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Umbrakin #1
The Straggler's Mask
Last night Peal didn't even know what stars looked like. Today he stands as the final, desperate lifeline for a coming golden era. No pressure. I know what you're thinking - just look at the poor creature - but when your hero drops dead in the forest before the whole quest even starts, you can't afford to be picky with stand-ins. So we saddle Peal with the name, the mask, and all the responsibilities of this dead human, tell him to forget all his personal affairs like rites of passage or that girl he fancied, and push him out there to see whether he might actually be worth something. You wouldn't bet on that, and neither would he. He quivers just thinking about the quest he's been put on. How is he supposed to protect and babysit these oversized cretins, when all he's good for is staying out of sight? How can he find the path when he's never been outside his burrow before? Any chance anyone could even give him a hug? Peal's face is covered under that mask now. It conceals his meekness and gives him courage. And the stars no longer look so grand.
618 pages, Paperback
Published July 9, 2018
9 people are currently reading
1020 people want to read
About the author
Juho Pohjalainen
5 books348 followersI've never not written.
Some of my earliest memories involve telling tales: I began writing them down when I was four... or maybe when I was five, when I stopped to just mashing the buttons down to make a mess. They weren't very good stories, of course - I'm not entirely sure if even the ones I write as an adult are - but still, I just had to get them out there.
Even now, "have to get them out" is my primary motivation to write: I write largely to purge the thoughts out of my mind, to put them down in a solid form where they will stop bothering me so much. It's an eternal and ultimately futile struggle, because for each one I so conjure into the world, two or three more will take its place - sometimes directly spawned by that previous one. Lately, these stories have been long enough, and coherent enough, for me to begin throwing them out there to a wider audience, but it doesn't really matter even if they never find any: telling tales is a second nature, and an integral part of my being.
Expect to see great many more to read here, in the near future and later - both published works, and stream-of-consciousness blog updates on whatever subject matter is bothering me that day. Mostly fantasy, a bit of scifi, maybe other things later, I don't know... depends what I fancy doing that day. If you're reading this now, then I hope you will give them a look and that you might enjoy reading them.
Some of my earliest memories involve telling tales: I began writing them down when I was four... or maybe when I was five, when I stopped to just mashing the buttons down to make a mess. They weren't very good stories, of course - I'm not entirely sure if even the ones I write as an adult are - but still, I just had to get them out there.
Even now, "have to get them out" is my primary motivation to write: I write largely to purge the thoughts out of my mind, to put them down in a solid form where they will stop bothering me so much. It's an eternal and ultimately futile struggle, because for each one I so conjure into the world, two or three more will take its place - sometimes directly spawned by that previous one. Lately, these stories have been long enough, and coherent enough, for me to begin throwing them out there to a wider audience, but it doesn't really matter even if they never find any: telling tales is a second nature, and an integral part of my being.
Expect to see great many more to read here, in the near future and later - both published works, and stream-of-consciousness blog updates on whatever subject matter is bothering me that day. Mostly fantasy, a bit of scifi, maybe other things later, I don't know... depends what I fancy doing that day. If you're reading this now, then I hope you will give them a look and that you might enjoy reading them.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 25, 2019
Now, I usually never look at how long a book is. If it's good, it doesn't matter how long because you never want it to end. This book though, it's loooong, and it sometimes seems to drag.
This book plays with the concept of a masked hero who either trains someone new to take on his identity or undergoes some tragedy where a unlucky fellow suddenly finds him or herself taking on the masked identity. But in this particular story, the main character is not human. He's a bugbear.
If you've never heard of bug bears before...well, neither have I. I googled imaged bugbears to give myself a visual and...I was kind of disappointed. From the name, I think I imagined a miniature fluffy bear or something cute, but our "hero" isn't meant to be cute, and this isn't meant to be a cutesy story.
I had a couple of issues with trying to finish this book. (1) There seemed to be miscellaneous content that I really didn't care for. For instance, some paragraphs have footnotes. I have always found footnotes distracting from the flow of a story, and these are no different. You could probably read this whole book while ignoring the footnotes, and you wouldn't miss much.
(2) Now, I think it's great when authors create their own magical world that you can get sucked into. Harry Potter is amazing because a part of us wish we could attend the mystical school of Hogwarts. However, in this book, the author seems to get lost in the details of creating his own world. They are details that add nothing substantial to the book, and it gets confusing. There's a whole solar system with different planets/moons/whatever are created with their own names. I had to re-read different passages. In the end, I just gave up on trying to understand it all. The last thing I want to do when sitting down to enjoy a book is to have to sit down and take notes to map the whole book out.
(3) So many characters with so many names. Right when the book starts off, you get introduced to tons of characters and not all of them stick around for the entire book. Rather than naming each character, it would have been easier to follow the story as a reader if the author had used something more generic like "the wizard" or "the one bearded fellow." I started off one passage convinced that character A was on the "good" side. At the middle of the passage, I realized that I could have been wrong. I got my characters confused and character A was actually "evil." Then, at the end, I was like, wait...this dude actually is "good." I wasn't even sure who I was reading about, and this doesn't happen in just one passage.
One of the issues of having so many characters is that it can be difficult to actually characterize them into people that your readers can recognize as individual entities besides their given name. Too many names in the book sort of ruins it. You can only get attached to a few of the them while the rest are like background noise.
(3) I wish this book would get to the point faster. The main character is off on this adventure, but he doesn't really know what's going on because he got pushed into it. At some point, I would have liked to know why he is on this quest. You eventually find out, but it's so vague for so long that I just wanted to skip to the end and know why in the world I was following this character as he just wanders around.
Despite all of these frustrations, I have to admit there was something about this book that made me want to know the ending. I had to know what happens to the main character, and not all the villains can't easily be classified as "good" or "bad." You grow to like the main character with his dry humor and sense of realness, and you want to know why the antagonist is on the side she's on because you can't help but be drawn to her. I had to put the book down so many times, but I also picked it up so many darn times. There are moments when the book just flows. This author isn't bad. His writing is actually decent. It's just all the unnecessary DETAILS that I personally didn't really care for and the slow plot that can sometimes drive forward at the speed of light and leave you confused. If you're not as picky as me, this really wouldn't be a terrible read.
*I received this book through the Goodreads First Reads program, and, in exchange, I provided an honest review.
This book plays with the concept of a masked hero who either trains someone new to take on his identity or undergoes some tragedy where a unlucky fellow suddenly finds him or herself taking on the masked identity. But in this particular story, the main character is not human. He's a bugbear.
If you've never heard of bug bears before...well, neither have I. I googled imaged bugbears to give myself a visual and...I was kind of disappointed. From the name, I think I imagined a miniature fluffy bear or something cute, but our "hero" isn't meant to be cute, and this isn't meant to be a cutesy story.
I had a couple of issues with trying to finish this book. (1) There seemed to be miscellaneous content that I really didn't care for. For instance, some paragraphs have footnotes. I have always found footnotes distracting from the flow of a story, and these are no different. You could probably read this whole book while ignoring the footnotes, and you wouldn't miss much.
(2) Now, I think it's great when authors create their own magical world that you can get sucked into. Harry Potter is amazing because a part of us wish we could attend the mystical school of Hogwarts. However, in this book, the author seems to get lost in the details of creating his own world. They are details that add nothing substantial to the book, and it gets confusing. There's a whole solar system with different planets/moons/whatever are created with their own names. I had to re-read different passages. In the end, I just gave up on trying to understand it all. The last thing I want to do when sitting down to enjoy a book is to have to sit down and take notes to map the whole book out.
(3) So many characters with so many names. Right when the book starts off, you get introduced to tons of characters and not all of them stick around for the entire book. Rather than naming each character, it would have been easier to follow the story as a reader if the author had used something more generic like "the wizard" or "the one bearded fellow." I started off one passage convinced that character A was on the "good" side. At the middle of the passage, I realized that I could have been wrong. I got my characters confused and character A was actually "evil." Then, at the end, I was like, wait...this dude actually is "good." I wasn't even sure who I was reading about, and this doesn't happen in just one passage.
One of the issues of having so many characters is that it can be difficult to actually characterize them into people that your readers can recognize as individual entities besides their given name. Too many names in the book sort of ruins it. You can only get attached to a few of the them while the rest are like background noise.
(3) I wish this book would get to the point faster. The main character is off on this adventure, but he doesn't really know what's going on because he got pushed into it. At some point, I would have liked to know why he is on this quest. You eventually find out, but it's so vague for so long that I just wanted to skip to the end and know why in the world I was following this character as he just wanders around.
Despite all of these frustrations, I have to admit there was something about this book that made me want to know the ending. I had to know what happens to the main character, and not all the villains can't easily be classified as "good" or "bad." You grow to like the main character with his dry humor and sense of realness, and you want to know why the antagonist is on the side she's on because you can't help but be drawn to her. I had to put the book down so many times, but I also picked it up so many darn times. There are moments when the book just flows. This author isn't bad. His writing is actually decent. It's just all the unnecessary DETAILS that I personally didn't really care for and the slow plot that can sometimes drive forward at the speed of light and leave you confused. If you're not as picky as me, this really wouldn't be a terrible read.
*I received this book through the Goodreads First Reads program, and, in exchange, I provided an honest review.
August 14, 2018
I discovered this book thanks to a friend who sent me the free digital version. Even if the book remains very inspired by the great classics of the genre (and especially Michael Moorcock), it is appreciable to see that the author did not stop to reuse the clichés of the medieval-fantastic universe that one see so often.
The strengths of the book are certainly the characters (I particularly like the relationship between Ivar, the great prince a little naive, and the usurper that is the hero) and the universe that we like to discover over the chapters. It is regrettable, however, that some passages are a little slower and more dispensable than others, and especially the length of the book (it would probably be easy to make two, see three volumes).
Anyway, I warmly recommend this book to those who want to spend a good time discovering a strange world populated by races as bizarre as they are diverse, and who will not be frightened by the imposing volume of the book.
The strengths of the book are certainly the characters (I particularly like the relationship between Ivar, the great prince a little naive, and the usurper that is the hero) and the universe that we like to discover over the chapters. It is regrettable, however, that some passages are a little slower and more dispensable than others, and especially the length of the book (it would probably be easy to make two, see three volumes).
Anyway, I warmly recommend this book to those who want to spend a good time discovering a strange world populated by races as bizarre as they are diverse, and who will not be frightened by the imposing volume of the book.
December 15, 2018
If someone asked me to sum this book up in a single sentence I would probably call it an interesting blend of fable, classic fantasy and sword and sorcery. The S&S influence is most noticeable, which is not that strange considering that Michael Moorcock, creator of Elric of Melniboné, is cited as a major influence. The influence, however, is taken slightly to far, the book would probably have benefited from slightly fewer and slightly more developed adventures. The same goes for characters, while many are well developed some of the main party never leave the background and their presence bring nothing to the story. The whole thing also gets a little confusing, there is a myriad of named cities and nations (and a whole cosmos to boot) and the map at the beginning only cover a few of them.
For a self published, and presumably mostly self edited, book of this length there's not that many mistakes. There's some grammar/spelling mistakes, a passage in the middle where east and west seem to have been confused and some other minor things but never in a quantity that hurt the book. The writing, while sometimes a little uneven, is generally enjoyable and the language is good (and in defiance of its S&S influences only use the word cyclopean like 3 times instead of every fifth sentence, quite tasteful).
I wonder whatever happened to after the ending of the book.
For a self published, and presumably mostly self edited, book of this length there's not that many mistakes. There's some grammar/spelling mistakes, a passage in the middle where east and west seem to have been confused and some other minor things but never in a quantity that hurt the book. The writing, while sometimes a little uneven, is generally enjoyable and the language is good (and in defiance of its S&S influences only use the word cyclopean like 3 times instead of every fifth sentence, quite tasteful).
I wonder whatever happened to after the ending of the book.
September 18, 2019
The Straggler's Mask is a decent first effort by a new author, with likeable characters and interesting worldbuilding, but is a little too long for its own good and likes to go off on a tangent to elaborate on the worldbuilding.
The Straggler's Mask follows an unlikely hero, the bugbear Peal, who gets swept up by things that are bigger than him and finds himself dealing with a whole lot of things he'd rather not deal with. As a protagonist, he's a sympathetic little critter who's fun to read about, and he meets several just as colorful companions during the course of the story. The characters are one of the best parts of the book, as they all have their own unique personality and quirks. There wasn't a single character in the book whom I found unlikeable.
The worldbuilding in Straggler's Mask is great, too. It clearly draws its influences more from classic sword and sorcery - Moorcock, C.A. Smith, et al - than from Tolkienesque fantasy. The world is interesting and weird, fantasy in the truest sense of the word. And boy, does the worldbuilding go into detail. Landscapes, creatures, even the astronomy of the world is described. A lot of effort went into the worldbuilding, and it offers up a lot of imaginative and exotic vistas which are a joy to imagine.
But the worldbuilding also leads us to the bad part of the book, which is its often plodding pace and the tendency of the author to go off on tangents. There is even the occasional footnote (and once, there is even a footnote within a footnote) which serves to either explain a thing mentioned in the text, or to interject a witty remark. The story takes a while to pick up, and the pacing sometimes slows down to offer the reader a deeper glimpse into the wonderfully built world. Due to this, the book ends up being a little longer than it probably should be. There's plenty of adventure in it, but it's not exactly fast paced and might have benefitted from being cut down a little.
Overall, it's a good debut title by a promising new author who knows how to develop a fascinating world, and how to tell a good story once he finally gets down to actually letting it unfold amid all the worldbuilding.
Give it a read if you like:
- imaginative non-generic fantasy
- excellent worldbuilding
- likeable characters on high-stakes adventures
Give it a skip if you're overly bothered by:
- slow pacing
- the story going off on tangents that often turn out to be irrelevant to the main plot
Note: I designed the interior layout of this book and was paid for it by the author. This is an unbiased review based on my own reading experience after I had already been paid for my service.
The Straggler's Mask follows an unlikely hero, the bugbear Peal, who gets swept up by things that are bigger than him and finds himself dealing with a whole lot of things he'd rather not deal with. As a protagonist, he's a sympathetic little critter who's fun to read about, and he meets several just as colorful companions during the course of the story. The characters are one of the best parts of the book, as they all have their own unique personality and quirks. There wasn't a single character in the book whom I found unlikeable.
The worldbuilding in Straggler's Mask is great, too. It clearly draws its influences more from classic sword and sorcery - Moorcock, C.A. Smith, et al - than from Tolkienesque fantasy. The world is interesting and weird, fantasy in the truest sense of the word. And boy, does the worldbuilding go into detail. Landscapes, creatures, even the astronomy of the world is described. A lot of effort went into the worldbuilding, and it offers up a lot of imaginative and exotic vistas which are a joy to imagine.
But the worldbuilding also leads us to the bad part of the book, which is its often plodding pace and the tendency of the author to go off on tangents. There is even the occasional footnote (and once, there is even a footnote within a footnote) which serves to either explain a thing mentioned in the text, or to interject a witty remark. The story takes a while to pick up, and the pacing sometimes slows down to offer the reader a deeper glimpse into the wonderfully built world. Due to this, the book ends up being a little longer than it probably should be. There's plenty of adventure in it, but it's not exactly fast paced and might have benefitted from being cut down a little.
Overall, it's a good debut title by a promising new author who knows how to develop a fascinating world, and how to tell a good story once he finally gets down to actually letting it unfold amid all the worldbuilding.
Give it a read if you like:
- imaginative non-generic fantasy
- excellent worldbuilding
- likeable characters on high-stakes adventures
Give it a skip if you're overly bothered by:
- slow pacing
- the story going off on tangents that often turn out to be irrelevant to the main plot
Note: I designed the interior layout of this book and was paid for it by the author. This is an unbiased review based on my own reading experience after I had already been paid for my service.
March 25, 2019
I think what a lot of people seem to forget is there's a plethora of readers out there who don't find constant action particularly enjoyable.
That's not to excuse the author for the points where it really seemed to stretch on, but for me those points were very few. Two, in fact, were notable. One near the beginning, and one near the end were honestly longer than they needed to be- just like this part of the review.
Regardless, I really did appreciate the little details, the footnotes, the thoughts from the narrator. It all meshed rather well for me. Though that might be due to the vigilance I have when reading a book like this. See, I don't read a lot. Or much at all. I don't find bestsellers or classics all that interesting, because they established the cliches I've been bombarded with since birth. So when a hook includes something atypical of the genre- a scared and lonely tiny fuzz monster as a protagonist?- my attention is there. I didn't let pertinent details slip my mind when reading a footnote, and kept track of who was who rather easily. Though, I would have appreciated a bit more time separating the individuals from the crew, much like how it went toward the end. That's neither here nor there.
Anyways, I'll tell you right now; the hook delivers. Peal's existence as a bugbear isn't just forgotten, it's always there. You're not reading about just another hero, you're reading about a member of a commonly disregarded species coming of age, and being duped into a quest no one of his kind in their right mind would follow. It's... Satisfying.
If you're not afraid of your own shadow, give it a go. Promise, if you're at least as attentive as me, you'll have your fill.
That's not to excuse the author for the points where it really seemed to stretch on, but for me those points were very few. Two, in fact, were notable. One near the beginning, and one near the end were honestly longer than they needed to be- just like this part of the review.
Regardless, I really did appreciate the little details, the footnotes, the thoughts from the narrator. It all meshed rather well for me. Though that might be due to the vigilance I have when reading a book like this. See, I don't read a lot. Or much at all. I don't find bestsellers or classics all that interesting, because they established the cliches I've been bombarded with since birth. So when a hook includes something atypical of the genre- a scared and lonely tiny fuzz monster as a protagonist?- my attention is there. I didn't let pertinent details slip my mind when reading a footnote, and kept track of who was who rather easily. Though, I would have appreciated a bit more time separating the individuals from the crew, much like how it went toward the end. That's neither here nor there.
Anyways, I'll tell you right now; the hook delivers. Peal's existence as a bugbear isn't just forgotten, it's always there. You're not reading about just another hero, you're reading about a member of a commonly disregarded species coming of age, and being duped into a quest no one of his kind in their right mind would follow. It's... Satisfying.
If you're not afraid of your own shadow, give it a go. Promise, if you're at least as attentive as me, you'll have your fill.
November 24, 2018
A really fun read that still could be tighter in places, though my gripes are pretty minor considering the big picture. For a character driven story it's weird how there's a bunch of undeveloped characters who could've been axed in favor of just a couple or so more fleshed out ones. I also felt a slump somewhere around halfway through where a lot of stuff occurs, but it dawns on the reader that little of it is of real consequence. The worldbuilding, however, is refreshing and I'd verge on saying some of the most interesting parts go under-utilized if I didn't suspect there's more novels set in this universe to come. The story picks up a lot of momentum towards the end too and gets wrapped up well.
All in all The Straggler's Mask is a promising debut and I'm looking forward to Pohjalainen's future efforts.
All in all The Straggler's Mask is a promising debut and I'm looking forward to Pohjalainen's future efforts.
September 14, 2018
Firstly, I gotta come clean, I know the guy who wrote this and read it before it was properly out. So I do have a vested interest here. But just like the Bloodhound Gang, let me be Pacific on why I like this book.
The plot centers around this little rabbit/dog thing who lives in a burrow with his other rabbit dog friends. One day he gets the inclination to explore a bit, and his curiosity leads to him inheriting the identity and mission of a dying hero. The only problem is, he's still a clueless burrowing mammal whose species are coded to be huge cowards as a survival tactic. So he's got a journey ahead of him to live up to his new namesake.
And quite a journey it is. The book starts fairly standard as far as fantasy goes; familiar woodlands and an approaching army of darkness. But as it goes on you get to "see" some pretty wild locales, and every new location expands upon your knowledge of the world at the same time as the main character. Strength one of the book is the scene setting, it really brings them to life and makes you want to be there instead of a small town that's about to experience another ****ing Canadian winter.
Anyway.
Strength two are the characters. They're quite grounded and develop nicely through the story, making them easy to identify with. Granted, you can tell which ones are more likely to bite the dust, and I might prefer the side cast got a little more development, but that's hard to do when there's so many of them and you're already pushing 600 pages. The main chars at least are very well done and play off of each other well, and the people they meet on their journeys are varied and interesting.
Despite its length the book is paced pretty well, with maybe a little drag in the early sections of the journey. I never got to a part that made me want to put the book down, and I really got into it by the midpoint and on. Ending exceeded expectations.
Overall I give it a hearty two thumbs up. It's very much a classic fantasy book, with influences you can probably tell immediately--and the author admits himself. But it's classic in the good way, with a hero's journey from small fry to 3-foot-nothing savior, a slow escalation in stakes, and of course, a wizard or two and a demon or three thousand. It doesn't fall into being a DND sourcebook copypasta or a power wank for sad fat people. It's not Orcs vs. Gruff Grizzled Manly Men With Abs Who Have, Like, Three Girlfriends At Once. It starts familiar but ends pretty wild without jumping any sharks. The characters are quite human, even when they aren't. And the story is a good mix of comedy and drama, with little footnotes sprinkled here and there to give you tidbits of lore. I fully enjoyed my time with it, and I've been off the fantasy train for a long while.
Content-wise I'd give it a PG13 or something. Little to no sexual content but a fair number of people die quite brutally. I'd feel comfortable giving it to anyone you'd give a LOTR book.
The plot centers around this little rabbit/dog thing who lives in a burrow with his other rabbit dog friends. One day he gets the inclination to explore a bit, and his curiosity leads to him inheriting the identity and mission of a dying hero. The only problem is, he's still a clueless burrowing mammal whose species are coded to be huge cowards as a survival tactic. So he's got a journey ahead of him to live up to his new namesake.
And quite a journey it is. The book starts fairly standard as far as fantasy goes; familiar woodlands and an approaching army of darkness. But as it goes on you get to "see" some pretty wild locales, and every new location expands upon your knowledge of the world at the same time as the main character. Strength one of the book is the scene setting, it really brings them to life and makes you want to be there instead of a small town that's about to experience another ****ing Canadian winter.
Anyway.
Strength two are the characters. They're quite grounded and develop nicely through the story, making them easy to identify with. Granted, you can tell which ones are more likely to bite the dust, and I might prefer the side cast got a little more development, but that's hard to do when there's so many of them and you're already pushing 600 pages. The main chars at least are very well done and play off of each other well, and the people they meet on their journeys are varied and interesting.
Despite its length the book is paced pretty well, with maybe a little drag in the early sections of the journey. I never got to a part that made me want to put the book down, and I really got into it by the midpoint and on. Ending exceeded expectations.
Overall I give it a hearty two thumbs up. It's very much a classic fantasy book, with influences you can probably tell immediately--and the author admits himself. But it's classic in the good way, with a hero's journey from small fry to 3-foot-nothing savior, a slow escalation in stakes, and of course, a wizard or two and a demon or three thousand. It doesn't fall into being a DND sourcebook copypasta or a power wank for sad fat people. It's not Orcs vs. Gruff Grizzled Manly Men With Abs Who Have, Like, Three Girlfriends At Once. It starts familiar but ends pretty wild without jumping any sharks. The characters are quite human, even when they aren't. And the story is a good mix of comedy and drama, with little footnotes sprinkled here and there to give you tidbits of lore. I fully enjoyed my time with it, and I've been off the fantasy train for a long while.
Content-wise I'd give it a PG13 or something. Little to no sexual content but a fair number of people die quite brutally. I'd feel comfortable giving it to anyone you'd give a LOTR book.
January 28, 2019
I received this book in ebook format as part of a First Reads giveaway. Since this book is an ebook I had no idea how long it was; although I rarely check. The length of a book is hardly a factor as to whether or not I'll read it (although it might be a factor as to when I read it). Good books that are long rarely feel long, for example the first couple of books in George R. R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice series (aka Game of Thrones). Unfortunately for this book, there are parts where it feels like it drags on.
Based on a few Amazon and Goodreads searches I couldn't find any other book written by this author; therefore I'm going to assume this is their first book. I know it has to be hard to publish your first book not knowing how its going to be received by readers. I don't like giving mediocre reviews to a debutante author but I did struggle with this book, a lot.
I found it difficult to keep track of all the characters as well as the story. Sometimes I forgot where they are as they traveled. I honestly forgot what their ultimate goal was (until I got to the actual face off with Nirvana). Sometimes the point of view of the storyteller would change, without notice and I had no idea who was speaking in the first person. I went through about a 3 week dry spell where I didn't pick the book up at all because I was bored. I still finished it because I refuse to leave a book unfinished, but it felt a little arduous.
I did enjoy the concept of the story (an unsuspecting creature picking up the mantel of a legendary hero). Peal is an interesting character, though his skittishness and small stature don't really correlate to what I expect a bugbear to look like or behave. Granted that's based on an old D&D reference point. The world the author created felt pretty imaginative and thought out. However I don't know if I would have used Earth; otherwise you are setting the readers up to identify familiar areas of the planet which they're not going to find.
I guess I'm more disappointed that I didn't like it as much as I wanted to. I feel like this book could have been broken up into two novels. If you're an aspiring new author, perhaps a 600+ page book with a complicated list of characters isn't the way to start. This, by no means, deters me from reading more by this author, unless the next novel is equally as disappointing.
Based on a few Amazon and Goodreads searches I couldn't find any other book written by this author; therefore I'm going to assume this is their first book. I know it has to be hard to publish your first book not knowing how its going to be received by readers. I don't like giving mediocre reviews to a debutante author but I did struggle with this book, a lot.
I found it difficult to keep track of all the characters as well as the story. Sometimes I forgot where they are as they traveled. I honestly forgot what their ultimate goal was (until I got to the actual face off with Nirvana). Sometimes the point of view of the storyteller would change, without notice and I had no idea who was speaking in the first person. I went through about a 3 week dry spell where I didn't pick the book up at all because I was bored. I still finished it because I refuse to leave a book unfinished, but it felt a little arduous.
I did enjoy the concept of the story (an unsuspecting creature picking up the mantel of a legendary hero). Peal is an interesting character, though his skittishness and small stature don't really correlate to what I expect a bugbear to look like or behave. Granted that's based on an old D&D reference point. The world the author created felt pretty imaginative and thought out. However I don't know if I would have used Earth; otherwise you are setting the readers up to identify familiar areas of the planet which they're not going to find.
I guess I'm more disappointed that I didn't like it as much as I wanted to. I feel like this book could have been broken up into two novels. If you're an aspiring new author, perhaps a 600+ page book with a complicated list of characters isn't the way to start. This, by no means, deters me from reading more by this author, unless the next novel is equally as disappointing.
January 23, 2019
The Straggler's mask for me invokes an old classical fantasy fantasy feel that I find rather charming. From the introduction to our unlikely hero, you can certainly feel how our protagonist Peal echos alot of a traditional hero, being curious enough to want to leave his home yet scared of what lies beyond. And like most heroes of myth he undergoes the hero's journey and the author does a good job to show how unprepared Peal is for his journey, and how much he has to grow to survive his journey.
The book is not without its flaws however, a few chapters into the story we are given a huge exposition dump by many newly introduced characters. While it's understandable that the author wanted to throw Peal (and by extension us the readers as well) into an ongoing situation, it is a very heavy hurdle to cross over as we are fed alot of information by alot of new faces in a relatively short amount of time.
However, the story does pick up once we are up to speed with the present moment, the plot offers alot of satisfying twist and turns with a fantastic world and good characters that made the slow chapters worthwhile to go through. The book does a good job in its world building and while the additional notes do break up pacing, it still adds extra insight into both the characters and the world.
For anyone looking for a good fantasy book, I highly recommend The Straggler's Mask as a slow read where you take the time with it, and soak in the world and its characters
The book is not without its flaws however, a few chapters into the story we are given a huge exposition dump by many newly introduced characters. While it's understandable that the author wanted to throw Peal (and by extension us the readers as well) into an ongoing situation, it is a very heavy hurdle to cross over as we are fed alot of information by alot of new faces in a relatively short amount of time.
However, the story does pick up once we are up to speed with the present moment, the plot offers alot of satisfying twist and turns with a fantastic world and good characters that made the slow chapters worthwhile to go through. The book does a good job in its world building and while the additional notes do break up pacing, it still adds extra insight into both the characters and the world.
For anyone looking for a good fantasy book, I highly recommend The Straggler's Mask as a slow read where you take the time with it, and soak in the world and its characters
August 15, 2018
A new author bringing some old-school fantasy while keeping things fresh.
I bought this book on kindle a few days ago, under the recommendation of a friend: while at first I got a bit intimidated from the whooping 500+(!) pages length, I have to admit that the book was pretty nice although definitively not one to read in a single sitting.
The author's irony in his page notes, the development of the story of an underdog protagonist, and a fairly imaginative world that spans from snow-covered plains to deep jungles and sun cults, it kept me interested through the whole book.
While not a perfect book, it was still quite good in my opinion: Normally I'd give 4 stars, but as he's a new author, I'm going to boost the score to 5.
I bought this book on kindle a few days ago, under the recommendation of a friend: while at first I got a bit intimidated from the whooping 500+(!) pages length, I have to admit that the book was pretty nice although definitively not one to read in a single sitting.
The author's irony in his page notes, the development of the story of an underdog protagonist, and a fairly imaginative world that spans from snow-covered plains to deep jungles and sun cults, it kept me interested through the whole book.
While not a perfect book, it was still quite good in my opinion: Normally I'd give 4 stars, but as he's a new author, I'm going to boost the score to 5.
November 10, 2018
I received a free copy, in return for a review.
I had high hopes for this book. It started out well, but gosh.... it seemed to just drag out forever. Which is why this review has taken so long to write. The book reminded me of the "Lord of the Ring's" books. I kind of got disinterested at all of the endless side quests and after the demise of one of the characters I felt could be compelling and integral to the story. Maybe I should skip the YA books from now on.
As a rule, I'm not a fan of rehashing the whole story line, as part of the review process. I just try to write how I liked or disliked a book. In this case, it was in the middle of the two choices.
I had high hopes for this book. It started out well, but gosh.... it seemed to just drag out forever. Which is why this review has taken so long to write. The book reminded me of the "Lord of the Ring's" books. I kind of got disinterested at all of the endless side quests and after the demise of one of the characters I felt could be compelling and integral to the story. Maybe I should skip the YA books from now on.
As a rule, I'm not a fan of rehashing the whole story line, as part of the review process. I just try to write how I liked or disliked a book. In this case, it was in the middle of the two choices.
August 16, 2018
It's a very nice book with a tight plot and an enjoyable cast of characters that largely focus on the put upon bugbear and a slightly dim yet well meaning human prince. The world is well crafted and the detailing is fantastic. Saying anything more would be spoiling it so I highly suggest you read it yourself! : )
August 16, 2018
Incredible author, incredible book. I've read some previous pieces of this writer's work, and I've been enchanted ever since. We collaborated on a few projects, in which he delivered nothing short of excellence, and his book is more of the same! I highly recommend anyone interested in small things getting bullied to read this.
August 24, 2018
A well developed adventure that brings the reader on a wonderful journey. The cast of characters is a delicious reminder that each one is an individual and has their own quirks, and a special treat to see the unfortunate Peal make conscious decisions to become better than he was with each step of his little feet.
In all, a delivery that speaks of the author's talent, and I want more to come.
In all, a delivery that speaks of the author's talent, and I want more to come.
February 7, 2021
I've had to really think about this book, trying to decide how to review it. It really put me in the mind of The Hobbit, which probably many people have said. A low profile character, Peal the bugbear, is put into the position of heading up a group of ragtag characters and taking them on a quest. Lots of adventure, lots of fantastical world building and lots of quandaries. I think this would be a great YA read for those that enjoy fantasy and/or Fantasy role playing games.
February 28, 2020
This book is a fun adventure that takes its reader to many unexpected places. Ivar and Peal are charming characters, even if they might get mad at me for saying so, and I liked reading about them.
I started reading the Kindle version of this because I had a subscription to Kindle Unlimited. But after that ran out and I wasn't finished with it, I ordered the hard copy. I'm glad I did because I'm sure I'll read this again sometime.
I hope to read more of this writer's works. As a book with only a handful of reviews on Goodreads, I was pleasantly surprised by how well-written this novel is. I think Pohjalainen has a good knack for style.¹
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Update 2/28/2020:
I have the next book in the series, and I'm excited to start it after I wrap up a few of the other things I'm reading. Also, I found the notes I took while I read this back in 2018, so I wanted to provide an update to my review.
It appears I had a little gripe that the writing is inconsistent throughout, which I thought detracted from the story because it made me pay attention to it. And not in a good way. Don't get me wrong; the writing is interesting - it's just not always interesting when it could or should be.
At times, it didn't seem as though Pohjalainen thought through some scenes with enough clarity - or, if not clarity, specificity - when needed to keep the reader involved. These weren't keep-the-reader-guessing, suspenseful vagueries; they were more like something's-missing-and-I'm-a-little-lost-without-some-kind-of-focal-point-please-where-is-it-oh-there-it-is-four-or-five-pages-later-I'm-good-now-thank-you! lacunae, which was a little frustrating when it kept happening. I wrote 'slapdash' in my journal when I was around the halfway point of the book, which I'll admit is harsher than I think the book deserves. At least I know with certainty that I didn't think that way about it when I read the opening few chapters, which I remember to be very engaging to the point that I told a lot of other people about 'this great new book I discovered that I'm really into and you should totally read it.'
So it was a mixed reaction, but overall mostly positive. I'm really looking forward to Scourge of the Silver Wings, which I trust I'll enjoy.
________________
¹ And hilarious footnotes.
I started reading the Kindle version of this because I had a subscription to Kindle Unlimited. But after that ran out and I wasn't finished with it, I ordered the hard copy. I'm glad I did because I'm sure I'll read this again sometime.
I hope to read more of this writer's works. As a book with only a handful of reviews on Goodreads, I was pleasantly surprised by how well-written this novel is. I think Pohjalainen has a good knack for style.¹
--
Update 2/28/2020:
I have the next book in the series, and I'm excited to start it after I wrap up a few of the other things I'm reading. Also, I found the notes I took while I read this back in 2018, so I wanted to provide an update to my review.
It appears I had a little gripe that the writing is inconsistent throughout, which I thought detracted from the story because it made me pay attention to it. And not in a good way. Don't get me wrong; the writing is interesting - it's just not always interesting when it could or should be.
At times, it didn't seem as though Pohjalainen thought through some scenes with enough clarity - or, if not clarity, specificity - when needed to keep the reader involved. These weren't keep-the-reader-guessing, suspenseful vagueries; they were more like something's-missing-and-I'm-a-little-lost-without-some-kind-of-focal-point-please-where-is-it-oh-there-it-is-four-or-five-pages-later-I'm-good-now-thank-you! lacunae, which was a little frustrating when it kept happening. I wrote 'slapdash' in my journal when I was around the halfway point of the book, which I'll admit is harsher than I think the book deserves. At least I know with certainty that I didn't think that way about it when I read the opening few chapters, which I remember to be very engaging to the point that I told a lot of other people about 'this great new book I discovered that I'm really into and you should totally read it.'
So it was a mixed reaction, but overall mostly positive. I'm really looking forward to Scourge of the Silver Wings, which I trust I'll enjoy.
________________
¹ And hilarious footnotes.
December 4, 2018
Sweepstakes winner.
Just furry trash. The writing is poor, mostly it seems to be a amalgamation of a bunch of other writers the author likes. When he does write in his own voice it manages to be even less interesting. The setting is cliched, and the characters I couldn't make myself care about. All saying, I wouldn't bother slogging through 600 pages of furry fetish garbage.
Just furry trash. The writing is poor, mostly it seems to be a amalgamation of a bunch of other writers the author likes. When he does write in his own voice it manages to be even less interesting. The setting is cliched, and the characters I couldn't make myself care about. All saying, I wouldn't bother slogging through 600 pages of furry fetish garbage.
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