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Gemstone Series #1
The Diamond Coronal
“No!” Maurius cried hoarsely as Dorran’s body crumpled to the bloody ground. The lieutenant spun in the crunching gravel path and, with a grin of triumph, he ran toward Maurius – intent upon another kill –
The wizard Maurius seeks a mysterious staff named the Gnarled Burner, blamed for the demise of the inquisitive Snowy Elves a thousand years ago. What begins as a leisurely academic quest into the snow and ice covered Northern Mountains quickly turns into a sprint through the arctic cold to find the staff before it falls into evil hands.
Can Maurius avoid the Rubied Assassins that attack him wherever he goes? Will he prevail against creatures nearly forgotten in myth that eerily haunt him behind every stone and hill? What ancient evil awoke bringing war to the land with the vengeance of old dragons?And what dangerous Destiny lurks in the Diamond he carries, has always carried, yet does not know from where it came?
Book Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCFUBT...
Author Weblog http://jgordonsmith.com
The wizard Maurius seeks a mysterious staff named the Gnarled Burner, blamed for the demise of the inquisitive Snowy Elves a thousand years ago. What begins as a leisurely academic quest into the snow and ice covered Northern Mountains quickly turns into a sprint through the arctic cold to find the staff before it falls into evil hands.
Can Maurius avoid the Rubied Assassins that attack him wherever he goes? Will he prevail against creatures nearly forgotten in myth that eerily haunt him behind every stone and hill? What ancient evil awoke bringing war to the land with the vengeance of old dragons?And what dangerous Destiny lurks in the Diamond he carries, has always carried, yet does not know from where it came?
Book Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCFUBT...
Author Weblog http://jgordonsmith.com
- GenresFantasy
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2011
7 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
J. Gordon Smith
30 books27 followersGreat books, a couple of fantastic teachers, and growing up on a mid-western farm surrounded by old farmer tales pointed me toward writing. I sharpened my worldliness through the sparking grindstone of an Automotive Engineering career where I worked with all management levels in large and small global corporations. This imparts earthiness and technology into my tales.
I hope to entertain readers with stories filled with emotion and adventure: make you think, make you laugh, and perhaps even touch your soul.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 5, 2013
All the way through this book I was trying to figure out what I didn't like about it. The characters were slightly flat, but interesting. The plotline felt slightly flat, but to some degree it was still entertaining. The enemies they encountered on their journey were intriguing and varied, and yet somehow they too still seemed flat and lifeless.
Then I realized what it was: the writing style itself was grating on me.
All the descriptions seemed perfunctory and superficial at best. If you're describing some scenery, and you wind up with a paragraph of four or five sentences of the same length and structure which all start with the word 'The', then perhaps you need to inject some variety into your words.
Also, there were just enough errors in the text to bother me. The usual " 's " misused as a plural made an appearance, as did the lose/loose error. I also learned via my kindle that while challis is, indeed, an actual word, it is a fabric and not the synonym for goblet the author probably intended. (Psst. That one is spelled 'chalice'!)
Another word that dragged on my mind is one from the book title itself. Coronal. I'd only ever heard that as an adjective before and not as a noun, and alas my kindle didn't even know that much. Looking it up now, it is indeed a crown sort of thing, however it's one made of leaves and flowers. It's not the sort of thing that would usually contain diamonds.
This book has the potential to be so much more than it currently is. As it currently is, it's bogged down with a text that feels rather like this: 'The characters went over there. Then they did this thing. Then they fought some guys. It was a tough battle'. A rewrite that adds more emotion, description, and variety into the words is desperately needed.
Then I realized what it was: the writing style itself was grating on me.
All the descriptions seemed perfunctory and superficial at best. If you're describing some scenery, and you wind up with a paragraph of four or five sentences of the same length and structure which all start with the word 'The', then perhaps you need to inject some variety into your words.
Also, there were just enough errors in the text to bother me. The usual " 's " misused as a plural made an appearance, as did the lose/loose error. I also learned via my kindle that while challis is, indeed, an actual word, it is a fabric and not the synonym for goblet the author probably intended. (Psst. That one is spelled 'chalice'!)
Another word that dragged on my mind is one from the book title itself. Coronal. I'd only ever heard that as an adjective before and not as a noun, and alas my kindle didn't even know that much. Looking it up now, it is indeed a crown sort of thing, however it's one made of leaves and flowers. It's not the sort of thing that would usually contain diamonds.
This book has the potential to be so much more than it currently is. As it currently is, it's bogged down with a text that feels rather like this: 'The characters went over there. Then they did this thing. Then they fought some guys. It was a tough battle'. A rewrite that adds more emotion, description, and variety into the words is desperately needed.
June 22, 2012
A great read.
The Diamond Coronal Book Trailer:
The Diamond Coronal
The Diamond Coronal follows the wizard Maurius and his dwarven friend Dorran across the land in search of a fabled staff of power. They are not alone in their quest. Scores of assassins and creatures out of myth and legend are after them. But who is behind it all? And what will the wizard learn about himself, the world, and the coming war? Will he survive his Destiny?
(note .. I'm the author, and have a blog at http://jgordonsmith.com)
The Diamond Coronal Book Trailer:
The Diamond Coronal
The Diamond Coronal follows the wizard Maurius and his dwarven friend Dorran across the land in search of a fabled staff of power. They are not alone in their quest. Scores of assassins and creatures out of myth and legend are after them. But who is behind it all? And what will the wizard learn about himself, the world, and the coming war? Will he survive his Destiny?
(note .. I'm the author, and have a blog at http://jgordonsmith.com)
February 4, 2015
great book...nice plot
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews