Mike Cooley (1)

Link to book: Amazon

Book Description: Larissya’s life changes forever when her Grandmother gives her a magic crystal that shows her glimpses of the future. Hunted by mercenaries and an evil group known as the Triad, she is rescued by a large brute of a man named Talos and his band of diminutive followers.

She soon discovers that everyone thinks she is the one referred to in legend as The Crystal Warrior. And that her destiny is to gather the magic crystals and lead an epic battle against the Triad. A battle that will determine the fate of Agorai itself. But she doesn’t yet believe that she is the one.

The Triad has other plans. Plans that involve capturing the crystals and using their powers for themselves. Plans that involve murder, madness and pain. They have been waiting a long, long time for the Warrior to awaken.

From the magic swords Shakari and Antare, to the gigantic reptilian bird known as Taradahn, to the mysterious worm of power called Ishak, to the magnificent tree city of Frizl, Larissya’s story is full of wonder–and darkness.

Will she triumph over the forces of evil?
Will she obtain the power of the crystals?
Will she be able to save her friends?
Or will they die at her side?

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review**

Review:2 stars



General: I have mixed opinions on this book but unfortunately after multiple attempts I was unable to finish it and in order to stay on schedule with my reviews for my blog I needed to make a decision to review it as it was as I did not think I would be finishing it anyway.

I think the world created here was fantastic. From the first page to where I stopped I could not have loved the world more. It was a beautiful fantastic place that I could see when I closed my eyes. From the creatures to the environment he did not leave a single detail out. Also, the book started out on such a high note. You’re immediately dumped right into the action and I was interested immediately in knowing more about the strange glowing crystal and the urgency that surrounded it. However for me, shortly after, the story slipped away. The fantastic descriptions forgot to be included on characters and plot and continued to only focus on world building. For me I was unable to immerse myself in the book and grow any sort of emotion for the characters as they essentially fought to save their world. At the start everything was wonderful but it seemed to fizzle to nothing as it progressed and I was left with stock feeling characters and a plot that was moving so slow I was unsure how it was the writer who jumped right in from the get go.

Characters: Unfortunately the characters in this book do not stand out on their own. They were very traditional characters. A hero with a mission and bad guys that were bad for the sake of being bad. I wish I could say more about them but unfortunately I cannot.… (altro)

I absolutely loved this book. Hands down it is probably my favorite read this week. It had me smiling from the get go, a hard task considering I was sick and sleepy. I accidently stumbled on it while searching for something to read and hopefully wear my eyes out so I could fall asleep. Lucky me this was what I stumbled on.

This spoof is one of those short reads you want to read over and over again. No matter how many times it will keep you smiling and even laughing at some parts as it makes fun of a certain series despite never saying names. Once you read the first chapter you will know though.

I read it twice trying to find that quote that stuck out at me, but the truth is I loved the entire thing just as much. I even recommended it to my fiance, someone who seems to have a deathly allergy to reading a book. Who, after hearing a short summary, is thinking about reading it.… (altro)

An e-book downloaded freely as part of the author’s attempt to advertise for his book.
Skin of Giants is a series of science fiction short stories. The author claims some influence from Theodore Sturgeon (my favourite science fiction author), and I can see what he means, as in some of the stories, science-fiction is used to develop a metaphor of our world, rather than being an end in itself. While there are some good and interesting ideas, I must admit that I was not fully convinced by the book, always having the feeling that something was missing to make the best of a story.
However, I would recommend the reading of this book to anyone who likes quality science fiction and wants to witness the work of a novice author with great potential, and I hope Mike Cooley will keep working on his short stories, polishing the plot and the style, as I am sure he is on his way to write some very interesting books!… (altro)