At last: excerpts from the first reviews of my fantasy novel Thora’s Dagger.
First, here is an excerpt from Aleksandor51’s review:
At the beginning, opponents to Hilda and Gier’s rule are conspiring to overthrow them. Nothing nice is said about the pair and when they appear it’s natural to despise them. But that impression fades and they turn out to be quite likeable. Although Gier’s impatience does have you wondering what trouble he’s going to get himself into this time. What’s important is it takes excellent writing to change a reader’s perception of characters.
Next is A. Fuller, who makes an important point, considering that Thora’s Daughter follows the events in The Gilded Basilisk:
Great fun in all respects: plot, setting(s), humor, and characters. Hugin is a hoot! I always prefer beginning a series with the first volume but reading The Gilded Basilisk prior to reading Thora’s Dagger isn’t necessary to the one’s enjoyment of the latter.
Yes, it’s totally unnecessary to have read or, if read, remember The Gilded Basilisk. My thoughts on writing is that it mirrors life and life continues. Unless a character dies (by whatever means), that person’s story goes onward. And Thora’s Dagger definitely takes my characters onward.
Both the above reviews are from Amazon, which is a link that takes one directly to the complete version.
Next is a change of pace, Carol Kean’s review, which is excerpted from Goodreads.
Once again, clever dialogue and fun, fantastical characters make this novel a great escape from daily life. Hugin, who just wanted to run a tavern, now owns an awesome tavern in the former abode of a wizard–how cool is that?–but he doesn’t get to name it The Gilded Basilisk. Too many loved ones are now stone figures. . . .
The wood chopper Hugin meets is a literary Red Flag Waving, but Hugin proceeds deeper into the forest. The way I kept shouting at him is a measure of how overly involved I get in stories. 😄 I didn’t see how he would ever get out of there again, and back to the horse he had to desert at the edge of the forest, nor how I would forgive him even if he and his horse did survive the night intact. . . .
As with the prequel, “Thora’s Dagger” is a fast-paced and action-packed story with fresh twists on the usual tropes of the fantasy genre. The ending took me by surprise, and the door is wide open for a sequel.
Carol’s complete review is available via my Goodreads link.
