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calbowen's review
2.0
This was a disappointing read for me - it was like High Fantasy Lite - all the ideas without any of that bothersome narrative or exposition - a task that should have taken weeks was begun and finished in 2 pages - nothing to see here? - then why have the 150 words dedicated to mentioning it - oh, so later you can say, remember back when I did this - well, i found this - and where most authors would include backstory, this author chooses to simplify the process by having a paragraph explain what the character is explaining, and does of good summary - something else that usually takes more boko to do - surprises? - nope - I am looking for this person - he is dead - are you sure - yes - are you him - yes - wait, what? - that was not a very well kept secret now was it - this is a good fantasy book for anyone who does not like to be bogged down with details or intrigue and just wants to read about someone taht is not really that great doing things that are pretty boring to accomplish his own personal agenda - I will pass.
abigcoffeedragon's review
2.0
This was a disappointing read for me - it was like High Fantasy Lite - all the ideas without any of that bothersome narrative or exposition - a task that should have taken weeks was begun and finished in 2 pages - nothing to see here? - then why have the 150 words dedicated to mentioning it - oh, so later you can say, remember back when I did this - well, i found this - and where most authors would include backstory, this author chooses to simplify the process by having a paragraph explain what the character is explaining, and does of good summary - something else that usually takes more boko to do - surprises? - nope - I am looking for this person - he is dead - are you sure - yes - are you him - yes - wait, what? - that was not a very well kept secret now was it - this is a good fantasy book for anyone who does not like to be bogged down with details or intrigue and just wants to read about someone taht is not really that great doing things that are pretty boring to accomplish his own personal agenda - I will pass.
eoghann's review
1.0
When I started this book I was hoping for a traditional, but fun fantasy story where our young hero seeks adventure in a fantasy world. The core story is certainly nothing new, but it could be entertaining. Unfortunately that story is buried by poor writing.
Things start of badly with a multi-page info-dump that spews all sorts of details you really don't need to know and provides you with many different unpronounceable names. This is exactly how not to start a fantasy novel. Show... don't tell.
And it really never gets better from there. The story is clumsily told, jumping from event to event without much logic or progression. We are constantly told about about our hero's short temper but rarely actually shown it. We are told about the differences between the three races of dwarves but again... there is nothing to actually show it.
The setting itself is a bizarre mixture of fantasy tropes slung together with very little logic or apparent reason. Why exactly do the Orcs operate plantations? We are never told. How does a single hermit manage to maintain an entire farm on his own? We're not told that either.
How does an old, out of shape man (no matter how good a warrior in his younger days) hold off 200 orcs single handedly and kill 100 of them? Apparently by running round the house.
Why is the human empire's name apparently "The Great Empire"? No, really, even the empire's soldiers seem to call it that.
Why does our hero suffer so much over his first kill (someone who attacked him) yet not even spare a thought for the poor slave dwarf who he casually impales on a spike in order to escape?
The questions go on, and there are no answers. This reads like the first draft of a first time writer.
Things start of badly with a multi-page info-dump that spews all sorts of details you really don't need to know and provides you with many different unpronounceable names. This is exactly how not to start a fantasy novel. Show... don't tell.
And it really never gets better from there. The story is clumsily told, jumping from event to event without much logic or progression. We are constantly told about about our hero's short temper but rarely actually shown it. We are told about the differences between the three races of dwarves but again... there is nothing to actually show it.
The setting itself is a bizarre mixture of fantasy tropes slung together with very little logic or apparent reason. Why exactly do the Orcs operate plantations? We are never told. How does a single hermit manage to maintain an entire farm on his own? We're not told that either.
How does an old, out of shape man (no matter how good a warrior in his younger days) hold off 200 orcs single handedly and kill 100 of them? Apparently by running round the house.
Why is the human empire's name apparently "The Great Empire"? No, really, even the empire's soldiers seem to call it that.
Why does our hero suffer so much over his first kill (someone who attacked him) yet not even spare a thought for the poor slave dwarf who he casually impales on a spike in order to escape?
The questions go on, and there are no answers. This reads like the first draft of a first time writer.
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