Skip to main content

Latest review



4.0 out of 5 stars An epic journey has begun, June 5, 2011
By 
Scott (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Passage of the Acolyte: part one (Volume 1) (Paperback)
Passage of the Acolyte by James Vargo has a lot in common with the Lord of the Rings series. He has created an epic world filled with a variety of countries each with their own political alliances and prejudices. I will admit that I had a little difficulty keeping all of the characters and their regions straight at the beginning of the book, but I was good by the end.

They journey starts out when Greynol Arowen gets a letter bearing a terrible seal from a son that he never knew existed. Unfortunately that son seems to be extremely evil and aims to take over the world. Greynol picks up a group of young men who are looking for their first adventure away from home. He is reluctant to bring them on what will no doubt be a dangerous journey, but they are able to prove themselves worthy. Arowen sets out to confront his son bringing the group of young men along for the ride.

Their adventure is filled with richly detailed landscapes and a variety of challenges. There are many ghosts from Arowen's path, good and bad, that must be confronted along the way. Will everyone survive to reach their destination with such immense odds stacked against them?

The only criticism I could have for the book is that at times the pace really seemed to slow down with all of the detail given. I'm sure that is actually a positive to some readers, but it did take away a little bit for me. Still an excellent story overall and I look forward to reading the second book (which I have waiting to be read). Keep an eye on James Vargo if you enjoy truly epic fantasy because he can write an amazing story.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A taste of Book Three

Excerpt : Chapter Four -- Prince of the Furies Between the grove and what appeared a small graveyard, the shrine rose tall and elegant. The building seemed a newer construction, and smelled of fresh cut oak when Jascha opened the double doors that were solid and stained a reddish-brown. They stepped into the vestibule and its silence held them. The building was square and not large, but adequate for a small village. Light came from stained-glass windows within the main chamber, which was open to them, and rowed clerestory across the nave of the roof. A beam of sunlight streamed into the rear of the chamber onto what appeared a bare table, without cloth or candle; and beside it knelt the girl they saw earlier. Jascha insisted they wait. Andro studied her from across the room. She appeared statuesque, illuminated by the sun, but innocent and beautiful. As still as an angel in a painting, she startled him when she suddenly turned. In a soft voice she spoke, “Come.” 
2 comments
Read more

Details, details...

The excuse of slow-writing knows no bounds. At 60,000 words, I could pat myself on the back; but many others crush my speed with their dedicated writing schedules. No matter - I have excuses galore. (although, I have given up some activities for Lent that directly influence my own writing schedule - so hopefully I'll get moving here) Anyone who reads my blog entries, and bless you if you do, may realize that I rarely speak of good writing/criticism/grammar/punctuation. There are plenty that do, and they do it well. To write well takes practice, patience, and a whole lot of opinion -- the friendly stranger sort. My advice to writing well: join a writing group, and there are plenty online to do it. There I learned a lot, and I learned when it was no longer useful. (it is hard to critique chapter five without reading chapters one through four - grammar aside) As you may know, I'm all about world-building and being immersed in a solid story - even if it spans many books. The ex...
2 comments
Read more

Welcome

Now it begins.    Actually, it began when I was about 12 years old.  A Rankin-Bass cartoon called  'the Hobbit' came on television,  you may have heard of it, and from there the fantasy genre had a new fan. Then came a fortunate gift: a 'the Lord of the Ring's'  boxed set pushed me deeper into a wonderful new realm. Books, games, role-playing,  all part of the process of exploring fantasy, became the norm. Some of us set out to try it ourselves.      Many folk write as a way to express themselves beyond idle conversation, and some do it very well. Bookstores are full of talented, gifted, and sometimes lucky authors. Fantasy is no exception. Striking out on the first two,  I'll give 'luck' a chance,  but you know what they say about luck. Anyway, keep reading...
2 comments
Read more