Book Review: Greaveburn

Hi readers, 

I can't believe another month is over! Well, February has been very short this year. Spring all ready has arrived which given the few storms and cold weather there's been recently seems a bit strange! Anyway, today I'm reviewing another self-published novel and it's by an author I've meet! It was way back in December 2015 at a Steampunk fair and I brought one of his other books; Not Before Bed. You can read that review here; http://hailscrazyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/book-review-not-before-bed-by-craig.html

I did see Greaveburn at the time but it didn't really interested me and I didn't want to commit to a full novel. I did put it on my reading list and a few months back I brought it but it's only a few weeks since I actually read it. 

It sort of was and wasn't my kind of book. I've been saying for ages I need to get more into fantasy novels and steampunk novels, I enjoy them both and thought this, which combines the two would be a nice read. I think part of the problem though is that it feels very novice like. Yeah, I know first time writers' books often are and I did try to set that aside. Hallam's writing isn't that bad, but he totally over uses similes and metaphors which stops the narrative flow and makes it seem like he's trying to hard! There is a good level of description though and the dialogue isn't that bad.   

I think though, the steampunk elements mixed with the fantasy genre didn't work for me. I blame myself to be honest! For me, steampunk is Victorian setting and I find it hard to look further out the box with it, but actually fantasy and other settings/genres would work well with steampunk, it's quite a versatile theme. Perhaps though, if this book had solidified itself in fantasy then it might have worked better. 

The other problem is that this is a stand alone book and it's short which means that there's not enough time to create the fantasy world or really develop anyone but the hero. I could have seen this working as a series and actually I would like to read more books set in the Greaveburn world. It wouldn't have to be about the same characters either. I don't know. For me, the creation of a fantasy world takes time and why just use it in one short book? Most of my short stories, barely started novels and characters, are base in or inspired by the world of Dungeons and Dragons or Tolkien to save time. 

Maybe, I'm being too mean this morning? 

I did enjoy reading Greaveburn and I liked the hero. He did do that stereotypical fall and rise of a hero though. His name is Darrant and he starts off in a high position as guard to the princess, but he is almost killed and ends up recovering in the sewers. He is taken care of by the 'broken folk' a group of the lowest of the low, who have all been rejected by Greaveburn. Darrant is determined to save the princess, the people and Greaveburn, so he leads a revolt to take back power. He is a likeable character and I did get into his story.   

The Princess Abrasia has only a little role to play and I would have liked her to be more involved and powerful. She comes across as a classic Disney princess really. She has lost all of her family but is too young to become queen, so a duke - I think it was, don't have the book to hand- is ruling in her place, but his family really wanted to take full control. We get to see the beauty of Greaveburn through her and she is very symbolic of freedom and new hope. However, she is 'killed' off under orders of the duke's family. She ends up being saved by a scientist guy - where most of the steampunk stuff comes in- and put into a death like sleep until she can be awoke safely. 

There are a few other characters who we get to spend sometime with, but they all seem to be supporting and background figures, so we learn very little about them. It would have been nice to have had a sub-plot maybe or some other story line to make things more interesting and longer. 

Actually, thinking about it now, this book does remind me of Les Miserables! The rise and fall of the characters, the fighting for power and justice, the poverty most of the characters have to live in and the cruelty of human nature. That all sums Greaveburn up too. 

Overall, this novel isn't bad. There's a mix of steampunk and fantasy, interesting characters and a plot that is simple but effective. I would say if you're interested then give it a read and see what you think. 

Thanks for reading. 

January 2016 Update: January Blues

Hi readers and welcoming to my first post of 2016! 

It's taken me a couple of weeks to get around to writing this, but I've had my reasons, which I'll go into later. Firstly though, I was reading a magazine the other day that January is the worst time of year because we don't have anything to look forward to unlike the other months. Plus, its the deflate after Christmas and New Year because you've eaten and drunk so much, spent lots of money and had a ton of fun. Now, it's back to work or education with little money and feeling like you over did everything. Also, your New Year resolution has probably gone completely out of the window.

January and February always feel the hardest months to get through for me. It's cold and snowy- though I seemed to have missed nearly all the bad weather so far- and it's getting dark so early. Getting out of bed is super hard for me and I do tend to hibernate like a bear during winter. I'm not big on going out either- unless its snowed and it looks nice-because everywhere is muddy, wet or icy. And its so cold and though I do like walking, the weather has to be decent. 

My health, which hasn't been good in years, also doesn't like the winter weather. I've been a bit bad recently with things and something keeps triggering my asthma. I've no idea what it is, but my chest has been giving me lot of grieve. I've had to take strong painkillers for my other health condition and the side effect of that is that I want to sleep all the time. Also, my iron level has been down again, making me tried and grumpy. I've been trying to start eating better to help all this issues and to loss some weight, but my other side effect is that I don't feel like eating and I become sick and nausea, making things harder.       

Thankfully, I'm feeling better today though there is another event which has triggered these problems and I'm still struggling to deal with. I broke up with my boyfriend last Monday. He sent me a message about it then when we spoke I officially ended things. I was really mad at him because we'd just been to my brother's birthday meal on Saturday and spent Christmas and New Year together. I felt he'd just thrown that all way and it was like it didn't mean anything. I know that's not true, but I couldn't help but feel that way. We weren't meeting each other's needs and what I now want is different to what he wants because we are both at different stages really.     

It's real difficult because we were together 3 and bit years and I thought 'd found the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. We never argued and were very close, we had enough in common and everything seemed to be good. I think though he kept this doubt about things between us and he let it grow and come out again. Will we get back together? Not anytime soon. He remembered what I had stated the last time we broke up and got back together, that if we broke again then a good amount of time, in which we dated other people and progressed more with our lives needed to happen before we decided if we should get back together. I think that's the best thing to do really. 

A lot of people give me the classic advice of 'if one door closes another opens,' and 'if it's meant to be it'll find away,' I told my dog- who I've been talking to a lot and been seeking comfort from- 'there were plenty more fish in the sea' and 'it really wasn't the end of the world.'  Sometimes though the classics catchphrases are just what you need to reassure yourself with. I'm going to miss him, no doubt about that, though he won't completely be out of my life. There's still Dungeons and Dragons and he did say he wanted to stay friends. I don't know how I really feel about that at the moment, but what I do want is for there to be a neutral line between us. I want to be mature and calm about it. I know that's going to be so hard to do, but I've got to come out of this stronger now, I don't have any choice. 

I was watching the birds in the garden this morning and I was thinking how that the blue tits, the robin and the sparrows have to live in the current moment. So much of their time and energy is spent finding and eating food. Winter is the hardest month for them and yet they find the will to carry on. They don't seem to have that many worries but for getting the basic needs sorted and it made me think about everything I had to appreciate. My basic needs have been met and exceeded, I've had a good life, been luckier then other people and yeah, even though I'm not rich and famous - which is probably over rated anyway, I'm doing okay. 

I wish my life was as simple as that of a bird's though. Humans compared to all the other animals live complicated, stressful and worry filled lives. The idea of going back to basics does attracted me, but I guess that would mean going to a small island with nothing on it and trying to survive. A Robinson Crusoe situation, but I couldn't cope without my books!        

Whilst watching the birds I also noticed that the snowdrops and bluebells were coming up in the garden. Though it feels far to early for plants to become up, it seemed the mild winter is causing then to appear. The splash of green in the bare brown garden, made me feel happy. Everything moves on and keeps on turning, things happen for many reasons and the world is full of goodness. I guess I just feel like nature is reminding me that things have their time and place, life just carries on. 

I feel little bit better after writing all of this now. Having time to reflect is important and I know it's going to take awhile before I move on again. My lack of motivation and wanting to do things will fade and for now I'm just going to do the small things and take little steps. Hopefully, I'll meet someone else soon. It is a big world out there after all. 

I found this last image on another site and I just love it. It really fits in with what I've been writing about too. I thought it looked like a nice thing to finish on. Till next time. 

Images from: 

https://pixabay.com/

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/c3/fe/d0/c3fed0cd1cce09f81cf7a24cf5b48330.gif