Official Review: Heroes of Afflatus by C.R. Endacott

[Laila_Hashem]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Heroes of Afflatus" by C.R. Endacott.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Heroes of Afflatus by C.R. Endacott begins with a molpen named Militch discovering Nion, a creature that identifies himself as the god of the deep. Nion orders Militch to go to the dwarven capital and destroy the “Circle of Trust,” which would cause the dwarves to fight each other until they perish. Militch’s actions affect the kingdom of Afflatus, where an earthquake takes place as a result of the dwarves fighting each other. A series of events follow as our main characters unite with the common purpose of fixing the “Circle the Trust” and restoring the peace within the dwarven world.

It was hard to put this book down due to the many plot twists and suspenseful moments, which range from a lovers' quarrel to intense sword fights, that had me fully engulfed in the events. The meticulous manner with which the author describes the various settings of the story, often engaging all the reader's senses, made it easier for me to picture the scenes.

The text has a perfect balance of dialogue and description; I never found myself bored or felt the urge to skip any section because of redundant details or dialogue. I also like that the author examined the role of dehumanizing enemies in wars to describe a main reason why the dwarves were relentlessly fighting each other after the “Circle of Trust” was destroyed. The book was edited well since I only found one typo and a few, non-major grammatical errors.

At first, I was excited when I found out that the primary hero, Avery, is a girl. However, that excitement quickly faded when Avery was met with an obstacle, and her boyfriend was immediately summoned to save the day, which is a bit cliche. Additionally, I found it hard to connect with the characters due to the plot mostly conveying their general personality traits but not their deep, emotional reactions to the events of the story.

Due to the positive traits of the book outweighing the negative ones, I give it a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. Adding a more detailed description of the characters’ backgrounds, intentions, and feelings could go a long way in helping readers connect with the characters and become more invested in the story. I believe this book would be perfect for readers of any background who prefer short, plot-driven stories to long, character-driven ones.

******
Heroes of Afflatus
View: on Bookshelves

[Harty Muli]

I like plot twists and I think I'll consider reading this. Great review.

[S P]

It's good to see how compelling this novel was to read, although I do get frustrated when female characters are always the damsel in distress! Thanks for your review