What do you think?
Rate this book
The Last War Saga #1
The Girl With Red Hair
She was just a lost girl when they found her.
The circumstances are odd, that much is true. But she's just a child. She needs protecting. She needs guardians.
Before long, strange magic manifests from the small girl, equally awe inspiring as it is terrifying.
Does she control the fire and light?
Or do they control her?
Shadows are rising from Alfuria, the very world beneath their feet. Sometimes they call, wishing for an unending embrace.
Dragons have risen as well, from myth and legend, stalking land and sky. The roar of such beasts shakes even the most resolute warrior.
Shadows, gods, dragons, and the girl with red hair. What is real and what is merely illusion?
Adelaide is undoubtedly important.
That may be the only certainty.
The circumstances are odd, that much is true. But she's just a child. She needs protecting. She needs guardians.
Before long, strange magic manifests from the small girl, equally awe inspiring as it is terrifying.
Does she control the fire and light?
Or do they control her?
Shadows are rising from Alfuria, the very world beneath their feet. Sometimes they call, wishing for an unending embrace.
Dragons have risen as well, from myth and legend, stalking land and sky. The roar of such beasts shakes even the most resolute warrior.
Shadows, gods, dragons, and the girl with red hair. What is real and what is merely illusion?
Adelaide is undoubtedly important.
That may be the only certainty.
- GenresFantasy
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2016
6 people are currently reading
421 people want to read
About the author
Michael J. Sanford
8 books58 followersMichael has always been a prisoner to his imagination. His childhood was spent running through the forest, pretending to be a gallant warrior saving the countryside from certain destruction. Or he was a ferocious beast terrorizing the very same countryside. There is always a story spinning through his mind. As an adult, writing has become the only way to keep his head from exploding.
He lives in upstate New York with his loving wife and two cats. If he's not writing, he's likely reading, weightlifting, or forcing his players into difficult situations from behind his Dungeon Master's screen. He is a storyteller first and a writer second.
Michael also produces The Introverted Indie Author Podcast where he and guests discuss the world of writing and delve into things wholly unrelated.
http://www.mjsauthor.com/podcast
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/i...
He lives in upstate New York with his loving wife and two cats. If he's not writing, he's likely reading, weightlifting, or forcing his players into difficult situations from behind his Dungeon Master's screen. He is a storyteller first and a writer second.
Michael also produces The Introverted Indie Author Podcast where he and guests discuss the world of writing and delve into things wholly unrelated.
http://www.mjsauthor.com/podcast
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/i...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 31, 2016
'The Girl With Red Hair' is a well-made adventure story.
It's only major weakness seems to be a redundant prologe that delays the start of the plot. However, once that is out of the way the action starts quickly and proceeds at a fast pace. At times, the prose can be a little too flowery, though that is a matter of personal taste. There are no lengthy blocks of exposition breaking the flow which always refreshing.
The story appears to be heavily influenced by P&P roleplaying games, such as Dungeons and Dragons, as a party of heroes and their quest feature prominently in the plot. Depending on your personal tastes this may be a flaw of the book as it may strike you as a tired cliche. It takes a while for some of the party members to show personality traits beyond their function in the party (e.g. 'the healer') but since they are few in number that doesn't become a major obstacle.
If you enjoy Fantasy in the style of a roleplaying campaign and a focus on a party of heroes you should have a good time with 'The Girl With Red Hair'.
This review is a first impression based on the first hour of reading. For other first impressions of indie and self-published Fantasy check out: http://firsthourfantasy.blogspot.de/
It's only major weakness seems to be a redundant prologe that delays the start of the plot. However, once that is out of the way the action starts quickly and proceeds at a fast pace. At times, the prose can be a little too flowery, though that is a matter of personal taste. There are no lengthy blocks of exposition breaking the flow which always refreshing.
The story appears to be heavily influenced by P&P roleplaying games, such as Dungeons and Dragons, as a party of heroes and their quest feature prominently in the plot. Depending on your personal tastes this may be a flaw of the book as it may strike you as a tired cliche. It takes a while for some of the party members to show personality traits beyond their function in the party (e.g. 'the healer') but since they are few in number that doesn't become a major obstacle.
If you enjoy Fantasy in the style of a roleplaying campaign and a focus on a party of heroes you should have a good time with 'The Girl With Red Hair'.
This review is a first impression based on the first hour of reading. For other first impressions of indie and self-published Fantasy check out: http://firsthourfantasy.blogspot.de/
Read
July 25, 2016Bit to 'tweens for me - although a well written novel.
January 29, 2018
What's not to like? A fairy tale for grown ups! I love a strong, wicked woman, even when they're a tad cannibalistic! The relationships between the individual characters are all wonderful and appropriately dysfunctional! But any story where there are elves and dragons, giants and gods is worth listening to. Mr Sanford manages to successfully transport us from the 21st century into a mythical time with mythical and mysterious beings with unique and unusual beliefs and it's all done so elegantly and eloquently; makes me reluctant to come back to reality!
May 25, 2016
Powerfully Imagined
Michael J. Sanford is a talented writer and has created a beautifully written dark tale. For those of you that enjoy an epic journey, involving colourful enigmatic characters and battles through enchanted lands, then this book is for you.
The writing is almost poetic in places and breathes life into the unstable worlds that the characters find themselves in.
This is my kind of book and I did not want to put it down. I am looking forward to reading the next saga as there are many questions that need to be answered.
Congratulations Michael, this book comes highly recommended and I have given you five stars.
Michael J. Sanford is a talented writer and has created a beautifully written dark tale. For those of you that enjoy an epic journey, involving colourful enigmatic characters and battles through enchanted lands, then this book is for you.
The writing is almost poetic in places and breathes life into the unstable worlds that the characters find themselves in.
This is my kind of book and I did not want to put it down. I am looking forward to reading the next saga as there are many questions that need to be answered.
Congratulations Michael, this book comes highly recommended and I have given you five stars.
May 20, 2016
I couldn't review this book without talking about the characters. They are not without dark backgrounds, emotional traumas and varying degrees of insanity, but I love them all the same. For someone with an ever expanding family, most of whom I'm not related too, I found it easy to relate to this unusual family unit. I suspect this is why I had such an easy time reading this book because I genuinely cared what happened to the protagonists. If you are interested in epic fantasy, wondrous settings, and endearing characters then this would be an excellent book for you. Cannot wait to read the next book.
March 25, 2018
I received a free copy of this book from the author in hopes of a honest review and this review is entirely voluntary.
I'm straddling the fence on this one. The Girl With Red Hair has a lot of potential for the future of the series, but the author needs to flesh out everything in his world. The characters are flat and cliche for a fantasy novel, with the only exception being Tannyl, who's more an anti-hero with an extremely dark past. He gives us a new world, but leaves much needed detail out as we move through it. His frequent battles and crises keep the story moving, but the potential heroism is usually overwhelmed by magic, making the actions of his characters almost irrelevant.
I'm straddling the fence on this one. The Girl With Red Hair has a lot of potential for the future of the series, but the author needs to flesh out everything in his world. The characters are flat and cliche for a fantasy novel, with the only exception being Tannyl, who's more an anti-hero with an extremely dark past. He gives us a new world, but leaves much needed detail out as we move through it. His frequent battles and crises keep the story moving, but the potential heroism is usually overwhelmed by magic, making the actions of his characters almost irrelevant.
Read
March 29, 2018It took me about 8 chapters to really get into the story and understand all the characters. I am not gonna lie, I was starting to think it was going to be an unfinished for me. But then it all leveled out and I absolutely LOVED THIS STORY! There is so much action packed fun you won't want to put the book down for a second.
If you enjoy a good dark fantasy then you are definitely in the right place. Each character has and shows its dark side. I am looking forward to the next in the series! I love the girl on the cover! Outstanding!!
I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review.
If you enjoy a good dark fantasy then you are definitely in the right place. Each character has and shows its dark side. I am looking forward to the next in the series! I love the girl on the cover! Outstanding!!
I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review.
March 29, 2018
This was a fascinating read. I enjoyed as well how the characters met, it was unique. It's such a true sentiment that we can know people and yet never truly know them. The characters were fully fleshed out as was the world. It is in its truest form fantasy fiction. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was on occasion the POV switched so rapidly I would loose whose it was on occasion.
I did receive a free copy of this book for a fair and honest review.
I did receive a free copy of this book for a fair and honest review.
October 20, 2016
One of the things I love about the fantasy genre is that there's really no specific mold that needs to be followed, that anything is really possible. Anything the author can imagine can happen. Sometimes that goes horribly awry, and sometimes, as is the case with The Girl With Red Hair, it turns into something really great. This is a excellently imagined novel that I enjoyed immensely. The story was intriguing and engaging. The characters were distinct and enjoyable (if only there was a dragon tamer). A great fantasy read for anyone who is a fan of the genre.
February 28, 2018
This is a wonderful book! I loved all the unique characters!! I can't wait to find out what happens next.
it was a little complicated to get my bearings with the characters at first. But once I did, I couldn't put it down.
I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book!!
I was given a free copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
it was a little complicated to get my bearings with the characters at first. But once I did, I couldn't put it down.
I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book!!
I was given a free copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 1, 2018
The story started slow for me but I am glad I stuck with it. I enjoyed the characters and the world building. Lots of unanswered questions but I am intrigued enough to want to read the next book
June 3, 2016
Too Much Magic, Too Little Information
There is a tendency among young writers to become overwhelmed by the power of their art and to overuse that power without regard to the feelings of their readers. As writers we must realize that we have the ultimate control. We know everything in the book. The readers know only what we give them. One of the skills of the experienced author is to give the reader just enough information. Too much, and we bore them. Too little, and we confuse them. This book, with its vast and complicated mythology and its huge variety of magical powers, often errs on the side of thrift. Too many times I read a page and realize that I have absolutely no idea what just happened, or why it is important. Also, it reduces the conflict when any actions by the characters are made meaningless by the power of the magic arrayed with them and against them. The tension about whether the character will succeed or not in his endeavours is reduced if anything the character accomplishes can be wiped out by the sweep of a magical hand.
The Girl with Red Hair is Adelaide, an 8-year-old who appears out of nowhere to the other characters and immediately coerces them to accompany her on a risky quest across the continent and through the land of Fey. The main character, Tannyl, an elf with serious problems of his own, is torn between helping her and dealing with his past.
The story develops in an episodic series of crises and battles, in which the only progress often seems to be the gathering of wounds and scars by the heroes. There is plenty of action but their actual progress towards their main objective is slow, although all the characters develop throughout. However, this is not a standalone novel. It is the first episode in a to-be-continued serial, so we finish the book knowing little more than we started with.
The style of the writing also serves to keep us in the dark. Pronouns without antecedents confound us. At one point “he” and “him” are used 9 times in 4 sentences, referring to three different people, and it’s very difficult to tell which one is which. Seemingly random point of view changes throw us off the track as well. The story thrives on strong emotion, but sometimes the feelings occur out of the blue, not really connecting to or furthering the story line.
A lot of creativity, strong characterization and emotion obscured by poor exposition and weak editing. Recommended for High Fantasy fans who don’t mind feeling confused at times by the scope of the story.
There is a tendency among young writers to become overwhelmed by the power of their art and to overuse that power without regard to the feelings of their readers. As writers we must realize that we have the ultimate control. We know everything in the book. The readers know only what we give them. One of the skills of the experienced author is to give the reader just enough information. Too much, and we bore them. Too little, and we confuse them. This book, with its vast and complicated mythology and its huge variety of magical powers, often errs on the side of thrift. Too many times I read a page and realize that I have absolutely no idea what just happened, or why it is important. Also, it reduces the conflict when any actions by the characters are made meaningless by the power of the magic arrayed with them and against them. The tension about whether the character will succeed or not in his endeavours is reduced if anything the character accomplishes can be wiped out by the sweep of a magical hand.
The Girl with Red Hair is Adelaide, an 8-year-old who appears out of nowhere to the other characters and immediately coerces them to accompany her on a risky quest across the continent and through the land of Fey. The main character, Tannyl, an elf with serious problems of his own, is torn between helping her and dealing with his past.
The story develops in an episodic series of crises and battles, in which the only progress often seems to be the gathering of wounds and scars by the heroes. There is plenty of action but their actual progress towards their main objective is slow, although all the characters develop throughout. However, this is not a standalone novel. It is the first episode in a to-be-continued serial, so we finish the book knowing little more than we started with.
The style of the writing also serves to keep us in the dark. Pronouns without antecedents confound us. At one point “he” and “him” are used 9 times in 4 sentences, referring to three different people, and it’s very difficult to tell which one is which. Seemingly random point of view changes throw us off the track as well. The story thrives on strong emotion, but sometimes the feelings occur out of the blue, not really connecting to or furthering the story line.
A lot of creativity, strong characterization and emotion obscured by poor exposition and weak editing. Recommended for High Fantasy fans who don’t mind feeling confused at times by the scope of the story.
June 27, 2016
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/book-tou...
The Girl With Red Hair is a refreshing high fantasy novel, reminiscent of roleplaying games (for some reason), as the group of main characters seems like a group of misfits at first, and don’t really fit well together, a rather haphazard group. But as the story continues, it becomes easier to relate to them, and they start to function somewhat as a family as they battle evil, their enemies, and sometimes amongst themselves.
The heroes go on a quest, in typical fantasy fashion, and travel through wondrous continents and settings, fighting enemies, and revealing more about themselves. The characters were interesting, and as a roleplaying-fan, I could easily recognize the classes often used in roleplaying, and their standard, stereotypical behavior. Yet, the author does a good job of gradually moving beyond the stereotypes and showing real people.
The writing was lyrical and descriptive, and I quite enjoyed the writing style. If you enjoy roleplaying, fantasy games and movies, then I definitely suggest taking a look at this book.
The Girl With Red Hair is a refreshing high fantasy novel, reminiscent of roleplaying games (for some reason), as the group of main characters seems like a group of misfits at first, and don’t really fit well together, a rather haphazard group. But as the story continues, it becomes easier to relate to them, and they start to function somewhat as a family as they battle evil, their enemies, and sometimes amongst themselves.
The heroes go on a quest, in typical fantasy fashion, and travel through wondrous continents and settings, fighting enemies, and revealing more about themselves. The characters were interesting, and as a roleplaying-fan, I could easily recognize the classes often used in roleplaying, and their standard, stereotypical behavior. Yet, the author does a good job of gradually moving beyond the stereotypes and showing real people.
The writing was lyrical and descriptive, and I quite enjoyed the writing style. If you enjoy roleplaying, fantasy games and movies, then I definitely suggest taking a look at this book.
May 17, 2016
I liked the blurb of the story, however the writing, the pace of the story, and the whole plot fell short. The start of the book was confusing with so much violence without ever giving a clear reason for it, so I never really got invested into the story which made it very hard to even finish the book. This review was originally posted on Books In Brogan
February 1, 2017
Is it wrong that the antagonist was my favorite character? The scenes where she used her sexuality to manipulate and control situations were pretty uncomfortable, but I drew some parallels that apply in the real world. Most people are intimidated by sexually empowered women. My reactions to this character have inspired me to rethink some of my reactions to women who have made me uncomfortable in the past. Women who unapologetically go after what they want in a world where women are expected to be small, cute, innocent, placid, and malleable.
She wasn't my favorite because she thrived on killing. She was my favorite because she made me uncomfortable and she made me think.
She wasn't my favorite because she thrived on killing. She was my favorite because she made me uncomfortable and she made me think.
June 1, 2018
I'm not a fan of roleplay games and I don't not the first thing about Dungeons & Dragons of which this book is based. Had I known this was the direction this novel was headed, I wouldn't have agreed to read it. Unfortunately, I simply couldn't follow the convoluted plot and was lost more often than not.
That being said, this is a well-crafted novel (just not my thing). About halfway through things started making sense (to me) but at that point, I was simply too far gone to regain lost ground. I finished the book but won't be continuing the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
That being said, this is a well-crafted novel (just not my thing). About halfway through things started making sense (to me) but at that point, I was simply too far gone to regain lost ground. I finished the book but won't be continuing the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews