Review of The Battle For Laurone

[Ngozi Onyibor]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Battle For Laurone" by Steven Ulysses Allen.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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Laurone is a continent surrounded by other nations with differing technological advancements, capabilities, and interests. Unlike their neighboring countries, the ruler of Laurone, Kristoniverian Holsonae, believes that a nation's strength is its people, not technology or magic. Hence, he balked at talks of modern weapons of warfare or magic. He did his best to rule his people well and ensure good living standards for everyone while maintaining good relations with Laurone's neighbors. Unfortunately, he underestimated the depth of human ambition and greed, a miscalculation that cost him and Laurone more than he could ever imagine.

The Battle for Laurone is a science fiction/fantasy novel by Steven Ulysses Allen. The world of Laurone and its environs is teeming with fantastical creatures, objects, food, and magic. Like many otherworld fiction novels, the book began with descriptions of unfamiliar technology, places, creatures, and names that were challenging to pronounce. Thankfully, the author thoughtfully slowed the novel's pace at the beginning to allow the reader time to get familiar with the world he built and its inhabitants. The slow start helped me get immersed in the world of Laurone before the book's pace picked up.

Another aspect of the novel I enjoyed was that the characters were balanced. There are as many strong female characters as there are male characters in the book. Also, I like the active roles the women played; they weren't just fillers. From Ulanea and Bet'Lana to Mildred and Nyomi, even the short-lived characters had an impactful presence. I especially liked Kelzi. She has a curious mind, and I wish her interest in mysticism was nurtured and allowed to bloom. To me, her character had the most intriguing growth potential, considering her age and curiosity.

Inversely, I found the tone shift about halfway through the book jarring. After a certain point, the narration took on a robotic tone and lost its human feel. The descriptions became overly trite, verbose, and needlessly optimistic. The tone change was utterly unpleasant, as it reminded me of AI-generated write-ups.

Overall, the story was an entertaining read. However, the robotic tone shift and the number of errors I noticed while reading informed my rating of 3 out of 5 stars. The ending hints that the battle is not yet over. Hopefully, the next book in the series will redeem the narrative.

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The Battle For Laurone
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[NetMassimo]

Some classic tropes that transcend the genres are used to create a story that has a potential that needs more work to be fully developed. Improving this novel would benefit its sequel(s), as it would encourage more people to go on with this series. Thank you for your honest review!

[Sandre Lamar]

The Battle for Laurone by Steven Ulysses Allen immerses readers in a richly detailed world. An interesting characters and a thoughtful pace that enhanced the story.

[Slippy Spectrum]

This review gives an in-depth look at the science fiction/fantasy novel, "The Battle for Laurone" by Steven Ulysses Allen. The reviewer appreciates the immersive world-building and the presence of strong female characters. However, they mention a jarring tone shift halfway through the book, and some errors noticed while reading. Overall, they rate the book a 3 out of 5 stars. Exquisite prose, flowed effortlessly and elegantly.

[Mercy Ndungu 9]

Your review of The Battle for Laurone by Steven Ulysses Allen provides a detailed and nuanced perspective on the novel.