zizban
Lore Master
In the next few months I'll have two stories, "Ouroboros", a fantasy novella from Booktrope and a non-fiction piece from Weaving Dreams Publishing.
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Mythic Scribes on Mythic Scribes
- Thread starter Map the Dragon
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Sparkie
Dark Lord
The Swordsman of Carn Nebeth: A Review by Sparkie
And so, in the spirit in which this thread was created, I will now post a review of a story by one of our own.
A mysterious hooded man with a sword across his back walks down a road leading to a tiny village. A small boy working in a field sees the man and alerts the adults nearby. A few men stand their ground, call out to the stranger, and await his answer…
Sound familiar? No need to worry. Tristan Gregory (aka Mythic Scribes own Telcontar) is writing this story, and he doesn’t disappoint.
Now, to be fair, I should say that I picked up this title because I like Telcontar, and I knew this would be a short read. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how good it was going to be. When downloading self-published works on Kindle, you buy at your own risk. I’ve purchased some unreadable dribble in the past. I now know not to expect the next ‘Name of the Wind’ when perusing KDP stuff.
So I was surprised when, after reading a few pages, I thought to myself “Hey, this doesn’t suck!†I was even more surprised when, a few pages later, I thought “Hey, this is actually pretty good!â€
The story revolves around the relationship between William, the young narrator, and Coary Billwell, the titular swordsman. From the moment Coary arrives back in his hometown of Carn Nebeth, William is fascinated with him, or at least the idea of him being some kind of returning hero. Over the course of time, however, William learns that heroism isn’t quite what he thought it was.
William works very well as a narrator. He displays an innocent sort of wisdom in his telling of the story. But the real character here is Coary. His words and actions paint a picture of a good man who’s seen too much bad in the world. He’s tired, but not so tired as to give up his skill with a blade totally. A few side players such as Havel, a dim hunter, Abe, William’s father, and the nameless scarred antagonist round out a good, if a somewhat skeletal, cast.
While this tale is classified as fantasy, it lacks some of the more classic elements of the genre. No magic wands, mystical beasts, or cities in the clouds here. They’re simply not necessary. Tristan Gregory sets out to tell a story his own way, a fantasy rooted deeply in reality.
This approach works with the overall earthy tone of the story. For the most part, the events all take place in the hamlet of Carn Nebeth, and Gregory displays an understanding of how a “small town†type of story works. While using far fewer words than the likes of Richard Russo or Stephen King (two writers who can do the “small town†thing about as well as anybody), Telcontar shows us that a little village is more of a group of people than it is a place.
Before I bought this novella, I was reading a dark slog of an epic fantasy novel. Y’know, the kind of book where, when you reach the halfway point, you think to yourself “Alright, halfway through now. Maybe I’ll finish this thing after all!†This tale was just what I wanted, needed even. If you want a quality read that you can start and finish in a night, this is the story for you.
And so, in the spirit in which this thread was created, I will now post a review of a story by one of our own.
The Swordsman of Carn Nebeth: A Review
A mysterious hooded man with a sword across his back walks down a road leading to a tiny village. A small boy working in a field sees the man and alerts the adults nearby. A few men stand their ground, call out to the stranger, and await his answer…
Sound familiar? No need to worry. Tristan Gregory (aka Mythic Scribes own Telcontar) is writing this story, and he doesn’t disappoint.
Now, to be fair, I should say that I picked up this title because I like Telcontar, and I knew this would be a short read. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how good it was going to be. When downloading self-published works on Kindle, you buy at your own risk. I’ve purchased some unreadable dribble in the past. I now know not to expect the next ‘Name of the Wind’ when perusing KDP stuff.
So I was surprised when, after reading a few pages, I thought to myself “Hey, this doesn’t suck!†I was even more surprised when, a few pages later, I thought “Hey, this is actually pretty good!â€
The story revolves around the relationship between William, the young narrator, and Coary Billwell, the titular swordsman. From the moment Coary arrives back in his hometown of Carn Nebeth, William is fascinated with him, or at least the idea of him being some kind of returning hero. Over the course of time, however, William learns that heroism isn’t quite what he thought it was.
William works very well as a narrator. He displays an innocent sort of wisdom in his telling of the story. But the real character here is Coary. His words and actions paint a picture of a good man who’s seen too much bad in the world. He’s tired, but not so tired as to give up his skill with a blade totally. A few side players such as Havel, a dim hunter, Abe, William’s father, and the nameless scarred antagonist round out a good, if a somewhat skeletal, cast.
While this tale is classified as fantasy, it lacks some of the more classic elements of the genre. No magic wands, mystical beasts, or cities in the clouds here. They’re simply not necessary. Tristan Gregory sets out to tell a story his own way, a fantasy rooted deeply in reality.
This approach works with the overall earthy tone of the story. For the most part, the events all take place in the hamlet of Carn Nebeth, and Gregory displays an understanding of how a “small town†type of story works. While using far fewer words than the likes of Richard Russo or Stephen King (two writers who can do the “small town†thing about as well as anybody), Telcontar shows us that a little village is more of a group of people than it is a place.
Before I bought this novella, I was reading a dark slog of an epic fantasy novel. Y’know, the kind of book where, when you reach the halfway point, you think to yourself “Alright, halfway through now. Maybe I’ll finish this thing after all!†This tale was just what I wanted, needed even. If you want a quality read that you can start and finish in a night, this is the story for you.
I have reviewed The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J Sullivan on my website (link in sig). Review copied here for ease of reading:
The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J Sullivan is the story of two accomplished thieves-for-hire, Hadrian and Royce, who, after accepting the wrong job, find themselves caught up in political machinations and framed for murder. They are propelled into an adventure which leaves the reader guessing who’s behind it all and wondering how the story will be resolved.
It is an enjoyable story with some fun, interesting characters and a plot which, while familiar in themes, feels fresh. There are some cool high-fantasy elements – doors that can only be opened by people wearing magical jewellery, an ancient war against elves, a mechanical-genius dwarf and an ancient, unaging wizard – but the story still felt down-to-earth, very real and solid.
The prose can be, at times, a little clunky; exposition is introduced in the dialogue of a character called Myron, a young monk with encyclopedic knowledge of history, giving Sullivan a transparent shortcut when such elements need to be divulged. Nothing is held back, all information about the situation being clearly stated to the reader at the first opportunity where it is relevant, leaving no mystique and sapping the suspense, such that by a short time before the final climactic moments, all of the who and the why is answered, leaving only the how.
Sullivan has a sufficiently inventive story, though, that the how does manage to carry it – Hadrian and Royce are frequently unpredictable, their solutions clever and tidy, making it impossible not to root for them.
The story is fairly straightforward – while there are, at times, nuances that leave the reader guessing, Sullivan dispenses with complicated side-plots or subtle undercurrents and political webs, making the story accessible and easy to read.
Overall, I’d give The Crown Conspiracy 7/10.
The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J Sullivan is the story of two accomplished thieves-for-hire, Hadrian and Royce, who, after accepting the wrong job, find themselves caught up in political machinations and framed for murder. They are propelled into an adventure which leaves the reader guessing who’s behind it all and wondering how the story will be resolved.
It is an enjoyable story with some fun, interesting characters and a plot which, while familiar in themes, feels fresh. There are some cool high-fantasy elements – doors that can only be opened by people wearing magical jewellery, an ancient war against elves, a mechanical-genius dwarf and an ancient, unaging wizard – but the story still felt down-to-earth, very real and solid.
The prose can be, at times, a little clunky; exposition is introduced in the dialogue of a character called Myron, a young monk with encyclopedic knowledge of history, giving Sullivan a transparent shortcut when such elements need to be divulged. Nothing is held back, all information about the situation being clearly stated to the reader at the first opportunity where it is relevant, leaving no mystique and sapping the suspense, such that by a short time before the final climactic moments, all of the who and the why is answered, leaving only the how.
Sullivan has a sufficiently inventive story, though, that the how does manage to carry it – Hadrian and Royce are frequently unpredictable, their solutions clever and tidy, making it impossible not to root for them.
The story is fairly straightforward – while there are, at times, nuances that leave the reader guessing, Sullivan dispenses with complicated side-plots or subtle undercurrents and political webs, making the story accessible and easy to read.
Overall, I’d give The Crown Conspiracy 7/10.
I wrote a review for our fearless leader Black Dragon's new book about characters The Mythic Guide to Characters. You can find it on Amazon or Barnes&Nobles. Please check out the links for the full review, but the short version is here below:
1. Loved the analyzing of different ways to develop characters
2. Great, pertinent examples from fantasy literature and popular culture
3. Easy, accessible language and explanation of concepts
4. Link to Character Sheets for applying the book's contents
5. Overall informative and interesting read for anyone who loves fantasy, or more specifically, fantasy writing (which is why we're all here
)
Check out the full reviews:
Amazon.com: Profile For Philip Overby: Reviews
BARNES & NOBLE | The Mythic Guide to Characters by Antonio del Drago | NOOK Book (eBook), Paperback
1. Loved the analyzing of different ways to develop characters
2. Great, pertinent examples from fantasy literature and popular culture
3. Easy, accessible language and explanation of concepts
4. Link to Character Sheets for applying the book's contents
5. Overall informative and interesting read for anyone who loves fantasy, or more specifically, fantasy writing (which is why we're all here
)Check out the full reviews:
Amazon.com: Profile For Philip Overby: Reviews
BARNES & NOBLE | The Mythic Guide to Characters by Antonio del Drago | NOOK Book (eBook), Paperback
Sparkie
Dark Lord
Thanks, Phil! I also got to read The Mythic Guide to Characters, and it's good. Real good. Check out my review here:
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
BWFoster78
Mythic Scribe
I'm behind. I haven't even opened it yet.
Hopefully this weekend.
So much time, so little to do. Wait. Stop. Reverse that.
Hopefully this weekend.
So much time, so little to do. Wait. Stop. Reverse that.
Sparkie
Dark Lord
I love that movie.
Sparkie
Dark Lord
My Review of The Rage Within by Kassan Warrad
One of the primary aspects of Fantasy fiction that keeps drawing me back to the genre is world building. For me, it creates a sense of discovery that no other kind of story is capable of producing. Kassan Warrad has created a fascinating world, and he shows us a little piece of it here in this bit of short fiction.
The Rage Within is the story of Aulog, a commander of a group of Dagoran berserker warriors called Ragers. The main events of the story revolve around a battle to defend a helpless village from an invading army. Typical Fantasy stuff, sure, but Warrad manages to write it nicely and give us a look at his Call of Heroes setting in the process.
The first chapter feels a little heavy to me, like Warrad tried to pack too much material into too little space. I got the main points contained within, however, so I found no real problems there. The second chapter is where things start to get fun. I like well written battle scenes, and I came away from this one liking what I read. The third and final chapter wraps up the story while providing, I think, the best glimpse of Aulog as a character.
Admittedly, I did have a passing familiarity with Warrad’s Call of Heroes universe before reading this tale, having visited the dedicated website on occasion. While having prior knowledge of the setting is not necessary to enjoy the book, it did help in my case. After finishing the story, I got the feeling that what I’d just partaken of was a smaller part of a whole. That said, The Rage Within is an awfully good slice.
p.s. Here's a link to the book on Amazon.com
One of the primary aspects of Fantasy fiction that keeps drawing me back to the genre is world building. For me, it creates a sense of discovery that no other kind of story is capable of producing. Kassan Warrad has created a fascinating world, and he shows us a little piece of it here in this bit of short fiction.
The Rage Within is the story of Aulog, a commander of a group of Dagoran berserker warriors called Ragers. The main events of the story revolve around a battle to defend a helpless village from an invading army. Typical Fantasy stuff, sure, but Warrad manages to write it nicely and give us a look at his Call of Heroes setting in the process.
The first chapter feels a little heavy to me, like Warrad tried to pack too much material into too little space. I got the main points contained within, however, so I found no real problems there. The second chapter is where things start to get fun. I like well written battle scenes, and I came away from this one liking what I read. The third and final chapter wraps up the story while providing, I think, the best glimpse of Aulog as a character.
Admittedly, I did have a passing familiarity with Warrad’s Call of Heroes universe before reading this tale, having visited the dedicated website on occasion. While having prior knowledge of the setting is not necessary to enjoy the book, it did help in my case. After finishing the story, I got the feeling that what I’d just partaken of was a smaller part of a whole. That said, The Rage Within is an awfully good slice.
p.s. Here's a link to the book on Amazon.com