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Book review: Ben the Dragonborn by Dianne Astle  

1/29/2017

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Looky, looky, I found a fun dragon booky.
​If you're nuts about dragons like I am, then you'll want to get your talons into this fantasy novel:  'Ben the Dragonborn: a Six Worlds story' by Dianne Astle.
​I was a little hesitant at first when our protagonist, Ben appear to be just a normal kid who couldn't swim and was laughed at by his peers (I was thinking Diary of a Wimpy Kid here), but it soon turns out that this is like a Harry Potter school and they don't let you in on the secret until you develop magical / paranormal powers. (I hope that doesn't count as a spoiler, sorry).
​I don't want to give things away, but I think that being called a 'Six Worlds
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Story' it is pretty safe to say that this novel will take you to far off places you have never been.

Book blurb: Few people on earth know the location of a mysterious school where heroes of the past train those who belong to the future. Ben Taylor only learns of the school’s true purpose when he is called into the Principal’s office. Miss Templeton gives him a simple test to see if he is a Chosen of the Guardian. That very day Ben is sent through a portal to a watery world of mermaids and monsters. “Has a mistake been made?” This is the question on everyone’s mind, including Ben’s. Ben’s only chance of success depends on discovering the secret of his own true self in a terrifying world where nightmares come to life.

Kasper's review:
​I really enjoyed Ben the Dragonborn and would recommend it for readers age around 10 to adult. The reading level is simple and there is action aplenty to engage the reader. I like that although the concepts were original, there is a traditional quest with a small group of heroes who don't always agree and each have talents essential for the quest to succeed. Ben has a mysterious back story which is unveiled piece by piece and brings depth and warmth to the story. I also appreciated the banter between Ben and Charla ( a well-written character). I was not a fan of the large creeping crawlies, but I will leave you to squirm as you read that part, eek!
​Note: I did spot a few minor editing errors in the paperback, which may have already been corrected in the Kindle version.
​I received the paperback as a prize in an online competition. Since I enjoyed the book so much, I have bought Ben the Dragonborn and it's sequel, Ben and the Watcher of Zargon ebooks. I can't wait to read book 2.
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Book review: Bloodpledge by Tima Maria Lacoba - an exciting read #vampire @TimaMariaLacoba

12/12/2014

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Exciting new vampire series
Bloodpledge is the 2nd in the Dantonville Series and the first one I have had the pleasure to read. Although a continuation of Bloodgifted, it does make a fine stand-alone novel. It has been a couple of years since I last read a vampire novel after they reached saturation point and it was nice to come back to the genre.
Set in the sunny climate of Sydney Harbour, Australia, Bloodpledge offers some originality to the popular genre and the use of the Ingenii powers offers a refreshing twist into the mix. I enjoyed the history of the vampires and believe there would be more about their origins in the other books in the series.

It took me a while to get into the start of the novel, for the action is slow to take off, but it does build nicely to a thrilling conclusion. There were a couple of points that jarred with me, such as ancient vampires speaking in such modern language and also being written first person present tense from two points of view.
Overall I found Bloodpledge enjoyable to read and would definitely recommend it to fans of the paranormal genre. It was well edited and easy to follow.
Note: I was fortunate to win this book in a competition, along with a beautiful silver locket. My opinions are, as always, my own.


Review posted on Goodreads.com
Bloodpledge on Amazon.com
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Book review:  Radiant shadows by Sarah Baethge

4/6/2014

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I love a good vampire novel and Sarah had some interesting ideas in this novella. The scene is told from three points of view in three separate chapters. While there is naturally some duplication, each chapter offers new insights into the stories and characters.
Caroline works for the Human Vampire Alliance as a huntress. Her friend Stephen takes a seraphic infusion brewed by one of the shadow people to make him an anti-vampire. This results in Caroline and Stephens minds being linked together as they hunt a vampire named Randy. Caroline is also hampered by her boyfriend, Marshall joining them in the vampire hunt.
I like the magical powers such as sparking coming from the fingertips too. This and the magical ideas could use some more development in future writing.
There are a few areas for the author to work on including: increased used of emotions, having a hook at the beginning and refining the writing technique. An example of this would be 'You see, I'm pretty sure that was the moment I died." Such a dramatic statement requires an equal emotive response such as shock, terror, panic or confusion.

There were some formatting issues to work on including, unnecessary indentation and coloured words which I couldn't read on my black and white kindle.
I received a copy of the story in exchange for an honest review

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    Applying for book reviews:
    I don't do many reviews, but will do the odd one from time to time.  Usually it'll be something that piques my curiosity.   I like to do reviews for Writers' Web and support emerging writers.
    I am not interested in trading reviews, but if we are both interested in each other's work, that is OK.
    I will give an honest opinion and if I think the work is not ready, I will let you know.  I am happy to post the reviews online.
    Please contact me at kasperjbeaumont @outlook.com if you're interested.

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