Friday, September 21, 2018

Favorite Reviews #10

Our Author Gang's Favorite Reviews


Book reviews (good or bad) provide important feedback to the authors, and without reviews, a book gets lost in the thousands of other books that are released every month. Every author appreciates and values the opinion of readers, but we’re strongly discouraged from engaging with readers and thanking them for their reviews on publishing sites. The authors of Our Author Gang celebrate and appreciate the readers by posting our favorite reviews between September 10 and 22. Every day a different author of the group will post their books and quotes from their readers’ favorite reviews.
Thank you for your interest in our books and happy reading!

My Favorite Reviews

Mad Shadows: The Weird Tales of Dorgo the Dowser is the winner of the 2017 Golden Book Readers’ Choice Award for Fantasy. I love this review because Dave Brzeski is a well-respected reviewer, and the British Society of Fantasy is a highly-regarded e-magazine.

“Joe Bonadonna is one of the growing number of authors whose work I have been meaning to get around to for quite some time. This particular book has been available since the beginning of 2011. At first sight, it’s classic sword and sorcery, set on a world populated by fighting men, merchants, wizards and a multitude of mythical, non-mythical and just plain made-up beasts. There’s a difference, though, in the style of the storytelling. It’s a first person narrative, executed very much in the style of the hard-boiled private eye genre. I was reminded of Fritz Leiber’s Lankhmar tales, crossed with Chandler’s Philip Marlowe—sort of fantasy-noir. Dorgo Mikawber, himself, is roughly the equivalent of a private detective on this world, as he is a licensed dowser (complete with dowsing rod) of odylic (magical) energy, employed to deal with crimes of a supernatural nature.” — David Brzeski, British Society of Fantasy.


Mad Shadows II: Dorgo the Dowser and the Order of the Serpent is a semi-finalist in the 2017 Golden Quill Award for Fantasy. I love this review because Fletcher Vredenburgh is a prolific columnist for Black Gate online magazine, which is a very popular and successful e-publication.

“Joe Bonadonna is a heck of a teller of hard-boiled action and adventure tales. After too many years out of the toilsome fields of swords & sorcery, he returned in 2010 with a top-flight collection of short stories about one Dorgo Mikawber, dowser of magic and handy with a saber. I discovered Joe and that book, Mad Shadows (2010) here on the virtual pages of Black Gate, and reviewed it over on my site about four years ago. After another significant hiatus he’s returned with a second collection of Dorgo’s adventures: Mad Shadows II: Dorgo the Dowser and The Order of the Serpent (2017). That’s a lot of title for a book that just crosses the two-hundred page mark, but it gives a nice sense of the pulpy goodness that lies betwixt its covers. Dorgo Mikawber was raised in an orphanage, served in the army, and now makes his living as a magical investigator and finder of lost people.” — Fletcher Vredenburgh, Black Gate online Magazine.




Three Against The Stars is old-school, pulp magazine Space Opera in the grand tradition of Henry Kuttner, Edmond Hamilton, and E.E. “Doc” Smith. I love this review because William Patrick Maynard is a great author in his own right, and Black Gate is an award-winning e-magazine.

“Bonadonna has constructed an empire and galaxy that largely escapes the looming shadow of Star Wars and Star Trek to exist as an original work in its own right. Three Against The Stars is a rip-roaring adventure ride.” — William Patrick Maynard, Black Gate Magazine, author of The Terror of Fu Manchu, The Destiny of Fu Manchu, and others.



COMMENTS

Toi Thomas

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great reviews Joe. It's nice to see that someone in your field, someone esteemed, likes and appreciates your work and talent.
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Thank you, Toi. Yes, I got very lucky!

Toi Thomas via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today, Joe Bonadonna​ shares some of his favorite book reviews over at #OurAuthorGang.
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Thank you, Toi!

Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today on #OurAuthorGang, Joe Bonadonna shares his favorite reviews on three of his books -- which happen to be my favs!! Yes, I own all three of these books and highly recommend them to fantasy and science fiction fans! Stop by and check out his post!
 
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Ruth de Jauregui

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
I agree with those reviews! Joe is a great writer and I highly recommend all three books!
 
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Erika M Szabo shared this via Google+

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Thank you.

Chris Weigand

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Some great reviews. I will have to add the books to my tbr pile.
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Thank you, Chris.

Chris Weigand via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today we take a look at a couple of Joe's favorite reviews.
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Thank you!

Joe Bonadonna via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Looks like it's my turn today on #OurAuthorGang to share some of my favorite reviews, folks. Please check it out. Thank you!
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Lorraine Carey

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
A lot to be proud of here, Joe! I can see why you love the review for Mad Shadows. And a huge congratulations on the award!
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+Lorraine Carey -- thank you.
 
+Joe Bonadonna Always.

Nikki McDonagh

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Fabulous reviews Joe. Great to see readers really enjoying your work, makes it all worth while.
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Thank you, Nikki. Even touching the hearts of a handful of people makes it all worthwhile.

Eva Pasco

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
That's all a reader needs to know!
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Yep! Thank you!

Erika M Szabo

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great reviews Joe! Fletcher said it all: "Joe Bonadonna is a heck of a teller of hard-boiled action and adventure tales"
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Thank you, Erika. Yeah, Fletcher knows "his stuff," and I consider his reviews a great honor.

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Favorite Reviews #9


Our Author Gang Reviews 



Book reviews (good or bad) provide important feedback to the authors and without reviews, a book gets lost in the thousands of other books that are released every month.
Every author appreciates and values the opinion of readers but we’re strongly discouraged from engaging with readers and thank them for their reviews on publishing sites.
The authors of Our Author Gang celebrate and appreciate the readers by posting our favorite reviews between September 10 and 22. Every day a different author of the group posts about their books and quote from their readers’ favorite reviews.

Thank you for your interest in our books and happy reading!


My Favorite Reviews
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I love this review because the reader loved the book. It was also my first five star review ever. And hey any time a fantasy author is compared to another well known series its a feather in their cap. 

"The Rashade has similar tones to books such as Deltora Quest and Game of Thrones as the main characters set on an adventure where there are tombs, priestesses and sword fights that will leave the reader on the edge of their seat in anticipation. Epic battles crossed with a burning desire to destroy an evil man will mean the reader will be captivated until the very end.

Not everybody is who they seem and I thoroughly enjoyed the progression of each character as we learned more about their life through the unexpected relationships that develop. The characters come from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from soldiers to priestesses to mages- humans who possess magical powers and mysterious grey eyes. Romance, swordsmanship and magical weapons will intertwine into a plot line that is consistently entertaining." ~ Literary Titan 
The review was removed from Amazon but you can read the entire review on their blog here.


I love this review because I was able to make the reader fall in love with a type of book she didn't normally read. Out of all four books in the set she picked my favorite to rave about too. 

"Book 3: Asher is king of the region. He rules with his partner, Hayden, a male too. They balance each other’s dragon and it’s a good partnership. In a move to solidify things with the South, Asher and Hayden agree to marry Skye as part of a peace treaty. But all is not as it seems and together Asher, Hayden and Skye must unleash their inner dragons for the betterment of the realm. A steamy male-female-ménage filled with twists and turns. I normally don’t read ménage but thoroughly enjoyed this one. There’s plenty of conflict but also sexual tension. The ending was superb!

Favorite Story: White Hot Ash. I love the dynamics between Asher and Hayden. It’s like they’re one soul in two bodies. Skye is a fab character with untapped strength. Loved it!

My Rating: 4.5 stars" ~ N.N. Light  You can read the full review on Amazon or on her blog





This review is short and sweet. You can feel how excited the reader is and she makes you want to read the book to.

I found this story to be original, fleshed out, and imaginative. I'm so impressed by the author's ability to write a balance of bad-ass militaristic action scenes, and meaningful inter-character connections. I enjoyed the contrast of cultures and other planets, the depth took my imagination to some awesome places. ~ Keisha Fladrick Goodreads Review


If ever you find yourself wondering if you should write a book review, the answer is yes. Whether you feel compelled to share your experience or not, go ahead and write that book review. It will mean the world to a hardworking author and will help a reader decide if it's the book for them. As a reader, I know I appreciate it when someone has come before me and shared their experience.

Be sure to come back tomorrow to read more of Our Author Gang members' favorite book reviews and read previous posts here: OneTwoThreeFourFiveSixSeven and Eight


Click to read more posts in our Blog post Gallery

#bookreviews #appreciation
COMMENTS

Toi Thomas

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
These are great reviews. It's always nice when someone tries something new or different and enjoys the experience just because it's you or your work.
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Toi Thomas via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today, Rebecca Tran shares some of her favorite book reviews over at #OurAuthorGang.
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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today on #OurAuthorGang, author Rebecca Tran shares with us some of her favorite book reviews. Check it out!
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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Rebecca Tran shares her favorite reviews in the ongoing series on #OurAuthorGang. Great books, fantastic reviews, how can you go wrong?
 
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Ruth de Jauregui

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great reviews!! Too bad about the one being removed, but that's the hazards of the Zon. So glad you saved and shared it!!
 
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Joe Bonadonna

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Excellent reviews, Rebecca! It's a great feeling, isn't it? Congratulations!!!
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Chris Weigand

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great reviews. I will have to add The Rashade to my TBR list
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Chris Weigand via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today check out some of Rebecca's favorite reviews.
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Cindy Smith

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Congrats on such great reviews.
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Cindy Smith shared this via Google+

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Erika M Szabo shared this via Google+

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Erika M Szabo

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great reviews Rebecca! Especially this one, it makes me want to read your books: "I'm so impressed by the author's ability to write a balance of bad-ass militaristic action scenes, and meaningful inter-character connections."
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Nikki McDonagh

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Some really wonderful reviews here Rebecca. Well done.

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