I thought it
best to make more of an effort with my blog so please tune in more often. The
thing is I only use it to post short stories and don’t get much time to plot
them all. So here goes with a more “book review,” set of posts where I write
about some of my favourite reads. They will include the mainstream and the
self-published, novels, short stories, fiction and nonfiction, comics, graphic
novels, books my kids enjoy and well, anything really; no borders here; whatever I feel like (my blog my prerogative alright?!)
What better
place to start than the book on my kindle that I’ve just finished, “Isle of the
Cipit,” the first in a series of “legend-seeker” stories by Nancy Brooks. Last
year I invited all the authors I was in contact with online, set up a
Facebook group to produce “I am not Frazzle!” my charity anthology and one of
them that was keen was an author called Cecily Magnon. Cecily asked if her friend
Nancy could come aboard and boy was I honoured to have them both contributing a story;
not really being aware of their writings at the time I took a chance and it
paid off.
Cecily wrote
a marvellous self-contained story while Nancy contributed a more character driven
piece which she told me was inspired from a character in her first book, which was a delight to come across when I read it, felt like I'd met an old friend! Naturally then I was
keen to read this first book. I guess you could say I would naturally want to
praise any of the work of the contributors to Frazzle and therefore my criticism
would be bias; maybe there is some truth in this but seeing as Nancy has just received
word that a Hollywood movie director is scripting a film based upon her next
book, “In a Drink,” it has to hold some credit, quite a lot really.
So here is the review I gave on Amazon and
Goodreads of which both Nancy and her promoter liked it so much he messaged me
to ask if he can quote it for some marketing at her book signing in the Barnes
and Noble bookstore in Stockton, CA. I was flattered, if slightly annoyed that
although my words have reached the sunshine state I have never made it to California!
“Ouch! Fell
off my sofa again. I don’t blame the company that designed the thing though,
no, I blame that Nancy Brooks. The Isle of Cipit is the first in a series of
what the author calls “legend-seeker,” stories and boy does it deliver. Taking
the term “on the edge my seat,” to a whole new, dangerous level this book needs
some kind of health warning on it, it’s a gripping, adventurous and emotional
roller-coaster ride of which all Hollywood directors should be forming a queue
to script into a blockbuster. Fluid and realistic writing takes us away to El
Salvador with a group of American student Anthropologists hot on the trail of
the legend of El Cipitillo, a childlike demon popular in El Salvador.
Throwing an
alternative storyline of a harsh plot of ex-soldiers on a treasure hunt into
the mix and the action kicks off. When the two groups are unwillingly merged
together on an island with a romantic twist all hell breaks loose, quite
literally. Nancy pushes the suspense and
horror to the maximum with convincing dialogue, exquisitely crafted narrative
and accurate descriptions. It puts you right in the hot seat with the
characters all the way to the end and tips you to very brink of craving for
more. I fully intend to give in to that craving and become a Nancy Brooks
fanatic and if you read this book I would wager that you would do the same. A highly
recommended read!”
I thought I would
have to do a bit of research into El Cipitillo as having no real knowledge of
El Salvadorian legends; he is listed on Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cipitio
); now I’m just keen to see what other legends Nancy can introduce me to. Also it
paints an amazing view of life in the country, I felt as if I was really there
despite my lack of knowledge about the place and that, in my opinion makes that
good writer an exceptional one.
I was shocked to see that I was the first to post a review on amazon.co.uk; have I been the first in Blighty to discover a living legend?!
So, I think that sums it up really, check out her work, its gripping stuff.
Oh and before I leave you in peace; if you liked
this idea of me babbling on about my favourite reads please let me know by
commenting and liking as it will spur me onto to write more.
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