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Glenlock
Seeking solace in a remote mountain cabin in northern Maine, haunted by the loss of his comrades during his last tour in Afghanistan, Special Forces Operative Hal Bennet never expected to come face-to-face with a medieval knight and his saber-tooth tiger.
No sooner has Crown Prince Henry Lackland from the land of Glenlock introduced himself to a confused Hal, the knight is whisked away once again during a strange and terrible storm. The sudden and unearthly disappearance leaves the Special Forces operative questioning his own sanity, but Henry left proof of their encounter—his chainmail, and his sword.
Haunted for a year by this chance meeting, Hal is drawn to return to the same mountain cabin to try and answer the questions that constantly circle in his mind. Why did this happen? And where did Henry come from? Uncertain of what lies ahead, the Special Forces operative ventures forth into the same terrible storm and similarly vanishes.
Waking in the lands of Glenlock, Hal is thrust into a world of kingdoms populated by civilizations from Earth’s early history and pulled into a plot to overthrow Henry’s father, the King of Cent. But malevolent forces are lurking as bands of strange-looking men, Deformed daemons bent on destruction and abduction. Can Hal overcome his past demons to rise to the fight ahead, or is ultimately Glenlock destined to fall into darkness?
No sooner has Crown Prince Henry Lackland from the land of Glenlock introduced himself to a confused Hal, the knight is whisked away once again during a strange and terrible storm. The sudden and unearthly disappearance leaves the Special Forces operative questioning his own sanity, but Henry left proof of their encounter—his chainmail, and his sword.
Haunted for a year by this chance meeting, Hal is drawn to return to the same mountain cabin to try and answer the questions that constantly circle in his mind. Why did this happen? And where did Henry come from? Uncertain of what lies ahead, the Special Forces operative ventures forth into the same terrible storm and similarly vanishes.
Waking in the lands of Glenlock, Hal is thrust into a world of kingdoms populated by civilizations from Earth’s early history and pulled into a plot to overthrow Henry’s father, the King of Cent. But malevolent forces are lurking as bands of strange-looking men, Deformed daemons bent on destruction and abduction. Can Hal overcome his past demons to rise to the fight ahead, or is ultimately Glenlock destined to fall into darkness?
420 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 6, 2022
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
A spec=ops guy is getting over things in an isolated cabin in Maine, when there is a big storm, and a man from another world shows up, complete with armor and sword.
A year later, the guy goes back up to the cabin, and finds himself in another world, This is a more or less medieval type of world with a feudal type society. Naturally, there are invaders, intrigues and a mysterious plot.
No more preposterous than Burroughs or Kline.
A spec=ops guy is getting over things in an isolated cabin in Maine, when there is a big storm, and a man from another world shows up, complete with armor and sword.
A year later, the guy goes back up to the cabin, and finds himself in another world, This is a more or less medieval type of world with a feudal type society. Naturally, there are invaders, intrigues and a mysterious plot.
No more preposterous than Burroughs or Kline.
April 24, 2022
"If that is so," he said. "The question that needs to be answered is, am I on your world, or are you on mine?"
There are a lot of things that I truly enjoyed about R.L. Snyder's novel Glenlock , but there are also just as much things about it that kept me from giving it a solid five-star review.
Being the first book in a planned series, I did understand going into it that not all questions were bound to be answered, that not all logic and reasoning behind the most intriguing of its mysteries would be revealed. Otherwise, what would be left to look forward to in the next books?
Fair enough, except that it left me feeling rather unsatisfied and convinced that one of the central characters didn't really need to be here.
Glenlock is the first book of The Riddle of the Storm series. It was supposed to be the story of a Special Forces Operative named Hal Bennet and how a brief retreat in a remote mountain cabin to find solace from his grief and guilt over losing his comrades in battle led to a fateful encounter with a medieval prince in search of his missing cat.
However, the book did not start from there. In a two-part prologue it dove right into the action, quickly opening up the world of Glenlock and the vicious creatures that haunt it. A very exciting introduction that got me feeling both intrigued and pumped up for the rest of this adventure.
And an adventure, I did have. It was very thrilling for the most part. The author's extensive knowledge of weapons, armors and warfare of a variety of cultures really worked well in bringing each battle scene to life, as well as aid in understanding its diversified characters' ideas of courage, loyalty and honor.
But herein lies the problem: everybody else has something to fight for, a reason to be out there in the battlefield risking their lives for their people. And in time, I learned to care for them and fear for their lives.
Hal, on the other hand, was just there, because he felt like he needed to be there. Having come from the otherworld, there was no life-and-death stake to keep him grounded in this story. These are not his people. This is not his world. He could fall off the pages of this book and Glenlock would still be exciting nonetheless.
Perhaps Hal's deeper motivation for following a medieval stranger into the storm will further be explained in the next book. I would rather it was fleshed out in this first one, though - a deeper reason for risking his life going into a storm, right into a world on the verge of war, other than mere curiosity and instinct.
Will I be reading the next book in the series? I think I will. I have found favorites in some of its honorable characters and would like to see how they would fare and build alliances with (or betray...?) each other.
And Hal is yet to earn his place in this story. I would like to be there when he does – if he does.
I believe readers who are into fantasy and warfare will find something to enjoy in Glenlock . It’s got knights and legionnaires and vikings and samurais to boot~! Such a crazy mix of characters can only spell more thrilling adventures to come.
I received an advance reader's copy of this book to review from Reedsy Discovery. Thank you very much~!♥
May 25, 2023
"The Riddle of the Storm: Glenlock" by R. L. Snyder takes readers on a thrilling and unexpected adventure that combines elements of fantasy and military fiction. The story follows Special Forces Operative Hal Bennet, who seeks solace in a remote mountain cabin in Maine following the loss of his comrades in Afghanistan. Little does he know that his retreat will lead him to a life-altering encounter with a medieval knight and his saber-tooth tiger.
Crown Prince Henry Lackland from the land of Glenlock appears before Hal, introducing him to a world beyond his imagination. However, their meeting is abruptly cut short when a strange and powerful storm separates them. Hal is left bewildered, questioning his own sanity, but the proof of their encounter remains—the knight's chainmail and sword.
Haunted by this extraordinary experience, Hal is compelled to return to the mountain cabin a year later, hoping to find answers to the questions that have plagued him. Against all odds, he once again finds himself transported to the lands of Glenlock, a realm populated by civilizations from Earth's early history. Here, he becomes entangled in a plot to overthrow Henry's father, the King of Cent.
As Hal navigates this unfamiliar world, he discovers that dark and malevolent forces threaten Glenlock. Deformed daemons with malicious intent roam the land, spreading destruction and capturing innocent beings. To save Glenlock from falling into darkness, Hal must confront his own inner demons and find the strength to rise up against the impending threats.
"The Riddle of the Storm: Glenlock" combines the fast-paced action of military fiction with the enchantment of a fantasy realm. Readers will be captivated by the fusion of medieval elements and contemporary military expertise. With its intriguing plot, vivid world-building, and high-stakes conflicts, R. L. Snyder's novel promises an exhilarating journey filled with mystery, adventure, and the resilience of the human spirit.
Crown Prince Henry Lackland from the land of Glenlock appears before Hal, introducing him to a world beyond his imagination. However, their meeting is abruptly cut short when a strange and powerful storm separates them. Hal is left bewildered, questioning his own sanity, but the proof of their encounter remains—the knight's chainmail and sword.
Haunted by this extraordinary experience, Hal is compelled to return to the mountain cabin a year later, hoping to find answers to the questions that have plagued him. Against all odds, he once again finds himself transported to the lands of Glenlock, a realm populated by civilizations from Earth's early history. Here, he becomes entangled in a plot to overthrow Henry's father, the King of Cent.
As Hal navigates this unfamiliar world, he discovers that dark and malevolent forces threaten Glenlock. Deformed daemons with malicious intent roam the land, spreading destruction and capturing innocent beings. To save Glenlock from falling into darkness, Hal must confront his own inner demons and find the strength to rise up against the impending threats.
"The Riddle of the Storm: Glenlock" combines the fast-paced action of military fiction with the enchantment of a fantasy realm. Readers will be captivated by the fusion of medieval elements and contemporary military expertise. With its intriguing plot, vivid world-building, and high-stakes conflicts, R. L. Snyder's novel promises an exhilarating journey filled with mystery, adventure, and the resilience of the human spirit.
August 11, 2023
I only managed 75 pages.
First, this is a time travel type fantasy, but the main character is gun happy and military minded. There is way too much gun violence for me.
Second, the editing is dreadful. In the prologue, the name Knut is spelled Knute twice. The word wont is spelled want. Lead is spelled led. The word deft is used instead of deaf twice in the same paragraph. Commas are misused.
The tame porcupine is endearing and the use of King John in an alternate reality, including the use of Lackland as the family name, is clever. Just not clever enough to get past the violence and editing.
First, this is a time travel type fantasy, but the main character is gun happy and military minded. There is way too much gun violence for me.
Second, the editing is dreadful. In the prologue, the name Knut is spelled Knute twice. The word wont is spelled want. Lead is spelled led. The word deft is used instead of deaf twice in the same paragraph. Commas are misused.
The tame porcupine is endearing and the use of King John in an alternate reality, including the use of Lackland as the family name, is clever. Just not clever enough to get past the violence and editing.
Did Not Finish
August 10, 2023DNF @ 3% I received a copy of this ebook in a Goodreads giveaway.
This didn’t capture my interest.
This didn’t capture my interest.
May 26, 2023
This wasn't as enjoyable as I thought it was going to be
The pacing of the story felt off and rushed that some points of it didn't really make sense at all
The world building was pretty cool, the detail it went into on that was done well but because of the pacing it felt like the world Henry was in was small
The pacing of the story felt off and rushed that some points of it didn't really make sense at all
The world building was pretty cool, the detail it went into on that was done well but because of the pacing it felt like the world Henry was in was small
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews