The Serpent of Eridor

-
The Serpent of Eridor by Alison Gardiner
Paperback, 272 pages Expected publication: January 28th 2015 by Troubador Publishing Ltd

Alex’s parents are missing and they have sent him a message that he needs to meet a person on an island who can help. Leaving behind his nasty Aunty, packing his hamster Skoodle, Alex’s begins the journey. Travelling by boat to find the man who can help, Alex is attacked by an assassin. In the middle of a typhoon, Alex takes off in a lifeboat to avoid his attacker and finds himself of an island where the animals can speak. The hamster, the monkey, the bear, the snake and Alex are off on adventure to return a jewel.

This Gardiner’s first novel and is a solid effort. The world that she has created is vibrant and believable. The characters are well fleshed out and have their own strengths and weakness.
Where the novel did not work for me was in the telling of the story. There needed to be a less is more approach as at times too much information is provided and it does not drive the story forward. The tour of the Magician’s home went on and could have been culled down. The ending was disappointing as a row after row of character seemed to line up and confess. What this did was made the ending come across as rushed and trying to tidy and set up the next story.


Gardiner has a wonderful imagination and has created a fascinating world. Some additional trimming and tightening of the novel would help it along.  

For further information on Alison Gardiner check out her website. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Been some time

-
Image
Well being ill did not stop the reading but did stop all the posting. I managed to keep my goodreads reviews going but could barely find the energy to update here.  A list of what I made my way through is here . I did finish 72 books and my favourite was Helen Garner's 'Everywhere I look'. I did think 'The Girl on the Train' was a bit over hyped and I am not sure why it received so much attention.  So this year I am planning on making my way through 60 books. I am aiming to be more adventurous and look to read authors from outside my comfort zone.  There is a second hand book store near my parents and they certainly sell some stuff cheap. I managed to pick up some classic Australian reads for $1 and 'All the light we cannot see' by Anthony Doerr for $4 and the first book I have read for 2017.  This book really surprised me, really surprised me. I had put reading this book off for some time as to be honest I was really not ready for another World W...
Read more

Paranormal murder done by a master of the genre

-
Image
Into the Thinnest of Air (Ishmael Jones #5) by Simon R. Green Expected publication: March 1st 2018 by Severn House Publishers I have long been a fan of the works of Simon R Green having first stumbled across Blue Moon Rising in the late 90s. As a fantasy novel it was something completely different with some risqué humour and really interesting characters. Over the years whenever I have seen any of Green’s works on the book shelves in Australia I have grabbed them. So I was really excited when offered the opportunity to read Green’s latest work. Two investigators Ishmael Jones and his partner Penny are attending the re-opening of Tyrone Castle and are hoping for a nice normal weekend. However, when you are staying at a castle that has a history of being a smugglers den and scene for a mass poisoning things quickly go astray. As something sinister is abducting the guests the question is supernatural or human at work. Green never fails to create characters that are imperfect, funny...
Read more

Piles of Reading

-
Image
Been a tough couple of months and while the reading has continued the blogging has not. So this will be a massive catch up. For 2017 I read 60 books and for 2018 I am aiming for 55. City of Crows - Chris Womersley Set in France in 1673, the plague is sweeping across the populace. Charlotte has suffered the loss of her husband and three children. She is determined to protect her Nicolas and they seek sanctuary in Lyon. on their journey they are attacked, with Charlotte left to die and her son taken by slavers. She summons a man to assist recover her son and they travel to Paris. There is witchcraft involved and plain old self-serving individuals who make things difficult. I have to admit that it is difficult to find the words to convey my thoughts on this book. I enjoyed the rich details, the layers of French society and culture that is revealed. The characters are well crafted and carry their own emotional baggage. I was really immersed in the pages. Yet the ending left me beref...
Read more