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Dirt Series 1 #1
Dirt
Librarian note: this book is an alternate cover edition for - ASIN: B0178HJUY4
A fantastic tale of love, war, friendship and dragons!
If Johnson Farthing thought that life as poor cart pusher in the coastal town of Wead-Wodder was going to be his lot in life, then he was about to get a rude surprise, and not necessarily a good one.
Once it becomes clear that his beautiful younger sister has been kidnapped along with the daughter of the Prelate, his life is completely turned on its head. Farthing has to rush across a vast ocean and a huge continent carried by an incredible Sea Dragon and accompanied by a strange magician if he has even a chance to save his sister Rustina.
And very strangely, neither the rich Prelate nor his chief of police seem keen to even lift a finger.
Dirt, the first book in a huge, continent spanning saga where dragons are an intelligent, cultured people, magicians cannot destroy mountains with a magic wand and the heroes have no wish to become tyrannical kings and queens.
But through all the dramatic events, the battles of life and death, Dirt is a place of humour, love and ultimately, the quest to find a home.
A fantastic tale of love, war, friendship and dragons!
If Johnson Farthing thought that life as poor cart pusher in the coastal town of Wead-Wodder was going to be his lot in life, then he was about to get a rude surprise, and not necessarily a good one.
Once it becomes clear that his beautiful younger sister has been kidnapped along with the daughter of the Prelate, his life is completely turned on its head. Farthing has to rush across a vast ocean and a huge continent carried by an incredible Sea Dragon and accompanied by a strange magician if he has even a chance to save his sister Rustina.
And very strangely, neither the rich Prelate nor his chief of police seem keen to even lift a finger.
Dirt, the first book in a huge, continent spanning saga where dragons are an intelligent, cultured people, magicians cannot destroy mountains with a magic wand and the heroes have no wish to become tyrannical kings and queens.
But through all the dramatic events, the battles of life and death, Dirt is a place of humour, love and ultimately, the quest to find a home.
371 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2016
21 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
About the author
C.C. Hogan
11 books52 followersOne way or another I have spent far too many years playing with words; by too many I mean I am completely addicted now and can't do anything else.
I have been in the media most of that time, cooked quite a lot of the time and played guitar some of the rest of the time.
I am medium height, not pretty and talk far too much. You will only want me round to dinner if I agree to cook it for you.
I love lovers.
I have been in the media most of that time, cooked quite a lot of the time and played guitar some of the rest of the time.
I am medium height, not pretty and talk far too much. You will only want me round to dinner if I agree to cook it for you.
I love lovers.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 1, 2017
Welcome to the world called Dirt where dragons are real, magicians don’t need wands and the rest of society knows their place, never to rise above their station. Author C.C. Hogan has launched his Saga flagship novel with book One, Dirt as he carves out his world, his characters and thus begins his fantastical tale.
Johnson Farthing toils at his job daily. He shifts dirt from one spot to another, day after day, year after year. He is nothing special, just another normal human without the gifts that could elevate him higher on the “food” chain. And then, it happened, his sister was kidnapped and Johnson will do anything to get her back. Rustina is special, and she is not the only victim, but the powerful Prelate doesn’t seem concerned about the disappearance of his daughter. What does he know that Johnson doesn’t? One thing Johnson does know is that he will stop at nothing, to save Rustina.
So begins the incredible journey of Johnson Farthing, as he crosses oceans, treks across foreign lands and meets both friend and foe along the way. As his group of unlikely companions grows, Johnson finds himself in the company of a quirky magician, a sea-going dragon. Will these unlikely heroes save the day or is this just the tip of the iceberg for the new life and adventures of the once lowly dirt shifter?
C.C. Hogan says he wrote a tale he would like to read, which means it comes from his soul as a magical world unfolds before us with a cast of characters that are endearing, where the battle of good versus evil is a constant reminder that the world they live in is not perfect and a battle for a better life for all is on the air. Follow Johnson as he discovers a new him, an improved him as he tears down the invisible barriers he has always lived behind. Prepare for humorous moments during times of darkness, unexpected twists and help from unlikely sources. Enjoy the details of each scene, imagine the sights as seen through Johnson’s eyes as he witnesses new lands and meets the people who inhabit them. Part adventure, part coming of age in a world on the verge of change and part mastering the art of building relationships and learning when to trust and when to watch out for darkness and deceit.
Driven by amazing characters, this is definitely an epic fantasy in the making. Sit back, relax and travel to the world called Dirt. Well-written, fabulous dialogue, inspiring and creatively mesmerizing, C.C. Hogan is creating a strong platform for more in this epic series.
I received an ARC edition from C.C. Hogan in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Dirt - Book 1
Publication Date: October 26, 2015
Publisher: C.C. Hogan
Genre: Fantasy | Epic
Print Length: 370
Available from: Smashwords | Scribd | iTunes | Createspace | Inktera | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Johnson Farthing toils at his job daily. He shifts dirt from one spot to another, day after day, year after year. He is nothing special, just another normal human without the gifts that could elevate him higher on the “food” chain. And then, it happened, his sister was kidnapped and Johnson will do anything to get her back. Rustina is special, and she is not the only victim, but the powerful Prelate doesn’t seem concerned about the disappearance of his daughter. What does he know that Johnson doesn’t? One thing Johnson does know is that he will stop at nothing, to save Rustina.
So begins the incredible journey of Johnson Farthing, as he crosses oceans, treks across foreign lands and meets both friend and foe along the way. As his group of unlikely companions grows, Johnson finds himself in the company of a quirky magician, a sea-going dragon. Will these unlikely heroes save the day or is this just the tip of the iceberg for the new life and adventures of the once lowly dirt shifter?
C.C. Hogan says he wrote a tale he would like to read, which means it comes from his soul as a magical world unfolds before us with a cast of characters that are endearing, where the battle of good versus evil is a constant reminder that the world they live in is not perfect and a battle for a better life for all is on the air. Follow Johnson as he discovers a new him, an improved him as he tears down the invisible barriers he has always lived behind. Prepare for humorous moments during times of darkness, unexpected twists and help from unlikely sources. Enjoy the details of each scene, imagine the sights as seen through Johnson’s eyes as he witnesses new lands and meets the people who inhabit them. Part adventure, part coming of age in a world on the verge of change and part mastering the art of building relationships and learning when to trust and when to watch out for darkness and deceit.
Driven by amazing characters, this is definitely an epic fantasy in the making. Sit back, relax and travel to the world called Dirt. Well-written, fabulous dialogue, inspiring and creatively mesmerizing, C.C. Hogan is creating a strong platform for more in this epic series.
I received an ARC edition from C.C. Hogan in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Dirt - Book 1
Publication Date: October 26, 2015
Publisher: C.C. Hogan
Genre: Fantasy | Epic
Print Length: 370
Available from: Smashwords | Scribd | iTunes | Createspace | Inktera | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
November 30, 2015
Dirt! What sort of name is that for a book? Well, in this case it actually is a very good name - there seems to be a lot of dirt in the story, right from the very first page. In actual fact Dirt is just the first of many books based around the characters in this first book. I believe the title of the book I read was Dirt: Series 1, Book 1.
To be perfectly honest, a few pages into the book I wondered if this was really a book I would enjoy. The opening seemed strange, odd, I'm not sure which, but truthfully I couldn't have been more wrong. I loved this book. It was one of those books that you simply cannot put down. You just have to know what is going to happen next. As the first book in a series, it does its job exceptionally well. When I got to the end, I said aloud; "what? Is that it? No! There's has to be more." Of course there is more, in the next book in the series.
C C Hogan has created the most wonderfully, fantastical world out of thin air it appears and placed into it, the usual cast of characters to make up an very good adventure/action/romance novel. It takes an excellent author to get his/her readers to identify and empathise with strange, wonderful creatures and indeed I did. The story is populated with humans, but with so much more; many varieties of dragons, mythical wild animals and even amazing birds and sea-life. That all this came from the imagination of the author is brilliant.
The story itself is your average kidnap, rescue and love story and yet in C C Hogan's fantastic world it takes on a much more exciting vibrancy. We follow the adventures of a simple boy, from a poor background and his flawed, but amazing, thousand-year-old magician compadre as they scour their world in search of the boy's kidnapped sister and her employer, the beautiful Prelate's daughter.
The action is non-stop and great fun. I particularly liked the wisdom and knowledge the author gave to the many species of dragons they encountered along the way. There were some clear correlations between Dirt's society and that of mankind. I love it when an author addresses such pressing human issues in a different way by using his/her characters to illustrate the flaws in our own thinking. Excellent job with that!
I absolutely loved this book!!!! Why then, you may be asking, only four stars and not five. I desperately wanted to give the book five stars, but at the end of the day when I'm reviewing grammar, spelling, and correct word usage, has to be taken into account. There were just too many simple errors in the manuscript to give it five...and that saddens me because this book deserved five stars. Did the errors reduce my enjoyment of the book in any way - the answer to that is a resounding NO! Nevertheless they are there, so on this occasion I reluctantly would give the book 4.9 stars. Sorry C C Hogan, it deserves better, but an edit would help.
I am already looking for the next book in this series so I can continue the excellent journey I enjoyed so much on Dirt. A wonderful book and an awesome read. Thank you!
To be perfectly honest, a few pages into the book I wondered if this was really a book I would enjoy. The opening seemed strange, odd, I'm not sure which, but truthfully I couldn't have been more wrong. I loved this book. It was one of those books that you simply cannot put down. You just have to know what is going to happen next. As the first book in a series, it does its job exceptionally well. When I got to the end, I said aloud; "what? Is that it? No! There's has to be more." Of course there is more, in the next book in the series.
C C Hogan has created the most wonderfully, fantastical world out of thin air it appears and placed into it, the usual cast of characters to make up an very good adventure/action/romance novel. It takes an excellent author to get his/her readers to identify and empathise with strange, wonderful creatures and indeed I did. The story is populated with humans, but with so much more; many varieties of dragons, mythical wild animals and even amazing birds and sea-life. That all this came from the imagination of the author is brilliant.
The story itself is your average kidnap, rescue and love story and yet in C C Hogan's fantastic world it takes on a much more exciting vibrancy. We follow the adventures of a simple boy, from a poor background and his flawed, but amazing, thousand-year-old magician compadre as they scour their world in search of the boy's kidnapped sister and her employer, the beautiful Prelate's daughter.
The action is non-stop and great fun. I particularly liked the wisdom and knowledge the author gave to the many species of dragons they encountered along the way. There were some clear correlations between Dirt's society and that of mankind. I love it when an author addresses such pressing human issues in a different way by using his/her characters to illustrate the flaws in our own thinking. Excellent job with that!
I absolutely loved this book!!!! Why then, you may be asking, only four stars and not five. I desperately wanted to give the book five stars, but at the end of the day when I'm reviewing grammar, spelling, and correct word usage, has to be taken into account. There were just too many simple errors in the manuscript to give it five...and that saddens me because this book deserved five stars. Did the errors reduce my enjoyment of the book in any way - the answer to that is a resounding NO! Nevertheless they are there, so on this occasion I reluctantly would give the book 4.9 stars. Sorry C C Hogan, it deserves better, but an edit would help.
I am already looking for the next book in this series so I can continue the excellent journey I enjoyed so much on Dirt. A wonderful book and an awesome read. Thank you!
December 8, 2015
The epic fantasy Dirt by C. C. Hogan starts off slowly. I found the descriptions of the town and the monotony of Johnson Farthing's life as a poor cart pusher akin to the boredom of Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, but without all the symbolism. After the first chapter, when Farthing discovered that his sister Rusty is missing, the action and characters develop and so did my interest.
Mr. Hogan creates an original story. As Farthing embarks on the adventure to rescue his sister, he meets magicians, dragons of many sorts, and fights many battles. I love the fact that Farthing and his companions are not super creatures endowed with super powers. They are normal people making the best of their situations and spurred on by a sense of "family." It is very easy to identify with the characters who, though fantastical, have flawed and endearing qualities.
This is the first book in the Dirt Series, which is the beginning of the Dirt Saga. This is fortunate for us who enjoy these characters on their heroic adventures. As a bonus, the author's website provides maps, histories of the characters, and "anything and everything to do with the world of Dirt." Thus, Mr. Hogan, provides a "Dirt" experience beyond the books. What a wonderful idea!
The only drawback to this book is that it needs editing. I found that the lack of hyphenation between compound nouns and adjectives made for difficult reading. If you can overlook this flaw (the reason I gave the book only four stars), you will enter a fantastical world and captivating story.
Mr. Hogan creates an original story. As Farthing embarks on the adventure to rescue his sister, he meets magicians, dragons of many sorts, and fights many battles. I love the fact that Farthing and his companions are not super creatures endowed with super powers. They are normal people making the best of their situations and spurred on by a sense of "family." It is very easy to identify with the characters who, though fantastical, have flawed and endearing qualities.
This is the first book in the Dirt Series, which is the beginning of the Dirt Saga. This is fortunate for us who enjoy these characters on their heroic adventures. As a bonus, the author's website provides maps, histories of the characters, and "anything and everything to do with the world of Dirt." Thus, Mr. Hogan, provides a "Dirt" experience beyond the books. What a wonderful idea!
The only drawback to this book is that it needs editing. I found that the lack of hyphenation between compound nouns and adjectives made for difficult reading. If you can overlook this flaw (the reason I gave the book only four stars), you will enter a fantastical world and captivating story.
February 24, 2016
Full review at www.fangfreakintasticreviews.com
Dirt by C.C. Hogan from the cover looks to be something for middle school aged readers, and while that age group would be able to read it and get something out of it, maybe even pull meaningful lessons about friendship and unity, as an adult there were things that I was able to learn.
Dirt, the country/continent is a very poor country, well let me back up, it is not necessarily a poor country, just the inhabitants of this particular city are poor, and I am dirt poor. The main character Johnson Farthing, or Mr. Farthing is an older teenage boy who is an orphan with his younger sister, Rustina. His sister who works for the prelate, think prince, of the area, was kidnapped along with the Prelate's daughter. Although the prelate doesn't seem to care about his missing daughter, Johnson is frantic in hopes of finding her. Even though he is poor he has friends that are worth more than their weight in gold. He meets a Wizard, who is a drunkard, and then a dragon, like a real, blue and white, Dragon. Oh and this Dragon and the Wizard have a history, and it isn't pretty.
So with the three of them setting out to follow the ship that took his sister, Johnson learns more about himself, about the wizard, and about the complicated history that is prevalent not only in dirt, but between humans and dragons. The story of the crossing on the back of the Dragon is a tale of mystery, humor, racial tensions, and friendship. Once they reach land, and real land, not the islands that are full of dragons, or the one that is uninhabited they find themselves lying to survive, and then telling the truth to save their friends. Oh by the way, along the journey they begin to pick up what could be considered orphans by choice, or by fate. Regardless, by the time they reach what they perceive as their final destination, they have a ragtag group of five, that without each one, their tale would have been much shorter, and probably a lot more painful.
So like I said at the beginning, this story doesn't have the violence, sex, or language that you may find in adult fantasy, but the lessons you learn about friendship, perseverance, and what it means to be family. The kind of family that doesn't require blood, but the desire to put your life on the line for something and someone not yourself. For what looks to be the authors first real series, the world building is wonderful. The author really immerses the reader into dirt and into the lives of Rustina and Farthing. Here is the thing, the author doesn't just immerse you into the continent but also the social conflicts that arise when you have two different species AND different economic entities.
Dirt by C.C. Hogan from the cover looks to be something for middle school aged readers, and while that age group would be able to read it and get something out of it, maybe even pull meaningful lessons about friendship and unity, as an adult there were things that I was able to learn.
Dirt, the country/continent is a very poor country, well let me back up, it is not necessarily a poor country, just the inhabitants of this particular city are poor, and I am dirt poor. The main character Johnson Farthing, or Mr. Farthing is an older teenage boy who is an orphan with his younger sister, Rustina. His sister who works for the prelate, think prince, of the area, was kidnapped along with the Prelate's daughter. Although the prelate doesn't seem to care about his missing daughter, Johnson is frantic in hopes of finding her. Even though he is poor he has friends that are worth more than their weight in gold. He meets a Wizard, who is a drunkard, and then a dragon, like a real, blue and white, Dragon. Oh and this Dragon and the Wizard have a history, and it isn't pretty.
So with the three of them setting out to follow the ship that took his sister, Johnson learns more about himself, about the wizard, and about the complicated history that is prevalent not only in dirt, but between humans and dragons. The story of the crossing on the back of the Dragon is a tale of mystery, humor, racial tensions, and friendship. Once they reach land, and real land, not the islands that are full of dragons, or the one that is uninhabited they find themselves lying to survive, and then telling the truth to save their friends. Oh by the way, along the journey they begin to pick up what could be considered orphans by choice, or by fate. Regardless, by the time they reach what they perceive as their final destination, they have a ragtag group of five, that without each one, their tale would have been much shorter, and probably a lot more painful.
So like I said at the beginning, this story doesn't have the violence, sex, or language that you may find in adult fantasy, but the lessons you learn about friendship, perseverance, and what it means to be family. The kind of family that doesn't require blood, but the desire to put your life on the line for something and someone not yourself. For what looks to be the authors first real series, the world building is wonderful. The author really immerses the reader into dirt and into the lives of Rustina and Farthing. Here is the thing, the author doesn't just immerse you into the continent but also the social conflicts that arise when you have two different species AND different economic entities.
February 5, 2016
Dirt by C.C. Hogan, Dirt, yes it’s called exactly that. I know it may not be the most appealing name, a name you pass while walking through the book stores. Titles play just as a intricate role in a novels development as does cover designs to catch a readers attention. Now while the name might not be “catchy” , the cover is. So while being drawn to the book ultimately you read the book description of course. Now your drawn in, dragons, magicians, kings and queens, it’s a fantasy that could just possibly be full of adventure. Fantasy, adventure, you can’t go wrong there, right? Well let’s see.
First are you the reader to give up on that book that starts off slow? Not at least giving it that fair chance of reading a chapter or two in? Well if you are the type to just give up than don’t read it even though I think personally you should. Why do I think you should? Well the author takes the time to layout a detailed storyline in the beginning of the book, once you read the name of the book will make perfect sense. I mean you need to a little something the hero, what motivates, drives them, where they started and came from. A origin. That brings us to Johnson Farthing, our unsuspecting hero. Only because he does count for much since he sits lower on the food chain, with a gritty job pushing dirt around, never ending, he is of nothing special. No gifts or abilities. This does not make him any less heroic. When the unexpected happens, the kidnapping of his sister, there is nothing he would not do to save her. No matter what it takes. That’s a heroism. Why though does the Prelate not care, since Rustina was not the only kidnapping either. What does the Prelate know that he will not tell Johnson. Does he know who kidnapped them and why? It does not matter to Johnson if the Prelate won’t help he will set off on his own, save her one way or the other.
For Johnson his life will change. No longer some lonely dirt pusher but a adventurer. Crossing lands making friends and enemies alike. In a land full of dragons, mythical creatures and variety of animals, meeting a warlock/wizard who is 1000 years old, befriending a water dragon along the way. This story full of fantastical creatures and animals with exciting adventure, drama, romance and fantasy. It’s an epic first novel in the Dirt series, it leaves you wondering what’s in store for these characters in the next book.
First are you the reader to give up on that book that starts off slow? Not at least giving it that fair chance of reading a chapter or two in? Well if you are the type to just give up than don’t read it even though I think personally you should. Why do I think you should? Well the author takes the time to layout a detailed storyline in the beginning of the book, once you read the name of the book will make perfect sense. I mean you need to a little something the hero, what motivates, drives them, where they started and came from. A origin. That brings us to Johnson Farthing, our unsuspecting hero. Only because he does count for much since he sits lower on the food chain, with a gritty job pushing dirt around, never ending, he is of nothing special. No gifts or abilities. This does not make him any less heroic. When the unexpected happens, the kidnapping of his sister, there is nothing he would not do to save her. No matter what it takes. That’s a heroism. Why though does the Prelate not care, since Rustina was not the only kidnapping either. What does the Prelate know that he will not tell Johnson. Does he know who kidnapped them and why? It does not matter to Johnson if the Prelate won’t help he will set off on his own, save her one way or the other.
For Johnson his life will change. No longer some lonely dirt pusher but a adventurer. Crossing lands making friends and enemies alike. In a land full of dragons, mythical creatures and variety of animals, meeting a warlock/wizard who is 1000 years old, befriending a water dragon along the way. This story full of fantastical creatures and animals with exciting adventure, drama, romance and fantasy. It’s an epic first novel in the Dirt series, it leaves you wondering what’s in store for these characters in the next book.
February 13, 2016
I was approached by the author for an honest review and I after reading the synopsis, I was very excited to jump right into this story. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get into it.
Johnson Farthing is a 19 year old man who lives in a village called Wead where it is full of dirt and everyone is a slave to poverty moving loads of dirt from one location to the other.
Farthing’s sister goes missing and now a journey has begun to find her.
The storyline is an interesting one. There are dragons, slave traders and all sorts of interesting adventures Farthing goes on. But the descriptions of the foreign lands are so long-winded and drawn out. It’s almost like being ripped from the story line to learn about the land, and the people who inhabit it. Why can’t the necessary teachings be weaved into the story better?
At around page 145, I made the decision to stop reading. It was a tough decision to make because I had made a commitment to the author to read and review it. But not only was the story unengaging, it was riddled with errors. I felt that if I was going to make such a commitment, the author should have shown the same respect and hired an editor before publishing this book.
Many times, I read the incorrect word placed simply because the story was rushed and no one seemed to review the finished product. “Do” instead of “to.” “Much sort after,” instead of “Much sought after.” They girl, instead of the girl. Or words were simply missing altogether, “Not that would have meant much to is in the South of Wead." Or "I will to business immediately" All of this is just one example of errors within a 7 page span.
Finally, out of frustration, I made the call to cut my loss and read no further.
Johnson Farthing is a 19 year old man who lives in a village called Wead where it is full of dirt and everyone is a slave to poverty moving loads of dirt from one location to the other.
Farthing’s sister goes missing and now a journey has begun to find her.
The storyline is an interesting one. There are dragons, slave traders and all sorts of interesting adventures Farthing goes on. But the descriptions of the foreign lands are so long-winded and drawn out. It’s almost like being ripped from the story line to learn about the land, and the people who inhabit it. Why can’t the necessary teachings be weaved into the story better?
At around page 145, I made the decision to stop reading. It was a tough decision to make because I had made a commitment to the author to read and review it. But not only was the story unengaging, it was riddled with errors. I felt that if I was going to make such a commitment, the author should have shown the same respect and hired an editor before publishing this book.
Many times, I read the incorrect word placed simply because the story was rushed and no one seemed to review the finished product. “Do” instead of “to.” “Much sort after,” instead of “Much sought after.” They girl, instead of the girl. Or words were simply missing altogether, “Not that would have meant much to is in the South of Wead." Or "I will to business immediately" All of this is just one example of errors within a 7 page span.
Finally, out of frustration, I made the call to cut my loss and read no further.
December 2, 2015
This is a wonderful fantasy novel. I really enjoyed this book after the first few pages. The book has slow beginning depicting the ordinary daily routine of the hero. This part was a bit boring and I didn't see the point. Not too far into the book the plot begins to pick up and there is a lot of action throughout the rest of the book. Character development is excellent. Here and there were a few errors missed in the copy edit but for the most part those did not slow my reading.
I love the dragons in this story. They are not your typical fire breathing sort and the author gave them such interesting personalities. The wizard is also not your typical spell casting magician.
The book does end on a cliffhanger which doesn't bother me I tend to enjoy series' and will read the entire series. I give this a four out of five stars.
I love the dragons in this story. They are not your typical fire breathing sort and the author gave them such interesting personalities. The wizard is also not your typical spell casting magician.
The book does end on a cliffhanger which doesn't bother me I tend to enjoy series' and will read the entire series. I give this a four out of five stars.
March 3, 2016
Very imaginative and a good story of rescue in a hostile environment. I have to buy the next book in the series! I especially liked the characters and their interactions - both the people and the dragons - and the action scenes were excellent. Mapping out an imaginary country and its inhabitants added to the quality of the book. If you like fantasy with an excellent story I recommend "Dirt".
February 20, 2018
What a great story. This is all about the "little man" being thrown unexpectedly into a world entirely outside his sphere of recognition in a quest to save his little sister. What's not to like? And in the process he meets lots of interesting characters, and of course, discovers lots that he didn't know about himself. He is unrecognisable, and yet entirely recognisable, by the end of the story.
And it is not only the key character who is intriguing. HisBook_Cover_Dirt "friend" - though they certainly didn't start out that way; just ask Weasel's face - is a very interesting character, full of complexity which you only begin to scratch the surface of. So that leads you to think about what will happen further down the line, which is effective. There are lots of other close companions, but I think these are the standout "humanoid" characters, though there is a suggestion that others will show their vivid colours in the future.
But alas, this is not just a story of character definition. It is, I must say, remarkably well researched, and rich as a consequence. Much of the research is, one might suggest, rather mundane and "operational" - one aspect that particularly resonated with me is the detail with which CC (I'm not entirely convinced this is the author's true name) explains the requirements for driving a wagon across vast open spaces (and indeed through mountains). This is introduced rather late into the fray, but the author takes the time to furnish the reader with the detail required to properly understand the circumstances, and this is nice. The entire book is littered with such embellishment, and I think this gives the story much improved depth.
But more than these 'ordinary' aspects, it is the author's consideration of his world that is really quite impressive. As you may have gathered, dragons feature rather prominently in this book, but they are not dragons as I have seen them before. CC has taken a rather simple observation - that dragons fly - and concluded that the concept of territory is therefore rather meaningless for them. This is utterly obvious and simple when you think about it, but it completely changes the nature of these creatures that we covet in the fantasy genre so absolutely, and brings a really fresh feel to proceedings. You get the sense that CC has researched every aspect of his imagined world through this sort of lens, and this is a fabulous sensation as a reader. You feel secure in the "logic" of this world, and revel in the articulated strangeness.
Now, despite this, I did have some shortcomings with this title. The book starts very slowly (an absolute no-no as far as I have gathered from my attempts to break out as an author), but even though the story does develop at a sensible pace in the context of the novel overall, the sheer length of the book means that the pace stays low. This also jarred somewhat with the delightful details I discuss above, because those details only serve to slow the pace further. In a well-paced novel these details would enrich the text, but in places here, it fought against my concentration. To highlight, an average chapter (at my reading pace which is ironically rather slow) is 30-45 minutes long, and I think this is quite long - especially when in some of these chapters, not a huge amount happens (not nothing, just not a lot). I would suggest that a reasonable proportion of the text could be removed without undue harm being done to the story.
The second thing that stuck out was the editing. I gather from my research online that this book has gone through another editorial recently, but I suspect that this has been done by the author rather than an independent and specialist editor. There are still a lot of mistakes, and some of them rather elementary. A particular favourite of mine was the referral to the beautiful "desert dragon" as the rather less authoritative (but possibly more tasty) "dessert dragon". There is not enough here to be a complete turn-off, but they are noticeable to the reader, and when these simple errors creep up, they slow the flow further.
However, so as not to sound one-sidedly critical, the text in general is sound enough, and there are flourishes of delightful prose in here which make you smile for the right reasons. Nice work.
I think that my third key comment may be one of taste rather than a strict obsevation, but I found that the text, and particularly speech, was at times, just out of context. Perhaps it is that CC sees this as a YA novel and that such lapses would in fact be welcomed by that readership, but despite the world smelling and tasting medieval, the protagonists have just an edge of the twenty-first century teen about them. Of course, they are teens, and so could be excused to a degree, but it tastes just a little strange when it crops up. Having said that, Weasel (who is most definitely not a teen) doesn't, to my memory, suffer from the same afflictions, so perhaps this is an intentional mechanism of the author that is simply not to my taste.
And anyway, despite my obsevations, I am certainly glad to have read this book, and would definitely add future volumes to my reading list. This is a wonderfully fresh story in a conceptual sense, and with some tightening in the prose space, could be a really great novel. Certainly the depth of the world of Dirt (which is demonstrated by CC Hogan's remarkable website dedicated to the world) is sufficient to offer ripe stories in the future, and I look forward to sampling the fruits of that labour. Thanks mr Hogan.
https://jhockley.com/book-recommendat...
And it is not only the key character who is intriguing. HisBook_Cover_Dirt "friend" - though they certainly didn't start out that way; just ask Weasel's face - is a very interesting character, full of complexity which you only begin to scratch the surface of. So that leads you to think about what will happen further down the line, which is effective. There are lots of other close companions, but I think these are the standout "humanoid" characters, though there is a suggestion that others will show their vivid colours in the future.
But alas, this is not just a story of character definition. It is, I must say, remarkably well researched, and rich as a consequence. Much of the research is, one might suggest, rather mundane and "operational" - one aspect that particularly resonated with me is the detail with which CC (I'm not entirely convinced this is the author's true name) explains the requirements for driving a wagon across vast open spaces (and indeed through mountains). This is introduced rather late into the fray, but the author takes the time to furnish the reader with the detail required to properly understand the circumstances, and this is nice. The entire book is littered with such embellishment, and I think this gives the story much improved depth.
But more than these 'ordinary' aspects, it is the author's consideration of his world that is really quite impressive. As you may have gathered, dragons feature rather prominently in this book, but they are not dragons as I have seen them before. CC has taken a rather simple observation - that dragons fly - and concluded that the concept of territory is therefore rather meaningless for them. This is utterly obvious and simple when you think about it, but it completely changes the nature of these creatures that we covet in the fantasy genre so absolutely, and brings a really fresh feel to proceedings. You get the sense that CC has researched every aspect of his imagined world through this sort of lens, and this is a fabulous sensation as a reader. You feel secure in the "logic" of this world, and revel in the articulated strangeness.
Now, despite this, I did have some shortcomings with this title. The book starts very slowly (an absolute no-no as far as I have gathered from my attempts to break out as an author), but even though the story does develop at a sensible pace in the context of the novel overall, the sheer length of the book means that the pace stays low. This also jarred somewhat with the delightful details I discuss above, because those details only serve to slow the pace further. In a well-paced novel these details would enrich the text, but in places here, it fought against my concentration. To highlight, an average chapter (at my reading pace which is ironically rather slow) is 30-45 minutes long, and I think this is quite long - especially when in some of these chapters, not a huge amount happens (not nothing, just not a lot). I would suggest that a reasonable proportion of the text could be removed without undue harm being done to the story.
The second thing that stuck out was the editing. I gather from my research online that this book has gone through another editorial recently, but I suspect that this has been done by the author rather than an independent and specialist editor. There are still a lot of mistakes, and some of them rather elementary. A particular favourite of mine was the referral to the beautiful "desert dragon" as the rather less authoritative (but possibly more tasty) "dessert dragon". There is not enough here to be a complete turn-off, but they are noticeable to the reader, and when these simple errors creep up, they slow the flow further.
However, so as not to sound one-sidedly critical, the text in general is sound enough, and there are flourishes of delightful prose in here which make you smile for the right reasons. Nice work.
I think that my third key comment may be one of taste rather than a strict obsevation, but I found that the text, and particularly speech, was at times, just out of context. Perhaps it is that CC sees this as a YA novel and that such lapses would in fact be welcomed by that readership, but despite the world smelling and tasting medieval, the protagonists have just an edge of the twenty-first century teen about them. Of course, they are teens, and so could be excused to a degree, but it tastes just a little strange when it crops up. Having said that, Weasel (who is most definitely not a teen) doesn't, to my memory, suffer from the same afflictions, so perhaps this is an intentional mechanism of the author that is simply not to my taste.
And anyway, despite my obsevations, I am certainly glad to have read this book, and would definitely add future volumes to my reading list. This is a wonderfully fresh story in a conceptual sense, and with some tightening in the prose space, could be a really great novel. Certainly the depth of the world of Dirt (which is demonstrated by CC Hogan's remarkable website dedicated to the world) is sufficient to offer ripe stories in the future, and I look forward to sampling the fruits of that labour. Thanks mr Hogan.
https://jhockley.com/book-recommendat...
July 27, 2018
Plotholes
Too many plotholes. Two steps forward, one step back. Characters getting hurt, trapped, too often. Dumb stuff like wishing for bows then later not bothering to pick up defeated enemy bows, not taking advantage of attempting to kill main villain when perfect opportunity arises. When one character says, "I can't believe I didn't see that coming." Well duh! Author evidently believes readers are stupid. Too bad because otherwise novel is well written.
Too many plotholes. Two steps forward, one step back. Characters getting hurt, trapped, too often. Dumb stuff like wishing for bows then later not bothering to pick up defeated enemy bows, not taking advantage of attempting to kill main villain when perfect opportunity arises. When one character says, "I can't believe I didn't see that coming." Well duh! Author evidently believes readers are stupid. Too bad because otherwise novel is well written.
August 23, 2017
Interesting take on dragons
I came across this book while researching ways to write and found an interesting arrival by VS on the subject. I downloaded the free kindle version and was pleasantly surprised, apart from a few typos here and there it was a very good read. Have just bought the second book in the series.
I came across this book while researching ways to write and found an interesting arrival by VS on the subject. I downloaded the free kindle version and was pleasantly surprised, apart from a few typos here and there it was a very good read. Have just bought the second book in the series.
April 25, 2020
Dirt
What a fun read. The plot gets ugly at times, but the characters were quite entertaining. Can't go wrong with dragons.
What a fun read. The plot gets ugly at times, but the characters were quite entertaining. Can't go wrong with dragons.
October 5, 2023
DNF. Horribly written. Grammar issue from the very beginning -- in the dedication! Prologue was wall-of-text dialogue. I didn't get more than a couple pages in before I dropped it.
March 24, 2016
So, I've been reading Dirt for a while now; longer that i usually spend on a book. That can be partly because I've been sick, and partly because the book is a little slow. I've decided to write a review on what I've read so far, and then come back to edit it later! Genius, I know.
Quoting the words of the author (via DM on Twitter), " I am not sure what you normally read, but this is a book to relax into. Unlike many fantasies, the characters are very important. They are not super heroes or princesses, but ordinary people with humour and problems who are looking for something better in life. That includes the dragons! The female characters are especially strong and in series two, they take the lead. You have a huge journey before you get there! Good luck and enjoy the world of Dirt. All the best, CC "
: CommonBookSense Blog
With that being said...
You can read the rest of this review, as well as some other awesome things on the .
Quoting the words of the author (via DM on Twitter), " I am not sure what you normally read, but this is a book to relax into. Unlike many fantasies, the characters are very important. They are not super heroes or princesses, but ordinary people with humour and problems who are looking for something better in life. That includes the dragons! The female characters are especially strong and in series two, they take the lead. You have a huge journey before you get there! Good luck and enjoy the world of Dirt. All the best, CC "
: CommonBookSense Blog
With that being said...
You can read the rest of this review, as well as some other awesome things on the .
August 18, 2016
Dirt
This was just what I needed! Dirt is not your typical epic fantasy, but it does have all of the elements of one. The story starts off a bit slow but quickly gets into gear, as we are introduced to the main characters and are subtly shown very important details. You can instantly relate to those characters, feel for their lives and loves, and watch as they continue to develop all through the book. By the end of this book you will be craving for more! Thankfully, C.C. Hogan has given you just that. I'm on to the next book in this series.
This was just what I needed! Dirt is not your typical epic fantasy, but it does have all of the elements of one. The story starts off a bit slow but quickly gets into gear, as we are introduced to the main characters and are subtly shown very important details. You can instantly relate to those characters, feel for their lives and loves, and watch as they continue to develop all through the book. By the end of this book you will be craving for more! Thankfully, C.C. Hogan has given you just that. I'm on to the next book in this series.
April 22, 2016
Good concept good read
This was a good concept and I liked the story. There were a few grammatical errors but not enough to stop the story. The book moved along well, albeit slowly in some spots with a lot of descriptive pages but overall I really liked it..all the characters were well developed and likeable. I like dragons and fantasy and this book fully met that aspect. I think middle school children will enjoy this book too.
This was a good concept and I liked the story. There were a few grammatical errors but not enough to stop the story. The book moved along well, albeit slowly in some spots with a lot of descriptive pages but overall I really liked it..all the characters were well developed and likeable. I like dragons and fantasy and this book fully met that aspect. I think middle school children will enjoy this book too.
March 28, 2016
The story walks a fine line between whimsical and grounded, and I thought it was a strong addition to the fantasy genre.
Full review here: https://kobescwrites93.wordpress.com/...
Full review here: https://kobescwrites93.wordpress.com/...
January 12, 2017
A wonderful fantasy adventure for all ages. This book was a lot of fun. Things that stood out for me were: excellent world building, real characters, and not-your-ordinary flame-throwing dragons.
This book was one quirky fantasy read! I'm looking forward to book 2 in the series.
This book was one quirky fantasy read! I'm looking forward to book 2 in the series.
April 30, 2017
CC Hogan has truly made his own world, and it’s a huge world full of its own history! The prologue is a bit strange, but makes more sense after the book, so don’t let it throw you. Plunging into Johnson’s Farthing’s difficult life in Chapter 1, though he manages to find occasional joys and makes the best of it, is a good introduction into his little world. A world that’s about to get a whole lot bigger.
The journey is long and full of adventure, with very interesting mishaps along the way. There are boring parts that slow the story down, usually when preparations for the next leg are being made, but for the most part the plot moves at a good pace that kept me interested.
My personal preference for a good romantic story wasn't fulfilled, but I know that's my own preference. Not everyone that likes adventure stories wants to read about a sappy love story, but lacking that element keeps a story from being as memorable in my own mind.
The introduction to slave trade and the occasional violence is quite mild, nothing overly graphic, which I appreciated. Just enough to get the emotion across of what the characters are going through, but not over the top in description.
The way the dragons are sometimes described come off as a bit cartoonish, specifically descriptions of their facial expressions and the use of their hands. The dragons I’ve typically seen don’t really have that much flexibility, but CC Hogan’s dragons are in a class of their own!
Biggest complaint: One character that failed to impress me was Precious, or Pree. With how extensive the development was with each of the other characters, I was surprised with how little Pree was developed. I honestly didn’t care about her at all, and was more than a little annoyed that she threw herself all over our hero. Mistry was much more likable, and it’s obvious she has a thing for Farthing as well, so Pree and Farthing’s little romance just made me feel bad for Mistry. Pree went through a great ordeal that I could appreciate, but as for her character, I found nothing interesting about her. But maybe that’s the point and she’ll make more of an impression in the next book.
I enjoyed the journey of the search and rescue mission, but the ending seemed to be leaning towards political issues and war in the next book, which is not my genre of choice. But I also need to know what happens next for these characters now that I'm feeling attached, so there’s that. :-)
Alise Miller of AA Miller, authors of the upcoming Guardian Lights book series
www.guardianlightsbook.com
The journey is long and full of adventure, with very interesting mishaps along the way. There are boring parts that slow the story down, usually when preparations for the next leg are being made, but for the most part the plot moves at a good pace that kept me interested.
My personal preference for a good romantic story wasn't fulfilled, but I know that's my own preference. Not everyone that likes adventure stories wants to read about a sappy love story, but lacking that element keeps a story from being as memorable in my own mind.
The introduction to slave trade and the occasional violence is quite mild, nothing overly graphic, which I appreciated. Just enough to get the emotion across of what the characters are going through, but not over the top in description.
The way the dragons are sometimes described come off as a bit cartoonish, specifically descriptions of their facial expressions and the use of their hands. The dragons I’ve typically seen don’t really have that much flexibility, but CC Hogan’s dragons are in a class of their own!
Biggest complaint: One character that failed to impress me was Precious, or Pree. With how extensive the development was with each of the other characters, I was surprised with how little Pree was developed. I honestly didn’t care about her at all, and was more than a little annoyed that she threw herself all over our hero. Mistry was much more likable, and it’s obvious she has a thing for Farthing as well, so Pree and Farthing’s little romance just made me feel bad for Mistry. Pree went through a great ordeal that I could appreciate, but as for her character, I found nothing interesting about her. But maybe that’s the point and she’ll make more of an impression in the next book.
I enjoyed the journey of the search and rescue mission, but the ending seemed to be leaning towards political issues and war in the next book, which is not my genre of choice. But I also need to know what happens next for these characters now that I'm feeling attached, so there’s that. :-)
Alise Miller of AA Miller, authors of the upcoming Guardian Lights book series
www.guardianlightsbook.com
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews