David Staniforth: Alloria 1 & 2 on countdown deal, only 99p/99c

[David]

Hi, just a quick post to let members of this great group know about the three books I have published as e-books through Amazon and Smashwords.



All three books have been well recieved and highly rated with some cracking reviews from goodreads' members. Please take a moment to check them out and see if they sound like your kind of read.

Any comments or questions would be greatly appreciated too.

Cheers

David :D

[David]

A great review for Alloria from goodreads' member, Branwen:


May 10, 2013 Branwen rated it 5 of 5 stars
Shelves: fantasy-science-fiction, young-adult

"Anything worth having takes time and effort."

"While ever there's a glimmer of hope, you should never give up."


On the night of Alloria's tenth birthday she discovers that there are many things she had not known, about herself and the world around her. (1) The people she has lived with all these years are not actually her parents, they found her in the cellar of their cottage, her only possession a rag doll. (2) The amulet that her 'parents' have given her opens up the secret and mystical labyrin...more "Anything worth having takes time and effort."

"While ever there's a glimmer of hope, you should never give up."


On the night of Alloria's tenth birthday she discovers that there are many things she had not known, about herself and the world around her. (1) The people she has lived with all these years are not actually her parents, they found her in the cellar of their cottage, her only possession a rag doll. (2) The amulet that her 'parents' have given her opens up the secret and mystical labyrinth in their cellar, which she and her best friend Nat waste no time venturing into. (3) She has a grand and amazing destiny awaiting her, if she has the courage to believe in herself and those she loves. Although all these facts are unknown to her before this night, she will need to come to grips with this newfound knowledge and find the strength that lies in the heart of herself, if she wants to survive.

*sighs happily* What can I say about this book? Well, basically, it was simply incredible. It takes two genres that I love (fantasy and young adult) and melds them together in a beautiful way that was not only thrilling to read but just plain downright fun!

There were honestly so many things I enjoyed about this book that I hardly know where to begin. First of all, the characters are three dimensional and very well fleshed out. They have slight issues and flaws, but they are so lovable and empathetic that you find yourself rooting for them the whole way through. Speaking of characters, have I mentioned how much I love Bane? No? Well, he is AMAZING! So stong and sweet! You'll see what I mean when you read it for yourself! ;)

Also, I love the storyline and the way that it flowed very smoothly. The characters went from one scenario to the next in a way that made me feel I was right there, experiencing it with them! Oftentimes in fantasy stories you may find the same tired tropes used over and over. Not here folks! Prepare yourself for a fun, fresh, truly unique story.

I think however the aspect of this book that I enjoyed the most was the use of description. There was a lot of it, but not too much that it bogged the story down. But it was so lush and descriptive I really felt like I was seeing what they were seeing, tasting what they were tasting, hearing what they were hearing; and a few times I actually stopped after reading a particularly beautiful section and went back and read it over just to take it in more thoroughly.

This book is a rare treasure and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy stories!

This review can also be found on my blog:
http://ayanami023.wordpress.com

[David]

A nice review for from a goodreads' member:

Jess Mountifield rated it 5 of 5 stars
Shelves: review-requests
I was given a copy of this book in return for a review.

This is one very awesome story. I loved how description and world details were fed through piece at a time and how it kept the pace nice and high. Very occasionally I wanted more info, especially on the appearances of the characters but that was rare.

The ideas were fantastic and the characters were very believable, with little things hinting at stuff and plenty to keep me turning the pages. If you like fantasy you're going to like this book....more I was given a copy of this book in return for a review.

This is one very awesome story. I loved how description and world details were fed through piece at a time and how it kept the pace nice and high. Very occasionally I wanted more info, especially on the appearances of the characters but that was rare.

The ideas were fantastic and the characters were very believable, with little things hinting at stuff and plenty to keep me turning the pages. If you like fantasy you're going to like this book.

In the whole book the only thing I didn't like was where it ended. I can appreciate that the author was trying to keep the book from getting too long but I think a little bit more could be done to make it feel like the first stage of the story was complete. I felt that at least the first few pages of Chapter 1 of the next book would have been better off at the end of this one and Mayne one more chapter from Darven's father's pov would have helped it to be less of a cut off. If you don't like cliff hangers or unfinished stories then you are definitely going to want to wait for the rest of the books before reading this.

[David]

Alloria continues to receive 5* reviews:

Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars

I come to the end of another Staniforth novel and find myself once more hopelessly in love with the characters and hoping for more.
Alloria is a beautifully rich novel that follows the title character, a young girl, and her friend and guardian, Nathan as they are unexpectedly thrown into another world – a world of magic and monsters and dark powers – and forced to undergo a perilous journey to return to the parents she loves, who are in mortal danger back home. They are aided by Bane, a character who could easily become a contender for my favourite fictional warrior.
This could so easily have been just that, a standard swords and sorcery book and been a good book for it. Instead Staniforth weaves in a much deeper emotional level to the story, as Alloria grapples with who she is and where she belongs. I also like the richness of the setting in this book. People from different districts had distinct dialects and customs and, despite being set in a world where magic is possible, it all felt very believable. For example at one point, a few weeks after having her long hair cut short Alloria puts a necklace on and automatically goes to sweep her hair back, before realising she doesn’t need to, and it brings her a moment of sadness. The small details like this one – knowing that a young girl would be sad about the loss of her long hair, the changing of dialects and accents and landscapes, that make this stand out from other fantasy novels I have read. Even during a Gutterwraith attack, or while battling dark powers it feels very real.
The relationship between the two children is beautifully written, as is the development of trust between the children and Bane. Even the “walk-on parts” were well-rounded, full characters, easy to fall in love with. I hope I’ll soon meet lots of them again. I think this may be the first in a series – there are one or two story arcs that I feel could be further explored, and the ending would suggest more to come (fingers crossed), but it stands nicely on its own and is well worth a read.

[David]

I'm delighted to announce that has just been awarded the indiePENdents seal of approval: http://indiependents.org/indie-seal-b...

[David]

Alloria has been out for almost a year now, selling on average 3 books per month. A slow grower then, but one that seems top be enjoyed by those that do read it, generating a 4.87 average review score. Why not check it out?

Go on, read the sample on Amazon. What have you got to lose :D

[David]

You'll have to wait a little while longer for book two, but if you've not read book one, that leaves time to catch up with the magic.

Worldwide link: http://authl.it/180

Still not ready to commit? Check out what your fellow Goodreaders think of the book: Alloria

[David]

To mark the release of Eye of Dominion,
Alloria is on offer at only 99p/99c from 7th - 13th Aug.



http://smarturl.it/Alloria

http://smarturl.it/Eye-of-Dominion

[David]

To mark the release of I am also giving away a signed paper back of

Enter Giveaway

[David]

Not one, but two books on a countdown deal.
If you ever wanted to try my fantasy titles, now may be a good time.



Due to Amazon restrictions, the reduced price is only effective in the UK & US, but here are the world wide links anyway:

http://smarturl.it/Alloria

http://smarturl.it/Eye-of-Dominion


On her tenth Birthday Alloria discovers her true identity is a mystery.

Her adoptive parents return to her an amulet they took from her after finding her in their cellar,
bare-footed and clutching a rag doll.

Exploring the cellar and discovering that the amulet opens a mysterious labyrinth,
Alloria embarks on a quest in search of answers, a quest that flings
her into an adventure brimming with danger, pain, love, magic, and brutal honesty.


Alloria returns to the planet of her birth, triggering dark forces that begin to influence her brother, Yrion. His fears nettled, Yrion is driven onto a path for dominion that involves those beyond the realm of the living and a pursuit across the far reaches of the universe in a fight for survival.