Damien Coll asked me to read his short story "Blood for Gold book 1 Fatal Tome". It's about criminals exiled to an orc infested island to mine for gold and stars a thief. I will examine plot, characters and polish and then assign a grade.
PLOT
It is difficult to weigh the plot because of the nature of this story. It is 37 pages long and cuts off shortly after the protagonist arrives on the island. It feels like an extended prologue. The main character is introduced and developed. She's sent to this island and meets other people. Then the orcs attack and the book cuts off.
The tome in question is one that the protagonist's father was killed trying to obtain. It starts off as critically important but then it fades from significance. Because Mr.Coll's book is so short and incomplete, I can't say if this is bad writing or not.
PLOT
It is difficult to weigh the plot because of the nature of this story. It is 37 pages long and cuts off shortly after the protagonist arrives on the island. It feels like an extended prologue. The main character is introduced and developed. She's sent to this island and meets other people. Then the orcs attack and the book cuts off.
The tome in question is one that the protagonist's father was killed trying to obtain. It starts off as critically important but then it fades from significance. Because Mr.Coll's book is so short and incomplete, I can't say if this is bad writing or not.
I liked the development and where the plot was going but there's so little here I can't call it an ending.
This book feels less like a book and more like the pilot episode of some show. It's just a beginning without a middle or an end.
This book feels less like a book and more like the pilot episode of some show. It's just a beginning without a middle or an end.
CHARACTERS
As short as it is, the two main characters are well developed. There's backstory, personality and motive for the leading lady, Uliane. Srevtiur likewise. Furthermore, they make great foils for each other. Uliane is this devious thief given to talking poetically and Srevtiur is a plain speaking former military officer.
As an organization, the Vultures are made distinct from garden variety mooks with their uniforms and by comments from others. There's a sense that they are more than convenient objects for heroes to beat up on. They have more meat on them than that.
POLISH
I found 1 spelling error.
When I finished reading, I wasn't sure what kind of a grade to give this book. It's not a finished work. The ending doesn't even count as a cliffhanger because the conflict has barely been set up. On the final page, the author presents several options as if this were a "Choose Your Own Adventure" novel. It could ultimately be really good or it could be really bad depending on where Mr.Coll went from here. I don't know because this book is truly more like 1/3 of a book.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "Blood for Gold book 1: The Fatal Tome" an X (if the rest of the book is as good as what's here, a B+ is likely and A+ possible but so is an F).
Click here for the next review request: Dawn of Steam: First LightAs short as it is, the two main characters are well developed. There's backstory, personality and motive for the leading lady, Uliane. Srevtiur likewise. Furthermore, they make great foils for each other. Uliane is this devious thief given to talking poetically and Srevtiur is a plain speaking former military officer.
As an organization, the Vultures are made distinct from garden variety mooks with their uniforms and by comments from others. There's a sense that they are more than convenient objects for heroes to beat up on. They have more meat on them than that.
POLISH
I found 1 spelling error.
When I finished reading, I wasn't sure what kind of a grade to give this book. It's not a finished work. The ending doesn't even count as a cliffhanger because the conflict has barely been set up. On the final page, the author presents several options as if this were a "Choose Your Own Adventure" novel. It could ultimately be really good or it could be really bad depending on where Mr.Coll went from here. I don't know because this book is truly more like 1/3 of a book.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "Blood for Gold book 1: The Fatal Tome" an X (if the rest of the book is as good as what's here, a B+ is likely and A+ possible but so is an F).
Click here for the previous review request: Past, Present and Nowhere
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