arrive to the Earth? What they want? I have so many questions, but to be honest I don’t know how much my curiosity will be the reason I’ll keep reading this saga.
It may seem that I didn’t like the book at all, which is not true. It’s well written, and, in some points, I was really entangled to the story, but it was not a feeling that keep me through the book; and those moments were rare. It’s a shame I didn’t like this book as I expected, because I thought it had potentioal. This was my first steampunk book.
It’s a saga that I’ll keep on hold for a while, and maybe I’ll give it another chance in the future. But not now.
actual rating: 2.5 stars
I received a digital arc directly from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I started reading Hopebreaker without knowing a thing about its plot. Dean F. Wilson contacted us through our email (which is available to anyone who wants to contact us, whatever the subject), offering his book in exchange for an honest review. I accepted and went to the unknown.
I’m going through a complicated phase in my life, and that has been influence any aspect in my life – even how much time I take to finish a book (it doesn’t matter if I’m enjoying it or not), and also my “openness” to them; some suffer from it, other not a all.
I think Hopebreaker is in the secont category, even though I took almost a month to finish it. I can, nevertheless, say that I enjoyed the book. I liked it, but I couldn’t feel any conection to this book. The plot has some interesting nuances, and in general it’s applealing, but it didn’t work for me.
I read it until the end, because, first, I don’t like to leave book unfinished (even though I have that right as a reader). And, secondly, since the author sent us the book in exchange for an honest review I like to give it a chance until the end. I finished the book without creating any kind of conection to any of the characters; they were not able to instigate my interest or empathy. Although I felt a bit curious about the plot. Who are these demons? How they arrive to the Earth? What they want? I have so many questions, but to be honest I don’t know how much my curiosity will be the reason I’ll keep reading this saga.
It may seem that I didn’t like the book at all, which is not true. It’s well written, and, in some points, I was really entangled to the story, but it was not a feeling that keep me through the book; and those moments were rare. It’s a shame I didn’t like this book as I expected, because I thought it had potentioal. This was my first steampunk book.
It’s a saga that I’ll keep on hold for a while, and maybe I’ll give it another chance in the future. But not now.
awebster92's review
4.0
I am a fan of Steampunk books. When I was offered this book for review, I took it as soon as I could get it in. Hopebreaker is a fun read, It's a book I would appreciate after reading a serious novel. Jacob's sarcastic humor was very enjoyable. I felt Taberah and whistlers relationship could have been built up more, Though, I'm sure Dean Wilson will build it up in the second book. Hopebreaker was different than most of the steampunk books I have read. I've never read a steampunk from a male character's point of view, so I found the story a little fresher than a few of the fantasy books I've reviewed. They story came together well. As a woman, I consider the ending a bit of a cliff hanger. I cannot wait to find out what happens. I am absolutely looking forward to reading 'Lifemaker', which should be out this year. 4/5
justjoel's review
2.0
I received my copy of this book for free from the author which has no bearing on my review.
This was a dystopian sci-fi novel that introduces a world where human babies are no longer born. Instead, women now give birth to demons, which are generally indistinguishable from humans until such time as they rise up and take control of the humans in cruel and unusual ways.
Unless, that is, a woman is wearing a special amulet that allows them to freely enjoy sex without risk of an otherworldly demon using her vagina as a magic portal to be summoned to our world.
The world is a bit strange, and the characters are bland. The writing itself is nothing special and there are some odd metaphors floated around. I was neither thoroughly engaged nor completely repulsed, so it was just an okay read for me. I'll read more from the author, but not interested in continuing this series.
2 out of 5 stars.
This was a dystopian sci-fi novel that introduces a world where human babies are no longer born. Instead, women now give birth to demons, which are generally indistinguishable from humans until such time as they rise up and take control of the humans in cruel and unusual ways.
Unless, that is, a woman is wearing a special amulet that allows them to freely enjoy sex without risk of an otherworldly demon using her vagina as a magic portal to be summoned to our world.
The world is a bit strange, and the characters are bland. The writing itself is nothing special and there are some odd metaphors floated around. I was neither thoroughly engaged nor completely repulsed, so it was just an okay read for me. I'll read more from the author, but not interested in continuing this series.
2 out of 5 stars.
abigcoffeedragon's review
4.0
Han Solo-like fantasy
The world is struggling to survive. A smuggler gets caught up in a war that he wants no part of. All because a boy decided to save his life. The
Excellent and fun read
The world is struggling to survive. A smuggler gets caught up in a war that he wants no part of. All because a boy decided to save his life. The
Excellent and fun read
misterg65's review
3.0
You can forget the backstory for much of the time; it's a steampunk romp about a ragtag bunch of rebels against an evil empire (ish) trying to disrupt a supply of chems.
Beware: It's the first on a series. It's left very much hanging for you to make a new purchase ... should you want to see what happens to the characters. Me? I can take it or leave it.
Beware: It's the first on a series. It's left very much hanging for you to make a new purchase ... should you want to see what happens to the characters. Me? I can take it or leave it.
liisp_cvr2cvr's review
5.0
First of all I would like to mention that Hopebreaker is a steampunk novel. The only thing I “know” of steampunk is the fashion accessories which can be very popular among the gothic growd. Needless to say, I was very excited to approach Dean on Goodreads and offer to review his novel.
Isn’t the cover already so fresh and unique? I love it!
I started reading Hopebreaker and I realized why I love reading so much. In every book there exist sentences that stop me in my tracks and thrill me. Their simple yet genius meaning makes me so happy. Only a couple of pages into the novel I came across a sentence in Hopebreaker that did exactly that-
“In prison, words could still fit through the bars” Dean F. Wilson
The dialogue is so very entertaining and flows very naturally.
Before reading I was a bit worried whether I would be able to get into the whole theme, as .. you know… steampunk! Meaning gogs, and tech and turning iron wheels and robust machinery. In Estonia the old water towers are still present next to the railway stations where old trains running on steam would have got their water. Doesn’t sound super-sexy. But in a way it IS!!! So, yes, I stalled with picking up the book. On Sunday I thought- now or never, baby!
I started and I couldn’t put the story down. I finished reading this book a few hours later and I was very satisfied in how great my choice of Sunday PM entertainment had turned out to be!
Don’t be fooled- this is by no means “a boy’s book” only. This is totally and very much enjoyable by female audience as well. Don’t let the tank on the book cover scare you away!
I also found it very agreeable as to how the book ended. I know there will be a second one (and hopefully a third one?) and I can’t wait to read more! Sometimes the first book ends and it just, you know, ends. You don’t really miss or yearn for more because .. you know… it’s finished/caput/done with the theme, the characters and the whole idea. But The Great Iron War will stick to my mind for some time yet!
There wasn’t an overpowering amount of place descriptions (which some of us don’t like- yawn!) but there was exactly enough to feed my imagination’s greedy belly. I have those pictures in my head of the desert, of the characters. Of the cities and demons, the trains and landships. I do suggest you look up pictures from Google for steampunk. A feast for eyes and a guaranteed enhancement for your reading experience! Who knows, you might even get a pair of them goggles!
Isn’t the cover already so fresh and unique? I love it!
I started reading Hopebreaker and I realized why I love reading so much. In every book there exist sentences that stop me in my tracks and thrill me. Their simple yet genius meaning makes me so happy. Only a couple of pages into the novel I came across a sentence in Hopebreaker that did exactly that-
“In prison, words could still fit through the bars” Dean F. Wilson
The dialogue is so very entertaining and flows very naturally.
Before reading I was a bit worried whether I would be able to get into the whole theme, as .. you know… steampunk! Meaning gogs, and tech and turning iron wheels and robust machinery. In Estonia the old water towers are still present next to the railway stations where old trains running on steam would have got their water. Doesn’t sound super-sexy. But in a way it IS!!! So, yes, I stalled with picking up the book. On Sunday I thought- now or never, baby!
I started and I couldn’t put the story down. I finished reading this book a few hours later and I was very satisfied in how great my choice of Sunday PM entertainment had turned out to be!
Don’t be fooled- this is by no means “a boy’s book” only. This is totally and very much enjoyable by female audience as well. Don’t let the tank on the book cover scare you away!
I also found it very agreeable as to how the book ended. I know there will be a second one (and hopefully a third one?) and I can’t wait to read more! Sometimes the first book ends and it just, you know, ends. You don’t really miss or yearn for more because .. you know… it’s finished/caput/done with the theme, the characters and the whole idea. But The Great Iron War will stick to my mind for some time yet!
There wasn’t an overpowering amount of place descriptions (which some of us don’t like- yawn!) but there was exactly enough to feed my imagination’s greedy belly. I have those pictures in my head of the desert, of the characters. Of the cities and demons, the trains and landships. I do suggest you look up pictures from Google for steampunk. A feast for eyes and a guaranteed enhancement for your reading experience! Who knows, you might even get a pair of them goggles!