Novel: Face of Glass
Author: Damon L. Wakes
Genre: Historical Fantasy
How I found this book: I participated in a Facebook giveaway event, where I offered to read and review a speculative fiction novel on my blog as a prize. Damon L. Wakes was the runner up.
Amazon book description:
In ancient days when the island was new, the three elements–Mountain, Sun and Moon–came to threaten Man.
One by one, the hero SutaKe challenged these great figures, and with his cunning conquered them. The island now is ruled by Man alone, and SutaKe’s legend lives on through the ages.
But when a foreign merchant brings a new element–Steel–to the shores of the island, legends alone are not enough to resist it. A young slave, ParuMe, seizes the chance to claim an ancient power, and with it his freedom. However, this power comes at a terrible price: it threatens everything he had hoped to gain.
What’s not in the blurb: Well, it’s kinda in the blurb, but I thought this story was very unique as it mixes ancient times with magic. So many fantasy novels take place in what seems like the middle ages, and this is the first I’ve read that takes it further back in time.
As I writer, what I really enjoyed and appreciated: I loved how the author created a world of characters with naming conventions to reflect their title. For Example: The character name ParuMe. The “Me” at the end refers to him being a slave. If the last letters were “Ke” we’d know his title was a King. I just felt this was clever. I also admired the author’s world building and the description he uses to describe his world. Not overly done, but just the right amount to take you into the past without slowing down the story’s pacing.
Who’d enjoy this book: Readers of historical fantasy.
My overall impression: Ever read a book and wonder how the author came up with all the stuff written on the pages? Well, this was one of those books for me. Maybe it’s because I don’t usually read historical fantasy, or perhaps it’s just because the author has a extra-imaginative mind. If you want to be carried away into the past with warriors and warlocks, this is the book for you.
About the author: Damon L. Wakes is an MA student at the University of Winchester, and writes just about anything that springs to mind. Though he does produce novels, he has had greater success with his short stories, a handful of which have made it into print. As well as promoting his own books, he hopes to share the work of others who are under-read, under-appreciated, or just plain awesome.
Where to find this novel:
- Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DEOF1C6
- Amazon UK : https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00DEOF1C6
Other books by Damon L. Wakes:
- OCR is Not the Only Font
- Osiris Likes This
- Red Herring
- Bionic Punchline
- Robocopout
- Ten Little Astronauts This is a crowdfunding project. For more info, check out this video. Pledging to support Ten Little Astronauts is more than just buying a book: it’s an opportunity to bring that book into the world. The novella is already written, but it needs your help to make it into print. Of course, there are also rewards for supporters, ranging from digital copies of the book all the way up to limited edition prints of the cover art. And as every pledge helps Ten Little Astronauts towards its goal, the names of all supporters will be included in every edition of the book.
My disclosure: I hate star ratings. Honestly, I think these are so subjective and sometimes reflect the reader more than they do the book. Because this is my blog, and I can do anything I want, I’m not using them. I think ANYBODY who puts the time, effort, and dedication to write and publish an entire novel deserves a big KUDOS.
