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The Romantic
In the near future, a man, who has been trained from childhood to fight, will enter a live arena in the Pacific Northwest. There he will meet his nemesis and the love of his life. He is a debt slave and a poet. He keeps a human skull covered in dense writing, and a parrot. People call him weird. There are those who help him, to whom he is generous. There are those who try to block his path to freedom. Woe be unto them. App. 18,000 words. Caution for violence.
75 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2014
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About the author
Hudson Owen
18 books3 followersHudson Owen was born in Buffalo, NY and grew up in Wilmington, Delaware. He is a published author and produced playwright in New York City, where he has acted professionally. In 2011 he released his CD Man Without A Band - Story Songs. He digital art can be purchased at Artist Rising. He is a wilderness canoeist and long time resident of Brooklyn, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 2, 2014
Focused very crisp. Interesting story good read!
August 14, 2016
Sebastian Cloud is a man of two worlds. To the patrons of the Rock Island Casino & Resort – Live Arena, he is “Strike,” the champion gladiator of 27 matches against man and beast. At home, he is thoughtful, deliberate, spiritual, romantic, and completely comfortable in his own skin – physically, mentally, and emotionally (almost). Fighting to pay off a debt to the Yakuza, he is close to realizing his goal when a new partner in the resort pits him against a new gladiator robot. During the bout, Strike destroys the robot and wins the sympathy and heart of the partner’s beautiful, gladiator-in-her-own-right wife – Virgina. The adventure ensues and suspense mounts as Sebastian and Virgina attempt to outrun her husband’s (Volton’s) wrath and revenge.
The author has packed adventure, suspense, and romance into a compact 75 pages. The Romantic is a fun story, cinematically told, that you can pick up and enjoy from beginning to end in one sitting. (I highly recommend reading this at one go from start to finish.) Author Hudson Owen builds a complete adventure without leftover fluff giving us the minimum information to establish setting (the northwest), history, and character back story. It was quite a satisfying drawing me back for a second reading less than two weeks after first. My first experience was completed piecemeal, and I enjoyed it, but I picked up much more (the building of the relationship between the two protagonists for one) when reading was uninterrupted.
The story is presented in such a way that it is almost like watching a film. Sebastian is introduced to us via glimpses of his day. Also, dialogue follows naturally speaking and conversational patterns. Characters switch topics when talking to each other rather than completing one idea before going on to the next just as people do in real life. This took me some getting used to but when I began to “hear” the characters speaking, it really felt more believable.
Elements of the book – the dialogue patterns, the lack of side-bar details, and extraneous exposition - just may not be everyone’s taste, but I don’t want to warn anyone off this very good adventure. Relax and just enjoy. I think that it will entertain anyone that picked it up. (Parents, there are scenes of intimacy so this is not for children.) And if the author even decided to redevelop this as a longer work leading into a series I think he’d have a winner that way as well. I know that he’d get my attention, cash, and time.
The author has packed adventure, suspense, and romance into a compact 75 pages. The Romantic is a fun story, cinematically told, that you can pick up and enjoy from beginning to end in one sitting. (I highly recommend reading this at one go from start to finish.) Author Hudson Owen builds a complete adventure without leftover fluff giving us the minimum information to establish setting (the northwest), history, and character back story. It was quite a satisfying drawing me back for a second reading less than two weeks after first. My first experience was completed piecemeal, and I enjoyed it, but I picked up much more (the building of the relationship between the two protagonists for one) when reading was uninterrupted.
The story is presented in such a way that it is almost like watching a film. Sebastian is introduced to us via glimpses of his day. Also, dialogue follows naturally speaking and conversational patterns. Characters switch topics when talking to each other rather than completing one idea before going on to the next just as people do in real life. This took me some getting used to but when I began to “hear” the characters speaking, it really felt more believable.
Elements of the book – the dialogue patterns, the lack of side-bar details, and extraneous exposition - just may not be everyone’s taste, but I don’t want to warn anyone off this very good adventure. Relax and just enjoy. I think that it will entertain anyone that picked it up. (Parents, there are scenes of intimacy so this is not for children.) And if the author even decided to redevelop this as a longer work leading into a series I think he’d have a winner that way as well. I know that he’d get my attention, cash, and time.
April 8, 2014
This review first appeared on Extaordinaryreads.com
I received a free copy in exchange for my review.
The Romantic literally blew me away with its outstanding prose, its almost sly humor and its unusual storyline. This wicked tale has it all--the brilliance of 'Pulp Fiction, the suspense of 'The Deer Hunter', and the tastefully twisted eloquence of 'The Magus'(John Fowles). This is no ordinary writing, however, in its vaulted superiority I hope it is understood as this is a visionary imagination. I loved the minimalist, tight character presentation, the exquisite scene setting including perfect detailing--usually achieved using ten or less words, as well as the charming love story at the heart of this novella- A love story that comes full circle through neat and clever use of a blending theme, the nature of which, I haven't seen in anything other than the classics.
It is narration of this quality that all reviewers dream of coming across: especially from the unexpected self-published giveaway-for-review shelf. I will greedily consume all this author has to offer and eagerly await any future publications.
I received a free copy in exchange for my review.
The Romantic literally blew me away with its outstanding prose, its almost sly humor and its unusual storyline. This wicked tale has it all--the brilliance of 'Pulp Fiction, the suspense of 'The Deer Hunter', and the tastefully twisted eloquence of 'The Magus'(John Fowles). This is no ordinary writing, however, in its vaulted superiority I hope it is understood as this is a visionary imagination. I loved the minimalist, tight character presentation, the exquisite scene setting including perfect detailing--usually achieved using ten or less words, as well as the charming love story at the heart of this novella- A love story that comes full circle through neat and clever use of a blending theme, the nature of which, I haven't seen in anything other than the classics.
It is narration of this quality that all reviewers dream of coming across: especially from the unexpected self-published giveaway-for-review shelf. I will greedily consume all this author has to offer and eagerly await any future publications.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews