WRITING FICTION: Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW FOR I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER
BY DAN WELLS

I enjoyed this great book. It was a quick read that pulled a reader in and kept their attention. The characters are interesting, the relations are dynamic, and the plot points were unique. Dan does a great job of moving the story along as well as leaving enough details behind to keep the situation and the scenario real.

I eagerly wait for the release of the second book: Mr. Monster.

BOOK REVIEW FOR FLECKS OF GOLD
BY ALICIA BECK

I was able to meet Alicia Beck at a book signing in Salt Lake City. She is a very nice as well as persistent individual. I just finished reading her book entitled Flecks of Gold, which I rather enjoyed. I have both good and bad things to say about the book.

First the good: She uses and describe magic in a way that I have never seen before. It is rather logical but yet creative. She certainly displayed a great level of creativity as well as depth in her descriptions and use of magic (major props to her). She also had decent character development as well as a quick moving plot. The action was well described as well as believable. I also enjoyed the twist at the end; it was done in such a way that was believable.

The Bad: Bandits are her default problem. Whenever she needed a problem--she resorted to bandits. Her main character also changed too much from beginning to end to be completely believable. Without any training, she quickly becomes the most powerful magician in the whole magical kingdom. And, ironically enough, she uses magic more than her supposed magical counterparts. The love story was done well enough by the end, but it is completely unbelievable in the beginning. The two main characters don't really have any good moments in the beginning for him to be so in love with her throughout the book. She is is really quite obnoxious in the beginning--almost to the point where it is too much to take.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

Nickle Brickle'Bee: In the Heart of EarthWorks

A young boy named Nickle Brickle’Bee is beset with strange traits. While most boys are starting to get hair under their arms, Nickle starts growing whiskers on his chin. By the time he is twelve, he can grow a full beard. But that is not where his oddities end: He stopped growing when he was six and his peers outgrew him quickly. These attributes, along with a few others, put him at odds with a myriad of foster families that he is sent to live with. Nickle searches for belonging as he is shipped from one foster home to another. One day, Nickle receives a mysterious letter that is etched with ancient symbols. Upon opening the letter, he discovers that he is a long decedent of a powerful Dwarfian lord. The letter further instructs him that he has been drafted into the legendary Silver Army. Seconds after reading the letter, Nickle finds himself swallowed by the earth and taken to the center of the world. There, he finds a massive city called EarthWorks, which is filled with magical beings. Between horrifying monsters, Elves that rule with pomp and power, Fairies that are in open rebellion, a greedy Dwarf warlord, and an indestructible but blind adversary, Nickle finds himself in the middle of a power struggle that could mean the end of this new world.

CIVIS GREENE

Imagine if your financial success was directly linked your family’s well being: the more your family suffers, the more successful you became. Would you be tempted, maybe even just a little, to thwart some of you family members? Civis Greene is the third child of an incredibly unremarkable family. His parents work at places that are about as interesting as fly paper and his siblings are as simple as chicken soup. Civis—on the other hand—is completely different. The only thing that ellipsis Civis’ ambition is his motivation, which seems to snowball with each passing day. While other kids his age are cultivating blisters on their hands from playing video games, Civis is strengthening his stock portfolio. Everyone, including Civis’ apathetic brother, openly predict Civis’ inevitable success. But, as time goes on, Civis cannot seem to quite make everything fit together; by a series of disasters, Civis’ perfectly put together business plans all fail. At the age of 32, Civis finds himself with no wealth, no prospects, and nowhere near being successful. He falls in love with a girl who values his simple deamonor in his porverty, but Civis still is not satisfied. In his despair Civis remembers an old dream—one that he had for every night for a year when he was 13. In the dream, the more Civis hurt his family, the more successful he became. Soon, Civis discovers that the dream is linked to reality: the more he destroys his family’s lives, the more successful he becomes. Will Civis wreak havoc on his family to gain his heart’s greatest ambitions? Will he severe his connection with the only girl that has ever loved him inorder to achieve his greatest dreams?

The Bond of Two Brothers

Imagine traveling with your most trusted friends; if needed, you would gladly give your life for anyone of them. But as you travel, odd things begin to happen. In the most disturbing way, you find yourself and your companions caught in an ancient curse. You’ve been betrayed. But what is worse, the betrayer is not from outside of your group, but from within. The book is set in a time of swords and magic, gigantic creatures and powerful curses. Two brothers named Achillian and Thesis are hunted down by an evil man, who is bent on their destruction—which destruction would allow evil to reign by releasing the most powerful villain of all, Kish’Kumen. The brothers go through a series of adventures while being led by a man named Talon Lex Taliones, who is doomed to die. They form a formidable group of warriors, attracting some of the most powerful people of the Shalen'Mire, but one amongst them is a betrayer and seeks their end. They find themselves under an ancient curse that drives its victims to insanity. As the curse weaves into their hearts, they are overcome with wrath and pride, envy and gluttony. Their scruples are forgotten, and their bond of friendship is tried.

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