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Book Review of Dragon Fate, by J.D. Hallowell

Author, J.D. Hallowell, sent me an e-copy of his fantasy novel Dragon Fate.

Description from Goodreads:
Delno Okonan is a young former soldier eager to put the swords and strife of war behind him, when a chance encounter leaves him inextricably entwined in a tangled web of dragons, magic, and intrigue, as he struggles to find his place among dragons and men, and stave off a plot by renegade dragon riders that threatens all he now holds dear. Teens and adults alike will find themselves hanging on every twist and turn.

I wonder if it is possible to have slice-of-life fantasy (or fantasy slice-of-life). Either way, that is essentially what this book is. A man stumbles upon a dragon and then goes on his merry way, eating, drinking, traveling, camping, occasionally talking to people, and learning about the care and upkeep of a dragon. It rolls along this peaceful path for a good 80% of the book (and I read it on a Kindle so it was actually 80%, as opposed to a generic long time expressed as 80%).

The anatomy, social and biological requirements, etc of the dragons was incredibly well thought out and detailed. The reader, along with Delno, learns a lot about dragons, how to be a good person, and even a little basic physics (though it’s not termed that of course). I enjoyed that….or I did after I stopped waiting for it to turn into an action adventure along the lines of Eragon and accepted that Delno and Geneva’s relatively peaceful daily life was the story. There was a little adventure in the last 20% of the book, but I thought it almost felt tacked on. Delno had an answer to every challenge, everything went according to plan, and with one notable exception he only met trustworthy friends who were more than willing to defer to his authority. There was never any sense that he was even taxed by anything he encountered. He was a little too perfect in every way for that. Oddly, though, since I had by that time decided that his actions were important more as an example of a moral existence than as a series of events I wasn’t too bothered by his glittering perfection.

The writing was very descriptive. If you enjoy your fantasy a little more on the philosophical side this is the book for you. If you’re looking for a heart stopping grand adventure this one might present a bit of a challenge.

Book Review of What Kills Me, by Wynne Channing

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Author, Wynne Channing sent me an copy of What Kills me. I’m so grateful, ’cause I really enjoyed it.

Description from Goodreads:
An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race.

So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive.

How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?

Review:

What Kills Me was a pleasure to read. The very beginning left me wondering if ‘Zee’ was going to be one of those ultra goody-two shoes that are simply too pure to stomach, but she wasn’t. I liked her immensely. She was strong, without being cold; sarcastic, without being irreverent; and vulnerable without being a sniveling weakling in constant need of protection. Don’t get me wrong, she needed protecting, but she wasn’t one of those useless female leads who just flails about waiting for the hero to do all of the work. The hero, by the way, is also fabulous. Lucas is just as strong as you would expect him to be, but shows a surprising depth of emotion, despite his gruff exterior. Yummy!

What I loved most, however, was the witty repartee between the two of them. It was done very well and I think warranted five stars all by itself. It was often used to lighten a tense moment, without making either character appear oblivious to danger or overly flippant. I did think Uther’s timely arrival there at the end was a little too convenient, but by that point I was so afraid the whole thing wasn’t going to wrap up and be a cliff-hanger that I has too happy to care.

After reading the book and Channing’s bio I have to admit to feeling a little inadequate. Apparently she is an awesome writer with an awesome job. I would ask how any one person could be so lucky, but it would be naive to think that there is no connection. I am definitely up for reading another of her novels in the future.

Book Review of Clive Hindle’s The Eighth Square

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Janus Publishing Co. kindly sent me a copy of Clive Hindle’s The Eighth Square.

Description from Goodreads:
Jack Lauder, a man of simple pleasures, was a successful lawyer who enjoyed nothing more than climbing in the mountains and a good old competitive game of chess. But he is about to be dragged into a deadly world of deception, where truth and fiction become inseparable, and the life he knew will be changed forever. Somebody has a very personal vendetta against Jack and he must put all the pieces of the puzzle together to figure out why he is being framed. He finds himself caught up in a web of drug-smuggling and murder. In a haze of confusion, Jack will have to think several moves ahead to survive this hostile game against an opponent who will stop at nothing until Jack is annihilated.

The Eighth Square begins with Jack Lauder’s return to his legal practice. He is almost immediately commissioned to handle the post-humorous estate of an estranged acquaintance. From the very beginning this strikes him as strange and the impression is only amplified as the story progresses. It is pretty clear that Jack is wrapped up in something bigger than himself. The story progresses quickly as he tries desperately to extricate himself.

I liked the book. It moved along steadily, had some interesting characters and the dialogue felt natural. There were times when I was unsure if scenes were dreams, memories, or reality. I’m aware that neither was Jack some of the time, but as a reader I might have liked to know where I was standing a little more clearly. Not knowing made me uncomfortable.

It would also probably help if the reader had some knowledge of chess, rock climbing and/or sailing. I was able to follow and enjoy the story even though I don’t intuitively know which square on the chess board is is e4 or what the queen’s gambit looks like, what a pro does while one is climbing, or what it means to reef a sail. But someone who knows these things might have gotten even more from the story than I did.

As Jack tries to thinks five moves ahead of his opponent the story hangs more and more tenuously on coincidence and luck for Jack’s continued success. I didn’t find this particularly believable, if I’m honest, but I can’t say that it detracted too much from my enjoyment. It’s a good psychological thriller, set in interesting terrain, and I’m glad I got the opportunity to read it.