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Firetale
Lazarus Bernardius is immortal, but he had to die twice to discover it. The Devil has made Lazarus the ringmaster of a traveling circus of demionis, creatures with supernatural powers that are descendants of demons from Hell. For 140 years, the troupe of mermaids and ogres, medusas and wyverns, satyrs and alrauns has been touring the U.S. tullies, masquerading as just another mud show.
Lazarus's task of giving shelter to unusual creatures requires that he not draw the attention of the Judges, modern inquisitors hunting down the supernatural. Lazarus manages this until Greg, a magician who can control fire, joins the circus. Greg seems like a decent sort, but over time, the magician’s behavior becomes suspicious.
When Lazarus learns that Greg uses his magic to fight villains after performances, it is too late. Soon, the first of the Judges arrives. To save his fosterlings and get out of trouble, Lazarus must seek help from a long-abandoned lover who is still angry with him. What the ringmaster doesn’t know is that some of the inhabitants of the circus have secrets of their own.
FIRETALE is a cocktail of mythology and historical facts, folklore creatures and demons, witches, bikers, and rock ’n’ roll. It is the first novel in a planned tetralogy, which will include the novels Sandtale, Deeptale, and Timetale.
Lazarus's task of giving shelter to unusual creatures requires that he not draw the attention of the Judges, modern inquisitors hunting down the supernatural. Lazarus manages this until Greg, a magician who can control fire, joins the circus. Greg seems like a decent sort, but over time, the magician’s behavior becomes suspicious.
When Lazarus learns that Greg uses his magic to fight villains after performances, it is too late. Soon, the first of the Judges arrives. To save his fosterlings and get out of trouble, Lazarus must seek help from a long-abandoned lover who is still angry with him. What the ringmaster doesn’t know is that some of the inhabitants of the circus have secrets of their own.
FIRETALE is a cocktail of mythology and historical facts, folklore creatures and demons, witches, bikers, and rock ’n’ roll. It is the first novel in a planned tetralogy, which will include the novels Sandtale, Deeptale, and Timetale.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 28, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 21, 2015
The Good, the Bad, the VERY Bad and the Freaky:
The Good:
This is a very unique, well written tale featuring a cornucopia of magical/mystical beings including some heavy hitters from THE Battle between Good & Evil. The author drew upon the myths and beliefs of people from all over the world as well as throughout the ages. The sheer volume and diversity of the enchanting personae depicted was extremely impressive. The author knows his lore and isn't afraid to use it. The world building and characters were nicely fleshed out (for the most part) and the story did a lot of showing instead of telling (which is critical).
So far so good right? What made it SO star worthy though? The premise of course but mostly I fell in love with the atmosphere. What stage could not only house but showcase all of the awe inspiring otherworldly-ness of this cast you might wonder? Why, it's a Satan sponsored/encouraged/funded Circus jam packed with an Immortal ringmaster, various Demionis and the archivists that commune with them. Who doesn't love a circus, especially one populated by real deal Freaks and Monsters? This circus happens to be circa Who knows when since the story jumps about like the critter inside of a Mexican jumping bean trashed on Tequila. That digression segues into the next section quite well...
The Bad:
There are quite a few things to list here, especially for a 4(ish) star rating. Let's start with the crazy flip flopping POVs as well as the time periods that flipped back and forth just as much. It was distracting, confusing at times and made for a disjointed read (in places). No bueno! Thankfully it didn't detract from the overall experience enough to deduct serious stars for it. The writing WAS good but sometimes gigantic words don't enhance the reading, it just bogs the whole process down. It was not a complete deal breaker but it sure was annoying when the breaks were repeatedly thrown on the movie in my head.
The VERY Bad:
The pace was s-l-o-w. There was almost NO real action. Even the sure-fire showdown that was meticulously built to a tantalising crescendo turned out to be nothing more than an anticlimactic slow trickle off a desperately despised cliff(hanger). Yup, I said it...a big fat cliffhanger that came out of nowhere. I get it, there's a book #2 on the horizon but chopping a story off in the middle and just leaving the bloody stump hang there is a serious party foul in my opinion.
The Freaky:
I could list all of the different types of paranormal, mythological, and magical species but that would ruin some of the fun.
All in all I liked the overall product. I can overlook a lot of the negative things I said because at the end of the day I'll take a unique premise over an extremely well written regurgitation any day!
*bottom line: Read it! It was worth the time.
The Good:
This is a very unique, well written tale featuring a cornucopia of magical/mystical beings including some heavy hitters from THE Battle between Good & Evil. The author drew upon the myths and beliefs of people from all over the world as well as throughout the ages. The sheer volume and diversity of the enchanting personae depicted was extremely impressive. The author knows his lore and isn't afraid to use it. The world building and characters were nicely fleshed out (for the most part) and the story did a lot of showing instead of telling (which is critical).
So far so good right? What made it SO star worthy though? The premise of course but mostly I fell in love with the atmosphere. What stage could not only house but showcase all of the awe inspiring otherworldly-ness of this cast you might wonder? Why, it's a Satan sponsored/encouraged/funded Circus jam packed with an Immortal ringmaster, various Demionis and the archivists that commune with them. Who doesn't love a circus, especially one populated by real deal Freaks and Monsters? This circus happens to be circa Who knows when since the story jumps about like the critter inside of a Mexican jumping bean trashed on Tequila. That digression segues into the next section quite well...
The Bad:
There are quite a few things to list here, especially for a 4(ish) star rating. Let's start with the crazy flip flopping POVs as well as the time periods that flipped back and forth just as much. It was distracting, confusing at times and made for a disjointed read (in places). No bueno! Thankfully it didn't detract from the overall experience enough to deduct serious stars for it. The writing WAS good but sometimes gigantic words don't enhance the reading, it just bogs the whole process down. It was not a complete deal breaker but it sure was annoying when the breaks were repeatedly thrown on the movie in my head.
The VERY Bad:
The pace was s-l-o-w. There was almost NO real action. Even the sure-fire showdown that was meticulously built to a tantalising crescendo turned out to be nothing more than an anticlimactic slow trickle off a desperately despised cliff(hanger). Yup, I said it...a big fat cliffhanger that came out of nowhere. I get it, there's a book #2 on the horizon but chopping a story off in the middle and just leaving the bloody stump hang there is a serious party foul in my opinion.
The Freaky:
I could list all of the different types of paranormal, mythological, and magical species but that would ruin some of the fun.
All in all I liked the overall product. I can overlook a lot of the negative things I said because at the end of the day I'll take a unique premise over an extremely well written regurgitation any day!
*bottom line: Read it! It was worth the time.
June 4, 2015
Who doesn’t like a circus? Clowns, high wire acts, and animal tricks are what one would expect to see at a circus right? Well this was no ordinary circus.
Lazarus Bernardius, an immortal, was appointed by the devil as Ringmaster of a peculiar kind of traveling circus. The circus was not about earning money. It was about survival. This circus family was a combination of demionis, supernatural powers and creatures of all sorts that are all descendants of demons from hell. The circus was a way of protecting them from layman.
The immortal ringmaster, Bernardius, was summoned by the devil in 1871. He was given the difficult task of housing the circus creatures and keeping them safe from the Judges - a team of present-day inquisitors who search and destroy supernatural creatures.
Bernardius was doing a wonderful job keeping the creatures hidden from the judges, at least until he added Greg to his circus family. Greg was a fire magician who performed fire tricks for the fans. He used a crystal ball and birds in his act, although he didn’t need the crystal ball because he wasn’t actually doing tricks. He was the real thing: an actual magician. During his act, his crystal ball would light up and illuminate the face of villains in the audience.
Greg’s features were human-like, so he was able to blend in with ordinary people. Although he was forbidden to leave the circus on his own, Greg felt compelled to track down and execute any villain he spotted during his act. To the ringmaster’s dismay, these executions drew the unwanted attention of the Judges. Fortunately, the old ringmaster had a few tricks up his sleeve in order to protect Greg and the circus. But could the mortal Judges outwit Greg’s supernatural powers? He was a force to be reckoned with.
I loved the author’s creative imagination. The many creatures in this story were described in great detail. Some of the creatures were depicted as lovely and some were bad and gory. It was difficult at times to follow all the creatures’ journeys of survival but at the end of the story, I was anxious to know what happens next. Firetale is a must read for all fantasy lovers. I can’t wait to read the sequel!
Review by Monica McDaniel for eBook Review Gal.
http://ebookreviewgal.com received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Lazarus Bernardius, an immortal, was appointed by the devil as Ringmaster of a peculiar kind of traveling circus. The circus was not about earning money. It was about survival. This circus family was a combination of demionis, supernatural powers and creatures of all sorts that are all descendants of demons from hell. The circus was a way of protecting them from layman.
The immortal ringmaster, Bernardius, was summoned by the devil in 1871. He was given the difficult task of housing the circus creatures and keeping them safe from the Judges - a team of present-day inquisitors who search and destroy supernatural creatures.
Bernardius was doing a wonderful job keeping the creatures hidden from the judges, at least until he added Greg to his circus family. Greg was a fire magician who performed fire tricks for the fans. He used a crystal ball and birds in his act, although he didn’t need the crystal ball because he wasn’t actually doing tricks. He was the real thing: an actual magician. During his act, his crystal ball would light up and illuminate the face of villains in the audience.
Greg’s features were human-like, so he was able to blend in with ordinary people. Although he was forbidden to leave the circus on his own, Greg felt compelled to track down and execute any villain he spotted during his act. To the ringmaster’s dismay, these executions drew the unwanted attention of the Judges. Fortunately, the old ringmaster had a few tricks up his sleeve in order to protect Greg and the circus. But could the mortal Judges outwit Greg’s supernatural powers? He was a force to be reckoned with.
I loved the author’s creative imagination. The many creatures in this story were described in great detail. Some of the creatures were depicted as lovely and some were bad and gory. It was difficult at times to follow all the creatures’ journeys of survival but at the end of the story, I was anxious to know what happens next. Firetale is a must read for all fantasy lovers. I can’t wait to read the sequel!
Review by Monica McDaniel for eBook Review Gal.
http://ebookreviewgal.com received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2015
Let's start off with the bad:
The author uses a lot of big, complex words that make it hard to stay with the flow of the story. The sentences tend to be a bit clunky and awkward, which again makes for slow reading.
I had a real problem with the POV of the book. It kept switching back and forth from one character to the next, but it didn't quite nail the omniscient POV right. There are a number of times when it switches from past to present tense, and I found those very jarring. There was A LOT of use of the passive verbs, which made the book feel slow. The book is mostly "telling", with very little "showing"--something I know many authors struggle with.
The ending was fairly anticlimactic. I was expecting a big confrontation, but in the end, the end was more of a whimper than a bang. There's no ending to the book--I understand that this is because there will be a Book 2, but still, it should have ended better. I have no reason to want to read Book 2 thanks to that lame ending.
On to the good:
I was amazed by the range of monsters that the author used! These monsters come from folk tales, legends, and lore from all around the world. The author's understanding of the occult/mystic is solid, so much so that I'd almost wonder if he dabbled a bit in it himself.
There is a lot to love about this book. The characters can be fairly interesting, though they each have their moments when they change personalities. The description of the powers, the history of the circus, and the story overall was quite excellent.
All in all, a solid book that needs a lot of work to make it great.
The author uses a lot of big, complex words that make it hard to stay with the flow of the story. The sentences tend to be a bit clunky and awkward, which again makes for slow reading.
I had a real problem with the POV of the book. It kept switching back and forth from one character to the next, but it didn't quite nail the omniscient POV right. There are a number of times when it switches from past to present tense, and I found those very jarring. There was A LOT of use of the passive verbs, which made the book feel slow. The book is mostly "telling", with very little "showing"--something I know many authors struggle with.
The ending was fairly anticlimactic. I was expecting a big confrontation, but in the end, the end was more of a whimper than a bang. There's no ending to the book--I understand that this is because there will be a Book 2, but still, it should have ended better. I have no reason to want to read Book 2 thanks to that lame ending.
On to the good:
I was amazed by the range of monsters that the author used! These monsters come from folk tales, legends, and lore from all around the world. The author's understanding of the occult/mystic is solid, so much so that I'd almost wonder if he dabbled a bit in it himself.
There is a lot to love about this book. The characters can be fairly interesting, though they each have their moments when they change personalities. The description of the powers, the history of the circus, and the story overall was quite excellent.
All in all, a solid book that needs a lot of work to make it great.
September 23, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews