Between the set-up information and the slightly clipped prose style, it took me some time to get into this book. I totally loved the middle third, about high-powered heroes making their way through a hostile landscape while dealing with the tensions among their group. The ending wrapped things up very neatly, but felt a bit overcomplicated to me.

I liked the heroine, Infidel, though I wish she'd been a little less objectified. All of the secondary characters were really interesting, and I wanted More...

Sword and sorcery superheroes

Narrated by the ghost of a deceased drunkard, Greatshadow shows off the strengths I've come to expect in James Maxey's writing: it gushes with cool ideas brought to life; it moves at speed through unexpected and intriguing plot turns; and it features sympathetic characters who are larger than life and twice as flawed.

Some of the phenomena in this book rank with the most fascinating I've seen in any story anywhere: a chamber constructed of false matter, invulnerable a More...

As a slight variation to a usual theme, I received this book as a result of a GoodReads giveaway but somewhat indirectly. I won the third book in the series but the author was exuberantly kind enough to send the entire series. Despite this wonderfully kind consideration, my candid opinions follow below.

It is difficult to begin without resorting to cliche, assuming that the opening about winning a book in a GoodReads giveaway is not already cliche. Maxey's work, to sum it up, has a touch of every More...

c2012: FWFTB: mercenary, superhuman, dragon, quest, fire. Ok, so with the words picked out of the blurb, it would be so easy to dismiss the book out of hand thinking that it was one of the tired sword-sorcery-quest type stories. It is quite different, a different sort of POV, a different sort of heroine and a really great story to boot. Gail Z Martin has once again managed to encapsulate my own thoughts with her recommendation "Non stop action, memorable characters and a cleverly imagined workd More...

This is the best book I've read in a while. Perhaps because I was hungry for some good old fashioned sword and sorcery, perhaps because this book does sword and sorcery in a unique way. The characters are drawn perfectly for my tastes, without too much told or too much left out. The unique narrative perspective is well done. I personally enjoyed the religious undertones (and overtones), from the Zen-like grandfather to the overbearing, ridiculous religious zealots. Maxey is deft with the religio More...

Greatshadow is the newest offering from James Maxey, best known for Nobody Gets the Girl and The Dragon Age Trilogy. It’s the first installment in The Dragon Apocalypse, with book two, Hush, scheduled for June of 2012.

Our protagonist is Infidel, a magically overpowered woman working as a mercenary and occasional thief. She has super strength and is impervious to most damage. When her closest friend dies, she decides to take one last big job so she can retire in style. Her best chance is to join More...

DISCLAIMER: After seeing a post on Mr Maxey’s blog, I volunteered to provide a review and was sent a preview copy.

Greatshadow is a very ambitious book that aims high and, for the most part, gets there. When I read the premise of the novel I was intrigued and penciled it in as something to keep an eye out for, hence why I leapt at the chance to get an advance reading. I had read one of Mr Maxey’s earlier books and, while I had found it a bit rough around the edges, I had really enjoyed the fast p More...

This book has made it onto my favorites bookshelf, something that is happening less and less often these days. I loved this.

This is probably best classified as a "quirky" book. Though it involves many staples from the fantasy genre, they are all given a fresh, new, light. Maxey writes in an engaging way and one that drew me in instantly. Just the right amount of humor, questing, action, plot building, backstory, and intrigue to keep every page engaging and interesting. Even a little romance that More...

James Maxey, author of Nobody Gets the Girl and the Dragon Age Trilogy (Bitterwood, Dragonforge and Dragonseed) makes his triumphant return to the world of fantasy publishing with his own unique spin on the classic fantasy trope: a team of a dozen adventurers join forces to slay a mighty dragon.

But being James Maxey, he has plenty of surprises and twists along the way.

Greatshadow is the primal dragon of fire, a giant lizard big enough to show up on a map. Over the course of thousands of years
He More...

I won this book through Goodreads First Reads.

I'm really happy I won this book, as honestly, it probably would have taken me forever to get round to it otherwise. That would have been a shame, as I really enjoyed this! From the cover and description, I was expecting an epic, high-fantasy novel. This wasn't what I got, but I'm actually kind of glad. Instead, this was a fun, quirky fantasy that separated itself from the norm. I haven't read any Terry Pratchett (shame on me) but from what I know, More...

I received a copy for free through GoodReads’ First Reads.

It was a pretty fun read, and there was a lot that I admired about it. I appreciated that the descriptions of place and people were vivid without being florid. The author gave enough information that I could visualize a person, place, or thing while leaving enough room for interpretation that my imagination never got tripped up by unnecessary and trivial details. Personally, I think that makes for a much richer reading experience.

Maxey’s More...

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this from a giveaway at The Ranting Dragon for their June book club. I say 'lucky' both in winning the drawing, and because I might not have read it otherwise. I won't tell you how long my backlog of books-to-read is, but since this was sitting on top of the pile I was able to actually get to it :)
While this isn't a book that will change you world, is was vastly entertaining. Take your usual cast of quest characters in a world with some interesting non-h More...

Infidel is a warrior who (after the death of her only companion) opts to take part in a dragon hunt against one of the most-feared dragons that inhabits the land. The people that makes up the rest of the dragon hunting party are a colorful crew, each with his or her own unique ability.

Although this is supposed to be a romantic fantasy (which it is), the book also contains some rather philosophical content as to the reason for existence and where people originated from. The book was exciting and More...

You can find the full review over at The Founding Fields:

http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/08/...

Shadowhawk reviews the first novel of the Dragon Apocalypse series by James Maxey.

“It’s very rare to find a novel packed to the brim with heart-pumping action, laugh out loud humour, and a protagonist who wants cake. Greatshadow is a brilliant book.“ ~The Founding Fields

Its not often I come across a novel that makes me giddy with laughter in the middle of some tense scenes between characters, when ev More...

Greatshadow straddles the line between serious story telling and a light hearted fast read almost perfectly. I knew that this book was due to be released and then was very happy to see it turn up in my review pile. Maxey has made a great choice to put the tale across in a third party sense through the eyes of a ghost who is connected to a weapon being carried by the magically enchanted super strong and almost indestructible Infidel, possibly my new favourite heroine/anti hero. The setting is pre More...

The first in a new series by James Maxey, Greatshadow managed to be both a very original book and a rather familiar one. Let's start with the original part. The book had a very original take on the narration. While the protagonist is Infidel, she is not the narrator; no, that place is beholden to Stagger, her erstwhile – and currently very dead – partner. This approach is one I hadn't seen before and one that's very effective in keeping us appraised of happenings Infidel couldn't have known abou More...

Greatshadow, the first book of The Dragon Apocalypse by James Maxey, reminds me in so may ways of the TSR quest-driven novels I cut my fantasy teeth on so many years ago. More specifically, it reminds of Forgotten Realms adventures by the likes of R.A. Salvatore, Ed Greenwood, Troy Denning, and Douglas Niles. Before anybody takes that the wrong way, let me assure you that's absolutely not a criticism or a complaint - I have fond memories of those adventures, and Maxey rekindled that same kind of More...

It was good. It wasnt exceptionally anything, it was just good. I appreciated the narrative, and the plot, and I'm happy I spent my entire day off reading it:D

The only big issues I had with this book were the awkward 'romantic' parts. They weren't written as fluently as the rest of the novel, which made it a bit uncomfortable to read.
But then again, it might've just been my own awkard romantic brain influencing how I read those parts...but I dont think so.

This book is in the top 10 of my favorite new reads of the year. I know, I’m being blunt. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was chewing through 50-100 pages a night and only put it down when I was too fatigued to read any more. This book turned me into a little kid – I didn’t want to sleep, or do the dishes, or get dressed. I simply wanted to read this book. Infidel is a kick-ass 30 year-old woman who is the true heroine of this tale. She is fascinating, flawed, and trying to do the right thing More...

If Chuck Norris had written a fantasy novel, this would be it. It's written in a rare 2nd person perspective, told from the point of view of the main character's partner. It sounds like the standard mythical story we've all heard about, but less likely have read. (I certainly haven't read any novels specifically about this) of dragon slaying for the reward of the beast's treasure, but it's a lot more than that. It's unique, unconventional and jam packed full of goodies. There's a colorful cast o More...

Another really creative book from Maxey. This book is narrated by Stagger, who is kind of the protagonist, but also, since he spends the vast majority of the book dead, is largely just a witness to the acts of Infidel, an indestructible princess-warrior. The world, the magic, and the characters are incredibly funny. If you want a light, enjoyable fantasy read, this is great.

Fans of Scott Lynch and A. Lee Martinez rejoice! Do not let a cheesy cover dissuade you from reading this book!With just enough humor to entertain, but not so much as to slip into slap stick this action filled adventure fantasy has all the fun characters and creative aspects of a fully developed "other world".

Slow in the first third, awesome in the middle, kinda fell apart at the end. And Stagger got a little voyeuristic for my tastes... Not sure if I'll be back for Book Two or not.

My Functional Nerds Review:

http://functionalnerds.com/2012/07/la...

I received my first read book free from goodreads giveaway. I enjoyed this story very much it is full of adventure and fantasy, from dragons to pygmies! The story was a pleasant surprise it also includes romance which may interest anyone who loves a good romance as well. I will continue on with the series the charecters are interesting enough to want to know what happens next. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a decent fantasy story that's not over top with drama, or creepy way out fanta More...

Adventure, romance, ghosts, dragons, pygmies... what more do I need?

An excellent fantasy with some really cool additions to the wonderful world of dragon mythology. I loved the story telling devise, thought it worked really well and very much look forward to reading the next in the series.

Fun, all the way around. It's the best of the Warhammer novels with none of the prerequisite backstory. Want a rousing adventure, full of action and warrior women? This is your book. It's just a great ride.

3.5 stars really, but not 4.

I received this in a giveaway from goodreads, so decided to boost it up fairly high on my reading list. I'm so glad I did!
A thrilling read, it really got me sucked into the story. There's lots of action, gets you hooked from the first page.
I loved the majority of the characters (even the bad guys).
The narrator is a ghost, which I thought was fairly unusual, and made for an interesting point of view.
I can't wait for the sequel to come out.