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The Practical Guide to Trying Not to Die
Danny Marlaeto’s life has gone to shit. In the past three hours, he’s been attacked by Lord of the Rings lookalikes, saved by his hot but weird next-door neighbor, threatened with a pair of Manolos, and been told he has to move out of his house.
Oh, and he has to leave this dimension, too. So there’s that.
His neighbor, Soren Greenfield, is not only a gardening fanatic and an avid swimmer, but a guardian — a member of a fierce, loyal league of warriors who have sworn their lives to protect the keys. Unfortunately for Danny, he’s a key, and he possesses a well of magic that can be tapped and manipulated by sorcerers. Soren’s job is to protect Danny from sorcerers, and now that a particularly powerful one (code name: Doctor Doom) has set his sights on Danny (a geeky geology major with inferiority issues, no combat skills, and a smart mouth), Soren is probably going to regret that oath he took to give his life in exchange for Danny’s.
Together with Danny’s black belt best friend Malia Hesse, they escape to Lohrfast, Danny’s birthplace and Soren’s home, in order to ensure Danny’s safety. Arriving at White Oak, one of the League’s training camps, should be the end of their travel, but there are dangers within the League as well, and when Danny, Soren, and Malia are forced to make a desperate journey to the League’s largest stronghold, Soren’s secrets catch up with them.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
Oh, and he has to leave this dimension, too. So there’s that.
His neighbor, Soren Greenfield, is not only a gardening fanatic and an avid swimmer, but a guardian — a member of a fierce, loyal league of warriors who have sworn their lives to protect the keys. Unfortunately for Danny, he’s a key, and he possesses a well of magic that can be tapped and manipulated by sorcerers. Soren’s job is to protect Danny from sorcerers, and now that a particularly powerful one (code name: Doctor Doom) has set his sights on Danny (a geeky geology major with inferiority issues, no combat skills, and a smart mouth), Soren is probably going to regret that oath he took to give his life in exchange for Danny’s.
Together with Danny’s black belt best friend Malia Hesse, they escape to Lohrfast, Danny’s birthplace and Soren’s home, in order to ensure Danny’s safety. Arriving at White Oak, one of the League’s training camps, should be the end of their travel, but there are dangers within the League as well, and when Danny, Soren, and Malia are forced to make a desperate journey to the League’s largest stronghold, Soren’s secrets catch up with them.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
83 pages, ebook
First published July 19, 2013
2 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
August 7, 2013
about 200 pages too short.
fun, snarky, nerdy, pop-culture-laden, and sexy to boot.
I desperately wished for a slower pace—the setting is thoughtfully built, but so rich it required a gigantic info dump to bring me up to speed.
spread out organically over a less solidly frenetic flight into the unknown, I'd never have noticed—it was fascinating stuff.
also: Soren.
just—Soren.
*disguises erection with blu-ray box set of Buffy season 1*
fun, snarky, nerdy, pop-culture-laden, and sexy to boot.
I desperately wished for a slower pace—the setting is thoughtfully built, but so rich it required a gigantic info dump to bring me up to speed.
spread out organically over a less solidly frenetic flight into the unknown, I'd never have noticed—it was fascinating stuff.
also: Soren.
just—Soren.
*disguises erection with blu-ray box set of Buffy season 1*
July 20, 2013
Another amazing contribution to the LHNB event. I am totally flabbergasted at the talent and generosity of the contributing authors.
4.25*
I'm not going to give a recap, since the blurb is excellent.
Daniel, clumsy, self conscious and a little geeky and great at making all kinds of books, movie and popular cultural references at all times, even when he's being attacked and chased into another dimension.
Gotta love that!
I really liked Daniel's voice and thought he was cute and funny, he has an amazing BFF Malia who rocks all on her own.
His 'guardian' Soren is hot ( although he also runs hot and cold) and has some secrets.
There is tons of world building in this short and even though it was way too short for me ( I'm greedy people, get over it) I wanted more, I still totally got the gist of the world and the few questions I had just left me wanting more about Daniel and Soren and what the future hold for them.
So, although there is a lot of slow burn in this one ( no real fire at the end though..I'm bummed about that) there was action, adventure, time/world travel, magic, good sorcerer and bad sorcerers, keys, horses, snow and more pop culture references than I've ever read in one place and totally captured me and had me racing through this one.
And can I say (again) I really, really, really want to read how this story continues.
4.25*
I'm not going to give a recap, since the blurb is excellent.
Daniel, clumsy, self conscious and a little geeky and great at making all kinds of books, movie and popular cultural references at all times, even when he's being attacked and chased into another dimension.
Gotta love that!
I really liked Daniel's voice and thought he was cute and funny, he has an amazing BFF Malia who rocks all on her own.
His 'guardian' Soren is hot ( although he also runs hot and cold) and has some secrets.
There is tons of world building in this short and even though it was way too short for me ( I'm greedy people, get over it) I wanted more, I still totally got the gist of the world and the few questions I had just left me wanting more about Daniel and Soren and what the future hold for them.
So, although there is a lot of slow burn in this one ( no real fire at the end though..I'm bummed about that) there was action, adventure, time/world travel, magic, good sorcerer and bad sorcerers, keys, horses, snow and more pop culture references than I've ever read in one place and totally captured me and had me racing through this one.
And can I say (again) I really, really, really want to read how this story continues.
July 16, 2022
3.5 stars
For my review project, I wanted to also write reviews for the books I had DNF'd to remind future me why they were DNF. Of course, that means trying to read them again. And this one turned out a winner.
Sure, the key word in this title is "trying" because these bozos would be better off writing The Practical Guide to Buffoonry since they share not one iota of practical brain cells among them. But if you're looking for a somewhat fast-paced adventure packed full of sci-fi/fantasy references, this is the book for you.
You've got our POV character, Danny, a nineteen-year old asthmatic geology major who's way too liberal with his inhaler and is about to get his world turned upside down. Then there's Soren, the mysterious neighbor with the Shoulders, who is way too good with a sword but kind of terrible at blending in with normal folk, or at least geeky folk. And there's the best friend, Malia, who's a black belt in something and a law student who hasn't taken the course on plausible deniability yet.
This is meant to be tongue-in-cheek and making fun of fantasy tropes, so I can forgive it's many flaws, which include but are not limited to: not knowing which state they're from (it's either California or Montana. They're so similar, it's an easy mistake to make. 😜); wearing heels with a dojo uniform; not knowing how asthma works; and Danny and Malia taking way too long to piece together all the clues behind Soren's not-at-all-that-secret identity. It does kind of cheat the ending a little, and some other stuff that doesn't get follow up that probably should have. And I like that this .
This was a fun and quick read, made funner by getting to share the absurdity with my BR friends, Ele, Rosa, and Teal.
For my review project, I wanted to also write reviews for the books I had DNF'd to remind future me why they were DNF. Of course, that means trying to read them again. And this one turned out a winner.
Sure, the key word in this title is "trying" because these bozos would be better off writing The Practical Guide to Buffoonry since they share not one iota of practical brain cells among them. But if you're looking for a somewhat fast-paced adventure packed full of sci-fi/fantasy references, this is the book for you.
You've got our POV character, Danny, a nineteen-year old asthmatic geology major who's way too liberal with his inhaler and is about to get his world turned upside down. Then there's Soren, the mysterious neighbor with the Shoulders, who is way too good with a sword but kind of terrible at blending in with normal folk, or at least geeky folk. And there's the best friend, Malia, who's a black belt in something and a law student who hasn't taken the course on plausible deniability yet.
This is meant to be tongue-in-cheek and making fun of fantasy tropes, so I can forgive it's many flaws, which include but are not limited to: not knowing which state they're from (it's either California or Montana. They're so similar, it's an easy mistake to make. 😜); wearing heels with a dojo uniform; not knowing how asthma works; and Danny and Malia taking way too long to piece together all the clues behind Soren's not-at-all-that-secret identity. It does kind of cheat the ending a little, and some other stuff that doesn't get follow up that probably should have. And I like that this .
This was a fun and quick read, made funner by getting to share the absurdity with my BR friends, Ele, Rosa, and Teal.
July 22, 2013
2.75 stars rounded up
It started interesting but then I got lost in those pop culture references and humor that just don't make me smile. I mostly skimmed the middle-part because I lost interest.
Was there action, or did I miss it? Seemed like Danny kept talking and talking and talking. I usually love lots of conversation. So maybe I wasn't in the right state of mind when I read this, or maybe see reason #1. Also it seemed like it jumped right away to the ending. I wouldn't remember much about this after I slept on it tonight, that's for sure *shrugs*
But hey, at least the girl character kicks ass. It's nice to have that kind of character. And it did start intriguing! SO I could still round it up to 3-stars.
PS: The story is written in present tense, for those who are a bit nitpicky about it :)
It started interesting but then I got lost in those pop culture references and humor that just don't make me smile. I mostly skimmed the middle-part because I lost interest.
Was there action, or did I miss it? Seemed like Danny kept talking and talking and talking. I usually love lots of conversation. So maybe I wasn't in the right state of mind when I read this, or maybe see reason #1. Also it seemed like it jumped right away to the ending. I wouldn't remember much about this after I slept on it tonight, that's for sure *shrugs*
But hey, at least the girl character kicks ass. It's nice to have that kind of character. And it did start intriguing! SO I could still round it up to 3-stars.
PS: The story is written in present tense, for those who are a bit nitpicky about it :)
July 20, 2013
I was happy to be swept up into this humorous snarky off-beat tale about Danny, the key and his guardian/spirit warrior/flirty neighbour/tots obvs other secret not telling special skill guy, Soren.
If that doesn't make any sense, well, too bad. The ending is rushed, but for the majority of the story, the world building works, the characters have chemistry and Danny's witty banter held my attention.
Good fun.
If that doesn't make any sense, well, too bad. The ending is rushed, but for the majority of the story, the world building works, the characters have chemistry and Danny's witty banter held my attention.
Good fun.
August 4, 2014
WTF happened on page 77???
The story, the characters, the writing - everything was great till page 77! Then "The Practical Guide to Trying Not to Die" actually died. It was like a whooshing sound and then the novella was dead. Butchered.
The story was reaching its climax and everything looked like there was going to be an epic Return-of-the-King-kind-of-battle. Something like this....
But what happened instead? NOTHING! NO BATTLE! At least for the reader, we were told that there was a battle while Danny enacted "Sleeping Beauty".
The question at this point was, can you kill something that already died 5 pages ago??? The answer is a clear YES, You CAN!
"They aren't in love-they are barely dating on a level that could be called a thing...."
The story, the characters, the writing - everything was great till page 77! Then "The Practical Guide to Trying Not to Die" actually died. It was like a whooshing sound and then the novella was dead. Butchered.
The story was reaching its climax and everything looked like there was going to be an epic Return-of-the-King-kind-of-battle. Something like this....
But what happened instead? NOTHING! NO BATTLE! At least for the reader, we were told that there was a battle while Danny enacted "Sleeping Beauty".
The question at this point was, can you kill something that already died 5 pages ago??? The answer is a clear YES, You CAN!
"They aren't in love-they are barely dating on a level that could be called a thing...."
April 3, 2014
I read this last year and I remember it being very funny. It was another book I read solely for the title.
And it was free.
Oh, and because it features a geeky character, Danny, who falls for the more physically-adept character, Soren. Simply put, nerd loves jock -- a trope of which I will never tire. I promise.
I get the feeling Sam Schooler is a funny geeky/nerd herself. That sense of fun, of appreciation for her subject, pervades the story.
I'd love to read more by her & I'll definitely be moving Bump in the Night to a higher position on my TBR pile.
(Oh, who am I kidding? There are no positions--it's just chaos, CHAOS I tell you!)
And it was free.
Oh, and because it features a geeky character, Danny, who falls for the more physically-adept character, Soren. Simply put, nerd loves jock -- a trope of which I will never tire. I promise.
I get the feeling Sam Schooler is a funny geeky/nerd herself. That sense of fun, of appreciation for her subject, pervades the story.
I'd love to read more by her & I'll definitely be moving Bump in the Night to a higher position on my TBR pile.
(Oh, who am I kidding? There are no positions--it's just chaos, CHAOS I tell you!)
July 19, 2013
Fun romp through geekdom references. Being a huge Eomer fan, I was somewhat disappointed he missed being mentioned, but even more so that the final battle scene was glossed over in a brief retrospective. It was probably due to time limits, but I'd really have enjoyed it more if that hadn't been rushed at the end. Not to mention Danny climbing Soren like a tree wouldn't have been bad to see either.
August 17, 2013
Ha, this was really good fun—yet another story from the M/M Romance group's Love Has No Boundaries, free stories from writers and professional authors alike.
This one was like crack on meth chewing coca-leaves, and was shock-full of fun references to popular culture, and with Hitchhiker's Guide, Star Wars, LotR, Twilight, Supernatural, Star Trek, Darkfever, A Game of Thrones, and all the others that I probably missed, this was truly giggle-snort-worthy. I cracked up several times, and I'm just sitting here shaking my head still. Awesome.
Great dialogue, flow, and action. I just feel it needed more of all three.
You see, my only problem with it is that it was too short. Don't get me wrong, it ended in the right place. It just got to the end TOO FAST. There are at least 150 pages missing from this story. Its premise is brilliant, it just needs MORE. More flesh on the bones, as it were. It feels more like an outline which is rabidly trying to play catch up with its own story. (This may have happened because of time-constraints and rushing to get it finished for the LHNB-event).
I'd love for the author to take this back in hand and work it over, giving it some 30k more words, fleshing out every chapter, so that the action slows down to an understandable pace. So that the reader can lean back and enjoy the BLOODY GOOD WRITING that is happening here. (Also picking up some dropped prepositions—editors?—and a final spellcheck, so that words like Tolkienesque get all their letters in the right place).
So, fleshing it out and spellchecking? That's where the story can win a whole star. Fix that and it goes up to four.
***
But, still! Holy hell, I loved it. So hard. Because then you also get Malia, the gorgeous roommate and best friend. Her parts in the story were absolutely unforgettable.
And I loved Soren. Thank you for Soren, author. Brilliant character, absolutely brilliant. We should all get to have a neighbor like him.
Yeah. I'd read this one again, with more words. I might read it again as is, too.
This one was like crack on meth chewing coca-leaves, and was shock-full of fun references to popular culture, and with Hitchhiker's Guide, Star Wars, LotR, Twilight, Supernatural, Star Trek, Darkfever, A Game of Thrones, and all the others that I probably missed, this was truly giggle-snort-worthy. I cracked up several times, and I'm just sitting here shaking my head still. Awesome.
Great dialogue, flow, and action. I just feel it needed more of all three.
You see, my only problem with it is that it was too short. Don't get me wrong, it ended in the right place. It just got to the end TOO FAST. There are at least 150 pages missing from this story. Its premise is brilliant, it just needs MORE. More flesh on the bones, as it were. It feels more like an outline which is rabidly trying to play catch up with its own story. (This may have happened because of time-constraints and rushing to get it finished for the LHNB-event).
I'd love for the author to take this back in hand and work it over, giving it some 30k more words, fleshing out every chapter, so that the action slows down to an understandable pace. So that the reader can lean back and enjoy the BLOODY GOOD WRITING that is happening here. (Also picking up some dropped prepositions—editors?—and a final spellcheck, so that words like Tolkienesque get all their letters in the right place).
So, fleshing it out and spellchecking? That's where the story can win a whole star. Fix that and it goes up to four.
***
But, still! Holy hell, I loved it. So hard. Because then you also get Malia, the gorgeous roommate and best friend. Her parts in the story were absolutely unforgettable.
And I loved Soren. Thank you for Soren, author. Brilliant character, absolutely brilliant. We should all get to have a neighbor like him.
Yeah. I'd read this one again, with more words. I might read it again as is, too.
July 19, 2013
Danny's internal dialogue made me laugh, and I enjoyed his banter with Malia. They were both great characters. While I liked Soren, I didn't get as good a feel for him. I also didn't feel a lot of tension or chemistry between Soren and Danny. I liked the world building, and enjoyed the overall story line, but would have liked to actually experience the battle and to see the relationship between Soren and Danny develop more.
July 21, 2013
Imaginative with decent writing!
October 8, 2013
Totally adorbs. Love the silliness and snark.
Missed some of the cultural references (especially tv stuff cause i'm not the kind of geek), but enjoyed nonetheless.
Missed some of the cultural references (especially tv stuff cause i'm not the kind of geek), but enjoyed nonetheless.
June 20, 2017
3.8 Stars
I LOLd my way through this entire story. And I lost track of all the geeky pop culture references after the 40th one... Some might find that annoying but I loved it because that tendency to think in those terms & tropes is totally me in normal circumstance.
I LOLd my way through this entire story. And I lost track of all the geeky pop culture references after the 40th one... Some might find that annoying but I loved it because that tendency to think in those terms & tropes is totally me in normal circumstance.
July 28, 2013
What a fun story to read! I love any and all celebrations of geek-dom, and this has to rank up there as one of the most celebratory I've come across. Danny of course is a huge geek, but I loved that his almost-six-foot-tall, ass-kicking roommate Malia got in on the geekiness too.
It was fun getting to travel to another dimension in the head of such a sci-fi/fantasy fan. I couldn't help wish that some of those bits might have been just a teeny bit more well described.
I totally enjoyed the development of the relationship between Danny and Soren. Danny's adorable and goofy and totally drooling over Soren and his Shoulders, so Danny's reaction when he realizes Soren returns his feelings is endearing and sweet.
Delightfully fun story.
Favorite Quotes:
"Am I bait for Legolas?"
"Honey, you're awesome, but you can't walk ten feet without tripping over yourself."
He's nearly at the main tent, mostly considering whether or not he should keep his phone on hand in case he has the chance to take a picture of a dragon
"And you're all, all medieval King Arthur McBadass."
He's seen enough Chosen One plot movies to know that separating himself from the people capable of keeping him safe is The Worst Idea He Could Possibly Have, deserving of all capitals.
"Heigh-ho," Danny says. "It's off to Hogwarts we go."
Danny wants to go back. Shit, he does. He misses Taco Bell and his PS3 and indoor plumbing. He feels an ache in his soul that only manifests when he has a severe lack of Battlestar Galactica.
It was fun getting to travel to another dimension in the head of such a sci-fi/fantasy fan. I couldn't help wish that some of those bits might have been just a teeny bit more well described.
I totally enjoyed the development of the relationship between Danny and Soren. Danny's adorable and goofy and totally drooling over Soren and his Shoulders, so Danny's reaction when he realizes Soren returns his feelings is endearing and sweet.
Delightfully fun story.
Favorite Quotes:
"Am I bait for Legolas?"
"Honey, you're awesome, but you can't walk ten feet without tripping over yourself."
He's nearly at the main tent, mostly considering whether or not he should keep his phone on hand in case he has the chance to take a picture of a dragon
"And you're all, all medieval King Arthur McBadass."
He's seen enough Chosen One plot movies to know that separating himself from the people capable of keeping him safe is The Worst Idea He Could Possibly Have, deserving of all capitals.
"Heigh-ho," Danny says. "It's off to Hogwarts we go."
Danny wants to go back. Shit, he does. He misses Taco Bell and his PS3 and indoor plumbing. He feels an ache in his soul that only manifests when he has a severe lack of Battlestar Galactica.
August 10, 2014
rating: 3/5 (rather 2.75/3 but I rounded up due to hilarity)
And another story written for the M/M Romance GR group Love Has No Boundaries promotion.
The story starts great, a geeky guy, Danny, (and geeky is the perfect work for him, lots of geeky references to LOTR, Firefly, etc.) gets woken up one night by sword wielding people trying to kill him. As he gets his bearing, his hunky sword-wielding next door neighbor comes to the rescue, apparently he is Danny's guardian and Danny is... the key (to magic). From then on we have our heroes running for their lives from the evil sorcerer and his minions. Not the most original plot but hilarious like crazy! Lots of action-y goodness and a sweet romance too (I like that their romance is slow and by the end they aren't completely in love but liking each other enough to give this thing a try).
And then the epic battle comes upon our unlikely geeky hero, Danny, and we are left cold in the worst anti-climactic ending ever. It is as if the author decided that she was tired of writing this story and a half-assed, abrupt ending would satisfy.
Despite the lack of satisfaction at the end, I still liked the story overall. Just brace yourself for a huge disappointment.
And another story written for the M/M Romance GR group Love Has No Boundaries promotion.
The story starts great, a geeky guy, Danny, (and geeky is the perfect work for him, lots of geeky references to LOTR, Firefly, etc.) gets woken up one night by sword wielding people trying to kill him. As he gets his bearing, his hunky sword-wielding next door neighbor comes to the rescue, apparently he is Danny's guardian and Danny is... the key (to magic). From then on we have our heroes running for their lives from the evil sorcerer and his minions. Not the most original plot but hilarious like crazy! Lots of action-y goodness and a sweet romance too (I like that their romance is slow and by the end they aren't completely in love but liking each other enough to give this thing a try).
And then the epic battle comes upon our unlikely geeky hero, Danny, and we are left cold in the worst anti-climactic ending ever. It is as if the author decided that she was tired of writing this story and a half-assed, abrupt ending would satisfy.
Despite the lack of satisfaction at the end, I still liked the story overall. Just brace yourself for a huge disappointment.
October 3, 2015
This had so much potential but it just didn't get there for me. So much stretched credibility even after accepting the bizarre premise. The snarky humor and the funny allusions to fantasy and sf books and shows were really great and really made the story for me. Without them, the story wouldn't have been half as good.
I loved the idea and hope it would go further than I did. I realize that with the time constraints Schooler had to write it, there was a limit to what he could write. I really hope he tells more of the story. I would definitely read it and I will look for more by the same author.
I loved the idea and hope it would go further than I did. I realize that with the time constraints Schooler had to write it, there was a limit to what he could write. I really hope he tells more of the story. I would definitely read it and I will look for more by the same author.
October 13, 2013
...is it just me or did it kind of cut off instead of actually ending?
I mean, deus ex machina aside, it ends with the literary equivalent of a video montage. I mean, video montages are the worst ways to end video games. You come all this way, just to find out there's not more, and the bastards who made it expect you to buy the next one to figure out what all that obscure bullshit they stuffed into this one means.
The world's pretty cool. The characters aren't bad. There doesn't seem to be much by way of romance (they seem to act like they're getting together because Fate said so. It seems quite rote.) The way it ended was horrible.
Other than that, I guess it wasn't bad.
I mean, deus ex machina aside, it ends with the literary equivalent of a video montage. I mean, video montages are the worst ways to end video games. You come all this way, just to find out there's not more, and the bastards who made it expect you to buy the next one to figure out what all that obscure bullshit they stuffed into this one means.
The world's pretty cool. The characters aren't bad. There doesn't seem to be much by way of romance (they seem to act like they're getting together because Fate said so. It seems quite rote.) The way it ended was horrible.
Other than that, I guess it wasn't bad.
July 20, 2013
EEEEE I LOVED THIS! So creative and just fun to read! I loved all your pop culture references (Doctor Who! Buffy! FIREFLY!), so I was laughing a lot while I read this. I really loved Danny and his geeky thought process (Harry Potter vs Doctor Doom heee!), and also? Hooray for a strong female character in the mix, I loved Malia. Thank you for this excellent story! Is there going to be more, like when Danny and Soren get back home? I could definitely read more!
June 16, 2015
3.5 stars - The story itself was an epic adventure packed with pop culture references and humor to go with the action. On the the romance front it was lacking, however. I never really felt the connection between Soren and Danny to be anything other than guardian and charge. I think the story would have needed to be a bit longer to get more of a feel for them as a romantic couple. Also, the qualifier at the end totally unnecessary
September 30, 2014
This was so much fun! And exciting! I must confess to having to resort to Google for some of the pop culture references. What can I say...I'm in my cronage. I felt just a little bit cheated that after a huge build-up, the battle with Dr. Doom is only mentioned after the fact. But still a worthwhile read!
February 9, 2015
Got a bit lost between the lines but I enjoyed the sorcerer/key story, the run-for-your-life journey, and banters between Danny, Soren, and Malia. Too bad not much telling of the villainous sorcerer and the ultimate battle. It wouldn't hurt to read more of the chemistry play between Danny and his guardian either. But all in all, this was quite an enjoyable reading.
August 25, 2013
A cute story that either works or doesn't depending on the readers fandom and pop culture knowledge. Practically every other joke if not line is full of scifi meta. I recognised most of the references but the story itself didn't amaze me enough for a higher rating. Shame, I would've liked to have seen the world expanded further.
September 20, 2015
I'm so not sure about this. I mean, I should be grateful because it's free and almost awesome. But if I'm going to rate it, I have to treat it as any other book. The present tense it's kind of unnerving Danny sleeps. Danny looks riht. Danny looks left. like some textbook thingy. Urgh. And the romance was barely developed.
April 18, 2015
3.5 - Pure geekdom :) I enjoyed this fun and funny story, the characters and the world building. Nice interpretation of the photo and the story letter. Thank you Sam Schooler for donating your story, your time and your talent.
August 3, 2013
I loved this and I get geek references usually, but sometimes I felt like I was being left out of an inside joke. Some references were a bit obscure for those who aren't complete geeks. That and it being too short were my only 2 gripes. Otherwise this was good. Very funny.
April 8, 2015
What Julio said. He is smart. He knows what he is saying. He said this needs another 200 pages. I will go with that.
PS I don't have an erection, or Buffy blu-ray. But I do have Andromeda and I am not afraid to use it!
*off to watch the first season*
PS I don't have an erection, or Buffy blu-ray. But I do have Andromeda and I am not afraid to use it!
*off to watch the first season*
July 19, 2013
We need more! What happens with Sorksn and Danny. Danny coming into his own. And Malia- awesome female character!!!
October 15, 2022
Kindle-Sort-ReRead
Lots of pop-culture, mayhem, non-stop talking.
I found it irritating, a big not for me.
Lots of pop-culture, mayhem, non-stop talking.
I found it irritating, a big not for me.
September 13, 2013
2,5*
I was looking forward to this short story because of the overall good reviews and the prompt asking for a snarky MC? I love me a snarky MC but you can overdo it as well. And for my taste it was overdone in this story. I also couldn't relate to most of the pop culture references and often felt like Soren, who didn't understand. So I guess lots of the fun stuff was lost on me.
I also found Danny much to passive. If he could have contributed at least a tiny little bit during the running (and if it would be only to lit a fire. How did they do it anyhow? I don't think anyone took matches or a lighter along. So Danny's geology knowledge could have helped finding some fire stone or something. I'm not asking for much, you see.).
I didn't get why Mala tagged along and did what she did. Missing background here.
Suddenly there was this immense lve thing going on between Soren and Danny. Huhh, did I miss some pages somewhere? Where did that come from?
We missed the whole climax which had been skipped. That kept me very unsatisfied. I would have liked to learn much more about a lot of why's...
I was looking forward to this short story because of the overall good reviews and the prompt asking for a snarky MC? I love me a snarky MC but you can overdo it as well. And for my taste it was overdone in this story. I also couldn't relate to most of the pop culture references and often felt like Soren, who didn't understand. So I guess lots of the fun stuff was lost on me.
I also found Danny much to passive. If he could have contributed at least a tiny little bit during the running (and if it would be only to lit a fire. How did they do it anyhow? I don't think anyone took matches or a lighter along. So Danny's geology knowledge could have helped finding some fire stone or something. I'm not asking for much, you see.).
I didn't get why Mala tagged along and did what she did. Missing background here.
Suddenly there was this immense lve thing going on between Soren and Danny. Huhh, did I miss some pages somewhere? Where did that come from?
We missed the whole climax which had been skipped. That kept me very unsatisfied. I would have liked to learn much more about a lot of why's...
July 19, 2013
LHNB Story released 19.7.13
3.5 stars rounded up
This is an interesting fantasy story (though not high fantasy as parts remain earth bound) of Danny, a magical "key" who has been brought up as human, and Soren, Danny's guardian and next door neighbour. After a home invasion Danny and Soren, with Danny's housemate Malia flee to the other world where Danny and Soren are from. The connection between key and guardian isn't particularly romantic, though you can see the attachment that the relationship eventually grows from. I actually preferred the rather kick-ass character of Malia to the two MC's in this story. There was a lot of humour written throughout, but sometimes this fell flat for me but that may be because I am not a huge fan of stories in the tense this was written in.
3.5 stars rounded up
This is an interesting fantasy story (though not high fantasy as parts remain earth bound) of Danny, a magical "key" who has been brought up as human, and Soren, Danny's guardian and next door neighbour. After a home invasion Danny and Soren, with Danny's housemate Malia flee to the other world where Danny and Soren are from. The connection between key and guardian isn't particularly romantic, though you can see the attachment that the relationship eventually grows from. I actually preferred the rather kick-ass character of Malia to the two MC's in this story. There was a lot of humour written throughout, but sometimes this fell flat for me but that may be because I am not a huge fan of stories in the tense this was written in.
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