Some days I just don’t get it. I’ve been reading a book, I’m about three quarters of the way through. This one is a traditional published book, which makes a change for me as I have been reading a lot of self-published ones. It has a similar start to my book, boy finds he has magical ability and sets of on a journey, so I thought I would check out the completion. It’s starts well, even if the village bad guys are a tad cartoonish. However, it goes rapidly downhill as he reaches the school to teach him how to use his powers.
The students are dived between commoners and nobles. All the commoners are friendly plucky types who try really hard. The nobles are all spoilt, obnoxious, lazy, two faced and when push comes to shove cowards. Some of the teacher descriptions are lifted straight out of Hogwarts.
There is a lot of lazy world building, he has called the kings elite guards who are a type of policemen Pinkertons. The elves and dwarfs are racial stereo types form our world. Particularly the dwarfs who have been treated exactly like the Jews have been in the past, the dwarf demon is even a golem, a creature from Jewish mythology. The elves are spoken about in the same vein of black people in 50 & 60’ southern America, there is even an attempted lynching.
The story telling also gets worse as it goes on with far too much telling and very little showing. So far the plot is very liner and predictable without a single twist.
On amazon it has 41, 5 star reviews with just a few negatives ones. I know it’s a book aimed at young adults but even so there is no excuse for this type of a lazy writing. I fail to understand how this book got a publishing deal or so many positive reviews when far better books I have read can’t and have to self-publish.
I will finish it because in my heart I think I might be a masochist but I’m not going to bother with any more form this author. On the plus side it has given me another list of things to check I haven’t done when it comes to the re-writes.
Edit; I have just finished it and to be fair the ending was better than expected, doesn’t make up for the rest of it being poor.
Eric's blog 
Perhaps it is just not written in a style you like?
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Nope I can cope with that, I think it’s a badly written book it’s just not style.
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It happens. You have my deepest empathies. I’ve racked up 30 years’ worth of similar experiences.
1.We can be filo-sof-ickle and say its the luck of the draw.
2.Or we can say ***%@!* then write a real cutting review on Amazon.
3.Or we can jump and down on the book, tear it into pieces, set fire to the bits and scatter the ashes to the wind while uttering dismissive comments.
4. Or (my preferred option) go into an emotional state that any tragic character of Shakespeare would understand and lament on the injustices of publishing and the failings of editors in publishing houses
5. Or say “**%&@!>, is that all it $@***!# takes” and return to the fray.
Whatever option is chosen one should refer to WordPress blogs at all times for a perspective and camaraderie.
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I’m going for 3, or I would if it wasn’t an e-book
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Hmm…tricky (curse this Skynet technology), then it’s 4 & 5, with several mugs of tea or coffeee
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Coffee, tea is the devils drink.
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Haha! That explains a lot I have them both
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I have read so many great self-published books out there that I actually have to question what the selection criteria is for the traditional publishers.
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It is a mystery, although I think quite a few go straight to self publish not even bothering with traditional publishers.
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