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Jacob Gowans

Autor(a) de Psion Beta

10 Works 280 Membros 8 Críticas

About the Author

Includes the name: Jacob Gowans

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Obras por Jacob Gowans

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Conhecimento Comum

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male

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I decided to read this for two reasons: 1) the first book in the series this is a prequel to ([b:A Tale of Light and Shadow|21929537|A Tale of Light and Shadow (A Tale of Light and Shadow, #1)|Jacob Gowans|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1401837133l/21929537._SY75_.jpg|41228647]A Tale of Light and Shadow) will be at Book Expo this year and 2) it was free fantasy. I don't turn down free fantasy if the story is at least halfway interesting to me.

Honestly though I almost stopped after the first 20% on my Kindle. There wasn't anything in particular so wrong with it, the writing just didn't catch me. Gowans starts with Henry and Ruther running from some Zapperbees (yes they are what you think they are) and then paints broad strokes of story exposition and character development. Gowans does a lot of telling in the first 15% or so and that gets annoying.

I kept reading though, mostly to see what a "dragonox" was and who the fool turned out to be (its Henry, and yeah I'd have to agree he was pretty foolish). I also wanted to know why Maggie disliked Ruther so much. Her entire manner is antagonistic and dismissive, so even if Henry didn't say she disliked Ruther it would have been very obvious.

I found out one and not the other unfortunately.

By the end I became intrigued enough to read the short excerpt from the first book and decided I definitely wanted to know what was going on. While the world building isn't deep in this prequel novella, there's enough to give it some mystery. Its largely a typical euro-medieval type fantasy setting and that's all I know about it. The politics, culture and society aren't a large part of either the novella or excerpt from the first book included, but readers of fantasy can fill in the blanks well enough to get along.

I'm a romantic enough to want to see if Henry and Isabelle end up together can we kill her father? I think we'd all be happier and what is up with Ruther. He sounded...bitter in the excerpt. Really bitter. This rather followed in the novella as Henry didn't seem perceptive of the situations around him. He knew his friend's situation, but he didn't understand it nor seemed inclined to inquire too deeply.

In the end this is a fun romp in the characters lives, but I can't help but feel that if I had read the first book this would have felt less vague. There's a certain sense of camaraderie that is missing and would have worked better with the addition of an entire book's worth of adventure between the group.
… (mais)
 
Assinalado
lexilewords | 2 outras críticas | Dec 28, 2023 |
 
Assinalado
Max_Online | 2 outras críticas | Mar 6, 2023 |
 
Assinalado
Ranbato | 2 outras críticas | Dec 17, 2020 |
4 stars

I enjoyed reading A Tale of Light and Shadow. I was expecting more of the fantasy angle to the story. It hints at it. The dark prophecy I might have missed it if it was mentioned besides the back cover. Their is more to the story than this first book. It is easy to follow and want more of these characters in the future.

The characters are easy to like. Henry, Isabelle, Ruther, Maggie and James all went to school together. Henry, and Maggie's mother taught them. Henry and Isabelle fell in love. Isabelle was from a noble family that had little wealth left. Her father thought the Vestins were not in his class. He forbid them to see each other let alone marry.

Henry Vestin is a carpenter. A very good one. His sister is Maggie. His best friend is Ruther.

Maggie Vestin is a good friend to Isabelle. She and Ruther are always fighting. She does some interesting things that I want to know more about her.

Ruther is a trouble maker, a drunk, a story teller. A good friend.

James is Maggie's brother. He has been away with the King's guard. Hints at something in his past.

Isabelle's father is the first bad guy in the story. He does not think much of his daughter. He wants wealth but a more powerful family. Their is more bad guys that you want to see defeated.

They are all on a run to escape with their lives most of the book. The journey that they are not very prepared for. I was disappointed when the book ended. I wanted more of it. I hope the next book comes soon.

The setting is Atolas with Kings, Emperors. It has armies with swords, transportation is horses or carriages.

I got lost in the story. I liked Jacob Gowan's writing style. This is the first book of his that I have read but I already picked up another book. I did read his novella The Fool and The Dragonox. It is a short story that is before A Tale of Light and Shadow. It was free at Amazon.

I was given a copy of A Tale of Light and Shadow to read so I could give a honest review of it and join it's blog tour.
… (mais)
 
Assinalado
rhonda1111 | Sep 11, 2014 |

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Estatísticas

Obras
10
Membros
280
Popularidade
#83,034
Avaliação
4.1
Críticas
8
ISBN
23

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