Tag Archives: Andy Goldman

Review

The Fifth House

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Fifth_HouseI loved everything about this book.

Like the first book, the pacing is excellent, but unlike the first book there are two first person points of view. It took a bit of getting used to in the first couple chapters, but once I got into the rhythm, it flowed beautifully. Every section is left on a mini-cliffhanger, making you turn the page to see what happens next.

I was doing a final proof-read for the book, and told Andy I would have it back to him in three weeks. It only took me one.

The way themes re-emerged from the first book to be bigger and badder than before was excellent. The voices of the two main characters were distinct. I found myself liking Allin’s humour more than Tyena’s straight shooting attitude, but both were well written.

The action was well done, with enough description to paint a picture in my mind without it being laborious and slow.

The villains are excellent. At one point I was actually sympathetic to their cause, but I got over it. They do have my new favourite creature on their side, though – the weresquid. I don’t know where Andy gets the ideas for some of his mad creations, but they’re amazing!

This book is a “must read,” and I’m looking forward to the next one!

About the Reviewer

ToxopeusRyanmedHusband, father, and researcher, Ryan Toxopeus spends his free time working on his epic fantasy trilogy, Empire’s Foundation. He started writing the first book, A Noble’s Quest, in 2010 and fell in love with all aspects of storytelling. He focuses on fast paced, character driven plots. His motto: “If I’m bored writing it, others will be bored reading it.”

Learn more about Ryan and his work at https://prcreative.ca/ryan/

Review

The Only City Left

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Only_City_Left

Generally speaking, I don’t like first person point-of-view (POV). I find it constricting in an uncomfortable sort of way because a lot of authors do it poorly. It’s a delicate balance of keeping things interesting around the main character, while also giving the reader the impression that there are still important things going on in the larger world.

That said, Andy Goldman pulled it off beautifully. The only point I had difficulty with was Allin’s ceaseless and unflappable desire to see the Roof of the World. I knew he wanted to, and it was important to him, but it never came across clearly in the book why this one particular goal was such a strong driving force for him that he would put his life in jeopardy. But then, he doesn’t sound like he had much to live for at the start, anyway.

The scenery was described with just enough information to paint a picture in the reader’s mind without going overboard. Some of the places in the City were downright creepy and one left me feeling uncomfortable. I still feel a knot in my stomach thinking about it!

The cast of characters is interesting and different from anything I’ve read before, and I loved the cats. I kind of want to dress up my cat Bob in a poncho and rename him Tumble. Except my lazy beast has little in common with the adventurous cat depicted in this book.

Without getting into spoilers, the ending is satisfying. That’s a big one for me with books lately, because I’ve been finding endings that are either half-assed or just dropped right in the middle of things in an attempt to get me to buy the next book to see how it continues. Those types of tactics don’t work with me. I hate that, and will often refuse to get the second book on principle.

About the Reviewer

ToxopeusRyanmedHusband, father, and researcher, Ryan Toxopeus spends his free time working on his epic fantasy trilogy, Empire’s Foundation. He started writing the first book, A Noble’s Quest, in 2010 and fell in love with all aspects of storytelling. He focuses on fast paced, character driven plots. His motto: “If I’m bored writing it, others will be bored reading it.”

Learn more about Ryan and his work at https://prcreative.ca/ryan/