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A review by deearr
Mark of Fire by Richard Phillips
4.0
Right from the first page of “Mark of Fire,” author Richard Phillips begins the hard-charging pace that could describe this entire book. This is definitely an action-oriented story, neatly wrapped inside a world that also has its share of magic wielders and evil half-men called vorgs.
The author trades description for story. Although providing the least amount of words forces the reader to ingest more imagination into the book’s world, Mr. Phillips focuses on moving the characters forward. This propels the tale, sometimes at a breakneck pace. For those looking for a fast read versus a lush background, this book will suit your taste.
I liked the two main characters, Carol and Arn. Carol is developing her study of magic, battling the elementals she must learn to control as well as the men and beasts that hunt her. The author shares just enough about Arn to keep the reader guessing about his nature (is he good? bad? cold-hearted?), although right from the start we are allowed peeks into his nature. All characters could be more developed, but there is enough offered to describe the main characters that it is not bothersome. Once again, action provides momentum and reason for what the characters do, and readers are pulled into the story despite any descriptive shortcomings.
The plot develops quickly, and plot and pace are the author’s five-star qualities. The king’s magic wielder has his own plans for the kingdom and manipulates the king into believing Carol’s father wishes to become the next king. This sets in motion the entire story as Carol’s father Rafel must decide what to do in order to save his family as well as the people who follow him. The telling of two separate tales at once (Carol’s and Arn’s) helps to keep tension in the book and prods the reader to continue turning pages.
If I was bothered by anything, it was by the passage of time as indicated by the chapter headings. While the chapters themselves talked of days or weeks going by, the seasons passed quicker than any I have ever seen (although perhaps on this planet that is the norm...who is to say). The other was the author's mention of tanning and leather reins and such, granting his characters the ability to make these sorts of things within hours, which is not possible.
I was about 25% into the tale when one of the characters said the word “damn,” at which point I realized this was the strongest language I had heard up to that point. In this day and time, it is wonderful to find an author who doesn’t feel he has to rely on vulgarities to add color to his novel.
I knew ahead of time that this was a three-book saga, but I note here that for those who find the book engrossing, the next two books will be released in the first two months of 2018. I found this story enjoyable and refreshing, and recommend this to those who love reading sword and sorcery tales. The book was good enough to help me decide to purchase the next one. Four stars.
Note to GR readers: Kindle First book, available to Amazon Prime members now, released on 11/1
The author trades description for story. Although providing the least amount of words forces the reader to ingest more imagination into the book’s world, Mr. Phillips focuses on moving the characters forward. This propels the tale, sometimes at a breakneck pace. For those looking for a fast read versus a lush background, this book will suit your taste.
I liked the two main characters, Carol and Arn. Carol is developing her study of magic, battling the elementals she must learn to control as well as the men and beasts that hunt her. The author shares just enough about Arn to keep the reader guessing about his nature (is he good? bad? cold-hearted?), although right from the start we are allowed peeks into his nature. All characters could be more developed, but there is enough offered to describe the main characters that it is not bothersome. Once again, action provides momentum and reason for what the characters do, and readers are pulled into the story despite any descriptive shortcomings.
The plot develops quickly, and plot and pace are the author’s five-star qualities. The king’s magic wielder has his own plans for the kingdom and manipulates the king into believing Carol’s father wishes to become the next king. This sets in motion the entire story as Carol’s father Rafel must decide what to do in order to save his family as well as the people who follow him. The telling of two separate tales at once (Carol’s and Arn’s) helps to keep tension in the book and prods the reader to continue turning pages.
If I was bothered by anything, it was by the passage of time as indicated by the chapter headings. While the chapters themselves talked of days or weeks going by, the seasons passed quicker than any I have ever seen (although perhaps on this planet that is the norm...who is to say). The other was the author's mention of tanning and leather reins and such, granting his characters the ability to make these sorts of things within hours, which is not possible.
I was about 25% into the tale when one of the characters said the word “damn,” at which point I realized this was the strongest language I had heard up to that point. In this day and time, it is wonderful to find an author who doesn’t feel he has to rely on vulgarities to add color to his novel.
I knew ahead of time that this was a three-book saga, but I note here that for those who find the book engrossing, the next two books will be released in the first two months of 2018. I found this story enjoyable and refreshing, and recommend this to those who love reading sword and sorcery tales. The book was good enough to help me decide to purchase the next one. Four stars.
Note to GR readers: Kindle First book, available to Amazon Prime members now, released on 11/1