Review by jenjayfromSA -- A Kingdom Forgotten

[jenjayfromSA]

[Following is a volunteer review of "A Kingdom Forgotten" by Charles W. McDonald Jr..]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

In the science fiction/fantasy epic A Kingdom Forgotten Charles W McDonald Jr has chosen to boldly go where few authors have gone before.

The time runs from thousands of years ago to the near future - all at once. The place ranges across at least three worlds and spaces between – all at once. The characters include kings, mages, swordsmen, the undead, SS soldiers and any number of luscious, curvy ladies wearing very little to nothing at all.

The plot? It could be about light and dark, good and evil or even heaven and hell. Perhaps. There are magic spells, enchanted swords and crystal crowns. There are modern-day hi-tech firefights and references to Armageddon and the End of Days. Presumably McDonald knows where his story is going, but at this point (at the end of the first book with at least three to come), I haven’t a clue. I assume that is the way he wants it.

The story is told in snippets, hopping around like a flea on a hot plate, now here, now there. Names buzz around like mosquitoes and I quickly lost track of who was who, where and when. The confusion only started to clear around the halfway mark and most of the characters still have mystery attached. The most interesting is undoubtedly the darkest, Damon the mage/devil/altruistic hero/damned. He has black eyes, chiselled features (they all do) and no respect for human life (except those with lush bosoms).

The author has obviously put a great deal of thought, research and imagination into his epic and is enjoying himself immensely. I found it both intriguing and annoying. I was tempted to give up when I bogged down yet again in grandiose descriptions, especially those involving transparent gowns, silken thighs and sapphire eyes (sorry, but there are a lot of them), only to have my attention re-captured by a tense bit of well-told drama.

Part of the annoyance is that this yarn desperately needs a proofreader. While the author does have a deliberately florid style, especially in the magic bits, there is no excuse for missing words, sentences that don’t end and commas scattered like confetti against all the rules of grammar.

This is a brave attempt to tell a story differently, opening a portal to include a much vaster canvas than most can squeeze between the covers of a book. It’s a challenging read and should probably only be attempted by those well-versed in the fantasy genre. I give it 3 out of 4 stars.

******
A Kingdom Forgotten
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords

Like jenjayfromSA's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Manang Muyang]

Hi, Jenjay! Your review gave me a great feel of the book. Lush bosoms, indeed, make for respectability lol!

I wonder whether the author can lure more readers like you, who seem to understand his motives for this series.

[readandsmile]

Hello, your review makes me already I've finished reading the book. Nice review. It makes me feel to read that book.