Review by Darcy_G -- The Sins of a Master Race
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Darcy_G
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- Latest Review: The Sins of a Master Race by Matthew Tysz
Review by Darcy_G -- The Sins of a Master Race
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Sins of a Master Race" by Matthew Tysz.]
The Sins of a Master Race is the third and latest instalment of the Turn series by Matthew Tysz. The self-published writer has also authored other works such as the We Are Voulhire series.
The 284-paged novel continues to explore the struggle for power between the human leaders of earth and the gods. Now, however, alien races, some friend and some foe, are emerging on earth and beyond. The Defury cousins, two such aliens and arch-demons from hell, are on a mission to kill gods. Unfortunately, they find themselves unable to reach and destroy their nemesis, the god Marat. They have their work cut out for them, as Marat, other than being evasive, has also imprisoned the souls of the dead, whom the cousins wish to free. Here they seek help from the famous assassins Scholar and Ashley, but even they have problems of their own, as things haven’t been the same for the duo since the death of the King of May. Will they overcome their weaknesses to save billions of souls?
Unremarkable is the word I would use to describe The Sins of a Master Race as the novel leaves an impression of neither being amazing nor horrible. There are a few contributing factors to this conclusion.
Tysz’s works are simplistic in nature, imaginative, pithy and humorous. He simplifies his characters where others would complicate; thus making them easy to relate to.
However, I feel that in the Turn series, he’s failed to integrate fiction into the normal of our world as we know it because, for the most part, he doesn’t change the world. The limited nature of the gods’ powers is disappointing, as the effects of these powers are not felt in any plot-altering way. I wasn’t impressed that the existence of magical creatures on earth is treated with such normalcy.
The other issue is the characters. They are too many and most are unremarkable. The story is narrated from different perspectives in each chapter and said chapters are too short. The dialogue is not insightful into the kinds of people these characters are. Their personalities are not delved into enough for sufficient distinction. The result is confusion.
To give credit where it’s due, Matthew Tysz is a master at crafting dialogue. I liked reading the dialogue, with conversants trying to outwit each other using sarcasm, pithy phrases, cynicism and humour. The lack of bulky background stories, flashbacks and thought processes, makes the novel a fast read. Ashley’s depression due to war and destruction adds a human touch to the tale. Though not interesting enough to invite a reader by itself, the part is encouragingly realistic.
I rate The Sins of a Master Race 2 out of 4 because the story didn’t appeal to my emotions and I felt like I was eavesdropping on strangers. The action-packed nature, pithy dialogue, fast narration and immaculate editing help make what would be a great story were it not for the plot’s lack of depth, intrigue and objectivity.
This is not the story you would hunger for on a cold autumn night, seated by the fire. This is not the story you would wish to wake up to on a sunny morning in summer either. It is, however, a fast-paced, action-packed story,( with some peculiar characters who have an affinity for threesomes ) that is well suited for fans of science fiction. The editing is professionally done with no grammatical errors and the profanity is moderated.
******
The Sins of a Master Race
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Sins of a Master Race is the third and latest instalment of the Turn series by Matthew Tysz. The self-published writer has also authored other works such as the We Are Voulhire series.
The 284-paged novel continues to explore the struggle for power between the human leaders of earth and the gods. Now, however, alien races, some friend and some foe, are emerging on earth and beyond. The Defury cousins, two such aliens and arch-demons from hell, are on a mission to kill gods. Unfortunately, they find themselves unable to reach and destroy their nemesis, the god Marat. They have their work cut out for them, as Marat, other than being evasive, has also imprisoned the souls of the dead, whom the cousins wish to free. Here they seek help from the famous assassins Scholar and Ashley, but even they have problems of their own, as things haven’t been the same for the duo since the death of the King of May. Will they overcome their weaknesses to save billions of souls?
Unremarkable is the word I would use to describe The Sins of a Master Race as the novel leaves an impression of neither being amazing nor horrible. There are a few contributing factors to this conclusion.
Tysz’s works are simplistic in nature, imaginative, pithy and humorous. He simplifies his characters where others would complicate; thus making them easy to relate to.
However, I feel that in the Turn series, he’s failed to integrate fiction into the normal of our world as we know it because, for the most part, he doesn’t change the world. The limited nature of the gods’ powers is disappointing, as the effects of these powers are not felt in any plot-altering way. I wasn’t impressed that the existence of magical creatures on earth is treated with such normalcy.
The other issue is the characters. They are too many and most are unremarkable. The story is narrated from different perspectives in each chapter and said chapters are too short. The dialogue is not insightful into the kinds of people these characters are. Their personalities are not delved into enough for sufficient distinction. The result is confusion.
To give credit where it’s due, Matthew Tysz is a master at crafting dialogue. I liked reading the dialogue, with conversants trying to outwit each other using sarcasm, pithy phrases, cynicism and humour. The lack of bulky background stories, flashbacks and thought processes, makes the novel a fast read. Ashley’s depression due to war and destruction adds a human touch to the tale. Though not interesting enough to invite a reader by itself, the part is encouragingly realistic.
I rate The Sins of a Master Race 2 out of 4 because the story didn’t appeal to my emotions and I felt like I was eavesdropping on strangers. The action-packed nature, pithy dialogue, fast narration and immaculate editing help make what would be a great story were it not for the plot’s lack of depth, intrigue and objectivity.
This is not the story you would hunger for on a cold autumn night, seated by the fire. This is not the story you would wish to wake up to on a sunny morning in summer either. It is, however, a fast-paced, action-packed story,( with some peculiar characters who have an affinity for threesomes ) that is well suited for fans of science fiction. The editing is professionally done with no grammatical errors and the profanity is moderated.
******
The Sins of a Master Race
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Sins of a Master Race by Matthew Tysz
