C.M. Gray's Blog, page 4

Giveaway of Shadowland

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Giveaway ends October 31, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

My Interview on 'I Am A Reader, Not A Writer'

Thanks 'Inspired' Kathy for the visit to your awesome blog! Visit 'I Am A Reader, Not A Writer' to read the interview and enter a giveaway for a signed copy of The Flight of the Griffin! 






Interview: If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?A fire starter machine thingy... a fishing outfit and Maria Kirilenko to ...errr... play tennis with:)

What is one book everyone should read?Anything by John Steinbeck. It was only after reading his writing that I realised there really is a difference between an average writer and the very best. I can only aspire to one day come close to his level of work.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?Green tea Ice cream available from my local sushi shop, it’s incredible!

One food you would never eat?Meat. I’ve been vegetarian for over thirty years ... cant quit remember why it all started now but it must have been a good idea at the time and the thought now of eating bits of cow etc just.... I’m pretty messed up on my food likes as I do eat fish. I guess Maria Kirilenko and I wouldn’t starve on that island at least.

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book. You should read The Flight of the Griffin because .....(cont.)

The Flight of the Griffin -Goodreads giveaway!

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Giveaway ends September 29, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Latest reviews for The Flight of the Griffin!

Latest Reviews for THE FLIGHT OF THE GRIFFIN by C.M. GRAY

1.      “Flight of the Griffin” by C.M. Gray has all the elements one could hope for from a MG/YA/Crossover fantasy adventure. Although it is about four younger boys (their ages always felt vague to me), it is written in a way that adults will certainly enjoy it as well. The crew of the boat The Griffin, Pardigan, Quint, Tarent, Loras, and their shape shifting companion Mahra (my personal favorite) embark on a quest to restore the balance of good and evil, all while being hunted by a demon and facing challenges. While the concept isn’t exactly new, the story felt original in its details and with the characters. The writing was strong and had very few errors from what I could tell. An enjoyable read that I would recommend to fans of fantasy and adventure without hesitation. (5 stars).
2.      This book was fabulous, a real breath of fresh air! What lovely prose and vivid atmosphere C.M. Gray weaved into this fun novel! After reading the book then re-reading the description I feel like the synopsis doesn’t do it justice. Not that it is bad, just that there is so much more to this book that you really have to read in order to experience. From the magical creatures to the clever poems of the challenges (and the cool way they showed up on my kindle!), to the quirky mannerisms of Mahra and the twists you don’t see coming. This book was a wonderful experience and should not be missed. I’m definitely interested in continuing with this series and see where the story goes. (5 stars).
3.      I didn’t expect to love this book but I did! For me good writing goes along way, and I was very impressed with C.M. Gray’s style. Although I believe “The Flight of the Griffin” is billed as a YA novel (meaning the main characters are juveniles), for some reason this book read as more adult to me. Not because of the content, just more in the voice and tone of the narrative. It just felt “older”, which for me is a good thing, but younger readers may not be able to connect as well. Also, visually there were many paragraphs that had long chunks of text, where it probably would have been better to have it broken up some, especially for a YA book. But again, I loved it and none of these things bothered me. I liked the vivid descriptions and felt like I was inside the story from the very beginning. I was happy to see that there is a sequel available (or coming soon) and you can be sure I’ll be reading that one as well! (5 stars).

4.      “The Flight of the Griffin” by author C.M. Gray is a young adult fantasy about four boys and their female/cat/owl, etc companion, who live in a world where magic is real (and treated as ordinary), and they alone can stop evil (CHAOS) from overtaking good (SOURCE). I must say I loved the mythology that C.M. Gray created, even if at times I was unsure as to the “rules” of this alternative existence. I felt like I could have done with some more world-building, because I always felt like the scenes were beautifully described, but not describing what I wish I knew more about. I could never get a real clear picture of the characters and what they looked like in my head, and sometimes wish I could have had a more intimate connection with their inner thoughts and turmoil. But maybe I am overthinking it and should just appreciate it for the fun and imaginative fantasy that it is. And it really is a wonderful novel that readers of all ages can enjoy. (4 stars).
5.      I read this book in one sitting. It was THAT good! One thing I have really been loving about this new explosion of MG/YA authors over the past few years is that they keep coming up with new and creative ways to improve upon existing themes. This is wonderful because there are certain themes, like good versus evil, which will never go out of style. But sometimes you can feel like you are reading the same story over and over. Well this was not the case with “The Flight of The Griffin”! I felt like I was reading a wholly original and creative fantasy where four boys (instead of the usual “chosen” one) embark on a perilous quest to save the world from evil. It never felt predictable or boring, but kept my fingers eagerly turning the pages anxious to see what would happen next. I highly enjoyed this book and think you will too! (5 stars).
6.      The Flight of the Griffin was the first book I’ve read by C.M. Gray, but I assure you it will not be the last! From the opening pages I was drawn into this exciting tale, and I admit I loved how our main protagonist was a street thief! After he accidentally steals some magical trinkets, he and his crew of miscreants find themselves on the adventure of a lifetime. I was thoroughly engaged from the opening pages and my interest never wavered until the closing lines. What I liked most about this book was that the story was constantly moving forward, never dwelling on something too long or rehashing backstory (a common mistake authors make, I have found). Instead we are swept up in this fantastical adventure and carried along for a magnificent ride. This is a very strong start for what promises to be a delightfully entertaining series! (5 stars).

7.      Life is in the balance between good and evil, order and chaos. Chaos is threatening to tip the balance in its favor, and it is up to Pardigan and his three friends to stop it. To do so they must follow a series of “challenges” that are revealed to them through a magic book and with a magic knife, and fulfill their duties even with a demon chasing after them. It is a great recipe for an exciting novel, but unfortunately I found the pacing to be too slow to ever really thrust me along.  While the story starts off strong, I thought it quickly slowed down and focused too much on mundane details and actions that weren’t really important,  and ended up bogging down the story. Also there were several instances of repetition, especially with explaining what the boy’s quest was and why they had to do it. This was not a bad book by any means, in fact I thought it was very good, just written in an easier pace than I would prefer for this type of story. But I believe that many people will really enjoy it so read and decide for yourself. (3-4 stars)
8.      This is a hard book to review in just a paragraph, as there were many things that I really loved, and a few things that I though could be improved upon. First I have to say that I adored all of the characters, and thought they all felt really authentic. I loved that no one ever felt really cliché or stereotypical, and that each one had qualities that made them unique. I loved that our group of “heroes” were some kids living on an abandoned boat and were “magically” turned into different versions of themselves by way of a magical spell. I could go on and on about the things I liked, but those were my favorites. What I didn’t like so much was that I didn’t feel like there was much character development or real struggle of conflict…there was just a certain amount of tension I thought was lacking. And I thought the ending was a bit abrupt (boo), but that there is a sequel (yay!), which I will most definitely be interested in reading. I give this book a solid 4 stars, as I did really enjoy it and think others will too. (4 stars)
9.      For me this book was just okay. I liked the premise and thought it had a lot of potential, but something just failed to grab me the way I thought it should. (Note, my daughter read it right after me an LOVED it…so there you go.) Something that struck me was the overall tone of the book…it felt and sounder more mature that a normal young adult novel. Like if I didn’t know that the boys were supposed to be younger I would have never known that they were. Also, I thought there was too much “telling” of events instead of “showing”, and was always kept at arm’s length from the action…like it was happening around me but not to me, if you know what I mean. Maybe it was because of the multiple pov’s and third-person omniscient narration, but I never quite knew what character I was “tuning into”, and that is something that is important for me to do. So much of this is probably just my personal preferences, as it was a decent story and as I mentioned my teenaged daughter loved it. It just wasn’t my cuppa. (3 stars).
10.  Sometimes I like reading books without having any idea what they are about so as not to influence my perceptions any. So I had no idea what this book was about when I started reading, but I will say that I was very pleasantly surprised! It is written in British English, so there are a few slight variations to spellings for the Americans, but it is nothing that is at all distracting. It is a fantasy where magic and evil are real and are everywhere. The leads are four young men, Pardigan, Tarent, Loras, Quint, and the guardian of their magical book, an intriguing young character named Mahra, whom we first meet as a cat, then as a bird, then a girl. She is a real scene stealer, in my opinion, and I’d like to read more about her in the future. There are plenty of colorful characters and perilous twists along the way, and if they fail in their task then the world will plunge into chaos (evil and darkness). Will they succeed? Only one way to find out! (5 stars).
11.  This was an utterly charming story, one which I would have no hesitation having my children read. It is a “clean” fantasy suitable for all ages, but it is definitely geared toward the younger crowd. Fans of Harry Potter and The Inheritance Cycle will flock to this adventure that pits four boys against the forces of evil and a race against time to save the world from destruction. A well-written and tightly knit plot will appeal to all readers, not just fans of fantasy. It has a solid universal message that everyone can understand and appreciate. Highly recommend. (4 stars).
12.  I give this book 5 stars!! Once I started I didn’t want to put it down until I had read the whole thing. First off we meet Paridigan who makes his living as a thief and lives on an abandoned boat (cool). He steals from the local merchant (which is okay apparently because the merchant is mean and unpleasant) and only later discovers that his ill gotten gains have more troublesome consequences than he’d ever imagined. What follows next is a nonstop adventure that hooked me. I thought the writing was beautiful and descriptive, and never felt too rushed. I could totally picture this book being made into a movie, because it feels like you ware watching one when you are reading it. Great read. (5 stars).
13.  I thought The Flight of The Griffin was simply wonderful and had many of my favorite ingredients for a great book. However, I did feel at times the pace slowed down quite a bit, and a few times I found myself skipping ahead at some places to get to more action. But there was on much going on, it wasn’t like I was “bored” just kinda anxious for the story to move faster. Something I appreciated was that I never felt like the story was just being told to me, but that I was experiencing it in real time as it happened to the characters. I felt a real connection to the world of Freya and to Pardigan and co, and other than the occasional slow pace I thought it was really good. I’m definitely interested in reading the next book in this series. (4 stars).
14.  First off, the writing in “Flight of the Griffin” is great, and I don’t throw that word around loosely. I was genuinely impressed with the flowing narrative and thought it was excellently edited. Very professional and polished. I do however think that there is room for improvement, specifically in cutting down on some scenes that seemed to drag on just a little longer than was really necessary. The author did an excellent job of describing the scene and giving me a good idea of the character, but then he would just keep going, almost to the point of excess. I can’t say that I was overly fond of the use of the shifting point-of-view, as it always jars me out of the book. But I see the need for this particular literary technique and think it did help to tell a better story. I personally don’t care for it. The plot unfolded at a nice and natural pace and never felt rushed or contrived. The ending was satisfactory and leaves the door open for future installments. (4 stars).
15.  “The Flight of the Griffin” by C. M. Gray is a wonderful book that felt familiar, yet was also fresh and original. Mr. Gray created a truly magical world that I never wanted to leave. I adored the way he envisioned his characters and how they interacted with each other, but also how he described them and their own quirks. I think despite the fact that he was bad, that Bartholomew Bask was my favorite. He was just so…ewwww! But I also loved Mahra. With life in the balance between good and evil, there is a race against time to find the three crystal skulls and reunite them at the right time and place. Of course this won’t be easy, not with a chaos demon tracking our main characters. But it is the danger and the sense of adventure that makes this wonderful book so addictive! Fans of fantasy and young adult adventure should definitely not miss this one. (5 stars).

House Millar interviews C.M.Gray

Read my Interview at House Millar! http://networkedblogs.com/zIY90  

Another great 5 Star review for The Flight of the Griffin!

Thanks Daniel at Book-O-Matic for the following great review!

Review- The Flight of the Griffin by C.M Gray In a world of excitement, danger and fantasy, four crew members of a boat called "The Griffin" begin a journey to find the three crystal skulls that intend to save the world. The four crew members are Pardigan; the thief, Tarent; the priest, Quint; the fighter and leader and Loras; the magician. Accompanied by the shapeshifter, Mahra, the crew of The Griffin begin the journey by inheriting gifts from "The Book of Challenges". Each gift is unique to that person and they use their gifts to help them on the thrilling quest. Faced by hardships such as demons and riddles, the crew and Mahra intend to save the world whether or not it means sacrificing themselves.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel as it was something very original and unique. I absolutely loved how Gray described each and every scene of the novel in extraordinary detail, especially the parts where they are battling. Each character is described comprehensively and each emotion is displayed upon the hardships and excitement found throughout the quest. In a series of unexpected parts in the novel, the crew are allied with the people chasing after them against one common enemy; Belial, the "King of demons". An exciting yet terrifying battle between Order and Chaos unfolds the mysteries behind the riddles of The Book of Challenges. 
 I also liked how the book shifts perspectives for not only the protagonist, but the antagonist as well. In many other books, only the perspective of the protagonist is shown, therefore not revealing how they feel. This is one of the many qualities that I loved in this book. There are parts of the novel that have a little added humor which I thought was extremely clever and it lead me to liking it even more. I was extremely glad when C.M Gray sent this to me as it was truly an exciting tale filled with mystical creatures, magic, the chance for adventure and everything else you can think of. There are absolutely no flaws in this novel and I am proud to say that it is an enticing read. 
The cover of this novel really shows the adventure encountered throughout the novel. The Griffin (in bird form) that was standing on The Book of Challenges was puzzling to me at first but that was before I was half way through the novel. It was a really clever idea and I won't say anymore until you read this. The scarlet red droplets of blood I'm guessing symbolize the hardships faced throughout the novel and the compass is showing the direction of where this enchanted quest has lead the crew.
Overall, I believe that this book should be in the top five of everyone's TBR pile no matter how old you are, as it truly is a great journey to experience with the crew of The Griffin.
5 Stars *****

Review for The Orphan Stone by Rod Tyson

The Orphan Stone by Rod Tyson is pretty much hard to put down once you start the book, just don’t get past about mid way after the hours of darkness! This can be one scary book with one nasty witch come spirit that freaks out our heroin, poor old hippy Salem.

It’s a great story as Salem, her mum and some friends go to an old manor to do some restoration. Things don’t go too smoothly after the discovery of some old bones, children’s bones in a secret room. Some rather grisly murders send Salem and friends on the chase against ‘Red Meg,’ (and boy, is she red) and a few creepy locals.

I loved the 'flash back' parts of the story where we find that the manor was once an old workhouse and cooton mill. The ghosts that Salem keeps seeing are the children that were once forced to work there.

I loved this book. Rod is a great writer and storyteller I enjoyed his first book, curse of Ancient Shadows so I downloaded this, its even better! I can’t recommend this highly enough; just read it with the lights on!

Well deserved 5 *****

Shadowland is now available in paperback on lulu!

Shadowland is now available on lulu as a paperback!

Aimed at the teen readership but also being enjoyed by adults, Shadowland was missing out on many teen readers who apparently, do not yet fuly embrace ebooks ... is that right? What do you think?

I've been asked by many to produce a proper paperback vewrsion so here it is!
Click the picture to follow the link.

Review - Wake of the Dragon: A Steampunk Adventure by Jaq Hawkins

In a steam punk world reminiscent of Victorian London, a world where steam powered airships roam the sky and it would seem everyone and his mother succumb to the tempting embrace of opium and rum, a robbery sets the story for an adventure around the skies.

The thieves head off in their airship, captained by the incredible Captain Bonny, while the luckless Dudley, clerk of the dubious victim, Mr Wyatt gives chase.

The character of Captain Bonny is extremely well developed as he tempts the fates with his flirtations with Aide, goddess of the storm winds, always sailing a little too close to a storm so that he might feel a connection with her.

I thought this was a really well put together story that drew me along entertaining all the way. I look forward to exploring other books by this author.

Review of The Hunger Games by After hearing so much...

 
Review of The Hunger Games by After hearing so much about The Hunger Game I finally had to give it a go. I'm really glad that I did.

A great concept set in post apocolyptic North America with the young of each district having to put their names forward to fight in the hunger games each year. The citizens are made to enjoy the anticipation of being chosen and each killing in the events itself which are beamed live 24hrs back to the poplulace.

The characters are well developed and you spend anxious moments as each kiling comes close. Following the attempts of two contestants from the same village in district 12, Katness Everdeen and Peeta they are driven towards murder as they attempt to survive.

The story flows beautifully and although the concept of the hunger games is a terrible unthinkable thing, it does come across as a very real possbility especially in this mad world we live in today!

This doesn't need mor eof a review apart fromread this book. It is put forward as a young adult book but I think most adults would find this a superbly entertaining read.
I'm looking forward to  book 2.