Joshua Blum (2)

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

In a lot of ways, this book is cool and different, taking overused fantasy tropes and turning them on their heads. However, it is also quite tell-y. Some of that could just be the style, but it always rubs me the wrong way while reading something that tells me instead of showing me. The spelling and grammar are mostly smooth and well-done, with a few typos scattered throughout, however the characters don’t talk like real people. Huge sections of beautiful prose are interspersed with awkward, poorly written, sections.

Each time the POV changes, the text colour changes too. While this makes it much easier to follow than some books I’ve read that are full of annoying head jumping, I personally found the different coloured text to be distracting and affected. Also, several times pages end in the middle of a scene… or even a sentence. This tells me that whoever formatted this into an ebook needs to do a bit more work making it read smoothly.

Besides the dialogue sounding like they’re constantly quoting something, many of the conversations are very difficult to follow. With only dialogue and no ‘stage directions’ it’s hard to keep track of who’s saying what, especially if there’s more than two characters in the scene. However, there are a few lines that I really liked. For example: ‘he held up a finger as if to say, “I’m not finished yet,” which had always seemed like an asshole move to me.’ Yes, I’ve always thought that’s an asshole thing to do.

The epilogue is pretty much an elongated moral like at the end of Aesop’s fables. I think the story would be better if the epilogue was cut back a lot or trashed completely. This could be simply personal taste, though. Maybe there are people who like to read a long moral at the end of a book. I found it boring.

Overall, this was a pretty good story, though it could use a good edit to tighten it up and cut a lot of the words. It took me a lot longer to read than a book of this length usually does, and I think a good cut would make it easier and faster to read. However, if you like a fantasy but are sick of the tired old tropes, this would be a good choice.
… (meer)

(I have received this ARC from the Author in exchange for my honest review.)

This may have been a short read but it captured my attention from the start and didn't lose hold until the end.

A hunter of no name, lost, hungry and cold; stumbles upon an amateur wizard trying to cast himself invisible, only for the hunter to mess it up and cause himself, in a sense, to be cursed by the unsuccessful spell.

I will give no more away, because no one likes a story spoiled.

I very much liked the world that Mr. Blum has created. In those short pages he manages to paint a vivid pictured that sets the right building blocks to get our minds run wild. I had no trouble picturing the landscape that he painted, nor was I ever confused.

The mage, the fumble that he is, is my favourite charter in this short. He's a mess, but at the same time he's got this I-don't-give-a-f**k vibe going on. Points.

Then ending is sweet but there is a spoiler of a sort that suckered punched my feels a little too heard. Not cool, not cool. -_-

I highly recommend this little short. It's sweet, fun, vivid and alive. A hidden love story and the setup for his novel The Thirteenth Hour , you will not be disappointed. I personally can’t wait to dive into that amazing world of magic.

Thank you Joshua Blum for choosing me to advance read this intriguing world, and for setting the stage, in my head, for when I read The Thirteenth Hour.

Happy Reading

-Emily
… (meer)

(I have received this ARC from the Author in exchange for my honest review.)

                 A look into the mind of an old king, one who has cetin regrets about, how as a youth he was not the finest or of the kindest of rulers.

This short takes place years after Mr. Blum's full length novel, The Thirteenth Hour. We are taken into a King's bedchamber, where he cannot sleep. Too much of his fool-hearted past is on his mind. Too much regret, sadness, and loneliness.

I will say no more, because I will end up ruining it.

As I started to read, Mr. Blum once again painted an extraordinary picture of fall colors and falling leaves. His skill that creates such lucid images, in so few words, carries on as he draws us deeper into the depressed world that is the kings. As the story moves forward the vividity does not stop until the last word is read.

I could clearly picture the old man as he stood by the breezy window, dissatisfied with his lot in life. I could feel the dying heat in the cold stone fireplace and the bight of cold fall wind. I could almost touch the falling leaves as they flew again and again into his room.

The book is as its title suggests, and I will give you one quote that will make you contemplate your own life.

"This falling leaf had shed no tears; its station in life was to be a leaf, destined to fall. But leaves did not spend their lives complaining about how rotten a hand they had drawn; they just went about living the best they could. Then they went about falling. There was no shame in that."

Captivated by these few word, I felt clam and thrilled that Mr. Blum chose me read this stunning short in advance. I would like to thank him for sharing his colourful words and deep feelings about our lot in life.

There is about half way, a little Easter egg that will have you smiling and going "I see what you did there".

I highly recommend this short, like A Shadow In the Moonlight you will not be disappointed.

Thank You Again

Happy Reading

-Emily… (meer)