Official Review: The Wizard of Nod by Anthony Jones

Please use this sub-forum to discuss any fantasy or science fiction books or series.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
User avatar
Eric Morris
Posts: 121
Joined: 10 Sep 2014, 11:42
Favorite Author: Brandon Sanderson
Currently Reading: The Other Daughter
Bookshelf Size: 82
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-jacnthabox.html
Latest Review: Acts of the Shaddai by Anthony Jones
fav_author_id: 4040

Official Review: The Wizard of Nod by Anthony Jones

Post by Eric Morris »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Wizard of Nod" by Anthony Jones.]
Book Cover
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


The Wizard of Nod is the second installment in Anthony Jones’s Bloodline Chronicles. I had the pleasure of reviewing the first book in the series, The Sword of Goliath, and I was extremely excited when I received this opportunity. It is a given that most follow-up novels fall short of the expectation placed upon them; sequels are, in large part, segues into a final installment. However, The Wizard of Nod did not give that impression; I believe it was the better of the two books in The Bloodline Chronicles. I will reference this feeling throughout the review as I believe it is the deciding factor for my rating. I was impressed by the level of improvement in craft almost as much as I was the thickening of the plot and abject lack of fluff.


The Wizard of Nod picks up some months after the conclusion of The Sword of Goliath, and Jake and Stephen, the Shaddai Paladins, find themselves back in San Quentin prison. Before they can get comfortable, however, they are tasked with recovering another of the twelve holy weapons used by the angels to fight the armies of darkness. The minions of Lucifer, the Grigori, have discovered the resting place of the Staff of Moses and will stop at nothing to obtain it. Jake and Stephen, along with their Shaddai brethren, embark on this quest unaware that a new evil is rapidly growing and threatening to tip the scales of power. Mordred, the most powerful wizard in the wicked realm of Nod, the son of Melchizedek, is ready to wage war with the Host of God, and even the raw might of Moses’s staff may not be enough to stop him. Even the immortal and deadly Paladins of the Shaddai cannot stop Armageddon…


Like The Sword of Goliath before it, The Wizard of Nod is a story crafted around famous biblical characters and events. Although the author takes many more liberties this time around with the historical accounts of the Book of Genesis, he still displays a keen sense of reverence for Holy Scripture and does not rely on debunked speculation or mythos. Mr. Jones’s story lies just behind the veil of mystery that causes us to wonder at the unexplained passages of holy Christian and Jewish text. He even weaves a bit of Arthurian legend into the tale, just for fun. I was highly impressed by the level of detail that went into aligning legends from different time periods and peoples, and I found myself smiling at the amount of A-Ha! moments as one legend was used to explain the other. Anyone interested in speculative religious fiction will have a blast with this book.


As sequels go, The Wizard of Nod is a good read. One of my biggest rules of thumb, though, is how well a series novel can stand on its own. Having read the first book, I knew what pertinent information to look for in judging whether or not a reader could follow the entire story without first purchasing The Sword of Goliath. Mr. Jones did an excellent job, through conversation and flashbacks, of bringing new readers up to speed without boring those already in the know. So, as novels go, The Wizard of Nod is an excellent read. Although I would strongly advise reading the series in order, it is not necessary to do so in order to understand the plot and relevant occurrences from the first book. Furthermore, as I mentioned earlier, the writing is better by leaps and bounds. The Sword of Goliath is far from bad, but The Wizard of Nod just propels Anthony Jones to a new level of storytelling.


The only strike against this novel is that the editing is not as crisp as it was in Jones’s first book. Given the quality of his first book, it almost seems as though this one was rushed through the publishing process without a critical read-through. There wasn’t enough wrong to detract or distract from the story, but I really thought it could have been better. Little things like a character’s misspelled name or improper capitalization shows me that no one has set down with the intention of seriously poring over this book for potential errors.


Errors considered, I rate The Wizard of Nod 3 out of 4 Stars. I absolutely loved it. A better editing job would have garnered the book 4 Stars without a doubt. Adult fans of Rick Riordan or Kate O’Hearn should have no problem finding themselves utterly engrossed in the world of the Shaddai. Likewise, those who enjoy Dan Brown or even (dare I say) Cassandra Clare should walk away satisfied. I am eagerly awaiting the third, but hopefully not final, installment of The Bloodline Chronicles.

******
The Wizard of Nod
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like jacnthabox's review? Post a comment saying so!
Tell me something...You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?
User avatar
kandscreeley
Special Discussion Leader
Posts: 11682
Joined: 31 Dec 2016, 20:31
Currently Reading: Believarexic
Bookshelf Size: 486
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kandscreeley.html
Latest Review: The Elf Revelation by Jordan David

Post by kandscreeley »

Nice review. This book sounds intriguing. I never used to have enough to read. Now I'm finding too much. Thanks.
A book is a dream you hold in your hands.
—Neil Gaiman
User avatar
kimmyschemy06
Posts: 2598
Joined: 20 Oct 2015, 20:49
Currently Reading: The Searching Three
Bookshelf Size: 694
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kimmyschemy06.html
Latest Review: Kazi Boku by M. Poyhonen

Post by kimmyschemy06 »

Sounds like a a great book. I like that it is a standalone novel. The fact that the story is crafted around famous Biblical characters makes it very interesting to me. Great job on the review.
User avatar
Wasif Ahmed
Posts: 662
Joined: 19 Sep 2016, 22:00
Favorite Author: J.K. Rowling
Currently Reading: The Face of Fear
Bookshelf Size: 110
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-wasif-ahmed.html
Latest Review: Sigfried’s Smelly Socks! by Len Foley
Reading Device: B00THRCA6E
fav_author_id: 1778

Post by Wasif Ahmed »

Seems like a little bit of editing is all it is going to take to make this a splendid read. Nonetheless, your insightful review fascinated me so I am going to add this into my Want To Read Shelf.
Congratulations to the author on creating such a great series!
When people say you've changed, it just means that you have stopped living your life, their way.
User avatar
greenstripedgiraffe
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 836
Joined: 22 Oct 2015, 10:47
Currently Reading: The New Strong-Willed Child
Bookshelf Size: 274
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-greenstripedgiraffe.html
Latest Review: Swarm by Guy Morris

Post by greenstripedgiraffe »

Sounds like a compelling story. I love that famous Scripture characters are central to the plot. Thanks for the thoughtful review!
"no one down here" --- Up the Down Staircase
Latest Review: Swarm by Guy Morris
User avatar
LivreAmour217
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 2043
Joined: 02 Oct 2014, 12:42
Favorite Author: Too many to count
Favorite Book: Ditto
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 294
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-livreamour217.html
Latest Review: Island Games by Caleb J. Boyer

Post by LivreAmour217 »

Thank you for this detailed review. This series sounds very enjoyable!
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." - Albert Einstein
User avatar
Yung Lunyard
Posts: 2
Joined: 08 Mar 2017, 02:02
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by Yung Lunyard »

Re:Official Review:The Wizard of Nod by Anthony Jones
#7 by Yung Lunyard

Wow, what a wonderful book i really enjoyed it...thanks.
User avatar
Ajames
Posts: 1
Joined: 08 Mar 2017, 04:07
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by Ajames »

Wonderful I like it
User avatar
doris michoro
Posts: 1
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 04:56
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by doris michoro »

Iam so excited about the book and lam trying to read it all
User avatar
Lincoln
Posts: 260
Joined: 25 Nov 2015, 11:49
Favorite Author: Stephen King
Currently Reading: The Very Loving Caterpillar
Bookshelf Size: 48
Publishing Contest Votes: 9
fav_author_id: 2376

Post by Lincoln »

Thanks for the review. It sounds super interesting and anything about wizards is right up my alley!
Lincoln's book, Raven's Peak is the OnlineBookClub.org April 2017 Book of the Month.

View Raven's Peak on Lincoln's website.

View Raven's Peak on Bookshelves
User avatar
BestReviews
Posts: 60
Joined: 03 Jul 2017, 04:02
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 2">Walking In Blind: A Collection of Poetry</a>
Bookshelf Size: 15
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bestreviews.html
Latest Review: "That Place of Knowledge" by Philip Alan Shalka

Post by BestReviews »

The story line sounds fascinating. A must read. Thank you
BestReviews
Latest Review: "That Place of Knowledge" by Philip Alan Shalka
User avatar
Kelebogile Mbangi
Posts: 913
Joined: 28 May 2017, 05:20
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 123
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kelebogile-mbangi.html
Latest Review: At Day's End, I'll Always Be Me by Jerry A. Greenberg

Post by Kelebogile Mbangi »

Very true, sequels are often disappointing. The way you described the plot of the book though makes it clear that this is a great read!
"And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!" - Dr. Seuss
User avatar
Akunne blessing
Posts: 3
Joined: 31 Jul 2017, 05:23
Bookshelf Size: 0
Reading Device: 1400697484

Post by Akunne blessing »

The Wizard of Nod is the second installment of the Bloodline Chronicles. It continues the story introduced in the Sword of Goliath. The characters are believable and the plot has a lot of twists. A must read for fans of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series and those interested in urban fantasy stories of angels and demons. Anthony Jones's sophomore book is better than the first and shows that he is progressing into a fine author. I'm looking forward to reading more from him.
User avatar
Gunnar Ohberg
Posts: 153
Joined: 13 Nov 2017, 18:08
Currently Reading: The Nix
Bookshelf Size: 48
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gunnar-ohberg.html
Latest Review: Lemoncella Cocktail by Rene Natan

Post by Gunnar Ohberg »

This was an excellent review: thorough without giving anything away. While it seems like this book might be a little too fantastical for my tastes, I applaud your analysis of it.
User avatar
Jackie Holycross
Posts: 1622
Joined: 15 Apr 2018, 23:16
Currently Reading: The 7 Experiment
Bookshelf Size: 306
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-teacherjh.html
Latest Review: 20 World Religions and Faith Practices by Robyn Lebron

Post by Jackie Holycross »

I find the idea of a fantasy story with the Biblical narrative woven in very interesting.
Post Reply

Return to “Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books”