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Group Six and the River: Of Water and Brimstone
The only way to fulfill her quest - was to DIE! This read is for anyone who likes science and magic; a dash of humor; light-hearted action adventure sequences; monsters and swordplay, and anyone who enjoys Dungeons and Dragons. Serena Brimstone, fierce Warrior Woman of the Northlands, awoke to find the enormous diamond she had recently claimed from a dying stranger embedded in her chest . But that wasn't the oddest thing. Suddenly old sparring partners refuse to fight her. Enemies throw down their weapons and profess their undying love for her. How's a woman supposed to get into a good knock-down drag-out when all anyone will do is worship her? When Serena and three magicians are recruited by the enigmatic Leader to seek out a legendary wizard, and promised their hearts' desires in return, she hopes she has finally found a way to be rid of the diamond and the adoration it causes others to feel for her. But things don't go as planned for contentious new companions Serena, Orchid, Tresado, and Foxx (that's with two xs). They will need all their skills - and their senses of humor - as they deal with deception and betrayal, hungry river crocs, dart-wielding pygmies, an ancient water spirit, and a fabulous pleasure palace that thinks for itself. Join Group Six as they journey up the River Talus on the magically-powered catamaran Enchanter in search of spells, swordplay, wealth, and a rousing good time! = = = Ron Richard RonRichardAuthor.com Christopher Matthews Publishing (imprint of First Steps Publishing)
- GenresFantasy
338 pages, Paperback
Published April 13, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 21, 2022
Serena, Orchid, Tresado, and Foxx have one thing in common – they’ve been recruited by Leader to set off on a quest. The quest? Sailing up a dangerous river, rarely traveled, to find a powerful magician. On their journey they encounter many dangers, testing their strength and their skills.
I typically enjoy fantasy works, especially ones that are advertised as being similar to Dungeons and Dragons adventures. Unfortunately, this work fell short of my expectations.
The reader is thrown into the story with no setting descriptions, no expectations of the world, and no way to ground the story. This made it impossible to picture where this story was supposed to be taking place, which is a big part of fantasy stories (or really any story). On top of this, the story jumped around between characters, excerpts from random journals, character flashbacks, and random historical events. There was minimal explanation (generally no explanation) relating to any of these things, which left me bewildered as to how any of it was connected or if it even mattered.
It was difficult to like any of the characters. They didn’t feel realistic or relatable, instead coming across of stereotypes/archetypes of fantasy characters. Also, the summary of the story presents this work as being about Serena, but even 25% in, she still felt like a secondary character. Also, she yells. All the time. Since I listened to the audiobook version of this work, it really made me dislike her character.
This work was advertised as being lighthearted and humorous. Often, it felt like the author was trying to force humor into situations and the dialogue felt extremely forced when it was supposed to be lighthearted and funny. Similarly, the writing felt juvenile and crass, but not in an entertaining way.
Unfortunately, there was nothing that I enjoyed about this work, and I can’t recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I typically enjoy fantasy works, especially ones that are advertised as being similar to Dungeons and Dragons adventures. Unfortunately, this work fell short of my expectations.
The reader is thrown into the story with no setting descriptions, no expectations of the world, and no way to ground the story. This made it impossible to picture where this story was supposed to be taking place, which is a big part of fantasy stories (or really any story). On top of this, the story jumped around between characters, excerpts from random journals, character flashbacks, and random historical events. There was minimal explanation (generally no explanation) relating to any of these things, which left me bewildered as to how any of it was connected or if it even mattered.
It was difficult to like any of the characters. They didn’t feel realistic or relatable, instead coming across of stereotypes/archetypes of fantasy characters. Also, the summary of the story presents this work as being about Serena, but even 25% in, she still felt like a secondary character. Also, she yells. All the time. Since I listened to the audiobook version of this work, it really made me dislike her character.
This work was advertised as being lighthearted and humorous. Often, it felt like the author was trying to force humor into situations and the dialogue felt extremely forced when it was supposed to be lighthearted and funny. Similarly, the writing felt juvenile and crass, but not in an entertaining way.
Unfortunately, there was nothing that I enjoyed about this work, and I can’t recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
April 18, 2022
This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.
I requested this book because it was marketed as being a lighthearted, humorous mystery for those who like magic and Dungeons & Dragons (to paraphrase the official description.) While the story was of a somewhat humorous fantasy tale, it just didn't do it for me. I found the humor felt like the author was trying too hard to be funny the whole time. And the characters' backgrounds were told via flashbacks that often felt like they were unnecessary and cropped up way too often, interrupting the main narrative to an unreasonable point.
I requested this book because it was marketed as being a lighthearted, humorous mystery for those who like magic and Dungeons & Dragons (to paraphrase the official description.) While the story was of a somewhat humorous fantasy tale, it just didn't do it for me. I found the humor felt like the author was trying too hard to be funny the whole time. And the characters' backgrounds were told via flashbacks that often felt like they were unnecessary and cropped up way too often, interrupting the main narrative to an unreasonable point.
October 15, 2022
*thank you to netgalley for an arc of the book. All thoughts are my own*
I wasn't a fan of this book.
At. All.
I genuinely can't think of a single aspect of this book that I liked. All of the characters annoyed me -especially Serena- and I found myself rolling my eyes at the dialogue, they way they acted, and even just their thoughts.
The plot was weird. So weird. The story felt like it should've been over when it was only halfway through, and the rest of the story just dragged, and felt overall useless.
Oh and the writing. This story told so much, but never ever once did it show us. It kept on being like 'they did this and then they did this and then they did this', lacking any substance or details.
There was literally no redeeming features in this book.
1/10 would not recommend.
I wasn't a fan of this book.
At. All.
I genuinely can't think of a single aspect of this book that I liked. All of the characters annoyed me -especially Serena- and I found myself rolling my eyes at the dialogue, they way they acted, and even just their thoughts.
The plot was weird. So weird. The story felt like it should've been over when it was only halfway through, and the rest of the story just dragged, and felt overall useless.
Oh and the writing. This story told so much, but never ever once did it show us. It kept on being like 'they did this and then they did this and then they did this', lacking any substance or details.
There was literally no redeeming features in this book.
1/10 would not recommend.
May 11, 2022
2 1/2 stars. A decent fantasy novel. There was humor and some good action. Sometimes the humor was a little bit forced. I did like how the group worked together and it felt like there was a real bond between them. I had a bit of a problem with the flow of the story. There was a lot of jumping back and forth between point of view and between the present and past.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
May 7, 2022
Personally I dislike stories that take themselves too seriously. The humor between the characters and the way the story is delivered(with silly quotes and asides) is very enjoyable once you find the rhythm. There is no other book like this one. Its completely unique. Each of these characters is wonderful and the world is filled with possibilities (for sequels, of couse) Bravo Ron Richard!!
June 14, 2022
This was a great read once you got the style of writing down. The book jumps from present to past quite a bit, but the stories from the past play a role in the story. The characters were fun and the humor was great. Really enjoyed reading it.
June 12, 2022
Serena Brimstone is an old fashioned warrior Princess. She loves the fight, and if by some chance within battle she dies, then that’s fine by her. But she has a problem. She has a diamond entity embedded in her chest that wants to keep Serena safe by making everyone around stop, drop their weapons, drool and become completely infatuated with her. What is a warrior Princess to do? Go on a quest to get rid of the damned diamond entity, that’s what! This fantasy book has humour and a good story. But it jumps backwards and forwards in history, which is a little distracting at times. Didn’t stop me finishing the book to find everything tied up neatly by the end. Thank you to Christopher Matthews and NetGalley for letting me listen to an audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
May 26, 2022
Serena and her friends found themselves hoodwinked and deceived by a magical being. Their quest has suddenly turned into a survival quest, froth with unimaginable evils. It was interesting, adventurous, and filled with magical mayhem. It was entertaining but had one flaw there were too many episodes of going back in times for my taste.
May 19, 2022
This was a fun read. Written by a close family friend I was honored to get to read it! Not my genre of choice but I laughed out loud and was intrigued by the quest. I didn’t love the history of the world but understand it’s needed for the world building. I loved that all the women were fierce and bad ass!
June 25, 2022
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
"You can look, but you'll die!" - Serena Brimstone
I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about this one. I can say I'm very glad I got the audio version. It's not without its flaws but it was exactly what I needed in my life right now. Highly enjoyable.
Quick facts:
*Fun!
*Light & airy
*Thoroughly enjoyable narration
*RPG feel
*Serena 💘
*Author narration
*Comradery between new friends
*A lot of bouncing around through time and place.
*Sometimes a little tiring
*Confusing 2 parts (75%/25%)
*Felt a bit like 2 unfinished books
I did also get an e-arc of the text version, to try and ground myself with all the bouncing around. Having both made it easier to get used to the writing style in the beginning, then I didn't need to follow along with the text anymore after that.
I do really think this book is more enjoyable in audio form.
The narrators: Great!
Greiner excelled at the main story narration, especially in the voice of Serena 💘 Greiner really made me want to keep listening. And Richard excelled at the flashbacks and different entries, particularly, Dementus, The Mad Treskan.
I love when an author narrates their own work. It's so much more intimate. And I love experiencing the story and characters in the way they were envisioned by the author when writing them.
However, one thing though, as much as I liked listening to them, it was often very hard to tell the main characters' voices apart (both narrators).
~
I did find the 2 parts a bit confusing though.. The first part took up so much of the book, I was surprised when it ended so abruptly.
Then part 2 starts and it feels like the beginning of a sequel. Because there was so little left of the book, I was prepared for it to end on a cliffhanger - I was very surprised when it didn't.
I kinda wish they were two separate books, and both given the page time to fully come to the satisfying end they both deserve.
Final thoughts: The narration was great and the story was fun. My experience was a pleasurable one.
Review copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
"You can look, but you'll die!" - Serena Brimstone
I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about this one. I can say I'm very glad I got the audio version. It's not without its flaws but it was exactly what I needed in my life right now. Highly enjoyable.
Quick facts:
*Fun!
*Light & airy
*Thoroughly enjoyable narration
*RPG feel
*Serena 💘
*Author narration
*Comradery between new friends
*A lot of bouncing around through time and place.
*Sometimes a little tiring
*Confusing 2 parts (75%/25%)
*Felt a bit like 2 unfinished books
I did also get an e-arc of the text version, to try and ground myself with all the bouncing around. Having both made it easier to get used to the writing style in the beginning, then I didn't need to follow along with the text anymore after that.
I do really think this book is more enjoyable in audio form.
The narrators: Great!
Greiner excelled at the main story narration, especially in the voice of Serena 💘 Greiner really made me want to keep listening. And Richard excelled at the flashbacks and different entries, particularly, Dementus, The Mad Treskan.
I love when an author narrates their own work. It's so much more intimate. And I love experiencing the story and characters in the way they were envisioned by the author when writing them.
However, one thing though, as much as I liked listening to them, it was often very hard to tell the main characters' voices apart (both narrators).
~
I did find the 2 parts a bit confusing though.. The first part took up so much of the book, I was surprised when it ended so abruptly.
Then part 2 starts and it feels like the beginning of a sequel. Because there was so little left of the book, I was prepared for it to end on a cliffhanger - I was very surprised when it didn't.
I kinda wish they were two separate books, and both given the page time to fully come to the satisfying end they both deserve.
Final thoughts: The narration was great and the story was fun. My experience was a pleasurable one.
Review copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 2, 2022
Ratings 3.5 stars
*I received a review copy from NetGalley for my voluntary and honest review.
Meet Serena, Orchid, Tresado, and Foxx (with two exes). The four of them are hired by the enigmatic Leader to travel upriver and discern whether tales of a powerful magician are real or not. This magician lives in a palace at the end of the river and is said to grant one’s deepest desires. And all poor Serena wants is for people to stop loving her. See she has a diamond embedded in her chest that contains a love spirit, and in order to protect their host they make people fall in love with this host. Which for a barbarian north woman is pure hell. Along the way they have to deal with ancient cities, pygmy forest dwellers, water spirits, and a seemingly somewhat alive pleasure palace.
This book reads like a session of Dungeons and Dragons. I haven't played in like a decade but this book kinda makes me wanna start again. Each of the characters are well rounded and fit their parts in the story well. Also the banter between them made me laugh out loud a few times. One thing that threw me throughout the book was there were a whole bunch of random time jumps. A lot were used as exposition to reveal character backstories and some world building. However there was a time jump about 10000 years into the future that I didn't understand why it was there. But there are upcoming books in the series so maybe it was just seeds for a future book. And I definitely will be picking up future books. I look forward to their travels.
*I received a review copy from NetGalley for my voluntary and honest review.
Meet Serena, Orchid, Tresado, and Foxx (with two exes). The four of them are hired by the enigmatic Leader to travel upriver and discern whether tales of a powerful magician are real or not. This magician lives in a palace at the end of the river and is said to grant one’s deepest desires. And all poor Serena wants is for people to stop loving her. See she has a diamond embedded in her chest that contains a love spirit, and in order to protect their host they make people fall in love with this host. Which for a barbarian north woman is pure hell. Along the way they have to deal with ancient cities, pygmy forest dwellers, water spirits, and a seemingly somewhat alive pleasure palace.
This book reads like a session of Dungeons and Dragons. I haven't played in like a decade but this book kinda makes me wanna start again. Each of the characters are well rounded and fit their parts in the story well. Also the banter between them made me laugh out loud a few times. One thing that threw me throughout the book was there were a whole bunch of random time jumps. A lot were used as exposition to reveal character backstories and some world building. However there was a time jump about 10000 years into the future that I didn't understand why it was there. But there are upcoming books in the series so maybe it was just seeds for a future book. And I definitely will be picking up future books. I look forward to their travels.
August 2, 2022
I received an advance copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a charming epic fantasy journey tale, telling the story of the 4 different characters (a female warrior, a trickster and 2 different types of wizard) tasked with journeying up the mysterious river Talus in search of a powerful wizard and riches galore.
Interwoven with the journey itself are elements of each character’s backstory and the history of this world. In the audiobook these also see different narrators, as the author tells most of the backstory chapters with a co-narrator (his wife I believe?) generally tells the main story.
Serena the warrior woman has by far the most intriguing backstory as a rare act of mid-battle kindness sees her inherit a large diamond which makes people quickly fall in love with her - which makes her role in battle and pursuing her own goals very difficult - she finds no fun in slaughtering armless drooling enamoured enemies.
The story sees twists and turns and the crew come together in clever ways to continue their journey and gradually understand Leader, the mysterious man who brought them together.
While not the best epic fantasy tale I’ve ever read, there is plenty to enjoy here and I love that it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
A lovely charming read.
This was a charming epic fantasy journey tale, telling the story of the 4 different characters (a female warrior, a trickster and 2 different types of wizard) tasked with journeying up the mysterious river Talus in search of a powerful wizard and riches galore.
Interwoven with the journey itself are elements of each character’s backstory and the history of this world. In the audiobook these also see different narrators, as the author tells most of the backstory chapters with a co-narrator (his wife I believe?) generally tells the main story.
Serena the warrior woman has by far the most intriguing backstory as a rare act of mid-battle kindness sees her inherit a large diamond which makes people quickly fall in love with her - which makes her role in battle and pursuing her own goals very difficult - she finds no fun in slaughtering armless drooling enamoured enemies.
The story sees twists and turns and the crew come together in clever ways to continue their journey and gradually understand Leader, the mysterious man who brought them together.
While not the best epic fantasy tale I’ve ever read, there is plenty to enjoy here and I love that it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
A lovely charming read.
May 28, 2022
A group of quirky but lovable characters set off on a mysterious quest after being recruited by an equally mysterious man known only as 'Leader'. Each of them has a wish, something that they hope to gain from the powerful magician they are looking for. But who is 'Leader' and more importantly, what does he want? Can the group really trust him?
This story was lighthearted and funny but at the same time intriguing. I enjoyed the characters and their world but the story does jump around a lot in time and it gets a little hard to keep track of what is happening to who and when. I liked the fact that the author was one of the narrators, it makes the experience a lot more personal. I was a little uncomfortable with some of the book's spiritual elements but that is a very personal thing and will probably not bother other readers.
I listened to this book as an ARC on NetGalley
This story was lighthearted and funny but at the same time intriguing. I enjoyed the characters and their world but the story does jump around a lot in time and it gets a little hard to keep track of what is happening to who and when. I liked the fact that the author was one of the narrators, it makes the experience a lot more personal. I was a little uncomfortable with some of the book's spiritual elements but that is a very personal thing and will probably not bother other readers.
I listened to this book as an ARC on NetGalley
June 17, 2022
This was a fun story to listen too.
A fantasy novel about a quest with doses of humour, magic and fantasy.
I did like the funny moments and chemistry between the characters. The plot is nice too and I loved the idea of the magical palace that has a character of its own!
A felt a bit lost in parts though and took me some time to wrap my head around the magic system but overall I enjoyed listening to it.
A fantasy novel about a quest with doses of humour, magic and fantasy.
I did like the funny moments and chemistry between the characters. The plot is nice too and I loved the idea of the magical palace that has a character of its own!
A felt a bit lost in parts though and took me some time to wrap my head around the magic system but overall I enjoyed listening to it.
Read
June 9, 2022Was approved for this audiobook thru Netgalley and while I appreciate it, I can't continue reading it. The narrator's are speaking so fast I had to slow the book down just to understand them and everytime there is a flashback (nearly constant) it plays this chime that had given me a serious headache.
dnf-s
July 11, 2022Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of this!
I went into this hoping for some really quirky high fantasy dnd vibes & I hate to be admitting this but I really could not bring myself to get any further then the first page. From the first line & the writing style I felt in my soul I would not vibe with this book.
I went into this hoping for some really quirky high fantasy dnd vibes & I hate to be admitting this but I really could not bring myself to get any further then the first page. From the first line & the writing style I felt in my soul I would not vibe with this book.
July 8, 2022
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was so disappointing.
This was a good idea let down by the way it was written jumping backwards and forwards in time with each character.
This made the story feel really disjointed and very difficult to follow.
A bit more thought into the way the plot was laid out would have made this a lot more enjoyable.
This was so disappointing.
This was a good idea let down by the way it was written jumping backwards and forwards in time with each character.
This made the story feel really disjointed and very difficult to follow.
A bit more thought into the way the plot was laid out would have made this a lot more enjoyable.
August 2, 2022
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. I listened to the audiobook version and liked the narrator. I really looked forward to the magic and adventure, but the story was too all over the place and confusing for me.
May 4, 2022
Sadly, this book isn’t for me.
I didn’t enjoy the humour, or the way the book was written. I struggled honestly to even follow what was going on.
I’m disappointed in myself because I can see how much time and effort the author put into this book, but I have to be honest. I really didn’t like this book. I’ll leave it at that.
I didn’t enjoy the humour, or the way the book was written. I struggled honestly to even follow what was going on.
I’m disappointed in myself because I can see how much time and effort the author put into this book, but I have to be honest. I really didn’t like this book. I’ll leave it at that.
July 1, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I'm going to be completely honest and say I have no idea what was going on this book. I have no clue. All I know is it was funny at times and I liked the narrater. I was just so confused about what was happening. Was it two different timelines? I don't know. I know there was magic its fantasy but there were a lot of characters and it was hard to keep track on who was who and what they were doing.
I'm going to be completely honest and say I have no idea what was going on this book. I have no clue. All I know is it was funny at times and I liked the narrater. I was just so confused about what was happening. Was it two different timelines? I don't know. I know there was magic its fantasy but there were a lot of characters and it was hard to keep track on who was who and what they were doing.
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