More Reviews Coming in for Desert Empress
Reviews are in! More of them, at least.
It took awhile to get some reviews for Cassan Astor and the Desert Empress. I was beginning to wonder when I might see them come in. I suppose I was just being impatient. After all, the book came out about three months ago. Pax Egyptus, which is considerably shorter, took about a month or two to see reviews come in. Obviously, I should have expected to wait a bit more.
Like Pax Egyptus, all of the reviews for the Desert Empress are either four or five stars. That means my average star rating is higher for my newer books than it is for my older books, which saw some twos and threes on occasion.
Two of the reviews, interestingly, are somewhat back-handedly complimentary. What do I mean by that? It seems like two people have identified a lot of unneeded “fluff” in my book that “doesn’t add to the story.” Interestingly, in each of these cases, the reviewer then goes on to compliment that fluff. Hence the back-handed compliment.
Here are those examples:
Four Stars:
“I found the author’s description of things that had nothing to do with the flow of the story interesting. Some would call it fluff; others would find it distracting. Yet I found it giving a bit more intense angle to the story. And though this style of writing tends to bog down the flow of the story, I liken it to the days of old when people weren’t always in such a hurry–cut to the chase–mentality. Reading is a leisurely passion, and Cassan Astor and the Desert Empress brings that to the reader.”
Four Stars:
“In ‘Cassan Astor and the Desert Empress’ by Andrew Gates, readers are captivated by the author’s skillful use of intriguing and occasionally perceived as ‘fluff’ or distracting descriptions. Surprisingly, this very writing style contributes depth to the narrative, creating a leisurely reading experience that harks back to the literary past. Despite the potential to slow down the flow, it brings forth a unique and intense angle to the tale, enhancing its overall appeal. By deviating from the modern ‘cut to the chase’ mentality, the book offers a refreshing and enjoyable read within its genre.”
So… I guess people like the “fluff?”
To be clear, most reviews do not mention the “fluff,” but these two reviews in particular were interesting enough to point out. Most of the reviewers write about the characters and the rich backstory. One reviewer even said the only reason she picked up the book was because of the cover art. You can be sure I forwarded that one along to the artist!
It’s great to see this positive reception to the book. Admittedly, I was worried about the strength of the series when I decided to rework Sea of Krakens. Thankfully, the positive reception to this book has given me the confidence to keep working on it! Almost every reviewer went on to say they want to read the next book.
Looking at sales data, series definitely sell better than standalone books. It is my hope that, as I put more of these Cassan Astor books out, one book will help sell the next and the series will grow!
As for the future of the series, I am still working on book 3 now. Progress is underway. I suspect it is around about halfway written.
