Review of The Wheel of Taranis
1 posts
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Wheel of Taranis" by Kent L Balzer.]
The Wheel of Taranis is Book One of Kent L. Balzer’s series, The Cosmic Spiral. It is a science fiction novel set majorly on Earth but also features events on other planets. The timeline is said to be fractured, and one has been chosen to restore it. Matthew is a college dropout. He is tired of the prospect of nine-to-five schedules. Now, he wanders, not on city streets, but in arid places, with his dog, Chester. He stumbles upon a cave, and while Chester tries to draw him away, he resists the dog's warnings and forges deeper inside, where he finds something that sets narrative in motion. The narrative features a quest for what this finding points to. The storyline features portals, aliens, and cosmic locations like the Pleiades and Tartarus. I've read about Tartarus from religious stories, and it's quite interesting seeing it here and learning what it is according to this narrative.
I like a lot of things about this book. The pacing is quick, and the action starts not long after the storyline begins. The settings are almost always intense, which keeps me very engaged. I appreciate the development of the characters, which enabled me to relate to them on a deep level. I think I related most to Matthew. He is a very interesting character, and his adventurousness shines through the narrative. A lot of concepts were introduced into the story, and the author made sure to manage all of them into a cohesive plot. I also wouldn't forget the world-building, which wasn't overly wordy but remained effective in helping me create a vivid mental picture of the setting at every point. As for the end of the book, I'll leave the readers to find out.
I do have one dislike about this book. At a certain point, the narrative ran too quickly and felt overwhelming. There was a heavy session of info-dumping and rapid character evolution which seemed out of line for me. It affected my enjoyment of the narrative. That'll take a star out of my rating for this book. I didn't notice any grammatical errors in this book, which shows that it's exceptionally well edited. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars for the reasons I mentioned above. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy science fiction.
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The Wheel of Taranis
View: on Bookshelves
The Wheel of Taranis is Book One of Kent L. Balzer’s series, The Cosmic Spiral. It is a science fiction novel set majorly on Earth but also features events on other planets. The timeline is said to be fractured, and one has been chosen to restore it. Matthew is a college dropout. He is tired of the prospect of nine-to-five schedules. Now, he wanders, not on city streets, but in arid places, with his dog, Chester. He stumbles upon a cave, and while Chester tries to draw him away, he resists the dog's warnings and forges deeper inside, where he finds something that sets narrative in motion. The narrative features a quest for what this finding points to. The storyline features portals, aliens, and cosmic locations like the Pleiades and Tartarus. I've read about Tartarus from religious stories, and it's quite interesting seeing it here and learning what it is according to this narrative.
I like a lot of things about this book. The pacing is quick, and the action starts not long after the storyline begins. The settings are almost always intense, which keeps me very engaged. I appreciate the development of the characters, which enabled me to relate to them on a deep level. I think I related most to Matthew. He is a very interesting character, and his adventurousness shines through the narrative. A lot of concepts were introduced into the story, and the author made sure to manage all of them into a cohesive plot. I also wouldn't forget the world-building, which wasn't overly wordy but remained effective in helping me create a vivid mental picture of the setting at every point. As for the end of the book, I'll leave the readers to find out.
I do have one dislike about this book. At a certain point, the narrative ran too quickly and felt overwhelming. There was a heavy session of info-dumping and rapid character evolution which seemed out of line for me. It affected my enjoyment of the narrative. That'll take a star out of my rating for this book. I didn't notice any grammatical errors in this book, which shows that it's exceptionally well edited. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars for the reasons I mentioned above. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy science fiction.
******
The Wheel of Taranis
View: on Bookshelves
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