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Aelfric - Bloodied Spears reviews (including stinkers) - JMWinspear - 12 Feb 2012 11:48 AM
Okay, I'm going to post reviews of my book here, and I promise to include any stinkers just for a laugh. So here we go.
4.0 out of 5 stars Aelfric bloodied spears,29 Jan 2012
This review is from: Aelfric – Bloodied Spears (Aelfric Saga) (Kindle Edition)
I really enjoyed this book It is not my normal reading material but I can’t wait for the next book. Keep up the great work
4.0 out of 5 stars A good start to a series,16 Oct 2011
This review is from: Aelfric – Bloodied Spears (Aelfric Saga) (Kindle Edition)
Just finished the book and it was good. Aelfric – Bloodied Spears is a solid start to a series that should prove to be a great story arc. Well worth a read. Looking forward to future stories.
4.0 out of 5 stars A fast paced fantasy adventure,11 Nov 2011
This review is from: Aelfric – Bloodied Spears (Aelfric Saga) (Kindle Edition)A fast paced fantasy adventure that trots on at a fair clip. I enjoyed it enough to want to know what happens to the characters in the next installment; and would hope that the next part of the Aelfric sagas is a little longer and develops some of the ancillary characters from this volume – such as Aelfwen and Amnura. All in all a good read in the fashion of old-school 1930s pulp fantasy.
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read.,1 Dec 2011
This review is from: Aelfric – Bloodied Spears (Aelfric Saga) (Kindle Edition)I loved this story, it gripped me from the start, swept me along at a gallop and left me wanting more! I look forward to the next installment and getting to know the characters better. A longer story next time please – all the more for me to enjoy!
Imani Bey rated it
I must admit I was not impressed with Aelfric of the Bloodied Spears. The plot is rushed, as is the conflict. There is very good description of the surroundings. But sentences often lack structure. The character’s faux medieval dialect makes the story dense. The heroism and etiquettes are high flown, pretentious and melodramatic. While heroes, Aelfric in particular, are often shallow, angsty and Gary Stu, villains are often stereotypical. The hero does little for himself and coincidences just buffet him about to good and bad fortune and to hasty romances. Amateurish pornographic descriptions and poorly done, vulgar innuendoes plague the story. An overdone Robin Hood theme seems to lead the story. All in all, considering the standards of modern writing, I’d give it a generous three star rating.
5.0 out of 5 stars A ripping good yarn,
This review is from: Aelfric - Bloodied Spears (Aelfric Saga) (Kindle Edition)
A good tale, well written, that held my interest from start to finish. Well worth 5 stars and I look forward to part two.
RE: Aelfric - Bloodied Spears reviews (including stinkers) - JMWinspear - 17 Mar 2012 03:16 PM
Latest Review.
5.0 out of 5 stars Our Hero, March 15, 2012
By Paul Kendall (UK) - See all my reviewsThis review is from: Aelfric - Bloodied Spears (Aelfric Saga) (Kindle Edition)
Aelfric-Blooded Spear
By J M Winspear
I came across the author and this book on twitter. I read a few pages intending to read the whole book in one go latter on. Well I was immediately drawn into Aelfric's story. He is set up by his evil step father and sold into a kind of slavery. From there on you end up rooting for him. I loved the style of writing a combination of modern and old English with some rarely used words sprinkled around. American readers however may find this difficult to follow but it's worth it. (Get the free sample on kindle and that's that problem solved) The big attraction of the book for me was the haunting ghost like quality of Aelfric. The fantasy aside the book is bleak and realistic.
Have you ever wondered what your ancestors did 1,500 years ago? If you could follow their lives day to day what would you see? Not a heroic man like Aelfric? Well they were hunters. They had too fight or be made slaves. This book hints at how life was 1,500 years ago. The author is a good writer... I mean he is really good at transporting you back in time to this brutal world mixed with fantasy and reality. Cowards were slaves, most women were slaves and out of this Aelfric emerges as a hero. Women back then by occupation were (i) Strong women independent warriors a few (ii) witches, thousands (iii) whores slash single mothers, millions. Then throw in a goddess or two and that's the world described in this book. Not that different from the world today really. (only joking) My feminists sisters my find this book hard going for that reason..
That's how life was 1,500 years ago.The labels used to stereotype women are enduring. Not a book I would usually read, but I was surprised. I really found it interesting becaue it was thought provoking as well as entertaing . It has some great lines. Will I read the next book? Yes.. I already have it on my kindle.
The review was of the kindle edition
Paul Kendall Leeds UK
RE: Aelfric - Bloodied Spears reviews (including stinkers) - JMWinspear - 14 Apr 2012 02:16 PM
The latest 5* review for Aelfric - Bloodied Spears. Thanks Puddleduck.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Yarn, 11 April 2012
By Puddleduck -
This review is from: Aelfric - Bloodied Spears (Aelfric Saga) (Kindle Edition)
This is a great yarn with good characters, it carries you along from page one. My only criticism is I wanted more.
RE: Aelfric - Bloodied Spears reviews (including stinkers) - JMWinspear - 15 May 2012 06:00 PM
Latest review for Aelfric on Goodreads.
Vanessa Finaughty's review
May 15, 12
Recommended to Vanessa by: It caught my eye.
Recommended for: Fantasy lovers who enjoy fast-paced stories
I own a copy, read count: 1
Aelfric – Bloodied Spears is a nice light read despite the serious storyline, which will leave you contemplating the reasons for war and how daft they are, amongst other things.
Aelfric is forced into battle on the field of Cremen while his sister, Aelfwen, is left to the mercy of the brutal man who betrayed her brother.
The story follows Aelfric’s swift transition from boy to man, and he soon proves he’s more man than some twice his age. Take the desperate need to protect his sister, add the fact that he cannot do this until he’s fought an idiot king’s battles, throw in an evil sorceress with her own agenda, a few monsters, a love-struck queen and a fearsome warrior friend, and you have Aelfric – Bloodied Spears.
Winspear’s descriptions are particularly colourful and original, which probably played a big part in making this such an easy read that I read it in one sitting. The characters’ interactions and dialogue were realistic, enabling me to relate to them easily. My only complaint is that the character who died at the end died far too quickly – he was such a despicable person that I’d liked to have seen him suffer a bit. You will, no doubt, share my sentiments after reading the book.
I recommend this novella to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced fantasy that’s easy to follow, entertaining and well written. It’s worth the money.
RE: Aelfric - Bloodied Spears reviews (including stinkers) - JMWinspear - 29 Jul 2012 08:23 AM
Latest Amazon UK Review
4.0 out of 5 stars Very promising fledgling fantasy 25 July 2012
By D Peers VINE™ VOICE
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase"Aelfric..." is a fantasty novella in the high fantasy vein - up to and including the author's unique writing style, which is what leapt out the page when I started reading this.
Admittedly a little difficult to get used to at first, this style implanted the voices of the characters in my heads and with its fantasy-authenticity, helped the story to carry on at a nice pace.
Like some other reviewers, my only complaint is that I wish this was longer - more of the tense pressure in the Pit of Bo'al or more of the misery of the march after the battle of Cremen. Even, perhaps, linking the sequel (which is just as promising).
But this little grip aside, Aelfric was a satisfying read. For the novella length, the author crammed in well-structured action and likeable (if sometimes formulaic - again not really a criticism, I've read hundreds of fantasy novels, it's tough to be unique in this genre!) characters. Aelfric comes as a recommended read