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The Dual World #1
The Gully Snipe
“A very many trickster moons ago,” said Tony’s grandfather, “and very, very far away... way past where our real world ends and your imagination begins, things were different than here. There was a proud kingdom that had fallen on darker days.”
“The kingdom was known as Iisen, or the Iisendom as it was sometimes called. It was a prosperous and peaceful kingdom, but for years, a cloud had been forming over the land and was worrying the people that lived there.”
“People were disappearing... not many, but when they did, it made the people afraid. There were rumors, of course. Rumors of gypsies and monsters in the woods, but no one seemed to know what was happening for sure. And the people of Iisen, the merchants and hostlers and iron mongers and farmers, couldn’t very well hide in their homes and farmhouses. They still had to earn a living. All they could do was hope they weren’t the next to vanish one day.”
“But the tale doesn’t really start with that. The tale starts with a thief. A thief who had just been caught and was about to be in very deep trouble...”
“The kingdom was known as Iisen, or the Iisendom as it was sometimes called. It was a prosperous and peaceful kingdom, but for years, a cloud had been forming over the land and was worrying the people that lived there.”
“People were disappearing... not many, but when they did, it made the people afraid. There were rumors, of course. Rumors of gypsies and monsters in the woods, but no one seemed to know what was happening for sure. And the people of Iisen, the merchants and hostlers and iron mongers and farmers, couldn’t very well hide in their homes and farmhouses. They still had to earn a living. All they could do was hope they weren’t the next to vanish one day.”
“But the tale doesn’t really start with that. The tale starts with a thief. A thief who had just been caught and was about to be in very deep trouble...”
Unknown Binding
First published June 5, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
dnf
July 31, 2015DNF at 60%.
I'm not sure if I want to rate this one star, or just leave it unrated. There were so many things I didn't like about this book, so let me try and organize them.
The Gully Snipe is about a thief and orphan named Bayle (aka: Gully). He basically stumbles upon a treasonous act that affects the kingdom he lives in, while learning about his mysterious past regarding himself and his father, who disappeared when he was nine.
Just as the author had commented, this isn't really a M/M romance (the tag itself should be removed). Gully himself isn't gay. There certainly are gay characters, but most of the story is focused on Gully, so if you're looking for a gay fairytale of sorts, look elsewhere.
What really threw me off was how stilted the dialogue is between all the characters. Sure, it's kind of what you would expect in a fairytale, but not in a ~200K novel!
I also had a dislike of Gully himself. The insta love he develops with another character is really off putting, and so is his attitude towards his foster brother (who I wanted to read more of).
The story is also told from the perspective of other characters as well, which I thought I would dislike. But to be honest, I enjoyed these more as Gully himself felt like a wet blanket. Unfortunately, most of the story is told from Gully's perspective, so this was really a small respite.
The pacing of the story also felt really long at times, but almost too quick at others. In some places, it was disorienting to learn how much time had passed in the span of a paragraph.
So overall, this was definitely a miss. I love JF Smith's other works, but The Gully Snipe was a little too "fantasy-young adult" for my taste.
I'm not sure if I want to rate this one star, or just leave it unrated. There were so many things I didn't like about this book, so let me try and organize them.
The Gully Snipe is about a thief and orphan named Bayle (aka: Gully). He basically stumbles upon a treasonous act that affects the kingdom he lives in, while learning about his mysterious past regarding himself and his father, who disappeared when he was nine.
Just as the author had commented, this isn't really a M/M romance (the tag itself should be removed). Gully himself isn't gay. There certainly are gay characters, but most of the story is focused on Gully, so if you're looking for a gay fairytale of sorts, look elsewhere.
What really threw me off was how stilted the dialogue is between all the characters. Sure, it's kind of what you would expect in a fairytale, but not in a ~200K novel!
I also had a dislike of Gully himself. The insta love he develops with another character is really off putting, and so is his attitude towards his foster brother (who I wanted to read more of).
The story is also told from the perspective of other characters as well, which I thought I would dislike. But to be honest, I enjoyed these more as Gully himself felt like a wet blanket. Unfortunately, most of the story is told from Gully's perspective, so this was really a small respite.
The pacing of the story also felt really long at times, but almost too quick at others. In some places, it was disorienting to learn how much time had passed in the span of a paragraph.
So overall, this was definitely a miss. I love JF Smith's other works, but The Gully Snipe was a little too "fantasy-young adult" for my taste.
June 3, 2020
This is a fantastic book. I think the only reason it isn't rated higher is because people read it expecting it to have a romance like the other books by J.F. Smith.
This is a fantasy book and it is an amazing one. Intriguing plot, multifaceted characters, detailed world building, thought provoking moments and concepts, and the writing flows seamlessly.
I cannot recommend this book more highly for lovers of fantasy. It has definitely become one of my top favourites!
This is a fantasy book and it is an amazing one. Intriguing plot, multifaceted characters, detailed world building, thought provoking moments and concepts, and the writing flows seamlessly.
I cannot recommend this book more highly for lovers of fantasy. It has definitely become one of my top favourites!
September 3, 2015
I have been so impressed by JF Smith's versatility, and this book certainly highlights that! I would not have expected epic fantasy from him, based on his other stories, but I was so pleased to see that he does that as well as he does contemporary romance.
The world he created here was in many ways unique. The culture of Iisen is an interesting mix of middle age Europe with some influences of the middle east, technologically at least, but with some elements of modern thought and society that did not feel anachronistic at all. The religion of astrology/ancestor worship was especially compelling. In short, the world building was excellent. The magic of this world is subtle, basically limited to the Balmoreans, and since Gully doesn't meet them until a good ways into the book -- at which point I was already hooked -- I at first thought there would be no magic at all. And writing an intriguing fantasy without magic is something extremely difficult, but well done here.
The characters are a little one-dimensional -- the good guys are really really good and the bad guys are horrid -- but that is what I expect from an epic fantasy, so I was good with it. Although Gully is a thief, he does so in a Robin Hood way that makes you think his actions are not so bad, and his mix of self-doubt and confidence about his motives, his goals, and his ultimate purpose in life are also very engaging and made me want to know him better. It made me root for him, and I celebrated every little victory that furthered his path, grieved every little setback, and agonized right along with him about whether he was doing the right thing as he made painful decisions. He is absolutely a character to love.
After he meets the Balmoreans, the plot became a bit predictable -- Gully's ancestry, for instance, I saw coming a mile away -- but I found myself focussing on how these next steps would be revealed, and how the secondary characters would react, and that was a thoroughly enjoyable ride. I think the only thing that really surprised me was that the first mystery introduced in the story -- what happened to Gully's father? -- remains a mystery at the end, and I hope will be finally revealed in the sequel. Which I am eagerly looking forward to!
The world he created here was in many ways unique. The culture of Iisen is an interesting mix of middle age Europe with some influences of the middle east, technologically at least, but with some elements of modern thought and society that did not feel anachronistic at all. The religion of astrology/ancestor worship was especially compelling. In short, the world building was excellent. The magic of this world is subtle, basically limited to the Balmoreans, and since Gully doesn't meet them until a good ways into the book -- at which point I was already hooked -- I at first thought there would be no magic at all. And writing an intriguing fantasy without magic is something extremely difficult, but well done here.
The characters are a little one-dimensional -- the good guys are really really good and the bad guys are horrid -- but that is what I expect from an epic fantasy, so I was good with it. Although Gully is a thief, he does so in a Robin Hood way that makes you think his actions are not so bad, and his mix of self-doubt and confidence about his motives, his goals, and his ultimate purpose in life are also very engaging and made me want to know him better. It made me root for him, and I celebrated every little victory that furthered his path, grieved every little setback, and agonized right along with him about whether he was doing the right thing as he made painful decisions. He is absolutely a character to love.
After he meets the Balmoreans, the plot became a bit predictable -- Gully's ancestry, for instance, I saw coming a mile away -- but I found myself focussing on how these next steps would be revealed, and how the secondary characters would react, and that was a thoroughly enjoyable ride. I think the only thing that really surprised me was that the first mystery introduced in the story -- what happened to Gully's father? -- remains a mystery at the end, and I hope will be finally revealed in the sequel. Which I am eagerly looking forward to!
July 21, 2015
I really enjoyed this book and I believe you will too. It is NOT a m/m romance so don't be looking for that. If you are looking for a good story with characters you will care about and action that keeps you guessing this book IS for you!
February 4, 2020
J F Smith is an autobuy for me - I love all his books no matter what genre. This book proved most entertaining. 4.5 stars.
January 8, 2017
Suspenseful fantasy coming alive in this detailed epic story.
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February 24, 2019This is a wonderful book. It is a richly developed world with interesting characters (a couple of the secondary characters happen to be gay). This is NOT a gay fantasy novel. It is highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews