Zack Riley (Author of Lydus's Moral Dilemma)

Zack Riley and 1 other person liked Martha Reineke's review of Devour: A Dark Mafia Romance (Blood and Roses): "The story and premise were okay. Some what recycled from other books I’ve read but true to genre. I just couldn’t get past the bad writing—trailing modifiers, slips from past to present and back, head hopping, overly melodramatic descriptions but not" Read more of this review »
Sep 14, 2025 02:43PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Devour by Mara Noir. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Devour by Mara Noir <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Zack Riley wants to read Elizabeth: Part 1 by Dallin Newell (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 07, 2025 08:10AM · like
Zack Riley rated a book did not like it Survival And Redemption (Survivals Dance Book 1) by Red Storm	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Lifeless DNF at the start of chapter 4. This one isn't even worth a critical review. I will also add the asking price on Kindle is $20USD. This novel is the perfect example of what a book with no Soul reads like. Unlike Embers at Eveningfjord that sta ...more
Aug 29, 2025 05:43PM · like · see review
Zack Riley rated a book it was ok Embers at Eveningfjord by Fox Baker	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A book with no Soul. This book came out of the gates really strong. The opening chapters felt so grounded in place, with characters who had quirks and a touch of life to them. Somewhere around Chapter 4, the storytelling loses its soul. What begins as ...more
Aug 29, 2025 05:24PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Embers at Eveningfjord by Fox Baker. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Embers at Eveningfjord by Fox Baker <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Zack Riley and 2 other people liked L.E. Bendon's review of Austringer's Wrath (Gifts of the Auldtree #2): "I won't spend time describing the world, the premise or the writing style, because it is entirely consistent with that of this book's predecessor -The Starlight Jewel, and you absolutely will need to have read that in order to enjoy this one. Helpful" Read more of this review »
Aug 29, 2025 03:22AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Austringer's Wrath by E.L. Lyons. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Austringer's Wrath by E.L. Lyons <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Zack Riley is currently reading Akela by Ben Goodridge (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 27, 2025 08:13PM · like
Zack Riley rated a book it was ok Embers at Eveningfjord by Fox Baker	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A book with no Soul. This book came out of the gates really strong. The opening chapters felt so grounded in place, with characters who had quirks and a touch of life to them. Somewhere around Chapter 4, the storytelling loses its soul. What begins as ...more
Aug 27, 2025 04:55AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Embers at Eveningfjord by Fox Baker. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Embers at Eveningfjord by Fox Baker <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Zack Riley is currently reading Embers at Eveningfjord by Fox Baker	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 25, 2025 05:50AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Embers at Eveningfjord by Fox Baker. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Embers at Eveningfjord by Fox Baker <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Zack Riley is now following Timothy Robare Author of Tails of Battle: The Fox, the Jaguar, and the M...
Aug 23, 2025 11:16PM · like
Zack Riley rated a book really liked it Watership Down (Watership Down, #1) by Richard Adams	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I only picked up Watership Down in the last two months. Until recently, I wasn’t even aware of it. My reason for reading (and I tend not to be a reader) was research. I’ve been looking for examples of anthropomorphic fiction done well, and this novel ...more
Aug 23, 2025 08:11PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Watership Down by Richard Adams. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Watership Down by Richard Adams <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

Zack Riley and 1 other person liked Martha Reineke's review of Devour: A Dark Mafia Romance (Blood and Roses):

"The story and premise were okay. Some what recycled from other books I’ve read but true to genre. I just couldn’t get past the bad writing—trailing modifiers, slips from past to present and back, head hopping, overly melodramatic descriptions but not" Read more of this review »

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Elizabeth: Part 1
by Dallin Newell (Goodreads Author)

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Zack Riley rated a book did not like it

Survival And Redemption (Survivals Dance Book 1)
by Red Storm

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Lifeless

DNF at the start of chapter 4. This one isn't even worth a critical review. I will also add the asking price on Kindle is $20USD. This novel is the perfect example of what a book with no Soul reads like. Unlike Embers at Eveningfjord that sta ...more

Zack Riley rated a book it was ok

Embers at Eveningfjord
by Fox Baker

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1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

A book with no Soul.

This book came out of the gates really strong. The opening chapters felt so grounded in place, with characters who had quirks and a touch of life to them. Somewhere around Chapter 4, the storytelling loses its soul. What begins as ...more

Zack Riley and 2 other people liked L.E. Bendon's review of Austringer's Wrath (Gifts of the Auldtree #2):

"I won't spend time describing the world, the premise or the writing style, because it is entirely consistent with that of this book's predecessor -The Starlight Jewel, and you absolutely will need to have read that in order to enjoy this one. Helpful" Read more of this review »

Zack Riley is currently reading

Akela
by Ben Goodridge (Goodreads Author)

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Zack Riley rated a book it was ok

Embers at Eveningfjord
by Fox Baker

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1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

A book with no Soul.

This book came out of the gates really strong. The opening chapters felt so grounded in place, with characters who had quirks and a touch of life to them. Somewhere around Chapter 4, the storytelling loses its soul. What begins as ...more

Zack Riley is currently reading

Embers at Eveningfjord
by Fox Baker

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Zack Riley is now following

Timothy Robare

Author of Tails of Battle: The Fox, the Jaguar, and the M...

Zack Riley rated a book really liked it

Watership Down (Watership Down, #1)
by Richard Adams

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I only picked up Watership Down in the last two months. Until recently, I wasn’t even aware of it. My reason for reading (and I tend not to be a reader) was research. I’ve been looking for examples of anthropomorphic fiction done well, and this novel I only picked up Watership Down in the last two months. Until recently, I wasn’t even aware of it. My reason for reading (and I tend not to be a reader) was research. I’ve been looking for examples of anthropomorphic fiction done well, and this novel kept coming up in discussions with my writers group and workmates. The reactions I heard were mixed, it was “too violent,” “not for children,” or “good for its time.” So I went in expecting something harsh but maybe dated. What I found was far richer, and surprisingly still labelled as a children’s book.

These characters felt instantly familiar. Hazel is the one who dares to challenge authority. Fiver is the anxious voice in every group, and the one who always senses danger first. Bigwig is the brute you rely on when things get serious, but whose opinion everyone wants. Strawberry is the outcast who’s had enough of keeping quiet. What struck me is that every reader probably knows a Hazel, a Fiver, or a Bigwig in real life. The cast is a mirror to any friendship circle, which made their struggles resonate all the more.

The sections on Efrafa were some of the most gripping. I had never seen the film or netflix adaptations, so I came in blind. Compared with something like The Animals of Farthing Wood or even Redwall (which both came later), this was darker and more complex imo. Efrafa’s regime and the desperation at Watership showed two sides of survival: one enforced by control by the gods and kings, and the other held together by trust. For me, the takeaway was clear, you can’t just keep your head down and hope problems vanish. Listening when someone says “something isn’t right” matters, and Adams makes that point through story rather than sermon.

I found the warren structures fascinating because they still felt animalistic rather than over-humanised despite the obvious humanisation. Sandleford was hierarchical and authoritarian. Cowslip’s warren was eerie and passive, all but ignoring the obvious horrors. Watership itself functioned more like a council of friends, with Hazel as first among equals. He doesn’t rule, he listens, delegates, and earns loyalty. Each rabbit’s gift - strength, cleverness, vision, finds a place. That felt organic, not imposed.

Cowslip’s warren was possibly the most confronting part of the novel. The farmer’s snares, the disappearances, the way the rabbits pretended nothing was wrong. This part had a horror quality, unsettling and unforgettable, and fantastic for research on how to do it with your own works. From there, though, the pacing did falter a little. Once the rabbits reached Watership Down, the story slowed until Kaheer had healed, then it picked up again. Another observation I had, and I didn’t realise until quite late that the Sandleford escape party had no doe's with them. Their absence only became a plot point later, but I think raising it earlier might have deepened the tension, although I was under the belief some of the rabbits were female out of assumption, whoops.

Stylistically, Adams did a good job blending real rabbit behaviour with mythology and folklore. The Efrafa stories and the invented Lapine language really gave the book a traditional feel, almost like being told a by a campfire story. Sometimes it tells rather than shows, but because of the folkloric rhythm, it rarely feels flat done through a narator, with 4th wall breaks. Adams also anchors the perspective in rabbit senses like the smell of clover, the press of damp earth, the terror of a hrududu. Those details make you feel like you’re in the field yourself.

The pacing overall did keep me hooked. It was steady but never stagnant. The trek from Sandleford, the river crossing, Cowslip’s warren, the farm rescue, these passages were alive with tension. I genuinely felt like I was travelling with the rabbits. Only that middle stretch with Kaheer on Watership Down itself dragged a little, but it recovered.

That this is the good standard for writing non-human characters. I didn’t need to be told these were rabbits. I could feel it, every detail like the twitch of an ear, blade of grass, or gasping breath built that. For my own search into well-built anthro fiction, this book is a grounding work that I’ll keep referring back to. Despite being over 50 years old, it doesn’t feel two-dimensional. It breathes with lore, community, and the weight of survival.

Why should you pick this up and read it today?
Two reasons. First, if you’re an author interested in writing animal characters, this book feels like essential groundwork on how to show your reader and remind them that these characters are not human.
Second, if you’re simply a reader curious about a classic, don’t let the visual adaptations or its reputation put you off. Yes, it’s violent at times, but never gratuitous. Yes, it’s labelled a children’s book, but it has depth enough for an adult to appreciate. I’m nearly forty, and I enjoyed almost all of it. Watership Down still deserves its place and all the praise it recieved/s. ...more

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Zack’s Friend Comments

	Lydus's Moral Dilemma (Tales of Arillion, #2) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 5 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Guardians: Echoes of the Fallen World by Zack Riley (Goodreads Author), Martha Reineke (Goodreads Author) (editor) 4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ellie, the Mule Bred (Tales of Arillion #1) 3.75 avg rating — 4 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Last Rain Maker it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2023	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Zack Riley’s Followers (17)

Zack’s Bookshelves

Zack’s Friends (302)

Zack Riley

Goodreads Author

4 postsZack Riley's Blog: Writing Canids

Personal Review guide to how I give Star ratings

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Zack is Currently Reading

rssZack’s Recent Updates

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Preview — Devour by Mara Noir

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Preview — Austringer's Wrath by E.L. Lyons

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Preview — Embers at Eveningfjord by Fox Baker

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Preview — Embers at Eveningfjord by Fox Baker

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4 posts
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