Official Review: Realm of Wolves by Chris Parrott

[dragonet07]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Realm of Wolves" by Chris Parrott.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Realm of Wolves: Child of Prophecy I by Chris Parrott is part science fiction and part epic fantasy, an amalgamation of futuristic technology and magic with a story line which any sci-fi/fantasy fan would love. Scientists exist alongside witches, armies fight for castles with cannons and swords, and starships and horses are both prominent means of transportation. There’s a little bit of something for both ends of the sci-fi/fantasy spectrum. As the first book in a series, Realm of Wolves has created an exciting universe with which Parrott can work.

King De’mortius of Camden is a ruthless ruler. He gained his kingship—and his wife—by force, and nobody will take away what is rightful his. That is, until a witch prophesies that one day a child of his bloodline will overthrow him. When he orders all pregnant women and children under five to be killed, De’mortius thinks that’s the end of it, but is it? Or has the wool been pulled over the merciless king’s eyes?

The return of De’mortius’s son, Alexander, signals an era of change for Camden and the surrounding planets of Armon and Romalof. Battles are won, battles are lost, and alliances are made. Will the child from the prophecy come to save Camden from De’mortius’s tyranny? With the help of nanobots and other technological achievements, will the King rule for eternity? One thing’s for sure: nothing is what it seems to be.

I am an avid fan of science fiction and fantasy. I am especially fond of ones which blur the line between these genres, such as The Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. That is why I jumped at the chance to read this novel. Fortunately, the concept and plot did not disappoint. The way in which Parrott wove together the science fiction and fantasy elements is wonderful. In particular, he does well in explaining that the advanced civilizations had fought to the point of depleting resources, which then led to the mixed use of antiquated and futuristic weapons. I found this idea to be creative and captivating.

I had a handful of favorite characters, including Queen Elizabeth of Romalof and Alexander. I grew very attached to these characters, and so my emotions yo-yoed as their fates were revealed. Parrott even manages to turn one of my other favorite characters into one of my least favorite characters, which speaks to his ability to execute plot twists and character development.

However, some of the characters were too one-dimensional for me to connect with them. Namely, I had problems with De’mortius. Parrott does well in making De’mortius heartless, cruel, and lusting for eternal life. Still, the desire to live forever is about the only human thing about De’mortius. Without any real humanity to him, I became annoyed that anyone, including his guards, would fight for him when they have a clear escape with Alexander. De’mortius being pure evil, although typical for the genre, weakens him as a character.

While I love the concept and plot, the writing needs a lot of work. I noticed numerous grammatical errors, including random capitalization and fragmented sentences with no apparent purpose. I also spotted some issues with verb forms, such as “they heard” when it should be “they had heard”, and spelling errors, such as “hand full” for “handful”. All these errors became distracting, and proofreading is definitely needed here.

I also disliked the organization of the novel. The first chapter takes place in the past, then the second chapter jumps to the future, and then the rest of the book takes place in the past again. From what I understand, the second chapter introduces a frame narrative, but Parrott does not use it to his full advantage. The frame narrative is not addressed again for the rest of the book, leaving a lack of completion there, but this flaw might be excused as there are more novels to come. Regardless, if Parrott were to use the second chapter as the first, put the first chapter inside the frame narrative, and conclude on a return to the frame narrative that sets the stage for the next novel, I would have liked this book a lot more. In fact, if the story were also split into two books about halfway through and each book expanded for better pacing, the writing would have been much better.

Unfortunately, I have to give Realm of Wolves 2 out of 4 stars. I love the concept and I want to know what happens next. However, the book needs to undergo a lot of editing and rewriting in order to meet its potential. The action occurs too quickly, too much time is covered in its 200+ pages, and the ending could have been handled better. Sci-fi/fantasy fans will love the concept and universe Parrott has built, but sticklers for editing will not want to read the novel in its current form. I also do not recommend it for readers younger than teen-aged due to the story's violence, but young adults will think it right up their alley.

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Realm of Wolves
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like dragonet07's review? Post a comment saying so!

[stacie k]

Parrott even manages to turn one of my other favorite characters into one of my least favorite characters, which speaks to his ability to execute plot twists and character development.

However, some of the characters were too one-dimensional for me to connect with them.

You've done a very good job in this review of pointing out both strengths and weaknesses of the work. It seems to have great potential! Too bad the strong points weren't consistent throughout.

[Papikpo]

Best ever

[kandscreeley]

This sounds like a book with quite a bit of potential. A great concept but could use a really good editor. I think I'll pass until some reworking is done but thanks.

[NL Hartje]

Yummy! Love the forcefully taken wife and kingdom to set the scene! I thought this one would be a real winner halfway through your review since prophecies are usually like catnip for me.

It's too bad that the author dropped the ball with the characterization.

[Rpmnoel1]

It is unfortunate that the author didn't take more care in editing. I also love a good sci-fi/fantasy mix, but I don't care to trudge through an inarticulate mess of plot holes. Thank you for your informative review.

[P0tt3ry]

I love a well-written evil character, but your review indicates this one is just going to leave me disappointed. Where's Fax when you need him? You liked it well enough that I will probably read it in preparation for the rest of the series. Thank you for such an informative review.

[Eryn Bradshaw]

Your review drew me in and definitely peaked my interest. I'm always curious to see how authors execute the sci-fi/fantasy mix. I appreciate you pointed out what you liked about the book, despite it's unfortunate scoring. It may be a book I pick up later if the author decides to do a re-edit. I'll have to pass on reading it for now, but I appreciate your review of the book!

[holsam_87]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Realm of Wolves" by Chris Parrott.]

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2 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Realm of Wolves: Child of Prophecy I by Chris Parrott is part science fiction and part epic fantasy, an amalgamation of futuristic technology and magic with a story line which any sci-fi/fantasy fan would love. Scientists exist alongside witches, armies fight for castles with cannons and swords, and starships and horses are both prominent means of transportation. There’s a little bit of something for both ends of the sci-fi/fantasy spectrum. As the first book in a series, Realm of Wolves has created an exciting universe with which Parrott can work.

King De’mortius of Camden is a ruthless ruler. He gained his kingship—and his wife—by force, and nobody will take away what is rightful his. That is, until a witch prophesies that one day a child of his bloodline will overthrow him. When he orders all pregnant women and children under five to be killed, De’mortius thinks that’s the end of it, but is it? Or has the wool been pulled over the merciless king’s eyes?

The return of De’mortius’s son, Alexander, signals an era of change for Camden and the surrounding planets of Armon and Romalof. Battles are won, battles are lost, and alliances are made. Will the child from the prophecy come to save Camden from De’mortius’s tyranny? With the help of nanobots and other technological achievements, will the King rule for eternity? One thing’s for sure: nothing is what it seems to be.

I am an avid fan of science fiction and fantasy. I am especially fond of ones which blur the line between these genres, such as The Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. That is why I jumped at the chance to read this novel. Fortunately, the concept and plot did not disappoint. The way in which Parrott wove together the science fiction and fantasy elements is wonderful. In particular, he does well in explaining that the advanced civilizations had fought to the point of depleting resources, which then led to the mixed use of antiquated and futuristic weapons. I found this idea to be creative and captivating.

I had a handful of favorite characters, including Queen Elizabeth of Romalof and Alexander. I grew very attached to these characters, and so my emotions yo-yoed as their fates were revealed. Parrott even manages to turn one of my other favorite characters into one of my least favorite characters, which speaks to his ability to execute plot twists and character development.

However, some of the characters were too one-dimensional for me to connect with them. Namely, I had problems with De’mortius. Parrott does well in making De’mortius heartless, cruel, and lusting for eternal life. Still, the desire to live forever is about the only human thing about De’mortius. Without any real humanity to him, I became annoyed that anyone, including his guards, would fight for him when they have a clear escape with Alexander. De’mortius being pure evil, although typical for the genre, weakens him as a character.

While I love the concept and plot, the writing needs a lot of work. I noticed numerous grammatical errors, including random capitalization and fragmented sentences with no apparent purpose. I also spotted some issues with verb forms, such as “they heard” when it should be “they had heard”, and spelling errors, such as “hand full” for “handful”. All these errors became distracting, and proofreading is definitely needed here.

I also disliked the organization of the novel. The first chapter takes place in the past, then the second chapter jumps to the future, and then the rest of the book takes place in the past again. From what I understand, the second chapter introduces a frame narrative, but Parrott does not use it to his full advantage. The frame narrative is not addressed again for the rest of the book, leaving a lack of completion there, but this flaw might be excused as there are more novels to come. Regardless, if Parrott were to use the second chapter as the first, put the first chapter inside the frame narrative, and conclude on a return to the frame narrative that sets the stage for the next novel, I would have liked this book a lot more. In fact, if the story were also split into two books about halfway through and each book expanded for better pacing, the writing would have been much better.

Unfortunately, I have to give Realm of Wolves 2 out of 4 stars. I love the concept and I want to know what happens next. However, the book needs to undergo a lot of editing and rewriting in order to meet its potential. The action occurs too quickly, too much time is covered in its 200+ pages, and the ending could have been handled better. Sci-fi/fantasy fans will love the concept and universe Parrott has built, but sticklers for editing will not want to read the novel in its current form. I also do not recommend it for readers younger than teen-aged due to the story's violence, but young adults will think it right up their alley.

******
Realm of Wolves
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like dragonet07's review? Post a comment saying so!

My first initial thought was to get this book based on the title, but now that I read the review I am turned off from it. There seems to be a lot of problems with this book, but if it were edited, then I would be interested in reading it.

[Sarah G]

Love the idea of a mix of magic with technology. Sounds like an interesting world. It's a shame when all the ingredients for a good book are there and don't quite come together . Amazing review. Thanks

[maggiechap]

I've read a number of reviews that seem to read the same as yours and it's kind of sad and heartbreaking to see that authors aren't taking the precious time that's needed to perfect their books. I'm sad that the author dropped the ball on this one, because it really sounds like one I'd love to read, but I think I'll pass for now. The review was great though, extremely detailed without giving away too much of the book! Well done.