E.G. Stone's Blog, page 26

Book Review: A Child Shall Lead by Eric Nierstedt

Now, here’s the thing. I’m a bit of a Christmas curmudgeon. I like the holiday as it is meant to be, but the commercialism, the songs (oh, stars, the songs), the expectations of familial harmony and all that stuff gets on my nerves like you wouldn’t believe. Far better to just celebrate quietly and ignore the rest of the world. So when I was asked to read Eric Nierstedt’s A Child Shall Lead, his Silent Pantheon Christmas story, I said yes, but didn’t expect to enjoy it as a Christmas story, but rather as a continuation of one of his books.

So. 

Yeah. 

I actually enjoyed it for both reasons.

This book is a short story featuring Anubis and the Christmas holiday traditions. If you’re not familiar with the Silent Pantheon books, there’s no big deal, except you might be a little confused on some of the smaller details. In essence, Anubis is, as he does every Christmas, staying home while the others of his godly friend group celebrate their revels together. His plans are interrupted, though, when a child shows up in his home, chased by the dark Germanic counterpart to Santa: the Krampus.

I shan’t say any more than that, because I wouldn’t want to ruin the fun, but this book was definitely worth reading. It was entertaining, had all of the good writing that I expect from this series, and even managed to produce some of the warm Christmas fuzzies that I haven’t felt in a long, long time. Also, there was Krampus, which is just fun in of itself. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I suggest Google. Really, it’s fascinating.)

So if you’re interested in a short read that has a bit of adventure, a collection of gods in the modern world, some magic, and a bit of self-discovery, this one is worth a read. Even if, like me, you think that all but a few Christmas songs can go step into the sun.

Book Review: Cider for Harborland by Michael Evan and JMD Reid

Have you ever said something to someone and then they took that one comment and ran with it like a hyper-competitive pre-teen during a game of capture the flag? Yeah… I mentioned that Michael Evan and JMD Reid’s Cider of Legend was a little too predictable, a little too on-genre, even though it is a satirical fantasy poking fun at said genre. I said that it needed some entropy. And you know what happened? Cider for Harborland happened.

1. Thoughts on the plot

Now, you must understand that this book is a crossover between the Alehouse books—featuring seals, walruses, ale, epic battles, magic and mech—and the quest-novel featuring snakes on a search for a mystical and magical cider. So you’re not going to get a standard plot out of this. However, being a satirical fantasy, there is also a generally accepted requirement that the plot has to follow standard fantasy guidelines. This does that.

How? Well, at first, we start with the snakes in the desert, called by mysterious dreams to spread the Cider of Legend to Harborland. Why? Well, we’re not sure until much, much later. This first part of the book follows a mostly-standard quest-by-dreaming plot, except things are, as expected, a little odd. The standard pieces that you would find in such a novel are twisted, changed, poked fun at, etc. Which is entertaining in of itself, but this then leads into the slightly-more-chaotic world of Harborland. 

The first two Alehouse books were…well, let’s just say that logic was not a requirement. The part of this book featuring our seal friends is equally illogical, providing the perfect ground for the crossover from the desert. 

Trust me, as crazy as all this sounds, it does make sense.

2. Thoughts on the characters

The characters in this book are the familiar ones that we’ve seen in all the previous books. We have Mik’hai and Le’thal the sidewinders. JM and Matthais as the seals. They are familiar and enjoyable.

The other characters in the book that we get to see more of are Sandy Sam (sidewinder), Scotty (cider-brewing lizard), Mary Sue (don’t get me started), and a cameo by the authors (trust me, it’s better if you find out yourself on this one). I like the new characters and the old characters; they mix together very well and make the crazy plot make sense, which is a feat in of itself. I think that the linguistic oddities of Sandy Sam and Scotty are probably my favourites, but that could be because I want to hit Mary Sue upside the head. Twice.

3. Favourite bit

The ending portion of the book featuring the authors. As talking about this would likely spoil a good portion of the book, I shall say very little. Only, all the questions were answered and what could have been an extremely pointless ending was instead turned into something (intentionally) ridiculously poignant that was both perfect for a satire and somehow completely sincere. And it explained the whole problematic thing I had with the end of the first Alehouse book, so there was that, too.

4. Critique

I was promised entropy, and entropy I got. It didn’t make a lot of sense to me until the end, so up until that point, I was a little frustrated with the seemingly pointless weirdness. But, as the ending cleared all that up, I can’t really call that a critique. Just…delayed expectation. 

Overall, this book is—weirdly—the perfect culmination to the “series”. (I hesitate to call it a series since the books, excepting the Alehouse books, seem to have nothing to do with one another besides the fact that they feature animals and alcohol. Still, they fit together well, so disregard my inability to categorise things properly.) As a satirical fantasy, this book managed to both follow the expected tropes and poke fun at them, while still not taking itself too seriously. A feat of great shenanigans, to be sure. If you’re interested in the mostly ridiculous, want some magic, some mayhem and a mystical cider, then this is a good book for you. 

Book Review: Bullets and Bones by R.S. Penney

I rarely get a chance to read straight westerns, mostly because I haven’t actually been in touch with a lot of authors who write westerns. Now, that being said, I have a special fondness for all things space opera (read, western with sci-fi) or even westerns with fantasy elements (I don’t know if there’s a specific genre name for this) and any chance to delve into a series with such things is really quite a treat. Reading R.S. Penney’s Desa Kincaid series was no exception. This review is for the second in the series, though I read both books and shall try to provide some context.

1. Thoughts on the plot

The second book in the series, Bullets and Bones starts where the first left off. For context, our hero Desa has just been through the desert and all sorts of uncomfortable and dangerous situations in order to track down her nemesis, a villain who uses Field Binding (sort of like Jedi powers) to hurt people and bring some unknown force into the world. After this, Desa and her friends were transported by this unknown force back to her home of Aladar. And things there are…complicated. Now, with a stronger enemy to face, a past to reconcile, and politics to battle, Desa’s trials are far from over.

I think this second book did a really good job of continuing the story from the first book, while also providing more in the way of world building, specifically regarding Desa’s past. We learn a good deal more about where she came from and those added elements make things much more difficult for the characters. Then, in the second half of the book, when they set off to go defeat their enemy, things pick up a bit in pace. This could have been done badly, to the point where the pace shift gives you a bit of whiplash, but I think that this particular change was perfect for teh story and the situation. Though, the travel was a bit hard to follow, but that’s because I am geographically challenged.

2. Thoughts on the characters

Any sequel, featuring the same cast of characters, is meant to take those familiar faces and give them more struggles, highlight their character even more, and provide more insight into their lives. In short, the character development in any sequel should be a continuation and expansion of what we learned in the first book. And this book definitely did that.

The first book was really quite good in that I liked the characters while also acknowledging their flaws. I could see the way that they were growing and I had fun reading them. Bullets and Bones, though, really let me see the characters for what they were. Desa’s past added a whole element of answers to questions that I didn’t know I had. Learning about Miri and Marcus and their lives in Aladar was perfect for both plot and character. And that plot twist at the end…just lovely.

3. Favourite part

Probably the technical/mystical exploration of Field Binding. There seems to be a good portion of this art which is grounded in science, and some which is not. I can’t really explain it more than that, but I loved seing something that looked slightly familiar transplanted into a new, action-oriented and fascinating environment.

4. Critique

Some of the action scenes—and there were quite a few—did overwhelm the plot just a touch. They were important, yes, but they seemed almost scripted rather than flowing from the natural progression of the plot. While I enjoyed the action scenes quite a lot, I think they didn’t need to be quite so over-the-top dramatic. Still, that’s more of a personal preference than anything.

Overall, I would say that this second instalment in the Desa Kincaid series is a gripping adventure that combines some of my favourite elements of both sci-fi, and westerns: a defining sense of right and wrong, a technological element that shapes the world, and characters that cause a good deal of trouble. Very good.

Book Review: Darkness Awakening by Lisa M. Green

For all the many, many books that I read, I don’t often get a chance to read sequels or series continuations for the books that I review. I have a never ending list, and going back on my own time to read farther is not always an option. So when I get a sequel to a book I’ve already read on my schedule for review, I’m thrilled. And Darkness Awakening by Lisa M. Green is no exception.

1. Thoughts on the plot

This book follows the continuing adventures of Aurianna, the saviour from the future, in the fantastic reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. There is still magic and technology, political scheming and questions of what is right and wrong, but this story delves more into Aurianna’s past, which I enjoyed a fair bit. I will say that the beginning of the book dives right into pulling her through time again, without any time for her to enjoy returning to the future that she knows/knew. This is important for plot, but it starts the story off at a very fast pace and things do not slow down once throughout the novel.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I think that the moments of plot-significant action mixed with moments of character bonding between Aurianna and her friends made for a story that was entertaining to read and didn’t overwhelm you with too much action or information, despite being fast paced. The only part I had issue with was the ending, but I’ll discuss that in a bit.

2. Thoughts on the characters

I always find character development in sequels/follow-on novels to be almost more interesting than the initial story. We get to see the character continue to grow from where we left them at the end of book one, and really come into their own. In this story, Aurianna starts off with her angry and reluctant hero attitude and really turns it into righteous indignation at the shape of the world. She also deals with the discovery of her past, which is enough to throw anyone for a loop, and still ends up being a character that you love. Especially at the end, when things are…really, really bad (spoilers, sorry) and she does the awesome thing to fix the problem (again, can’t say because spoilers), she really shows her colours and the reason why we like her so much.

She may not be convinced she’s this saviour, but by George, she’s going to bust some heads if it means getting things done!

3. Favourite part & critique

Okay, here’s where things get a bit… tricky. Because my favourite part is the ending. But it’s also my least favourite part. The part I really enjoyed was seeing Aurianna put all the puzzle pieces together (as much as was possible) and really start to show the world just what she thinks of its scheming. She grows into her abilities and is a friend that you want by your side. I love the pain and anguish that she goes through while in this moment of self-discovery, and also the way that she resolves the issues. Also, I enjoy the whole Pharis “situation”. 

Now, the part about the ending I don’t like? The whole thing with Javen. Okay, I saw it coming almost from the beginning of the book. All the clues are there and I knew it was going to happen. That’s fine, I have no problem with plot twists that come from a solid ground of logic. Where I find issue is the piece where the motivation for the plot twist comes in. I know how, I know what, but why is a complete mystery. And it’s a complete mystery to everyone else in the book, too, which is really quite frustrating. I like to have at least a logical reason for characters to behave the way that they do, and this felt far from logical. It just sort of…was. 

Now, I understand that the answers will be provided in the next book. That’s standard for a series. The part that I would change is to add just a touch of motivation/hint of the emotional core earlier in the story so that it doesn’t feel like it is just twirling moustachery of character development. The actions themselves were seen earlier on, but the reasons why were not, and that disparity bothers me just a touch.

Even so, I did love the ending. I just…hated it, too.

Overall, I would say that Darkness Awakening is a fantastic sequel to Dawn Rising and really moves the story along in an intriguing direction. The characters were just as enjoyable as ever, the plot was great to read, and excepting that one bit at the end, I had a great time with this story. I would definitely recommend this book!

Book Review: Stranded by Rosalind Tate

Portal fantasy (and sci-fi) has become a favourite of readers, ever since the advent of The Chronicles of Narnia. There is just something mythical and fascinating about being transported to another world. In Rosalind Tate’s Stranded, which is the first book in her Shorten Chronicles, the portal travels in time, to a place in the distant past, where social graces and keeping secrets to oneself may be the most important thing. Oh, and there’s a dog. Already, this is a great start.

1. Thoughts on the plot

This book follows Sophie Arundel, a new University student who is transported to the past with her acquaintance from school, Hugo, and her not-quite-official service dog, Charlotte. The portal leaves Sophie and Hugo stranded in a lane in the England of a different time, and once they leave the portal, it vanishes. Now, Sophie and Huge must blend in as best they can while they try to decipher the workings of the portal. The only thing is, history in this England isn’t the same.

I will admit, it took me a little bit to really get into the story on this novel. The first part, about the university, and then Hugo and Sophie’s initial trek to the Shorten Manor, didn’t really grab me. It felt a little like a typical portal fantasy, and even their thoughts about it being a dream felt a little too typical. But, as soon as we got to the Manor and learned that the lift portal had vanished, I was hooked. This story unfolded in a slow unfurling, and it was done spectacularly well. Each piece of the story built on what came before and fit in so perfectly with the adventure, the questions about the portal, and Sophie’s character development. By the end of this book, I was really keen to read more (and still am!). 

This book is a slow-burn sort of book, but the detail that went into the construction of the plot, down to the clothing and food, not to mention science, was exceptional. 

2. Thoughts on the characters

Despite my not really getting into the plot until we reach the past, I did like Sophie’s character right from the start. Any girl who has the gumption to arrive at University with her dog in tow, but no official service animal paperwork, is one I’m interested in reading about. She has spark, and doesn’t always think things through, but is fully aware of how her actions affect others. Only, maybe, after they’ve already happened. 

I really enjoyed reading about how Sophie’s character changed and adapted to the circumstances throughout the novel. Learning tahe social graces of a different time is always complicated, but Sophie’s leap first philosophy made it even more entertaining to follow. I also like the various relationships she formed while on her adventure, from friends to family and maybe more. It will be fascinating to see how those unfold in future stories.

3. Favourite part

Charlotte’s antics must get an honourable mention here, since she is absolutely a wonderful dog and character. But my true favourite part would have to be all the detail that went into this piece. The house, the products described, the social attitudes, the science, everything was just so well placed as to make the world come alive without overwhelming you with information. It was such fun to read, to see history come to life.

4. Critique

I really don’t have any real critiques for this novel. Despite it being a slow start, I thoroughly enjoyed it and even will say that the beginning makes perfect sense once you reach the end (or even middle) of the story. And even though the story ended on a cliffhanger, I can’t complain about that, either, as it was a perfect end to the story and didn’t leave you hanging. Yes, I do note the irony of that statement. Trust me, it makes sense when you read the book.

All in all, I should say that Stranded was an absolutely charming, delightful fantasy with just a touch of romance and romanticism. I enjoyed it a lot, especially Charlotte, and would recommend it to anyone who wants to see a bit of history come to life. 

Book Review: Where Hope is Found by Rebecca Marsh

I don’t often read a lot of contemporary literary fiction. Part of this is because most of the books I was made to read during high school were of the literary fiction genre, and they were, usually, quite frustratingly terrible. (Would it kill English teachers to just once pick books that were relatable to a student rather than about things we most certainly found dull?) I don’t dislike literary fiction, don’t get me wrong. I think it is a fascinating genre. However, most of my early impressions were shaped by those unfortunate books. Also, not that many books of literary fiction sort drop across my review schedule. (Why? I don’t know.)

So when I got the chance to read and review Rebecca Marsh’s contemporary fiction piece, Where Hope is Found I was thrilled. And then I actually read the book and found it equally thrilling.

1. Thoughts on the plot

This book follows Marissa, a woman who lost her husband and her oldest child in the same tragic accident, and her youngest daughter Maisy as they navigate the aftermatch of that selfsame accident. Interwoven in their story is the story of Owen, Marissa’s brother, and Charlie, his son, as they deal with an entirely different sort of relationship. This story focuses a lot on how people deal with tragedy and how they navigate difficult waters to make a life for themselves. 

I will admit, parts of this book had me sniffling a bit. The difficulties that Marissa, Maisy, Owen and Charlie deal with are all so terrible that you can’t help but feel for them. But there is also an element of relatability, because their story could just as easily belong to anyone else and still be just as powerful. The evolution of the plot was intimately tied together with the evolution of the characters and I liked that quite a bit. It was nice to see something that couldn’t exist without one or the other, rather than separate plots and characters that, while they worked well together, were actually separate creatures. This was definitely compelling in both regards.

2. Thoughts on the characters

This book shifts perspectives between Marissa and Owen as they navigate their lives and I liked that it followed both. You see events unfolding from the eyes of two different people, which allows us to see how different people interpret the same events. Each piece of the characters that we say, either from ther own perspective or from the perspective of someone else, helped to illustrate them into a whole, complex being. Again, the character evolution was intricately linked to the plot and I enjoyed seeing both progress simultaneously. Marissa’s journey impacted me perhaps slightly more than Owen’s, but that is because I relate to her a fair bit, not that I don’t relate to Owen. Both characters were worth reading in my opinion.

3. Favourite part

I think my favourite part is actually the relationship that both Marissa and Owen have with the rest of their family. That particular “I love you, but you’re difficult” feeling that both sides seem to feel resonated a fair bit with me. It felt acutely familiar and made this book all the more real. It was also nice to see this relationship both evolve and stay the same throughout the book, as is the case with most family.

4. Critique 

My only real critique for this book is that the ending was rather abrupt. I understand why it ended where it did. Everything did get resolved and there were no more questions to be answered. But the story was moving at a rapid pace at the very end, then just sort of…stopped. I think even just an epilogue showing one more scene some indeterminate amount of time later (say a year, or so) would have rounded out the story to the point where I didn’t feel a bit shortchanged by the ending. Though, as I said, everything was resolved, so it’s more just a personal opinion than anything.

Overall, I really enjoyed Where Hope is Found. It may not be quite so intentionally dramatic as many of the literary and contemporary fiction pieces I read in high school, but it had all the important pieces that define the genre and was, besides that, an enjoyable book to read. I would say that it was very good.

Book Review: Oath by Poppy Kuroki

I’ve always been fond of stories that involve someone starting out in dire circumstances and, through wits or skill or even fate, finding where they’re meant to be. It’s not quite a rags-to-riches tale, but more of a rising from the ashes sort of thing. And when that story also defies my expectations and makes me love the characters, no matter what choices they make, then I’m all in. Thus was Poppy Kuroki’s Oath, a wonderful low fantasy novel which explores choices and consequences and hope for the future.

1. Thoughts on the plot

This book follows Collette, a young woman who has been on the streets almost her whole life. She decides that she is done starving and freezing and sneaks her way out of her Queendom and into the neighbouring Empire, a place where there is at least there is the chance of making a better life for herself. Once there, she falls into the company of some assassins in service to a dark goddess and nothing is ever the same again. 

The plot begins rather as one would expect: our main character starts the process to pull herself up and meets a group of people who may very well be her new friends and purpose. After that point, though? Everything I expected about this novel changed. The twists of this piece were absolutely wonderful, using logical people interaction and character development to move the story in a direction that was both unexpected and made perfect sense. And the ending? Oh, the ending! It was perfect for the story and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

2. Thoughts on the characters

As a main character, Collette is a wonderful one to follow. She is reserved, but as a product of her early life. She doesn’t trust easily and yet she so desperately wants to trust. She is one to adapt to what life throws at her rather than fight it. As we get to see her grow throughout the novel, I found it was the little things that made her a character worth reading. The way she eats her food, the way she talks to people, where she goes to think. All of these traits and more are well thought out and put together in a character I really liked. 

Most importantly, though, when we see Collette in action, her thoughts and reactions and actions all make sense. There’s nothing that seems wildly out of character. She acts as you would expect a person to act under similar circumstances. All of these things make her pop right off the page.

3. Favourite part

As much as I liked the plot and the characters, my favourite part is the description of the foods. Oh my! I really enjoy reading descriptions of food because they help to both illuminate how the character sees things, and also they depict the world in a way that is specific to a sense people often overlook: taste. Also, I just really like food. 

4. Critique

If I have one critique about this novel, it is that there are certain points near the 75% mark that start bringing up questions of, “Oh, but that doesn’t work unless you take x, y, or z into account.” This is more a matter of such things like, a character would freeze if exposed to certain temperatures for a certain amount of time, or fire doesn’t spread that way (just examples, not actually in the book). However, almost as soon as I started thinking such a thing, the novel addressed each issue in such a way that made perfect sense and progressed the story. So…my critique is moot.

Book Review: The Cider of Legend by Michael Evan and JMD Reid

The thing about fantasy is that it can literally be anything. If there’s a hint of magic, then you have fantasy. If you have sidewinder snakes going on a quest to bring back a mystical cider and save the desert, then you have fantasy. Granted, the latter might be less common, but it is still quite the adventure. Hence, Michael Evan and JMD Reid’s The Cider of Legend.

1. Thoughts on the plot

This book, intentionally, follows the standard fantasy quest novel. You have your average person (snake) set a dangerous, but necessary, quest. They go off, meet other characters who help or hinder their quest, defeat challenges/monsters, get sidetracked, go complete their goal and end up back where they started with the world a better, or more interesting, place. This is the quest novel that you see in The Hobbit or The Wizard of Oz or any number of fantasy pieces. It is one of the more common epic fantasy plots and, in this particular instance, it follows the quest plot to the letter.

Granted, this book is a satire, which means that it follows the standard plot intentionally. The fact that you know what is going to happen is part of the point, and the intrigue comes from such things as bits of humour regarding the plot, breaking the fourth wall, and the character interactions.

For me, though, there is a fine line between satire and formula. This book follows the standard so precisely that it feels more like formula than satire and I could predict, quite easily, what was going to happen next, which ruins the fun a bit for me.

2. Thoughts on the characters

The main characters of this book are the narrator, a sidewinder named Mik’hai, and his wife Le’thal, who our our adventurers out to find this mysterious cider and save the desert from a plague. As worried as they are about the situation, I must say that these two characters manage to keep up quite good spirits  during their adventure. Their banter brings levity to the situation and they can face down the greatest threats with determination and cheer.

Basically, I like them. These two, in my opinion, really make the story what it is.

3. Favourite part

The way that Mik’hai and Le’thal interact is probably my favourite bit. It’s not quite your standard romantic banter, the sort that you would get from a romantic fantasy or even a romance novel. This feels more like friends polking each other with sticks, just because they can, but only with the best intentions. Never goes too far, but doesn’t let up if the other needs a bit more prodding. Quite fun, I think.

4. Critique

As discussed with the plot, the satire gets a little lost in the formula. And even the character banter gets a little lost in the formula. I’ve read enough books and watched enough television shows to tell you precisely what is going to happen next a good portion of the time, even down to bits of dialogue. When books surprise me, then I get really interested. Excepting the characters and their banter, this book didn’t really surprise me. It was good, don’t get me wrong, just familiar. Even with sidewinders and hawks and cider.

Overall, I would say that this book is a good quest fantasy novel that just happens to feature sidewinders and the desert as our characters and setting. Apart from that deviation, it is a perfect example of quest fantasy. It even has elements of satire, though I wouldn’t necessarily classify it entirely that way. I just would have liked a bit more entropy, a bit less formula, and something that truly surprised. Though, I did like the characters. They were quite fun.

Editing: The Great Oxford Comma Debate

Now that I’ve opened up some editing services, about which I am really quite excited, I thought I would also do more editing and writing discussions on the blog. So continue expecting book review from me, but on the weeks when I don’t have any book reviews scheduled, I will be doing more wordsmith related topics.

Which brings me to what is perhaps the most controversial topic in the world of writing, no matter what genre you are in: the Oxford comma. I figured I might as well start off with something famaliar, dramatic and controversial.

(See what I did there?)

Okay, first things first, I’m going to tell you where I stand on the whole Oxford comma issue and then I’ll start explaining the mechanics. I am thoroughly neutral. I see both sides of the argument. When the situation calls for it, I use the comma. When I don’t see a great need for it, I don’t. And in my editing, I thoroughly respect the preference of the author and only advise a change if something is really, really wonky.

Right! On to the mechanics.

Generally speaking, the Oxford comma is the comma in a list of items/actions that precedes an “and” or an “or” conjunction. For example: I bought cookies, tea, and socks. (The debate is often seen in lists of three, but can occur in larger lists or smaller lists as well.)

The controversy comes from the question of whether that final comma is necessary. Those that argue FOR the comma believe that it is necessary because you could have situations where the “and” links the items in the list rather than indicating they are separate, which would generation confusion. For example: I bought some chocolate, cashews and almonds. This could potentially be confusing since the cashews and almonds could be a single item of mixed nuts, or they could be separate. This is a very basic example, but confusion can arise under many different circumstances and with many different items. Often, I see the greatest issue with items that contain a full clause (such as “fishing with the family”).

Those that argue AGAINST the comma believe that it is not necessary because the conjunction provides the necessary grammatical break, making the comma redundant. Using the same example as above, buying cashews and almonds would be considered not confusing for the very reason that if you were buying them as one single item, it would be most likely to be mentioned as some sort of mixed nut collection. The mind logically breaks down the list to understand that the items are separate because of the use of “and” as a linking conjunction. The comma often takes the grammatical meaning of “and” when it is not used in the sense of a natural pause. Therefore, the comma use in the list would be considered redundant; you would not say “I bought chocolate, cashews and and almonds.”

This is a gross simplification of the issue. There are many instances where a different grammatical structure can be used (semi-colons are one such instance that do not get used frequently in modern linguistic patterns), and there is often a great deal of ambiguity even in simple phrases. My advice would be to use what makes the most natural sense in your mind. If there is a problem, then you can ask your editor or writer friends on social media and see what they think. Just don’t be surprised if there’s a debate!

Book Review: Nether Light by Shaun Paul Stevens

While many fantasy stories are epic in scale, not all of them move from action scene to desperate situation; some are more deliberate and intentional in their collection of details into a story. Nether Light by Shaun Paul Stevens is, I would say, an epic fantasy that is happy to burn slowly into something dramatic. 

1. Thoughts on the plot

This story follows Guyen, a refugee in the land of his enemies. He plans not only to survive, but to fight back, until his brother falls into a coma to do with the Faze—the magical energies of the world—and Guyen is called to the capital. There, he works on Faze and Binding, deals with political intrigue, and discovers the world is much, much larger than his own problems. 

Taken as a storyboard, this story is fairly typical. Person washes up in land of his enemy, discovers he is something a bit more, learns from his enemy and discovers that things are not what they seem. It’s a generally standard epic fantasy-style story where the stakes grow ever larger as our hero’s knowledge increases. However, this plot is very, very detailed. The intricacies of Guyen’s day-to-day life are often laid out and we see much of his thought proceses as he goes about his life. 

Generally speaking, I like stories that delve this deeply into a character, because I find that the details are the pieces that really make a story interesting and relatable. This story is fairly good in that regard, but I think that there is too much detail and the overarching plot gets lost in the minutiae. At least, that is true until about 65% of the way through the novel when the threads start to really weave together. Okay, that’s generally fine with me; I don’t need to understand everything all the time and having things come together later is usually what I prefer. But this novel is also 650 pages and it took a very long time to get to the point where the plot really took off. 

So the plot was good, even very interesting, but a little too bogged down in detail, I think.

2. Thoughts on the character

Guyen is, on the surface, another example of a fairly standard epic fantasy-style hero. He has a staunch loyalty to his family—his brother in particular—and a firm belief in right and wrong. He is fond of books and learning and determined. These are all fantastic character traits, and Guyen displays them well. He is a likeable hero and, given the detail that is presented in describing his life (mentioned above) we see a lot of what goes into his thought processes.

The only thing I would like is a little more definitive presentation of intent in his actions. There is most certainly a purpose in what he is doing (no spoilers, sorry) and that makes perfect sense to drive his actions for about 90% of the book. But there is that extra 10% where his purpose doesn’t apply, either because he has to wait for something else to happen or because something else gets in the way. In these situations, Guyen’s actions make perfect sense, but they don’t really seem to have a reason behind them other than they further the plot.

I would say that I like Guyen; he’s a nice hero to follow and I grow really sympathetic towards him around the point of the trial (again, sorry, no more than that for spoiler purposes). Actually, at that point, he really begins to shine as a character and I find that I like him quite a lot.

3. Favourite part

The trial! I cannot really describe this a whole lot because spoilers, but I can say that I really like it when logical arguments win out despite political machinations and angry people getting in the way. It’s pretty much my favourite thing to read.

4. Critique

My only real critique for this book is mentioned in section 1; the plot gets a little too bogged down in the detail. I don’t really have a problem with slow burn novels. In fact, I often prefer them. In this case, I just feel that the overarching plot was a little lost amongst the individual pieces. It’s not a huge issue, especially once you hit the 65% mark in the book and the pacing picks up a significant amount, making all those earlier details important, but it did take a bit to get through.

Overall, I would say that Nether Light is a solidly good book. The characters were interesting (Mist was my favourite) and the story was more on the unique scale for all of the pieces that seem “standard” for an epic fantasy. The magic was well-crafted, the world very realistic, and the ups and downs well paced. If you’re looking for a story to really sink your teeth into for a long weekend, this is definitely one to consider.