Official Review: Realm Journey by Ben Schneider

mmm17 · Post by **mmm17** » 23 Jul 2019, 09:03

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Realm Journey" by Ben Schneider.]

4 out of 4 stars

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In Realm Journey, written by Ben Schneider, readers follow the epic adventures of a brave medieval knight as he sails through mysterious wormholes to impede an evil, other-worldly invasion of his native kingdom of Topoli, which is already suffering under the bloody reign of the shady King Felix IV. Sir Xandar faces arduous battles and struggles to escape the attack of a deadly vessel called the Death Bell. The main character needs to find the Dolphin Key, an artifact that can block the wormholes and impede the savage Haybians from raiding his world.

The novel's best aspect, in my opinion, is its set of remarkably well-developed characters. The charming and intrepid Sir Xandar is a lovable and heroic protagonist. But I also grew particularly fond of Pencerous, an all-around good guy who was simultaneously a sage, a talented alchemist, and a cutting-edge scientist. Additionally, I enjoyed the delightfully subtle love triangle involving the protagonist and two multidimensional, strong female characters – Priscilla and Jia. The story has a great rhythm to it, and I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. But no spoilers are allowed!

The author’s writing style is elegant and engaging, and he masterfully mixes medieval fantasy and science fiction. Kings, knights, squires, drawbridges, and citadels get woven together with cosmic energy, wormholes, and parallel universes to create an imaginative plot. I had great fun looking for the exact meaning of words such as adze, baldric, coif, dais, loincloth, and solleret.

But most of all, I thought Schneider did an excellent job of portraying the medieval characters’ sharp-witted reactions to the wonders of science and space-time travel. The underlying good humor is an important feature that consistently adds color to the story. For instance, I laughed at Xandar’s witty remarks about knights becoming obsolete because guns – “a much smaller cannon” that “a man can easily hold in his hands” – will be invented shortly.

For the reasons above, I rate Realm Journey 4 out of 4 stars. I found it to be an imaginative and fun novel to read. It was also well edited. Although I did find a few minor errors in it, mostly related to comma usage, they did not detract from the reading experience. I cannot think of a noteworthy negative aspect to mention regarding this book. I highly recommend it to fans of medieval fantasy adventures, regardless of their age, especially if they also like a bit of science fiction. Readers who prefer more realistic novels might not like it so much.

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Realm Journey
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Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 24 Jul 2019, 23:28

This book sounds like it was written just for me. I am a fan of both sci-fi and fantasy. Mix in heroic knights AND a love triangle, and I'm hooked. I so wish this was on my list to review! I would accept it in a second! Thanks so much for the review. I would never have found this book without it!!

Brandt · Post by **Brandt** » 24 Jul 2019, 23:30

This sounds wonderful! I've been in a kind of medieval mood recently and this sounds right up my alley! I'll have to check this one out. Thanks for the review!

Gathoni1991 · Post by **Gathoni1991** » 25 Jul 2019, 06:16

A well written review. I will definitely check out the book. How many pages though?

Wyland · Post by **Wyland** » 25 Jul 2019, 06:23

I am glad to note that even in an ultramodern society medieval knights are held in high regard and tasked with the responsibility of detering evil. Thanks for your wonderful review.

Letora · Post by **Letora** » 25 Jul 2019, 07:59

This sounds like quite the mix of fantasy and sci-fi. I always think it's a bold move to write with the two genres so close together. Great review!

Post by **kandscreeley** » 25 Jul 2019, 08:37

I don't read a lot of books that have medieval characters, but I do like a book with good character development. That definitely makes this one more attractive. You make it sound intriguing, so I'll have to look into it a bit more. Thanks.

Erin Painter Baker · Post by **Erin Painter Baker** » 25 Jul 2019, 11:11

I kind of cannot wait to read this book. It sounds wonderful. I love that for once our love triangle is one guy and two girls.

kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 25 Jul 2019, 11:57

You draw readers into this story with your wonderful descriptions of the characters, their world, and their language! This looks like an intriguing read! Thanks for the recommendation.

T_stone · Post by **T_stone** » 25 Jul 2019, 12:24

A book with a well-blended mix of sci-fi and fantasy sounds interesting. The character development in this book seems amazing. Thesis for the review.

mmm17 · Post by **mmm17** » 25 Jul 2019, 15:45

Gathoni1991 wrote: ↑25 Jul 2019, 06:16 A well written review. I will definitely check out the book. How many pages though?

Thank you for your comments! The book has about 400 pages.

mmm17 · Post by **mmm17** » 25 Jul 2019, 15:47

esp1975 wrote: ↑25 Jul 2019, 11:11 I kind of cannot wait to read this book. It sounds wonderful. I love that for once our love triangle is one guy and two girls.

mmm17 · Post by **mmm17** » 26 Jul 2019, 12:52

kdstrack wrote: ↑25 Jul 2019, 11:57 You draw readers into this story with your wonderful descriptions of the characters, their world, and their language! This looks like an intriguing read! Thanks for the recommendation.

Thank you for the kind comments!

AnxiousSocks · Post by **AnxiousSocks** » 27 Jul 2019, 05:30

I'm intrigued and impressed by the way you described the writing style! Strong well-rounded characters are my favourite thing about a book. Thanks for this review!!