I got a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Quite special at first: So, with this in mind, it depends on the reader's take on such stories: For instance, the characters h I got a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. For instance, the characters have their normal identities and their heroes' identities, which can be confusing in the beginning before you get used to Wonlar being also called First Sentinel, Rova being Sapphire, and so on.
Of course, I only noticed the presence of a glossary at the end after I had finished reading the novel. The beauty of ebooks on a Kindle app on a smartphone The story's set in an intriguing city by the name of Audec-Hal, a city that developed within the skeleton of a fallen Titan, twenty miles from head to toe. Its inhabitants live in his ribcage, along his legs and arms, streets are called "veins" as if they were still carrying his blood, and so on.
Some fifty years ago, it was protected by the City Mother, a being whose power was however enslaved by a tyrant; since then, the faith and compassion bestowed on the inhabitants have turned to fear and servitude. The place is also regularly stormed by, well, literal storms Spark-storms , possibly magical in origin, since they turn people and even buildings into strange things, mostly living. Six of them dwell in the city, all with their specific characteristics: This may seem complicated, and it was in the beginning, but the novel's detailed enough in its descriptions to make it clear after a couple of chapters.
At least, I didn't find it so complicated that I had to stop reading or check the glossary as said, I didn't even notice there was one. It was imaginative enough to my liking, and different from the usual elves-like, dwarves-like, and others-like species seen in fantasy in general. In fact, the diversity is one of the reasons I liked this novel. Three of the six Shields are women, two of them are an item I didn't feel any judgemental attitude nor any preaching to the choir, which is pretty refreshing, and fits with my own take on people in general. I consider people first as human beings, not as gendered beings.
This is exactly how it felt here. What mattered were those heroes' strength, their ideas, their fight, their wishes for a better city for their fellow inhabitants. Species, gender, sexual orientation: The "super-hero fantasy" aspect beckons for an action-filled narrative told mostly from First Sentinel's, Sapphire's and Aegis's points of view ; however, political undertones still permeate the story, in that five tyrants seized power decades ago, are keeping the city under their thumb, and are trying to gather for a summit that, if it succeeds, would make their stranglehold on Audec-Hal even stronger that before.
They're all vying for power, and are definitely not above striking alliances only to backstab their new allies at the first opportunity; on the other hand, the six Shields have to take their moves into consideration, anticipate, and as always in such cases, sometimes you're victorious, and sometimes you get played. This is something I tend to appreciate, especially since the Shields have to plan around, and are sometimes forced into moves that lead to loss of life they can't be everywhere to save the people who support them.
Speaking of the tyrants: I so, so want to call this guy Hastur. Or the King in Yellow. Or something to that extent. I have no idea if it was the author's intent, it's just the way he resonated with me. The writing was somewhat redundant. You can only read "First Sentinel" so many times in two paragraphs. The book could've done with some tightening in that regard. Mostly because of what revolution-related themes tend to involve: And their death usually impacts me more when I've gotten to know those characters first, not just see them in action.
It's not a big turn-off in this specific story, but it's worth mentioning. Although it seems like a standalone for now, the ending is open enough for a follow-up, so if there's one, I'd gladly pick it. A few things were left wanting in my opinion—not enough to diminish my enjoyment of the story, just enough to make me wonder.
Fahra's existence, among other things, could pave the way to some interesting scenario about the Spark-storms. I'd also like to know more about the Titans, the storm's origin, the world outside Audec-Hal. As a microcosm, it works fairly well; only I tend to be curious about what's outside "pocket-worlds" in general, so to speak.
Escape Of The Zombies by Rick Blackmon
Nevertheless, it wasn't such an easy mix to come up with at first; it's imaginative; and as it is, I still enjoyed it. I really, wanted to like this book. I loved the premise of a city build and thriving in the skeleton of a titan, but as it turned out that's all I liked, that idea.
I stuck with it for almost two weeks, and only made it to page It's a super-hero story, which I didn't realize when I purchased the book. So they all have a super-hero name -sometimes not easily pronounceable-, a true identity, and some have a title too. So it's extremely difficult to keep up with who is doing what I really, wanted to like this book. So it's extremely difficult to keep up with who is doing what as they are all referenced by their multiple names. Even the glossary confuses the issue.
It's like you need to take notes, and if a writer makes you take notes for a fiction novel, something isn't right. Different races, and "spark-storms" -horrific occurrences that bizarrely alter living and an inanimate objects alike- are source for some to have super-human abilities.
I almost gave-up the book sooner over a school building that turned into a big multi-mouthed monster that was eating the students. The world seems to have technology on par with the late 19th century, but I couldn't really say for sure. Maybe it's a Steampunk world? But of course there is magic too, but the two elements do not mesh well enough to be know which is which.
And the writing just needs a really good polishing. It reminds me of something I would have thought up in daydream when I had way too much time on my hands. There is just too much going on, coming at the reader too fast to take in. It was like George R. Martin's shared world anthology series, Wild Cards, except instead of a long series that introduces the world at a pace the reader can take in, the first 4 books are all crammed into the first few chapters.
Alas, yet another book with raving reviews, that I just totally do not get. Jul 07, Jola rated it really liked it. I loved the idea for a city made of Titan's bones. It was very refreshing. The characters were confusing at first, as there's quite a lot of them, but it was easy for me to recognize them later on.
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I wish that they were more developed though - I love good character development, so it was a bit disappointing. I was rewarded though by an endless action and fighting, which I liked very much. I'll be looking out for other works of Michael R. May 23, Kdawg91 rated it really liked it. Great world, and very cool concept no, I am not telling you what it is, go buy the book!
First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and 47North for this opportunity. Who doesn't love a good mash-up of genres? And that is what 'Shield and Crocus' can be defined as in a simple way, an immensely entertaining mas-up of various genres and innovative world-building which keeps the reader always on their toes.
Shield and Crocus
The action scenes are realistic in a weird way and the beautifully imagined city of Audec-Hal is a treat. I really hope this is the start of a new seri First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and 47North for this opportunity. I really hope this is the start of a new series featuring these characters and this world.
This novel takes place in the richly imagined setting of the city of Audec-Hal.
Escape Of The Zombies (Zombies On The Loose)
Audec-Hal is a city that was build on the remains of the titan Audec. It was a peaceful city until a sequence of events occurring 50 years ago left the city and its inhabitants in the hands of the 5 powerful tyrants currently ruling the city. And there is also the fear of spark-storms which rage through the land at times and morph all animate and inanimate object into unpredictable things. Will the leader of the Shield's First Sentinel and his team be able to stop the summit which promises to strengthen the reign of the criminal tyrants more through their collaboration?
Underwood' did an excellent job of world-building which is quite different from anything I previously read and always kept me wondering what to expect next. This city features various technological elements as trains, electricity etc, but also has elements of the mystic with a tyrant sorcerer and our heroes constantly use various weapons with alchemical appliances to help them in their revolution. The different races and abilities granted by the spark-storm were also highly innovative to say the least.
There are so much detail thrown in the overall narrative about this rich world yet leaves so much to be desired. I was always wondering throughout the read what obstacles will come next for the heroes and the author delivers various unorthodox elements there was once a group android attacking our heroes with halberds even mixing on various tropes of imaginative setting. The book is a mix-up of genres in an epic proportion. The obvious influence of new weird, epic fantasy and super-heroics is apparent as well as subtle inspirations from other genres such as science fiction and urban fantasy.
The narrative was nicely done, I really lived to hear from the voice of First Sentinel, an aged veteran leader of the revolution for nearly 50 years, the flashbacks were a nice addition and I would have liked to know more about these characters and their history, a fact which hopefully will be addressed in the coming sequels. The constant action, pace and sense of desperation shown from the characters made the last or so pages that much more enjoyable. As for the characters, they are all easily distinguishable as superhero archetypes as a whole, yet the combination of their various race and power with the mix of a new weird influenced world somehow made them work.
Their back-story is quite enjoyable and leaves a lot to be desired for the next books in the series hopefully not very far away. The only real problem I have with the book is its total lack of humor, a setting so weird and with such a huge scope really need a bit of humor in my opinion. Although the lack may be due to the fact of its overall sense of seriousness and the amount of bloodshot in the novel, but we know from the past a serious setting can also have good humor a good example would be the anime 'Full Metal Alchemist' or the tv show 'Supernatural'. May be this issue will be addressed in the future of this world.
In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed the book specially the last half with its fast paced execution and massive amount of action. In my opinion, this book is a serious contender for anyone's list of the best of the year so far. Very highly recommended to any fan of the aforementioned genres. A well deserved 4. For more reviews and stuff check out my blog - http: Apr 03, Marc Wright rated it really liked it. I was recently given an opportunity to read an advance reader's copy of Michael R. Underwood's "Shield and Crocus," and I jumped on it.
His previous novels, "Geekomancy" and "Celebromancy" are two of my favorite books, and I think that "Geekomancy" is the best first novel I've ever read-- in a forty-plus year history of devouring fiction at a rate that often leaves me wishing I were a rich man, just so I could fund my addiction to novels. I went in cold, having n I was recently given an opportunity to read an advance reader's copy of Michael R.
I went in cold, having no idea what the book was about, but figuring on urban fantasy, like the previous novels I'd read from Mr. What I got instead was a surprise-- and a pleasant one. The novel is set in the fantasy city of Audec-Hal, a city built on and incorportaing the bones of a fallen giant-- and a city in desperate straits.
Five criminal overlords have taken over the city, each with a different agenda, a different source of power, and a desire to subjugate the many races that dwell in the city. Opposing them are the Shields of Audec-Hal, a group of half a dozen warriors, drawn from the various races that live there, and each with some ability that lets them fight the various shock troops of the five Tyrants of Audec-Hal, supported by a network of ordinary citizens called Shield Bearers who aid the Shields as best they can.
The novel is a delight, though to took me a bit longer than usual to get into it than Mr. Underwood's novels usually take to grab me. The first couple of chapters are a bit slow, as the author had to work in some world-building which he is very good at as well as introducing the main characters. But after that, the book becomes a fast-paced novel of rebellion, loaded with interesting characters, alien cultures, and very well-written superhero battles.
It's not a perfect book. The opening gets a little bogged down by the world-building though I say that as someone who reads little high fantasy, so you might want to take it with a grain of salt. There are a couple of characters who don't get as much charcter development as others, and come across more as superhero archetypes than actual characters. The language is a bit heavy at times again, something that regular readers of high fantasy may not agree with , and on a few occasions felt actually stilted.
I personally wanted some more development for the villains. But even with these faults, I loved the heck out of Shield and Crocus, and recommend to any fans of superheroes, high fantasy, or both. The book felt a lot like Guardians of the Galaxy: The High Fantasy Edition, and it was well worth the read. I'm giving it an eight on a ten scale, and recommending that, come June 10th, you pick it up and let yourself get lost in a superheroic novel of rebellion against tyranny.
Apr 10, Althea Ann rated it liked it. A description of this book comparing it to China Mieville got me to read it as such comparisons often will. The city, built amongst the bones of a fallen Titan, is ruled by five oppressive Tyrants, who are planning a summit to consolidate their power. Against them stand the Shields, a half-do A description of this book comparing it to China Mieville got me to read it as such comparisons often will. Its colorful descriptions of various peculiar characters, the different races that inhabit the city, the bizarre structure of the city itself, and the blow-by-blow fighting descriptions are all practically tailored for a graphic format.
I wanted to see it illustrated! And — I do see here on Goodreads that a comic is apparently in the works! As it is — a non-graphic novel — I thought it was OK. The reader is told, right off the bat, that the main character, the aging seditionist Wonlar, has a superpower that he refuses to use, because of the horrible things that happened last time he used it, which resulted in the loss of his true love. The setting is very imaginative, and there are lots of great ideas here — but I wanted some of the backgrounds and characters to be fleshed out more. I have crocuses in my garden.
Aug 26, Charlie rated it it was ok Shelves: But it didn't realize its potential, and Silver Age comic book dialogue is tough on the ear. The concept and the world setup is intriguing and full of so many possiblities. But it chruns out at a steady spry pace as nothing more than an action story which feels very much like a Silver Age comic. Unfortunately that kind of style as a long form novel isn't bearable after the initial novelty wears off.
Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book. Relatively entertaining, but really lacking in any real substance. It's essentially Silver Age Avengers meets Justice League set in a steampunk fantasy world with magic. But the corniness of the characters and the dialogue wears on you and this book is a bit longer than it should be. Also the characters and villains are a bit too cardboard for me. I would definitely recommend this to Junior high school me in a heartbeat: Aug 18, Eric Means rated it did not like it Shelves: I simply could not finish this book.
It's a hot mess with too many ideas crammed into too small an area. A city built in the body of a long-dead giant: Superheroes fighting the tyrant rulers of a once-noble Republic: Spark-storms that come unpredictably and randomly mutate ordinary citizens into monsters or heroes: Put them all together and add in a few dashes of steampunk tech as best I can tell mixed in with strong-AI-level robotics , a weird and nonsensical mix of rac I simply could not finish this book. Put them all together and add in a few dashes of steampunk tech as best I can tell mixed in with strong-AI-level robotics , a weird and nonsensical mix of races each of which has one, and only one, super power and set of unique physical characteristics , and it just becomes too much.
There's never time to really flesh out any single facet of the story, so it just rushes by forgettably. Aug 20, David rated it it was amazing.
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Mike is my son. So if course I love the book. But I am also a publishing professional stand back! If you like your fantasy heavy on imaginative new weird world-building with plenty of action scenes If you think a story set in the skeleton of a miles long ancient Titan is col and it is! And the audiobook is VERY well read if listening is more your thing. Fantasy Avengers In a dark and bitter world where the forces of evil have held power for more than 50 years, the last of a dying band of heroes make their final stand.
The world was amazing, the heroes engaging, the villains implacable. If you like Batman or David Gemmel you will devour this book. May 07, Paul Weimer rated it really liked it. May 15, Nathan rated it it was amazing Shelves: Author Michael Underwood was kind enough to get me an advance reader copy ARC of this upcoming book, and I'm most grateful I had the opportunity to take it in.
I was quite impressed by what I found. The setting of this story is the city of Audec-Hal, the home of several races of people. Each race has a unique "birthright", abilities granted by virtue of their heritage e. For the last fifty years, Audec-Hal an Author Michael Underwood was kind enough to get me an advance reader copy ARC of this upcoming book, and I'm most grateful I had the opportunity to take it in.
For the last fifty years, Audec-Hal and its citizens have suffered under the oppression of five tyrants who have divided the city among themselves and share an uneasy peace. These oligarchs employ both magic and technology to maintain their power base, and the combinations of the two are quite interesting. Hope is not lost however; it struggles on in the form of the Shields of Audec-Hal, a small band of insurgents who fight against the tyrants by means of what is essentially guerrilla warfare: The Shields are a small but versatile group who use their birthrights effectively to gain advantages in combat.
Their leader is the First Sentinel, an old alchemist who remembers the time before the rise of the tyrants, when Audec-Hal was ruled by a democratically-elected Senate. As the story opens, the tyrants have agreed to a summit to formally divide the city and consolidate their power, something the Shields have to do whatever it takes to stop.
I'll let you read the rest of the story yourself, but I hope I've piqued your curiosity. The story is told from the points of view of the various Shields, with interludes giving the perspective of some of the tyrants. The shifting viewpoint serves to give an impressively full picture of the world and the situation as it develops, yet it leaves enough mystery to keep the reader interested. Magic and technology traditionally belong to separate genres, namely fantasy and science fiction, respectively. A lot of attempts to mix the two in literature have failed in various ways, though the steampunk genre and its popularity show there is an interest in continuing the effort.
This book is definitely not steampunk; it's something all its own. In summary, this book is a wonderful adventure, with a depth and development of characters that is tough to find in modern literature. I look forward to more in this series. Jan 29, Josh rated it liked it. Coming soonish Thugs have taken over your city repressing the population; uncontrollable storms mutate the landscape and people both into monstrous forms; you're outnumbered by armies of baddies of all types warlocks, giant brutes, robots, mind readers with kinetic powers, etc ; oh, and your hip keeps giving you problems.
Such is the premise and fun of Shield and Crocus. Did I mention the city is built on the bones of a fallen giant? The neighborhood in the groin area is appropria Video Review: The neighborhood in the groin area is appropriately named Hook's Hole. It's a solid if not somewhat simplistic plot with lots of confrontations with the most sadistic minions in the five competing criminal organizations. What drove the story was the narrative of the First Sentinel, our hero with the bad hip.
He's an old man who has fought for 50 years against the tyrants. We're constantly reminded of the losses he's suffered and how the Shields struggle to win even small victories. But we also get in his head and see the determination, the self sacrifice and true commitment he has to resurrect his failing city. The ensemble cast isn't wholly original think a female Hulk, the Flash, Captain America and Storm , but they are memorable. The world is teeming with potential.
This isn't your typical superhero story where everyone makes it out. The First Sentinel in his 50 years of war has buried many friends. The story teases out a rich past for the city, but the scenes all seem like they come from a graphic novel. You get to read about every punch and kick and a lot of "On my mark" and "Hulk, you go over here, Flash, cover the front door. I couldn't get the image of Captain America giving orders out of my head. But to give the story credit, you grow to love the characters, and you wonder if they can really succeed against the horrors in their Gotham.
Time and lives are short and this final battle seems to be the end of a long gamble by the Shields. So the end gives you a satisfactory big battle and we get some closure. It's a good read, but not a great one with lots of entertaining sequences and action that's fun for anyone looking for another superhero story. Apr 10, Michael Melilli rated it it was amazing. Underwood does such a masterful job weaving the genres together that it becomes its own living genus. The world of Shield and Crocus is so dense, so realized, that I kept forgetting it was the first in the series.
It feels like this story takes place in a franchise that has existed for years. The city of Audec-Hal lives and has lived for centuries. However, beyond these standard models are deeply interesting and layered individuals…any of which could stand as the main protagonist of their own novel.
Another thing I loved was that the novel didn't come to a halt over and over to world build. In Shield and Crocus, information is dropped cleanly within the story, revealed slowly, when needed, and at just the right pace to make sure the reader isn't lost but is still turning the page for more. I can say enough time how much I loved this book. My only complaint is that the next in the series isn't out yet.
Apr 01, ladymurmur rated it it was amazing Shelves: But the premise was intriguing, the cover-art fantastic and evocative, and I've utterly enjoyed Mr. Underwood's other titles, so I dove right in. And glad am I that I did. The first few chapters were a bit awkward for me. Apparently I like to find the genre-mindset for what I'm reading, and settle into a comforatable groove. Not so easy with this genre-bender. But bit by bit, scene by scene, character by character, I was completely sucked in.
Never mind the genre, this story had me hooked. These characters, especially Rova Remembers, had me wrapped up into their missions and their memories - and I wanted more. I wanted to watch the events when the tyrants took over the city. I wanted to sit with the children and listen to the stories of the titans and the Shields. I wanted to watch the war that caused the titan Audec to fall, and the city to rise up in his bones. Suddenly, the book was much too short. There is so much more of this world to explore.
And I cannot wait for the next opportunity to do so. Jul 11, Kasey Cocoa rated it liked it Shelves: This book took a bit of digestion before I could decide if I really liked it or not. The world building and the depth of creativity that went into it is just amazing. I really like the way the author describes it. That's where my love for this book faltered. The characters were not what you normally find in a fantasy setting, which can be just fine. But when I start thinking this is familiar in a superhero comic sort of way, I have trouble enjoying it as much. This is by no fault of the author a This book took a bit of digestion before I could decide if I really liked it or not.
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This is by no fault of the author as the writing is very well done. I will admit I am not a fan of graphic novels. I would imagine this book to be what the creators of those novels would use to describe in words what the readers should see on the pages. Don't have a Kindle? Be the first to review this item Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
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