Official Review: Last Entry by Rick Will

Please use this forum to discuss historical fiction books. Common definitions define historical fiction as novels written at least 25-50 years after the book's setting.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Post Reply
MarisaRose
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 1444
Joined: 03 Sep 2016, 15:34
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 665">Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</a>
Currently Reading: The Family Upstairs
Bookshelf Size: 435
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-marisarose.html
Latest Review: The Magic Shard by eelonqa K harris
Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU

Official Review: Last Entry by Rick Will

Post by MarisaRose »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Last Entry" by Rick Will.]
Book Cover
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


Last Entry by Rick Will is an intellectual, Arctic adventure with a slight sci-fi twist. The novel follows Mike Borden, a graduate professor of archaeology, and his students as they embark on an adventure of a lifetime. At first, the expedition to Banks Island, located in the Arctic, appears to be an archaeologists dream; the team finds more artifacts and historical sites than they could have fathomed. Unfortunately, not everything goes as planned and Mike and his students find themselves in a grave predicament. Filled with engrossing details about the Arctic, Last Entry entwines past and present stories of risk taking expeditions into one chilling tale.

Will’s writing is thorough, yet imaginative. Last Entry is chock-full of factual information about Arctic exploration. Meticulous details about wildlife, climate and past inhabitants are provided throughout the novel; even descriptions of how to fend off a polar bear attack and the exact amounts of food needed to survive an extended time in the Arctic are provided. Though there is a ton of information contained in the pages of this novel, the author manages to inform the reader in an interesting manner without taking away from the overall story.

Unfortunately, the book could have used another editorial review as there were quite a few grammatical mistakes throughout. Although the errors were not entirely distracting, they were apparent and sloppy. Noticeable errors included incorrect wording and sentence structure.

Though I liked a great deal about Last Entry, there was one major flaw. It isn’t until about 75% of the way into the novel that the story becomes exciting! The first three quarters of the book are nice; the dialogue is good, the informational sections are long yet interesting, and the character development is adequate. However, nothing substantive actually happens. The first half of the book entails the lead up to the expedition, focusing on what the students will be studying during the expedition as well as the physical preparation for the mission (e.g. gathering of food and supplies). Once the team arrives on Banks Island, a good portion of the book is spent explaining their day to day activities, which really aren’t that exciting; the scientists find a couple of cool archaeological sites to study and see some wildlife. It isn’t until the very end of the novel that the pacing revs up and critical events and conflict start to emerge. The last fourth of the book was by far the most enjoyable, although it felt rushed.

From the beginning, Last Entry has the appearance of an exciting tale of perilous adventure. Unfortunately, the absence of any climactic events or conflict until the last segment of the story was a disappointment. Though the plot structure was lacking, there were enjoyable aspects of Last Entry, namely the well communicated factual information about the Arctic and the events the characters face at the books conclusion. For those reasons, I rate Last Entry 3 out of 4 stars. Fans of adventure stories and those interested in Arctic exploration may find this book interesting.

******
Last Entry
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like MarisaRose's review? Post a comment saying so!
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 an interesting book for people who are passionate about exploring, but probably not a favorite for me. It also sounds as though it has some really good potential, if the author tightens up the first part and expands the exciting parts :) Thanks for the review!
"no one down here" --- Up the Down Staircase
Latest Review: Swarm by Guy Morris
MarisaRose
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 1444
Joined: 03 Sep 2016, 15:34
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 665">Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</a>
Currently Reading: The Family Upstairs
Bookshelf Size: 435
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-marisarose.html
Latest Review: The Magic Shard by eelonqa K harris
Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU

Post by MarisaRose »

greenstripedgiraffe wrote:Sounds like an interesting book for people who are passionate about exploring, but probably not a favorite for me. It also sounds as though it has some really good potential, if the author tightens up the first part and expands the exciting parts :) Thanks for the review!
Definitely a ton of potential! I really enjoyed the author's writing style and the ending of the story. Thanks for taking the time to read my review :)
Annelore Trujillo
In It Together VIP
Posts: 591
Joined: 29 May 2016, 22:01
Currently Reading: Strong Heart
Bookshelf Size: 169
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-annelore-trujillo.html
Latest Review: NOAH by Naazir Aram Musa

Post by Annelore Trujillo »

It's too bad that there were errors in the book. Other than that, it sounds like a pretty good book. Great job on the review!
MarisaRose
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 1444
Joined: 03 Sep 2016, 15:34
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 665">Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</a>
Currently Reading: The Family Upstairs
Bookshelf Size: 435
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-marisarose.html
Latest Review: The Magic Shard by eelonqa K harris
Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU

Post by MarisaRose »

anneloretrujillo wrote:It's too bad that there were errors in the book. Other than that, it sounds like a pretty good book. Great job on the review!
Thank you! And yes, the overall story is quite good!
User avatar
Insightsintobooks
Posts: 299
Joined: 29 Oct 2016, 10:44
Bookshelf Size: 21
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-insightsintobooks.html
Latest Review: "Gates to Tangier" by Mois Benarroch
Reading Device: B00IKPYKWG

Post by Insightsintobooks »

I love archeology and exploration. This book sounds like one I might be interested in. Thank you for the review.
Latest Review: "Gates to Tangier" by Mois Benarroch
MarisaRose
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 1444
Joined: 03 Sep 2016, 15:34
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 665">Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</a>
Currently Reading: The Family Upstairs
Bookshelf Size: 435
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-marisarose.html
Latest Review: The Magic Shard by eelonqa K harris
Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU

Post by MarisaRose »

Insightsintobooks wrote:I love archeology and exploration. This book sounds like one I might be interested in. Thank you for the review.
Hope you enjoy it if you give it a try! :)
User avatar
Marika Tabone
Posts: 52
Joined: 30 Apr 2017, 15:24
Currently Reading: Lost Bastards
Bookshelf Size: 25
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-marika-tabone.html
Latest Review: From Drift to SHIFT by Jody B. Miller

Post by Marika Tabone »

Thanks for the review. I have never been to the Arctic and would like to now more about life their. I am also passionate about history so your review enticed me to add this book to my bookshelf!
User avatar
kandscreeley
Special Discussion Leader
Posts: 11683
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 »

Well, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't read this book since it doesn't become exciting until 75% of the way through. Sounds like an interesting concept, but it's just not for me. Thanks for the review though!
A book is a dream you hold in your hands.
—Neil Gaiman
User avatar
godreaujea
Posts: 304
Joined: 20 Oct 2016, 13:37
Currently Reading: Station Eleven
Bookshelf Size: 347
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-godreaujea.html
Latest Review: Island Games by Caleb J. Boyer

Post by godreaujea »

Sounds like an intriguing concept, but due to the number of errors and lack of plot structure, I think I will pass. Thanks for the honest review!
Post Reply

Return to “Historical Fiction”