Patricia Hamill's Blog: I read too much! - Posts Tagged "travis-bughi"

Beyond the Plains by Travis Bughi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Fantasy meets the old west...

Coming of age in a mythical world has it's own challenges. Sixteen year old Emily Stout lives with her family on their farm in the Great Plains. The harsh environment lends itself to a hard life. Although similar to the old west, these Great Plains are roamed by behemoths and banshees. The dangers and toils of this desolate land are compounded by the monotony, and Emily dreams of one day escaping to find adventure beyond the plains.

Over the course of events, Emily grows from a flighty and naive farm girl into a strong and courageous young woman. I also love the way old west meets fantasy. Unicorns are used as draft horses, gunslingers sell their services to take down massive behemoths, and minotaurs are much sought after as hired hands.

Beyond the Plains (World of Myth #1) is number one in a series but I found it enjoyable as a standalone, featuring a complete plot line and resolution within the larger scheme of things and left me looking forward to the next installment. On the other hand, the story starts off a little slowly.

Overall, I really liked the characters, the creatures, and the world. I recommend this book to people who like fantasy coming of age books and adventure.

I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest, non-reciprocal review.


Note of review update (July 20, 2013): I am pleased to note that after seeing my original review the author accepted my offer of editorial/proofreading notes and incorporated many of them into a later edition. I have adjusted my original review as I know that many of the things I noted the first time through have been addressed. I have not adjusted my write up on the story itself or my rating.



View all my reviews

The Forest of Angor by Travis Bughi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A great story full of twists, surprises, and action.

The Forest of Angor is set in the world first introduced in Beyond the Plains (World of Myth #1). The heroine, Emily Stout, is learning the ropes among the Amazons, working to build her minimal skill with a bow, and trying to make friends with the tight knit group of women. Her grandmother is supportive while Adelpha, the young Amazon princess, has taken her under her wing, but the others mistrust her. Besides that, a traitorous enemy travels among the Amazons, and Emily has a good idea who it is. She must convince the others before it's too late to prevent the disaster foretold in the nightmares that plague her each night, nightmares sent as a warning from the angel, Quartus.

I really liked this installment for several reasons. The locations seem more realistic, the descriptions are vivid, and there are more interesting creatures, such as gremlins, treants, centaurs, and werewolves (not the romantic kind). There are also quite a few fight scenes that highlight the skill and technology of the amazons. Plus, Emily starts to come into her own under the harsh tutelage of Adelpha and others. Another thing I like is that Emily sticks to what she feels is right and stands by her word. She is a young and naive woman, but underneath it all she's strong and someone worthy of admiration.

In the interest of a balanced review, I must say that the book starts a bit slowly as the characters and the overall plot revealed in Book 1 are reintroduced, although the action picks up when the Amazons finally reach the forest and encounter the first creatures there. Emily's also a bit blind to the significance of her nightmares, which make it clear to the reader that there's more going on than the main character suspects.

Like with Beyond the Plains, I received a free copy of this book 1) to provide an honest, non-reciprocal review and 2) to mark up with editorial and proofreading comments, many of which will be incorporated into a future edition. My review focuses on my opinions of the story, but since I've given a hand with the editorial aspects, I'll leave others to give their opinions on the writing, style and grammar.



View all my reviews