Friday, July 19, 2013

Epic Fantasy 0.9b / Will Weisser


Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Science Fiction/ Fantasy

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“Born into a literary family (both of his parents are authors and college professors), Will Weisser grew up surrounded by books and reading. In his youth, he was by turns a skate punk on the streets of Manhattan and a computer hacker with a talent for getting caught. Eventually, he managed to turn his knack for technology into a career in programming.”
“In addition to writing…, Will Weisser also holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and currently teaches mixed martial arts in Haddonfield, New Jersey, while living with his wife and children in nearby Cherry Hill.”

To learn more about Will Weisser check out his website.

Description:

“The Decay is coming, and Ian, a fifteen-year-old from the Northwestern Forests of the Region, must flee his home village or be melted into noxious brown goo. With the help of an eccentric mage and an annoyingly cheerful orphan, he escapes to the Capital, fending off quadrupedal orcs, superintelligent vultures, and some of the Region’s less desirable human residents. But when he encounters a mysterious stranger who reveals that the Region may not be what it appears, he must decide whether to stay faithful to his friends, or abandon them and seek the truth.”

Appraisal:

This is a unique genre bending novella that is truly entertaining. The author writes in an easy going style that quickly draws you into his fantasy world and its characters. A good deal of the story is told through Ian’s eyes; he is a somewhat typical teenager that feels like a misfit and he is struggling to find his place in the world. All he is really sure about is that he is not going to let a group of elders decide for him.

When the Decay encroaches on their small village Pip and Ian hightail it out into the wilderness as fast as they can. Pip is an entertaining distraction to the devastation of the Decay; he is eternally optimistic and provides a balance to Ian’s dour attitude and feeling of doom.  Luckily they meet up with the local eccentric old mage, Giesling, who convinces them they all need to head towards the Capital to deliver the warning of the spreading Decay. The next traveler to join their band is a disgraced and expelled Squire named Simon who slowly reveals stories about the Region that our travelers have a hard time believing. Simon provides an interesting twist to the plot that takes this story into the sci-fi realm.

Essentially this is a coming of age story as Ian and Pip become seekers of truth as they try to survive this adventure wroth with danger, battles, deception and magic beyond their wildest dreams. I can see this turning into an awesome series.

FYI:

This book contains adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

I came across a couple of missing or extra words but no other significant issues.


Rating: ***** Five stars

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great review! Thanks so much!

?wazithinkin said...

Thanks for dropping by Books and Pals, metanautics. I can't wait to see where Pip and Ian choose to go next.