Take a photo of a barcode or cover
ladyanddagger 's review for:
Black Stone Heart
by Michael R. Fletcher
The writer outlined this book and pulled up some interesting concepts, and ideas he wanted to write about. Demons, regaining horrible memories, necromancy, all of that can set the tone for something interesting which is why I came. The problem is the writer had nothing interesting to add to any of these concepts and had no idea how to string his plot points together.
The result of the first of three books is a wandering tale of a guy who just knocks into things and people and is handed absolutely everything he wants with minimal struggle or challenge. (And is lusted after by every woman after being described hundreds of times as filthy, and covered in blood and rot and stinking of death)
The writing is painfully redundant. Once he writes a description he's going to use it every single time he mentions that thing. Once the mc has a thought he has to go over it in the same way every few paragraphs as if the reader has forgotten everything that has been told to them every couple of pages.
The language is strangely modern and sloppy. This is supposed to be a high fantasy environment and everyone cusses and jokes like teenagers. No one really has their own voice.
I stuck around for the promise of a big reveal in the back history and maybe hoping there would be some saving grace of an interesting twist. The twist was mostly predictable but I found it still had enough content to explore despite me having to make multiple excuses for why the writer chose racist plot points, a main character with almost no agency, scenes that are entirely about just hanging out and fucking, and the writer having absolutely no idea how women think or act.
I want to see what happens but at this point it's also just to make fun of it.
The result of the first of three books is a wandering tale of a guy who just knocks into things and people and is handed absolutely everything he wants with minimal struggle or challenge. (And is lusted after by every woman after being described hundreds of times as filthy, and covered in blood and rot and stinking of death)
The writing is painfully redundant. Once he writes a description he's going to use it every single time he mentions that thing. Once the mc has a thought he has to go over it in the same way every few paragraphs as if the reader has forgotten everything that has been told to them every couple of pages.
The language is strangely modern and sloppy. This is supposed to be a high fantasy environment and everyone cusses and jokes like teenagers. No one really has their own voice.
I stuck around for the promise of a big reveal in the back history and maybe hoping there would be some saving grace of an interesting twist. The twist was mostly predictable but I found it still had enough content to explore despite me having to make multiple excuses for why the writer chose racist plot points, a main character with almost no agency, scenes that are entirely about just hanging out and fucking, and the writer having absolutely no idea how women think or act.
I want to see what happens but at this point it's also just to make fun of it.