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Tag Archives: Book Club

Cloud Atlas Book Review by Ciara Ballintyne

15 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by David Lowry in Book Reviews, News

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Australia, Authors, Book Club, Book Publishing, Book Review, Ciara Ballintyne, Cloud Atlas, Club Fantasci, David Lowry, David Mitchell, Fantasy, The Lowry Agency, Writers

Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas is a difficult book to pin down, a difficult book to explain in any way that makes sense, and ultimately difficult to read.

The book is actually six intertwined stories. Each story is interrupted halfway, and each successive character, further along in history, knows something of the previous character. As the story of the last character completes, he learns the rest of the story of the character previous to him, and so on until we arrive back at the end of the first character’s story.

The first character is Adam Ewing, a public notary on-board a ship in the South Pacific in 1850, whose story is recorded as journal entries.

Robert Frobisher takes over the second story. He is a struggling bisexual musician disowned by his father in 1931 and seeking employment in Belgium with dying composer Vyvyan Ayrs. His story is told by means of letters to his old lover Rufus Sixsmith, and he mentions the discovery of half the journal of Adam Ewing.

Luisa Rey, a journalist in 1975, meets Rufus Sixsmith and subsequently investigates the safety of a nuclear power plant. She receives half of Frobisher’s letters from Sixsmith. Her story is told in the style of a mystery thriller.

Timothy Cavendish, the fourth character, is a vanity publisher in Britain in the present day, who flees his gangster creditors and is tricked by his brother into a nursing home from which he must escape. During the course of his story, he reads a book submission – Half-Lives: the First Luisa Rey Mystery.

The fifth character, Somni~451, is a genetically modified clone in the future. She was designed and created specifically to serve in Papa Song’s restaurants for a period of 12 years, after which each server is released to paradise in Hawaii. Clones are created specific to their role, unable to reproduce, or even think in many cases, and kept sedated and docile to serve the whims of the ‘purebloods’. This story is set in Neo So Copros, which turns out to be Korea, but the ‘corpocracy’ (corporate culture elevated to the status of religion) appears to be world-wide, with references to Africa as a ‘Production Zone’. Her story is told as the recordings of a condemned woman’s last words, and during her tale she mentions watching a film, ‘The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish’.

The sixth character, Zachry, exists in a post-apocalyptic world which has descended back into a largely uncivilised state with limited technological resources. Somni is the goddess to whom his people pray, and during the course of his life, he watches the recordings of Somni’s last words and learns the truth about her. It is at the end of his tale, when he sits down to watch the last half of Somni’s tale, that the order of stories reverses.

While this is clever, and well-executed, and each character has their own distinct voice and way of speaking, it also doesn’t make for the easiest read. Adam Ewing uses the dialect of the time, making it hard to read and difficult to engage. As the first story, it made it difficult for me to get into the book. The last character, Zachry, also uses a distorted version of our language and this was extremely difficult for me to understand at first, although I found eventually my brain became accustomed to it and read it easily.

Once I moved on to Frobisher’s letters, I was far more engaged in the story and keen to keep reading, but each story broke off at a critical point. While this is a common technique to hook the reader, in this case I didn’t know if I was ever going to come back to that character, and I was reluctant to engage with the next character. By the time I came back to each story, particular Frobisher and Ewing, I found I couldn’t even recall what had happened.

The prose is flawless, but perhaps too obviously so, remaining in the foreground to flaunt itself rather than fading invisibly into the background and leaving the reader to enjoy the story. As for enjoying the story, while I did enjoy it, not as much as I could have done. Some of the characters are obviously doomed from the beginning, making it difficult to really commit to that character, and ultimately I found I didn’t care about their ends.

Part of that, I think, is that the book isn’t obviously about anything. After some thought, I had to conclude that what the book was about was the human predilection to violence and selfishness at the expense of our fellows. A worthy topic, but hardly one that inspires enjoyment. A story should be about its characters, so the reader connects with them, empathises with them, and cheers them on.

Many other speculative fiction books deal with difficult topics – Pratchett, for example, deals with racism through the device of speciesism in the city of Ankh-Morpork and specifically the issue of which species can apply to be in the City Watch. But never would anyone pick up a Discworld book and declare ‘this book is about racism’. Because it’s not, it’s about the characters, with themes of racism. Cloud Atlas, however, is about its themes, because the stories are only incidental to the theme. The characters and their ends are not important in and of themselves, but only as a means to make a point.

I’m not saying the book isn’t well-written. It is, impressively so, and the author pulls of literary feats that are technically awesome. I’m not saying the book isn’t enjoyable. It is, and I did, but perhaps not in the same way that I enjoy my favourites.

However, I do believe the book was written for a very select audience, and if you’re not part of that audience, you might not appreciate this book. I don’t believe I’m part of that audience, and while the book was generally enjoyable, perhaps not enough to make up for the effort required to read it.

Ciara Ballyntine

Ciara is a writer of high fantasy. A fantasy lover from her early years, this loyal, passionate, quirky, strong-willed, confident woman is bent on world domination and already has a couple of minions in the making. Born argumentative and recognizing the long road to make money out of writing, Ciara wisely invested her natural inclinations in a career in law. Her favourite authors include Terry Goodkind, Terry Pratchett, Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan and Brent Weeks. She is the official dragon expert of #stabbylove.

More information about Ciara Ballintyne can be found on www.ciaraballintyne.com

Dionne Lister Interviews with HumorOutcasts Radio

12 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by David Lowry in News

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Authors, Book Club, Books, Club Fantasci, Dionne Lister, HumorOutcasts Radio, Interviews, Writers

Dionne Lister

Dionne Lister

I always love when author Dionne Lister stops by from Sydney, Australia. Dionne is an award-winning writer, editor and podcast host.  She is the author of  Shadows of the Realm: The Circle of Talia (Volume 1), A Time of Darkness (The Circle of Talia)  and the upcoming third installment of this riveting trilogy which is  due out in early 2014.  She  paints a vivid and scary picture with her horror and suspense short stories ( Dark Spaces) too.  You can follow Dionne on Twitter@DionneLister  and on Facebook.  

You will laugh out loud listening to her TweepsNation   podcast  she co-hosts with her partner in crime Amber Jerome Norrgard .   Sit back and enjoy this laid back and fun interview.  If you would like to read some of Dionne’s work, check out her blog.

Here the interview here: http://humoroutcasts.com/2013/humoroutcasts-radio-interview-with-dionne-lister/

Find out more about Dionne Lister here: www.dionnelisterwriter.wordpress.com

 

Kitty in the Underworld Review by Tonya Cannariato

10 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by David Lowry in Book Reviews, News

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Book Club, Book Review, Carrie Vaughn, Club Fantasci, Fantasy, Kitty in the Underworld, Paranormal Romance, Tonya Cannariato

Kitty in the Underworld

Kitty in the Underworld

Since my cohorts here were all talking about werewolves and investigators this month, and I enjoyed reading the male perspective of Fool Moon, I thought I’d offer a counterpoint in Kitty and The Midnight Hour, by Carrie Vaughn. This is the first in a long-running series, the next of which is due to be published in just a few weeks. In fact, if you want a sneak preview (warning: if you haven’t read any of the books, there will be spoilers!) of what’s coming in book 12, the author has posted the first chapter at her site: http://www.carrievaughn.com/kitty12.htm.

From the back cover, to give you a quick introduction to what hooked me on this first of the series story:

“Vampires. Werewolves. Talk Radio.

“Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station–and a werewolf in the closet. Sick of lame song requests, she accidentally starts “The Midnight Hour,” a late-night advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged.

“After desperate vampires, werewolves, and witches across the country begin calling in to share their woes, her new show is a raging success. But it’s Kitty who can use some help. With one sexy werewolf-hunter and a few homicidal undead on her tail, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew.”

Because of the extensive quotes from her interactions with her listeners, the story is both fast-paced and humorous. We’re invested in Kitty’s story from very early on, as she shares the horror of her unwanted transformation and the dark dysfunction of her pack. For as funny as her banter is with her batty listeners, her relationship with the other wolves is violent and coarse. The descriptions of those interactions are not for the faint of heart.

The best part of this series, from my perspective, is how the characters evolve. This is no Stephanie Plum (from Janet Evanovich), where there’s a set schtick book in and book out–and no personal growth. Who Kitty starts as at the beginning of each of these books and who she evolves into by the end of them is both plausible (so long as you’re suspending your disbelief about werewolves’ existence!) and logical. You’re rooting for her to really grow into the best version of herself–and she manages to do that despite all the obstacles and plots running against her.

I enthusiastically recommend this to anyone looking for a strong female protagonist and an unusual take on the urban fantasy genre. There’s enough paranormal romance to satisfy that side of her personal growth, but the stories really focus on how she fits herself into a world not unlike the one we know–with mysteries taken out of other elements of the paranormal, similar to what Butcher does with his Dresden Files series.

Tonya Cannariato

Tonya Cannariato

A voracious reader since she was a toddler, and an ordained spiritualist, Tonya Cannariato has now presided over the marriage of her love of reading and her love of writing. She’s lived a nomadic life, following first her parents in their Foreign Service career through Africa, Europe, and Asia, and then her own nose criss-crossing America as she’s gotten old enough to make those choices for herself. She’s currently based in Milwaukee with her three loves: her husband and two Siberian Huskies. She suspects her Huskies of mystical alchemy with their joyous liberation of her muse and other magical beings for her inspiration. She loves to sleep, to watch her interesting dreams, some of which are now finding new life in written form.

You can find out more about Tonya Cannariato here: http://www.tmycann.com

“Fool Moon” by Jim Butcher Review by Dionne Lister

08 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by David Lowry in Book Reviews, News, The Dresden Files

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Book Club, Book Review, Club Fantasci, Dionne Lister, Fool Moon, Jim Butcher, The Dresden Files

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

I was expecting great things from this novel since it’s a famous television series. I have been informed that the writing improves and the other books are better than this one. I wonder if I’m too picky these days because I know a lot of people loved this book and I do realise that no book is perfect.

 

Things I liked were: the fast pace after the couple of slower first chapters; it was a page-turner at times, although not all the time. The variety of characters was wide and they all had very distinct personalities. It was easy to read—I didn’t have to think too much (kind of like a tv show ;)) and there were a few twists and turns to the plot.

 

So, what didn’t I like about it, or felt could have been done better? This book had been proofread but, in my opinion, not edited. Why do I say that? Because the writing needed tightening. There was a lot of repetition with words and descriptions, unnecessary words and too much telling, not showing. Sometimes the character beat us over the head with information we already knew because he was explaining something we’d already seen to another character. The editing issues frustrated me and slowed the book down at certain places and made the main character look a bit stupid.

 

The other irritating thing was the character’s ability to luck into escape every time. He would be on the brink of possible death and at the last second some miracle would occur that would get him out of the situation. I can understand this kind of scenario being used once in a book, but it happened a lot. It made me think luck was way more to blame for his ultimate success than his talent or intelligence. I get that a flawed character is realistic, and I agree, but the character really should be a bit more talented at what he does if he’s the best magician-for-hire in the city.

 

My advice is, if you want a fun read, go for it, but if you want tight writing, you may end up frustrated. I think this may be a case of accepting a book for the market it’s aimed at and genre it is, but it would have been nice if the publishers insisted on editing the book properly, because no writer writes the best book they can the first time (yes, I’m making an assumption here and it would be interesting to ask the publisher what steps they took with this book). I liked the book enough that I may try the next book in the series to see if the advice I received about the improved writing is correct.

Dionne Lister

Dionne Lister

Dionne is an author and editor from Sydney who loves reading (obviously) and playing sport. She co-hosts a humorous podcast called Tweep Nation where she interviews authors and discusses all things Twitter. She loves writing and sharing her stories, but she wishes they wouldn’t keep her awake at night.

More information about Dionne Lister can be found here: www.dionnelisterwriter.wordpress.com

 

 

 

 

July’s Book of the Month “Cloud Atlas” by David Mitchell

03 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by David Lowry in News, Previous Books of the Month

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Book Club, Ciara Ballintyne, Cloud Atlas, Club Fantasci, David Lowry, David Mitchell, Dionne Lister, Fantasy, Melody Ann Jones-Kaufman, Science Fiction, The Lowry Agency

Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas

A reluctant voyager crossing the Pacific in 1850; a disinherited composer blagging a precarious livelihood in between-the-wars Belgium; a high-minded journalist in Governor Reagan’s California; a vanity publisher fleeing his gangland creditors; a genetically modified “dinery server” on death-row; and Zachry, a young Pacific Islander witnessing the nightfall of science and civilisation—the narrators of Cloud Atlas hear each other’s echoes down the corridor of history, and their destinies are changed in ways great and small.
In his captivating third novel, David Mitchell erases the boundaries of language, genre and time to offer a meditation on humanity’s dangerous will to power, and where it may lead us.

The Hangout for this book will take place on August 2nd, 2013 at 7:30pm CST.

“Fool Moon” by Jim Butcher Review by Ciara Ballintyne

01 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by David Lowry in Book Reviews, News, The Dresden Files

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Book Club, Book Review, Ciara Ballintyne, Club Fantasci, Fool Moon, Harry Dresden, Jim Butcher, The Dresden Files

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

Meet Harry Dresden, wizard for hire in the city of Chicago, and sometime consultant to the Special Investigations Department of the Chicago Police Department. In bad odour with his police liaison, Murphy, he is nevertheless called in to help investigate a series of murders that took place around the full moon. Did somebody say werewolf?

The story is fast-paced, in pursuit of the killer – or is it killers? – before any more innocents are torn to shreds. There are plenty of suspects, but something doesn’t feel right about MacFinn, who seems a shoo-in for the honour. While the deaths match his modus operandi, he is a strictly full moon kind of guy, and some of the deaths have occurred a few nights before or after. Who could be setting him up? Things are complicated by the fact the FBI keep trying to shut the local police out of the investigation, and Murphy herself is under investigation by Internal Affairs, who consider Dresden a charlatan.

The story is a little slow to start, but once it gets going it careens from one plot point to the next, with plenty of thrills, kills and excitement, and enough mystery and plot twists to keep you guessing. One of the backstory sub-plots is intriguing enough to make me consider reading the sequels, just to find out what happens, notwithstanding the rest of my comments below. About halfway through, the speed really cranks up, and the story just carries you along, caught in its grip. Some of the best scenes are the action scenes, which sweep you along like a wave.

Despite that, I never really connected with the narrator, Harry Dresden. For someone who strikes deals with demons on a regular basis, and assists the police in pursuit of bloodthirsty supernatural killers, he sure is sensitive. A little fear is reasonable, but Dresden seemed to dwell on it in a way that made me think if he was really that high-strung, he would have given up his career long before now. Later in the book he says he’s able to think past fear, but her never actually gave me that impression. My failure to properly connect with him meant I didn’t much care what happened to him, and I certainly felt no sense of satisfaction when he ‘got the girl’. I kept reading purely out of curiosity to know the answers to all the questions.

The ‘voice’ of the character never really worked for me either. To start with, I don’t ever feel we really go deep enough into the character to allow the first person point of view to colour and pervade the entire story, and secondly the voice seems inappropriate. Dresden ‘teeters’ and ‘trumpets’ in a way that is inconsistent with my notion of a powerful wizard – at least one who fancies women. If he was a particular type of gay guy, I’d have no issue with these descriptors, or the fact that he says he ‘decorates in textures rather than colours’, but I have yet to meet the heterosexual man who would even admit to decorating.

In addition, he gets lucky far too often, and the fact he berated himself for being an idiot on about three separate occasions in the first third of the book had me pretty well convinced he was an idiot! Despite the fact it was obvious to me almost immediately that the killer was a loup-garou (or was intended to look like one), Dresden didn’t pick up on that fact until it was in his face, nor the fact Tera Hill was a wolf in sheep’s clothing – I mean, human clothing. The odd way she spoke and the way she moved made that pretty obvious, but Dresden was so far behind me it wasn’t funny. It’s good for readers to guess answers, but it’s bad if the protagonist is so far behind he looks stupid.

Butcher’s writing is functional and workmanlike, being most effective in the action scenes, but hardly high art, and the book could also have done with a thorough edit, being littered with issues such as:

  • ‘Saidisms’, such as ‘stammered’, ‘gasped’, ‘hissed’, my personal eye-roll favourite ‘thundered’ and so forth instead of the perfectly serviceable ‘said’, or even better, use of an action tag;
  • Mixed metaphors and inconsistent descriptions – one character ‘glides’ in a ‘long lope’ – in my opinion you can glide, or you can lope, but you can’t do both at once. Similarly at one point Dresden says his heartbeat is ‘relaxed and steady with excitement’. Is it just me, or are you either relaxed or excited but not both at once?;
  • Use of redundant words like ‘that’; and
  • Passive language.

If you’re particular about the quality of the writing, these issues may make it difficult for you to really get into the book until about halfway, if you make it that far. If you’re not so picky, and you’re just looking for a good fast story, it’s definitely worth your time.

Ciara Ballyntine

Ciara is a writer of high fantasy. A fantasy lover from her early years, this loyal, passionate, quirky, strong-willed, confident woman is bent on world domination and already has a couple of minions in the making. Born argumentative and recognising the long road to make money out of writing, Ciara wisely invested her natural inclinations in a career in law. Her favourite authors include Terry Goodkind, Terry Pratchett, Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan and Brent Weeks. She is the official dragon expert of #stabbylove.

More information about Ciara Ballintyne can be found on www.ciaraballintyne.com

 

 

 

 

June Book of the Month “Fool Moon” Hangout

28 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by David Lowry in Book Reviews, Monthly Hangouts, News, The Dresden Files

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Book Club, Ciara Ballintyne, Club Fantasci, David Lowry, Dionne Lister, Fool Moon, Jim Butcher, Melody Ann Jones-Kaufman, The Dresden Files, urban fantasy

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

Business has been slow. Okay, business has been dead. And not even of the undead variety. You would think Chicago would have a little more action for the only professional wizard in the phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn’t been able to dredge up any kind of work — magical or mundane.

But just when it looks like he can’t afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise.

A brutally mutilated corpse. Strange-looking paw prints. A full moon. Take three guesses — and the first two don’t count…

You can find out more about Jim Butcher here: www.jim-butcher.com

View the Hangout here: 

Waylander by David Gemmell Review by Ciara Ballintyne

06 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by David Lowry in Book Reviews

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Australia, Authors, Book Club, Book Publishers, Book Publishing, Book Review, Books, Ciara Ballintyne, Club Fantasci, Dark Fantasy, David Gemmell, David Lowry, Dionne Lister, dystopian, Epic, Epic Fantasy, Erotica, Fantasy, Horror, Indie authors, Lycans, Militaristic Science Fiction, Monsters, Nashville, Paranormal, Reading, Romance, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Steampunk, Supernatural, Supernatural Romance, The Lowry Agency, urban fantasy, Vampires, Waylander, Werewolves, Writers

Waylander by David Gemmell

Waylander by David Gemmell

The basic story idea of Waylander is like a picture of a Big Mac – perfect, juicy, mouth-watering, and oh so tempting. The book itself, unfortunately, is the sad, squashed reality handed to you in the drive thru.

Waylander is an infamous assassin, whose conscience is touched – literally – by the purity of the priest Dardalion, whom Waylander incidentally saves in pursuit of his stolen horse. Waylander’s walk towards the light would have been more compelling if it had been by conscious choice rather than appearing to be by ‘infection’ with Dardalion’s purity. At the same time, Dardalion is tainted by Waylander’s amorality and abandons his pacifist stance, taking up weapons in defence of the innocent – to the horror of most of his brother priests.

Waylander is approached by the old King of Drenai, and father of the king he murdered, to find and retrieve his fabled ‘Armour of Bronze’. The armour has no special powers, but could serve as a rallying point for Egel, the general leading the failing Drenai army against the invading Vagrian forces. Although there is no particular reason for him to agree, Waylander does so, even though he is assured of almost certain death in the attempt.

While David Gemmell clearly has some understanding of the elements of a good story, his execution into the written word is clumsy at best. There is rarely any sense of setting, and then when there is, it is insufficient for the reader to feel they are present. Many of the characters are poorly defined and indistinguishable from each other. Some minor characters seem to have received more development than they should, while some major characters languished from neglect. Dialogue was short and sharp, with no identifying characteristics to identify the speaker; it suffered from ‘talking heads syndrome’ and the characters were indistinguishable. Some characters act in ways which defy logic or reason, apparently behaving in that way solely because it suited the author. The romance is handled clumsily, and the characters fall into each other’s arms with a suddenness that is unconvincing. In fact, I was more convinced she’d happily cut his throat and never shed a tear.

Some of the most interesting parts of the book are Waylander’s explanation of the nature of fear, and his philosophical attitude towards it, and Dardalion’s exposition on why taking up arms in defence of the innocent is more of a sacrifice than merely allowing himself to be killed for the benefit of no one.

While I was not impressed with the book this time around, I did enjoy it a lot more when I was a teenager, and David Gemmell is amazingly popular, so his books do appeal to a certain audience. If you’re in your teens, or simply enjoy your fantasy straightforward, uncomplicated and limited to a single book, this may still be worth your time.

Ciara BallyntineCiara is a writer of high fantasy. A fantasy lover from her early years, this loyal, passionate, quirky, strong-willed, confident woman is bent on world domination and already has a couple of minions in the making. Born argumentative and recognising the long road to make money out of writing, Ciara wisely invested her natural inclinations in a career in law. Her favourite authors include Terry Goodkind, Terry Pratchett, Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan and Brent Weeks. She is the official dragon expert of #stabbylove.

More information about Ciara Ballintyne can be found on www.ciaraballintyne.com

Waylander Book Review by Dionne Lister

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by David Lowry in Book Reviews

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Australia, Authors, Book Club, Book Publishers, Book Publishing, Book Review, Books, Ciara Ballintyne, Club Fantasci, Dark Fantasy, David Gemmell, David Lowry, Dionne Lister, dystopian, Epic, Epic Fantasy, Erotica, Fantasy, Horror, Indie authors, Lycans, Militaristic Science Fiction, Monsters, Nashville, Paranormal, Reading, Romance, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Steampunk, Supernatural, Supernatural Romance, The Lowry Agency, urban fantasy, Vampires, Waylander, Werewolves, Wine, Writers

Waylander

This book starts with action and keeps up the pace pretty much the whole way through. I did enjoy the book because I liked the characters, however there were many things that irked me, which was a surprise because for years I had seen David Gemmell’s books around and always though I should read this author’s work.

I found the dialogue unnatural. The characters spoke in a stilted, clipped fashion, which would normally indicate anger, or that the person wants the conversation to end as soon as possible.

The amount of typos was irritating. It is normal to find a handful of things that slip through the proofreading cracks, but this was ridiculous, especially for a traditionally published, supposedly big-name author. Several times whole words were incorrect—one sentence had “it it” instead of “to it” for instance. Quotation marks were frequently left out, either before or after speech, and a couple of times I came across whole sentences that just didn’t make sense.

I found the way Waylander was saved on two occasions to be too contrived and convenient and the way the book ended was disappointing—not only were there massive tragedies (overdone I feel) that didn’t make me shed one tear, but the ending was over within three or four pages. It was almost as if it was a screenplay, not a novel.

A positive thing was that I had a good sense of the personality of Waylander and I wanted his character to survive. I would say this is an okay read, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a book you need to rush out and read.

Dionne Lister

Dionne Lister

Dionne is an author and editor from Sydney who loves reading (obviously) and playing sport. She co-hosts a humorous podcast called Tweep Nation where she interviews authors and discusses all things Twitter. She loves writing and sharing her stories, but she wishes they wouldn’t keep her awake at night.

More information about Dionne Lister can be found here: www.dionnelisterwriter.wordpress.com

 

 

 

 

Tonya Cannariato Joins The Club Fantasci Team as a Reviewer

01 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by David Lowry in News

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Book Club, Book Reviews, Club Fantasci, Tonya Cannarioto

Tonya Cannarioto

Tonya Cannarioto

Club Fantasci is happy to welcome Tonya Cannariato to the team! Tonya will be writing book reviews for Club Fantasci on a regular basis. Please help us in welcoming Tonya to the team!

Bio

A voracious reader since she was a toddler, and an ordained spiritualist, Tonya Cannariato has now presided over the marriage of her love of reading and her love of writing. She’s lived a nomadic life, following first her parents in their Foreign Service career through Africa, Europe, and Asia, and then her own nose criss-crossing America as she’s gotten old enough to make those choices for herself. She’s currently based in Milwaukee with her three loves: her husband and two Siberian Huskies. She suspects her Huskies of mystical alchemy with their joyous liberation of her muse and other magical beings for her inspiration. She loves to sleep, to watch her interesting dreams, some of which are now finding new life in written form.

You can find out more about Tonya here: http://www.tmycann.com/

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