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Lost on a Page #1
Lost on a Page
Some genres were never meant to cross.
Joe Slade is a detective with a hot lead and a warm gun. He no longer believes in happy ever afters, but his faith in plot twists is devout. Good thing.
He is about to discover the biggest twist of all.
Joe Slade is not real.
He is a character in a series of mystery novels. And when he discovers all his pain has been in the name of book sales, there will be hell to pay. Vowing revenge on his author, he will set off for the World Where the Books Are Written. The road will take him through genres foreign and high fantasy, bodice-ripping romance, intergalactic sci-fi, and others even more awful and terrifying.
But what if this new life is about more than just living? And will Joe still come out on top when all the rules have changed?
Joe Slade is a detective with a hot lead and a warm gun. He no longer believes in happy ever afters, but his faith in plot twists is devout. Good thing.
He is about to discover the biggest twist of all.
Joe Slade is not real.
He is a character in a series of mystery novels. And when he discovers all his pain has been in the name of book sales, there will be hell to pay. Vowing revenge on his author, he will set off for the World Where the Books Are Written. The road will take him through genres foreign and high fantasy, bodice-ripping romance, intergalactic sci-fi, and others even more awful and terrifying.
But what if this new life is about more than just living? And will Joe still come out on top when all the rules have changed?
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Published January 24, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
June 16, 2021
Lost on a Page
by David E. Sharp
Black Rose Writing
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this fun book!
This book isn't like any book I have ever read before! The characters in the books become aware they are characters and want to find a way to get to the world where words are written. Some are angry for all they have been through under the hand of their author. It starts out just letters from an editor to an author and back. Some story. More letters. More authors.
Then the characters show up in a romance novel and break up the romance on accident. The romance author is mad and thinks the author of those characters hacked her computer!
The characters travel on looking for a device and end up in space! Now many authors are talking and and worried. One of the new characters is threatening an author! Then on to another book! Zombies! Lol!
It's a fun book with dry humor, lots of craziness, great dialogue, zany situations, and a unique plot! I found it quite entertaining!
by David E. Sharp
Black Rose Writing
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this fun book!
This book isn't like any book I have ever read before! The characters in the books become aware they are characters and want to find a way to get to the world where words are written. Some are angry for all they have been through under the hand of their author. It starts out just letters from an editor to an author and back. Some story. More letters. More authors.
Then the characters show up in a romance novel and break up the romance on accident. The romance author is mad and thinks the author of those characters hacked her computer!
The characters travel on looking for a device and end up in space! Now many authors are talking and and worried. One of the new characters is threatening an author! Then on to another book! Zombies! Lol!
It's a fun book with dry humor, lots of craziness, great dialogue, zany situations, and a unique plot! I found it quite entertaining!
June 10, 2021
A wild and entertaining literary adventure, much as the title suggest, with characters hopping genres and, well, pages. This clever meta take on genre fiction was lots of fun.
It begins as a noir with a properly noir seasoned detective named Slade who discovers he’s actually a character in a series of mystery novels. Moreover, he isn’t alone. There are other characters, from other novels and genres and they’ve recently gained sentience and an ability to not only traverse the realm of fiction but also change their prewritten destinies.
They team up in opposition to the preformatted designs of their authors and creators, who resides in WWTBAW (World Where The Books Are Written) and also in opposition to their designated antagonists. The fight is fictional. The fight in real.
It’s Stranger than Fiction action driven and mad on genre. The characters go from bodice ripping romance to space opera to zombie survival thriller. All in the name of…ok, the plot may get slightly confusing, because there’s so much going on, in so many different dimensions. But it is linear for all its wild digressions and does (of course) follow all the classic genre standards.
It reminded me of the very excellent Gene Doucette’s Unfiction, which is a high compliment in my book. I loved the concept here. What reader hasn’t contemplated the fate of the characters they engage with and what is that fate wasn’t merely bound to the page but went way, way, way off page. Make your own adventure is no longer for readers only. And all the more fun for it. And yes, it’s busy and sort of frantic or manic at times, but well worth navigating.
The meta aspect is a delight too, the authors interaction as they figure out what’s going on, right down to the final concept of making this all a book is very clever and very well done. The quiet librarian ought to be proud of his creation, all that time surrounded by books has really paid off. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
It begins as a noir with a properly noir seasoned detective named Slade who discovers he’s actually a character in a series of mystery novels. Moreover, he isn’t alone. There are other characters, from other novels and genres and they’ve recently gained sentience and an ability to not only traverse the realm of fiction but also change their prewritten destinies.
They team up in opposition to the preformatted designs of their authors and creators, who resides in WWTBAW (World Where The Books Are Written) and also in opposition to their designated antagonists. The fight is fictional. The fight in real.
It’s Stranger than Fiction action driven and mad on genre. The characters go from bodice ripping romance to space opera to zombie survival thriller. All in the name of…ok, the plot may get slightly confusing, because there’s so much going on, in so many different dimensions. But it is linear for all its wild digressions and does (of course) follow all the classic genre standards.
It reminded me of the very excellent Gene Doucette’s Unfiction, which is a high compliment in my book. I loved the concept here. What reader hasn’t contemplated the fate of the characters they engage with and what is that fate wasn’t merely bound to the page but went way, way, way off page. Make your own adventure is no longer for readers only. And all the more fun for it. And yes, it’s busy and sort of frantic or manic at times, but well worth navigating.
The meta aspect is a delight too, the authors interaction as they figure out what’s going on, right down to the final concept of making this all a book is very clever and very well done. The quiet librarian ought to be proud of his creation, all that time surrounded by books has really paid off. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
September 26, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up. Could not put this down. A wacky, madcap joy of a novel paced like a lightning bolt. Sharp doesn’t so much genre bend as manically mash ups genres. Very cinematically told the plotting and characters were well drawn and although wouldn’t call this satire on level of say swift’s modest proposal it sure is a fun read with plenty of tongue in cheek. Sharp seems to mock common fictional tropes yet joyously dive into them. Will probably read sequels back to back can not get enough of this world(s)
June 8, 2021
Another in the metafictional genre pioneered by Jasper Fforde, and, like most metafiction (including Fforde's), it didn't wow me.
Especially early on, it was hard to shake the impression that the hack novels with flat characters and cliched settings were not satire, but reflected the author's actual level of ability to write. This was especially the case since there are a lot - really a lot - of basic copy editing issues. For example, the author frequently inserts a tag in the middle of a sentence of dialog, or between two sentences of dialog, but only rarely punctuates them correctly. The rule is that if the first section of dialog completes a sentence, there's a period after the "X said" tag and the new sentence starts with a capital, but if the sentence continues after the tag, there's a comma after "X said" and the second part of the sentence doesn't start with a capital. To give made-up examples: "That's what I wondered," said Joe. "How did she do that?" Or: "I've always wondered," said Joe, "how she did that."
What the author almost always does, though, is end the "X said" tag with a comma and start the next part of the dialog with a capital, which is wrong whether the second part is or is not a new sentence.
Other punctuation issues include misplaced commas (comma before the main verb, no comma before a term of address). Then there are the vocabulary issues: ally/alley, subsequent/prior, obligatorily/obligingly, rankled/wrinkled, amuck/amiss, illicit/elicit, hurtled/hurled, frontrunner/frontman, scuffle/scruff, immunity/impunity, dual/duel. The past perfect tense goes missing a few times as well. Besides these recurring issues, there were a few isolated errors with capitalization, apostrophe placement, hyphenation, use of the incorrect preposition in a phrase, and a comma splice.
I don't normally mention such issues in detail for books that I receive, as I did this one, via Netgalley, since they often have another edit to come before publication, but this has a publication date of 2018 on it, so I can only assume I have the published version.
The good news is that as the book went on, it did develop some suspense, and I did start to care about the characters succeeding, even though they didn't get any deeper. When your premise is that fictional characters from badly-written genre fiction have become real people, your writing really needs to make them feel more real, as if there's more to them than their stereotypes and their role in the plot; but I never felt that.
It did end up as a decent pulp plot with some exciting scenes and a satisfying conclusion, but for me it lacked depth, quality, and polish.
Especially early on, it was hard to shake the impression that the hack novels with flat characters and cliched settings were not satire, but reflected the author's actual level of ability to write. This was especially the case since there are a lot - really a lot - of basic copy editing issues. For example, the author frequently inserts a tag in the middle of a sentence of dialog, or between two sentences of dialog, but only rarely punctuates them correctly. The rule is that if the first section of dialog completes a sentence, there's a period after the "X said" tag and the new sentence starts with a capital, but if the sentence continues after the tag, there's a comma after "X said" and the second part of the sentence doesn't start with a capital. To give made-up examples: "That's what I wondered," said Joe. "How did she do that?" Or: "I've always wondered," said Joe, "how she did that."
What the author almost always does, though, is end the "X said" tag with a comma and start the next part of the dialog with a capital, which is wrong whether the second part is or is not a new sentence.
Other punctuation issues include misplaced commas (comma before the main verb, no comma before a term of address). Then there are the vocabulary issues: ally/alley, subsequent/prior, obligatorily/obligingly, rankled/wrinkled, amuck/amiss, illicit/elicit, hurtled/hurled, frontrunner/frontman, scuffle/scruff, immunity/impunity, dual/duel. The past perfect tense goes missing a few times as well. Besides these recurring issues, there were a few isolated errors with capitalization, apostrophe placement, hyphenation, use of the incorrect preposition in a phrase, and a comma splice.
I don't normally mention such issues in detail for books that I receive, as I did this one, via Netgalley, since they often have another edit to come before publication, but this has a publication date of 2018 on it, so I can only assume I have the published version.
The good news is that as the book went on, it did develop some suspense, and I did start to care about the characters succeeding, even though they didn't get any deeper. When your premise is that fictional characters from badly-written genre fiction have become real people, your writing really needs to make them feel more real, as if there's more to them than their stereotypes and their role in the plot; but I never felt that.
It did end up as a decent pulp plot with some exciting scenes and a satisfying conclusion, but for me it lacked depth, quality, and polish.
September 1, 2018
The whole concept and idea behind Lost On A Page is absolutely brilliant, and the story does not disappoint! It is filled with both humor and action. As someone who enjoys reading widely across many genres, I found this story very engaging, interesting, and entertaining. The author uses cliches of each genre to his advantage (and much to the readers' amusement) as the characters travel from one book to the next and navigating each individual world. One comedic (and sometimes even dramatic) touch that I enjoyed in particular was how the characters sometimes suffer from "reinterpretation" when they cross into a new book/story/genre.
My only critique of this is that there are some repeated punctuation errors throughout; but the story is more than entertaining enough that these weren't terribly distracting to me. Loved it! I would definitely read more by David E. Sharp.
My only critique of this is that there are some repeated punctuation errors throughout; but the story is more than entertaining enough that these weren't terribly distracting to me. Loved it! I would definitely read more by David E. Sharp.
January 15, 2022
This is a nice fun book where the characters in books start to understand what is going on and fight back with the authors. I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to this becoming an ongoing series. I like the fact that tropes are turned back on the authors and used against them. I could so so many more genre's being crossed with this. It is worth your time.
September 8, 2018
I am genuinely glad to have read this book. The characters were fascinating and hilarious! I would absolutely love to read more novels by this author. (I sincerely wish that there were full novels of Corolathia because I fell completely in love with that world in particular...)
The writing is great - this is one of the best books I've read in a long time! The author skillfully takes readers on an incredible journey that spans so many entertaining genres and the story flows masterfully to its fantastic conclusion.
This book was interesting and original. It is absolutely worth reading! I cannot get the characters out of my head and enjoyed the entire ride.
Despite some instances of punctuation errors, I was able to stay glued to this story. An absolutely great read!
The writing is great - this is one of the best books I've read in a long time! The author skillfully takes readers on an incredible journey that spans so many entertaining genres and the story flows masterfully to its fantastic conclusion.
This book was interesting and original. It is absolutely worth reading! I cannot get the characters out of my head and enjoyed the entire ride.
Despite some instances of punctuation errors, I was able to stay glued to this story. An absolutely great read!
August 3, 2021
Just as twisted a tale as any mixed genre fan could want!
From a detective to elves, wizards, spacemen, romance, etc. Suspend all your disbelfor this one enjoy the ride. Dare I hope for more?
From a detective to elves, wizards, spacemen, romance, etc. Suspend all your disbelfor this one enjoy the ride. Dare I hope for more?
August 3, 2021
Great
Like the head line says great book. I stayed up way to late to finish in one day. Would recommend to anyone who wants a fun and fast pasted book.
Like the head line says great book. I stayed up way to late to finish in one day. Would recommend to anyone who wants a fun and fast pasted book.
June 24, 2021
Thank you to Black Rose Writing and Netgalley for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a roller coaster of a ride that started from page 1. There really isn’t a dull moment in this book between the action and humor among the characters. Because we’re traveling to so many different genres with these characters, there is plenty of different action to keep people interested. I really enjoyed hopping from one genre to another and seeing how the plot of each book played into the plot of the book we’re reading. Our characters are aware of plot structure and roles of different characters such as the protagonist and antagonist, and the many roles of side characters. So, when they go into these different stories, these characters have to determine how their role in their original story (protagonist, side character, etc.) is going to effect the plot of the new story they’re in. This is probably a confusing explanation but just know there are a lot literary references throughout the story, but they are written in spectacularly. But, no matter what genre these characters appear in, they are still their very comical selves and it makes for a hilarious story.
There are two different narratives: the one with our “fictional” characters and the one where the authors are trying to figure out what the heck is going on with their stories. This is another part of the humor aspect of this book that is done very well. Before some of the chapters we see email correspondences or chat messages between some of the authors involved. It’s hilarious seeing some of their reactions to the characters they created developing a mind of their own as well as them trying to fix this thing they’ve been dragged into. It definitely adds another level to the story and I really enjoyed the two different aspects.
I’ve mentioned the different genres our characters visit. Well, with each genre comes a different writing style that Sharp introduces into the story: Joe Slade’s story is told in first-person; “Nexus of Words” is told in third-person and is essentially the meeting hub for all our characters; “Ghost Nebula” is written with a lot of science-y words that seem to make sense in a futuristic setting; and, “The Marchioness’s Temptation” is told with very fluffy descriptions, etc. There is one other genre that is visited much later in the novel that is better left as a surprise, but it was my favorite one and the one that kept me turning the page the most. It definitely speaks to Sharp’s writing abilities to be able to transition smoothly into so many genres and writing styles in the expanse of a couple hundred pages.
The only problem I really had with this book was the lack of depth to the characters. And this may be because of the way the story is written, but I prefer having more depth to the characters because it makes me care about them more. I feel no connection with these characters and I’ll probably forget them pretty quickly even though I’ll remember the great story. I will have to reread Lost on a Page if Sharp comes out with a sequel to it. The story ended with a possibility of a second book and I really hope we get one because overall this was a really fun read.
This was such a roller coaster of a ride that started from page 1. There really isn’t a dull moment in this book between the action and humor among the characters. Because we’re traveling to so many different genres with these characters, there is plenty of different action to keep people interested. I really enjoyed hopping from one genre to another and seeing how the plot of each book played into the plot of the book we’re reading. Our characters are aware of plot structure and roles of different characters such as the protagonist and antagonist, and the many roles of side characters. So, when they go into these different stories, these characters have to determine how their role in their original story (protagonist, side character, etc.) is going to effect the plot of the new story they’re in. This is probably a confusing explanation but just know there are a lot literary references throughout the story, but they are written in spectacularly. But, no matter what genre these characters appear in, they are still their very comical selves and it makes for a hilarious story.
There are two different narratives: the one with our “fictional” characters and the one where the authors are trying to figure out what the heck is going on with their stories. This is another part of the humor aspect of this book that is done very well. Before some of the chapters we see email correspondences or chat messages between some of the authors involved. It’s hilarious seeing some of their reactions to the characters they created developing a mind of their own as well as them trying to fix this thing they’ve been dragged into. It definitely adds another level to the story and I really enjoyed the two different aspects.
I’ve mentioned the different genres our characters visit. Well, with each genre comes a different writing style that Sharp introduces into the story: Joe Slade’s story is told in first-person; “Nexus of Words” is told in third-person and is essentially the meeting hub for all our characters; “Ghost Nebula” is written with a lot of science-y words that seem to make sense in a futuristic setting; and, “The Marchioness’s Temptation” is told with very fluffy descriptions, etc. There is one other genre that is visited much later in the novel that is better left as a surprise, but it was my favorite one and the one that kept me turning the page the most. It definitely speaks to Sharp’s writing abilities to be able to transition smoothly into so many genres and writing styles in the expanse of a couple hundred pages.
The only problem I really had with this book was the lack of depth to the characters. And this may be because of the way the story is written, but I prefer having more depth to the characters because it makes me care about them more. I feel no connection with these characters and I’ll probably forget them pretty quickly even though I’ll remember the great story. I will have to reread Lost on a Page if Sharp comes out with a sequel to it. The story ended with a possibility of a second book and I really hope we get one because overall this was a really fun read.
July 2, 2018
Why no, I'm not going to be nice to David because he works for us.
Lucky for him, the book was great!
This book involves characters that travel across books of different genres. I enjoyed seeing the changes in tone and style this brought in the writing from chapter to chapter, based on the genre of the book they were exploring. It was fun to see every trope and stereotype of various genres being satirized.
The characters are subject to the laws of whatever universe they are in, which leads to some "reinterpretation" of things like magic, but above all, the rules of storytelling apply. This means that main characters must take out villains in an epic fashion, and as the characters become aware of these rules, they try to overcome and exploit them. This was often entertaining, but occasionally made things a little too convenient.
My favorite thing about the book was the humor. Often this was found in the exaggeration of characters and writing style of the various genres, but the most entertaining parts were caused by blending them. A dwarf is quite out of place at the romance-novel ball, a wizard is unaccustomed to sarcasm, and an elf in a sci-fi crew uniform would probably get some Spock jokes from me as well.
Overall, an enjoyable book!
Lucky for him, the book was great!
This book involves characters that travel across books of different genres. I enjoyed seeing the changes in tone and style this brought in the writing from chapter to chapter, based on the genre of the book they were exploring. It was fun to see every trope and stereotype of various genres being satirized.
The characters are subject to the laws of whatever universe they are in, which leads to some "reinterpretation" of things like magic, but above all, the rules of storytelling apply. This means that main characters must take out villains in an epic fashion, and as the characters become aware of these rules, they try to overcome and exploit them. This was often entertaining, but occasionally made things a little too convenient.
My favorite thing about the book was the humor. Often this was found in the exaggeration of characters and writing style of the various genres, but the most entertaining parts were caused by blending them. A dwarf is quite out of place at the romance-novel ball, a wizard is unaccustomed to sarcasm, and an elf in a sci-fi crew uniform would probably get some Spock jokes from me as well.
Overall, an enjoyable book!
March 5, 2021
Why no, I'm not going to be nice to David because I work with him.
Lucky for him, the book was great!
This book involves characters that travel across books of different genres. I enjoyed seeing the changes in tone and style this brought in the writing from chapter to chapter, based on the genre of the book they were exploring. It was fun to see every trope and stereotype of various genres being satirized.
The characters are subject to the laws of whatever universe they are in, which leads to some "reinterpretation" of things like magic, but above all, the rules of storytelling apply. This means that main characters must take out villains in an epic fashion, and as the characters become aware of these rules, they try to overcome and exploit them. This was often entertaining, but occasionally made things a little too convenient.
My favorite thing about the book was the humor. Often this was found in the exaggeration of characters and writing style of the various genres, but the most entertaining parts were caused by blending them. A dwarf is quite out of place at the romance-novel ball, a wizard is unaccustomed to sarcasm, and an elf in a sci-fi crew uniform would probably get some Spock jokes from me as well.
Overall, an enjoyable book!
Lucky for him, the book was great!
This book involves characters that travel across books of different genres. I enjoyed seeing the changes in tone and style this brought in the writing from chapter to chapter, based on the genre of the book they were exploring. It was fun to see every trope and stereotype of various genres being satirized.
The characters are subject to the laws of whatever universe they are in, which leads to some "reinterpretation" of things like magic, but above all, the rules of storytelling apply. This means that main characters must take out villains in an epic fashion, and as the characters become aware of these rules, they try to overcome and exploit them. This was often entertaining, but occasionally made things a little too convenient.
My favorite thing about the book was the humor. Often this was found in the exaggeration of characters and writing style of the various genres, but the most entertaining parts were caused by blending them. A dwarf is quite out of place at the romance-novel ball, a wizard is unaccustomed to sarcasm, and an elf in a sci-fi crew uniform would probably get some Spock jokes from me as well.
Overall, an enjoyable book!
Read
June 24, 2018This story was a unique adventure. I’ve never read a book like it before. The author kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. I laughed as the characters poked fun at their own genre stereotypes. I felt anxiety as they fought for the greater good. I hope to read many more books from this author and, hopefully, more in this series. I highly recommend you read Lost On A Page by David E. Sharp!
October 8, 2019
As someone who enjoys a trip down the strange path, this book hit so many resounding notes. It pulled together a story that teased, humorously and lovingly, tropes in characters, plots and genres. If you like breaking the fourth wall, or simply want a step out of the ordinary book, this book comes highly recommended.
June 12, 2022
Awesome! The 'literary characters that subvert literary tropes and crossover between genres' subgenre is such a specialized area, the only comparable authors I can think of for this type of book are Jasper Fforde with the Thursday Next Series and Genevieve Cogman with the Invisible Library series. This book is smart funny, and unputdownable. Highly recommended.
September 4, 2021
The blurb was compelling, and the story didn't disappoint. Whilst on the whole the authors themselves were pretty bland, the genre-twisting nature of things was interestingly-done and the appropriation of tropes was fun to read.
September 12, 2022
What do you get when characters in a book mutiny and take others down with them? A good time!
Characters from a Fantasy novel discover that they’re not real and decide to bust out of non-reality and go to reality. Along the way, they swing by Suspense and pick up a noir detective. Then they tromp through Historical Romance as a way to throw off their pursuers. On to SciFi to engage aliens and a spaceship crew. Plus, a jaunt through a modern day city in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. All while picking up more characters and adding to their band of escapees/reality seekers.
Meanwhile one author is in an insane asylum, another is dealing with an editor who isn’t buying his nonsensical story, another is threatening a lawsuit, and the other is along for the ride while they try to wrest control back from their unruly creations.
This is good stuff.
Kindle
5
Characters from a Fantasy novel discover that they’re not real and decide to bust out of non-reality and go to reality. Along the way, they swing by Suspense and pick up a noir detective. Then they tromp through Historical Romance as a way to throw off their pursuers. On to SciFi to engage aliens and a spaceship crew. Plus, a jaunt through a modern day city in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. All while picking up more characters and adding to their band of escapees/reality seekers.
Meanwhile one author is in an insane asylum, another is dealing with an editor who isn’t buying his nonsensical story, another is threatening a lawsuit, and the other is along for the ride while they try to wrest control back from their unruly creations.
This is good stuff.
Kindle
5
March 4, 2024
I am stunned at how much I enjoyed this book.
This book was unlike anything I've ever read. It was so witty and clever - a weird fourth-wall-breaking type of story, with characters talking about their authors and books and traveling between stories and on-the-page conversations between authors... it was just a neat way to put a story together. There aren't a lot of truly "unique" stories out there anymore, and somehow this book took that concept (and all the tropes that go along with those stories) and combined it into a story on its own.
There are a few bits that got a little confusing and I struggled to push through at times, but I think that was solely because I have been sick and had eye issues the past two weeks that made reading physically difficult. When I first started this book, I tore through a significant chunk of it in one go and looked forward to continuing, but then an illness got in the way. I'm still giving this book 5 stars because I think under normal circumstances I would have been compelled to finish it in two sittings.
This book was unlike anything I've ever read. It was so witty and clever - a weird fourth-wall-breaking type of story, with characters talking about their authors and books and traveling between stories and on-the-page conversations between authors... it was just a neat way to put a story together. There aren't a lot of truly "unique" stories out there anymore, and somehow this book took that concept (and all the tropes that go along with those stories) and combined it into a story on its own.
There are a few bits that got a little confusing and I struggled to push through at times, but I think that was solely because I have been sick and had eye issues the past two weeks that made reading physically difficult. When I first started this book, I tore through a significant chunk of it in one go and looked forward to continuing, but then an illness got in the way. I'm still giving this book 5 stars because I think under normal circumstances I would have been compelled to finish it in two sittings.
July 16, 2018
Such a fine specimen this book is- adventure, love thwarted, and a plethora of heroism from all literary angles tossed in surrounding thoroughly engaging story. With the turning of each page, the multifaceted themes and literary plot devices/scenarios each unfold into a brilliantly told tale and an engaging story that kept me on my toes gripped for the entire ride!
August 1, 2021
Engrossing
This book requires a total suspension of disbelief but once you achieve that ,it's quite a bit of fun. Lots of action with endearing characters who make snarky references to cliches employed in popular fiction while evolving a sense of self determination. Will search out more by this author.
This book requires a total suspension of disbelief but once you achieve that ,it's quite a bit of fun. Lots of action with endearing characters who make snarky references to cliches employed in popular fiction while evolving a sense of self determination. Will search out more by this author.
August 3, 2021
It is 0335 and I just finished “Lost on a Page” while waiting for the power to be restored.
I really appreciate David E Sharp giving us a funny, exciting and imaginative story. And, he did it without sex, gratuitous violence, insane amounts of cursing and most importantly without using the Lord’s name in vain.
I have already shared the Amazon link on Twitter and Facebook recommending the book. Will do more when the power returns and I get more sleep.
Hypothetically, I can’t wait for the sequel. Thank you, David, for a wonderful time!
I really appreciate David E Sharp giving us a funny, exciting and imaginative story. And, he did it without sex, gratuitous violence, insane amounts of cursing and most importantly without using the Lord’s name in vain.
I have already shared the Amazon link on Twitter and Facebook recommending the book. Will do more when the power returns and I get more sleep.
Hypothetically, I can’t wait for the sequel. Thank you, David, for a wonderful time!
August 29, 2021
Not too bad. Readable, but nothing to get excited about.
October 3, 2023
Uneak
I had so much fun, his book takes a whole new path! It's like getting multiple stories in one book. What an imagination!
I had so much fun, his book takes a whole new path! It's like getting multiple stories in one book. What an imagination!
December 17, 2023
Amazing!
This book has everything you could want - swords and sorcery, noir detectives, space opera and let’s not forget zombies! It is a wonderful romp you have to read to believe. Can’t wait to read book 2!
This book has everything you could want - swords and sorcery, noir detectives, space opera and let’s not forget zombies! It is a wonderful romp you have to read to believe. Can’t wait to read book 2!
February 16, 2025
I kid you not, I had an idea to write a book with this premise a couple of weeks ago. Of course, I’m no longer writing this book, because Sharp nailed it. “Lost on a Page” is a joy. I’ll say it gets a little repetitive, but each page is a ton of fun.
September 18, 2023
5 stars
I loved it. What a wonderful surprise. Funny and very intriguing. Well worth reading. This is only the third review I actually commented on in the hundreds of books I have read.
I loved it. What a wonderful surprise. Funny and very intriguing. Well worth reading. This is only the third review I actually commented on in the hundreds of books I have read.
September 8, 2022
Such a smooth and seamless mash-up of so many great genres - got to assume Sharp's got dissociative personality disorder to be able to write so fluently in so many different voices and contexts. Great work!
February 12, 2024
Hilarious!
I love the whole concept of this book! Characters become self-aware and run the narrative... imagine the possibilities!
The story lines, multiple genres, jumping from here to there, were hysterical. Fabulous.
The correspondence between the authors just added to every aspect.
Can't wait for the next one!
I love the whole concept of this book! Characters become self-aware and run the narrative... imagine the possibilities!
The story lines, multiple genres, jumping from here to there, were hysterical. Fabulous.
The correspondence between the authors just added to every aspect.
Can't wait for the next one!
May 13, 2022
Clever humor, engaging plot, ode to books/readers -- what's not to love? I read a preview before it was released. Enthusiastic thumbs up!
June 18, 2021
Rating: Not for Me/Alright
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for the eARC of Lost on a Page in return for my honest opinions.
This book was a bit of a gamble. The premise is one that I think is really cool, but the execution just fell a bit flat for me. Essentially, the book follows a group of fantasy characters whose author created in his current WIP a library that has every book ever written or being written. This includes their own books. Realizing that they are actually fictional characters gives these characters self-realization and allows them freedom of decisions unencumbered by their author's wishes. Their desire is to escape from the world of books and to confront their author for everything that he has put them through. They enlist the help of a mystery detective and then set about collecting things that they need to escape the world of books from other books that are currently being written, causing chaos amongst the authors whose books and characters they hijack.
I thought that this premise was fantastic. It's a lot of fun; however, it is one that I think would take a lot to not come off as slightly cheesy. Something that I did really enjoy was that we get the correspondence of authors with each other and their editors as they are trying to figure out what is going on as their stories keep changing. Then they are teaming up against their characters and sometimes with their characters to make certain events come about. So those interludes were pretty fun.
I also think that these interludes allowed for some addressing of larger themes of what does it mean to be alive/human and what the value of life is. I would have liked for these ideas and conversations between the authors to be fleshed out more fully, but I do appreciate that they were touched on. It made it feel like there was a larger meaning to the story than just something fun and silly.
Honestly, I think that this story and concept would make a really interesting TV show. We don't really spend much time (if any) in the fantasy novel, but we have a bunch of fantasy characters, and we go through mystery, romance, sci-fi, and apocalyptic/horror genres. I think that if this were being done via film or television, it would have made for much more enjoyable interludes in each genre. Unfortunately, for me, the way that is written just came across as parodies of each genre. It felt very cheesy and almost like it was supposed to be a joke; however, there was no bigger punchline or reason for it to be a parody, which just made it awkward and hard to read for me personally.
The characters were very flat and two-dimensional. They were all very cliched archetypes of their genres, and they didn't have much personality that allowed me to connect to them. I also had a difficult time with the way the romance genre and heroine was portrayed. The authors of the fantasy, mystery, and sci-fi genres are all men and they all end up working together. The horror author never responds to their attempts to contact him, but he is a man. Then the romance author is portrayed as very aloof and snotty and does not join them or attempt to help them in any way. She is also the only female author. It's very small, but it did bother me. It didn't help that there were female protagonists and supporting characters in the stories within this book bc they were so flat.
Overall, this book was a miss for me, but the concept is still one that I am intrigued by and would 100% watch if it were turned into film/television. I think that if people were looking for something that is purely a silly nod to a bunch of different genre archetypes and tropes, this may be something that they would enjoy. I think it could especially appeal to a younger audience.
Lost on a Page releases July 1, 2021.
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for the eARC of Lost on a Page in return for my honest opinions.
This book was a bit of a gamble. The premise is one that I think is really cool, but the execution just fell a bit flat for me. Essentially, the book follows a group of fantasy characters whose author created in his current WIP a library that has every book ever written or being written. This includes their own books. Realizing that they are actually fictional characters gives these characters self-realization and allows them freedom of decisions unencumbered by their author's wishes. Their desire is to escape from the world of books and to confront their author for everything that he has put them through. They enlist the help of a mystery detective and then set about collecting things that they need to escape the world of books from other books that are currently being written, causing chaos amongst the authors whose books and characters they hijack.
I thought that this premise was fantastic. It's a lot of fun; however, it is one that I think would take a lot to not come off as slightly cheesy. Something that I did really enjoy was that we get the correspondence of authors with each other and their editors as they are trying to figure out what is going on as their stories keep changing. Then they are teaming up against their characters and sometimes with their characters to make certain events come about. So those interludes were pretty fun.
I also think that these interludes allowed for some addressing of larger themes of what does it mean to be alive/human and what the value of life is. I would have liked for these ideas and conversations between the authors to be fleshed out more fully, but I do appreciate that they were touched on. It made it feel like there was a larger meaning to the story than just something fun and silly.
Honestly, I think that this story and concept would make a really interesting TV show. We don't really spend much time (if any) in the fantasy novel, but we have a bunch of fantasy characters, and we go through mystery, romance, sci-fi, and apocalyptic/horror genres. I think that if this were being done via film or television, it would have made for much more enjoyable interludes in each genre. Unfortunately, for me, the way that is written just came across as parodies of each genre. It felt very cheesy and almost like it was supposed to be a joke; however, there was no bigger punchline or reason for it to be a parody, which just made it awkward and hard to read for me personally.
The characters were very flat and two-dimensional. They were all very cliched archetypes of their genres, and they didn't have much personality that allowed me to connect to them. I also had a difficult time with the way the romance genre and heroine was portrayed. The authors of the fantasy, mystery, and sci-fi genres are all men and they all end up working together. The horror author never responds to their attempts to contact him, but he is a man. Then the romance author is portrayed as very aloof and snotty and does not join them or attempt to help them in any way. She is also the only female author. It's very small, but it did bother me. It didn't help that there were female protagonists and supporting characters in the stories within this book bc they were so flat.
Overall, this book was a miss for me, but the concept is still one that I am intrigued by and would 100% watch if it were turned into film/television. I think that if people were looking for something that is purely a silly nod to a bunch of different genre archetypes and tropes, this may be something that they would enjoy. I think it could especially appeal to a younger audience.
Lost on a Page releases July 1, 2021.
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