Botulf's Stone Blog

Reposting from Amazon with minor edits Abstract:  A great ending to the series. While there were some instances where the exposition or the author breaking the fourth wall that pulled me out of the story and some aspects regarding characters and the ending were unsatisfactory, overall I really enjoyed this book and love how Kotar ended his series. Definitely worth the journey. Content Warning (highlight to view):   frightening scenes, violence ————— I wish I could give a more accurate score. 4/5 just doesn’t look as good as an 8 or 9 out of 10. When I read book 1 of this series, I seriously considered stopping there. Despite some interesting ideas and world building, there were a lot of issues with execution and clunky prose so that I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue. However, there were some parts, scenes or character choices, that spoke of potential yet unrealized, and I decided to give the next book a chance. Boy am I glad I did! Kotar has truly grown as an author over the ...

Abstract:  My least favorite of the series so far, but still enjoyable.  The narrative is tense and fast paced, with interesting twists, though I can’t say all the plot mechanics were executed as well as they could have been.  I did like getting a story focused on Lebia, and I like how this story connects with the previous book.  The ending is especially engaging as Kotar preps his readers for book 5.  I’m looking forward to where things will go. Content warning (highlight to view):   frightening images, violence ——— We are back with another Kotar novella review, this time for his recently released series book 4,  The Forge of the Covenant .  I actually wrote this about a month ago for an Amazon review, and I was planning to put it off a bit longer, since I’ve had so many Kotar posts so close together.  However, this post is done (with minor edits since posting it on Amazon), and the others I have in the works are not, so here we are.  B...

Abstract:  A good if at times challenging read.  This series combines Arthurian legend, good prose, interesting plots, and likable characters into a strong series of children’s literature.  There are some elements, like certain ideas, I have issue with, and the ending wasn’t quite to my taste, but overall I really enjoyed this series.  The audiobooks are also very good, if that is more to your preference. Content Warning (highlight to view):  frightening images, violence, occasional language- especially in later books, some folk-related events that touch on the occult- in particular in book 3, non-detailed references to sexual assault and adultery in later books ——— I have quite a few thoughts to cover in this one, so I’m just going to jump right in. The Dark is Rising Sequence  is a five-book children’s fantasy series by Susan Cooper set in Great Britain during the late 20th century.  At the series’ start, three siblings  stumble upon an ancient ...

Just a brief note- on March 6th, Lent begins, and I usually fast from personal use of the internet.  This will be the last post until at least April 27th, if not May 4th.  In the meantime, though, I will be working on making and planning some changes to the site, so please look forward to those.  Have a good Lent, and have a wonderful Easter Sunday! Abstract:  A short, convicting book that makes a pretty good argument for receiving the Eucharist kneeling and on the tongue rather than standing and in the hand. Content Warning (highlight to view):  Very, very high church ——— A few weeks ago, I overheard a mother talking to her son saying, “The wine isn’t really blood.”  The grade-school child had just gotten out of his Catholic religious education class, and here was his mother teaching heresy in the school hallway.  For any readers not in the Catholic/Orthodox know, for a Catholic to deny that the bread and wine used in the mass really has been transfor...

Abstract:  This is another short but interesting novella from this series.  In this prequel to  The Song of the Sirin , some questions are answered, others are not.  Otchigen makes for a good focal point, with virtues that are also the origin of vices, and his story gives him a level of humanity that had been lacking. Content Warning (highlight to view):  some violent and frightening imagery, disturbing imagery, an instance of gross-out humor, demonic possession ——— I forgot that this was a blog weekend until a few hours ago, so here’s just a quick review for a quick read.  It’s also the last entry in the Kotar series for a bit (not that I have a choice, since the next book hasn’t come out yet).   The Rusted Blade  is a prequel novella to Kotar’s  Raven Son  series detailing the circumstances leading to the disgraceful absence of Voran’s parents, in particular his father, in  The Song of the Sirin .  As such, there are a c...

Abstract:  A book displaying Kotar’s growth as an author, but which doesn’t quite measure up as a whole to the potential of its parts.  Prose and character writing have improved, and certain ideas introduced in the world building grabbed me imaginatively and intellectually while also allowing the conflict to develop naturally.  Some subplots fall flat, though, as do some character revelations, but overall the multiple plots and characters work well together, and there is no wasted space to be found.  The ending might also be frustrating to some, but there is good payoff for the set up. Content Warning (highlight to view):  violent imagery, non-explicit sexual content, some frightening/grotesque imagery, some mild cursing, demonic possession ——— I don’t know when I grew so attached to Kotar’s world and characters, but I quite enjoyed  The Heart of the World , the third book in his  Raven Son  series.  Before I go on, THIS IS A BOOK IN A SERIES...

This is a revised post from my old blog.  The original post can be found  here . Abstract:  Espionage meets philosophy in the midst of absurdity as a poet infiltrates an anarchist guild to undermine its plans and save England.  The thrilling plot clips along within beautiful prose, and unlike many mysteries, this story remains engaging even on a second read with all the questions answered.  The characters are pretty flat, but whether that is a boon or a doom for this story depends on the reader, and the ending might not sit well for first-time or inexperienced Chesterton readers. Content Warning (highlight to view):  violence, scary images, occasional language ——— The Man Who Was Thursday  is an odd little book by one of my favorite authors, G. K. Chesterton.  A strange tale, a spy-thriller of sorts, in which darkness breeds danger, but does not, in which an investigation into villainous peoples drives the plot, but does not, in which absurdity is...