Review of The Central Swirlio

[NetMassimo]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Central Swirlio" by Quiche de Flurry.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Central Swirlio by Quiche de Flurry is the first book of a series called Chasing the Heavy Air that mixes science fiction and fantasy elements. Young people who want to make a name for themselves as combateers can travel to Swirlio Island to fight strange beasts hoping to chase the heavy air. Fighting beasts can be complicated because they're lethal but also because they're clever. In fact, they can communicate with a sort of telepathy called soul speech, which can be disconcerting for combateers who have limited experience. Such communications are more common with the animals combateers ride such as mammoths and winged horses. Environmental conditions can be strange such as low gravity, as space and time are not normal in that strange place. Young combateers also learn from veterans who teach them and tell them their war stories. They also listen to Earth's pop music.

This series starts with a novel that's short at 144 pages and fast-paced. The author mixed science fiction and fantasy elements to the point that labels are limiting for this series. The story is developed in a way in some ways similar to a videogame in the parts where the protagonists try to show their skills and learn from veterans. The continuous references to real Earth pop songs add to the feeling of music accompanying a videogame. There's more than combat in this novel, as there are tales that also offer some information about the setting and its history.

Language is another striking element of the novel. Quiche de Flurry used great fantasy in using language to create certain stylistic effects. There are unusual words such as mettle and the verb to saunter. Some words are slightly modified to sound exotic such as combateer, scienster, and mediciner. Onomatopeia stresses some moments of the chases, so you could say that sometimes the style reminds of comics, though onomatopeia is occasionally used in literature as well. Vernacular forms are used in some dialogues to stress some characters' different origins.

The choices concerning language enrich the novel but sometimes I felt the author went too far. There were occasions when I struggled to understand a phrase due to the mix of unusual words and vernacular, so I had to reread it. That difficulty can be a bit of a problem also because the series is set in a place full of wonders that are slowly revealed, so I was afraid of losing some important information.

My complaints are small compared to the merits of a fast-paced adventure in an exotic setting. I found just a few errors, so I think the editing was professional. For these reasons, I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. There's some profanity, but nothing an average teenager hasn't heard many times. There are a few very mild sexual innuendos, as there's some occasional flirting, but a kiss is the only thing that actually happens. This series seems to me suitable for readers who are at least 16 years old and in particular for young adults. Note that this novel hasn't a real ending, as the story continues in its sequels. If you like science fiction and fantasy adventures and appreciate unusual linguistic choices, I recommend The Central Swirlio.

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The Central Swirlio
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[Edit_or]

It’s the fantasy aspect for me. Thanks for the review.

[Luchris_michael]

I like the fantasy embedded in the novel. Wonderful review.

[Mbenma Esther 080]

Reading science fiction mixed with fantasy is one of the things I can't trade for another thing. Awesome review

[NetMassimo]

It’s the fantasy aspect for me. Thanks for the review.

The author shows great fantasy indeed. Thank you for commenting!

[NetMassimo]

I like the fantasy embedded in the novel. Wonderful review.

It's like a kaleidoscope of images and events. Thank you for your appreciation!

[NetMassimo]

Reading science fiction mixed with fantasy is one of the things I can't trade for another thing. Awesome review

Prepare for quite a journey. Thank you for your great review!

[Unosthetic]

I bet fighting the beasts in Swirlio is really hard. They have many different types of powers. Great review!

[NetMassimo]

I bet fighting the beasts in Swirlio is really hard. They have many different types of powers. Great review!

Fighting big beasts with big teeth and claws is really risky. Thank you for your appreciation!

[Kaushiki Parihar]

Fighting strange beasts in Swirlio island sounds intriguing. I'll definitely look into this fantasy book. Thanks for the great review.

[kandscreeley]

This sounds like an interesting mix. It combines my favorite genes—young adult and science fiction. I love the different creatures and environments. I'll look into this. Thanks.

[NetMassimo]

This sounds like an interesting mix. It combines my favorite genes—young adult and science fiction. I love the different creatures and environments. I'll look into this. Thanks.

It's certainly an imaginative mix. Thank you for commenting!

[Ruchi Raina]

Ooo this book sounds interesting. I read your whole review imagining the videogame-y characters combating, and the soul speech concept is the most fascinating. I found them listening to Earth pop music hilarious (kind of like the Star-Lord of Marvel) Thanks for the great review.

[NetMassimo]

Ooo this book sounds interesting. I read your whole review imagining the videogame-y characters combating, and the soul speech concept is the most fascinating. I found them listening to Earth pop music hilarious (kind of like the Star-Lord of Marvel) Thanks for the great review.

Maybe the author got inspired by the Star-Lord as well, as there are many possible sources of inspiration for this series. Thank you for your appreciation!

[Gabriella1997]

books about beasts isn't a book I would love to read, but I enjoy the fantasy in this book, beautiful review.