S.D. Reeves's Blog, page 5
July 6, 2021
Interview with author Cristy L. Bowlin
July 6, just a couple days past Independence day, and I have something a little special for y’all: a guest post from author Cristy Bowlin, courtesy of Silver Dagger Tours. I haven’t read the book yet, but (not to judge it by the cover) it does look interesting. Besides, anyone that mentions their cat in their author bio is good in my books.
Be sure to drop by the other stops along the tour for more posts, reviews, and of course the giveaway!
What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?
It’s always hard to pick favorite books, so I’ll share some of my favorite authors. For all of these authors, I’ve read several of their books. My top 10 are Tamora Pierce, Suzanne Collins, Julie Kagawa, Marissa Meyer, J. K. Rowling, Anna Godbersen, Stephen King, George R. R. Martin, Jane Austen, and the Bronte sisters.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing short stories and poems in my journals ever since I was a kid, but I started working on full-length novels six years ago.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
Some of my characters come to me as I write. I have a plan for when I want to introduce new characters and what general role they need to fit into, but I don’t have a firm grasp of what those characters will be like. When I wrote The Temple Dancer’s Diary, I wasn’t really sure who I wanted the main antagonist to be until I was about halfway through my first draft.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
I didn’t do a whole lot of research before I started writing my first book since I incorporated some personal interests that I was already familiar with, but I did spend a lot of time on my world building. I referred back to several fantasy maps from my favorite stories that I had read to help me plan the physical setting. Then I considered how I wanted the magic system, politics, and religion of my world to be set up. I also created a timeline of key historical events and a list of important people, even though many of them would just be background characters mentioned in passing. Once I actually start writing, I do my research along the way. Most of my research for my first book was about architecture, medicine, and clothing that would be worn during the Regency Era. For my current book Hybrid Magic, I did some research into botany and various social dances, like the quadrille.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?
Fantasy is my favorite genre to both read and write, but I still enjoy reading a variety of genres. I read literary classics, science fiction, dystopian fiction, historical fiction, mysteries, and some romance. I’ll even read horror as long as it’s by Stephen King.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
I usually prefer to write in silence. I find it easier to think and be creative when I’m in a quiet environment. Once I get to the editing stage, I will sometimes listen to instrumental music.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
I only write one book at a time because it helps me keep track of all of the details and become fully immersed in the story. As for reading, I usually read three or four books at once. I don’t have trouble switching back and forth between other people’s storylines.
Pen or type writer or computer?
For the early brainstorming and outlining, I like writing with a pen in one of my journals. I have different journals stashed in various rooms around the house. The one I keep by my bed gets filled with the most notes because I usually come up with the most ideas at night, sometimes even while I’m falling asleep. Once I’m done outlining and actually start drafting a book, I will type it up on the computer.
Tell us about a favorite character from a book.
I always love strong, intelligent female characters who unabashedly pursue what they want. Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter books and Alanna of Trebond from The Song of the Lioness Series were two of my favorite characters when I was growing up. I considered them to be role models of the type of young woman I wanted to be.
Advice they would give new authors?
My main advice is something my own creative writing professor told me: write what you know. I remember feeling frustrated when he first said that. I was trying to write a supernatural thriller about a married woman who was estranged from her husband and had a missing daughter. I really wanted to tell that story, but I was in over my head at twenty years old with limited writing experience. I took another class with the same teacher the next semester and wrote a handful of short stories based on personal experiences. This allowed me to start honing my craft in an authentic way, and eventually with more life experience and more exposure to other people’s stories, I was able to branch out to many more topics.
What are they currently reading?
I’m finishing up the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco, and then I plan to read the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo.
What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?
I start with a rough handwritten outline. Usually I have more details in mind for the earlier chapters and leave the later chapters more open-ended so that I can let the story evolve as I write. Then I start drafting the chapters in order chronologically. My goal when drafting is to write about 5,000 words per week. Finally, the revision process takes the most time. I have several different people read my drafts, and I continuously make changes until the manuscript finally feels ready for copy-editing.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
I think the most common trap is procrastination. Many people think of procrastination as putting something off by watching TV or going out with friends, but more often than not writers procrastinate by finding other ways to be productive. It could be cleaning your house, going to the gym, walking your dog, or running errands. Doing these types of things gets in the way of your ability to be creative and makes you feel like you never have time to write. If you want to be a writer, the best thing you can do is set aside a little bit of time to write every day, even if it is only ten minutes. It’s important to build a habit to make writing part of your everyday life.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
I would tell my younger writing self not to be afraid to show other people my work. I should have realized earlier on that the people who really cared about me would be supportive and wanted to help me improve. I also could have benefited from more constructive criticism earlier on. It took me a long time to get over the knee-jerk reaction of feeling upset and defensive when I received writing critiques.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
I do believe in writer’s block. As a teacher, I see it happen all the time with my students. When I experience writer’s block myself, I try to follow the same advice I give to my students. I give myself a short break by doing some exercise or taking a shower, and then I come back to the computer. Even if I still feel blocked, I force myself to do some free-writing for ten to fifteen minutes. I know that it won’t be the best, but at least I will have something to work with at that point.
Hybrid Magic
by Cristy L. Bowlin
Published 29 June 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
Two nations joined peacefully as one, but a band of assassins lurks in the shadows.
Magic isn’t uncommon in the Deravine Commonwealth, where people can be gifted with the faculties of combat, healing, transformation, or sight. Yet as a hybrid mage, Aaron Ztrong’s abilities aren’t so easily categorized. He managed to save his parents during a dangerous confrontation when he was only a young boy, and now a decade later most people in his life expect him to do remarkable things with his powers. Then there are those who fear what Aaron and others like him can do. When Aaron’s life is threatened by a group calling themselves the Defenders, he takes refuge with two other hybrid mages and the teacher who is training them to enhance their abilities. As the Defenders continue to hunt down hybrid mages, Aaron and his new companions must find a way to survive.
Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK
When Theo lay down in his bed, he had a hard time falling asleep. It was just his luck. The mattress was lumpy, and he found himself unable to get his mind off Tristan. He stared at the dark ceiling and remembered their last encounter. He couldn’t even count how many times he had recalled the same memory. It came to him less often than it used to, but it was still just as clear as if it had happened yesterday. Every time, he felt like he was watching a one-act play performed only for him.
In this imagined play, Theo was an onlooker watching himself from afar. He was packing his things for school. His mother had left an apple and a sealed container of stew on the kitchen counter for him. He noticed his mother also left a note in her scratchy handwriting that said she had to leave early to go visit her cousin in the next town over, but she loved him and hoped he had a good day at school. His father buttoned up the front coat of his constable’s uniform and was about to walk out the door when he noticed his son, patted him on the shoulder, and said a gruff goodbye before heading to work.
Tristan came in the back door a moment later, his white shirt stained with grease and unbuttoned at the top. He smelled of alcohol and slurred his words. “Off to schul, baby bruver?”
Theo squared his shoulders and stood taller. “Go take a bath, Tris. Get yourself cleaned up before Papa comes home for lunch.”
“Don’t wanna,” Tristan said, shaking his head vigorously. “Y’know I went to a meetin’ last night. Very intrstin’ it was. I got up and made a lil’ speech.”
Theo narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Why are you telling me all this? I need to leave, or I’ll be late for school again.”
“Because my speech was all ’bout you, baby bruver. I’m a Defender of the True Four now.”
“What does that even mean?”
Tristan grabbed a bottle off a nearby shelf and smashed it on the kitchen counter, causing glass shards to scatter all over the wooden floor. He held the bottle out in front of him, swinging the jagged edge toward Theo’s face.
Theo took a step backwards, reaching for the door handle. He fumbled with it for a few moments until he managed to push the door open and ran outside. Tristan pursued him, still waving the broken bottle around like a sword.
“As a Defender, it’s my duty to get rid of the likes of you, baby bruver. You and your dark magic are a poison. Tha’s what they said at the meetin’.” Tristan slashed at Theo, finally leaving a cut on the left side of his jaw.
Theo reached out to push Tristan away, grabbing Tristan’s unbuttoned collar in the process. A strange energy filled the air, and Tristan’s collar tightened like a noose around his neck. Theo let go of the collar with a look of horror, but it kept tightening. Tristan dropped the bottle he had been using as a weapon and choked for air as his face turned red.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to do it, I swear!” Theo cried, his hands trembling.
Cristy L. Bowlin grew up in Ventura County, CA where she spent most of her free time ballet dancing and reading fantasy books. She got her BA in English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in dance from the California Polytechnic State University. She then received her MA in English with a minor in gender and women’s studies from the University of Kentucky. She currently lives with her husband, daughter, and cat in Southern California where she is a college English professor. Her debut YA fantasy novel The Temple Dancer’s Diary was published in July 2019, and her next book Hybrid Magic was just published in the summer of 2021.
Follow the tour
HERE
for special content and a giveaway! $15 Amazon a Rafflecopter giveaway
June 15, 2021
Review Request: Sands of Time, a short story collection by Beatrice C. Snipp
I received this book for an honest review. All expressed opinions, cynical or otherwise, are my own.
Short story collections are notoriously hard to sell, both to reviewers and to the public at large. There are too many variables, differentiating quality, theme clashes. Some writers even intersperse their own works with those in the public domain, making their lists little more than a curation. Not an easy bag to deal with. Sands of Time by Beatrice C. Snipp (a pen name) is no exception to the rule. While there are one or two bright spots, overall, I found it far too simplistic, and disjointed.
The writing is earnest, often presented matter-of-factually. This has a negative affect of causing them to all blend together. Of the curation, The Moving Picture, perhaps the most complete. While a bit tropeish (I just created a word there), the simplistic nature of the writing helped it. And it was imaginative and compelling.
Unfortunately, I can’t say the same of the other pieces. Smell of Death and Unwanted Soldier were both repetitive, and bland. My Trousers did not have a dynamic narrative, coming across way too matter-of-factually for the subject matter, and in the end was just not explored enough. For a curation, there seems to lack a strong binding theme to link all the stories together. Which for any short story collection is a death knell (an error I have done as well).
A couple of good stories can propel a flagging list, pulling a mediocre collection across the finish line. What we have with the Sands of Time are a few below average pieces, mixed in with a couple of above average works, all in the end settling into the mean. It isn’t bad, it isn’t great. A development project, perhaps a foundation – it will be interesting to see where the writer takes this from here.
Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |
April 28, 2021
Rev Request: Asbury High and the Parcels of Poison by Kelly Brady Channick
There are a few keys to success for writing a good novel. Atmosphere, plot, pacing – etc. If an author really nails one of them, then it can make up a lot of lost ground. Here, Kelly Channick’s characters in Asbury High and the Parcels of Poison (damn that’s a mouthful) are excellent. Superb even. And even if the rest of the book failed – spoiler, it does not – this aspect is strong enough to pull the rest of the cart along.
This book is a continuation, following the spiritual descendants of the hardy boys headlong into another investigation. Patrons are falling ill. Rumors of food poisoning abound. And, well, this isn’t a cafeteria mishap.
All in all the story is fun. The setting, and atmosphere, effective. As mentioned the characters are charming, and really help to cement the story into the setting .The pacing is perhaps the only knock, but that is a hard thing to tack. A good – albeit bit more subtle than I anticipated – light read.
Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |
April 14, 2021
Evening with Author Micheal French: why I continue to write for 50 years
Guest post by Micheal French
It is always a pleasure to share this page with experienced, thoughtful authors. Micheal French, author of the newly released book Cliffhanger, is a bestselling author, respected businessman, and avid traveler. Read on to find out what keeps him writing after all of these years:
My adventures in writing began with campy poetry around age 15. I never doubted I would stop writing. I mean literally, I would endure til my last breath. Not all writers feel this way, for a variety of reasons, but at 15 you begin to create yourself. You blueprint your future without knowing it. Your emotions are strong and conflicted, and you want to resolve them but never quite get there. The next thing you know, you’re on a lifelong journey. If I had had other talents, like painting or sports, I might have used those for self-exploration. But you have to align your perceived talents with what makes you feel good. Invoking the magic of words to communicate feelings and ideas to others—that seemed a win-win while growing up. And it still does.
Of course, one’s storytelling evolves as culture and society evolve. Changes arouse your curiosity, suspicion, and hope. When you tackle something new, something that makes you passionate, your writing skills sometimes magically improve. If you’re not pleased with the finished book, chances are readers won’t be either. I could never write a formula novel because it wouldn’t be satisfying to me, always knowing what I’m going to write the next day. My second published novel, Abingdon’s, was about Bloomingdale’s department store. Doubleday was a great publisher but they wanted a formulaic sequel. The only real difference was it was about Studio 54 instead of Bloomingdale’s.
My appetite for non-genre fiction led me to writing young adult novels, at least intermittently. I still write them because every generation begins to define itself in adolescence. Every new generation reshapes, at least partially, the values and aspirations of older generations. It’s all so interesting how we feed off of each other. I don’t feel I’m too out of touch to write about young adults. I would be out of touch if I didn’t write about them. My latest novel is about a high school political election in 2030, about drama and disappointment and how history predicts events before they happen. Its message is for adults as much as teenagers.
To give up writing seems to me the equivalent of giving up exploring and risk taking. I don’t need good reviews to respect myself or my creativity. I need to keep my love of “doing” alive. There are plenty of benefits to hard work. Your imagination can be a ladder out of challenging situations, and not just in your writing. Life imitates art.
About his latest book, Cliffhanger
In 2030, viruses, spy drones, terrorism, and joblessness have eroded American optimism.People want something to believe in. As demonstrated in a Midwest high school election, politics have taken on the inflexibility and dogma of a new religion. Only true believers will survive and prosper. Or so they think.Print Length: 276 Pages
Genre: Political Thriller
ISBN-10: 1732511756
Publisher: Moot Point Productions
Cliffhanger is available to purchase now on Amazon.com.
About the Author, Michael R. French
Michael R. French is a National best-selling author and graduate of Stanford University and Northwestern University. He is a businessman and author who divides his time between Santa Barbara, California, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is an avid high-altitude mountain trekker, world traveler to developing countries, and is a collector of first editions of twentieth-century fiction.
He has published twenty-two books, including fiction, young adult fiction, biographies, and art criticism. His novel, Abingdon’s, was a bestseller and a Literary Guild Alternate Selection. His young adult novel, Pursuit, was awarded the California Young Reader Medal.
You can discover more about Michael’s work on his website and social media accounts:
https://www.facebook.com/MichaelRFrenchAuthor/?fref=nf
https://twitter.com/mfrenchauthor
https://www.pinterest.com/mfrenchrt66/
https://www.instagram.com/mrfrenchbooks/
March 17, 2021
Rev Request: 1969: A Brief and Beautiful Trip Back, by Sea Gudinski
There comes a time, as a reviewer, when you will cross paths with a book that strikes a dissonant chord with you. On one hand, you can recognize the mastery in the writing, the plot, and characters. Yet, on the other, the damn thing is your antithesis. For me 1969: A Brief and Beautiful Trip Back is just such a book. I am not its target audience. But I can still admire the craft.
Bad decisions. Drugs. And of course, Rock and Roll. It is 1999 and Rhiannon is a throwback to the 60’s music she loves. She’s a drummer who dreams of making it big. And her dreams lead her to – time traveling drugs? It isn’t as silly as it sounds, and what follows is a fantasy-esque jaunt back to 1969, and forward to adulthood.
What Sea Gudinski has created here is a well plotted coming of age story, with masterfully crafted characters. This is a deep take on the counterculture, with a surprising fidelity of research. Rhiannon is awkwardly arrogant, and yet also vulnerable – a poignant mix that just screams teenager but carried forward in a way that is authentic. The rest of the cast is equally realized. The nuisance at play between a supportive but enabling father, a protective yet smothering mother, and her gaggle of old (and newly adopted friends and associates) is excellent. Furthermore, the yin-yang celebration of 60’s culture and simultaneous condemnation of its worst elements grounds the book. This is a believable tale, that doesn’t over indulge or glorify. It meets the right sort of balance.
Yet, the novel is at times overlong. Even monotonous in the areas you would expect (i.e., the middle chapters). Further, I can’t relate to any of the cast, personally. I generally find them gross, their habits despicable, and/or mentality rather alien. That is not something I can knock the book for, though, and it is just a reality of my personal experience. After all, how likely would it be for a guy from Alabama born and raised on Southern values to relate too well with Hippie culture? Not likely. Not likely at all mon amie.
For everyone else, though, I am sure they will find 1969: A Brief and Beautiful Trip Back by Sea Gudinsky at least a half-truth. It certainly is a beautifully written piece of work, which I am sure many will love. Yet, this ain’t brief, yall.
Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |
March 7, 2021
Author News: Upcoming Things for 2021
It has been awhile since I have posted some author news. I apologize for that, but sadly I got a bit carried away by a new job. So here is a quick update of the things that are about to sweep through!
Artwork for the next chapter in the Evercharm trilogy, A Song in the Dark: Sean Counley is already hard at work, and I can tell you already by the sketches, it is going to be another dazzler!Blog tour coming in April. Rockstar Tours will be hosting a tour for me around the early part of the month. Also, there may be another surprise in store, so keep a look out
I have begun work on a new series of books, that is a bit more towards the fantasy, cosmic horror side. It’s in the early stages (and we all know how long that can last with me), but shaping up to be a unique blend. Looking forward to revealing it to you in the months to come.There will be more coming along too, but some things I cannot confirm yet. Still, all in all 2021 is going to be a busy year, and I am terribly excited to see it all come together!
Thanks for reading, and let me know if you have any suggestions, or even posts you would like to see, or topics you would like me to tackle. Have a great one, cheers!
The post Author News: Upcoming Things for 2021 first appeared on S.D. Reeves Books.Review Req: The Sword of Kalki
I received this book for an honest review. All expressed opinions, cynical or otherwise, are my own.
Do you remember the last time you had a meal, that, whether it was too salty, sweet, or a combination that started off tasting wonderful, but where your appreciation of it changed at the end? Maybe you even considered this might end up among one of your favorite foods. The thing is, halfway through you are already getting tired of the overbearing flavor. And by the end, you’ve forgotten what drew you to it in the first place. The Sword of Kalki is a bit like that, in the sense that a more lenient application of some of the aspects that I initially found quite alluring, would have served it better in the long run.
Rey, a cooky teen has been dragged into a colossal battle between good and even by a girl who is more his frenemy than anything else. You see he is what’s called a “descendant,” because one of his ancestors got romantically entangled with a Deva (not Diva, as in Mariah Carey, which would be worse), but the divine beings based on Indian culture. What follows is an 80’s style training montage, and a battle-royale for the leadership of this group.
My view of the beginning of the book is far and away different from the latter half. At first, the fourth wall breaking and self-deprecating humor is rather fresh, and charming. The dialogue is clever, and the pacing fluid. I generally wanted to read on and found myself blazing through the first thirty percent of the book. There is also a pervasive sort of energy K.S. Abhishek exudes in his writing that is infectious. Unfortunately, it degrades from there.
The humor gets to be too much. Like icing, on top of icing on top of icing, where somewhere below all of it, there might be a hint of a cake. Reyash is hard to root for at this point. He borders on a welcome mat, and the dialogue between him and the other characters is stilted, and uninteresting. Better characterization of the supporting cast would have also helped differentiate them from one another. Lastly the great battle, or “Pranayaka Spardha” that dominates the last third of the novel, is hard to follow, and uninteresting.
My advice to the author: don’t overdue the bits that make your book unique. Use it sparingly and ground your fight scenes in the setting. Also, chew into your characters, beyond the surface. Still, all this having been said, there is a decent novel hidden underneath all the icing. Abshishek exudes enthusiasm, and when he is at his best, his writing can be charming. Maybe after a few revisions, we can all enjoy the cake.
Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |
January 27, 2021
Review Request: By the Sea, by Steven Lamperti
I received this book for an honest review. All expressed opinions, cynical or otherwise, are my own.
The suspension of disbelief. Fantasy books live by it, and there is a lot that is often explained away under the dubious Deux Ex Machina that is magic. Pretty cut and dry. However, start tacking on sub-genres into your fantasy novel, or maybe dialing back the more magic-like aspects, and you will find yourself having to dodge extra obstacles to maintain that suspension. By the Sea, by Steven Lamperti, is a whimsical fantasy book that at times stumbles when it tries to run.
Chelle is little medieval fishing village going through some challenging times. The fish have stopped coming in, or as Annabelle, the main protagonist, puts it: “the sea has left them.” And now a nobleman named Llyr has come along and throw everything further into disorder at just the right time. Is it a coincidence?
No, obviously not. Yet don’t read this thinking the plot is bland, or predictable – it isn’t. There is a good premise here, and the setting has some wonderful evocative moments. As for the characters, while I can’t say anyone stands out, I also wouldn’t call them one dimensional. Annabelle is the primary focus, and while annoying at times, there is a precise development track therein. Steven Lamperti’s prose is also mature and has a measured amount of flourish.
However, nothing truly stands out. Previously I mentioned that the setting has “evocative moments,” but this usually only applies to the background imagery. Overall, the world lacks depth, and character; as if it is missing noise, or is sterile. And for a piece meant to represent a low-fantasy medieval town, it feels terribly modern; like visiting an old-fashioned movie studio with all the façade buildings. And the dialogue does nothing to help the characterization.
Steven Lamperti’s By the Sea has charm and is entertaining. However, in the end I didn’t feel it was particularly memorable. Still, despite that I did enjoy the book, and would recommend it for light reading.
Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |
January 6, 2021
Rev Request: Witch’s Jewel by Kater Cheek
I received this book for an honest review. All expressed opinions, cynical or otherwise, are my own.
Something is missing in modern fantasy today. The lion’s share that forms the bulwark of the genre’s ground troops seem lacking – like they are missing an important piece of their equipment. As if in haste, they all decided to leave their helmets back home before they went a-sieging the castle. Oh, there are several of the usual tropes. Fey creatures. Magic. However, the stories lack gravitas; the weight that these otherworldly things should bring. And this is where I find myself with Kater Cheek’s The Witch’s Jewel (Kit Melbourne book 1). Excellently written, with engaging characters, but a setting where encountering of the unusual has all the significance of suddenly deciding to order a different cup of coffee.
Kit Melbourne has inherited a magical bindi from an uncle she hardly knew. Overtures from prospective buyers, quickly turn into burglary attempts as the mystical trinket’s reappearance has set the magical community abuzz. Can Kit discover the secret of the jewel, and save her own life?
The Witch’s Jewel has something going for it that a lot of other novels don’t: a strong start. The first seven chapters are excellent. Kater really takes her time to establish the scene, set the characters, feel, and build tension (and romantic tension). Based on the opening, I really felt that this was going to be a book to break the mould of carbon-copy and fluffy witch-sorcerer-magic so-and-so in training (most of them throw in a school like Hogwarts, then stir in nonsense until done) that inundate the scene. To some extent that is still true, but the later chapters seem to break down as if in a rush.
Chapter eight is where this changes. Here the previous foreshadowing is thrown out the door, as well as any potential gravitas to the various reveals. Characters, bestiary, setting and themes– mostly of which are of course, supernatural in origin – are thrown at us willy-nilly, without any development. Chapters eight through ten seem to be a catwalk of otherworldly characters with little breath between. Getting past these, the plot seems to plod a bit, as if trying to digest a huge thanksgiving meal. This all eventually evens out, however, the damage is done; I never regain that sense of the “other” so necessary in these sort of books to build mystique.
Despite this, The Witch’s Jewel (Kit Melbourne book 1) is a strong enough opener to warrant further progression into the series. Kater Cheek understands character development, and this will be key later to bridge the mid-book problems that this first novel fell victim too. I am curious to see how it all turns out, and I am sure most potential readers will too.
Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |
December 7, 2020
Review Req: The Affliction of Praha, by Simon Gillard
I received this book for an honest review. All expressed opinions, cynical or otherwise, are my own.
Atmospheric novels are my bag. Whether it is horror, science fiction, or regular old literary. The Affliction of Praha, a historical mystery by Simon Gillard, has that in spades. But it is not perfect. There are tense issues, POV issues, and a smattering of other problems that are – naturally – exactly what I expect in a debut novel. Still, I am not one to complain too loudly over something I enjoyed.
Set in the 1920’s of Czechoslovakia, Affliction pulls us into an early Soviet scape. Peter, the eldest of the aristocratic Teralov family has been murdered, and detective Edgar Rollenvart is on the case. Together with Peter’s brother Juraj he mucks around to try to bring the killer to justice.
I mentioned this book is atmospheric. Gillard achieves that by a one-two punch of solid descriptions, and effective dialogue. The prose, while not perfect, has a few stand out and artistic lines. The interactions between Edgar and Juraj are also quite good; there is a natural sort of chemistry going on there that is unforced. Edgar is believable as sort of an old-salt detective. And Juraj’s motivations as a grieving brother were satisfactorily established. Beyond the setting, the plot is even paced, and there were enough twists to keep me going.
But – and you could smell the ‘but’ coming in that last sentence – there are a few problems. The first, and it ties into the atmosphere, is the point of view swapping. There were several times when the POV either switched midchapter (and sometimes back and again) without any setup, or the viewpoint was never clearly established. Also, while each character is a unique little snowflake, they are about as deep as the puddle left over from its melting. There is nothing inherently wrong about that, but somehow given the prose and in the fact this is a historical novel, I felt there would be more delving into the culture and backgrounds.
About those descriptions, what we have is fine, and as aforementioned, atmospheric. However, their quality ranges, and can border on overuse. Gillard uses a ton of action dialogue, or descriptions bordering the dialogue tags. Evenly applied this adds flare and helps to establish that all sought after “author voice.” However, this novel tends to stray. Better editing would have alleviated this. One last thought on this subject, and it is a bit of a cliché, but the adage rings true: show, don’t tell. Not a constant problem here, but there were enough happenings that I felt it should be noted.
As the sum of its parts, Affliction at Praha is a nice read. Just don’t look too deeply past the surface.
Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |
The post Review Req: The Affliction of Praha, by Simon Gillard first appeared on S.D. Reeves Books.
