Dave Dobson

I loved this book. The characters, the setting, the mystery (which I will NOT spoil, not even in spoiler tags, since it's so much better if you can figure it out along with our MC, Jess). All of it. I had so much fun with this book.

I do feel I need to state up front that the CWs are important to be aware of for this book. If I have one complaint about this book, it's that the CWs should have been included somewhere. I think the ideal situation would have been to include a reference to CWs in the note before the book that references the history, and then have the CWs spelled out in the end. Not everyone will be impacted, but since there are war scenes in early flashbacks, I could see this being a problem for anyone who suffers from PTSD.

The plot of this book was really well done. I loved the mystery of Kenai, and getting to figure it out just one small step ahead of Jess at a time. I also really appreciated that this mystery was merely a part of the plot, not the whole plot, and so it got solved relatively early on in the story. The twist isn't completely new, but it's done in a way that I personally haven't seen before, and I appreciated that.

The setting was also really neat, and Dobson made the aliens actually feel like aliens while still being human-like enough in their feelings and motivations to encourage the reader to care about them. After my experience with Kenai, I definitely plan to check out Daros, which is another (standalone) book set in the same universe.

Speaking of characters, Jess (our MC and only narrator) was awesome. She's got a snarky personality and sense of humor, and yet has such a good heart. She's the kind of character I felt I could be friends with, assuming she opened herself up enough to let a friendship develop. She's been hurt (that's part of what the flashbacks are there to show) but still stays good and true and hopeful.

All told, this is a very enjoyable book as long as the CWs are not triggers for you. It has the perfect amount of weirdness and sarcasm, with just enough of a brain twister to make the mystery's reveal stand out. Jess, as "a marine and not a scientist" is the perfect character to lead readers through this new world, letting us find our way in alien territory alongside her.

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CW Spoilers:

While the war and imprisonment are not given a lot of page time in this book, they are present and are descriptive enough to put some readers off. I felt that they were good character development, but if these are triggering things for you, please go carefully.

The grief related to death of loved ones is not shown in much detail, but it is also very much part of those sections of the book. Our narrator works through the death of her parents in a couple of small flashbacks, worrying about what they would think of her. The children that die are the children of a secondary (and non-POV) character. They die quickly and at the same time due to illness, and nothing is shown on-screen. Their deaths are referenced a few times but nothing is given in much detail.

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I read this book as part of the judging process for the 3rd Self Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC3), and while I was provided a review copy for judging purposes I read the book using the version available on Kindle Unlimited. My opinions are my own and do not reflect the thoughts of my SPSFC3 team or the competition as a whole.… (lisätietoja)

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Flames Over Frosthelm

Thank you to Escapist Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book! I voluntarily leave this review!

Marten and Boog thought they were investigating stolen jewels. But when magic erupts during their apprehension of the thief, and said thief quite literally ends up in pieces, they realize things might be a bit more complicated. When they begin to dig deeper into the stolen items and find a possible noble involved in criminal affairs, their guild is quickly silenced. Marten and Boog, ever the dutiful inspectors, continue their investigations despite the order to stop. And they will find there is a lot more at stake than missing jewelry.

The humor written throughout Flames Over Frosthelm is a constant subtle influence. Whether it’s characters sharing witty remarks, or stumbling through actions and creating a sense of slapstick humor. Readers will be sure to let out a chuckle or two at the antics of the characters. While the plot has heavy-hitting themes that follow an overarching mystery, the humor serves to lighten the mood.

The mystery itself takes readers on an investigation of multiple levels. While it seems like a simple enough story of stolen goods, it evolves into a complex string of events. Some of which the characters quite honestly stumble into. Being caught in the moment, trying to put the puzzle together served to engage me in the mystery. There was such a wide variety of characters and angles of involvement. And just as it seems Marten and Boog make progress, another piece falls to drag them back two steps.

Marten does have a tendency to stay in his own mind, mulling over situations and all the possible angles. While this is a great way to showcase his abilities as an inspector, it also tends to produce a lot of upfront information for the reader to process. I think if the large amounts of information were restricted to only Marten’s thoughts, it wouldn’t have slowed the story as much. I enjoyed diving into his thought patterns, but this writing style was used in dialogue and other elements of the story as well.

That being said, the characters are well written. Marten and Boog have a companionship known from their first time on the page together. The way they easily work together and share humorous moments is well worth the read. I especially enjoyed Boog being unable to use his signs correctly and mucking up his signals to Marten. The signals are used to notify a fellow inspector without giving away their positions. And of course, Marten would at first consider the fumbled words seriously, then realize after observation that Boog misplaced a finger again.

Flames Over Frosthelm is a wonderful jaunt into a fantasy mystery. Filled with humorous moments and delightful characters. Give this novel a try if you enjoy detective reads with a fantasy flare.… (lisätietoja)

This is a really long book. I’ve been listening to it for the last couple of days. It’s been an enjoyable few days for sure, but I’m very ready to move on to anything else.

The storytelling reminds me a lot of Bloodlines Reforged saga. It feels like a “buddy cop” (inquisitor) story set in a medieval fantasy world. It’s comedic at times, but it’s not a comedy. The characters are likable, determined, loyal, persistent. Despite bumbling around from one terrible situation to the next, they just keep going. Gotta give ’em credit for that.

The book rarely feels like it has a primary story. It kinda takes a back seat as the protagonists just keep moving from one encounter to another. Think of it like a TV series where the main plot plays out in the background over a number of episodes.

The author did a great job describing the world. The world and the combat are extremely descriptive. Often times I’d pause randomly, do other stuff or sleep for a few hours and pick up where I left off. The world is so well described, I was always quickly able to remember where I was in the story without missing a beat.

I did have to hear the narrator say “onvelope” one too many times. I’m going to lazily recycle this bit of my review from All Your Twisted Secrets: The narrator repeatedly says “onvelope” which drives me crazy. Envelope – envelop. If something were to be enveloped in darkness, you wouldn’t say onveloped in darkness. If you think I’m being nitpicky, you’re goddamn right I am! I can’t stand when people who are supposed to be professional narrators mispronounce basic words. Just search my blog for my mentions of “acrosst”, “carmel” or “farmiliar” to see other examples. I’m getting seriously sick of listening to people mispronounce basic words.

Aside from that annoyance, the character voices are all top-notch. They’re easy to tell apart, each character has their own, distinct voice to fit their personality. The narrator did occasional (rare) sound effects which were nice for immersion, but so rare that it seemed pointless. Maybe sound effects is the wrong word. When a character was spitting out grass or dirt (can’t remember), he made a spitting noise to accompany it instead of just saying it.

NOTE: This copy was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.… (lisätietoja)