# Mythic Scribes on Mythic Scribes



## Map the Dragon

I would put this thread out there for one purpose - to serve as a place for fellow Mythic Scribe members to review the works of other Mythic Scribe members. Now, I know we have the Showcase Forum, but that is different. Here, if at all possible, I would like to place reviews of published pieces (traditional or self-published). There are several authors here who have novels published, and even more with short stories. So, if you're a published author and another Mythic Scribe agrees to review your work, this would be the perfect place.

Then, and only if Black Dragon wants, he can pick those reviews that he likes or that represent certain published pieces and post those reviews as articles on the home page. It could serve a few purposes. One would be to help the author, marketing, etc. Another would be to add another article element to the front page. 

I hope this works for everyone. If so, maybe an admin here can even make this a sticky so it stays at the top of the page. 

If you plan to write a review, but haven't yet, you can reserve a spot. Simply reply to the thread and write in "Reserved for ________'s review of ___________." Then whenever you have the review written, you just have to visit this thread and hit EDIT on that reserved post and you can cut and paste your piece.


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## Map the Dragon

*Map the Dragon's Review of The Chronicles of Trayvian James, Book 1: Dreamworld, by Brian Wood.*

As published on the main page of Mythic Scribe. Click the link above.
Brian Wood is Mythic Scribe member Trayvian James.


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## Map the Dragon

Reserved for Map the Dragon's review of Flank Hawk by Terry Ervin. (Reading now and already enjoying my time killing Zombies with Krish)

*Reading in Progress/Review in Progress


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## Kaellpae

I like this idea. I only know of Flank Hawk. I don't know where to find the books of the published authors here.


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## Black Dragon

I like this idea!

One alteration is necessary, though.  If someone is interested in having their review appear on our home page, please send it to me via the contact form rather than posting it in this thread.

If the review is posted here, and then also on our home page, that can cause problems for us.  Google penalizes sites for "duplicate content," so we need to play it safe.  For that reason it is also necessary that the review only appear on this site, and not be published elsewhere on the internet.


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## Map the Dragon

Kaellpae said:


> I don't know where to find the books of the published authors here.



That's another reason I like this thread. To help us know this. So, authors of MYTHIC SCRIBES, if you have any type of work published and wouldn't mind someone reading and reviewing, PM me with the title/author info and genre and I will post it here.

Here is what I have thus far: (alpha by title)

*NOVELS:*

Dreamworld by Brian Wood (Mythic Scribe Trayvian James)
Firesoul by Frank LaVoie (Mythic Scribe Map the Dragon)
Flank Hawk by Terry Ervin (Mythic Scribe TWErvin2)
Weaver's Web by Bets Davies (Mythic Scribe CicadaGrrl)

*Short Stories:*

Accelerated Justice by Terry Ervin (see notes at top of page 2 of this thread)
Battle of the Ageless by Wood and LaVoie


*Poetry:*




*Artwork*:




*Other:*


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## Kaellpae

I definitely want to read anything that Mythic Scribes members have published, not quite sure about reviewing though.


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## Trayvian James

I'm down to do some reviews. I've already read Firesoul (and loved it), but I would love to read Flank Hawk. Maybe we'll do a trade? I'll take Map the Dragon's copy when he's done and I'll have one sent out to Terry? Just let me know.


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## TWErvin2

I've had seven short stories published with an additional two forthcoming. They've appeared in anthologies (print/electronic), magazines and ezines. Several have also been published more than once as reprints.

I've had thirteen articles on writing published with an additional three forthcoming. All have been printed online, some reprinted.

*Flank Hawk* is my only published novel, although the sequel (Blood Sword) was just given the thumbs up by my publisher earlier this week. I'm working hard to get it ready for a late Fall release.

I'm not sure listing the stories and articles in this thread would be appropriate. Members/Visitors to Mythic Scribes could find information at my website (listed in my signature below). If it turns out to be okay, I have no problem listing them all here.

*Map the Dragon* and I have already exchanged novels. I am currently reading *Firesoul* (Map's novel) with an eye toward providing a blurb, in addition to a review. *Trayvian James*, I will send a PM to you with regard to the novel exchange you suggested.

Also, where ever the list of Mythic Scribes Novel/Short Story/Poetry/Art/Other authors is posted, listing the screen names next to them might be handy for members, as they may not match the author names. For example:  my screen name is TWErvin2, my author name is Terry W. Ervin II. Members may not make the connection.

I'd also like to say to members of Mythic Scribes. Reviews are very valuable to authors on several levels: 
--It provides input. Authors do pay attention to what reviewers write. They may not always agree, but if there is a trend among reviewers...
--It provides a reader's opinion for other potential readers to consider when thinking about obtaining a copy of a work
--It provides a sale. This is important to authors (beyond the financial aspect--and if you've studied up, authors do not make big bucks off of an individual sale). Even if the author's work is very good, if it doesn't sell adequate numbers a publisher isn't going to pick up their next work--or possibly any publisher for that matter.
--It provides potential for word of mouth, or for the readers to share the work, or obtain a copy for a gift to another, etc.
--It provides an avenue for books to be placed. If a bookstore/chain gets orders for a certain novel they are more likely to stock it. (some of this depends on how the novel is distributed/returnable etc.)
--It brings an author's work to the attention of potential readers who otherwise might not have run across or considered reading the work.

In addition, many members here are writers working toward getting their works published. Someday those writers may be in the same situation as the currently published members of Mythic Scribes.  That doesn't mean you should feel obligated. Maybe epic fantasy isn't your thing but urban fantasy is. Don't obtain the epic fantasy. But if a novel's description makes it appear to be one you would enjoy, consider going for it.

And honestly, I don't think authors are going to hang around on forums because they think it's gonna sell a lot of their books. If that's the goal, it's really not a very efficient use of time. I personally hang out here and on a few other forums to answer questions and do what I can to help other writers improve and achieve their goals. And because I enjoy conversing with readers and writers that have similar interests.

Just my two cents.

Terry


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## Black Dragon

I've made this thread a sticky, and am 100% behind this effort.

As I said above, if someone wishes for their review to appear on the home page, please send it to me via the contact form before posting it here.  That will help us to avoid a duplicate content problem.

If a review is sufficiently in-depth and well written, publishing it on the home page would be the best way to go.  It will get far more attention that way, and I want to drum up as much publicity as possible for our published authors.

But if someone prefers to publish their review in this thread, by all means do so.

In either case, do use this thread to state your intention or desire to review an author's book.  Posting such intentions in this thread will help build some momentum.


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## TWErvin2

*"Accelerated Justice"*

My short story "Accelerated Justice" has been published by _Strange, Weird and Wonderful Magazine_ in its Summer 2011 Issue.

It's a near-term SF story and first in the issue (not fantasy). _SW&W Magazine_ also interviewed me (accessed by the main page): http://www.strangeweirdandwonderful.com/

If you're interested the issue is here: http://www.strangeweirdandwonderful.bravehost.com/3Site/Summer11.pdf  (Note: the link opens a PDF file)

If you do read it, hope you enjoy ithe story.


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## Map the Dragon

Thread Update: Check the first page of this thread for a link to the first review. It is also published on the Mythic Scribes home page. Happy reading and leave a comment at the bottom of the article!


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## Map the Dragon

Any updates? Any mythic scribes that have been published in literature or art that are not noted on the first page of this thread? PM me if there are.


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## CicadaGrrl

*Weaver's Web review*

My book, Weaver's Web, has just been published, and I would love a review.  I can send it to you in kindle or paper format.  Below is a blurb:

Eclectic, sarcastic Weaver, an inner city Oakland high school teacher, knows she’s seen it all and just wants to go home after a bad day of student crises.  On the way for her longed for chocolate ice cream, she learns two things she didn’t know before.  Vampires are real.  That thing where you make a cross with your arms doesn’t work.  When the vampire, Jamie–who is nineteen or 391, depending how you count–stops laughing, he tells her a whole lot else she doesn’t know.

Weaver and her twin brother Sam don’t have a weird genetic defect.  They are changeling sidhe–full sized elves with attitude–only twin sidhe are doomed to death at birth.  Someone’s thinking twenty-five years too late isn’t too late.  Weaver and Jamie must save Sam.  Along the way, Weaver learns her reality was a myth, because myths are reality.


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## Trayvian James

Congratulations! Did you self-publish or go traditional? The story sounds pretty interesting.


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## Kelise

I had a look around for it, and it shows that you've posted quite a bit on GoodReads? I've always heard that if you're going to publish, to take down as much (if not all) that you can of drafts or final copy that you've put online, so I just thought I'd point it out in case you'd forgotten it was there


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## Map the Dragon

Updated the list on page 1.


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## MosesSiregarIII

Thank you for starting up this thread, Frank.

My first novel, _The Black God's War_ (Amazon Goodreads) came out last month. I'd love to have a Mythic Scribes member review it. I'd be happy to send out a free kindle or epub.

Short blurb:

Against the backdrop of epic warfare and the powers of ten mysterious gods, Lucia struggles to understand The Black One.

Her father-king wants war.

Her messianic brother wants peace.

The black god wants his due.

She suffers all the consequences.


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## TWErvin2

*Mythic Scribe *Folks,

Gryphonwood Press recently released *Blood Sword*, the second novel in the _First Civilization's Legacy _series.

Although the second novel in the series, it's written like the first (*Flank Hawk*) as a standalone novel (that feat was bit tricky in itself).

If you enjoy fantasy and action adventure, it might be up your alley. 

If you're interested in more information on either of my novels, you can you can follow the link to my website in the signature below, or this link: Info for *Flank Hawk *and *Blood Sword*


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## Black Dragon

TWErvin2 said:


> *Mythic Scribe *Folks,
> 
> Gryphonwood Press recently released *Blood Sword*, the second novel in the _First Civilization's Legacy _series.
> 
> Although the second novel in the series, it's written like the first (*Flank Hawk*) as a standalone novel (that feat was bit tricky in itself).



Congratulations, Terry!!  That is awesome news.


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## zizban

In the next few months I'll have two stories, "Ouroboros", a fantasy novella from Booktrope and a non-fiction piece from Weaving Dreams Publishing.


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## Sparkie

*The Swordsman of Carn Nebeth:  A Review by Sparkie*



Map the Dragon said:


> I would put this thread out there for one purpose - to serve as a place for fellow Mythic Scribe members to review the works of other Mythic Scribe members. Now, I know we have the Showcase Forum, but that is different. Here, if at all possible, I would like to place reviews of published pieces (traditional or self-published). There are several authors here who have novels published, and even more with short stories. So, if you're a published author and another Mythic Scribe agrees to review your work, this would be the perfect place.



And so, in the spirit in which this thread was created, I will now post a review of a story by one of our own.



The Swordsman of Carn Nebeth:  A Review​


	A mysterious hooded man with a sword across his back walks down a road leading to a tiny village.  A small boy working in a field sees the man and alerts the adults nearby.  A few men stand their ground, call out to the stranger, and await his answer…

	Sound familiar?  No need to worry.  Tristan Gregory (aka Mythic Scribes own Telcontar) is writing this story, and he doesn’t disappoint.

	Now, to be fair, I should say that I picked up this title because I like Telcontar, and I knew this would be a short read.  Honestly, I wasn’t sure how good it was going to be.  When downloading self-published works on Kindle, you buy at your own risk.  I’ve purchased some unreadable dribble in the past.  I now know not to expect the next ‘Name of the Wind’ when perusing KDP stuff.

	So I was surprised when, after reading a few pages, I thought to myself “Hey, this doesn’t suck!”  I was even more surprised when, a few pages later, I thought “Hey, this is actually pretty good!”

	The story revolves around the relationship between William, the young narrator, and Coary Billwell, the titular swordsman.  From the moment Coary arrives back in his hometown of Carn Nebeth, William is fascinated with him, or at least the idea of him being some kind of returning hero.  Over the course of time, however, William learns that heroism isn’t quite what he thought it was.

	William works very well as a narrator.  He displays an innocent sort of wisdom in his telling of the story.  But the real character here is Coary.  His words and actions paint a picture of a good man who’s seen too much bad in the world.  He’s tired, but not so tired as to give up his skill with a blade totally.  A few side players such as Havel, a dim hunter, Abe, William’s father, and the nameless scarred antagonist round out a good, if a somewhat skeletal, cast.

	While this tale is classified as fantasy, it lacks some of the more classic elements of the genre.  No magic wands, mystical beasts, or cities in the clouds here.  They’re simply not necessary.  Tristan Gregory sets out to tell a story his own way, a fantasy rooted deeply in reality.

	This approach works with the overall earthy tone of the story.  For the most part, the events all take place in the hamlet of Carn Nebeth, and Gregory displays an understanding of how a “small town” type of story works.  While using far fewer words than the likes of Richard Russo or Stephen King (two writers who can do the “small town” thing about as well as anybody), Telcontar shows us that a little village is more of a group of people than it is a place.

	Before I bought this novella, I was reading a dark slog of an epic fantasy novel.  Y’know, the kind of book where, when you reach the halfway point, you think to yourself “Alright, halfway through now.  Maybe I’ll finish this thing after all!”  This tale was just what I wanted, needed even.  If you want a quality read that you can start and finish in a night, this is the story for you.


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## Chilari

I have reviewed The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J Sullivan on my website (link in sig). Review copied here for ease of reading:

The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J Sullivan is the story of two accomplished thieves-for-hire, Hadrian and Royce, who, after accepting the wrong job, find themselves caught up in political machinations and framed for murder. They are propelled into an adventure which leaves the reader guessing who’s behind it all and wondering how the story will be resolved.

It is an enjoyable story with some fun, interesting characters and a plot which, while familiar in themes, feels fresh. There are some cool high-fantasy elements – doors that can only be opened by people wearing magical jewellery, an ancient war against elves, a mechanical-genius dwarf and an ancient, unaging wizard – but the story still felt down-to-earth, very real and solid.

The prose can be, at times, a little clunky; exposition is introduced in the dialogue of a character called Myron, a young monk with encyclopedic knowledge of history, giving Sullivan a transparent shortcut when such elements need to be divulged. Nothing is held back, all information about the situation being clearly stated to the reader at the first opportunity where it is relevant, leaving no mystique and sapping the suspense, such that by a short time before the final climactic moments, all of the who and the why is answered, leaving only the how.

Sullivan has a sufficiently inventive story, though, that the how does manage to carry it – Hadrian and Royce are frequently unpredictable, their solutions clever and tidy, making it impossible not to root for them.

The story is fairly straightforward – while there are, at times, nuances that leave the reader guessing, Sullivan dispenses with complicated side-plots or subtle undercurrents and political webs, making the story accessible and easy to read.

Overall, I’d give The Crown Conspiracy 7/10.


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## Philip Overby

I wrote a review for our fearless leader Black Dragon's new book about characters _The Mythic Guide to Characters._  You can find it on Amazon or Barnes&Nobles.  Please check out the links for the full review, but the short version is here below:

1.  Loved the analyzing of different ways to develop characters
2.  Great, pertinent examples from fantasy literature and popular culture
3.  Easy, accessible language and explanation of concepts
4.  Link to Character Sheets for applying the book's contents
5.  Overall informative and interesting read for anyone who loves fantasy, or more specifically, fantasy writing (which is why we're all here  )

Check out the full reviews:

Amazon.com: Profile For Philip Overby: Reviews

BARNES & NOBLE | The Mythic Guide to Characters by Antonio del Drago | NOOK Book (eBook), Paperback


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## Sparkie

Thanks, Phil!  I also got to read _The Mythic Guide to Characters,_ and it's good.  Real good.  Check out my review here:

Amazon.com


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## BWFoster78

I'm behind.  I haven't even opened it yet.

Hopefully this weekend.

So much time, so little to do.  Wait.  Stop.  Reverse that.


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## Sparkie

BWFoster78 said:


> So much time, so little to do.  Wait.  Stop.  Reverse that.



I love that movie.


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## Sparkie

*My Review of The Rage Within by Kassan Warrad*

One of the primary aspects of Fantasy fiction that keeps drawing me back to the genre is world building.  For me, it creates a sense of discovery that no other kind of story is capable of producing.  Kassan Warrad has created a fascinating world, and he shows us a little piece of it here in this bit of short fiction.

The Rage Within is the story of Aulog, a commander of a group of Dagoran berserker warriors called Ragers.  The main events of the story revolve around a battle to defend a helpless village from an invading army.  Typical Fantasy stuff, sure, but Warrad manages to write it nicely and give us a look at his Call of Heroes setting in the process.

The first chapter feels a little heavy to me, like Warrad tried to pack too much material into too little space.  I got the main points contained within, however, so I found no real problems there.  The second chapter is where things start to get fun.  I like well written battle scenes, and I came away from this one liking what I read.  The third and final chapter wraps up the story while providing, I think, the best glimpse of Aulog as a character.

Admittedly, I did have a passing familiarity with Warrad’s Call of Heroes universe before reading this tale, having visited the dedicated website on occasion.  While having prior knowledge of the setting is not necessary to enjoy the book, it did help in my case.  After finishing the story, I got the feeling that what I’d just partaken of was a smaller part of a whole.  That said, The Rage Within is an awfully good slice.


p.s.  Here's a link to the book on Amazon.com


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