Demon Vampire: Special Science Report 1192 (Redgold) [Kindle Edition]

This is a good story made almost unreadable due to the lack of editing. The number of spelling errors (and they are not typos), is very distracting. The grammar in many cases is questionable. If one is going to submit a book for sale, it is mandatory that editing and clean-up has been done. I'm surprised Amazon accepted it, and it points out the need to have a reputable publishing company look at the work, whether an e-book, or a regular book. Very disappointing that a good story has been spoiled in that way.

What's also interesting, is that the publisher of this book only accepts submissions once a year, in April. One cannot even contact them outside of that time frame. I would seriously suggest that one not deal with them.

Writing and Editing Issues

Although this is primarily a blog for reviews, from time to time I will post items I think are relevant to the writing process. The following is one of the major issues I have with writing and editing.

I am finding glaring errors in books by established authors such as Raymond Feist, Anne Bishop, and R.A. Salvatore. I think the majority of the problem is that authors and editors rely far too much on spell check. It is fine for some things, but it doesn't catch words that are spelled right, but not correct in the context in which they are used. "Sat" "Sitting", for example, or its and it's (one of my bugaboos!) "Its" is one of the worst offenders, I think. The only time it has an apostrophe is if it is short for "it is". One of the anomalies in the English language in that even as a possessive, it does not have an apostrophe. There is also the bad habit of using apostrophes in some plurals, such as "video's (videos) or CD's (CDs). I'm not sure if this is inherent in today's teaching or whether it's because we depend too much on technology instead of our own brains.

Painting by Numbers

Painting by Numbers by Tom Gillespie is a gritty, nail-biting thriller, that chronicles one man’s obsession with a painting in the local museum. Jacob Boyce is an Earth Scientist and professor at a Glasgow university, and spends hours everyday observing, measuring, and calculating angles, ostensibly as part of his earthquake research. He thinks the painting is changing and moving as a result of the angles and use of colour.

His obsession takes a toll on his job and his relationship with his wife. Their relationship is crumbling, and they fight all the time. Or do they? When his wife disappears, he follows her to the family villa in Spain, where he thinks she is. It is there things really start to get interesting, and the plot takes many a winding road to the climax.

The end is a shocker, and totally unexpected, and made me shake my head and say “Whaaat?” Not very literary of me, I know, but I did not see it coming. A must read! 9/10.

An E-book published by Crooked Cat Publishing

The Black Jewels Trilogy

The The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop is a richly drawn tapestry of magic and fantasy. I was completely drawn in to the book, and had trouble putting it down. There are three books: Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows, and Queen of the Darkness.

The story revolves around an ancient prophecy seen by a Black Widow witch through dreams and visions. The Dark Realm waits with bated breath for the arrival of the Queen; a witch who will wield more power than even the High Lord of Hell.

The three main characters, Saetan, the High Lord of Hell, and his sons, Lucivar and Daemon, are, without doubt, three of the most powerful and sensual characters to grace a fantasy novel in a long time. This is a must read! I give it a 9/10.

Anne Bishop is a winner of the William L.Crawford Memorial Fantasy Award, presented by the International Association for the Fantastic, in the Arts, for the Black Jewels Trilogy.

E-Book Review: The Dragon Ring by Maggie Secara

The Dragon Ring, by Maggie Secara is an e-book put out by Crooked Cat Publishing, an e-book company based in the UK.

All in all, it is a good read, but there are a few issues, mainly the mechanics of the writing. In university English, one is taught that when writing, less is more; that is, don't write ten words when you can say it in five, and still get the message across. I also found the juxtaposition of Shakespeare, Norse mythology and Faerie a bit jarring.

However, having said that, I loved Raven's character; he was very "Puckish", which went nicely with the Midsummer Night's Dream bent of the novel. Ben's character was very sympathetic and the dichotomy of what he really wanted to do, and what he felt he should do, is something I'm sure many of us can relate to.

I don't want to give away too much more, so read it for yourself. It is, overall, an entertaining book. I'd give it a 7/10.

An E-book published by Crooked Cat Publishing