This is a mystery thriller in the style of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, so if you enjoyed it you might find this book interesting. It borrows some themes from Dan Brown’s work, notably SangReal referring to Royal Blood and Jesus’ progeny rather than the cup of the Last Supper. The novel is fast paced, and the action keeps on coming. The characters are sympathetic if somewhat black and white. I did find myself engaged by the protagonists and wanting to read more of their story. This is the first in a series of novels, and I will likely read the others to find out what happens next. I gave The Return three and a half stars out of five. buy from Amazon, Kobo, iTunes Here is a trailer
This is a mystery thriller in the style of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, so if you enjoyed it you might find this book interesting. It borrows some themes from Dan Brown's work, notably SangReal referring to Royal Blood and Jesus' progeny rather than the cup of the Last Supper. The novel is fast paced, and the action keeps on coming. The characters are sympathetic if somewhat black and white. I did find myself engaged by the protagonists and wanting to read more of their story. This is the first in a series of novels, and I will likely read the others to find out what happens next. I gave The Return three and a half stars out of five.
I learned about this book because I followed the YouTube book reviews of the author, Will Jordan. Sadly, his reviews are no longer available online, but I had been very impressed with his sharp commentary and his clear understanding of character, plot and pacing. The fact that he was able to present it in a fun and amusing way was an added bonus. Naturally, when he announced he had been awarded his first publishing contract, I was keen to see if his skills as a reviewer would translate into those of an author. The novel most certainly did not disappoint. It is a riveting roller–coaster ride with interesting, well written characters. Jordan switches easily from viewpoint to viewpoint, with each character having his or her own motivations and voice. Although it is not a world I personally inhabit, the characters were believable and realistic. The plot was well thought out, with one twist after another and kept me turning page after page. One review I read mentioned that the language was often repetitive and uninspired. I would say that is probably a valid criticism. It's clear Mr. Jordan is no wordsmith. However this is more than balanced by excellent characterisation,…
I learned about this book because I followed the YouTube book reviews of the author, Will Jordan. Sadly, his reviews are no longer available online, but I had been very impressed with his sharp commentary and his clear understanding of character, plot and pacing. The fact that he was able to present it in a fun and amusing way was an added bonus. Naturally, when he announced he had been awarded his first publishing contract, I was keen to see if his skills as a reviewer would translate into those of an author. The novel most certainly did not disappoint. It is a riveting roller–coaster ride with interesting, well written characters. Jordan switches easily from viewpoint to viewpoint, with each character having his or her own motivations and voice. Although it is not a world I personally inhabit, the characters were believable and realistic. The plot was well thought out, with one twist after another and kept me turning page after page. One review I read mentioned that the language was often repetitive and uninspired. I would say that is probably a valid criticism. It’s clear Mr. Jordan is no wordsmith. However this is more than balanced by excellent characterisation,…
I would love to say I loved this book, and indeed there was much I did enjoy about it. I found the main characters to be engaging and well written. The world building I thought was excellent. I enjoyed reading it and will certainly read the sequel, Bitterblue. What really let the novel down in my opinion was the poor pacing. I felt too much time was spent on the wrong things. For example we seem to spend several chapters wandering around in the snow with Katsa and Bitterblue and yet the final confrontation with Leck, to which the entire book has been leading, is over within half a page or so. This left me feeling somewhat cheated. In addition, this confrontation occurs still some way from the end of the novel; I kept expecting another twist, not setup for the next novel. I also felt the author missed some golden opportunities to explore some interesting themes, such as how do those who have grown used to power cope when they are powerless? It is touched upon briefly, but I would have welcomed a deeper exploration of these. Having said that, I think these are things the novelist will…
I would love to say I loved this book, and indeed there was much I did enjoy about it. I found the main characters to be engaging and well written. The world building I thought was excellent. I enjoyed reading it and will certainly read the sequel, Bitterblue. What really let the novel down in my opinion was the poor pacing. I felt too much time was spent on the wrong things. For example we seem to spend several chapters wandering around in the snow with Katsa and Bitterblue and yet the final confrontation with Leck, to which the entire book has been leading, is over within half a page or so. This left me feeling somewhat cheated. In addition, this confrontation occurs still some way from the end of the novel; I kept expecting another twist, not setup for the next novel. I also felt the author missed some golden opportunities to explore some interesting themes, such as how do those who have grown used to power cope when they are powerless? It is touched upon briefly, but I would have welcomed a deeper exploration of these. Having said that, I think these are things the novelist will become…
The genre of political thriller is not one I read particularly often, and it usually has to have a very interesting premise for me to pick it up in the first place. This one did catch my attention: what could happen if wealthy and influential individuals lost a loved one in a terrorist attack and had the means, motive and opportunity to take personal revenge? The first half of the novel introduces the protagonists, describes the initial terrorist incident which sparked the titular revenge, while the second half follows its setup and first stages of execution. One thing I found detracted from the novel slightly was the abrupt end. I understand this is the first in a two book series, and it felt as though the ending was neither a tied up ending nor a lead in to book two. I found the characters to be well developed and in general sympathetic – at times it was all too easy to forget that what they are planning will cost the lives of many innocents in the name of personal revenge. The author does very well though in the way he describes their grief to gain the reader's empathy. The descriptions…
The genre of political thriller is not one I read particularly often, and it usually has to have a very interesting premise for me to pick it up in the first place. This one did catch my attention: what could happen if wealthy and influential individuals lost a loved one in a terrorist attack and had the means, motive and opportunity to take personal revenge? The first half of the novel introduces the protagonists, describes the initial terrorist incident which sparked the titular revenge, while the second half follows its setup and first stages of execution. One thing I found detracted from the novel slightly was the abrupt end. I understand this is the first in a two book series, and it felt as though the ending was neither a tied up ending nor a lead in to book two. I found the characters to be well developed and in general sympathetic – at times it was all too easy to forget that what they are planning will cost the lives of many innocents in the name of personal revenge. The author does very well though in the way he describes their grief to gain the reader's empathy. The descriptions…
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith follows a similar structure to his earlier book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in that it combines existing material with the fantastical. The premise of the book is that American President Abraham Lincoln’s life was spent hunting vampires as well as abolishing slavery. A mix of genres Now, straight historical biography is not a genre I tend to read very often; I’d rather be transported to a new world than learn about someone who lives or lived in ours. I found this particular combination of hard fact and fantastical fiction to be both fun and somewhat informative. A reader of this book would not finish it with an encyclopedic knowledge of Lincoln’s life – I must admit I kept Wikipedia on hand to check historical facts – but he may know more about him than he did previously, and possibly be inspired to learn more. It should be pointed out that as a Brit, my knowledge of American history is sketchy at best. It may be that American readers will learn little that is new to them. They however may enjoy trying to guess how the author will incorporate certain events into the…
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith follows a similar structure to his earlier book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in that it combines existing material with the fantastical. The premise of the book is that American President Abraham Lincoln's life was spent hunting vampires as well as abolishing slavery. A mix of genresNow, straight historical biography is not a genre I tend to read very often; I'd rather be transported to a new world than learn about someone who lives or lived in ours. I found this particular combination of hard fact and fantastical fiction to be both fun and somewhat informative. A reader of this book would not finish it with an encyclopedic knowledge of Lincoln’s life – I must admit I kept Wikipedia on hand to check historical facts – but he may know more about him than he did previously, and possibly be inspired to learn more. It should be pointed out that as a Brit, my knowledge of American history is sketchy at best. It may be that American readers will learn little that is new to them. They however may enjoy trying to guess how the author will incorporate certain events into the vampire…