Monday 16 July 2018

Review of 'The untold Tale' by J. M. Frey

One of the better things about being a reviewer and reader for Voracious Readers Only is that I am offered books and can chose which ones I will read and review. The drawback is that the books are all e-books and I like a real book to read in bed. Technology and I still fight and it takes determination to read on my Blackberry when I have to tap several times to turn a page or I touch the screen and we fly back to the beginning or another chapter. Still I  have found several good books to read despite the techy problems.

'The Untold Tale' is an interesting fantasy read. The setting - which I won't talk too much about for fearing of spoiling the surprise - is nicely original. The male MC, Forsyth Turn, is interesting if a trifle annoying at times.  He does wimp on about being a wimp. The female lead, Pip, is also irritating at times too,  but this adds to her stroppy nature and makes her more 3D. The plot is a lovely mix of all the old fantasy plots turned upside down and therefore turned into humour. There are some delightful moments of comedy, especially on the so-called Quest.

My one complaint is that so much was stuffed into the plot that we were in danger of mental indigestion, but that's more a writer's POV as I'd have liked some tighter editing, for example of the feminist thread, which was belaboured at times. This is the first of a series so I sympathise with the author in that she must get enough of the themes and characters she will work on later established now. But she writes a good character and her dialogue is apt for each character.

If you like fantasy and want a different one for a change, give this novel a try. It's a fun read, there's enough in the plot to make one think, and it is funny, more so if you know the typical fantasy plot lines and so can see where the mickey is being taken.