The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Wolfgang's Castle: Destroying Hitler's Sea Eagle
Because Wolfgang's Castle was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
Ekta Kumari
The storyline depicts the challenges faced by a group of Germans who is determined to impede the Nazi regime. As I'm not into the historical fiction genre, I wouldn't have read the book. However, the thing I liked while sampling is that the author has done a great job at making the read entertaining. What I liked the most is the author's sense of humour that shines through in the writing. I also like the descriptive details about the scenes as I was able to visualise them. I did see one error in this sentence, "In front of him the blur of the propeller and the constant deafening drone of the Merlin engine." I think there should be a comma after "In front of him". I did see an official OBC review. I have only one recommendation to make about the book's format. I would have preferred to have the paragraphs separated by one or two line spaces, which was not present in the Kindle copy. While I've liked the read so far, I won't be reading the whole book as I don't find the genre interesting.
First Ten review added on September 15, 2021, at 5:00 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jeremie Mondejar
The title and the cover photo aren't attractive to me, so I sample this book based on the program. I like the author's explanation that this book has a prequel, and it can be read as a standalone book. I'm not interested in books that are related to Hitler's invasion because I can't dare imagining a gore scenario. The sample has already a stunning scene of a plane that sounds upbeat. This book has an OBC review that presents the book well, but it doesn't affect my decision. Fortunately, the writing style is quite excellent, so I assume this book is professionally edited. The only thing I can recommend for improvement is by making the cover photo into something more brilliant and lively.
First Ten review added on September 15, 2021, at 4:53 am by Jeremie Mondejar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Manang Muyang
That swastika on the cover would have dissuaded me from sampling the book. I did not feel excited to think about Hitler at this time. The sample was, thus, a pleasant surprise. I liked what I read and would have wanted to read on. However, WWII is not pleasant reading for me during the best of times; I don't think I can bear such distress at this particular time. Nonetheless, the author's writing style was amazing: the conversations were natural, and the humor was just right. While there were a lot of wartime slang words, these should not be a problem because the author incorporated a glossary of terms at the end of the book (which was not part of the sample). There may be a need to address the grammatical issues, though. A couple of those I noted follow: The first sentence of Chapter Five was "Come!'" without an opening quotation mark. At 83% of the sample, "Until, that is Archie leapt up and exclaimed" needed a comma before "Archie"; "that is" may also be removed altogether. I also don't like chapter numbers being spelled out; they look complicated that way. The official OBC reviewer gave a great rating; I believe war history buffs will enjoy the book.
First Ten review added on September 15, 2021, at 4:51 am by Manang Muyang.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
va2016
The title "Wolfgang's Castle", and the cover that shows a castle indicate that the book is about historic times. There are only 2 Amazon customer ratings, which is not a sufficient number for me to decide if I should sample the book or not. The Amazon summary clearly states that the book is about the war between the Nazis and Britain. As I am not interested in war stories, I would have skipped sampling the book if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing the protagonist flying an airplane. As I got interested in the narration, I am going to read this book in full. I found the sample professionally edited. There were no grammatical or mechanical errors. What I liked most about the book is its wonderful narration. I don't have any suggestions for the improvement of the book. Although I found one OBC review of the book, my decision to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on September 15, 2021, at 4:51 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mercy Bolo
Judging by the cover, this book looks like it is set in the middle ages, and that didn't inspire me to read it. The OBC review dissuaded me when it mentioned that the story revolves around rebels trying to overthrow Hitler's government from the inside. That storyline doesn't appeal to me, hence I won't read the rest of the book. When I read the first ten pages, I liked the author's descriptive language since it drew me into the scenery. I noticed no errors in the text, so I will conclude that it underwent professional editing. There's nothing I disliked about the bit I read, so I wouldn't change anything about it.
First Ten review added on September 15, 2021, at 4:41 am by Mercy Bolo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Howlan
I do not think that I would have read this book without the program as I do not prefer reading a book without reading its prequels first. In the first ten pages, we are introduced to an RAF pilot who photographs a German countryside and catches a suspicious object. Then we are introduced to Sergent Prosser who is PI instructor who is training his recent batch. I do think the plot is excellent and I love reading WWII fictional stories in general, so I find the plot intriguing. The narration was also fast-paced and easy to understand. I liked the concept but I am not going to buy and read the rest of this book as I have not read its prequel story. No typos were found in the first ten pages. I found nothing to improve in the first ten pages. The Official OBC review is present and the reviewer rates it highly.
First Ten review added on September 15, 2021, at 4:32 am by Howlan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sou Hi
The cover is alright, but there are not many ratings on Amazon. Since the blurb and the official review from OBC are promising, I decided to give the sample a try. The sample begins with four aerial photos taken by a pilot. While they are considered significant, they are wrongly stamped and become training materials. Jenny, a Photographic Interpretation trainee, discovers something in one of those prints. However, her instructor dismisses her opinions.
I like the book's context and the war theme. The editing looks good, and I have no suggestions for improvement. Still, the plot is not really suspenseful, and it is a bit too predictable. I will need more of the content to see if I should read the rest of the book. For now, I won't buy it.
Error example: As for the dirty great long white streak on the water behind the vessel, it was clear as a bell that the alleged wake was nothing more startling than the reflection of an oddly-shaped cloud patch on the surface of the water, and I told Miss Brainbox so to her face.' -> I think the hyphen is not needed between "oddly" and "shaped". It should be "an oddly shaped cloud"
First Ten review added on September 15, 2021, at 4:21 am by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
xsquare
I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction, so I wouldn’t have sampled this book if it hadn’t been part of the First Ten program. The official OBC review did not convince me. I liked the exciting start and the character of Jenny Wilkins. I did not see any typos, and I don’t think that there was anything that the author could have done better. However, historical fiction doesn’t really appeal to me. As much as I appreciated the author’s desire to maintain historical accuracy with the glossary of jargon and slang, I found it hard to read the book sometimes as there would be too many unfamiliar terms in a sentence or paragraph. I don’t think I will be reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on September 15, 2021, at 3:51 am by xsquare.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Justine Ocsebio
I wouldn’t have sampled the book based on the blurb, as I wasn’t interested in the premise. I like the fact that this can be read as a stand-alone alone novel, despite being a part of a series. The book begins with a man inside a Spitfire doing reconnaissance work. I disliked nothing, and I didn’t see anything that needed improvement. I wasn’t intrigued by the sample that I’ve read, so I decided not to read the entire book. The text is well edited. The OBC review helped influence my decision.
First Ten review added on September 15, 2021, at 3:01 am by Justine Ocsebio.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shrabastee Chakraborty
The cover conveyed a dark and ominous mood. Based on the genre and the official OBC review, I would have read this book. I didn't find any error in the first ten pages. They described a pilot nearing the Nuremberg when he suddenly noticed an aircraft. I loved the lucid writing and a feeling of foreboding that the author could convey even in these initial pages. These made me want to read more. I couldn't think of anything that required improvement. I would gladly read the book.
First Ten review added on September 15, 2021, at 2:27 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
TheMazeRunner
As I could read in the sample, this book is the second one in the series. It is about defeating Nazi army and Hitler himself. I wouldn't sample this book because I don't like history. I will not read the rest of the book because I don't like the story. I found no errors in the book. I like the cover of the book because it represents the darkness of the story behind it. I wouldn't fix anything in the book, and this book has the official OBC review.
First Ten review added on September 15, 2021, at 2:03 am by TheMazeRunner.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Dzejn_Crvena
When I saw the cover and blurb, I wouldn't have sampled this book outside this program because I already read enough books with similar genres. I like that there's a glossary of unfamiliar words. However, I couldn't use it in the sample. The protagonist was flying above the clouds and was looking for a suitable spot on the ground so he could take a photo of something. Honestly, I had trouble understanding more than half of it because of many technical terms. The OBC review didn't convince me to read further. The book seems professionally edited, but I suggest a more readable font of the title and author's name on the cover.
First Ten review added on September 15, 2021, at 1:21 am by Dzejn_Crvena.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jennifer Donovan Smith
I would have sampled this book based on its subtitle. I adore World War II fiction. The main title and cover art made me think this was a fantasy novel. The synopsis is incredibly dry and far too detailed, but the positive official OBC review is encouraging.
Based on the sample, I won’t be finishing the book. I didn’t find the sample interesting, and there were too many words that I was unfamiliar with. The author includes a glossary with the book, but it’s not included in the sample, and frankly, I wouldn’t want to interrupt my reading this frequently to look up words anyway. There is nothing I particularly liked about the sample, and I’d recommend providing more context to explain some words so a reader isn’t confused and needing to consult a glossary.
I noticed a few minor errors. For example, a comma is required before the word “which”:
“Just the place to play hide and seek, step on the gas and outrun the Me-109[] which reappeared out of the cloud and was screaming round in a tight turn.” (Loc. 224)
First Ten review added on September 15, 2021, at 12:24 am by Jennifer Donovan Smith.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
I would have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover and title. I enjoy books based around WWII and the Hitler era. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. I didn’t like the writing style. It started out with short, choppy sentence fragments, which I wasn’t a fan of. I also wasn’t into the constant use of slang and terminology without definitions. This was happening as he was flying the plane to take pictures. His talk of the plane and altitude and flying in general was riddled with slang. I know there’s a glossary in the back of the book, but it’s time consuming to flip back and forth. The terminology could use improvement. The book did seem to be professionally edited. There wasn’t anything specific that I liked.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 11:32 pm by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
I am amazed at how many fiction novels are written about WWII. After reading the blurb, I would not have sampled this book if I were not part of this program. Although I am interested in learning more about the Second World War through fiction, I was not drawn to this story. The sample pages, however, changed my mind. At first I was put off by the specific technical details the author used, but that irritation disappeared after Jenny Wilkins showed up in class. I kept reading well past the first ten pages, which was a sign that I wanted to finish this book. I will buy it. I didn’t appreciate the several references that objectified women’s bodies, and I hope that language will not continue throughout the book. The featured OnlineBookClub review was positive; it stated there were no sex scenes, but there was a nudity scene. Hopefully, this nudity scene is not further objectification of women’s bodies. I will give this war-related book a try. I noticed a few minor grammatical errors in the sample pages. At loc 123, the comma in the compound predicate (after “1935”) is not needed: “The first in the series, Cursing the Darkness, is set in Nuremberg in 1935, and is also available from Amazon.” At loc 216, there is a comma missing after the subordinate clause ending in “again” : “When he came around to the house again he was not sure if the aircraft was still visible on the ground, as his camera was directly beneath the fuselage, but he levelled the Spitfire, pressed the button and started filming.” And for consistency, “right” should be “starboard” and “left” should be “port” in this sentence at loc 195: “As the ground below gradually began to flicker into sight through the last wisps of cloud, he dipped his wings slowly to right and left to improve his view.” I have no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 11:28 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Gabrielle Sigaki
Wolfgang's Castle by Rex W Last is a historical war fiction book that brings the scenario of World War ll. It focuses on Germany's history during those times. If I didn't sample this book, I wouldn't read it based on its Official OnlineBookClub review since I'm not interested in books about wars. After sampling it, I didn't change my mind and I won't read the entire book because of the theme of war. Nevertheless, the book seems professionally edited and I liked the author's descriptions about the characters since they were complete, but also funny sometimes. However, the book could be improved if the author removed or explained some technical terms that might confuse some readers.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 10:54 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mariana Figueira
Before reading the book's first pages, I wasn't interested in it because nothing on the cover or the title got my attention. After sampling the book, I don't want to continue reading it because I don't like war stories, especially not WWII. I liked the unusual expressions like "all tickety-boo" and "fly in the ointment." This book seems professionally edited and has an official Online BookClub review. There was nothing I saw that needed improvement.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 7:42 pm by Mariana Figueira.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
The cover and title of this book are average. I would not have sampled this without the First Ten program because I am not a huge fan of books that involve war. The first few pages were well edited. I have to admit Prosser's "trouser trouble" actually made me laugh. The OBC review was positive, but it did not change my mind. I can see how this book could be a good read for fans of this genre. Personally, this type of book is not my cup of tea. Therefore, I will not be reading the rest. I do not have any suggestions for the author.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 5:13 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mutai Marshal
I wouldn't have read this book without sampling because the cover page and title suggested that this is a historical book. There was nothing that I liked from the sample as it seemed quite slow-paced. I believe the book was not edited exceptionally since I flagged a few grammatical errors (such as 'I should like to express special gratitude to my wife Oksana who has done the usual professional job of sub-editing the text and made countless invaluable suggestions.' The word 'should' must be 'would.' Found under the author’s note section). Consequently, I recommend another round of editing. Lastly, I will not buy this book because I don't like historical books. The OBC review didn't affect my decision about this book.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 2:26 pm by Mutai Marshal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jorge Leon Salazar
The cover and title are in keeping with the story as they convey reminiscences of Nazi Germany. In general, I like novels that address themes of the Second World War even more if they include crime and mystery. The extensive blurb explains the plot around the four anti-Nazi Germans who try to defeat Hitler. They aim to destroy Project Sea Eagle. The only customer review is flattering and mentions that this installment can be read standalone. Based on these aspects I might give this book a try. The sample stands out that a pilot takes some aerial photos. Then, Jenny Wilkins, an aspiring Photographic Interpreter student, identified a number of relevant elements in those photos. However, Sergeant Prosser dismissed Jenny Wilkins' comments. I found it impressive there can be people like Wilkins with that capacity for visualization and interpretation and that it can be a useful mechanism against the Nazis. From what I read arises the curiosity of the high-speed vessel that Wilkins saw. I suppose it has to do with the Project Sea Eagle. Also, the character of Major Archie Wellings is introduced, who I perceive to have a meaningful role in the plot. The official OnineBookClub review highlights the Project Sea Eagle and the plot around the group of Germans fighting to defeat Hitler. The editing looks professional as I didn't see any details to comment on. As a whole, I did not see anything that I believe could be improved. What I read seemed interesting and well-constructed, but it didn't completely capture me. Wilkins' skill sounded a bit far-fetched to me. Ultimately, I think I will not read the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 1:23 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Michelle Menezes
From the title and cover, I thought it was a fantasy novel. After reading the blurb, I realised it was a nonfiction novel related to war. I immediately made up my mind not to read it, as it does not belong to my preferred genre. The blurb failed to interest me as well. The Official OnlineBookClub review had good things to say about it. After reading the first ten pages, I have decided to stick to my decision and not continue with it. The beginning talks about a character sent on a scouting mission where he finds a country house and an aircraft, which surprises him. The only thing I liked was that the author seemed to have done his research while writing the book. It had details about the working of the aircraft with proper terminologies. I don't think the book needs any improvement, and I didn't find any errors, so it seems professionally edited.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 12:24 pm by Michelle Menezes.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sanju Lali
By looking at the cover and title, I could make out that this is a historical fiction book. Therefore, I considered reading the OBC official review of this book to know about the setting of the story. The OBC official review gave me the idea that the book revolves around a group of Germans who try to counter the unstoppable advance of the Nazis. This information motivated me to read the sample of the book before purchasing it. After reading the first ten pages, I realized that this book is not professionally edited because I found some grammatical errors in the sample. For example, the sentence, "In front of him the blur of the propeller and the constant deafening drone of the Merlin engine." The sentence could have been as follows; "In front of him were the blur of the propeller and the constant deafening drone of the Merlin engine." The thing l that liked the most is the information about the internal controls of the fighter air-crafts during the forties, which surprised me about technical advancements in those days. Sadly, the description of scenes has too much irony, which confused me about what the author had to say. For example, I was confused reading the sentence loaded with irony that read like the pilot pressed the beer lever gingerly forward. I would have been happy if the irony used was relevant to the context. My suggestion to the author would be to go for a round of professional editing and consider the shortcomings listed in the above sentences. So, I decided not to purchase this book and read it today but wait until after the author addresses my suggestions and makes my reading experience very pleasant.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 11:53 am by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rodel Barnachea
Following my going over the title's Amazon page and official OnlineBookClub review, I decided not to acquire the historical thriller. I was not intrigued by the aquaplane that is featured in the novel. I am also not interested in the characters of the story. I believe the book is not my cup of tea. Poring over its Amazon sample did not change my mind. I would not purchase it because nothing in the text piqued my curiosity, captured my attention, or appealed to my interests. It is also because I did not like the writing style used by the author, especially how there are a lot of sentence fragments. The first ten pages contain the first and second chapters and a page of the third chapter. My favorite part is when the narrator wondered whether the small smudge of movement they saw is an aircraft. I did not note any errors in the sample; I believe the book is professionally edited. I have no advice to offer to the author.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 9:21 am by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Diana Lowery
When I first saw the title, I thought of Mozart, but the cover told me that it had nothing to do with him. The blurb revealed that this was the second book in the series, so I knew that I would not want to read this one first, if at all. The blurb held no interest for me. The review mentioned acronyms and slang and a glossary, which further convinced me that this was not a book for me. I did not like the narrative in the pages that I read. I did like that Chapter 2 mentioned WAAFs. I did not see any errors. I do not have any suggestions. I will not finish reading the book because the subject is not something that I enjoy.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 8:04 am by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Eunice Geres
I thought I was in for a great medieval novel in this one. Unfortunately, it was not what I thought it is. It still is great, though. It's just not what I would enjoy reading. The writing was a bit boring for me. I ended up skimming most parts, but I did enjoy the characterization of Prosser in Chapter 2. I immediately hated him, which means the author is good at capturing what he wanted to show his readers. I didn't notice any huge typographical error. But there is one that irked me. The author mentioned "angels two nine." I believe these are aircrafts, not sure though. I think it should be written in a different way. My recommendation is more of a wish. I wished it was not boring because I really wanted to see more of the characters. I'm afraid I won't be reading this one. The book has an official review.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 7:57 am by Eunice Geres.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ann Ogochukwu
The title and cover of this book caught my attention real quick, and because I like historical fiction, I was going to sample this book regardless of this program. Moreover, I liked the OBC review of the book.
I, however, didn't enjoy the first ten pages as much as I hoped I would. The story started from the perspective of a pilot on a reconnaissance mission. I kind of got bored after reading a few pages on how the pilot flew his bird. Although I liked the synopsis provided at the beginning of the book, I didn't quite enjoy reading the book, so I won't complete it.
I didn't notice any errors in the bit I read, and I don't think this book needs any improvement.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 5:46 am by Ann Ogochukwu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gen_g
Based on the title and cover, the book seems to belong to the thriller/historical fiction category; I am not looking for books in such genres at the moment, so I would not have sampled it. Additionally, due to the fact that I'm not looking for books in such genres, coming across a positive OBC review of the book (which I did for BOTD) would not have changed my mind regarding sampling. Unfortunately, there were still grammar errors present. For example, at 1%, the comma in "...Nuremberg in 1935, and is also..." is wrongly inserted (there should not be a comma placed before a conjunction which is, in turn, placed before a dependent phrase). I suggest more rigorous editing to improve book quality. However, what is good is the the book opens with an exciting scene – this helps to capture the readers' attention. For example, we learn that the pilot has been ordered to photograph some scenes from an aerial view of some "unusual factory construction work". However, the weather is not ideal (there is a purple-grey cloud bank directly above his target area, which will hinder the possibility of capturing clear photographs). I have no further suggestions for improvement other than editing. In fact, I would suggest that the author hires a professional editor and proofreader to go through his book to correct the numerous grammar and punctuation errors present. I am not in the market for historical fiction, so I will not be buying the book today.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 5:13 am by gen_g.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Catherine Hsu
If I had not read the sample as part of the First Ten program, I would not have read the book. It does not look like my genre, and it is also the second one in the series. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. The writing style did not really click with me especially during lines of dialogue, although I understand that it might sound different because of the time period. One thing I'd change is I think more editing is needed. I found missing quotation marks at the beginning of Chapter Five at "Come!'" The official review on OnlineBookClub did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 4:16 am by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Elena Nechita
The premise got me intrigued right from the start. Germans trying to undermine Hitler's régime sounds like something that should attract readers. The first 10 pages that I read didn't really impress me, but I am not one to give up on a book so quickly. I will probably read the book as I am also interested in seeing how the author depicted the women's involvement in the war. The book seems professionally edited as I didn't find any errors in the short extract. The writing was also accessible enough.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 3:59 am by Elena Nechita.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Emy Katherine
The story follows a group of courageous people determined to stop Hitler from invading England by destroying his waterborne vessel known as the Sea Eagle. As I am not a big fan of war stories, I would not have read the book based on the genre. Because of that, the OBC review and the sample did nothing to change my mind. I enjoyed the descriptive writing style and also found the dialogue realistic, but I did not feel invested in the story. Plus, I encountered some distracting errors throughout the first six chapters. For example, it should be written "forever" in the following sentence: "I’ll for ever be grateful to you for that." (location 475 of 761 • 62%) There should not be a comma after "table" in the following sentence: "He strode across to her side of the table, and reached for the magnifying glass on its stand." (location 306 of 761 • 40%) It should be written "to step outside" in the following sentence: "However, two colleagues walking along the corridor past the windowed room noticed his plight and its embarrassing cause and gestured urgently for him step outside." (location 284 of 761 • 37%) I would suggest another round of editing; other than that, nothing needs to be improved.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 3:36 am by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ari Martinez
If it wasn't for the First Ten program, I wouldn't sample this book based on its title, cover, or Official OnlineBookClub review because books about war don't usually interest me. The first ten pages were not engaging enough for me to change my mind; therefore, I will not continue to read the book. My favorite part of the sample was Prosser's characterization. I liked that he added a bit of humor even though he was annoying and incompetent. I don't think the book needs to be improved, and it seems well edited.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 1:19 am by Ari Martinez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Hazel Arnaiz
At first glance, the cover and title look more like a horror story. The faded image of the ruins, together with the word “castle,” gives an eerie vibe. The blurb is quite long and a bit repetitive in some parts. Also, customer reviews on Amazon are not available. I am not currently in the market for war stories and will skip this book outside the program. What I appreciate after sampling is that the book explores the difference between the love of country and the love of government. But, there is not much mention of the war machine in the initial pages of the book. I suggest inserting some teasers about it in the early part to build curiosity. As for editing, here are examples of some issues.
Page 11. Spelling. Consider removing the hyphen and spell as one word.
For weight reasons, the Spitfires doing this vital reconnaissance work had no [on-board] armaments, only superior agility and speed.
Page 15. Spelling. Consider adding a hyphen.
Prosser was used to his charges becoming rapidly bored with his [below average] skills as a tutor, but this was going way too far.
There is an official OnlineBookClub review. The insights help me reconsider keeping this book in mind. But for now, I will pass.
First Ten review added on September 14, 2021, at 12:11 am by Hazel Arnaiz.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mai Tran
I wouldn't have picked up this historical thriller if it wasn't for the program because I prefer to read WWII books written from the Jewish viewpoint. Reading the official review didn't affect my decision. The sample seems professionally edited. Among the characters introduced in the first ten pages, Jenny WIlkins stands out the most to me. As a young woman training to be a pilot, she is constantly dismissed and sexualized by her instructors, but she's proven herself to be bold and assertive. Her story sounds inspiring, but I'm not really convinced on the story just yet and may need to read a little bit further. However, If I have to make my decision from the first ten pages alone, then I won't buy this book.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 11:31 pm by Mai Tran.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kelyn
C/M/T/H isn't one of my favorite genres, so it's unlikely that I would have seen this book. However, if I had, the cover and title look enough like a fantasy book to have attracted my attention. I am unfamiliar with the author, so that would not have affected my decision. The blurb clarifies that the book is not fantasy but is instead about a surreptitious WWII battle with the Nazis concerning the Sea Eagle (a new hybrid sea/air vehicle). Although I am interested in WWII in terms of the holocaust, a historical fiction novel does not interest me nearly as much. There were two positive ratings on the Amazon site, neither of which were from OBC. If I had seen an OBC review on the Amazon page, I would have been interested in what the reviewer had to say. The official OBC review on this site was positive. That increased my expectations going into the sample. I have to say that I admired Jenny's ability to pull herself out of the slump that Prosser had put her in with his patronizing and talk up her self-confidence while describing to the Commander what she saw in the ariel photographs. This was my favorite part of the sample. Obviously, my least favorite was Prosser. He was a complete prat with a condescending attitude toward women, and he deserves the worst situation that the commander can find for him and a harsh dressing down. I'd love to see that. I don't think there is anything I would change (so far) about the novel. Unfortunately, the fact remains that it is a historical C/M/T/H novel and that this is a genre I do not enjoy. It is not even a subject within WWII in which I am interested. Given this, I have decided not to continue reading the book. The book seemed well-edited. I found no 'countable' errors in the sample.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 11:11 pm by Kelyn.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
J_odoyo
After reading the first ten pages of this book, I must admit that the book seems to have been well-written and riveting. The cover page was catchy, and the title was also okay. I liked the OnlineBookClub review; it gave insight into what the book was all about. The sample was well-edited, and I didn’t encounter any objective error in the sample I read. The book’s description on the Amazon website also served its purpose well. The earlier pages narrate the story of the Spitfire pilot on his mission to photograph the unusual factory construction work to the southeast of Nuremberg. I’ve liked the author’s narration skills, and the story is enjoyable. However, reading the sample didn’t convince me to finally finish reading it; I’m not a fan of this genre. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend anything for the improvement of this book.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 10:43 pm by J_odoyo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kaitlyn Canedy
If Wolfgang's Castle hadn't been the OnlineBookClub's book of the day, I would not have read the sample. Historical fictions are not a favorite genre of mine, which is why I would have glossed it over. When I did read the sample, I was quite impressed with Jenny Wilkin's character. Even though she is faced with scrutiny because of her gender, this does not stop her from doing great things in her chosen career field. I did not notice any grammatical errors in the sample, and I can't think of any improvements that can be done to this book. Because I do not like reading historical fiction novels, I will be skipping this book. There is an official OnlineBookClub review for this title, but I did not need to read it to make a decision. Readers who enjoy books that have fictitious stories about Hitler may like this title.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 6:31 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sonya Nicolaidis
When I read the OBC reviewer’s summary of this book, I was convinced that this one would definitely not feature on my bookshelves. The story seemed convoluted, and the cover and title were not very attractive at first glance. However, I started to read and was instantly transported to another time and place. The writing was of a very high standard and there were no grammatical errors at all, pointing to a thorough editing job. The only thing I noted which I didn’t like was the lack of indent at the start of each paragraph. It made the text appear bulky and hence, was less readable. There is absolutely nothing I can criticize about the writing or the story’s construction and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. The way that the author describes the pilot’s initial journey and his discovery, the detail with which he describes the flight is masterful to say the least. I found it much more enjoyable than I had initially anticipated. There is so much potential in this book that I changed my mind and would be most intrigued to read more of it. Perhaps a rethink of the title and the font it is written in might go a long way towards making the first impression of this book more favorable. Nevertheless, it gets a ‘yes’ from me.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 5:26 pm by Sonya Nicolaidis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kirsi Cultrera
I liked the cover of this book. Therefore, I would probably have sampled it even without this program. However, I felt that the cover did not match very well with the content. Based on it, I would have expected a fantasy book or a story that took place in medieval times. Regardless, as I am fascinated by war stories, I found this book interesting. I appreciated the author’s efforts to build a good plot. Unfortunately, I did not connect with the characters who were introduced at the beginning. Especially Prosser was disgusting, and thus well-described, I did not want to spend any more time with him. The editing was well-done. Reading the Official OnlineBookClub review did not change my dislike of the characters, and therefore, I chose not to read this book further. It felt a bit unfair, since I am pretty sure I did not meet all of them yet. However, based on what I read so far, I do not think I would have enjoyed the book.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 4:55 pm by Kirsi Cultrera.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Yvonne Monique
The book cover is a bit dark and not very catchy. I would not pick this book up if I would see it in a bookstore. The blurb and OBC review give a good description of the book, but they don't make me want to read it. The first ten pages are well edited. However, I am sorry to say that I did not find the beginning of the story exciting. This is mainly because I do not like historical fiction, nor war stories. I did not find the pilot's discovery interesting, and I do not want to carry on reading to find out if the photographs he took will be important later on in the story. That is the reason why I will not buy the book. I have no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 4:29 pm by Yvonne Monique.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Theresa Moffitt
The cover of this book looks very dramatic. I love the cover art and the image of the castle. The title is also intriguing. I would have picked this book up based on the cover alone. The Online Book Club review gave the book a good recommendation and positive score. I didn’t read any additional customer reviews because the OBC review was very informative. I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages, so I believe the book was professionally edited. I also didn’t see any area that the author could improve upon. I usually enjoy historical fiction novels, so I think I would enjoy finishing this book. The first ten pages describe a flight in a small plane. It was very detailed about the altitude and the instrument panel on the plane. It got more interesting to me when it started describing the house that the pilot could see. I would like to finish reading this book. However, since this book is part of a series, I would like to read the books of the series in order. I appreciated that the OBC review noted that, although it is one book in a series, it could be read as a stand-alone novel.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 4:13 pm by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
AntonelaMaria
Reading historical fiction novels about Nazis and World War II is not interesting to me. When I saw that is this book's premise, I immediately lost interest. After reading the sample, I'm still not curious enough about the book to continue reading. My favorite character is Jenny. She is a captivating and brave character. I noticed a missing quotation mark on page 26. At the start of chapter five, we have word come with a missing quotation mark. Other than that, I didn't notice other grammatical errors. I wouldn't change anything about the book. From an informative Official Onlinebookclub review, it is clear that this is a great story. I'm sure fans of the storyline will enjoy it.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 4:13 pm by AntonelaMaria.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
I’m not really a fan of books about war, so I honestly didn’t find the first chapter all that engaging. Yes, the pilot ran into Nazis and almost died, but it’s just not that exciting to me. I commend the author for really utilizing the lingo of the period and helping people feel like they’re back in that time, so I do like the historical immersion. I also like the cover image and the title being designed with a Germanic font. I also didn’t notice any distracting errors or mistakes in the portion I read, but I’m aware from the OBC review that the book has some lingering errors, it’s just for my part, I didn’t see any. I don’t have any suggestions to improve the book because I feel people who enjoy stories about WWII will enjoy the book. I would not have selected this book to read outside of the program because the genre itself just doesn’t appeal to me.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 2:25 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
markodim721
I would choose to read a sample of this book because of the title and cover. The title has a distinct German overtone and is associated with war action. The cover of the book fits well with the title and I especially like the font used. I have a minor objection to the text on the cover "…Germans against Hitler…" because it can give the wrong impression that it is a mass resistance and not the work of a few fictitious individuals. I would also choose to read a sample of this book because of the review of Al Macy because, in a short text, he briefly and precisely highlighted all the best elements of the book. I will not read this book because I do not like books in which historical facts are relativized to give way to fiction. Reading the sample didn’t change my mind from my original guess. While reading the sample I did not notice any typos or errors and the book seems like it is professionally edited. I like how the Bavarian countryside is described during aerial reconnaissance. I think the author has gone too far with the use of slang and that should be corrected. The book has an Official OnlineBookClub review.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 2:23 pm by markodim721.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Valkyrie9
Wolfgang’s Castle by Rex W Last tells the story of Major Archie Wellings who, with the help of some brave Germans, attempt to derail Hitler’s newest plans for a second invasion attempt on Britain – Project Sea Eagle. The cover is eye-catching, and the font used is fitting for the period. The blurb on Amazon was rather long, and instead of properly introducing the reader to the story contained in the book, it focused a little too much on the concept of the Ground Effect Vehicle. Additionally, each word in the title on the Amazon page is capitalised, except the first word of the subtitle (the word “destroying”). I think the author could improve the Amazon page by uniformly capitalising every word in the title and subtitle and by editing the blurb. The cover caught my eye immediately, and the genre sounds interesting, but if I had not read the sample, I would probably not pick up this book based on the blurb.
Having read the sample and the OBC review, I don’t think I will enjoy this book. What I liked most about the sample that I read was the amount of research the author has clearly done on his topic. The narrative and jargon have an authentic feel. I did not notice any errors, so I believe the book was professionally edited. I struggled to get into the sample as the author’s writing style is not one that I enjoy, so I will not be reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 1:38 pm by Valkyrie9.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'Wolfgang's Castle' is a book written by Rex W Last. The book is set during WWII. The year is 1940. It seems the Germans still have something up their sleeves after their surrender. A Spitfire pilot had taken pictures of a remote area in the Bavarian countryside. Jenny Wilkins noticed something strange in one of the pictures. She was a trainee PI. I like the way the author showed how some male officers patronize women in the forces. The editing is good. There is nothing in need of an improvement. I would read this book without the sample based on the cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews as I like the genre. The OBC review was insightful. I will read this book as anything related to WWII is my cup of coffee.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 12:58 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Laura Ungureanu
I would've most likely sampled the book based on its appearance. The cover has a very gothic vibe that I like. However, the OBC review made me think twice about it. The fact that the book needed a glossary intimidated me. I was actually right to be scared because the terms overwhelmed me. I had a hard time keeping track of what was happening because of all the unknown terms. This may also be because I don't like to read books about aircraft since it will be usually crowded with technical terms. Since I couldn't enjoy anything about this book, I think I will stay away from it. My personal suggestion would be to make the language more accessible to people who have no knowledge, but I get that it would ruin its charm. The book seems professionally edited.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 12:19 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Aubrey Lewis
The overall appearance of the book seems intriguing and a bit eye-catching, in my opinion. When I read through the official OBC review, I felt that I wouldn't be able to appreciate the book since I'm usually not fond of reading historical fiction, especially ones involving wars. If I weren't a part of this program, I wouldn't have read the sample at all since the book's cover, genres, and summary didn't interest me enough to want to check it out willingly.
When I finished sampling the first ten pages, I decided not to read the rest of the book. The contents seemed professionally edited so far, and the author's writing style was quite descriptive and polished. The premise started off with an unnamed character whose thoughts the readers get to access briefly. However, the beginning only served to confuse me due to the technical details being mentioned in each paragraph, like the terms cockpit, trimotor, Me-109, and many more. It was then revealed that the character was a pilot, and that he was simply on reconnaissance work to report afterwards to his superiors. Then, in the following chapter, Sergeant Prosser was introduced, and he was going to train young Photographic Interpreters for the war. Unfortunately, on the first day, he got embarrassed due to a trouser problem, but picked up the pace in the next few classes.
The overall lectures, however, were all boring and too unfamiliar for me to read properly. Nothing really piqued my interest enough to make me want to read any further, so I will have to pass on this book, especially because the genres aren't my cup of tea. Since my reason is due to my own personal preference, I don't think there are any improvements the author needs to make.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 12:18 pm by Aubrey Lewis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
The cover is eerie and intriguing, and I would read pretty much anything with the catchphrase "Germans against Hitler." I don't love the technical aspects of the blurb about "Project Sea Eagle" but I do love reading about "challenging issues–from the nature of patriotism to the role of women in wartime.–" The book has great ratings, so I would've bought it based on my first impressions.
I appreciate the author included a glossary since we are not all familiar with military or german words. What I liked the most was the language. For example, the perfect recreation of the way a young Englishman would talk: "Certainly gave yours truly a scare, though. That’ll teach you to keep your sodding Mark One eyeballs peeled at all times, laddie." I also liked the humorous parts among the war topic, such as, "Some unkind folk will tell you that those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach. And those who can’t even do that become RAF instructors." I only found an editing mistake. In position 176 there's an extra space that shouldn't be there before "bugger off": "till plenty of gravy in reserve to take pretty pictures for half an hour and then bugger off home with several spoonfuls to spare." I would suggest fixing editing mistakes. What I didn't like what that the book is too descriptive and technical, for example how much gas was left on the airplane or the model of the aircraft. I found the beginning to be boring, overall. The official OBC review didn't change my mind.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 11:30 am by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bertha Jackson
Although I like the genre, I am not a fan of war stories, especially those about Hitler, so I would not have checked out this book based on the cover and title. The editorial review made it clear that the book is about WWII and espionage, and the blurb mentions the Battle of Britain. That would have been enough for me to skip this book altogether. I did enjoy the humor in the first ten pages, and they appear to have been edited by a professional editor. I did not see any errors or anything I would recommend the author change in the first ten pages. Although I enjoyed the first ten pages, I will not buy the book and read it because I am afraid that after the first few pages, and when I get to the parts about Hitler, I will lose interest and never finish the book.
First Ten review added on September 13, 2021, at 11:09 am by Bertha Jackson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 14%
Wolfgang's Castle earned a score of 14%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 14% plan to read the whole book.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.
Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.
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