- THE CHRONICLE SCROLLS -
GREGORY STOAKES
Awesome book!​
September 29, 2012
By Liz
I am not normally into fantasy/horror books - so when I was chosen to be part of the group to read this book prior to publishing - I was skeptical to say the least. I read the entire book and can say, without a doubt, one of the BEST books I have read in a very long time!! Not only did I get caught up with the characters - but the plot was perfectly executed!! Totally PERFECT read!
Awesome book​
October 8, 2012​
By Smi2ty419
This is one of the best books that I've ever read. It was very interesting and captivating. I couldn't put it down.
An author to watch​
October 14, 2012​
By Stimmo
I was recommended this book by a friend so purchased it. I normally read fantasy so was happy to give it a go. I found the story line great with the characters gradually becoming three dimensional over a period of chapters. It's always refreshing to have the 'good' guys not actually that good at all, they are a mixture of thief, necromancer, murderers and general maniacs!!
The story jumps between the current time line and flashes of the distant past that gradually explain some of the history behind the situations they face. I won't spoil it by telling too much but the ending was totally unexpected and leaves me clamoring for the next book (which I understand is being written as we speak)
Engrossing!​
November 8, 2012
By Thel
What a good read. Engrossing story, well-paced plot, nicely developed characters. Amazing for a first book. Can't wait for more!
Inspirational Start!​
November 15, 2012
By Christopher Cotillard
Death or Redemption is the first book of The Chronicle Scrolls. I'm not sure how many books there will be in this series but personally, I'm hoping for many!
While the Kindle version (that I read initially) suffers a little from some misplaced words (spellcheck will not help you when you correctly spell the wrong word), the story and characters are engrossing enough that I managed to read through it. I have to say that the paperback edition (which I just started) is a massive improvement.
I loved every minute of it.
The story is split into two on-going tales. The first is a sort of mythological tale of the beginning of the world (think Genesis from The Bible or even better, Ainulindalë from The Silmarillion ). The second is the story of a group of rogues on a hopeless mission against impossible odds fighting for survival against an endless army of the dead.
There are many books that use a multiple story arc method but this is one of the few times that I have found myself caring about each tale equally. I did not find myself rushing through one to get to the other. It wasn't like George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, causing a loud groan whenever certain character chapters came along.
The mythology aspect is well envisioned and brings the novel's world to life. You have the satisfaction of knowing things about the world that the characters in the main story arc are unaware of. It's enjoyable to see where the world of the past interjects with the world of the present.
The main story is an action-packed adventure; it is a desperate fight-and-flight tale that really keeps you on the edge of your seat. There are no throw-away characters here though. I found myself caring for these people and their mission.
What I would like to see in the next book:
*More descriptions of people and their surroundings: In a fantasy novel you really need to give the audience a better idea of what they are supposed to visualize. Perhaps filling in the gaps with my own imagination was what made it such a great read but I know other (most) people have very limited imaginations.
*A map. No work of epic fantasy is complete without a map! How am I supposed to track the progress of my characters if I cannot see the shape of the world?
*A better editing and review procedure before publishing. Example: "He stiffened in an agonizing rectos; almost falling from the saddle" (Rectos? Spelled right; wrong word). There's also some poor sentence structure that could use a little work. Really, it just needs a little more care and attention.
*The return of a certain character from the dead.... I won't name names but the loss was kind of unbelievable...
A great piece of story telling​
November 19, 2012
By Anath
Well, the writing style isn't great, I felt that it somewhat lacked detail and description of the world or people to truly spark the imagination and the editing leaves much to be desired. This book, or at least the kindle version I read, had a lot of basic editing errors and typographical mistakes that had me reaching for a mental editing pen. Some of them read like text auto-correct anomalies, including quite regular occurrences of the wholesale substitution of the wrong words making it seem as though it had simply not been proof read just merely spell checked.
However these annoying errors barely detracted from the engaging narrative and the conveyance of the storyline and what a great storyline it is too. A brilliant piece of storytelling from Mr Stoakes, not only did it keep me glued to my kindle wondering what lay beyond the next tap of the screen in constant anticipation of the fates of each character and their chances of surviving to the next chapter but the snippets of myth and lore were both entertaining and intriguing in their development and slow convergence with the main action.
I was a third of a way through the book before it dawned on me just how well chosen and apt the title is. Despite the aforementioned negatives I really enjoyed the story and am most definitely looking forward to its sequel.