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book reviews |
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Multi-volume, historical-fiction author B. K. Greenwood introduces us to the third volume of his wildly popular The Last Roman series, “Absolution”: Redemption and Revenge - Can they be one and the same? Marcus Sempronius Gracchus, a soldier of Rome, was cursed to walk the earth for two thousand years. But that journey may soon come to an end. He has secured the only weapon capable of stopping the ultimate evil, but is it too late? Will Thomas find the ancient seal and open the gates of hell, ushering in the end of times? Find out in the explosive finale to The Last Roman Series.  I feel like Marcus and Isabella are close friends of mine and I celebrate their accomplishments and mourn their losses with them. Greenwood is quite an author who deserves all of these accolades and more. He has a wonderful balance of action, dialogue and setting throughout the series and it all fits together so well. Some authors are too heavy and detailed when it comes to action, others go overboard when describing a scene. Some write great dialogue and other books don't feel quite as natural. The Last Roman establishes a great balance and never wavers. I was on the edge of my Kindle the entire time! I can hardly wait for more! Don’t miss this series!  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Roman-Absolution-B-K-Greenwood https://www.goodreads.com/-absolution-b-k-greenwood https://www.barnesandnoble.com/the-last-roman-absolution-b-k-greenwood You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/bkgreenwood70 https://www.instagram.com/bkgreenwood70 https://www.facebook.com/BKGreenwood http://www.bkgreenwood.com I reviewed the first book in the series here: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-last-roman I have reviewed the second book in the series here: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-last-roman-abyss Christian fiction, action, adventure, spirituality, historical fiction, politics, conspiracy, prophecy Copyright © 2023 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction.
28 Comments
Mark
4/24/2023 12:50:06 pm
The ending of this book was amazing! I loved it. Thank you for writing it.
BK Greenwood
4/24/2023 03:41:09 pm
Interesting question. That there are set rules. Sure, you need to follow grammar and spelling norms, but things like; don’t use prologues, don’t open with a dream sequence, etc. But, if you do break norms, then do it well. If you head hop (change point of views) be aware and make sure you don’t confuse the reader.
Mark
4/24/2023 04:24:56 pm
There are rules, conventions and the way most things are done. Readers have expectations, they have been conditioned by what they read and their choices of what they read are reflected in their purchases. Big novels are not as sought after as much as they used to be even in fantasy books. I have seen far fewer prologues in the last few years also.
BK greenwood
4/24/2023 05:33:07 pm
Research is very similar. Not much has changed. My writing style has changed. I don’t need a lot of time like I used too. I try to knock out 1,000 words a day, and that usually takes 30-45 mins. I’ve become much more efficient as I became more comfortable with the series.
Mark
4/24/2023 06:48:23 pm
I am not surprised. While every story has its unique features and voice an author becomes very familiar with all aspects of the plot, characters and settings in a series. Even if there is little to no plotting in advance the words flow when you are in the groove.
BK Greenwood
4/25/2023 11:27:42 am
I think a little of both. I felt like Marcus was a mashup of multiple fictional characters I grew up with. Batman, Tarzan, Jason Bourne, Bond, etc. I feel Thomas and the “other” main protagonist are more original and custom. Isabella is who I imagine a strong female character that overcame a ton of adversity would be.
Mark
4/25/2023 11:53:08 am
Marcus is quite capable and not having to worry about getting hurt makes him a formidable opponent! Thomas and the other are pretty unique in their roles. I particularly enjoy how you wrote the other. I love Isabella! She is so strong and talented. She deserves a novella of her own if not a full novel. 4/25/2023 09:07:20 pm
I’m surprisingly agnostic on specific character looks. Some traits (Marcus is taller for a Roman, Isabelle and Thomas are darker skinned, etc.), are important anchor features. But I let the reader imagine specifically what they look like. I’ve avoided sketches or AI renderings of my character so as to not taint my perspective. As with my scenes, I provide enough description to set the ball rolling and let the reader fill in the blanks. Then the story is uniquely their own.
Mark
4/26/2023 11:31:41 am
You reinforce a good point. Less can be more. In a book, less details allow the reader to fill in the blanks, especially when it comes to ordinary activities and mundane experiences. The reader automatically fills in those blanks from their personal experiences and identifies closer to the book. I recall discussing the cover of a romantic hist-fic with the author. The cover had a beautiful woman in a lavish dress. Her back was turned to the audience. I questioned that unusual choice; she replied that the reader could picture what the woman looked like. She went on to say that most women will put their face on the woman because they are most familiar with their own face. Brilliant. 4/26/2023 12:49:11 pm
Yeah. Both females and other communities that I am not a direct member of (people of color, LGBTQ+, etc). It’s tough, as I want to reflect the real world, which is amazingly diverse. But at the same time, it can be difficult to replicate the experience in writing. I try to draw on strong examples I know from the real world and set aside my (possibly) tainted views. I hate the blatant clichés. Isabella is an attractive character, but I try not to harp on her physical attractiveness and focus on her strong intellect, sense of humor and persistence.
Mark
4/26/2023 01:21:42 pm
You make a good point. Whatever a writer is not very familiar with will be more difficult to write about. Good research is a partial antidote to that issue. The other part is good writing. Quite a few authors use sensitivity readers to help finetune questionable passages for the final draft. 4/26/2023 08:04:01 pm
Not as much for book three in the series. That was pretty clean. For books one and two (and my upcoming prequel), I had several flashback chapters that did not fit into the timeline. So, I took four short stories and released a collection (Bastion) and turned another one into a novella (Insurrection). It is a nice way to develop the characters.
Mark
4/26/2023 08:42:05 pm
I love that! A lot or authors remove sections for one reason or another but I have not heard of many who repurposed that material into a publishable format. Brilliant. 4/26/2023 11:04:29 pm
I've done some woodworking. I like to do renovations around the house. I have no art skill, whatsoever. Worst Pictionary player ever. If I did not write, not sure what else I would do for a creative outlet.
Mark
4/27/2023 08:10:31 am
I enjoy the same thing. I like fixing a home up also. 4/27/2023 05:03:51 pm
We love animals, so rescue dogs are our weakness. We had four but lost our most senior pup last month.
Mark
4/27/2023 05:20:34 pm
Dogs are wonderful creatures! I have had several and understand the pain when you lose a beloved family member. 4/28/2023 01:19:47 pm
I do not. I find my time dedicated to reading minimal, at best. I was recently accepted to the International Thriller Writers Organization. That was kind of cool.
Mark
4/28/2023 01:33:43 pm
Congratulations on that membership! I have no doubt it is well deserved. 4/28/2023 08:24:20 pm
I think the only think I have experimented with is point of view changes. The original plan was to have all the flashback chapters in first person. I changed that for continuity, but you can see an example in Monsoon (one of the short stories in Bastion). I kept that first person (Marcus). I enjoy the style, but it is very limiting. And having multiple first person in one book (which many have done with success) is intimidating to me. Not sure I could pull that off.
Mark
4/28/2023 09:02:01 pm
First person point of view is limiting and it is also very intimate for the reader. I love first person POV for that reason. One of the first books I recall reading written in first person POV was "Divinity Bureau" by Tessa Clare. I enjoyed it a great deal and reviewed it a few years ago. 4/30/2023 09:59:09 am
I will cheat and say a series. The Tarzan series by Edgar Rice Burroughs (followed closely by his Martian series). Next would be any of the Clive Cussler books. They all were amazing action/adventures, with fast moving plots and memorable characters.
Mark
4/30/2023 11:59:18 am
That is not cheating. That is a great pick! Good authors! 4/30/2023 10:27:47 pm
They were supportive, but I think a lot of people say they are going to write a book, so it is easy to be dismissive to start. Considering the fact that I started book one in 1998, I do not blame them. I think it was about the six-month mark, when I was getting reviews from complete strangers that enjoyed the book. And then I started turning a profit... that is when it hits home that someone could do this and be successful.
Mark
5/1/2023 08:30:05 am
You are right. A lot of people say they are going to write a book and very, very few actually do. The number of authors that make a profit are far fewer still! Congratulations on that. So many authors sell less than 1,000 books. 5/1/2023 10:10:43 am
Ah, great question. For me, it's in multiple ways.
Mark
5/1/2023 12:46:14 pm
You have no trouble maintaining your excitement! Wonderful. It is fun to talk with others about books I know I certainly enjoy it. Leave a Reply. |
Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
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