Self Published Titles

[GeekDavid]

Noted on the gender.

The novelette is called Wearing the Cape The Beginning. It's Astra's origin story.

Overall, I like the superhero genre, and, though it's hard to tell after a single novelette, I'd put this author as better than the one who wrote Playing for Keeps but not quite as good as Confessions of a D-List Supervillian. I'll definitely be checking out more of his work.

Okay, I believe that's actually the first few chapters of Wearing The Cape, released separately.

I've corresponded with Marion, he's a nice guy. When I found errors in the copy I reviewed, he wanted to know where they were so he could fix them. I'm happy to report he did.

 

[BWFoster78]

Okay, I believe that's actually the first few chapters of Wearing The Cape, released separately.

That actually makes a lot of sense...

Again, thanks for the recommendation. If you liked this and haven't read Confessions (TWErvin linked to it), I'd put it high on your to-read list. So far, it's my favorite book I've read in 2013, and that includes titles by Sanderson and Weeks.

 

[BWFoster78]

Okay, I believe that's actually the first few chapters of Wearing The Cape, released separately.

I've corresponded with Marion, he's a nice guy. When I found errors in the copy I reviewed, he wanted to know where they were so he could fix them. I'm happy to report he did.

Ok, I was prepared to buy this book. Then, I saw the price. $7.99.

I admit I'm cheap, but I'm only willing to pay in that range for my favorite authors. Even though I kinda liked the extended sample that was available for free download, I'm not going to be buying the novel.

 

[TrustMeImRudy]

It isnt Self-published I think, but it is certainly not very well known and is my favorite book.

Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart.
The only place that I think does the book justice with a description is TVTropes, so I'll just quote them.

Bridge of Birds, the first installment in Barry Hughart's literary trilogy The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox, is a fantasy novel taking place in a version of ancient China wherein the regional folk tales and Taoist myths are all true. The gods really do meddle in the affairs of mortals (but subtly, for reasons of etiquette) and minor bits of magic can be found anywhere.
Lu Yu, nicknamed Number Ten Ox because of his birth order and great strength, is a humble peasant living in the village of Ku-fu, content to spend his days farming and assisting with the annual silk harvest...until one year when the abject failure of the harvest coincides with a devastating plague that infects the children–and only the children–of the village. Ox's aunt sends him to Peking with money in order to hire a wise man to solve the mystery, and he winds up with one Li Kao, an antiquated drunkard who keeps company with bandits and thugs. But despite these "slight flaws in his character," Master Li also has a well-developed sense of justice and quite possibly the keenest mind in all China, and he eagerly joins–in fact, he takes command of–Ox's quest to save the children. A quest that ultimately takes them into every conceivable corner of China, into bustling cities and deep caverns and across deserts and mountain ranges, to do business and battle (sometimes simultaneously) with brilliant scholars, horrifying monsters, scheming noblewomen, obsessive businessmen, demigods, and not a few tormented ghosts.
The writing style is lush and poetic yet semi-conversational in tone, featuring devices such as alliteration, humorous exaggeration and understatement, and casual references to Chinese history and folklore. The tone is a wonderful blend of action, drama, comedy, and even romance, along with an engaging theme of mystery and discovery as Ox and Master Li gather and put together the pieces of the puzzle. Although short as fantasy novels go–it clocks in at under 300 pages–it nonetheless contains more story than many a conventional Door Stopper.
Hughart wrote two sequels–The Story of the Stone and Eight Skilled Gentlemen–which have been published in an omnibus edition with their precursor. Neither really lives up to the standard set by Bridge of Birds, although they are still very good.

 

[GeekDavid]

It isnt Self-published I think, but it is certainly not very well known and is my favorite book.

Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart.
The only place that I think does the book justice with a description is TVTropes, so I'll just quote them.

Too bad it's not available on Kindle.

 

[buyjupiter]

It isnt Self-published I think, but it is certainly not very well known and is my favorite book.

Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart.

Master Li and Ten Ox! I remember finding out that there weren't any more stories in this universe and being really bummed out.

@GeekDavid: here's the omnibus version for Kindle: Amazon.com: The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox eBook: Barry Hughart: Kindle Store

All three are worth reading. The humor alone made them fun, but the stories were awesome as well.

 

[GeekDavid]

@GeekDavid: here's the omnibus version for Kindle: Amazon.com: The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox eBook: Barry Hughart: Kindle Store

Wishlisted.

If you don't mind stories that start out a bit rough around the edges (i.e. dialogue and prose not quite as polished as a Big Name Author's), check out The Sorcerer's Path series by Brock Deskins. The first book is The Sorcerer's Ascension, and despite the fact that you can see him honing his skills at writing as the series goes on, he still weaves a pretty good story, IMHO.