Bob Cravener

Official Review: Chronicles of Silvercrest by Bob Cravener
Post Number:#1 by Trilna » 18 Sep 2012, 17:26

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Chronicles of Silvercrest" by Bob Cravener.]

Chronicles of Silvercrest sets you amidst a world of much familiarity nowadays. A mystical land filled with elves, dwarfs, magic, and sword fights. One can immediately tell what the author had intended you to feel, and as thus does a fair job of realizing it. There are many gruesomely vivid scenes throughout this tale that if one's imagination is too big; could very well leave your stomach wrenching.

The story follows a great many characters with no individual set as the "star". The anonymity of one such character known as, "The Traveler", allows the reader to place themselves into the story as it builds. I feel as though this was the author's intention; given the story reads almost as a role play in Dungeons & Dragons would in my younger days. In the small town of Weeping Pines, everything remained peaceful. That is until, a stranger to the village arrives one day telling tales of the undead King Dench retaking his castle.

While the author does seem to specialize in gritty and often gruesome details. I feel one of the points which subtracts from this book is the prattling on and on he sometimes finds himself in. Whether its a characters current thoughts, lost memories, or even just idle conversation. There are points in which the author seem to be forcing himself to try to pull you in, which for me had the opposite affect. Many times as this unneeded dialogue went on I found myself longing to hear of the other characters not involved in the current chapter. Another problem I had with the story, was while there are quite a few main characters; many of the characters' stories are developed to a different degree. Some to the point of not being developed at all with no idea of their past or present.

Do not get me wrong, there are many upsides to the book as well. The plot although "standard" of a group of people banding together to face an ancient evil. Is extraordinarily executed, with constant minor change here and there that makes you stop and think back to past chapters to understand the deep connections. Though at times the direction the story leads is fairly obvious, most time you do not know what to expect.

From vivid images of rape and torture to the blooming first love of a man on a mission. Chronicles of Silvercrest takes you on the start of a wondrous journey from the Jar Mountains all the way to Weeping Pines Village. With just the right mix of elves, zombies, and dragons; one will be enthralled in this story. What awaits The Traveler, and the other would be "heroes" on this quest is yet to be determined, but at the very least it is sure to pull you in. Overall I'd give this book 2 stars out of 4. I'd have said 3, but with a few misplaced words and spelling errors there were times it just ruined the atmosphere. Though I'd still recommend this book for any fantasy adventure fan.

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Trilna

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Joined: 25 Aug 2012, 13:06