I awoke to my first public review for The Blood of the Spear today over on Goodreads.
As she notes, Kathryn – the reviewer – is a dear friend, and one of my original beta-readers. But I choose my beta-readers because I trust them to be honest, if she didn’t like something she would definitely say so! You can find the review over on Goodreads here, or you can read it below. 😉
Disclaimer no. 1: Mark is a dear friend and I had the privilege of reading some of the earlier drafts. I freely admit my bias and as I would with my favourite authors, will round up a rating. This is balanced by me being distracted looking for events, conversations and characters that either no longer exist, have moved or been changed.
While I miss some of these very much the work is now a more cohesive whole, a true epic in its themes, world building and characters.
Choice versus destiny, or is destiny just the consequence of other people’s choices? This is a modern version of the epic fantasy, not afraid to use those tropes, even laughing at itself a little along the way. Will our heroes succumb to their destiny, will they deny it or will they choose to forge their own path?
Two brothers, two destinies?… I’m not going to detail the plot, if I had to work it out you should too. For me the core of this work is the relationships between all the characters, and how those relationships move and evolve and stretch out to other people and impact their choices and their understanding of their own and each other’s motivations.
I now feel an emotional connection with the brothers. I need to find out and care about what happens next, the choices they make and the men they become.
Disclaimer no. 2: Meg is still my favourite character.
Five stars – a solid four stars + 1/2 a star to balance my own confusion with previous drafts + 1/2 a star because I love Mark.
PS: Did I mention this book is actually very well written.
Love Kathryn.
Thank you, Kathryn!
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