THE LEAGUE OF DELPHI (THE DELPHI TRILOGY #1) by CHRIS EVERHEART

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Bookwraiths

League of DelphiMy rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

Zachary White is a 16 year old boy searching for something. Even he doesn’t know what exactly he needs to find. But perhaps it’s an understanding of why he has spent the majority of his life in hiding, using a fake identity and only seeing his mother sporadically and always for only a few short hours at a time.

It wasn’t always like that for Zach. He remembers growing up in a small town in the U.S. of A. named Arcanville. He was just a normal kid back then, going to elementary school, playing with his friends, and spending time with his loving mother and father. Nothing out of the ordinary at all until he was seven years old. That is when everything changed, became crazy. Because that is when his dad died, and his mom fled their home and forbade him to ever speak his true name. But the most important thing Zach was to always remember was that under no circumstance was he to ever, EVER return to Arcanville again!

And Zach has followed his mom’s instructions for nine long years, living a cruel parody of life in French boarding schools. But now, his mom has passed away from cancer, and he wasn’t even there when she died. He merely got a message at school saying she was dead. And as he sat stunned at the news, all he could wonder is why it all came to this?

Soon, Zach’s grief turns into confusion and eventually gels into a deep resolve. A determination to understand why. Why had his mom gone crazy? Why did they leave Arcanville? Why couldn’t he be himself anymore? And most importantly, why was he never to return home again?

Not long thereafter, a strange kid from France appears in Arcanville. This loner rents a garage apartment, obtains a job at the town coffee shop, stays to himself but begins to observe all the people he use to know when he grew up in this idyllic hamlet as a child. And as Zach gets deeper and deeper entrenched in the town he was never to return to, he starts to suspect that all is not right here. There seems to be some barely perceived undercurrent among these people; a sense of wrongness in nearly everything about the town. But it still doesn’t make sense until a kid Zach had been friends with as a child dies. Then a terrible truth begins to coalescence, and Zach finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of dark mysteries, global conspiracies, ancient Greek prophecies, and of course teen love.

The League of Delphi is quite honestly a page turner, especially after the set up of the first few chapters. After that point, Zach’s story rushes forward seamlessly, pulling a reader along behind him as the thrilling plot climaxes in an ending that leaves one wanting more. And while Mr. Everheart has written a young adult story drenched in ancient Greek legends, this is no Percy Jackson knock-off but something entirely fresh and original, which will be enjoyed by anyone tired of centaurs and half-god summer camps.

Of course, this book does have a few deficiencies no matter how enjoyable it was.

In my opinion, the key mysteries of the novel are solved far too easily by our young loner. He will stumble upon slivers of information here and there, make a few assumptions and voila! he has another earth shattering revelations. It seemed unbelievable he could do this time after time, and I would have preferred him following a few incorrect leads or making a wrong move here or there, but naturally, Zach seems to have impeccable luck and always steers the proper course.

Zach’s character was also written a bit inconsistently in that he is introduced to a reader as a young man wise beyond his years yet he makes decision like a suburban brat who has never stepped out of the cul-de-sac. It just seemed perplexing that a sixteen year old who has basically grown up on his own in French boarding schools since he was seven and who can pull off a move halfway around the world would make some of the clueless decisions he does at times. While I understand that some teenagers alternate between acting “grown up” one minute before reverting to “childlike” behavior the next, Zach’s character is built up as a street savvy kid wise beyond his years, and I really hope that as the series moves forward Mr. Everheart minimizes the adolescent behavior of Zach.

All in all, this novel is a great beginning to a fun YA series!

Buy The League of Delphi: Book 1 of the Delphi Trilogy at Amazon.

See my reviews of the trilogy.
The Delphi Deception Book #2
The Delphi Revelation Book #3

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Great Post About John Marco’s Tyrants and Kings Series

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Bookwraiths

908330The Tyrant and Kings trilogy by John Marco is one of the most overlooked epic fantasy series in recent memory and has always been a personal favorite of mine. However, I’ve never found time to sit down and write a review about it. Perhaps it has been my busy life or my innate laziness or any number of things, but after reading the review linked below I really do not believe I need to even attempt to express my feelings because this review does it so well.

Take a look and find out why you need to give this underappreciate epic fantasy a try.

Tyrants and Kings Reviewed by SFSignal

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SCHISMS by V.A. JEFFREY

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Bookwraiths

schisms
My rating is 2 out of 5 stars. 2 being “It was okay.” 🙂

Schisms is Book I of the Red World trilogy by V.A. Jeffrey. It is an epic fantasy/scifi tale set upon the planet Chialis: the Red Eye of Heaven, or what we Earthmen refer to as Mars. And it is best described as a mixture of Frank Herbert’s Dune saga and the Bible with a touch of ancient Middle Easterner culture throw in for good measure.

This first installment of the tale introduces one to the land of Hybron and the splendid city of Jhis, where a mighty chieftain of the desert plains people rules as king over his more civilized subjects. Indeed, Khalit-Aisu is a barbarian in all but the most important way, for he has turned away from his ancient religion and has begun to worship the many gods of his civilized subjects. And this failure to continue to serve Airend-Ur, the true God of All, has caused considerable unrest, as the priesthood at the Temple of Airend-Ur begin to splinter into those willing to forego the laws of God in favor of Khalit’s earthly wishes and those who will not.

To complicate an already delicate situation, Khalit has grown tired of his devout wife and wishes to set her aside for another woman; one who might finally give him the male child he has always envisioned as heir for his hand-carved empire. But instead of sending for another desert girl from his own people, the king has decided for reasons of state to wed a foreigner. A girl whose family while powerful and rich are also allegedly the offspring of ancient demons come to consort with humankind. This fact plus Khalit’s growing refusal to follow the spiritual laws of Airend-Ur begins to sow seeds of distrust between him and his childhood teacher, Ilim; a priest who loves his king like a son but is growing more and more disillusioned with his pupil and his fellow priest, who bow down to their king’s unrighteousness.

The tale that ensues reads very much like a Biblical Dune. There are treacherous administrators, shadowy political machinations, priestly infighting, and an ancient prophecy regarding a Red King who will be born and return the world to its former paradise. All of this set within a post-apocalyptic setting, which – though not fully revealed – tantalizes in its perceived wondrous history. A good setting in which to develop an epic fantasy/scifi series.

All in all, I enjoyed this story. It was intriguing , but it was slow to read and plagued by far too many long paragraphs. However, I suppose that this might have been done intentionally by the authors, since the novel as a whole has an epic tone in the vein of the Old Testament of the Bible or the ancient Greek myths. Hopefully, the author will build off this solid start and flesh out the world while cutting down on the unnecessary (in my opinion, of course) wordiness of some parts of the narrative.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank Netgalley for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

Purchase this novel at Amazon.

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WOLVES OF THE CALLA (THE DARK TOWER # 5) by STEPHEN KING

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Bookwraiths

Wolves of the Calla My rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

Wolves of the Calla was one of those novels that it took me a while to actually “get into” (A four month hiatus between reading attempts to be precise.), but once I did, it was enjoyable. Not a masterpiece like several of the preceding Dark Tower novels, but interesting enough for me to continue the journey to the Dark Tower with Roland Deschain, Eddie Dean, Susannah Dean, Jake Chambers, and Oy.

The story itself begins with Roland and his ka-tet moving slowly but steadily along the Beam towards the shadowy edifice of the Dark Tower. Now, however, there is an undercurrent of desperation beginning to rear its ugly head among the group, since time is passing more quickly than earlier in their journey and the Beams, which hold the multiverse together, are beginning to deteriorate more rapidly. So it is while dealing with this growing sense of impending doom that the five friends are unexpectedly approached by a group from Calla Bryn Sturgis.

The “Callas” – as the locals call their region of the world – is the final bastion of humanity before one enters the death and doom of End World. Calla Bryn Sturgis itself being one of the small farm town in this tranquil region. Here farmers, merchants, and ordinary folk live their lives to the fullest, slowly forgetting about the world that was before and focusing on tending their fields and raising their children, who always seem to be twins. Yet even in this land of idyllic farms, the horror of the world “moving on” cannot be completely forgotten, because every twenty years or so the Wolves come for their harvest of horror as they reap the children of the Callas!

The Calla folk do not know why the Wolves come. They just do. Nor do they understand what the wolves do with their stolen offspring. All that they know is that the Wolves take them into End World to Thunderclap, and when they return by train, they are near mindless caricatures of themselves, fated to grow into huge adults that die young and in pain. And soon the Wolves will return to Calla Bryn Sturgis. At least, that is what Andy the Robot says, and he would know, because he has lived among the farmers from their grandfather’s grandfather time and, somehow, Andy always knows when the Wolves are destined to return.

Yet knowing the date of their children’s abductions does little good to the common folk of the Calla. They are not warriors and cannot hope to stand against the wondrous weapons of their persecutors. But now, Roland has led his gunslingers among them, and it must be fate that has brought such an unlooked for group to the Callas when the Wolves are soon to reappear. And so, the people of the Callas come to the ka-tet begging them to fight off the Wolves and save the children of the Callas!

From this The Magnificent Seven beginning, Stephen King concocts a tale that has a pinch of western, a dash of scifi, a dollop of apocalyptic, a splash of fantasy, and a drizzle of horror. He takes his “Constant Reader” from the green fields of the Come-come-commala Calla, say thankya, to the dream-like visage of 1970s New York City. He introduces them to the gunslingers as diplomats and protectors of the defenseless while reintroducing us to a vampire killing companion from old, Father Callahan: a former Catholic priest last seen in Salem’s Lot. There are talking robots, zombies, and vampires as well as references to popular culture such as Harry Potter and Marvel comic books. Indeed, this novel is a psychedelic wonderland of variety; sure to fit the fancy of most any reader of speculative fiction. Do ya ken?

But while Wolves of the Calla is a novel that excels in its lively, creepy and fun narrative, it did not live up to its promise as the book to begin the process of straightening out the mess that was The Dark Tower series plot line. In fact, there were more new plots begun in this story than old ones finished.

Does that mean, this book is “bad” or not worth reading?

Absolutely not.

It is a fine tale that was a joy to read. But . . .

The problem with this book, in my opinion, is that due to Mr. King’s ending of the series this novel has no meaning.

Like an old song says, this novel is a “Cab fare to nowhere.”

A story that is a “White line to an exit sign.”

A “Locked door on a candy store.”

So if – like me and the kid from The Incredibles movie – you are hoping for “Something amazing, I guess” that begins to wrap up The Dark Tower series and shed light on all its mysteries, this one is probably not going to satisfy you. If, however, you are merely hoping to be entertained, then Wolves of the Calla is definitely up to the task.

Buy Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, Book 5) at Amazon.

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House of Hades

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Bookwraiths

Richard [The Humpo Show]'s avatar

The Heroes of Olympus: House of Hades

4.5 / 5

                                                                One word: Unputdownablehouse-of-hades-uk-cover1

House of Hades is the 4th instalment in ‘The Heroes of Olympus’ franchise. At the end of the previous book, Percy and Annabeth have dropped into Tartarus and have vowed to the others that they will meet them at the Doors of Death, where they will attempt to prevent monsters from continuing to carry on coming back from the pit by closing the immortal side of the doors. The others are trying to meet them on the mortal side of the doors but they are thwarted by Gaia’s forces at every turn of their journey.

Percy and Annabeth’s punishing passage through Tartarus tests not…

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Posted in Young Adult | 2 Comments

GIDEON SMITH AND THE MECHANICAL GIRL

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Bookwraiths

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Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl by David Barnett

Genre: Fantasy — Steampunk

Series: Gideon Smith #1

Publisher: Tor (September 10, 2013)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 352 pages

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

This steampunk book has it all!

You want a cool Victorian setting? No problem.

You want vampires and mummies running amok? They are everywhere.

Dirigibles, sky pirates, treasure, pyramids? Mr. Barnett gives them to you.

Adventure, fighting, ancient mysteries, love stories between unlikely people? Its all in the book.

The story itself begins in a tiny fishing village in Victorian England, where our unlikely hero Gideon Smith finds himself an orphan after the mysterious death at sea of his fisherman father. And though no one believes him, Gideon knows it was no accidental death but the work of some diabolical creature, and he vows to follow in the footsteps of Captain Lucian Trigger, the hero of his favorite penny dreadful, and avenge his father.

Before Gideon can actually begin his quest for vengeance, however, he crosses paths with an aspiring author; none other than Bram Stoker, who appears to believe Gideon’s story of monsters preying on the living but seems much more interested in the eerie similarity between the fate of Gideon’s father and another local shipwreck. A shipwreck where all aboard were dead or missing except a huge, black hound that escaped and which reeks of vampires to Mr. Stoker.

No matter their different agendas, however, these unlikely companions gradually discover that Gideon’s monsters and Stoker’s vampires are two sides of the same coin – though neither are what they appear to be. But that realization is just the tip of the iceberg, as soon our comrades discover that foul business abounds everywhere: government conspiracies, ancient Egyptian curses, and diabolical villains. And to Gideon, it soon seems he is living a story straight out of the pages of a penny dreadful!

And that mechanical girl mentioned in the title?

She is here: each wondrous tube and clockwork gear. Soon, you will find Maria one of the most fascinating characters in the book, likable and sympathetic, mysterious but so familiar. Her growing realization of herself as a true person and her relationship with Gideon always enjoyable. But even though she follows along behind Gideon in his adventure, his journey is not hers, for Maria is a person seeking answers and understanding about who and what she is, not a heroine fighting villainy – though, she does that as well.

And the steampunk Victorian setting?

It is the wondrous backdrop upon which all of Gideon’s adventures are played out. A fantastical alternate universe, where gears and gadgetry abound. And Mr. Barnett fills every nook and cranny of his steampunk world with morsels of marvelous history and fantastical machines; each tidbit contributing as much to the enjoyment of the story as do the actual characters. Indeed, it is one of the most fully imagined steampunk worlds that I have read about.

To sum up, this novel is best described as a grand mixture of Victorian Indiana Jones, old-fashioned horror story, and alternative history fantasy. A tale which takes its heroes from the quiet seashore of Gideon’s home to the mean streets of steampunk London, from the land of clockwork taxis to the mysterious sands of Egypt, from the soaring heights of the dirigibles to the claustrophobic darkness of ancient pyramids, from the shadowy depths of the vampire lair to the musty chamber of the mummies. It’s the story of a young man discovering that heroes are not always what you envisioned them to be, and a mechanical girl who finds that being human is more than looking like one or having a few scattered memories. It’s a search that brings to light a different side of vampires (even when they don’t sparkle!) and shows the ancient cruelty of mummies too long dead. But, ultimately, this book is about one thing: nonstop fun!

Purchase the novel at Amazon.

Posted in 3 Stars, Fantasy, Steampunk | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Batman & Robin, VOLUME 1: BATMAN REBORN

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Bookwraiths

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My rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

Bruce Wayne is dead! So get ready folks, ‘cause there is a new Batman and Robin in town and things are about to heat up!

Now, since we all know Bruce Wayne won’t stay in the hereafter for long, we can sit back without any angst or sorrow and enjoy the brief tenure of the new Batman: Dick Grayson (a.k.a. Nightwing and the first Robin) who has donned the caped crusaders’ cowl. Joining him as Robin is none other than Bruce Wayne’s own ten year old son, Damian Wayne (son of Talia and grandson of Ra’s al ghul). It’s a new team with new vibes and new problems to work through. So pop some popcorn and get ready for some fun.

Right off the bat (Yeah, I went there) our Dynamic Duo has issues. Damian is an arrogant brat, who has been raised with an attitude of entitlement – not to mention the fact his care givers ran a a league of killers, and honestly, he is pissed that he has been relegated to being Grayson’s sidekick when it is obvious that he could do a much better job as Batman. As for Dick, he feels a bit overwhelmed by the responsibility thrust upon him and struggles to live up to Bruce’s legacy while still being true to his own self. So naturally, the two go through some growing pain together.

But they just don’t have time to find their grove, because right out of the gate they are confronted by some bloodthirsty new villains, which gives the book a fresh feel. On one side of the spectrum, we have a new Red Hood and his sidekick Scarlet, who are enforcing their own brand of justice in Gotham and tweeting that the Dynamic Duo are yesterdays news, while on the other, Mr. Toad, Professor Pyg and the monstrous Flamingo are spreading death and disfigurement across Gotham City indiscriminately.

Needless to say, there is solid writing and artwork in this series. Grant Morrison does his usual good work, giving us a bit of characterization while infusing the tale with loads of mayhem and gore. While the artwork by Frank Quitely (artist) and Philip Tan (artist) is edgier than usual Batman fare, loaded with lots of colors, modernist in tone and very action oriented. All in all, the two compliment each other well.

The only criticism I have of this book is that it is needlessly violent. Criminals cut of people’s faces and eat them, while others use saws to “create” a new body for people. It all seems a bit over the top to me and not really superhero-ish to me, but I am no longer a comic aficionado, as I was a decade or so ago. With that in mind, I suppose it is an entertaining enough Batman book, but for me, nothing more than and not worthy of a re-read.

Purchase the novel at Amazon.

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THE DARK TOWER (THE DARK TOWER #7) by STEPHEN KING

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Bookwraiths

THE DARK TOWER My rating is 2 out of 5 stars.

The quest for the Dark Tower is ending!

All the weary miles, endless deaths, heroic stands, and lost loved ones is finally coming to an end for Roland Deschain of Gilead and his ka-tet.

And the weary but dedicated fan can finally savor that ending. An ending that will somehow, someway tie up all the loose plots, causing all their frustration about the years between novels, the endless lore changes, the confusing multiverse, and even Stephen King writing himself into the story to disappear from their minds

For the end of the Dark Tower Saga will be a wonderful, dramatic, earth-shattering ending. The same kind of ending Tolkien provided fantasy fans with in The Return of the King, where a reader watched breathlessly as Frodo and Sam slunk across the desolate plains of Mordor, striving to reach Mount Doom and destroy the One Ring; only to discover to their sheer wonder and delight that the tale was still not done, but that Tolkien would allow them to follow along behind the hobbits for just a little longer – until the true ending at the Grey Havens.

That is the type of finale The Dark Tower must have, because every reader of King’s saga knows that a tale as massive and epic as this deserves that Lord of the Rings type of closure. The kind of ending where a reader closes the novel and sits there, stunned into silent contemplation at the stupendous journey that they have finally COMPLETED!

And as a reader begins The Dark Tower Book VII, he/she will begin to see his/her deeply held hope coming to fruition as dangling plots begin to be completed. Immediately, Roland and his friends set forth to stop the Breakers of Algul Siento and save the Beam, protect the Rose (whatever it really is) in New York, and stop Stephen King from being run down by a real life automobile and killed. Everything begins to take shape for the final push to the Dark Tower.

So it seems obvious that finally Stephen King is going to reveal the “5 Ws and H” of the grand saga. Who the hell is this Crimson King, who has orchestrated the destruction of world after world in the multiverse, and who the hell is Marten Broadcloak/Randall Flagg really? What caused the Crimson King to go insane and begin to attack the Tower? Why was it so damn important for Roland to get to the tower in the first place? How did Roland’s quest kept the Dark Tower multiverse from continuing to move on? When did the old ones die out and leave their machines, or when did the worlds first start moving on? And finally – after all else has been completed – where is the Dark Tower, and what will happen when Roland finally enters it?

But then something unprecedented happens in this grand finale of a sweeping epic.

Nothing.

That is right. You won’t find any of those questions answered. In fact, you won’t even find a dramatic ending like Lord of the Rings.

Nope. It is not going to happen.

As Stephen King himself writes at the end of the Quest for the Dark Tower:

I’ve told my tale all the way to the end, and am satisfied. It was (I set my watch and warrant on it) the kind only a good God would save for last, full of monsters and marvels and voyaging here and there. I can stop now, put my pen down, and rest my weary hand . . . Yet some of you who have provided the ears without which no tale can survive a single day are likely not so willing. You are the grim, goal-oriented ones who will not believe that the joy is in the journey rather than the destination no matter how many times it has been proven o you. You are the unfortunate ones who still get the lovemaking all confused with the paltry squirt that comes to end the lovemaking . . . You are the cruel ones who deny the Grey Havens, where tired characters go to rest. You say you want to know how it all comes out. You say you want to follow Roland into the Tower; you say that is what you paid your money for, the show you came to see.

I hope most of you know better. Want better. I hope you came to hear the tale, and not just munch your way through the pages to the ending. For an ending, you only have to turn to the last page and see what is there writ upon. But endings are heartless. An ending is a closed door no man (or Manni) can open. I’ve written many, but most only for the same reason that I pull on my pants in the morning before leaving the bedroom – because it is the custom of the country.

And so, my dear Constant Reader, I tell you this: You can stop here. . .

Should you go on, you will surely be disappointed, perhaps even heartbroken . . . There is no such thing as a happy ending. I never met a single one to equal “Once upon a time.”

Endings are heartless.

Ending is just another word for goodbye.

And so after reading 4500 pages about Roland the Gunslinger, a reader is given a choice: stop the book without knowing what happens to Roland once he actually gets to the Dark Tower or read the ending and be disappointed.

Who knew Stephen King was an attorney, because he just put a disclaimer in his book; a disclaimer that basically admits the ending sucks.

Or that he was writing a Choose Your Own Adventure Book? Because we have multiple endings to choice from. One is the hollywood “And they all live happily ever after ending” ending and the other is the “You wanted an ending, I’ll show you how clever I can be while I’m not giving you what you asked for” ending. Either choice leaving a reader disappointed, wondering “Why did I read this series again?”

The awful truth about The Dark Tower Book VII is that it is a dud.

A clever buildup to a nothing happens.

A Dallas “Get out of the shower it’s all been a dream.”

Another Matrix sequel were our number today boys and girls is 101, and you are the sixth Chosen One, which means your dramatic victories are not anything new.

Not a “flawed masterpiece” at all but a cleverly disguised fake.

A huge belly flop into the abyss of bad endings.

A book that just stinks.

In fact, this “supposed” finale of the Dark Tower series makes such a mess of the story that Roland’s whole quest is rendered meaningless. A useless exercise in futility that is very similar to a hamster running as fast as he can on his exercise wheel.

What King does to Roland in this novel is like Tolkien writing that Frodo reached Mount Doom only to discover that Sauron is really Father Christmas on psychotropic medications; the One Ring Frodo has been carrying is really a fake that Sauron allowed Gandalf and the Elves to believe was the real thing; and now – just to be a vindictive bastard (because there doesn’t seem to be any other logical reason) – Frodo and the Fellowship gets to relive the whole bloody quest in an endless loop.

Maybe King never knew where Roland’s story was going. Maybe it was just a great idea, which he never really plotted out to guarantee that it ended correctly. I get all that, but if that is true, he should have used this last book to fix all those problems, not tell the reader “I hope you came to hear the tale, and not just munch your way through the pages to the ending.”

Who the hell has ever went to a movie and been pleased when it stopped playing before the end?

Or worked all week just to be told “No pay check for you. Try to think back to all the fun you had here.”

No one. And no one is going to like this ending. You might love the series or the characters, not want to admit how horrid this last book was, but deep down you realize it. And you cope by telling yourself how great the overall story was or that King focused on Roland’s spiritual journey in this book or whatever, but the fact of the matter is this novel continued the downward spiral of Roland’s story and left all of us scratching our heads thinking “Really, this is the end.”

Mr. King, I’ve read epic, fantasy series.

I’ve read grand finales with breathtaking endings.

J.R.R. Tolkien took me to the Grey Havens once upon a time.

Mr. King, you’re no J.R.R. Tolkien, and The Dark Tower was not The Return of the King.

If you haven’t read this book and want to see if I’m correct in my assessment of it, feel free to buy The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, Book 7) at Amazon.

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VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER by C.S. LEWIS

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Bookwraiths

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My rating is 3 out of 5 stars.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the fifth book in the Chronicles of Narnia series. Here a reader finds Edmund and Lucy Pevensie forced to spend their summer away from their parents and siblings with their uncle Harold and Aunt Alberta. And while neither Edmund or Lucy look forward to their visit with family, the worst part is having to live with their cousin, Eustace Scrub: an intellectual bully, who wishes nothing more than to torment them as much as possible.

One day, Eustace catches his cousins admiring a painting of a Narnia-esque ship, reminiscing a bit about their wonderful adventures in Narnia. Naturally, the house bully cannot allow this opportunity to pass and begins to needle Lucy and Edmund about their lack of culture and refinement in the arts. However, while he taunts Lucy regarding ignorant descriptions of the vividness and absolute realism of the painting, something magical happens: the waves begin to surge forth from the painting!

Immediately, the whole room is filled with the onrushing waves of the mighty ocean, and the three children are both frozen to the core by its wintry embrace and their fear. However, before terror engulfs them, strong hands and tight ropes drawn them forth from the water then dump them unceremoniously upon the deck of a marvelous ship. A ship that they discover is home to an old companion, King Caspian, who greets the appearance of Edmund and Lucy with both surprise and joy. Of course, Eustace’s annoying presence causes immediately problems as he demands to be taken to the closest British Consulate, but even his irritating bellyaching cannot extinguish the joy of Edmund, Lucy and Caspian’s reunion.

Once the reunited friends compare notes, the Pevensies’ discover that several years have passed in Narnia, and that after securing Narnia from its enemies – both internal and external – Caspian has undertaken this epic sea voyage to rediscover little known Narnian territories across the sea and find seven lords that his evil Uncle Miraz sent out to explore the Eastern Sea. At least, that is Caspian’s mission. The mighty mouse Reepicheep, however, has determined that his destiny and that of his companions is to sail unto the utter east until they reach the land of Aslan himself. And so, Edmund, Lucy and a less enthusiastic Eustace become entangled in this world spanning journey.

And what amazing adventures follow! Soon, the three children find themselves sailing from island to island, rediscovering ancient Narnians, encountering dragons and sea serpents, running afoul of magic after magic, and find themselves changed by all that they see and face.

LIKES:

1) Another wonderful audio book. This rendition dazzles in the amazing characterization given to each character, the spectacular sound effects that compliment the setting, and the silky descriptions of the narrator. It is just a very immersive experience.

2) While there is much Christian symbolism in this book, it is subtly done and never feels out of place in the tale itself.

3) The actor voicing the feisty mouse Reepicheep goes a wonderful job bringing this character to life. Though he is not the main character by any means, his appearances always brought a smile to my face and those of my children.

DISLIKES:
1) As much as I loved the sea voyage and the constant discoveries by the adventurers, I found myself growing weary of yet another island with yet another magical danger or unexpected friend. Indeed, by the time our group discovers Aslan’s Table, I wanted the story to hurry up and get over with all ready.

2) The ending – while heartfelt and moving – left me feeling a little disappointed. I can’t really explain it other than to say that I obviously compared it to the ending of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and – while that comparison might not be fair – The Voyage of the Dawn Treader did not have the same emotional impact as that other parting upon the shores.

All in all, this was an excellent audio book that I would recommend to everyone. I found it very enjoyable and will, undoubtably, listen to it again in the future.

Purchase the audio book at Amazon.

Posted in Audio Books, Fantasy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Journey Just Gets Better

Posted on October 13, 2013 by Bookwraiths

Elfwriter's avatarElfwriter

It has been quite a week with the release of Ashbar – Wycaan Master Book 3. I am feeling slightly stunned by the closure of the first trilogy. Like At The Walls Of Galbrieth and The First Decree, Ashbar is a self contained story as well as the third in a series.

Ashbar front cover

There is a lot of closure, though not enough to stop the next trilogy from beginning, and I feel a certain sense of forlorn, perhaps as a parent feels when their children leave the nest.  I know the remedy to this – plunge into writing the next book. As the wise saying goes: “One trilogy closes, another opens.”

Thank you to everyone who bought Ashbar over the weekend and enabled it to pick up a credible ranking. Please let me know what you thought of it, once read, and leave a review on Amazon…

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