Sunday 14 August 2011

Review of The Brontosaurus Pluto Society: Magic Makes you Strange

The Brontosaurus Pluto Society on Amazon

This is a well-written, well-presented book with an original voice and a heap of charm. I was hooked from the opening scene in a theatre where we are backstage in the POV of young Edward, the apprentice to the great prestidigitator Nevil Dever. Dever, we learn, is no mere trickster and has somehow acquired a true magical spell, which draws the attention of some rather sinister aliens. 

The POV is so tight in these opening scenes that the reader cannot help but identify with the ambitious Edward. His POV is both intelligent and charming. He's well-mannered, boyish, but also possessed of razor sharp focus. He's also a very quick learner. 

The opening chapter is once of the best I've read recently: it had me smiling from ear to ear and even laughing out loud. I think it succeeds not only due to the compelling setup, but also due to adherence to the "Unities" of time, place, and person. Extremely focused and effective writing. 

It's a difficult task to maintain such sparkling form throughout a novel, and the tale did take a slight dip for me once the action moves on past the frightening scenes in space, and the introduction of devils from Venus. Having a time shift of 40 years probably didn't help the immediacy, but the author quickly gets us back to the task in hand and sweeps us along on what is a hugely imaginative and refreshing tale. 

In the middle portions, POV is not as tight as at the beginning, but we still have a strong identification with Edward, who is an ideal character to view this surprising world through - a true Chestertonian protagonist, an ordinary lad in an extraordinary world. 

The flow of the prose is effortless - nice short sentences, and always great clarity. This is a writer flexing his muscles and coming into his own. Lots of humour, suspense, wit and wisdom from a writer who is surely carving out his own little niche. 

Well worth the investment of time and money. Very nearly a five star rating (I'd give 6 to the opening!)


Rating: 4/5

Saturday 13 August 2011

Review of Tau 4 by V.J. Waks



Tau 4 on Amazon


I received a review copy of this SF novel from the author.

The opening chapters immediately drew me in - strong use of imagery, disturbing concepts, dark science and a Frankenstein-like theme of creation turning out to be rather dangerous. The central character, Gerda Tau, a morph who can transform into a powerful feline beast is strongly sketched. She's a complex character with very human emotions and an ever-present sense of menace, even to those closest to her. Tau is the hinge the tale hangs upon - not only her bid for freedom, the challenges of her nature, but also the multi-dimensional relationship she has with her creator.

Tau 4 follows in the tradition of the best of space opera, taking us to stunning worlds with wonderful alien vistas. Waks populates her universe with a host of interesting characters against the backdrop of big ethical questions that never impede the plot.

It's a great story with some really compelling moments. None are stronger than the scenes in which Tau is transforming and tension is building to the point that the reader grows really concerned for the humans close by.


Style: My engagement with the characters was at times hampered by eliding point of view. The style is heavily omniscient, but dips into the heads of characters like a camera closing in. However, the shifts are somewhat arbitrary and sometimes left me confused as to whose head I was in. There were times when POV was working beautifully (often scenes involving Tau and her heightened senses) only to be deflated by giving us the perspective of another character. If these changes in POV had been reduced, and clearly delineated with a line break, it would have been less jarring.
There is some unorthodox use of capitalization, some unusual syntax, a few typos, but nothing that gets in the way of the reading experience. At times the language was a little verbose - literary in the way that impedes immediacy and identification. In such cases, the words used throw up a barrier, presenting the characters almost through a filter. At times, the sentence structure became unwieldy - too many clauses, too many redundant words. There were also some confusing pronoun uses where the writer seemed determined not to use “her”, “his”, or even the character’s name. Sometimes we were presented with a title or descriptor that further destroyed the illusion of POV.

The stylistic points aside (some of which stem from personal choice and genre expectation in any case), this is a very entertaining and engaging book; some of the scenes are still strong in my consciousness, and that is always a good sign that the writer has succeeded.

Tau 4 on Amazon UK

Rating: 4 stars.

Wednesday 3 August 2011

Review of The Black God's War (full novel) by Moses Siregar III

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Stand-Alone-Novel-Splendor-ebook/dp/B005FC0MX8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312381037&sr=8-2


This review is for the full-length novel; I reviewed the novella last year, but since then, Moses Siregar has completed the novel and polished this refreshing new fantasy to a very satisfying degree.
I should note that I provided some editorial support on this book in the early stages of redrafting, but since then the author has rewritten extensively under the guidance of two more editors. The book I am now reviewing barely resembles the drafts I was asked to comment on, and I am, to say the least, impressed by the end product.
The Black God’s War is set in Siregar’s own world during a prolonged conflict between two very different nations. The Rezzians have a lot of Hellenistic traits, not least of all their pantheon of ten gods, whereas the Pawelons have a much more Indian feel, and their religion is closer to Buddhism, but with traces of Hinduism also discernible.
We follow the fortunes of the Rezzian royal family - principally Caio, the messianic son of King Vieri, and his sister, Lucia. batting for the other side we have the spiritually gifted Rao who grows to frightening stature with his feats of psychism. 
The clash of cultures is brought to a head with fierce magical/spiritual battles between powerful but flawed personalities, but always present are the mysterious, often invisible, gods of the Rezzians.
Mystery is heaped upon mystery, and characters are forced to face up to the fact that their world views, their assumptions about the opposing culture, are not necessarily correct. The virtual atheism fails to account for the potency of the Rezzian gods.
For me, the most vital character was Lucia - something of an Amazonian woman whose dynamics concerning her father and brother are compelling. Her spiritual conflicts with the ominous Black God, Lord Danato, are haunting throughout and lead to some of the best scenes in the book in the latter stages.
Siregar is not afraid to build his story and weave in the very human relationships of his characters. He’s also not afraid of action, and this is where he’s made huge improvements on the original novella. The fights are highly visual, succinctly written, and draw the reader in through tight point of view.
Something else he’s very good at is the use of language - just enough lyricism to suggest the Homeric influence, but never too much. There’s an awareness of the modern idiom throughout, too, and the overall effect is extremely evocative.
The Black God’s War is, to date, the finest example of quality independent fantasy I’ve seen. This is undoubtedly due to Siregar’s willingness to write and rewrite until each chapter feels just right to him. He’s clearly cut where he needed to and added much more depth and balance (the Pawelons get much more of a look in in this finished version). As a reader, I was left with absolute confidence that this writer knows his world and characters inside out. Nothing is left to chance: Moses knows what he’s about.
He’s also no slacker when it comes to presentation of his material either. This book has been professionally and extensively edited, proofed, and formatted. There is a remarkable map and a great cover. 
This is what indie publishing is all about and I have no qualms about recommending this great novel.

Rating: 5/5

Review by Derek Prior