As promised … here is the first, of what I hope will be a number, of short reviews of books I think my readers will find interesting.
The first book review is Bridgefinders by Joshua C. Cook.
Like me, Joshua is fairly new to the writer scene, but he already has a few books out. This is the first in his latest series The Echo Worlds.
I enjoyed this short, easy-to-read story. The main character, Cendan Key, is well developed and likeable, in a rather quirky way. The antagonist, an angry god called the Slyph, is also well fleshed out, and is equally unlikeable.
The story flows well and is entertaining. It’s not a thrilling page-turner, but it has enough intrigue to keep readers interested to the end.
We are in Cendan’s head for most of the story. Joshua writes in a clear voice that is consistent through internal monologue, dialogue, action and description. Cendan explains his motives, and through him we learn about his role with a small group of Bridgefinders trying to fight a rear-guard action against the Slyph, and to protect the earth from her attempts to destroy it.
The story is set in our recognizable world, but with enough magic and monsters to satisfy fantasy readers.
I particularly liked the rather creepy Elves. I hope they play a thought-provoking role in future books in the series!
I found some small formatting and grammatical errors, but nothing bad enough to throw me out of the story and stop me from enjoying the read. The dialogue is less sparkling than one normally finds in urban fantasy books, but in an eccentric way, it is in keeping with Joshua’s and Cendan’s voice.
In summary, this is an entertaining read and a promising start to an intriguing fantasy series.
About Joshua
Joshua tells me that he
You can find out all about him, his works and find purchase links on his blog http://www.joshccook.com