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The Lonely Man #1
The Witch's Price
A man responsible for the downfall of a nation. The nation responsible for the downfall of a man.
Mhets and six other greedy men quested to steal the Chained God’s treasure. They were successful. The gods, in their fury, took the lives of Mhets' companions one at a time, and now seek to snuff out the remaining thief. To survive, and to further spite the divine for their part in taking the love of his life, Mhets finds refuge in a witch’s hand. But the vile deal he enters into promises nothing but trouble. Sorcerers, mercenaries, and death wait on the horizon as he moves to complete his end of the terrible bargain. Journeying at the behest of the witch, Mhets learns just how black his heart has become, and how that darkness inside him might spell salvation for the world.
“The Lonely Man: The Witch’s Price” starts the tales of Mhets Sorrowbringer, a man wronged and angered in life. He owns a past riddled with atrocity, betrayal, and death, but here is where his true story starts. Here is where the man called Mirthless Mhets begins to write his legend.
Mhets and six other greedy men quested to steal the Chained God’s treasure. They were successful. The gods, in their fury, took the lives of Mhets' companions one at a time, and now seek to snuff out the remaining thief. To survive, and to further spite the divine for their part in taking the love of his life, Mhets finds refuge in a witch’s hand. But the vile deal he enters into promises nothing but trouble. Sorcerers, mercenaries, and death wait on the horizon as he moves to complete his end of the terrible bargain. Journeying at the behest of the witch, Mhets learns just how black his heart has become, and how that darkness inside him might spell salvation for the world.
“The Lonely Man: The Witch’s Price” starts the tales of Mhets Sorrowbringer, a man wronged and angered in life. He owns a past riddled with atrocity, betrayal, and death, but here is where his true story starts. Here is where the man called Mirthless Mhets begins to write his legend.
- GenresFantasy
202 pages, Paperback
First published June 21, 2013
2 people are currently reading
519 people want to read
About the author
S.M. White
14 books26 followersI have done many things and few things with my life. One of the things I have not done is come up with a biography that somehow reflects my skills as a writer. This I shall now try.
I have read a metric ton of text in my life. You could probably crush a dozen men beneath the weight.* I have studied creative writing at Spalding University, which turns out is simply reading and writing. I thought that was nice. I have spent countless hours watching fantasy films, at times awed and at other times disappointed. I have held swords and shields and dead things. I once undertook a daunting quest to recover the stolen car keys to my mother's station wagon. Maidens have handed me favors ranging from bracelets to perfume-drenched letters to lengths of fake hair. When I encounter dragons, I keep my wits about me and my gold coins close. I am a liar. I am a thief: I have stolen words out of men's mouths and claimed them as fictional musings. My friends often question me on my whereabouts (they seldom check Medieval Outfitters). I am not a serious person; of this, I am serious. I spent my formative years training myself to be a ninja. In this I can don dark clothing and climb the tallest trees, I can do a front roll and a cartwheel, and I can fashion a smoke bomb from a tennis ball and match heads. If you were to ask me a question I would instantly become evasive and confusing (mostly as a product of my uncertainty, but also because I'm super mysterious).
Say something poignant, the Internet says.
Very well. I have won many insignificant things and have lost many precious things. This, I feel, is important. It is one thing to hold an object in your hand knowing its worth is a paltry measure in regards to what you might have been holding. This idea of loss is a vibrant and living thing. It lets you see that what is offered is not always what should be taken, and that what should be taken is hardly ever offered. And there waits cynicism, the most powerful of writerly attributes. If you don't know hopelessness, or dejection, or heart ache, you do not know conflict. Pain can be observed on television, or read about in the paper. But to live it, that it what molds a heart and moves a soul. My writing can be dark and terrible and harsh. This is not a product of formal training, or awards, or degrees. It is a result of my humanness, of my longing to understand agony and love and how the two survive in the same world. My stories are studies of the human heart, of humanity's need for good, and of the dreadful movements of evil as done by minds capable of love.
My stories are a study of myself. To all those who read about me, thank you.
I have read a metric ton of text in my life. You could probably crush a dozen men beneath the weight.* I have studied creative writing at Spalding University, which turns out is simply reading and writing. I thought that was nice. I have spent countless hours watching fantasy films, at times awed and at other times disappointed. I have held swords and shields and dead things. I once undertook a daunting quest to recover the stolen car keys to my mother's station wagon. Maidens have handed me favors ranging from bracelets to perfume-drenched letters to lengths of fake hair. When I encounter dragons, I keep my wits about me and my gold coins close. I am a liar. I am a thief: I have stolen words out of men's mouths and claimed them as fictional musings. My friends often question me on my whereabouts (they seldom check Medieval Outfitters). I am not a serious person; of this, I am serious. I spent my formative years training myself to be a ninja. In this I can don dark clothing and climb the tallest trees, I can do a front roll and a cartwheel, and I can fashion a smoke bomb from a tennis ball and match heads. If you were to ask me a question I would instantly become evasive and confusing (mostly as a product of my uncertainty, but also because I'm super mysterious).
Say something poignant, the Internet says.
Very well. I have won many insignificant things and have lost many precious things. This, I feel, is important. It is one thing to hold an object in your hand knowing its worth is a paltry measure in regards to what you might have been holding. This idea of loss is a vibrant and living thing. It lets you see that what is offered is not always what should be taken, and that what should be taken is hardly ever offered. And there waits cynicism, the most powerful of writerly attributes. If you don't know hopelessness, or dejection, or heart ache, you do not know conflict. Pain can be observed on television, or read about in the paper. But to live it, that it what molds a heart and moves a soul. My writing can be dark and terrible and harsh. This is not a product of formal training, or awards, or degrees. It is a result of my humanness, of my longing to understand agony and love and how the two survive in the same world. My stories are studies of the human heart, of humanity's need for good, and of the dreadful movements of evil as done by minds capable of love.
My stories are a study of myself. To all those who read about me, thank you.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 5, 2013
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.
S.M. White is a writer. He beautifully crafts a dark tale that draws you in to every scene with lovely (or horrifying) descriptions, setting the scene perfectly. The description fills out slow moving scenes in a way that makes them come to life, and keeps the action bright and full of flavour in the fast-moving scenes. Despite the fact that I loved S.M. White's writing... I didn't like this book. Despite the good description, nothing stood out as great. The plot was poorly slapped together, there is no real character progression, and I got lost while reading a lot. I'm not sure whether I missed something, but very often a character would say or do something that made no sense at all. There is a lot of hand-waving past plot holes and poor explanations leaving the reader scratching their head way too often. I feel like S.M. White knows what this story is about in his head, but did a poor job of translating that onto the page.
The internal struggle of Mhets was good, and it is the only redeeming quality about the plot. Everything he does is driven around avenging his murdered wife, and we get to watch him fall down the slippery slope of craziness through the book. The problem is, he is basically screwed up at the beginning, so the character loses a sense of progression into craziness, but instead just does awful things because he's an awful guy.
The second half is stronger than the first, as it has more colourful description and plot develops somewhat, but soon enough that development is pushed to the way-side in favour of focusing on Mhets personal quest. Scenes are set well, but the world is build poorly. Mhets is swimming in an unexplained world, detached from it to the point that the reader doesn't care what is happening around him, just what is happening in him (his mind). Mhets also doesn't care about what is happening around his, soooooo..... I guess that works? Either that, or comes off as disconnected and silly. No one can exist without caring about, or at least noticing, the world around them to some degree.
The ending was poorly done. I knew what was going to happen save for a few fancy word tricks that impressed me, but that has more to do with S.M White's excellence with words and less with the excellence of this book. Certain things were supposed to happen in the end in order to "free" Mhets from his struggles... and somehow not all of them happen, but the interesting ones do, so that's what matters, right?
Conclusion:
The writing is excellent and I loved the internal awareness given to the reader through unique use of POV. The plot, characters, and working of the world are poorly explained and executed. The story (though it doesn't) feel like it jumps around a lot leaving the reader confused more than awed by the writing. If S.M. White had spent more time developing the world and letting Mhets be a part of it instead of just a dude with a quest who happens to exist somewhere, this book could have been brilliant.
S.M. White is a writer. He beautifully crafts a dark tale that draws you in to every scene with lovely (or horrifying) descriptions, setting the scene perfectly. The description fills out slow moving scenes in a way that makes them come to life, and keeps the action bright and full of flavour in the fast-moving scenes. Despite the fact that I loved S.M. White's writing... I didn't like this book. Despite the good description, nothing stood out as great. The plot was poorly slapped together, there is no real character progression, and I got lost while reading a lot. I'm not sure whether I missed something, but very often a character would say or do something that made no sense at all. There is a lot of hand-waving past plot holes and poor explanations leaving the reader scratching their head way too often. I feel like S.M. White knows what this story is about in his head, but did a poor job of translating that onto the page.
The internal struggle of Mhets was good, and it is the only redeeming quality about the plot. Everything he does is driven around avenging his murdered wife, and we get to watch him fall down the slippery slope of craziness through the book. The problem is, he is basically screwed up at the beginning, so the character loses a sense of progression into craziness, but instead just does awful things because he's an awful guy.
The second half is stronger than the first, as it has more colourful description and plot develops somewhat, but soon enough that development is pushed to the way-side in favour of focusing on Mhets personal quest. Scenes are set well, but the world is build poorly. Mhets is swimming in an unexplained world, detached from it to the point that the reader doesn't care what is happening around him, just what is happening in him (his mind). Mhets also doesn't care about what is happening around his, soooooo..... I guess that works? Either that, or comes off as disconnected and silly. No one can exist without caring about, or at least noticing, the world around them to some degree.
The ending was poorly done. I knew what was going to happen save for a few fancy word tricks that impressed me, but that has more to do with S.M White's excellence with words and less with the excellence of this book. Certain things were supposed to happen in the end in order to "free" Mhets from his struggles... and somehow not all of them happen, but the interesting ones do, so that's what matters, right?
Conclusion:
The writing is excellent and I loved the internal awareness given to the reader through unique use of POV. The plot, characters, and working of the world are poorly explained and executed. The story (though it doesn't) feel like it jumps around a lot leaving the reader confused more than awed by the writing. If S.M. White had spent more time developing the world and letting Mhets be a part of it instead of just a dude with a quest who happens to exist somewhere, this book could have been brilliant.
July 1, 2013
“’With tears and rage am I called…I am called by throats that have gone raw with screaming. I am called by wailing babes who cannot yet speak or curse a name. Bu you I am called grandfather. By my enemies I am called death…I am Mhets Sorrowbringer, and my sword goes to the man with the most coin.’”
This novel, while short and of the fantasy genre, is defined by its pretentiousness.
While not a bad thing in many regards, the dramatics can be a bit overwhelming at times, from the medieval dialogue to the “woe-is-me” inner monologues. I came into this book expecting a light, fun read about a depressed man on a quest, a sad thief.
The last caught my eye especially. See, I write about a sad thief. Having never heard of this archetype before in any shape of literature, I was compelled to see how White portrayed Mhets. What I can say upon further inspection is that the anti-hero of this story is not a thief in the sense most would think, more a thug, a criminal. A thief doesn’t have to be charming, as I understand from writing my own foray into the idea. But a thief is made by his ability to steal. Mhets does not steal, save a boy he is tasked with doing so. He is better said to be a mercenary.
And there comes the plot.
Mhets and his sidekick (who he despises) Ramkin decide to stop milling about on the road and solve a problem. What’s the algebra, you may ask? Well, it appears Mhets is cursed, and the only way to save his sorry hide is to swallow a finger of a witch to begin some quest. Those begins the Sword and Sorcery vein trot to steal an innocent royal kid in the night.
Fairly standard stuff, right? Well, no. That would be wrong. This isn’t a light romp through the woods. Sorcerers are met. People die by Mhets’s blade. Women and children are attacked. It’s not for the faint of heart, nor is the prose.
I would like to congratulate a self-pubbed author in having a remarkable voice, a beautiful writing style that flows easily in my mind. Descriptions are easy to see, his action scenes some of the best I’ve ever read. They’re so clear, so painful and sharp.
It pains me to say the pacing is not.
The exposition in the prologue was a little wordy and wonky. I don’t understand why White had to describe each and every one of Mhets’s companions, right down to their personal articles of fabric, when he was going to kill them all off in the first chapter. It was baffling and truthfully not needed. Backstory would’ve been better. But I veer from that point onto another complaint.
White throws us into a sad story, expecting the reader to connect with Mhets’s plight from the get-go. He was a man who toppled a nation all because the love of his life was killed by the king. What is there to sympathise with from this murdering, gruff anti-hero? I faced the same wall.
Ramkin, though, and his conversations were a joy to read. While I didn’t particularly like the one-dimensional characterization of his love for women (all the time) it became more tolerable as he talked. The” friendship,” if you could call it that, that progressed was fun to watch, and I felt if White had stuck more to that, this would’ve been a great character story.
He has the melancholy tone down, it’s just excruciatingly heavy, even a writer like myself who revels in the sort of thing. White’s pacing dragged every time there was a chapter dedicated wholly to talking. That is what I feared made the dips go down, because when they rose, they ran to the sky.
But the first third of the story goes nowhere, them trekking to talk to the witch. It’s largely introspection, giving us the characters, and walking with philosophy. The next third is build-up, which I will note had great tension. But near the end, it drags a lot. No amount of sheer awesome writing could save that.
As was the ways Mhets solved one of his major problems. Imagine a mercenary leaving the city at midnight, stolen royalty on horse. The gates are locked, and the guards outnumber him too greatly to count. Why on earth would you attack the men, raising the alarm, and every able bodied soldier in the city? Why not just lie and say you were delivering the kid from some danger, the nation being in civil war and all? What if they didn’t even recognize the child? Why become belligerent and nasty because you are? It was maddening.
The resolution to their demon problem was the same.
Another scenario: You have a giant demon ravaging the world. Only you can save us. What to do, what to do? How about some fiddly magic that hasn’t been explained this whole time, sacrifice a guy’s soul to come back to life, (but don’t!) and defeat the demon by breaking yourself and letting out the inner demon which was never hinted at. Magic, you say? No. How about dues ex machine?
“’Those points of light, although often shrouded in darkness, still leave their impression. When men look to the night sky for guidance, they do not seek the darkness, but rather the stars.’”
Even with the irritating complaints I have, The Witch’s Price is still a very intriguing novel that had billions of potential plot wise. The writing is better than a lot of traditional writers I have read, and it saddens me that this tale was marred by slow pacing and my grievance with the plot.
But I tell you, this is not a light read. Very much philosophy dots the landscape, and in the end we have a really fun story, maybe not the best, though. White could’ve cut out the prologue and epilogue for starters.
This novel, while short and of the fantasy genre, is defined by its pretentiousness.
While not a bad thing in many regards, the dramatics can be a bit overwhelming at times, from the medieval dialogue to the “woe-is-me” inner monologues. I came into this book expecting a light, fun read about a depressed man on a quest, a sad thief.
The last caught my eye especially. See, I write about a sad thief. Having never heard of this archetype before in any shape of literature, I was compelled to see how White portrayed Mhets. What I can say upon further inspection is that the anti-hero of this story is not a thief in the sense most would think, more a thug, a criminal. A thief doesn’t have to be charming, as I understand from writing my own foray into the idea. But a thief is made by his ability to steal. Mhets does not steal, save a boy he is tasked with doing so. He is better said to be a mercenary.
And there comes the plot.
Mhets and his sidekick (who he despises) Ramkin decide to stop milling about on the road and solve a problem. What’s the algebra, you may ask? Well, it appears Mhets is cursed, and the only way to save his sorry hide is to swallow a finger of a witch to begin some quest. Those begins the Sword and Sorcery vein trot to steal an innocent royal kid in the night.
Fairly standard stuff, right? Well, no. That would be wrong. This isn’t a light romp through the woods. Sorcerers are met. People die by Mhets’s blade. Women and children are attacked. It’s not for the faint of heart, nor is the prose.
I would like to congratulate a self-pubbed author in having a remarkable voice, a beautiful writing style that flows easily in my mind. Descriptions are easy to see, his action scenes some of the best I’ve ever read. They’re so clear, so painful and sharp.
It pains me to say the pacing is not.
The exposition in the prologue was a little wordy and wonky. I don’t understand why White had to describe each and every one of Mhets’s companions, right down to their personal articles of fabric, when he was going to kill them all off in the first chapter. It was baffling and truthfully not needed. Backstory would’ve been better. But I veer from that point onto another complaint.
White throws us into a sad story, expecting the reader to connect with Mhets’s plight from the get-go. He was a man who toppled a nation all because the love of his life was killed by the king. What is there to sympathise with from this murdering, gruff anti-hero? I faced the same wall.
Ramkin, though, and his conversations were a joy to read. While I didn’t particularly like the one-dimensional characterization of his love for women (all the time) it became more tolerable as he talked. The” friendship,” if you could call it that, that progressed was fun to watch, and I felt if White had stuck more to that, this would’ve been a great character story.
He has the melancholy tone down, it’s just excruciatingly heavy, even a writer like myself who revels in the sort of thing. White’s pacing dragged every time there was a chapter dedicated wholly to talking. That is what I feared made the dips go down, because when they rose, they ran to the sky.
But the first third of the story goes nowhere, them trekking to talk to the witch. It’s largely introspection, giving us the characters, and walking with philosophy. The next third is build-up, which I will note had great tension. But near the end, it drags a lot. No amount of sheer awesome writing could save that.
As was the ways Mhets solved one of his major problems. Imagine a mercenary leaving the city at midnight, stolen royalty on horse. The gates are locked, and the guards outnumber him too greatly to count. Why on earth would you attack the men, raising the alarm, and every able bodied soldier in the city? Why not just lie and say you were delivering the kid from some danger, the nation being in civil war and all? What if they didn’t even recognize the child? Why become belligerent and nasty because you are? It was maddening.
The resolution to their demon problem was the same.
Another scenario: You have a giant demon ravaging the world. Only you can save us. What to do, what to do? How about some fiddly magic that hasn’t been explained this whole time, sacrifice a guy’s soul to come back to life, (but don’t!) and defeat the demon by breaking yourself and letting out the inner demon which was never hinted at. Magic, you say? No. How about dues ex machine?
“’Those points of light, although often shrouded in darkness, still leave their impression. When men look to the night sky for guidance, they do not seek the darkness, but rather the stars.’”
Even with the irritating complaints I have, The Witch’s Price is still a very intriguing novel that had billions of potential plot wise. The writing is better than a lot of traditional writers I have read, and it saddens me that this tale was marred by slow pacing and my grievance with the plot.
But I tell you, this is not a light read. Very much philosophy dots the landscape, and in the end we have a really fun story, maybe not the best, though. White could’ve cut out the prologue and epilogue for starters.
July 4, 2013
I'll definitely grant this: S. M. White's writing is beautiful. He effortlessly weaves description, mood, and setting and has a very unique voice. He would do well to author many more fantasy books using such a talented writing style. S. M. White and fantasy go well together, like wine and cheese.
This book seems to be based in medieval times, and S. M. White conveys it well. Hence, I am viewing it through the prism of those times, with the darkness and more simple times that existed back then.
However, it was hard to root for the characters in the book, especially the main character Mhets, who has murdered hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent victims. He seeks redemption, not because he feels he did something wrong, but in order to avoid a jinx that is explained at the beginning of the book. This reason does not speak to his conscience, but rather to his shallowness. He has no interest in his sidekick, Ramkin, and the only person he loves is already dead, the lovely lady Sobrita. In a spell that he experiences, she tells him that she does not approve of the way he has avenged her, and I found myself agreeing with her.
It was hard for me to visualize the plight of the young prince, whom Mhets kidnaps. I won't go into details here, but it seemed so wasted - the sacrifice of something without anything justifying (morally that is) why Mhets took the prince in the first place. The prince travels for more than a day with Mhets, imprisoned against his will, but we do not even hear him complain or speak out except for a few mild queries. I understand muting the prince's voice allows us to accept the eventual tragedy more easily, but a more daring writer would have tried to bring out the remorse and sadness, showing what a fine person that prince was in his brief life, and give us some hope that the prince at least had some joy in his last days.
I understand this is a fantasy novel, and in those days life was much cheaper back then; however I also believe that there was also much goodness of heart - not merely riches or quest for treasure or status - that existed in those days. And, I understand that grim can be good, but it's ideal to mix the grim with the uplifting.
I loved the first chapter (although there seemed to be a lot of slaughter in order to lay hands on treasure and nothing else). It appeared as a swashbuckling chapter in the traditional swords and sorcery style. The next chapter then really begins the tone for the rest of the book: Mhets as an older man, embittered, his best days behind him. It was hard for me to adjust my expectations to start reading a story that is, in essence, a seasoned warrior's last days coming to terms with himself. It is certainly unusual. If the author wanted us to show an older person attempt reconciliation and redemption for what he had done in his life full of swordfight and swashbuckling, it would have been good to start off with the basic premise that he was ready, from the very start of the book after the first chapter, to repent. He does not. Hence, we feel that the best part of his life story has already happened in the past, and we are just waiting for him to meet his death. Having said that, even as an older man in this book, Mhets does have some great action scenes, he fights his way out of difficult situations (just hard for me to root for him, as I did not believe in his quest).
The author's style maintains my strong interest in his works. I want to read other books by this author. He has shown me he can write damn well, now I want to try out another story of his that I can relate to. As said, he is well suited for the fantasy genre!
This book seems to be based in medieval times, and S. M. White conveys it well. Hence, I am viewing it through the prism of those times, with the darkness and more simple times that existed back then.
However, it was hard to root for the characters in the book, especially the main character Mhets, who has murdered hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent victims. He seeks redemption, not because he feels he did something wrong, but in order to avoid a jinx that is explained at the beginning of the book. This reason does not speak to his conscience, but rather to his shallowness. He has no interest in his sidekick, Ramkin, and the only person he loves is already dead, the lovely lady Sobrita. In a spell that he experiences, she tells him that she does not approve of the way he has avenged her, and I found myself agreeing with her.
It was hard for me to visualize the plight of the young prince, whom Mhets kidnaps. I won't go into details here, but it seemed so wasted - the sacrifice of something without anything justifying (morally that is) why Mhets took the prince in the first place. The prince travels for more than a day with Mhets, imprisoned against his will, but we do not even hear him complain or speak out except for a few mild queries. I understand muting the prince's voice allows us to accept the eventual tragedy more easily, but a more daring writer would have tried to bring out the remorse and sadness, showing what a fine person that prince was in his brief life, and give us some hope that the prince at least had some joy in his last days.
I understand this is a fantasy novel, and in those days life was much cheaper back then; however I also believe that there was also much goodness of heart - not merely riches or quest for treasure or status - that existed in those days. And, I understand that grim can be good, but it's ideal to mix the grim with the uplifting.
I loved the first chapter (although there seemed to be a lot of slaughter in order to lay hands on treasure and nothing else). It appeared as a swashbuckling chapter in the traditional swords and sorcery style. The next chapter then really begins the tone for the rest of the book: Mhets as an older man, embittered, his best days behind him. It was hard for me to adjust my expectations to start reading a story that is, in essence, a seasoned warrior's last days coming to terms with himself. It is certainly unusual. If the author wanted us to show an older person attempt reconciliation and redemption for what he had done in his life full of swordfight and swashbuckling, it would have been good to start off with the basic premise that he was ready, from the very start of the book after the first chapter, to repent. He does not. Hence, we feel that the best part of his life story has already happened in the past, and we are just waiting for him to meet his death. Having said that, even as an older man in this book, Mhets does have some great action scenes, he fights his way out of difficult situations (just hard for me to root for him, as I did not believe in his quest).
The author's style maintains my strong interest in his works. I want to read other books by this author. He has shown me he can write damn well, now I want to try out another story of his that I can relate to. As said, he is well suited for the fantasy genre!
December 4, 2013
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This book made me want to cry. Not for anything in the story line, or because of bad writing, but because there are just so many errors.
The Lonely Man: The Witch's Price has the potential to become a classic... it needs some serious polishing though. Spelling errors abound... the most annoying of which was the use of "alter" when "altar" should have been used instead.
I found some of the phrasing jarring. I could have forgiven it, had it been in speech or thoughts, but not when it's in the narrative.
I feel my 2 star rating needs explaining a little, so I'll break it down into the 3 most important things for me in any book:
Story line: 5 stars
Writing: 3 stars
Presentation: 0 stars
There is absolutely NOTHING WRONG with this book that a decent editor and proof reader couldn't put right. S. M. White has a diamond here, but sadly for me, it's still half buried in the earth.
If you're not worried about spelling, grammar, etc. and just want a decent story to read - go for it!
This book made me want to cry. Not for anything in the story line, or because of bad writing, but because there are just so many errors.
The Lonely Man: The Witch's Price has the potential to become a classic... it needs some serious polishing though. Spelling errors abound... the most annoying of which was the use of "alter" when "altar" should have been used instead.
I found some of the phrasing jarring. I could have forgiven it, had it been in speech or thoughts, but not when it's in the narrative.
I feel my 2 star rating needs explaining a little, so I'll break it down into the 3 most important things for me in any book:
Story line: 5 stars
Writing: 3 stars
Presentation: 0 stars
There is absolutely NOTHING WRONG with this book that a decent editor and proof reader couldn't put right. S. M. White has a diamond here, but sadly for me, it's still half buried in the earth.
If you're not worried about spelling, grammar, etc. and just want a decent story to read - go for it!
July 3, 2013
This is a tale in the tradition of classic sword and sorcery. Adventure and capers abound, wrapped in a quest for redemption. Of course, there's also the meddling of sorcerers and ancient magics.
S.M. White has created a grand yarn and has set the stage for a world full of peril and wonder.
S.M. White has created a grand yarn and has set the stage for a world full of peril and wonder.
February 3, 2019
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review. I started reading this book in July 2014 and just finished it in January 2019, and I feel like that says quite a lot.
It really comes down to this: S.M. White has a story here that could be quite stirring and heartbreaking and all of those good things, but this did not feel like an edited manuscript. There were quite a few spelling errors throughout the text, and I feel like an editor would also (Hopefully? I suppose it depends on the editor) have some notes about the pacing of the story, character development and direction, and things like that.
I've picked this up and put it down several times over the years and only now did I finally decide to just power through and finish the darned thing. And you know what? I give White some major props for creating this world and these characters and writing this book and getting it published (and producing a sequel!). That is certainly more than I have accomplished with my life and my own writing. But I have to be honest, I didn't enjoy reading this.
I am submitting this review as an entry for the 2019 A to Z Reading Challenge.
It really comes down to this: S.M. White has a story here that could be quite stirring and heartbreaking and all of those good things, but this did not feel like an edited manuscript. There were quite a few spelling errors throughout the text, and I feel like an editor would also (Hopefully? I suppose it depends on the editor) have some notes about the pacing of the story, character development and direction, and things like that.
I've picked this up and put it down several times over the years and only now did I finally decide to just power through and finish the darned thing. And you know what? I give White some major props for creating this world and these characters and writing this book and getting it published (and producing a sequel!). That is certainly more than I have accomplished with my life and my own writing. But I have to be honest, I didn't enjoy reading this.
I am submitting this review as an entry for the 2019 A to Z Reading Challenge.
June 26, 2015
I was surprised to come across yet another short fantasy book (compared to what I usually read), but at least this time it felt like the length was appropriate. I did not put the book down with a sense that more had been needed, instead it felt just right. So once again, if you are looking for something less daunting than the typical fantasy fare, here’s something of manageable length. Not just that but White’s prose is truly a pleasure to read. I felt like his was the elusive perfect balance of description without being too wordy and flowery. It was easy to read while still giving me a clear idea in my head of what I was seeing. The battle scenes were great as well. Kudos!
There were a few things about the plot that bothered me, and unfortunately I couldn’t seem to set those points aside. The beginning of the book dragged a bit, and for about the first half Ramkin seemed to fill no other role than a device to deliver exposition. For a while I almost wondered if Mhets was a foreigner or something because Ramkin seemed to be delivering a lot of information to him that a man as old and well-traveled as he should have known about the world that he occupied.
At the end of the book too I felt like things just weren’t quite meshing together. Certain plot points just really bugged me for various reasons (won’t go into details because spoilers and I don’t want to sound super nitpicky). Ultimately I feel like there was a great story underneath everything, and it was enjoyable to read, but the plot wasn’t quite put together completely.
There were a few things about the plot that bothered me, and unfortunately I couldn’t seem to set those points aside. The beginning of the book dragged a bit, and for about the first half Ramkin seemed to fill no other role than a device to deliver exposition. For a while I almost wondered if Mhets was a foreigner or something because Ramkin seemed to be delivering a lot of information to him that a man as old and well-traveled as he should have known about the world that he occupied.
At the end of the book too I felt like things just weren’t quite meshing together. Certain plot points just really bugged me for various reasons (won’t go into details because spoilers and I don’t want to sound super nitpicky). Ultimately I feel like there was a great story underneath everything, and it was enjoyable to read, but the plot wasn’t quite put together completely.
October 21, 2013
This story is about Mhets Sorrowbringer a stealth warrior who has taken from the gods with some companions and had tried to save the love of his life only to find that the king had disposed of her before he could pay for her release. Mhets became enraged and brought on the onslaught of everyone evil in the town.. a true massacre. His comrades were slowly taken from the death god.. due to the stealing of their treasure.. and as Mhets goes along his way he knows death will be knocking ..but his side kick Ramkin who has been traveling along side has offered up a witch to see if she can help. She in turn takes Mhets on a journey of evil tasks that brings forth some sorcery, appeals, and the vision of his beloved .. It was a great journey to read and was very happy with the ending as I feel his character can do so much.
November 6, 2013
I found The Witch's Price a unique take on a fantasy novel. I thought it was easy to read with some nice descriptions.
The ending was...odd. It did feel a little abrupt and unfinished compared to the rest of the novel. The rest of the book was well written and interesting enough that I will keep an eye out for the second book.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
The ending was...odd. It did feel a little abrupt and unfinished compared to the rest of the novel. The rest of the book was well written and interesting enough that I will keep an eye out for the second book.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
August 1, 2013
The Witch's Price is a well-written, exciting, profound Fantasy tale, within which S.M. White intensively explores psychological, emotional, and philosophical depths in extensively developed characters--which can't be said of the typical Fantasy novel. Highly recommended!
November 6, 2013
The Witch's Price is a pretty good book. The writing is a bit sloppy especially in the beginning but it matures by the end and even has a few great moments. The story and characterizations are a bit predictable but done well enough that it isn't a problem.
December 8, 2013
I won a copy of The Witch's Price, by SM White. I read a few pages and had to put it down.
The end.
The end.
April 15, 2014
this book was so confusing to me. I see a great story underneath it all. I just couldn't dig through the over descriptions and plot slips to uncover it.
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