S.D. Reeves's Blog

A creepy old man arrives at your family’s inn, starting a spiraling chain of events where you find yourself stranded on a mysterious island. Only you can uncover the island’s secrets. Well, because you are the only one there. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure book, and you know what that means? Hot chocolate, and copious hours spent tucked away in a nook reminiscing about the 80’s.

When I was a kid, I would spend weekends scouring the local library for every one of these I could find, only to usually die half an hour in. So, when I was offered a chance to read On the Island of the Mad Magician: An interactive tale from the Realm of Goblin (take a deep breath before saying this one out loud), I jumped at the chance. My first question naturally was: how would my middle-aged, experienced, geezer self do? About the same, actually. Which tells me I have learned nothing. Either way there is always something wonderful about the journey, and On the Island of the Mad Magician has all the great hallmarks of this genre. But how does one rate this type of book?

The usual standards apply differently. Narrative? Well, that is largely up to you. Still, the choices are numerous, the paths wonderfully nebulous, and the overall plot you can construct always makes sense. The prose? Remarkably author Grissom has peppered On the Island with some great descriptions and imagery. Succinct, mostly, but he understands the concept of timing, and when to let go. Further the solid, albeit small cast of characters read well, and suite this sort of format, and the dialogue – where it applies – is believable and flows nicely. The only problem was that I ran out of hot cocoa, and I won’t knock Grissom for that. This time.

In short, On the Island of the Mad Magician: An interactive tale from the Realm of Goblin is a worthy addition to the genre, and I am looking forward to catching more of author Eric Grissom’s books.

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No real introduction this week. I was asked to review a book by Albert Seligman, and though I rarely do nonfiction, this one was hard to ignore.

Yet, this piece is much more than that. After reading the editorial notes at the beginning, and end, I am equally convinced of editor Albert Seligman’s passion for Edmund Dulac’s art and his erudition on the subject matter. A lot of effort was made to restore the art herein, and to present it in a pleasing manner. It was, by my estimate, successful. The formatting is top notch, easy to read, and the editorials make it all that more easily accessible for laymen such as I. The artwork is fresh, and really pops in this edition.

As for the original work, I found the original publication fascinating in a sense of being “a moment in time,” and for the ease of its commentary. Thus I find it interesting not just on the basis of its analysis of Canterbury Tales, but also for an insight into a sort of Academic mind of the last century. Specifically, from references to Freudian theory to quotations from 1908 play by Belgian playwright and poet Maurice Maeterlinck – something which I have no prior knowledge of, but what makes me think it was much more prevalent then.

In short, this is a wonderful collection, artfully edited by Seligman, and something worthy of preservation. I am sure readers will find this both (by the original works) a great introduction to Chaucer, and a wonderful feast for the eyes in regards to the artwork.

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in George Veck’s Monotone Masquerade, Justin Billings was in a suffocating household where his autonomy and life is monitored. Through a series of scams involving a fake autism diagnosis, he has become his mother’s meal ticket. To escape her psychological abuse, he enters the North Wales care system. Soon after he is dragged into Darcy Quinney’s drug dealing den, where he is once again not free to leave.

George Veck’s literary novel was a bit of a mixed bag for me, and hard to rate. First, the plot is in a rare case, the strongest point of the novel. It is a tight narrative that has some unique twists and turns and will keep you interested. Veck’s biggest asset would be timing, I’d say. He seems to instinctively know when exactly to throw the emotional hits, when to pull back for a bit of quiet, and when to dash forward through the action-drama.

Secondly, the editing and overall writing style are fine, and effective in the case of the latter. Veck rarely delves into poetic prose, but he can craft a scene quite well (which suites this setting). As mentioned, while there were some questionable typography/editing choices, the general layout and such is very readable without any major issues.

The weakness would be the uneven, at times ungrounded cast. There are certainly points when the dialogue and the drama hit the perfect note. However, often I found it hard to “picture” most of the characters as real people. They at times dipped into an over-the-top, uncanny valley sort of puppetry that was hard to shake – like watching young actors starring in a remake of a classic film.

Even despite the last quibbles, the plot drove things on and made this an interesting read. This is a decent book, and that by my standards that would have to be a 3-star range. In summar, Veck’s Monotone Masquerade may have trouble standing out from the crowd, but I believe most will find it an enjoyable read.

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Recently I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of another up-and-coming fantasy author, and I thought y’all might like to meet him. He just recently released the second in his Dark Realm Series, Reapers of the Dark Realm: The Hunt Begins, and it is already gaining quite some momentum in the fantasy circles. His stuff has been described as Dungeons & Dragons meets the Witcher which as y’all know, we love both here on the Evercharm Blog. Keep reading below to find out more!

“Pressure is life’s way of removing the masks people wear”

A great quote from the first book in the series, and one that is largely quoted in reviews. Let’s take a gander: 

By five may your journey thrive. By five may you return alive.

The idyllic kingdom of Parisia sat nestled securely in the Great Emerald Mountains. For generations, Parisia had known nothing but peace and prosperity. When the elder dragon Draka Mors, steals the Darkstone, the entire realm is threatened. Without the Darkstone, the magic sealing away the Shadow King would fail. His return would bring death and destruction to the world of men.

Desperate, the king of Parisia calls on an unlikely hero, the Disgraced Knight Vale Lox to lead a group of Seekers on the most important quest in a thousand years. To save the realm and everyone they have ever known from the rising shadows of darkness, these misfits must survive hostile lands, enemy armies, unspeakable monsters, and each other in order to retrieve the stone from the dragon’s lair before it’s too late.

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Now the second book just came out in December, and while it only has a few reviews, they have really praised it.

One person said “...the first book felt like a group of DnD players who were having a fun time. They were newer to the game, so their dungeon master had to make sure their shenanigans didn’t go too crazy and make them follow the story….Reapers of the Dark Realm was the same group of DnD players, but they have now played the game for a longer time, and things have gotten more serious.”

How interesting!

“The light only fades when you cease to carry it.”

A new threat arises. A war of dragons is brewing. The day of doom draws near. A child has been born. A child of darkness, destined to tear down the Veil between worlds and bring about the return of the Shadow King, has come. Whoever controls his power, controls the fate of all living things. Alliances are broken. Kingdoms Fall. Even the strongest of friendships are tested. The fate of the realm once again falls on the shoulders of the Seekers.

The Reapers are coming. One of Ash. One of Shadow. One of Desolation. One of Death.

If Lord of the Rings, The Witcher, Mistborn, and Dungeons & Dragons were mixed together into a cake, it would be a Dark Realm cake. Check out book 2 in this new series filled with talking dragons, non-stop action, and banter. Don’t miss out on this epic adventure.

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Growing up I was always a little different. The way I talked, thought, and saw the world wasn’t like everyone else. I got rejected and laughed at a lot. I discovered stories. Stories that took me to places where the problems and troubles I was facing didn’t exist. In the pages of books I could explore other worlds, meeting incredible people, and experience unbelievable adventures. Stories became an escape. A place I could go when reality was too much to take. I didn’t just want to live in these worlds, I wanted to create them. I wanted to build worlds that people like me, who didn’t always feel like they fit in could go. Whether it was to take a break, go on an adventure, or find an escape from an overwhelming storm of life. Even as a young kid, I wanted to dream up worlds other people would want to visit.

The thieves of the Takers Guild plot to overthrow the kingdoms of Baelon but are thwarted by a woman with a strange gift for seeing the future. Meanwhile, retired royal guard Rolft Aerns returns to the palace of King Axil with an old score to settle. What follows is part mystery, part thriller, part fantasy piece that is an enticing setup for the future series.

Six Moons, Seven Gods by Robert Walker takes place in three main locations, though the novel largely centres itself in the village of Forestead. The story is a bit of a slow burn and takes its time for all the various point of views and plotlines to coalesce into the climax. Personally, I appreciate that, and given the complex narrative, I don’t think it could work any other way. We absolutely need the extra time for the developments to seem natural – and for the characters to chew the screen.

And speaking of those characters, Walker does a nice job here, investing extra time into making even the tertiary seem realistic. Which is great, because there are a lot of them. Of these the two primary antagonists, at least in terms of screen time, Reynard and Spiro have the most satisfying development. Their friendship, and the devious nature of their interactions, almost had me rooting for the villains at times. Luckily, Rolf and Fereliss are still worthwhile contrasts, so as the story does not feel one sided.

In a sort of Tolkieneque move, the setting itself has a lot of characterisation. Even though the imagery, and the writing favours succinct and effective over flowery, when Walker really wants to set a mood, he can bring a deft and glorious hand with his prose. Dark alleys can feel menacing. A drip of rain, miserable. And a tavern? Deceptively safe. It is a solid lynchpin to his writing style, helping keep the story grounded and believable.

However, like a double-edged sword, having a plethora of characters can lead to other problems. Namely, point of view exhaustion, and Six Moons Seven Gods, isn’t immune to this. Thankfully Walker begins each chapter with the name of the POV character. Yet, even so, I found myself lost at times, and/or jarred out of my immersion. This would have to be the one major negative.

Another issue is, again, due to the necessity of this being on the longer side of novels, the plot becomes a little bit frayed towards the end. Most novels tend to lull in the middle, and Six Moons Seven Gods hits this mark right towards the last third. Walker does however weave things back together quickly enough not to detract majorly. This is of course a difficult thing to balance, something even famous writers struggle with (Robert Jordan and your endless descriptions, I am looking at you).

Six Moons Seven Gods sums up to be a rare piece – a solid slow burn fantasy novel, in a world of fast pace/quick resolution narratives. I for one and more than thankful for the opportunity to have read Robert Walkers’s introduction to the world of Baelon. I fully believe, given enough time, readers of all ages will have equal praise.

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I was a bit surprised when I received the review request for this title, as art books lay outside of my expertise. However, it is hard to ignore such a compelling collection of artwork – especially when it touches upon some of my favorite themes and stories. Unfortunately as mentioned, I can’t unequivocally laud the specifics of the subject matter, nor the professionalism of the presentation as it might be warranted for the standards of this format. What I can say is this:

The curation of this collection is absolutely pleasing. The editing is tight, and Mr. Seligman’s summaries are both interesting and relevant, and not overlong. It is obvious this is a subject he has keen interest in, as everything is presented carefully and in a way to draw the eye most effectively. My wife, who is a museum conservator, can tell you this is not an easy task to do, so kudos to him on his effort.

This cover is a lovely collection, and one where I would love to have a physical copy of.

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Ahh, mirrors. The old classic goto for horror and thrillers. In this case we have the protagonist Craig, a former Marine sniper, who is the beneficiary of a unique gift: an antique wooden mirror.  Which is cursed, naturally, because people can’t give items without cursing them anymore. In order to save his family from an ancient evil (other than the taxes for such a gift) he must find a way to defeat a witch without the use of explosions, fancy rifles, and Americanisms.

Legacy by Chris Coppel is pretty much exactly what you would expect. It’s a fast pace, light on the prose sort of novel that is perfect for a midnight read. There is nothing too complicated here, even with the twists. Neither is there any glaring weaknesses. The book is well plotted, keeps to the premise, unabashedly so, following the usual tropes one finds in these sort of time travel thrillers.

The one negative I would like to highlight is the lack of fleshing out of anyone that isn’t the protagonist. The main character receives most of the focus, and he is likeable and interesting. However, I would have liked to have seen more back story to the witch. We seem to only know that she is evil, because other characters say she is. There is little there to establish her motivations, beyond the designation of being a nebulous baddy.

But perhaps that is nitpicking. Legacy is a solid thriller. I enjoyed it, and I tend to be an unforgiving critic, so I imagine most readers will get a kick out of it. Legacy by Chris Coppel is an engaging story which (witch, hah) hits the target, even if not particularly magical.

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Mister Smit is a sick and stuck in management as a news aggregator before the catch phrase “fake news” became a thing. He learns soon enough that he has an aggressive form of cancer, that will most likely end his story. However, relegated to ICU, he finds himself immersed in vivid dreams. As time goes by, he realizes that these same dreams might be keeping him alive.

I have come to anticipate the next release by Gregory Hickey. Whether it’s a mystery, or a choose-your-own adventure, his novels always demonstrate a mastery of prose, dialogue, and characterization. To Build a Dream does not buck this trend. The one difference with this from the others, was the predictability of the narrative. This did not affect my enjoyment.

What makes a tale, is the way it is flavored. Hickey starts, as always, with a solid foundation. His writing style flows, at times bordering on the eloquent. The setting is well established, and his descriptions are very vivid – though they can be overlong and erudite. His pacing mostly compliments with his prose; there is a captivating rhythm to it all.

But To Build a Dream is largely a character drama. Most of the plot takes place in one physical location, and so it is Timothy Smit’s and the secondary players personification – as well as his reactions in the dream state – that drive the story and make it impactful. I found myself unable to pull away, as Smit and Triggs, progress through their narratorly rabbit whole.

Aside from a minor subplot in the later half of the novel, I did enjoy the narrative, even if it was predictable. What drove me to read on was to see how the characters reacted. What kept me reading past any reasonable bedtime, was the way Greg Hickey manages to immerse the reader with his writing style. In short, if you buy this book it may be a while before you see the light again.

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Kilal has returned to the Sunlight Domain after ten years of exile. He is an Arbiter, a race gifted with the ability to carve intricate runes of power into their skin, carvings he must endure to fulfil his oath and defend the realm. But time is running out. An impending invasion of Ash fallen threatens to end his world. Kilal must face this doom, the Heirs of the Promise  – a mysterious group that has corrupted his fellow arbiters – and his own fragile sanity.

Some authors just have “it.” That certain sort of writing chutzpa, or swagger; an almost magical ability to keep you reading any theme. Langdon Franz is one of these. Heirs of the Promise is a quasi dystopian, quasi fantasy, quasi super-hero novel (so many qua’s in there, I sound like a duck). Not my normal cup of tea, but the strength of his dialogue and his character and world building, is just simply impressive. All throughout the book I got Jim Butcher Dresden vibes (and if you don’t know Jim Butcher, shame on you!).

Let’s start with the positives. First the main protagonist Kilal is a great character. He’s quite clearly a few clowns short of a congress, but he is immediately likeable. His interactions with the supporting cast – all of who are well fleshed out- are believable, and engaging. More-so, Franz really understands timing. He knows how to use quiet moments. He understands the effect of a good setting on setting tension, or releasing it. It is all in all, well orchestrated.

There are minor problems, or perhaps just quibbles. First, it was hard for me to get through the first chapter, but this was more due to me being squeamish than anything. Second, there is some questionable editing here and there, mainly with the usage of caps. However, these are minor problems. After-all, when I have to start using grammar to insult someone’s work I’ve already lost the argument.

In short, this is a book that is hard to put down. You want great characters? Check. You want an engaging plot-line, where there is real tension, and real stakes? Check. I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel, and I am sure if you give this book a chance, you will too.

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Graytorris the Mad – that is the name of the big bad – seeks vengeance against the order that exiled him (Cathedral of the Watchful Eye) while trying to find a cure for his own affliction. To this ends he hunts Daemus, a low Keeper of the Cathedral of the Watchful Eye, whose visions lead him to the sorcerer Vorodin. The fate of more than just the followers of Erud lays in the balance, as the answers Vorodin give could launch Daemus – and the realm – to the brink of war.

We return to humbler beginnings. Daemus and his crew are on the run, being chased by the minions of Graytorris. The world is again big, and our heroes and heroines small. It is here that the novel works its best. Hilliard has a talent for really chewing the scene, exposing you to the cold of a smokeless camp, or the welcome of a warm tavern.

As time goes on the plot inevitably becomes more complicated. There’s political intrigue, both in the rebellious former duchies of Warminster, and in the Cathedral of the Watchful Eye. Sometimes, we visit the point of view of one of the antagonists, and there is even a side story involving the north. Like the previous novel these later chapters suffer pacing issues. In the Last Keeper there was significant bloat after the middle, but here we have the opposite problem. Which should be a warning to other authors: beyond be dragons. Or, it is a delicate game adding storylines. Unfortunately in the case of Vorodin’s Lair, this means that this means that events sometimes happen which are supposed to be poignant, but end being forgettable.

So, where does that leave us?

Still wanting more. Despite all my problems with the diverging point of views – and my fear that given more time, Hilliard would just add more – I found there was plenty to keep me interested. Daemus, and his main supporting cast are great characters. The plot of Warminster facing rebellion is well done. The writing, excellent. So, here is my advice. Start with the Last Keeper. Have a nice glass of beer and just enjoy the ride. See where it takes you, I promise at the very least, you will find the time worthwhile.

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