≡ Libro Gratis Realmgolds A Novel of the Gryphon Clerks eBook Mike ReevesMcMillan Digital Fiction

Realmgolds A Novel of the Gryphon Clerks eBook Mike ReevesMcMillan Digital Fiction

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Realmgolds A Novel of the Gryphon Clerks eBook Mike ReevesMcMillan Digital Fiction

I rarely give five-star reviews for books, but I'm doing so for this one because it deserves it.

Reasons for the high review:

1) This book looks professionally edited. I was thrown initially by the smaller indents for new lines, dialogue, etc., however it remained consistent throughout the whole book which lets me know the author formatted mindfully. I also wasn't tripped up on every page with misspellings and improper sentence structure. It was such a joy to read a book, that I know comes from an Indie author, that reads better than a traditionally published book.

2) Normally, fantasy books with gnomes and elves aren't my thing, so I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. I'll admit that it did take me a while to get used to the world I was reading about, but that's no fault of the author. Once I got the rhythm of the story, I was all in. It's an intriguing world with a strong story line.

3) I loved--loved--how the writer didn't fall back on clichés to move the story along. This story has quite a few places where I was expecting typical plot lines (I'm trying not to give too much away), but the story kept moving serenely along its own lines. Having said that, I will admit that there were times the story lagged a bit for me due to it reading less like an action and more like a literary piece--and by extension I didn't feel tension coming from the pages in terms of conflict dynamics--and the character development felt a bit shallow at times (I wanted to be a bit more in some of the important heads), but the other parts of the book were strong enough that I refuse to detract points (and I was never disinterested enough to stop reading).

4) I also enjoyed the author's delicate (but matter-of-fact) touch with the subject matter. In a world that sometimes seems hyper violent, sexualized, and crass, this book almost has a Victorian era vibe. However, the author doesn't shirk from providing the exact details needed for certain scenes, and it lends credence to what is being said. In short, despite heavy topics being brought up, this book was refreshing to read and made me appreciate the author's approach.

5) Strong and dynamic female characters. The females never came across as males that were given female skin, as females struggling with their own skin, as pieces to be used or bartered or raped or betrayed. I am so in love with how this author created his female characters. In. Love. *Happy sigh.

Summary: It is so delightful to read a book where the author takes care with the mechanics of writing and the finer points of world building. I felt the world was carefully crafted, and because of that the world was believable. Even though this isn't what I normally read, I would read more from this author, and do so happily knowing that I was in the hands of a writer who isn't just vomiting words on the page, but is a writer who cares about the craft of writing, the story, and the readers. More, please!


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Realmgolds A Novel of the Gryphon Clerks eBook Mike ReevesMcMillan Digital Fiction Reviews

Though I was under the impression that it was 'steampunk', Realmgolds is more of a political fantasy with skyboats thrown in. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I enjoyed seeing how Dwarven technology/magic was used in day-to-day life, as if it were electricity, etc. I also enjoyed the sky couriers and their sky horses. Though they only had a small role to play, they fascinated me. I'd read a story focused on them in a heartbeat! In addition, Advisor Against is a sound idea for any ruler.
To me, the first chapter is a bit confusing initially. We're just kind of thrown us into the story with no explanation and a lot of double word usage via their names. As for the rest of the plot, it kind of just happens without really saying how or why it snowballed into war. I guess that's how wars start though, by one seemingly unrelated act or an act which they use as an excuse.
However, throughout the novel, I liked Victory's strong female role more and more, as well as Determined's and Reliable's growth as characters. I also thought the ending chapter was cute. Some details seemed overdone, like do we really need to know everyone's injuries in the courtroom? While others don't seem expanded on enough - what exactly is Human Purity? There never was a clear answer, at least not one that I found.
All in all, an interesting fantasy, though I wish it had more clarity. 3.5 stars.

Note I received a free copy from the author for a fair and honest review.
Realmgolds by Mike Reeves-McMillan is an other-world fantasy with original and unusual world-building. The title of the book comes from the title in the fictional culture for a head of state. A "gold" is a member of the wealthy elite (the society also has "silvers" and "coppers," meaning exactly what one would expect), and some golds are government officials at various levels (Localgolds, Countygolds, etc. on up to the Realmgold). The society also includes an admixture of human and quasi-human persons dwarves, gnomes, centaurs, and beastheads. The official policy is equality and tolerance, but a "human purity" movement exists that rejects the rights and equality of quasi-humans. The movement is associated with a rebellion against the existing authority in the nation of the main character, Determined, of which he is the Realmgold.

The story is a weaving of political intrigue, battle, social protest, and romance, with the interaction between Determined and Victory, the brusque, capable, no-nonsense Realmgold of his southern neighbor (a more centralized, wealthier, and more advanced nation) being at the heart of the plot.

All in all, it's a great story idea and a wonderfully-crafted plot. The execution, unfortunately, left much to be desired from my perspective. The book could have been about twice as long, with more time given to character development and action alike, and even more so it could have -- and I think should have -- been written more intensely and with greater reader immersion. Much of the time, I felt like I was reading a newspaper account of great events after the fact, rather than living through them. The story deserved a greater intensity of feeling. Even though most of it was written from the point of view of Determined, the central character, and even though Determined went through a hurricane of change and turmoil, from budding romance to revolution and reconquest, his emotions seemed a bit washed out. This story deserved to be painted in day-glo. Instead, it comes across as pastel.

As I've seen in the past with Mike Reeves-McMillan, the technical quality is superb. This is one independent author who understands the importance of good editing and formatting. Errors are all but nonexistent. Other indie writers can use his work as a standard of excellence to strive for in that regard.

Despite which, I found Realmgolds disappointing after my enjoyment of The City of Masks by the same author. I hope that he takes this critique to heart and that future efforts on his part show greater depth and intensity, as the products of his fertile imagination deserve.
I rarely give five-star reviews for books, but I'm doing so for this one because it deserves it.

Reasons for the high review

1) This book looks professionally edited. I was thrown initially by the smaller indents for new lines, dialogue, etc., however it remained consistent throughout the whole book which lets me know the author formatted mindfully. I also wasn't tripped up on every page with misspellings and improper sentence structure. It was such a joy to read a book, that I know comes from an Indie author, that reads better than a traditionally published book.

2) Normally, fantasy books with gnomes and elves aren't my thing, so I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. I'll admit that it did take me a while to get used to the world I was reading about, but that's no fault of the author. Once I got the rhythm of the story, I was all in. It's an intriguing world with a strong story line.

3) I loved--loved--how the writer didn't fall back on clichés to move the story along. This story has quite a few places where I was expecting typical plot lines (I'm trying not to give too much away), but the story kept moving serenely along its own lines. Having said that, I will admit that there were times the story lagged a bit for me due to it reading less like an action and more like a literary piece--and by extension I didn't feel tension coming from the pages in terms of conflict dynamics--and the character development felt a bit shallow at times (I wanted to be a bit more in some of the important heads), but the other parts of the book were strong enough that I refuse to detract points (and I was never disinterested enough to stop reading).

4) I also enjoyed the author's delicate (but matter-of-fact) touch with the subject matter. In a world that sometimes seems hyper violent, sexualized, and crass, this book almost has a Victorian era vibe. However, the author doesn't shirk from providing the exact details needed for certain scenes, and it lends credence to what is being said. In short, despite heavy topics being brought up, this book was refreshing to read and made me appreciate the author's approach.

5) Strong and dynamic female characters. The females never came across as males that were given female skin, as females struggling with their own skin, as pieces to be used or bartered or raped or betrayed. I am so in love with how this author created his female characters. In. Love. *Happy sigh.

Summary It is so delightful to read a book where the author takes care with the mechanics of writing and the finer points of world building. I felt the world was carefully crafted, and because of that the world was believable. Even though this isn't what I normally read, I would read more from this author, and do so happily knowing that I was in the hands of a writer who isn't just vomiting words on the page, but is a writer who cares about the craft of writing, the story, and the readers. More, please!