'Writing for me is not about speeling, grammar or punctuation – that’s why we have editors.... No, writing for me is the ability to capture a story and put it in words.' - Fantasy Muse
Fimbulwinter (Daniel Black) E.William Brown.
Front Cover
Synopsis
Summoned to a world in the midst of apocalypse, Daniel Black would have his hands full just staying alive. Add in refugees, desperate soldiers, scheming nobles and a pair of thoroughly wicked witches, and life is going to be very busy indeed. Good thing he has magic of his own to even the scales. But will even that be enough?
Warning: This novel contains graphic violence, inventive sex, unconventional opinions and a protagonist who has no interest in being normal. Read at your own risk.
My Opinion
After a brief hiatus from fantasy I've finally returned. Fimbulwinter centres on Daniel Black who has just lost his computer programming job and on that same day returns to his home to find his wife cheating on him. And if you think his life can't get any worse, well, you'll be mistaken - he gets locked up in jail for a night before being run over by a pickup-truck. But fate does offer him a helping hand. The goddess Hecate offers to heal him in return for protecting a girl. She also gifts him with whatever magic he wishes. And so the story properly starts when he is thrust into this new world.
I normally avoid reading stories where a person from a modern world get's thrown into a fantasy setting. They're normally pretty cliche and more D&D to read and while this book could be said the same I enjoyed the author's witty and direct writing. The pace of the book was swift and never really allowed time for your mind to wander as the story moved from scene to another without lingering on any one moment. And that was great for me as I wasn't looking for something elaborate to read.
The story is told in 1st person through Daniel but that didn't impeach other characters depth and involvement, which is usually the case with 1st person writing.
This is a indie book and there were the odd typo found here or there but nothing extensive or detrimental to the story.
A word of warning, this book is intended for a more mature audience and I was hard pressed not to find a sexual reference/innuendo per page. But it didn't border to gratuitous levels (although it was pretty close).
Also in the story woman are more or less treated as sexual objects and are mostly vivacious sirens. I didn't like that and I can imagine feminist liking it even less. But I can see what the author was thinking. He based his fantasy world on a medieval type setting and woman weren't treated equally during those times.
Conclusion
A fast, exhilarating story that's ideal for those looking for something quick and fun to read. I rather enjoyed this book, despite some of its flaws, but I can easily imagine it not being to others taste.
Out of 10 Stars:
6 Stars
***
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Last Stand: Surviving America's Collapse by William.H Weber
Front Cover
Blurb
John Mack, a prepper and former soldier, struggles to save his family and community after an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) takes out the country’s electrical grid. With most electronics, communications and transportation destroyed in a matter of seconds, the nation quickly collapses into anarchy.
For John and the other residents of Willow Creek Drive, the breakdown of social order throws them back to the 1800s. As the community tries to come together, a powerful outside force appears that threatens their survival.
Will John’s years of military and prepping experience be enough to keep them safe?
Mixing tons of useful prepping tips into an action-packed story, Last Stand: Surviving America's Collapse is a must-read for any fans of survival fiction.
My Review
For some reason I've developed a sudden craving for post-apocalyptic stories and whilst browsing through Amazon this book caught my eye. The title really is self explanatory and focuses on an America that is suffering from an EMP attack. The story centres on John and his family as they try to survive in a world where all electrical items have become meaningless.
As post-apoc books go this one follows in a similar vain to most others, i.e. ex-military man who happens to be a survival nut. But I enjoyed the book nonetheless. The writing was crisp, purposeful and didn't waffle about on flowery prose. The storyline was enjoyable and flowed nicely at a natural pace. And I even appreciated the fact that the author didn't try and write an encyclopaedia on every gun the main character used.
What I also liked was that Weber kept the book relatively light in terms of violence and didn't resort to cheap shock tactics to try and enhance the plot.
The story was told in first person which added depth to John's character but as a result it blunted everyone else's personality and in the end they just felt like cardboard cut-outs.
Conclusion
For those of you looking for a short post-apoc book to read over the weekend or on holiday then I definitely recommend this book. It's not heavy and the pages do fly by.
Out of 10 Stars:
7 Stars
***
But it here:
