Book review - The Sons of Brabant by Michael Bolan

In a war-ridden Europe, Willem, Leo, and Isabella exile themselves from their tyrannical brother, Reinald. They rely on each other and their growing group of mercenaries in their goal to depose Reinald, who has become part of a movement to bring about the Apocalypse. With the help of an Irishman, the siblings find that they must aim higher than their rightful inheritance. They must put an end to the work of the Four Horsemen for the sake of the world.

The Sons of Brabant is a wonderfully crafted novel. While I wasn't sure of it in the beginning, the writing and story quickly drew me into the 1600s. This is probably the best start to a series I've read in quite a while. The characters were all fully developed by the end, smaller plots were completed, but all this was done with the promise of more, yet I wasn't left frustrated by unanswered questions or dangling plot lines. The ending perfectly sets up the second novel, which I was gratefully told will arrive in the Fall of 2015.

I'm also grateful to see a strong female character in Isabella. Of course there was some romantic mentions, but that wasn't what made her character. She's beautiful, but that's not what other characters remember of her. It's her passion, intelligence, and her kindness that sets her apart and makes her the true leader of the exiled siblings (which her brothers admit.)

Bolan shows his deep understanding of European history with his descriptions of the wars and battles, along with the political climate. It's refreshing to read a novel where I am so immersed that I don't bother fact checking. For me, that's saying a lot. I fact check menus. There's a fantastical element to the novel which made that much easier. I loved the inclusion of so many cultures and seeing how they interacted.

Overall I think this is a great novel for anyone who enjoys action and history. This is one novel that makes you ponder the consequences of right and wrong, and who determines those sides of the coin.

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New editing service

When I first began reviewing novels, I had no idea what I had in store for me. My intention was to help fellow indie authors get their novels noticed and reviews (as we all know those are important in order to gain more readers) and in a way it would help get my name out there as an author and member of the writing community. I've reviewed for Reader's Favourite, I'm a member of NetGalley and the Tyndale Blogging community, and of course I have this wonderful blog. I've also recruited a good friend of mine, Lilaina, to participate on this blog as well. While it hasn't necessarily meant more sales for my own novel, I feel I've gained such a wealth of knowledge and I've been in contact with some truly wonderful people. But now I'm taking it one step further.

My goal is to have my career based in the writing field, whether it's as an author, reviewer, or editor. To me, all three are connected and for some reason I've always thought that if someone was going to be one of those they would be all three. And that's exactly what I've done.

Featherweight Editing

Freelance editing delivered with a punch

I have started my own editing company, focusing on Stylistic editing, Copy editing, and Proofreading. I've based my fees on the Editors' Association of Canada, of course using the lower end of the range as I am only starting out.

I am accepting new clients of all types. I know most freelance editors have preferred genres, but I'm open to all. Editing is much different from reviewing, for me. The genres I won't review aren't necessarily the genres I won't edit. That being said, I will edit all genres, including non-fiction. I'm open to editing webpages, blogs, and academic work (however I do not deal with formatting or adhering to a specific style guide.)

If you've seen the types of reviews I write, I hope you know how professional I try to present myself, and how passionate I am about helping indie authors succeed. I'm one of you. I know what it's like to go it alone without the support of a publishing house. This is just another way I know to give back to the writing community. If I've reviewed your novel in the past and are working on another one, I hope you'll consider me for your editing needs.

Review for "The Vengeance Game" by Dennis Ciapura

The Vengeance Game by Dennis Ciapura

The Vengeance Game by Dennis Ciapura is the tale of two worlds. The first, the events of a very real military operation from the Second World War set against the fictionalized account of a terrorist attack on the United States in the year 2017. The book was adapted from a screenplay also written by the author for the same material. The book details the efforts from British Intelligence as well as polish resistance fighters on the ground with a sprinkling of the complex relationships that can develop during war. Despite speaking different languages, hailing from different countries and being different genders everyone is working for the same cause and the biggest question is, will they succeed?

The Vengeance Game by Dennis Ciapura is a bit unique in the book world, it was originally conceived as a screenplay which the author adapted into a novel, however many elements from the screenplay remain. These elements really helped to convey the feelings and thoughts of the characters and did a great job at setting the scene. I loved how Ciapura balanced the story with the facts as well as the human side to it, and though he admits there may be some artistic license due to the circumstances having the story of the resistance fighters and their struggle to complete their goal really brought the story to life.

Be warned however, if you are expecting this to read like a typical novel you are going to be in for a surprise. While there are the typical elements of any book like an intro, climax and end, character development and background the whole book still has the feel of a screenplay to it and came off a bit cold because of this. There was almost no description of the scenery, and where the characters were described it sounded more like a doctor or examiners report of a patient. The short length of the book only seemed to compound this matter, preventing Ciapura from exploring the events further.

I feel like I complain about the short length of these books a lot, perhaps I am just too greedy but I would love to see this book expanded. I think Ciapura has something great here, even though some might say the World War II era genre is a little oversaturated Ciapura blends facts and fiction very well and I think, if given more room to expand could craft an amazing novel from this story.

If you want to buy this book, check out this link : 

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0047DX0QC?keywords=dennis%20Ciapura%20the%20vengeance%20game&qid=1436137667&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1