Month: January 2018

Warning: The book reviewed in this post, The Darkling Threads by Derek Corsaro, contains dark scenes and depictions of violence. If you are triggered by such depictions or otherwise wish to avoid them, proceed with caution.

Good day, readers and writers! I have another book to share with you. Today I’m going to the other side of the science fiction/fantasy aisle and review an epic fantasy novel called The Darkling Threads by Derek Corsaro.

The geldens are a private race of beings. They keep their city hidden and have never traveled to the edge of Quiem Forest; they don’t even know if the black flames at the end of the world are truly the end of the world. The geldens only wish to protect their kingdom, but what happens when trouble comes looking for them and they don’t even realize it?

The Darkling Threads by Derek Corsaro follows Coda and Risa, mumblers charged with protecting the Gelden King, and Meen, a human/gelden hybrid, during the Time of Measurement, when gelden companies attempt to expand their maps of the outside world. As Meen and Coda face the threats of Quiem Forest, a new threat appears back home in the disguised form of true demon Daijobi and fledgling demon Elemelemelem. Only Risa suspects something is wrong with these new visitors, but she can’t put her finger on it. What do these strangers want with the gelden? Are they telling the truth about their motives? Can they be trusted? Most importantly, why isn’t Coda there to protect the Gelden King, and who will survive the Time of Measurement?

Corsaro has put a lot of imaginative energy into this story. I did recognize some elements as traditional to this genre, including some aspects of the plot and the use of demons. I otherwise feel that the author has created a new, complex world which is entirely unique to this series, complete with unique flora, fauna, histories, and societies. Even the magic there works differently than in any other epic fantasy novel I have read. The names of some of the creatures are so common to us now that they conjure slightly conflicting images in contrast to the author’s descriptions; panthers, for example, are used in the novel but these panthers are not like those that we would see on Earth. I love all the imaginative energy driving this work, but I do wish that some animal names were a little more unique to this world.

For the most part, Corsaro describes the different parts of this world vividly and kept my interest throughout. However, I would have liked to understand sooner what kind of being was at the heart of the story. It becomes clear within a couple a chapters and I could tell from the first chapter that the beings had magic; still, the descriptions did not fully indicate that the beings were not human until after the first chapter. I actually thought Coda was just a human with magic until the term “gelden” was first used. This detail is minor but I feel that the story would have had a stronger start if this fact had been more obvious earlier, especially since humans play a minor role much later in the novel.

In addition to his imaginative energy, Corsaro populates this world with a variety of characters. Some of them are more stereotypical, such as Skinner the elderly gelden who mistreats poor Meen for being different. The main characters, though, are compelling enough to push past any stereotypical traits.

This novel is definitely a story for misfits and outcasts. All of the main characters, even the fledgling demon Elemelemelem, are different from their fellows in one way or another. Coda is too connected to the world and its magic for the other mumblers; Risa cannot seem to master spells as well as her colleagues; Meen is seen as a hybrid bastard and a burden by most of the gelden; and the other fledgling demons and fledgling dragons think Elemelemelem is too weak to become a true demon.

Out of all the outcasts, Meen is my favorite character. His plight to fit in and leave his mark on the world touched me, and his growing friendship with Coda, while odd and sometimes awkward, gave me hope for both of them. His fate broke my heart, but I can’t comment on that any further without any spoilers. Meen seems like the stereotypical underdog, but that also means he’s easy to connect to and brings attention to a section of society which is often underrepresented.

Unfortunately, the sheer number of characters and perspectives sometimes bogs down the novel. Although told from third person omniscient, the shifts in perspective threw me off for the first couple chapters. They become easier to follow after that, but I wonder if Corsaro tried to pursue too many characters in one novel. On the one hand, this large cast allows Corsaro to explore many aspects of this world and the plot as well as more realistically depict in-depth political plots and battles. On the other hand, I found it hard to keep the characters straight at times. The exoticness of many of the names compounded this issue for me but, as a fantasy novel not taking place on Earth, it may detract from the credibility of the world if the names sounded too much like ours.

Overall, The Darkling Threads by Derek Corsaro is a well-planned, incredibly complex novel that is worth the 300+ pages. Corsaro’s characters and writings pulled me in fairly well, although it took a few chapters for me to feel emotionally attached to any of the characters. Once I did, though, I grew very attached and felt the highs and lows of some characters—particularly Meen, Coda, and Risa—very strongly. I noticed some minor proofreading errors, but they didn’t detract from my reading experience. I can’t wait to see where Corsaro takes Coda, Elemelemelem, and Daijobi in future installments.

You can get The Darkling Threads as an ebook and in paperback on Amazon.

Do you know of any books I should read? Want your work reviewed on this blog? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com or message me on Fiverr and I’m sure we can arrange something.

Trigger Warning: The book discussed in the following review, The Gospel of Nicholas by Sam Even, depicts human trafficking and violence as well as containing human experimentation. This book also involves controversial views on religion, including—but not limited to—Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism. If you are triggered by any of these subjects or otherwise wish to avoid them, proceed with caution.

Happy Monday, everyone! I want to start off the week with another book review, this time in one of my home territories, science fiction. This book is definitely unlike the other science fiction novels I have read and reviewed on this blog recently, but that by no means indicates that it is any less extraordinary. Today I am reviewing The Gospel of Nicholas by Sam Even.

Do you ever dream of immortality, whether it’s through living an inhumanly long life or by leaving a lasting legacy when you die? It’s only natural if you have. We all want to impact the world in ways much greater than our existence. More importantly, we all want to be remembered not just by our children or grandchildren or even our great-grandchildren, but by the entire world. Sam Even addresses this existential crisis and more in his suspenseful and thought-provoking science fiction novel The Gospel of Nicholas.

Timothy Mark Adams is an ordinary man working in the tech industry, trying to build a normal, stable life for himself after returning from years overseas in China. Then he meets local celebrity Nicholas McGregor of McGregor Wines, and Timothy realizes that something is missing in his life. Little does Timothy know, his new friend is not your ordinary “wine guy.” He’s a viticulturist and neurologist with a family-made scientific discovery which could change the world for the better, but at what cost? And is Nicholas truly the mastermind, or is someone else pulling the strings from behind the curtain?

Sam Even has created a gripping world of mystery, suspense, science, and human relations in a future that’s not far removed from our own. This novel had me from the very first sentence, and, despite its length of 312 pages, I found it so engaging and well-written that I wouldn’t have put it aside for long if I hadn’t had other obligations to attend to (I’m looking at you, Bubba). It isn’t always fast-paced, but the mystery and suspense driving the plot ooze from every line and so my attention rarely wavered.

One thing I appreciated about this novel is the diverse cast of characters. We have women and men, both strong and passive; we have characters of varying ages and backgrounds; most importantly, as a book with a widespread conspiracy theory, we have characters from all over the world, including India, China, Vietnam, and Ireland. Even clearly put a lot of effort into representing the world as it truly is—as opposed to the male whitewashing we still tend to see in most genres—and, as far as what was key to the novel’s development, he does fairly well. Perhaps more representation from the LGBTQIA+ community would have helped but, overall, I must applaud Even for what he did achieve.

Of course, just because the cast is diverse doesn’t mean that I liked all the characters. In fact, I had a love/hate relationship with most of them, and I think that’s another area in which this novel stands out from the norm in its genre. I especially struggled with my opinion of the two main characters. Timothy and Nicholas both have their moments in which they won my affection and their moments in which they lost it just as quickly. They are rather egotistical and self-centered, and Timothy is naïve on top of that. However, they are also very intelligent and have their moments of emotional vulnerability. Nicholas in particular feels an emotional attachment to Timothy—one which he tries to brush off to stress—and must face challenges to his long-held belief system. I don’t know how I would interact with these kinds of people in real life, but I oddly found myself hoping nothing bad happened to either and that their friendship would thrive, despite their many irritating traits.

The complexity of the novel may turn some readers away, but I think that true science fiction fans will appreciate it. Nothing is black and white, no one way of thinking or acting entirely right or entirely wrong. Even explores many aspects which make up the human experience, including psychology, neurology, religion, philosophy, and, yes, relationships. Religious readers may have a problem with Nicholas’s approach to and manipulation of religion, but the socio-politico-cultural commentary and character development justify this critique.

The Gospel of Nicholas is not without its flaws. I noticed a handful of proofreading errors, particularly in the first fourth of the book. However, these errors become less frequent as the novel progresses and are not distracting even in the beginning, so I don’t think that they detract from the overall reading experience.

I’m also mixed on the variety of perspectives involved in the narration. As a book told in third person, the transitions from one perspective to the next aren’t too difficult to follow. Still, many perspectives are used and it can be confusing when the first few transitions into a new character’s POV occur. Regardless, the depth of the plot beyond Timothy’s and Nicholas’s knowledge of events necessitates many perspectives in order to give the reader an accurate understanding of the situation. The transitions mostly feel natural, and so I can forgive those that jarred me.

Overall, I think Sam Even’s The Gospel of Nicholas is not only an enjoyable read but a thought-provoking one as well. The writing is simple and easy to follow, although some sections involve scientific and philosophical jargon. Even makes these sections readable and compelling for the most part, and all of it is needed in order to unravel the plot and conspiracy for both Timothy and the reader. I highly recommend this novel for science fiction lovers but especially those looking for a more intellectual read like Ursula K. Le Guin’s work.

You can get The Gospel of Nicholas as an e-book and in paperback through Amazon. Also make sure to check out Sam Even’s website.

Do you know of a book I should read? Want your work reviewed on this blog? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com or message me on Fiverr and we can arrange something.

Hello, readers and writers! I’m here to bring you another review, this time of a book which I think will be very helpful to freelancers, bloggers, and pretty much anyone looking for an extra source of income. It might even give you some ideas for help in advertising your self-published works. The book I am reviewing today is Affiliate Marketing: Launch a Six Figure Business with Clickbank Products, Affiliate Links, Amazon Affiliate Program and Internet Marketing by Noah Gray and Michael Fox.

Have you ever seen a banner ad on a blog, perhaps related to the post it accompanies? Or a little rectangular Amazon ad on a website, maybe advertising a high-end vacuum or the latest George R.R. Martin novel? If so, you’ve been exposed to a concept called affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is when companies “allow people who sign up as marketers to promote their business and/or products” (Affiliate Marketing, Loc 527). Virtually anyone can do it if they know how; to make money, however, you have to know how to do it well.

In Affiliate Marketing, Noah Gray and Michael Fox teach readers not only how to begin affiliate marketing companies but to how to optimize their experience and earning prospects. Over twenty-two chapters, this book covers everything about affiliate marketing from its definition and getting started to promoting your campaign, mistakes to avoid, and even the details of specific affiliate programs. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be able to jump right into this pursuit of good—although not always easy—money.

I have to admit that I briefly dipped into the Amazon Affiliate Program. However, I failed pretty badly. Now, thanks to Gray and Fox, I know why I failed and how I can better approach this endeavor. I didn’t even understand how large the scope of affiliate marketing is before reading this book or that there were programs outside of the Amazon Affiliate Program that I could check out.

Gray and Fox thoroughly and comprehensively dissect the various aspects of the affiliate marketing concept. Each chapter and section cover a different, although equally important, part of the process and avenues one can take while becoming an affiliate marketer, including multiple networks and affiliate programs readers can investigate. I especially found the sections on defining affiliate marketing, the Amazon Affiliate Program, and the mistakes that affiliate marketers make helpful. The book even gives instructions and suggestions on how to create websites which affiliate marketers use to promote products and services.

For the most part, Gray and Fox’s writing is smooth and easy to follow. They keep the language simple enough for most readers to understand without talking down to them. Of course, the topic necessitates the use of technical terms such as “Content Management System” (CMS). Still, these terms are never overly complicated. Even if you’re not a computer expert (guilty!), you would still be able to understand these terms. Gray and Fox try and define terms which seem more technical or advanced than the novice affiliate marketer is accustomed to. Even when they don’t, readers can decipher the meaning from context without too much effort.

The only real problem I had with Affiliate Marketing is the structure. All of the information is necessary. Regardless, I feel that some sections would have made more sense if organized differently. For example, I think that the advantages and disadvantages of affiliate marketing would work better when Gray and Fox are defining the concept and providing its history so that readers can decide sooner if this money-making opportunity is right for them. I also think that they should lump the information about what one should post on their site with the chapters on website traffic and structure.

These personal structural preferences aside, Affiliate Marketing is a very handy guide for those wanting to make money through online ads. It’s well-written, I only noticed a handful of proofreading errors, and the authors leave no stone unturned while describing the concept. I highly recommend reading this book before diving right into affiliate marketing. Trust me, I made that mistake with the Amazon Affiliate Program, and this book will save you wasted time.

I would actually go one step further and suggest reading Affiliate Marketing with Blogging for Dummies. A website or blog is key for online affiliating marketing, so I think that these books together would help you make the absolute most out of the experience.

Affiliate Marketing is available as an e-book and in paperback through Amazon.

Know of a book I should read? Want your work reviewed on this blog? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com or message me on Fiverr and we can arrange something.

Happy Thursday, everyone! We’re almost to the weekend, and thank God for that. I’m just about ready to throw in the towel at this time, but that’s a discussion for another day. Right now I want to bring you another review, this time for an interesting combination of science and self-help. Oddly, though, my reasons for wanting the week to be over tie into the subject of this post. The book I’m reviewing today is Joy.ology: The Chemistry of Happiness by Turker Bas, PhD.

Have you ever wondered what the key to happiness is? Ever felt like everyone else has figured out the secret and you’ve just been left to wallow in your day-to-day survival of the modern capitalist world? If so, you’re not alone. Even celebrities and the rich aren’t truly happy; they’re just taking hits off of happiness shortcuts which only satisfy them in the short term. Very few people alive today seem to have obtained genuine, long-term happiness. How, then, can we achieve true happiness?

These are the kinds of questions which Bas attempts to answer in Joy.ology. Like the rest of us, Bas began his journey to writing this book based solely on his desire to learn what happiness is and why we have yet to find it. He does not search for his answers in the expected fields of philosophy, religion, or psychology. Instead, Bas turns to neurobiology and the chemicals behind happiness. In around 214 pages, he explains how our brains experience happiness, how this process began, and how the original programming of our brains–which he dubs our “primitive brain”–fails us in modern society. Most importantly, Bas presents alternatives to constantly relying on artificially-triggered releases of chemicals like dopamine and serotonin, alternatives which may contain the elusive secret to true happiness.

I enjoyed this book even more than I thought I would. Initially, with these kinds of books, I expect either a dull read stuffed with scientific jargon or a self-help work which boosts the reader’s ego but contains little more than fluff. Bas manages a balance between his scientific basis for his argument and conversational, anecdotal examples to support and illustrate this basis. The cartoons scattered throughout the book also provide welcomed breaks. These cartoons do not necessarily provide a visual representation of data–those are represented by helpful charts and graphs–but accompany the examples in a similar way to self-help books or even political cartoons.

Some parts of the book, particularly those explaining the origin and purpose of different happiness chemicals, require more attention to understand than others. I had to re-read some of sections, such as those explaining how dopamine and serotonin work, in order to ensure I fully understood the concepts. (Of course, that may have just been my own paranoia regarding misunderstanding what I read.) Still, I found Bas’s casual yet informative tone to be much more engaging than a typical science book while proving more credible than most self-help or self-improvement books. The work’s credibility is also strengthened by the fact that Bas meticulously sites all his claims—although it does not by any means overwhelm the core text—and all his notes and citations can be found at the end of the book.

I think the best testament to this work’s quality is the fact that it has helped me understand better why I have such severe anxiety and keep dipping back into my depression despite all my anti-anxiety pills and antidepressants. It will, admittedly, take some time and conscious effort on my part in order to enact Bas’s advice on creating true happiness. He constantly tells readers that it won’t be an easy change but is necessary in order to reprogram our brains for happiness in modern society. Regardless, I now better comprehend some of the biological reasons behind such issues as my social anxiety and fear of failure, and that comprehension alone brings me one step closer to being able to fix these problems.

One piece of advice that I really took to is the suggestion for light exercise in order to handle the chemicals associated with stress. Most people approach exercise as pushing yourself to your limits. Bas, on the other hand, emphasizes that walks and light jogging can do our happiness levels a load of good, more so than “no pain, no gain” exercise. I was glad to see him take the time to explain the difference between exercising for stress relief and exercising for weight loss, the latter hardly ever being maintained in the long-term. This distinction is so rarely made that it really stuck with me when Bas mentioned it.

Of course, this book is not without its flaws. Namely, I noticed a fair number of proofreading errors which were, at times, distracting. Bas does not use American English, which may explain some of what I interpreted as errors. (I’m only familiar with American English.) Nevertheless, I know this regional difference does not account for everything. The mistakes do not detract from the general quality of the book, especially the content itself, but I wish more proofreading had been done.

Overall, I found Joy.ology to be both informative and enjoyable. Proofreading errors aside, I recommend this book to anyone searching for the secret behind true happiness or for people who have a curious mind. It won’t change your life right away, but it’ll point you in the right direction.

If you want to check out Bas’s book, you can find it as a Kindle e-book or in paperback on Amazon.

You know of any books I should read or want your work reviewed on this blog? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com or message me on Fiverr and we can arrange something.