Official Review: The DrakonCore by J. R. Urie

[Nathrad Sheare]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The DrakonCore" by J. R. Urie.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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A thousand years ago, in our very galaxy, there were technological advances made on other planets that in the minds of humans on Earth were possibilities far, far away. We, the people of every astronaut's jewel, always seem behind every other race in our progress toward the utilization (and complete consumption) of every known resource, but even if we are close to ruining only one planet of the millions in the Milky Way, all the little green men and lizard people of places as yet solely dominated by themselves will never write as good of books about us as we write about them, so ha, ha, HA! What? If you're reading this, you know it's true. J.R. Urie's novel is a story about the lizard people, one that is mysterious, action- packed, and just political enough to keep us ticked off at the villains.

Nineteen pages of the book are all I got when I clicked the "download" button, but as every critic knows, the first twenty pages or so give a reader most of what a reader needs to decide whether he should continue or not. Writers in the genres of fantasy and science fiction have a hard creative life, the store of stories about scaly creatures that talk and buy laser guns at garages having nearly busted apart by now, but Urie has braved the competition and given his readers some fiction that shows teeth despite its noticeable amateur qualities.

Three "fleshly" primary characters have been introduced here, one Governor of Draxas of Amarika: Bourbon lover and powermonger, one King T'rue: materialist and power have-er, and one Maryla: trained gun and bringer- downer of giant sand-dwelling reptiles. Each of these Urie has established and exposed to the possiblity of gradual change and further development. Urie's Lucas- esque worlds are characters in their own right, affecting the plot as much as any of the chattering pro- and ant- agonists. It's obvious what each of these characters wants, and there's atmosphere in the words 'bearing the breath' of all involved.

As I've mentioned, this draft of the novel, whilst brimming with creative concepts, is left in want of professional qualities. Misspellings, grammatical errors, and clumsy sentences (the very first sentence being among these) abounding, the piece can be difficult at times to navigate. Sure, there's enough imagination in it to make a guy interested in trying to, but my advice to the up- and- coming science fiction master I've here met is simple: Keep an eye on phrases and errors. Fluidity is important, and even if a reader has to take a few moments to "get into the groove" (Some writers like to make a reader work a little. David Mitchell, anyone?) the work of an artist of language must be readable.

I see a lot of potential in Urie's work. A little further editing might put the bestseller list within this novel's reach. Perhaps we've seen elsewhere some of the plot tricks and personalities that move it along, but I don't think Urie has to worry about harvesting ideas. There is a lot of imagination here. With a little extra kneading, the recipe will rise as intended. I rate "The Drakon Core" 2 out of 4 stars.

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The DrakonCore
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Like Nathrad Sheare's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Cee-Jay Aurinko]

@Nathrad Sheare, you have a knack for writing quality reviews. I enjoyed reading all of your reviews thus far.

Why do authors rush their work? The plot sounds intriguing, but I'm a reader who likes quality above everything else. Some books on Kindle are like that raw chicken you buy at the restaurant. Looks good on the outside, but inside... jeepers.

[dhaller]

Good review. I might focus a little bit more on simplifying your prose - the first paragraph of your review seemed a little more complex than necessary. Other than that, good job.

Also, I agree with Leon above. Sometimes kindle books are scary bad when you open them.

[literarycat]

Great review. Very precise and knowledgeable. Thanks for sharing

[Cee-Jay Aurinko]

@dhaler I don't know why authors put novels out that they aren't ready to be published yet. I don't like calling a writer's work bad, but sometimes that is the word to describe their work.

[Nathrad Sheare]

Thank you guys so much for your support! These things aren't easy to write, are they? Ha, ha! I go through at least four or five drafts before finishing. I appreciate all the positive feedback!