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Reader Praise for The Ironwood Staff
A lady of mystery, known only as 'M', has this to say about The Ironwood Staff:
If you like Tolkein (The Lord of the Rings), Lewis (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), or Carmody (Obernewtyn Chronicles), this book is a must. It clothes the best narrative/plot tools used in the above books in a new and comely garb. Let me try to elaborate without giving too much away (I don't want to spoil your fun with it!)...
There are elves and goblins, sorcery and abilities, nature and travel (in fact, almost a safari in your armchair!), war and love... The African-inspired universe is a clever twist on the scenery, the descriptions are excellent, and the book comes with its own map (oh, yes, every REAL new world needs a map!) and a glossary. And believe me, you need the glossary. Hamilton has such an imaginative brain that pretty much everything important has a new name (don't let that put you off, it all makes perfect sense within the parameters of that world), and there is even an entirely new but totally cohesive system of deities...
The main character, Tomas, is likeable, and - as many heroes before him - he sets off on a journey throughout the pages of this book. It's a heroic journey of growth and transformation (though I would have liked his character, not just his ability, change a bit more, perhaps as strikingly as his body), underpinned by the very real and personal struggle with evil. The encounters with darkness are breathtakingly immersive thanks to the "language Ability" Hamiton possesses. It sucks you in with its own magic of brevity and accuracy.
I hope there will be a need for a reprint in future, edited to smooth out the 15 or so typos that have crawled into the text (mostly a missing space after a full stop, so not too bad for close to 300 pages! So it did not merit me taking a star down for it). And yes, a blog accompanies this universe too.
And you know, I think she's absoutely right! Get your copy today, folks!
If you like Tolkein (The Lord of the Rings), Lewis (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), or Carmody (Obernewtyn Chronicles), this book is a must. It clothes the best narrative/plot tools used in the above books in a new and comely garb. Let me try to elaborate without giving too much away (I don't want to spoil your fun with it!)...
There are elves and goblins, sorcery and abilities, nature and travel (in fact, almost a safari in your armchair!), war and love... The African-inspired universe is a clever twist on the scenery, the descriptions are excellent, and the book comes with its own map (oh, yes, every REAL new world needs a map!) and a glossary. And believe me, you need the glossary. Hamilton has such an imaginative brain that pretty much everything important has a new name (don't let that put you off, it all makes perfect sense within the parameters of that world), and there is even an entirely new but totally cohesive system of deities...
The main character, Tomas, is likeable, and - as many heroes before him - he sets off on a journey throughout the pages of this book. It's a heroic journey of growth and transformation (though I would have liked his character, not just his ability, change a bit more, perhaps as strikingly as his body), underpinned by the very real and personal struggle with evil. The encounters with darkness are breathtakingly immersive thanks to the "language Ability" Hamiton possesses. It sucks you in with its own magic of brevity and accuracy.
I hope there will be a need for a reprint in future, edited to smooth out the 15 or so typos that have crawled into the text (mostly a missing space after a full stop, so not too bad for close to 300 pages! So it did not merit me taking a star down for it). And yes, a blog accompanies this universe too.
And you know, I think she's absoutely right! Get your copy today, folks!
