Review: The Beginning of the End

The Beginning of the End by Adam J Scholte
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a non-stop ride this was!

I had the absolute pleasure of receiving a copy of this book directly from the author. He popped into my workplace (we sell sci-fi and fantasy novels, among other things) to drop a copy off and we ended up talking quite enthusiastically together about it. It was pure joy to hear how much passion he spoke with, and it got me very excited to read it!

The story follows Ramulas, a humble farmer just trying to take care of his family. Only his shrouded past comes back to cause some trouble when a mysterious woman asks for his help. Suddenly he's thrust into danger and our adventure begins in earnest.

I really enjoyed the pace here. This is an adventure story that races along, the action never stopping. It was easy to get caught up in and I quickly found myself in the world within these pages.

The writing I feel is perfect for a middle-grade age group; it tells the story quite simply with no embellishment and doesn't go to any great depths for character building, focused instead on telling a fantastic story. That's not to say these aren't complex characters - they are. We're just often told about them and their personalities, rather than shown. For example, the relationship between Ramulas and Pip becomes something akin to a father/daughter relationship, however we don't really see how this builds, making it harder to fully appreciate the symbolism. Yet the relationship is still one we're invested in. There are also some things that seem drilled in unnecessarily, such as moments of foreshadowing, which may irritate older readers yet is perfect for reminding younger ones.

I was promised a rollercoaster of emotions and this book certainly delivered! There is joy, pain, anger, sadness, compassion, hope ... you will find yourself truly invested in what these characters experience.

Minor typo on page 311 (neither should be nether) but aside from that, the writing sucked me in. Some of the sections were a bit short, and jumping between characters with unrelated stories was a bit jarring to experience within the chapter. But the shorter sections made it easier to keep reading so again, perfect for younger ones (or people who are distracted easily, like me) whose attention span may not be quite as long. To jump from paragraph to paragraph helped add to the breakneck pace of the book, so overall I think it worked. Maybe just needed a smoother transition in some places.

Some of the characters are rather familiar and the logic of the story is questionable in places, but while these things normally bother me I just accepted it so easily in this story. I think there was enough of the story that was unique that I really wasn't too concerned about logic. I think if you can read without judging you really are rewarded with a rich, colourful tale.

This really was a fun read that I devoured easily. It may not be for those looking for epic world building, but if you're keen for a fun, fast fantasy that you don't have to take too seriously then look no further. The characters are a delight to get to know, and I'm keen to learn more about them in book 2!

With many thanks to Adam Scholte for a copy

View all my reviews

Review: Leviathan Wakes

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hooked me with the prologue and kept me hanging on the entire time. What a ride.

This is an epic sci-fi that is character driven, and I honestly enjoyed every moment. The story splits between the views of Holden and Miller - Holden, who leads the crew that investigates a distress call from an abandoned ship; Miller, the weary detective tasked with locating a missing heiress; in a world that is on the brink of war. Things are going to get very messy.

So many moments of this story took me by surprise. I was not expecting so many twists! The writing was strong and there was an excellent mix of science, character development, and story. It was one of those books I could just lose myself in and forget I was reading. Lots of fun.

The story is rather epic, and the politics of it was spelled out for me when I needed it, which was much appreciated. I never felt like I was in over my head, even when the technology was being described in detail. Just excellent writing, to be honest.

I needed this book more than I realised - it was fun, addictive, wild, and sucked me in from the first few pages. Definitely keen to see where this series goes!

Highly recommend for those interested in sci-fi, and this is even a decent one to start with if you're new to the genre. There's not too much to overwhelm, and there are fantastic characters to cling to as you go along. A great read all round.

View all my reviews