Tag: World Building

The Sixth Gate

The Sixth Gate

The Sixth Gate is a sprawling fantasy story about, well, that’s a bit of a problem.  The book has some difficulty pinning down what the story its telling is actually about. When I say the story is sprawling, that isn’t an understatement.  Munson has built a complex world that, if taken by itself would be pretty interesting.  It’s clear the author has either a love of world building or a talent for it or both, the interconnectedness of the universe she’s built is pretty impressive. And Munson describes the world well in flowing details that really brings each part alive.  I admire her ability to clearly set a scene for the reader.  She does an excellent job giving the reader a good feel of the mood of what’s going on and making it connect interestingly. This author is clearly very talented, and this book seems to have had a lot… Read more »

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The Garden of Stones

The Garden of Stones

Review by Travis Starnes The first book in the Echoes of Empire series, The Garden of Stones is an epic story of a civil war, a madman’s vicious path to power and the noble warrior that stands in his way. The description of the book made me eager to get a copy and start reading.  I have to say from the outset you can tell how intent Mark Barnes is to build this world.  It is obvious on every page how much care and detail he put into the world, the politics, the people and the language.  Generally I admire when an author really builds out the world the story is set in.  For me it is what elevates The Lord of the Rings from a good read to an amazing novel and the keystone all fantasy books should follow. Unfortunately, Barnes does not successfully pull of the world building the way Tolkien did. … Read more »

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