Review of They Chased The Flame

[Fazzier]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "They Chased The Flame" by S-Robert J Tremain.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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They Chased The Flame: The Other Side of Darkness is a gripping, action-packed prehistoric saga written by S-Robert J.Tremain. Incorporating elements of fantasy, this debut novel begins in Southern Europe in a place called Davinia. Homo sapiens are now the main occupants of Earth, and there are only traces of the Neanderthals, Homo sapiens predecessors. Technology is still in its primitive state, and we are introduced to Garth—one of the Homo sapiens living in Davinia. During one of his day-to-day activities, Garth accidentally discovers the art of making fire, a skill that would one day come in handy in the course of their lives. This story follows the life of Garth and the other Homo sapiens as they utilize this fortuitous discovery—a discovery that also leads to other remarkable innovations in the history of mankind. I greatly enjoyed this adventure.

I also liked how well this novel was executed. They Chased The Flame has pleasantly surprising plot twists. The plot twists were hard to predict before they actually happened, and this is one of the strengths of this book I couldn't help but realize not long after I started reading it. The author also managed to vividly describe various aspects of this novel; the descriptions tease all the five senses and evoke various emotions. The events were also well-organized, and each of them seemed to serve a specific purpose in the story. The number of characters was also small enough, and they were introduced at perfect moments. I liked the aspect since it made the story easy to follow. The characters’ background was also adequately given, and this was done mainly through flashbacks and dialogues. The backgrounds enabled me to understand not only the characters’ behaviors but also what motivated their actions. I also liked the fact that the author was able to exquisitely incorporate archeological facts without ruining the fictional part of the story, and this made this novel interesting as well as informative. Those, together with the humor and the satisfactory ending that answered the questions that popped up as I was reading, enhanced my overall enjoyment of this work.

What I liked the most about this book was how the author portrayed Garth, one of the protagonists. He is one of the reasons I kept on turning the pages of this novel. Apart from his ingenuity, vulnerability, and resourcefulness, Garth is also humble and selfless. His desire for “good for all” was apparent and would make any reader gravitate towards him.

All in all, I enjoyed this adventure of human endeavor. The only negative aspect was the editing issues I encountered. There were several errors, making me believe it was not professionally edited. Another round of proofreading is needed to make it error-free, or at least, minimize the errors. As a result, I am deducting a star to give They Chased The Flame: The Other Side of Darkness by S-Robert J.Tremain a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. If it were not for the editing issues, I would have definitely given it a perfect score.

If you want a fictionalized account of how it might have been for the Homo sapiens to live in the era before or shortly after the invention of fire, I highly recommend this book to you. Fans of fantasy and well-written, character-driven stories will also appreciate this. On the other hand, I can't find anyone I can caution from picking this. I greatly enjoyed it, and I am looking forward to reading more of the author's books in the future.

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They Chased The Flame
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[Jona00baka]

Considering the details in this well written review, am convinced that this is a fascinating book. When the plot has a good twist that you can't predict the next action, it makes me hold onto the book and leave it only when I have finished it.

[Rishi_reviews]

After reading the review I think the book is quite fascinating. The way the author has discussed about homo sapiens seems really enjoyable. Thanks for the good work.

[Shilisia]

I love historic books and what really had me excited is the mention of humor. I can't wait to read this. Thank you.

[Prisallen]

I enjoy informative books when they are entertaining as well, and this book seems to be very good at that. I hope the author cleans up the errors, as it seems to be deserving of four stars once they are. Thanks for an excellent review!