Review of Myths of the Mirror

Review of Myths of the Mirror by D. Wallace Peach

As I began reading, it reminded me of The Dragon Riders of Pern that I read and enjoyed so very many years ago. Here in the Myths of the Mirror, in the Old Way, dragons invite humans to ride them bareback in a blending of nature, a harmony of man and dragon. However, in the village of Taran Leigh, greedy governors only interested in “coin,” have undone all this, and as the author says, “They imprisoned the winged dragons of in the black cells of a stone lair. Tormented by spine and spur the once peaceful creatures howl.” Yes, brutality and savagery now reigns, all for the sake of the greedy and not for the villagers.

The story revolves around two young people, Terasa and Conall, who struggle to find their own myths, their own paths through life, though there are additional memorable characters who are critical to the myth story. Part of Terasa’s task is to uncover the secret mysteries of her past, her father, while Conall initially becomes part of the dragon riders of the lair, replete in all its brutality and savage mistreatment of the noble dragons. More of the plot, I won’t reveal, but I do love happy endings. (Hint.)

The tale is very well told. I enjoyed how slowly all of the many pieces of the puzzle were revealed, forming a whole. Note, this is not one of those highly action-filled novels, rather the author is carefully crafting an entire world for our pleasure.

The author has an amazing command of the written word. Every paragraph is filled with highly descriptive words, painting a fascinating world for your imagination to grasp; lush and rich descriptions abound. Reading this novel is like staring at one of those incredibly detailed and realistic Renaissance paintings or, if you prefer, listening to a fabulous Romantic era symphony of sound. Rich and lush hardly begin to describe the author’s writing style. It is like sipping fine wine with every paragraph. This is not a novel to race through, but to savor the marvelously and carefully crafted scenes as they appear. Yes, the story is captivating; the characters, realistic, but I found the poetic imagery breathtaking. I give it my 5-star rating, for this is one novel that you will want to read and imagine…

Vic

Share Button

Debugging C++ Video Lectures 6 and 7 Are Done

Debugging C++ Video Lectures 6 and 7 Are Done

After a long vacation working on my WWII game design, I’ve finally got the next two video lectures on debugging C++ done. They are up on YouTube.

The free source code and videos are also available on the free links page here.

Enjoy, but do let me know what other kinds of debugging situations you would like to see covered.

Vic

 

Share Button

The State of eBook Sales – Independent Publishers Versus the Big 5

The State of eBook Sales – Independent Publishers Versus the Big 5

I just came across a very fascinating article by Hugh Howey that illustrates in detail the current state of ebook sales among publishers. Here’s the direct link. The data was collected from public websites (including Amazon) and is available for download so you can see the raw facts.

Two results struck me the most. First, the Big 5 are making a killing off of ebook sales, while their authors are not! Independent authors are making much more than their Big 5 counterparts. Second, I was amazed at the dominance ebooks are having on the overall publishing world.

If you are an author, you ought to take a look at this article. If you are a reader of ebooks, you too should examine this article. I found it fascinating and educational.

I’m quite pleased that I switched from publishing with the Big 5 when the ebook technology began years ago. I’ve never gone back and certainly won’t now.

Vic

Share Button

Special Promotions

Hi Everyone,

I’ve had a great holiday season. After many test scenarios, we’ve invented a new gaming system that may well work out for my Complete WWII game! And yes, if I ever get that game written and programmed, it will be available here on this site.

Also, I’ve been hard at work on re-editing and producing Kindle mobi editions to accompany the pdf versions of some of my fantasy and science fiction novels, but I still have a long way to go to get them all redone in both formats.

At this point, the Trident series (3 books), the Lindsey Barron series (7 books), and the Elizabeth Stanton series (13 books) are done.

Starting Tuesday on Amazon.com and running for a week (Feb 11-18), I’ve a special $.99 promotion running for all the novels in the Trident series and in the Lindsey Barron series. Grab them at the discounted prices while you can.

Again, if anyone is interested in reviewing one or more of them, contact me right away. I am willing to provide free copies in exchange for reviews.

PS. I seem to be working harder now than before I retired!

vic

Share Button