This is the first time I took part in the “free copy for review” thing. Apart from that, I was reading the author’s comments on creating the book on Goodreads and eventually on his own blog. So, it was slightly different, both because I watched it being written, even if from great distance (curse me for this metaphor).
Yes, I broke my own plan to only do re-reads in the rest of the year within less than two weeks. Anyway, let’s get to the review.
So, today, I am to share my thoughts about one of the things that can be useful, but can also cause you to facepalm hard. recommendation systems. What made me wonder about this more the last days? YouTube.
I was watching metal covers of game and film soundtracks, so as good as it could be, it recommended things to watch next. Since I have some other related things in my watch history (like best-of scenes or videos showing making game/film weapon replicas) it went quite well on pointing me to what I might know. Heck, I found some really good stuff there. Since I was in the rare mood when I felt like actually giving a thumbs up, I was logged in for all of the time.
Fast forward three days. I watch one of those things again. And that’s when the hilarity kicks in. Many of those were in the recommendation with the usual text “you might like this” (in my language). You don’t say? (I was so tempted to insert the Nicolas Cage meme…) Of course I might like this, I played it 10 times in a row the other day…
Fourth book in the Teralin sword series, and one that I went through really fast. I had it read some 30 hours within release, which says much I guess. Again, I’ll do my best to avoid even small spoilers.
Anyway, the fourth book follows the events of second book, starting a few months later when Endric returns to Vasha from his journey ‘to his roots’ in the third book. He would like to say he’s returning home, but he can’t be sure anyway. He was away for almost a year, and he returns to see that much has changed.
I had several thoughts today, and one of them was looking at this year in regards to books I’ve read, and what I might read in the rest of the year.
Third book in the series by D. K. Holmberg. None the less engaging and fun than the first two. I actually read this one in two sittings, the first one in bus being stopped around 65% by the encroaching darkness of sunset.
Note: This review is slightly spoilery.
This books picks up where Splintered fate ended. A few days after the battle that ended the first book, Lana wakes up but is given little time to rest. While one danger was dealt with, the greater one still remains and is getting more pressing.
Lana and Kaiden will be tested in many ways I don’t want to tell right away to avoid spoilers, but it’s not going to be easy. There’s much more interesting and (to me) quite shocking revelations as they delve into the backstory of her main enemy and the land itself. Well, I guess that’s pretty much all I can say now, because I feel anything more would risk spoilers.
Shattered fate cover
Again, due to low amount of ratings on both Goodreads and Amazon, I am not listing them.
In conclusion, this and the first book were quite good reads by story, even if the language suffered in the first book. Still, for something pretty much unknown about, pleasant surprise. Also, it hints possibility of another book.
Finally I am doing another review, with quite some delay. This time it’s a shorter book. Splintered fate takes place in a world that is split between Rami and Madonians. The Rami are led by a king that hungers for war and even between the Madonians there are those who lust for fight and due to the enmity between those two races, the world is on brink of war.
The main character, Lana, is Madonian council member that probably just crossed into adulthood and with some personal tragedies behind her. Eventually, things go downhill and it comes to fight, where Lana meets Kaiden, Rami warrior that is her childhood friend. There are also creatures called ‘Aorra’, spiritual beings bound to Madonians, usually in form of an animal.
After series of events, Lana, Ardin (Lana’s wolf Aorra) and Kaiden are forced to run together, in hopes of saving themselves and hopefully Lana’s people as well as her faction of Madonians are those most willing for peace.
They eventually discover a hidden city where members of both races live together and in peace and try to earn their trust and support in ending the war, but eventually Lana is forced to leave the city to protect her own. Without spoilers, it gets down to a close fight with one of her enemies.
Splintered fate cover
Due to low amount of ratings on both Goodread and Amazon, I am not posting them here
I must mention that I have a thing for connection to a creature, in many forms, which is one of the reasons I really liked Eragon and James Cameron’s Avatar. The bond between a Madonian and an Aorra is something that got my attention easily.
On the other side, it’s visible that it’s self-published book of someone who does not have English as native language and someone more sensitive to this, it could be troublesome.
This is review of two books: ‘The City of Wizards’ and ‘The War of Spells’. Since these two books are very short, I decided to merge them into single review. As I asked the author, it is meant to be a trilogy (hinted by the end of second book) but the third book is not out yet – I believe it might be coming the next year. This two short books were also quite strange in one thing: despite having the same first language as the author, I was reading them in English, because e-books are always easier to get in English. The books are very nice quick reads (around 150 pages each) but keep the pace very well.
Second book from the series (first book reviewed in my previous post) and just as good. The immersion from first book was regained quickly despite the slower start. Endric tries to learn as much as he can about the things that caused even of the first book but it seems that no one wants him to know much.
The traitor from first book is hiding somewhere with almost no way to lure him out, information about anything that could help him understand is hard to get and if there is one good thing it’s that Endric is getting better in his combat skills. His part in events of the first book earned him a promotion but many think that it’s just because he’s son of the general and respect is something he can’t seem to gain or understand how to get it.
Another book I discovered by browsing lists and recommendations and another That was very good pick. I was reading it before I started this blog but after I finish the second book (at 40% as of writing this) I’ll review the second one and it would feel strange not having the first one posted as well.
First thing to mention is that the description does really good job of not only getting attention but at describing the plot. I might just copy-paste it and be done with this adding a very short comment of my own but I won’t do that.
Shortly said, it had me immersed quite fast. Endric is a problematic young man in situation no one would be in: his father is general, his brother is also much better than him and eventually Endric can get his few friends into troubles as well and wonders why they even stick to him.
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