Renaissance Writer: Gordon A. Long

REVIEW

“Smuggler’s Love”(Reese Daniels Smuggler Book 3) by T. D. Wilson

by renaissanceadmin • 2024-09-08 • 0 Comments

When I am reviewing a book aimed specifically at a narrow genre, I ask myself two questions. First, does the book stick to the genre? Second, what is there about the book that lifts it above the other members of the group? The draw in this book is the main character. He is a sympathetic,…

“Traitor Son,” Empire of the Stars Book 1 by Melissa J. Cave

by renaissanceadmin • 2024-09-01 • 0 Comments

This tale qualifies as Epic Fantasy, but it wastes little ink on the machinations of the mighty. Just enough to demonstrate the pressure that politics exerts on the mere humans who must fit their lives into the mould of their heritage. Because this is really the story about two people who, despite their elevated titles,…

“What Now?” by Joyce V. Harrison

by renaissanceadmin • 2024-08-25 • 0 Comments

This is a book of short stories about change. Change inside, change in fortune, change in life. In each case we are treated to the inner thoughts and feelings of a character who has reached a turning point in an existence that was already on the edge, and for most of them the only path…

“Nabukko” by K. R. Gadeken

by renaissanceadmin • 2024-08-18 • 0 Comments

This is not part of a series, as it is advertised. It is the first episode in a serial. It is a YA Sci-Fi that takes place on an unknown planet, but the focus of the conflict is relationships and the emotions that affect them, which also places it in the Romance category. There is…

“Ironborn” by Andrew Cavanagh

by renaissanceadmin • 2024-08-11 • 0 Comments

“Ironborn” is a fun, action-filled YA Fantasy novel that does not quite live up to its hype. Publicists should not toss the names of Terry Pratchett and Joe Abercrombie around lightly; raised expectations are the main cause of one-star reviews. Setting that aside, this is a reasonable book of its kind, full of quirky but…

“Finding Out” Poems by John Cowhig

by renaissanceadmin • 2024-08-04 • 1 Comment

This is a book of “modern” poetry with some traditional techniques thrown in for added effect. While some uses of this blend work better than others, poetry is all about creativity, so this work is likely to appeal to a wider range of readers than most. Since I am an avowed fan of true poetic…

“Mass Exodus” by Chris von Halle

by renaissanceadmin • 2024-07-28 • 0 Comments

This is a difficult novel to review, because it has interesting and realistic characters, imaginative setting, plenty of well-presented action and believable conflict with excellent suspense. And one basic flaw that detracts from our enjoyment of it all. Mass Exodus is Young Adult Dystopian Science Fiction. It is the story of Jayniss, a teenager who…

“Grace of Empire” by Christie Greenwood

by renaissanceadmin • 2024-07-21 • 0 Comments

This book is all about people. Most of the reader’s time is spent inside somebody’s head, being told exactly how and what that person is thinking. In the opening, at least, there is very little action. It is the tale of a 1984-type totalitarian society that masquerades as utopia, and a disparate group of rebels,…

“The Soulburn Talisman” by David McIlroy.

by renaissanceadmin • 2024-07-14 • 0 Comments

This is a great YA Fantasy novel based on the common plot of children who are snatched from their normal lives and find themselves in a different, magical world where they must survive. Action begins immediately, with horrendous fog monsters, claustrophobic tunnels, a beautiful sorceress and a mysterious voice that speaks into their minds. From…

“The Gilgamesh Path” by Michael Drakich

by renaissanceadmin • 2024-07-07 • 0 Comments

This novel should have been a fun, action-filled Space Opera. It has all the elements and is well written. However, instead it also tries to be Epic Science Fiction, where it is less successful. The unfortunate element of a story where diplomacy is the main conflict is the complexity of the situation, which requires constant…

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