Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

INTRO: Song of Edmon is a Science Fiction work relaying to us the story of Edmon. The son of a king, Edmon lives in a world of extreme contrasts – Perpetual sun or perpetual shade, depending upon which side of the vertical equator upon which one lives. The book description, written by the editor, paints an almost too-good-to-be-true picture on the merits of this work. I nearly passed on it for this reason, but I just couldn’t quite choose for my Kindle First pick the only other appealing story – All The Little Children. Read on to learn more about what I experienced... *** ARE THERE PROFANITIES USED? *** There are a few profanities, but the one word most people might wish to avoid, the f-word, is nearly absent. Despite its use (just twice) I would caution against not reading this work, if that is your only reason. POV - Song of Edmon is told to us in First Person Point of View. I found that this provides us the sense of immediacy. Getting inside the head of the protagonist as he sees the world and his place in it is critical, in this story, for me. KEY POINTS - Although I understand the author’s desire to provide the contrast in the way he did, it was the one reason I almost rejected this story. I feared it would be too simplistic. Fortunately, the author addresses my fears in the opening as he builds the world into which we are entering. In other words, I was able to suspend my disbelief fairly well. LANGUAGE - The language used by the various characters through dialogue is pretty good. What I mean is, it is not stilted or forced. It flows with ease. DOES THIS WRITER SHOW OR TELL WHAT WE SEE/FEEL/HEAR? - This is a highlight in this novel – we are shown what Edmon sees, feels and thinks. Great writers excel in this, as does Burch. DOES THE WRITER EVOKE THE FIVE SENSES? - Yes. Look to the excerpt to better understand how this author shows us what we experience, and why it is worth our time to invest ourselves in this adventure. CLIFFHANGER? - This is an epic, emphasizing the growth of the character. Thus, unless it was produced as a 1,200 page novel, there is no way justice could be done for such an ambitious work, than to end the first half with a cliffhanger, of some sort. This is one of those rare times that I will recommend a book that ends on a cliffhanger, because the character growth from a naïve adolescent into a mature, hardened, leader capable of returning his destroyed world into greatness could only be accomplished in two books. Q - How was this book obtained? A – I bought it on Amazon. Q - Are there a lot of typos/misspellings, grammatical errors or other editing failures? A – No. Q - Is this a fast, easy read or is it more of a leisure read? A – This is a leisure read. Q - My biggest pleasure or disappointment? A – No serious worries here. My one nagging point is the writer’s need, in dialogue, to tell us what we must see or notice. The dialogue is so well done that it does not need the explanations he injected using such qualifiers as “admonishes” or “fumes” or “grins rakishly” to explain how the dialogue is beings spoken. Doing so takes just a wee bit of value from the dialogue. It might be needed for writing plays, but has little need in a novel. Otherwise, though it is not a great novel and will never be considered a classic, it is a good, fun adventure. To give a feel for the editing, and the style and flow of this work, I am posting a brief excerpt below. Excerpt ‘…Months pass. Intense months. Laborious months. Days are spent on the sands drilling—sprints on the beach, standing on one leg for hours. I sit and watch Alberich and Phaestion duel. I want to practice, too, but the techniques and moves Alberich teaches are far beyond me. Alberich sees my frustration and, as recompense, forces me to punch rocks. The pain is blinding but quickly over with use of the salves and treatments Phaestion imports from Meridian. I heal so completely I’m able to endure it all over again on the morrow. My mother circles the confines of her room like a caged shark. She wants to lash out but can do nothing for fear of repercussions. It comforts her little that I actually begin to enjoy the training. Instead, she assures me that she’s planning something. “The other islands—Rock, Shell, Conch, Leaf—they tire of rule by their Pantheon overlords, too. We will rally. You won’t be taken to Meridian. I promise.” I’ve never seen her like this before, standing over maps, talking with the other villagers about trade. She’s like an ancient battle commander discussing sieges, politics, and tactics. It occurs to me that she’s more like Edric than I ever realized. I just nod in agreement to her statements, but fear she can’t stop my leaving. If she defies Edric, nothing will prevent his wrath. The technology of Meridian and the Pantheon is far beyond anything we have on the islands. We are not strong enough to defy my father. I’m not strong enough to defy him yet. I will find a way to protect her if she rebels, I think. Patience. One day I will be full grown. Then… Phaestion and I steal away for private sessions. He breaks down what Alberich teaches into simpler techniques I can learn. Eventually, I spar with him. He yawns, parrying the thrusts of my sword using only one arm. The second I admire his skill is the second I’m knocked onto my back in the sand. “It’s dangerous to respect one’s opponent,” he says. “Honor and admiration may be savored only after your enemy is beaten.” Alberich will occasionally catch me practicing a move that he knows I didn’t learn from him. He’ll correct my form before giving me some other task that will wear me out. Nadia spies on us once. She climbs the rocks above our makeshift arena on the sands. Phaestion admonishes her. “You break our concentration.” “I can fight as well as anyone!” Nadia fumes. Phaestion grins rakishly. “You can. He can’t.” He jabs his thumb at me. “Don’t distract us.” Nadia stays away from our practice but blames me for the exile in the few moments we still meet on the cliffs. “Little Lord can’t bear to have a girl watch him,” she taunts. I find myself tuning out her words more and more, though. Instead, I stare at her lips and her legs. When she leans down and snickers, my eyes go to the V of her tunic and the narrow shadow created by her blossoming breasts. When did that happen? I wonder. I’m pulled from my reverie when her japes segue to her true topic of interest—Phaestion. She wants to know everything about him. “Where does he come from? What things does he like? Does he talk of any girls back home?” I tell her with hot jealousy, “Meridian, fighting, and I don’t know.” The last is a lie. He talks of girls, but only to say he has many who love him and that seems totally natural. Sometimes I think of myself in contrast to him: my arms skinny, my knees knobby, and my hair dirty and dark. I start to feel that if I was more like Phaestion, my father would…’ Burch, Adam. Song of Edmon (The Fracture Worlds Book 1) (p. 74-76). 47North. Kindle Edition. Bottom Line: Despite the minor issue I cited above, I would have been quite proud to have penned such a tale as this epic, Song of Edmon. It would not surprise in the least to find that it has become a series available on Amazon Video or even HBO. Four stars out of five. Comments regarding your opinion of this book or of my review, whether favorable or unfavorable, are always welcome. If you buy the book based on my review and become disappointed, especially, I do want to know that and I want to understand how I can improve as a book reviewer. Just please be polite. Thank you.