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The Pen is Mightier
College student Sedrick Weir is the biggest fan of the brutal fantasy epic, 'Those Accursed Chronicles'. Its author, Paul Breston, has created a unique series of novels rife with debauchery and betrayal, in which no character is safe.
Through a miraculous fluke, Sed is transported into the mythic world he loves so much. When he returns to his own world, he must convince Paul that his imagined realm actually exists. And if that world is real, can Paul keep killing people who are no longer merely fictional? Must Sed's favorite characters really have to die?
Both satire and homage, 'The Pen is Mightier' is a love-letter to one of the most popular series and television programs in the fantasy genre.
Through a miraculous fluke, Sed is transported into the mythic world he loves so much. When he returns to his own world, he must convince Paul that his imagined realm actually exists. And if that world is real, can Paul keep killing people who are no longer merely fictional? Must Sed's favorite characters really have to die?
Both satire and homage, 'The Pen is Mightier' is a love-letter to one of the most popular series and television programs in the fantasy genre.
416 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2015
2 people are currently reading
385 people want to read
About the author
Andy C.F. Crawford
9 books16 followersAndy Crawford loves Korean food. He likes pizza too. He probably won't say no to burritos. Or chicken.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 15, 2015
Have you ever read a book and thought: "I'd love to travel to or live in this universe"? From all the books that come to mind, the "A Song Of Ice And Fire" series by George R. R. Martin is probably not the first one you thought of. On the contrary, this book should be high on everyone's lists of world they do not wish to travel to.
This however is exactly the premise of "The Pen Is Mightier". Labeled as both satire and homage, Andy C.F. Crawford takes on Martin's famous universe in this book, including both non-subtle references to the original ASOIAF plots and characters, fans, and even George R. R. Martin himself. This is the story of Sed, an avid fan of the fantasy series, who miraculously figures out a way to travel to the universe of "Those Accursed Chronicles" (as the "A Song Of Ice And Fire"-series is called in this book). He even convinces the author that this is not a hallucination, and both fan and author are left to face their conscience: is it right to create and enjoy a bloody and violent fictional world, if it suddenly ceased to be fiction?
This book I would definitely only recommend for fans of GRRM's original series. None of the characters in this series are particularly fleshed out, unless you can link them their "A Song Of Ice And Fire" counterparts. The representations of the author and the fans aren't in as much luck. There's little depth to any of these characters, though they would probably pass several of Tumblr's diversity standards.
The lack of depth is an issue throughout the entire book I think, it was all fairly basic, and it already starts with the maps: the Kingdoms are called Marsh, Stone, Sand, Forest & Sea Kingdom, which are, if you ask me, the most basic possible names, and they never really developed beyond this status.
The good thing is however, that the plot is more driven by action than character development, so this didn't really lessen my enjoyment of the book. Though not as flowery as GRRM's prose, the book did captivate me more than I had expected. The format of many POVs with short chapters worked well for its set-up, and I loved the inclusion of Reddit discussions and Wiki-pages. The only downside to this was that the Wiki pages detailed the character's adventures in the books, and a lot of these excerpts described the same happenings. Again. And again. Sadly, I don't think we ever learned more than the basics of these events despite the repetition, but I loved the way the story was told and how the modern media were incorporated into the writing. In a story set in the modern day, it doesn't make sense to include the internet after all, especially if the protagonist is both in college and an avid fan of something.
My favourite part of the book was Paul, the author, and the struggle with his conscience. After all, Paul - and his real-life counterpart, GRRM - put their characters through some truly cruel events, so it's interesting to see them react to it. I think GRRM's made of slightly stronger stuff than Paul, but all the same, throughout the entire book I was reminded of one particular interview with GRRM about the "Game Of Thrones"-tv show, whose quote I think deserves a mention in this context:
"At the premiere, I found myself talking to three very nice actors, at one point, who were very pleasant, and I was having a great time talking with them and drinking with them, and then I suddenly realized that I had killed all three of them, at various points in the series, and that they would all shortly be unemployed actors. And I had a moment of horrible guilt, but it’s already done." (x)
An entire book on GRRM's guilt, multiplied by ten. Fantastic! I also loved that GRRM's slowness in writing these books was taken into account, because seriously, I think that's what *every* fan of these books can relate to. I just hope GRRM doesn't have to take Paul's way out.
Overall: a decent book, that I think is more homage than satire. Though it could've been a bit better fleshed out, the book was captivating as it was, and it was definitely enjoyable in its own way.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This however is exactly the premise of "The Pen Is Mightier". Labeled as both satire and homage, Andy C.F. Crawford takes on Martin's famous universe in this book, including both non-subtle references to the original ASOIAF plots and characters, fans, and even George R. R. Martin himself. This is the story of Sed, an avid fan of the fantasy series, who miraculously figures out a way to travel to the universe of "Those Accursed Chronicles" (as the "A Song Of Ice And Fire"-series is called in this book). He even convinces the author that this is not a hallucination, and both fan and author are left to face their conscience: is it right to create and enjoy a bloody and violent fictional world, if it suddenly ceased to be fiction?
This book I would definitely only recommend for fans of GRRM's original series. None of the characters in this series are particularly fleshed out, unless you can link them their "A Song Of Ice And Fire" counterparts. The representations of the author and the fans aren't in as much luck. There's little depth to any of these characters, though they would probably pass several of Tumblr's diversity standards.
The lack of depth is an issue throughout the entire book I think, it was all fairly basic, and it already starts with the maps: the Kingdoms are called Marsh, Stone, Sand, Forest & Sea Kingdom, which are, if you ask me, the most basic possible names, and they never really developed beyond this status.
The good thing is however, that the plot is more driven by action than character development, so this didn't really lessen my enjoyment of the book. Though not as flowery as GRRM's prose, the book did captivate me more than I had expected. The format of many POVs with short chapters worked well for its set-up, and I loved the inclusion of Reddit discussions and Wiki-pages. The only downside to this was that the Wiki pages detailed the character's adventures in the books, and a lot of these excerpts described the same happenings. Again. And again. Sadly, I don't think we ever learned more than the basics of these events despite the repetition, but I loved the way the story was told and how the modern media were incorporated into the writing. In a story set in the modern day, it doesn't make sense to include the internet after all, especially if the protagonist is both in college and an avid fan of something.
My favourite part of the book was Paul, the author, and the struggle with his conscience. After all, Paul - and his real-life counterpart, GRRM - put their characters through some truly cruel events, so it's interesting to see them react to it. I think GRRM's made of slightly stronger stuff than Paul, but all the same, throughout the entire book I was reminded of one particular interview with GRRM about the "Game Of Thrones"-tv show, whose quote I think deserves a mention in this context:
"At the premiere, I found myself talking to three very nice actors, at one point, who were very pleasant, and I was having a great time talking with them and drinking with them, and then I suddenly realized that I had killed all three of them, at various points in the series, and that they would all shortly be unemployed actors. And I had a moment of horrible guilt, but it’s already done." (x)
An entire book on GRRM's guilt, multiplied by ten. Fantastic! I also loved that GRRM's slowness in writing these books was taken into account, because seriously, I think that's what *every* fan of these books can relate to. I just hope GRRM doesn't have to take Paul's way out.
Overall: a decent book, that I think is more homage than satire. Though it could've been a bit better fleshed out, the book was captivating as it was, and it was definitely enjoyable in its own way.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
April 8, 2015
Have you ever awoken from an awesome dream and thought 'Man, what I wouldn't give to make that a reality'? Thus is the life of Sed, an average college-goer just trying to get a girl and pass his classes. He spends his days fooling around with his roommate Carl, and modding on /r/ThoseAccursedChronicles, a subreddit he built from the ground up. Sed considers himself to be Paul Michael Breston's (author of Those Accursed Chronicles, a series that draws less than subtle inspirations from "A Song of Ice and Fire") biggest fan, and emails him about mistakes, continuity errors, or just accomplishments on Reddit. After a rather depressing day's events, Sed goes to sleep and has an awesome dream where he becomes "Lord Interpreter" in the TAC universe. He's treated as royalty, and even has some, *ahem*, "royal privileges" around the castle. All in all, it was an awesome dream. Except for one thing; it wasn't a dream. Somehow, by Sed citing a minor continuity error in Paul's books, a gate to the fictional world of TAC has opened, and only Sed has the key. But how does Sed convince anyone that it's true and that he hasn't lost his marbles? Because now that he knows the fictional world is real, there's now real lives at stake, too. This is the story of "The Pen is Mightier" by Andy C.F. Crawford.
Let me start by saying this: everything in this book is accurate. No, not the fictional elements, I mean about the fantasy fandom, and I find that enjoyable to no end. From the Wiki articles about the books to the petty arguments on the reddit page, Andy Crawford has hit the nail on the head with his representation. Another thing he got absolutely right was the comedy. I see that in places this book could be considered a satire, but I say go into it thinking more of an homage. This is Kill Bill, not Monty Python. The book has plenty of good humor, but searching for satirical elements could potentially take away from the aspects of the story that are funny in their own right. That being said, when the story wants to be funny, it's funny, which I'll touch on again shortly.
Character-wise, first up is Sed, whom I already described to some extent. Not your typical main character by any stretch of the word, but I think I've said enough to paint a good enough picture. Besides Sed, there are quite a few other main and supporting characters, but I'll touch on who I feel are the two biggest; Paul and Carl. Paul is the author of the book series Sed is obsessed with, and is often abbreviated to simply PMB. Paul is much more like what one would assume to be a budding author. He gets excited at the prospect that people enjoy his books enough to write to him about mistakes, and still wants to be in full control of his series (i.e. not allowing T.V. or movie adaptations). Lastly, there's Carl, who's easily my favorite character. Carl is the most typical of the bunch, being the sarcastic sidekick to Sed. What makes his character great (and hilarious) is his interaction with the TAC world. From, selling weed to the characters to becoming a self-proclaimed "God of Fire", his mingling with the book universe is brilliant. Aside from this, other important characters are Paul's wife, and a couple people employed by Paul's publisher. One thing that did stand out to me is that, somewhat early in the book, multiple new characters are introduced as POV characters, and for some time their importance isn't very clear. However, as the book goes on, this issue is cleared up.
As for the homage aspect of the book, it's apparent but not blaring, which I like. The book is mainly an homage to "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R. R. Martin, a series you may know better by it's common title (and also the name of the television series), "Game of Thrones". The Pen is Mightier does a fine job of showing you this, in quite a few different ways. One of my particular favorites was the naming of some of the POV chapters not by the character's name, but by a description of an aspect of that character, which is also something done in ASOIAF.
Looking over my experience with the book, I can say it was definitely entertaining. How I came about this book was not of my own volition, however: the author actually contacted me about it. If I promised an honest review of this book, I would receive a free copy. In hindsight, I'm glad I accepted the offer, because this book has provided me with a very enjoyable view in the wake of just finishing the most recent book in ASOIAF. While this book is definitely geared more for fans of the fantasy genre, specifically those who read/have read ASOIAF, I say that there aren't many who can't find enjoyment in this book, and in the end, that's all that truly matters to me.
Grade: 4.77/5, rounded to 5. Very satisfying, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something to fill the void after finishing a huge series or show.
Let me start by saying this: everything in this book is accurate. No, not the fictional elements, I mean about the fantasy fandom, and I find that enjoyable to no end. From the Wiki articles about the books to the petty arguments on the reddit page, Andy Crawford has hit the nail on the head with his representation. Another thing he got absolutely right was the comedy. I see that in places this book could be considered a satire, but I say go into it thinking more of an homage. This is Kill Bill, not Monty Python. The book has plenty of good humor, but searching for satirical elements could potentially take away from the aspects of the story that are funny in their own right. That being said, when the story wants to be funny, it's funny, which I'll touch on again shortly.
Character-wise, first up is Sed, whom I already described to some extent. Not your typical main character by any stretch of the word, but I think I've said enough to paint a good enough picture. Besides Sed, there are quite a few other main and supporting characters, but I'll touch on who I feel are the two biggest; Paul and Carl. Paul is the author of the book series Sed is obsessed with, and is often abbreviated to simply PMB. Paul is much more like what one would assume to be a budding author. He gets excited at the prospect that people enjoy his books enough to write to him about mistakes, and still wants to be in full control of his series (i.e. not allowing T.V. or movie adaptations). Lastly, there's Carl, who's easily my favorite character. Carl is the most typical of the bunch, being the sarcastic sidekick to Sed. What makes his character great (and hilarious) is his interaction with the TAC world. From, selling weed to the characters to becoming a self-proclaimed "God of Fire", his mingling with the book universe is brilliant. Aside from this, other important characters are Paul's wife, and a couple people employed by Paul's publisher. One thing that did stand out to me is that, somewhat early in the book, multiple new characters are introduced as POV characters, and for some time their importance isn't very clear. However, as the book goes on, this issue is cleared up.
As for the homage aspect of the book, it's apparent but not blaring, which I like. The book is mainly an homage to "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R. R. Martin, a series you may know better by it's common title (and also the name of the television series), "Game of Thrones". The Pen is Mightier does a fine job of showing you this, in quite a few different ways. One of my particular favorites was the naming of some of the POV chapters not by the character's name, but by a description of an aspect of that character, which is also something done in ASOIAF.
Looking over my experience with the book, I can say it was definitely entertaining. How I came about this book was not of my own volition, however: the author actually contacted me about it. If I promised an honest review of this book, I would receive a free copy. In hindsight, I'm glad I accepted the offer, because this book has provided me with a very enjoyable view in the wake of just finishing the most recent book in ASOIAF. While this book is definitely geared more for fans of the fantasy genre, specifically those who read/have read ASOIAF, I say that there aren't many who can't find enjoyment in this book, and in the end, that's all that truly matters to me.
Grade: 4.77/5, rounded to 5. Very satisfying, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something to fill the void after finishing a huge series or show.
March 25, 2015
Before reading The Pen is Mightier, I went back to the author’s previous book to refresh my memory. I wanted to remind myself of the author’s style and the world he had built for Sailor of the Skysea. It turns out, that was not needed. I don’t think two books from a same author could have been further apart.
The Pen is Mightier starts pretty innocently, with a fan from modern-day Louisiana that does the things one would expect a fan to do. The story takes an unanticipated turn when said fan is sucked into the fictional world of the Series he loves so much. Upon coming back, he proceeds to inform the author, and manages to provide proof of the existence of the world that was created from the books. This is a tale I wouldn’t expect anyone to be surprised with. Authors and fans making trips to the worlds they created or love is nothing new. Nevertheless, Andy Crawford still manages to surprise and entertain.
One of the surprises had to do with the storyline’s focus. At the beginning of the book, there is a lot of information about the characters of the fictional story and their respective plots. The more I knew about the Series written within the book: Those Accursed Chronicles, the more I thought of Game of Thrones by G.R.R. Martin. But as it becomes more and more clear that the author is in control of the characters existence in a very special way, the focus shifts from what happens in the book, to what happens to the book.
When it comes to the trans-dimensional travel, I admit that I expected the trips between worlds to have some of the consequences they had. But there is much more I had not anticipated. First and foremost, the rules of such travels. Does the world exist because the author writes it, or does he write about the world because it exists? How far does the author’s influence reach, and how much does this world born of ink and paper influence its author? These are questions I had never given too much thought to, but The Pen is Mightier forced me to ponder the questions and gave me some answers.
Second, the impact of such a discovery on the publishing process. The publishing process which happens to be one other aspect of the book that I liked. The Pen is Mightier gives a great insight into the publishing world by bringing into the light, some of the actors people seldom think about: authors, editors, agents, publishers, advanced readers, ghostwriters, lawyers, reviewers and fans. The reader learns that every single actor wants to see the book published, but not everyone’s interests can be aligned. Publishers and authors can part over creative differences; agents and lawyers can sometimes see eye to eye. And much as between an author and his creation, the relationship between authors and their fans is not a one-way street.
Also, one can easily notice how much work was put into the book when reading about the characters reactions. How is one supposed to react when he learns that the world he has been writing about is real? How does one react when he learns he has killed, murdered, slaughtered, visited famine and doom over hundreds and thousands with the stroke of a keyboard? Crawford’s character’s reactions are realistic. And they asked themselves the kind of questions most people would.
Another thing that made reading The Pen is Mightier so interesting to me was the characters. Unlike the author’s previous book (Sailor of the Skysea) which was mostly centered on the lonesome sailor, The Pen is Mightier is much richer in terms of characters. On top of the Point of View characters such as the author, editor, agents, fans and ghostwriter, Crawford managed to make a character out of the whole community of fans. The fans of the Series Those Accursed Chronicles take part in the story. They provide the reader with valuable information to understand the book’s setting, and much more. In the book, the author’s fan base is a character that manifests through a reddit discussion channel.
All in all, The Pen is Mightier is unlike any other book I ever read about people travelling to a fictional world. It’s a story that I enjoyed reading. An original story, told in a original way that leaves me wanting to read more from its author.
The Pen is Mightier starts pretty innocently, with a fan from modern-day Louisiana that does the things one would expect a fan to do. The story takes an unanticipated turn when said fan is sucked into the fictional world of the Series he loves so much. Upon coming back, he proceeds to inform the author, and manages to provide proof of the existence of the world that was created from the books. This is a tale I wouldn’t expect anyone to be surprised with. Authors and fans making trips to the worlds they created or love is nothing new. Nevertheless, Andy Crawford still manages to surprise and entertain.
One of the surprises had to do with the storyline’s focus. At the beginning of the book, there is a lot of information about the characters of the fictional story and their respective plots. The more I knew about the Series written within the book: Those Accursed Chronicles, the more I thought of Game of Thrones by G.R.R. Martin. But as it becomes more and more clear that the author is in control of the characters existence in a very special way, the focus shifts from what happens in the book, to what happens to the book.
When it comes to the trans-dimensional travel, I admit that I expected the trips between worlds to have some of the consequences they had. But there is much more I had not anticipated. First and foremost, the rules of such travels. Does the world exist because the author writes it, or does he write about the world because it exists? How far does the author’s influence reach, and how much does this world born of ink and paper influence its author? These are questions I had never given too much thought to, but The Pen is Mightier forced me to ponder the questions and gave me some answers.
Second, the impact of such a discovery on the publishing process. The publishing process which happens to be one other aspect of the book that I liked. The Pen is Mightier gives a great insight into the publishing world by bringing into the light, some of the actors people seldom think about: authors, editors, agents, publishers, advanced readers, ghostwriters, lawyers, reviewers and fans. The reader learns that every single actor wants to see the book published, but not everyone’s interests can be aligned. Publishers and authors can part over creative differences; agents and lawyers can sometimes see eye to eye. And much as between an author and his creation, the relationship between authors and their fans is not a one-way street.
Also, one can easily notice how much work was put into the book when reading about the characters reactions. How is one supposed to react when he learns that the world he has been writing about is real? How does one react when he learns he has killed, murdered, slaughtered, visited famine and doom over hundreds and thousands with the stroke of a keyboard? Crawford’s character’s reactions are realistic. And they asked themselves the kind of questions most people would.
Another thing that made reading The Pen is Mightier so interesting to me was the characters. Unlike the author’s previous book (Sailor of the Skysea) which was mostly centered on the lonesome sailor, The Pen is Mightier is much richer in terms of characters. On top of the Point of View characters such as the author, editor, agents, fans and ghostwriter, Crawford managed to make a character out of the whole community of fans. The fans of the Series Those Accursed Chronicles take part in the story. They provide the reader with valuable information to understand the book’s setting, and much more. In the book, the author’s fan base is a character that manifests through a reddit discussion channel.
All in all, The Pen is Mightier is unlike any other book I ever read about people travelling to a fictional world. It’s a story that I enjoyed reading. An original story, told in a original way that leaves me wanting to read more from its author.
March 22, 2015
The idea of an author interacting with his characters as he passes the 4th wall (a television related term) is nothing new. I first came across it in Vonnegut's "Breakfast of Champions." The excellent film "Stranger than Fiction" brought this idea to life where a man starts to realize he is a character in a novel and comes to interact with the author. Recently John Scalzi did a take on this in his novel "Redshirts."
Still I was intrigued to see this concept taken to the Fantasy genre to see how it was pulled off. There has often been a segment of this genre where someone from the real world (or mundane world as Piers Anthony puts it) becomes involved in another world whether it is urban fantasy or a total world in itself. I've always enjoyed this type of story arc with the characters amazement and adaptation. So there is an aspect of this here.
The framework of this novel is that student Sedrick is maintaining a fan wiki for an epic fantasy series. As a major fan he puts in lots of time into this site. Something happens and he is contacted by inhabitants of this world for help. We have here a situation that takes Tolkien's idea of "cocreation" in a fuller sense where a writer has created a world and the inhabitants are suffering due to the brutal nature of his world building and characterizations. Where rewrites and fixing of continuity errors can have drastic affect on real people.
This is a fun idea and mostly it is pulled off successfully. How does an author respond when someone tells him about this? What are his responsibilities and the ethics involved? What can be done to change the situation. This and others are the problems faced in this novel. I find it interesting that the novels and movie I referenced at that start of this review along with this book all also have a comic edge. There is good amount of humor involved in this story as the characters resolved the situations they find themselves in. I enjoyed the story as these ideas were played around with along with other aspects.
One thread of the story involves traditional book publishing and the rise of independent authors. Along with that rise is the increasing interaction between an author and his fans. I think of someone like Scott Sigler that built a fanbase online via podcasting his novels along with an author created fan site and tons of self-promotion. The wiki described in this book and the interaction between fans on the wiki regarding a story is quite accurate along with social media components like a subreddit list that acts as a forum. These play a part in the novel. Although I think the use of occasional wiki pages with character exposition interleaved in this novel was a bit overdone.
The author calls this "Both satire and homage" to the implied "Game of Thrones." Still I thought the story stood on its own and that the satire aspect certainly lead to humorous aspects of the book.
Still I was intrigued to see this concept taken to the Fantasy genre to see how it was pulled off. There has often been a segment of this genre where someone from the real world (or mundane world as Piers Anthony puts it) becomes involved in another world whether it is urban fantasy or a total world in itself. I've always enjoyed this type of story arc with the characters amazement and adaptation. So there is an aspect of this here.
The framework of this novel is that student Sedrick is maintaining a fan wiki for an epic fantasy series. As a major fan he puts in lots of time into this site. Something happens and he is contacted by inhabitants of this world for help. We have here a situation that takes Tolkien's idea of "cocreation" in a fuller sense where a writer has created a world and the inhabitants are suffering due to the brutal nature of his world building and characterizations. Where rewrites and fixing of continuity errors can have drastic affect on real people.
This is a fun idea and mostly it is pulled off successfully. How does an author respond when someone tells him about this? What are his responsibilities and the ethics involved? What can be done to change the situation. This and others are the problems faced in this novel. I find it interesting that the novels and movie I referenced at that start of this review along with this book all also have a comic edge. There is good amount of humor involved in this story as the characters resolved the situations they find themselves in. I enjoyed the story as these ideas were played around with along with other aspects.
One thread of the story involves traditional book publishing and the rise of independent authors. Along with that rise is the increasing interaction between an author and his fans. I think of someone like Scott Sigler that built a fanbase online via podcasting his novels along with an author created fan site and tons of self-promotion. The wiki described in this book and the interaction between fans on the wiki regarding a story is quite accurate along with social media components like a subreddit list that acts as a forum. These play a part in the novel. Although I think the use of occasional wiki pages with character exposition interleaved in this novel was a bit overdone.
The author calls this "Both satire and homage" to the implied "Game of Thrones." Still I thought the story stood on its own and that the satire aspect certainly lead to humorous aspects of the book.
April 3, 2015
When we read, we are lucky to be taken to another world for the length of each tale. Andy Crawford’s The Pen is Mightier not only pulls us into his world, but he pulls us into the fantasy world he takes his characters to! Kind of like a two for one trip away from reality.
Sedrick Weir, college student and fantasy fan of one of the genre’s best authors, Paul Breston and his epic tales. Through some quirk of life or fantasy, he is given the power to propel into Breston’s tales, and get the inside scoop on what is really going on, beyond the scope of Breston’s pen. Being the avid fan he is he realizes that just maybe this realm is real, and those who are killed off or otherwise brutalized deserve better. Can he convince the author to tone down the damage to his fantasy “friends” or will Breston think Sed is just another rabid fan?
Get ready for the ride of your life as life imitates fantasy while fantasy becomes real. With humor, extensive details and a cast filled with unique characters, Andy Crawford has succeeded in changing the face of fiction in his own unique way. Imagine being a fly on the wall when an author aligns with publishers, and every aspect of those who bring his dreams and words to the public. Everyone has their own agenda, but in the end, their goal is a common one. How does Paul Breston rationalize the pain he has wrought in his world? How does Sed convince Paul to believe in him? Ahhh, one must take the ride to find out the brilliance, attitude, and bold pen of Andy Crawford to fully appreciate this tale! Not for those unwilling to leave reality far, far behind.
I received this copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: February 26, 2015
Publisher: Andy Crawford
Genre: Scifi/Humor
Print Length: 417 pages
Available from: Amazon
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Sedrick Weir, college student and fantasy fan of one of the genre’s best authors, Paul Breston and his epic tales. Through some quirk of life or fantasy, he is given the power to propel into Breston’s tales, and get the inside scoop on what is really going on, beyond the scope of Breston’s pen. Being the avid fan he is he realizes that just maybe this realm is real, and those who are killed off or otherwise brutalized deserve better. Can he convince the author to tone down the damage to his fantasy “friends” or will Breston think Sed is just another rabid fan?
Get ready for the ride of your life as life imitates fantasy while fantasy becomes real. With humor, extensive details and a cast filled with unique characters, Andy Crawford has succeeded in changing the face of fiction in his own unique way. Imagine being a fly on the wall when an author aligns with publishers, and every aspect of those who bring his dreams and words to the public. Everyone has their own agenda, but in the end, their goal is a common one. How does Paul Breston rationalize the pain he has wrought in his world? How does Sed convince Paul to believe in him? Ahhh, one must take the ride to find out the brilliance, attitude, and bold pen of Andy Crawford to fully appreciate this tale! Not for those unwilling to leave reality far, far behind.
I received this copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: February 26, 2015
Publisher: Andy Crawford
Genre: Scifi/Humor
Print Length: 417 pages
Available from: Amazon
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
March 17, 2015
Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to be a character in your favourite fantasy novel? To wander the halls of mighty castles; to be a spectator at a joust or maybe even take part in one; to live in a time of magic and dragons?
When college student Sedrick Weir is magically transported into the land of "Those Accursed Chronicles", his absolute favourite fantasy series and one filled with murders, betrayals and debauchery, he just has to tell the author Paul Breston - with disastrous results.
The Pen Is Mightier takes a slightly satirical look at a "what if" scenario. What if whatever you write down becomes real and essentially the author is God. If he or she writes "a mighty storm was gathering", then the skies would darken and the wind would pick up and so on. If they wrote "the assassin struck from the shadows" or "the ship foundered on the rocks and broke up", then someone would surely perish. Now the author believes that someone was real and that they died by his or her hand and how can they continue on their literary trail of destruction through what is now a real world with real, living and breathing people?
Obviously an homage to the hugely successful Game of Thrones saga by George R.R. Martin with a bit of Inkheart mixed in, it's definitely a different take on the fantasy novel and quite an enjoyable and sometimes humorous read. There are a few parallels with Game of Thrones but not many. For example, the Starks become Trasks and Ser Gregor Clegane becomes Sur Bollock the Beasts but largely, this world is of the author's creation and there are some promising ideas in there.
Consisting of the somewhat simply-titled sand, stone, sea, marsh and forest kingdoms all under the rule of an overking, it's not developed overly much and we don't really get a feel of the politics or peoples that make it up. This is also true of the characters who are only thinly fleshed out and only for as much as is needed for this tale. That said, it was still a decent read.
I'm not sure if a sequel would be possible but I'd definitely read it just to see where it goes.
When college student Sedrick Weir is magically transported into the land of "Those Accursed Chronicles", his absolute favourite fantasy series and one filled with murders, betrayals and debauchery, he just has to tell the author Paul Breston - with disastrous results.
The Pen Is Mightier takes a slightly satirical look at a "what if" scenario. What if whatever you write down becomes real and essentially the author is God. If he or she writes "a mighty storm was gathering", then the skies would darken and the wind would pick up and so on. If they wrote "the assassin struck from the shadows" or "the ship foundered on the rocks and broke up", then someone would surely perish. Now the author believes that someone was real and that they died by his or her hand and how can they continue on their literary trail of destruction through what is now a real world with real, living and breathing people?
Obviously an homage to the hugely successful Game of Thrones saga by George R.R. Martin with a bit of Inkheart mixed in, it's definitely a different take on the fantasy novel and quite an enjoyable and sometimes humorous read. There are a few parallels with Game of Thrones but not many. For example, the Starks become Trasks and Ser Gregor Clegane becomes Sur Bollock the Beasts but largely, this world is of the author's creation and there are some promising ideas in there.
Consisting of the somewhat simply-titled sand, stone, sea, marsh and forest kingdoms all under the rule of an overking, it's not developed overly much and we don't really get a feel of the politics or peoples that make it up. This is also true of the characters who are only thinly fleshed out and only for as much as is needed for this tale. That said, it was still a decent read.
I'm not sure if a sequel would be possible but I'd definitely read it just to see where it goes.
December 9, 2015
Waw, I wasn't expecting this at all. The Pen is Mightier really captured my attention and at times I found I couldn't put it down.
Being a GRRM fan myself and waiting eagerly for the continuation of the Ice and Fire series, I found this book by Crawford a nice 'snack' in between, you can say. The story obviously spurs from the author's own respect for Martin. You could almost categorise this as Ice and Fire fan fiction, if you ask me. No direct links are laid of course.
By constantly switching between his real and fictional world, Crawford kind of managed to make me care even more about fantasy creations, at least while reading the book. The difficult to make relationship between the author Paul and The Great Chronicler was deftly done.
The only thing perhaps annoying me was the immense amount of swearing in the real-world parts of the book. That the protagonist Sed and his buddy Carl swear a lot is understandable from their age and background, but after a while every single character in the real world started swearing every other sentence.
After finishing this story, I'm finding myself looking forward reading the next thing Crawford gets out of his pen.
Being a GRRM fan myself and waiting eagerly for the continuation of the Ice and Fire series, I found this book by Crawford a nice 'snack' in between, you can say. The story obviously spurs from the author's own respect for Martin. You could almost categorise this as Ice and Fire fan fiction, if you ask me. No direct links are laid of course.
By constantly switching between his real and fictional world, Crawford kind of managed to make me care even more about fantasy creations, at least while reading the book. The difficult to make relationship between the author Paul and The Great Chronicler was deftly done.
The only thing perhaps annoying me was the immense amount of swearing in the real-world parts of the book. That the protagonist Sed and his buddy Carl swear a lot is understandable from their age and background, but after a while every single character in the real world started swearing every other sentence.
After finishing this story, I'm finding myself looking forward reading the next thing Crawford gets out of his pen.
March 27, 2015
To start, I'm not a huge fantasy reader, but I've read the first Game of Thrones book, Riddle of the Stone and of course, Tolkien. So, with that being said, this premise intrigued me.
I found it a little hard to get into, but once the ground was laid, I was in and ready to go.
Crawford continually cranks up the stakes, as the characters go between worlds and get deeper and deeper involved in trying to set right the errors that have been made and deliver the world the author believes he intends once he realizes he's a god. of course nothing goes as planned for our heroes and they must battle not only the fictional world but the real world of publishing.
What I didn't like was similarities to GRRM, but in the afterword I realized Crawford is a big fan, so I'll chalk it up to imitation is the best flattery. the other part I didn't think was horribly useful was some of the blog entries, but I suppose that's a true reflection of the genre.
Overall, this was fun read and if you like the fantasy genre, then I think you're in for a real treat!
I found it a little hard to get into, but once the ground was laid, I was in and ready to go.
Crawford continually cranks up the stakes, as the characters go between worlds and get deeper and deeper involved in trying to set right the errors that have been made and deliver the world the author believes he intends once he realizes he's a god. of course nothing goes as planned for our heroes and they must battle not only the fictional world but the real world of publishing.
What I didn't like was similarities to GRRM, but in the afterword I realized Crawford is a big fan, so I'll chalk it up to imitation is the best flattery. the other part I didn't think was horribly useful was some of the blog entries, but I suppose that's a true reflection of the genre.
Overall, this was fun read and if you like the fantasy genre, then I think you're in for a real treat!
July 18, 2016
I got this book for free, and didn't expect much, because I didn't know anything about it, but was anyway intrigued by the theme. Despite non-existent expectations, I was hooked at once, and enjoyed it very much!
Set in two worlds, one fantasy, the other our contemporary, story was definitely something different altogether, and exciting to read in both settings. It was clear author made fun of today's popular epic fantasy series, but that fantasy world he created wasn't all for pun. It was appealing to read about on its own. I truly wondered how interesting that book, all set in that world, would have also been.
The only things I missed were more details on the characters in the contemporary setting. Now, two months later, I do not think those details would have added much to the story, because what I lacked on the spot, I compensated for in my mind, so I do not feel that wanting anymore.
Set in two worlds, one fantasy, the other our contemporary, story was definitely something different altogether, and exciting to read in both settings. It was clear author made fun of today's popular epic fantasy series, but that fantasy world he created wasn't all for pun. It was appealing to read about on its own. I truly wondered how interesting that book, all set in that world, would have also been.
The only things I missed were more details on the characters in the contemporary setting. Now, two months later, I do not think those details would have added much to the story, because what I lacked on the spot, I compensated for in my mind, so I do not feel that wanting anymore.
June 21, 2015
A world jumps off a wiki and runs away. Lots of creativity here, such as the accidental introduction of pizza into a "fucking fictional world."
There's a great description of a full banquet table. For example:
On the other hand, the teenage-boy running commentary where everything is reduced to a sex joke is quickly tiresome. I don't think I know those people; I could not identify with their struggles. There were also too many characters for my taste. This is heavily set within a certain genre, and if fantasy is not your genre, it will be a tough sell.
There's a great description of a full banquet table. For example:
"Huge femurs, perhaps from an elephant, were split lengthwise and lain across the place settings of up to five diners, who dipped triangles of bread into the steaming spiced marrow."
On the other hand, the teenage-boy running commentary where everything is reduced to a sex joke is quickly tiresome. I don't think I know those people; I could not identify with their struggles. There were also too many characters for my taste. This is heavily set within a certain genre, and if fantasy is not your genre, it will be a tough sell.
July 18, 2015
The Pen is Mightier is worth the read. The story itself is original which always gains big points with me.
The level of difficulty is also up there. Crawford basically had to write two separate stories to make the story work.
Quick synopsis: the #1 fan of an established and well-followed author (think George R. R. Martin) finds himself waking up in that author's world. Upon returning, he tells the author who then has to make some hard decisions regarding the future of the much-beloved series.
Overall, it's an entertaining, original, and well-written story. If you have the opportunity, you should definitely give it a read.
The level of difficulty is also up there. Crawford basically had to write two separate stories to make the story work.
Quick synopsis: the #1 fan of an established and well-followed author (think George R. R. Martin) finds himself waking up in that author's world. Upon returning, he tells the author who then has to make some hard decisions regarding the future of the much-beloved series.
Overall, it's an entertaining, original, and well-written story. If you have the opportunity, you should definitely give it a read.
June 5, 2016
A fun read. At first the book is a lot of fun in finding all the similarities between the fictive world in the book and ASOIAF. But after a while the story actually becomes an interesting dimensional-travel paradox.
Fun read if you are a big fan of ASOIAF and spent some time among the online nerds who are fans as well!
Fun read if you are a big fan of ASOIAF and spent some time among the online nerds who are fans as well!
May 25, 2017
Downrated for _____ characters who can't utter a ____ sentence without the same ______ threadbare ___ expletive
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews