iSamwise

Fantastic slow burn Dothraki inspired fantasy.

Reviewed: 01-07-25

The first thing to say about this book is that it is a self published book and absolutely in no way reads like one. I’ve read enough self pub that sometimes within a single paragraph you can tell that they didn’t have enough editors or passes at it for the writing to feel smooth and professional. If I didn’t know that Tori had self published this, I wouldn’t have figured it out from the text itself.

Overall this book reminded me STRONGLY of two other books. It reminded me a lot of A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham and the Dothraki portions of A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin.

The GoT comparison is easy as one of the main plots here deals with a nomadic, Mongol style tribe of horse folk. However the Daniel Abraham comparison is a bit more nuanced. It comes down to the tone of the book and the pacing. The whole time I was reading this I thought to myself “people who love A Shadow in Summer would love this book too (Allen)”. The political back and forth, the plots within plots, the deliberate pacing as things are slowly revealed, etc.

It definitely is a book one, and so there’s a lot of things that don’t come together by the end, but it leaves me excited for how things will go in book two!

If I had to give a negative there are three things I’d say, and they’re all minor.
First I didn’t love the audiobook. It’s not bad (and believe me, self pub books having an audiobook lends TONS of credibility to the work) but it’s not amazing. The reading is ok but even some of the side characters had more memorably distinct voices than main characters. (And there were some technical goofs. Repeated phrases, different audio levels, etc. ) Not horrible but I’ll be physically reading book two personally.
Secondly 70% of the worldbuilding is fantastic (like more believable than many mainstream fantasy books I’ve read) but some of the lore was confusing and some things I felt a bit lost in. Maybe that would’ve better if I’d physically read it.
Last of all is a REAL nitpick and it’s the audiobooks fault, but not because of the reader. Hear me out. There’s a deity character that I believe is also supposed to be the sun that’s called “Aqatar” which is pronounced exactly like ACOTAR the acronym for A Court of Thorns and Roses. So that was distracting a bit, but it did make me laugh. Haha.

Despite my nitpicks, this is a great book. The ending was fantastic and Tori is a remarkably polished author who I definitely plan on reading more of!!

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Best in the series

Reviewed: 11-12-24

Demon in White is popularly seen as the best book in Sun Eater. Not anymore. Disquiet Gods is the most boss, weird, epic book in the sequence and for the first time I now must wait for the next book.

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Brilliantly Narrated Philosophical Fantasy

Reviewed: 10-14-24

This is likely the best self published fantasy novel I’ve gone through. In many ways this’ll be a review of two parts since I primarily went through this on audiobook.

The Way of Edan tells the story of a nation with a powerful organized religion run primarily by wizards who manufacture a holy war as an excuse to invade several neighboring countries.
While this is going on a seemingly simple village boy named Dayraven has what should’ve been a fatal encounter with an elf that awakens a strong magic he never knew lay inside him.
What follows is a story that is told beautifully and deliberately that takes its cues, not just from Tolkien but also from many sources even older, especially Beowulf. One thing that the author, Philip Chase, has been very transparent about is that just like Beowulf and The Lord of the Rings, the Edan books are written as a lament, specifically for the past. However despite many of the classical trappings the writing itself is very modern. Chase writes with beauty and elegance, but also a brutality and harshness that could make even a George RR Martin fan squirm.
To many people this first volume will seem very classic, but if they write it off, or dock it a star for its familiarity then for my moneys worth, they’re taking a shallow reading. Chase is laying the foundation for a series to come that I eagerly await. This first book is executed very well on a technical level, and personally I greatly enjoyed it.

Now…as for the eagerly awaited audiobook……….

Allen Walker (known as The Library Allenxandria on YouTube) is the audiobook narrator and does a fantastic job. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and Walker is up there with the absolute best of narrators! The story is also easy to follow on audio and that’s in no small part to Walkers distinct characterization and voices for the various characters.

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2 people found this helpful

A worthy follow up

Reviewed: 07-10-24

A great follow up to the first novel that ends in a gripping way, leaving you begging for the next volume immediately.

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Tolkien in a new way

Reviewed: 05-30-24

This book is an obvious classic, but Andy Serkis’ narration brings a whole new life to the story! He’s a great actor but his narration is just as good! One of the best audiobook narrators I’ve heard!!!

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Fantastic reading of a classic

Reviewed: 03-14-24

The Hobbit is one of the best fantasy adventure novels ever written and Andy Serkis reading it is nothing short of magnificent!!!

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Read this book then buy copies for friends and family!!

Reviewed: 11-20-23

Short Review: Get the book. Read the book. Then get a few copies for your friends and family this Christmas.

Long Review: ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens may be the most perfect set of prose and narrative ever written in the English language. Not only that but it has been adapted into some of the best movies ever made (especially the version with Alastair Sim, and the version with The Muppets) So when I heard that Faith Moore’s book was supposedly a retelling of ‘A Christmas Carol’ I was skeptical, to say the least. After all, how can you improve on perfection?

Well, I was wrong. Very wrong. And in many ways saying that it’s retelling Dickens is a bit misleading. Christmas Karol isn’t trying to tell a modernized version of Dickens, but rather it takes the heart and soul of the original tale and repackages it in a way that strikes very close to home through the way it’s retold. Christmas Karol has a similar structure to Dickens, but the content of the book is wholly original if not equally gripping. (Although it has plenty of nods to the beloved original)

The book absolutely justifies its existence in this way. I’m sure that the original story felt relatable and current to the readers of its day, but now it can feel quant and historical to some. Christmas Karol grounds those themes of the original in the 21st century with amazing results. It can be easy to read the original story and judge Scrooge for being a mean old grumpy man. But what happens when you read a story and suddenly you notice how similar you are to them. It’s a lot more difficult to demonize Scrooge when you notice your own selfishness being reflected in him, or her in the case of this novel.

And finally, Faith Moore is a fantastic writer. I mean really REALLY good! Debut novels are tricky and often rough around the edges. You could’ve handed me this book and told me it was from an author with 30 years of published experience and I would’ve believed you! She writes with skill, wit, and mountains of heart! (Idk maybe it’s a genetic thing) I am impressed by her skill as an author and eagerly await what she writes next.

I originally bought this as a Christmas gift for my wife, but couldn’t wait till Christmas. So I read it ahead of time and didn’t tell her. (Shhhhhhhhh!) In fact, I think I need to buy more copies for some other family members and friends. This is a really good Christmas book. If you love the original, then absolutely read this book as you’re in for a treat of something different while having the same heart. If you don’t like the original, first off shame on you, but secondly this book is worth a shot. It’s different enough that I could see you loving it for its own merits.

5/5 stars, a truly excellent work of Christmas art!

Ps. Shout out to the cover artist. This simple yet evocative cover is what caught my attention in the first place!

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1 person found this helpful

Horrifying

Reviewed: 11-15-23

This is one of the scariest books I’ve read. It is a tale about what happens when people decide to completely ignore and throw away the moral order and live completely and utterly for themselves. The result is horrific as the seeds of such evil can be found in each of us upon reflection. The reader for this book is excellent and perfectly captures so much of the story’s tone!

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These books are MAGNIFICENT!!!

Reviewed: 11-11-23

Klavan’s Cameron Winter mystery series is probably the best work he has ever done. What could easily be one and done forgettable detective tales Klavan turns into gripping mysteries through the use of excellent characters, clever twists, and deep themes that transcend the story. (If you want a sneak peak about where this series is going philosophically, read Klavan’s ‘The Truth and Beauty’) The House of Love and Death is equal parts tragedy and mystery. You will mourn over the loss of innocence, puzzle through the well crafted story, and learn even more about Cameron Winter than you did before. The biggest downside to this whole thing is that book four isn’t out yet! An easy five out of five stars!

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One of Klavan’s Heavier Books

Reviewed: 10-10-23

I have read over 25 of Andrew Klavan’s books and he’s easily one of my favorite authors. This specific work I just finished reading for a second time and I can assure you, it’s great.
Klavan has spoken about how this was one of the more difficult books for him to write, and that while writing it he frequently considered giving up writing altogether. (And we are all grateful that he didn’t.) But you can feel that weight, and the pain he was expressing bleed through the words of this story. In many ways the terrorist thriller plot is VERY MUCH secondary to the main characters journey of confronting the truth about who he is.
The book is very well written on a technical level and from the first sentence it feels like not a moment is wasted. While this isn’t the most action packed or the most thrilling/entertaining book Klavan has written, it’s definitely one that will make you reflect alongside the main character. This is easily a 5/5 for me, and his reading of the book is equally excellent.

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