MathiasCavanaugh.com

A fantasy & science fiction writer's blog by author Mathias Cavanaugh
  • Home
  • Home
  • Novels
    • Daughters of Fate Book 1
    • Daughters of Fate Book 2
    • Daughters of Fate Book 3
  • About Mathias Cavanaugh
  • Info For Literary Agents/Publishers
  • Contact Mathias

Archive

Posts Tagged ‘C S Lewis’

Best Fantasy/Fiction/Sci-Fi Books I Ever Read (21 Through 30)

September 23, 2012 Mathias Leave a comment

This is a continuation of my previous lists:
Best Fantasy/Fiction/Sci-Fi Books I Ever Read (Top 10)
Best Fantasy/Fiction/Sci-Fi Books I Ever Read (11 Through 20)

21. 1984 by George Orwell

(4.75/5 stars) Read more…

Categories: Book Reviews, General Things, Good Stuff Tags: 1984 By George Orwell, Ayn Rand, C S Lewis, Continuation, Dream Of Electric Sheep, Fantasy Fiction, Fountainhead By Ayn Rand, George Orwell, H G Wells, Magician, Margaret Weis, Margaret Weis And Tracy Hickman, Nephew, Orson Scott Card, Philip K Dick, Richard Matheson, Sci Fi Books, Time Machine, Time Of The Twins, Tracy Hickman

The Deadly Sin Of Not Giving A Book A Five Star Rating

June 7, 2012 Mathias Leave a comment

There are seven commonly recognized deadly sins.  They include wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony.  But there is also an eighth deadly sin so cardinal that is often over looked.  That sin is daring to say that a book is not “5 star” quality.

Yep, it is true.  Honesty is not looked upon kindly in the world of book reviews.  In that world, glowing, five star praise painting every novel written as the next best thing since Lewis Carroll, J.R.R. Tolkein or C.S. Lewis put pen to paper is the order of the day.  If you give a hedged four-star review while heaping praise, you can usually avoid most ofthe inevitable aftermath.  But, dare to give a book three-stars or less and you better be ready for scorn to be heaped upon you and the personal attacks to ensue.

When I said that Ian Irvine’s latest fantasy novel Vengeance, The Tainted Realm Vol 1 was only worth three-stars saying it read “like I was in the middle of a Tuesday night AD&D session” and it was not for anyone with “discriminating tastes in epic fantasy” it was on.  I received angry emails calling me a “worthless piece of s**t” and accusing me of “being jealous that I could never write such a wonderfully contrived novel as Mr. Irvine does time and time again.”  Well, excuse me for having an opinion.  Excuse me for thinking the book was mediocre.

Even when I recently posted my review of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, which I gave four out of five stars, I was not immune from attacks.  While I recommended the book, I also said that some things disappointed me such as the “simplistic prose”, its predictability and the fact that the basic premise was not very original even if the story details themselves were.  That caused fans of the book to unleash upon me because I did not think it was worthy of five star praise like they did.  Again, sorry for having an opinion that you did not like I suppose.  Please note that I did give it four stars.  Geesh!

It is an odd thing to experience, especially as an aspiring writer seeking publication.  One person upset with my review of The Hunger Games whined at me in a long, meandering email, “How would you like it if someone called something you wrote ‘simplistic and predictable’ and did not give it five stars?”  Well, honestly, as long as they are being honest and not vindictive or just a generally ignorant ass?  Then I do not care.  Opinions are, as they say, like butt holes.  Everyone has them.

I’m not one to toss around five-star ratings for anything, least of all books.  I’ve only ever thought that three books I have ever read deserved such an honor: Bram Stokers’s Dracula, C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass.  Sorry.  That’s my opinion.  Others have come close, but none has quite hit those heights.

I’m honest.  If you do not like it, don’t visit my site any more.  It is still a free country.

Categories: Book Reviews, General Things Tags: C S Lewis, Cavanaugh, Deadly Sin, Deadly Sins, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy Novel, Five Stars, Gluttony, Greed, J R R Tolkein, Lewis Carroll, Pen To Paper, Personal Attacks, Predictability, Scorn, Star Quality, Star Rating, Story Details, Suzanne Collins, Three Stars, Worthless Piece

Let’s Connect!

Follow Me on FacebookFollow Me on TwitterFollow Me on LinkedInFollow Me on PinterestFollow Me on RSSFollow Me on Goodreads

Subscribe to My Newsletter

We keep your data private and share your data only with third parties that make this service possible. Read our Privacy Policy.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Read Books by Mathias Cavanaugh

AVAILABLE NOW ON WATTPAD!

Daughters of Fate Book 1
Daughters of Fate Book 2
Daughters of Fate Book 3

Tales of the Inglorious Brotherhood (In Progress)

Recent Posts

  • Was an instant payday loan such as a cash loan inside Hattiesburg?
  • Cheap Essay For Sale – Get Your Paper Sold Quickly
  • (no title)
  • Getting Your Writing Done: Burst and Session Writing
  • Daughters of Fate (The Completed Trilogy)

Categories

Archives

Writing Projects:

Novels:
Under the Darkened Moon (Final Manuscript)
100%
Outsider (1st Draft)
90%
Cry of the Golden Wyvern (1st Draft)
15%
Awakening (1st Draft)
55%
Dragon's Tale (1st Draft)
15%
Her Lovely Blood (1st Draft)
20%
The Half-Orc Princess (1st Draft)
15%
The Stone-Flesh Curse (1st Draft)
10%
Wildflower's Rebellion (Concept)
0%

Short Stories:
Second Chances (Final Manuscript)
100%
The Yoke (Final Manuscript 2nd Take)
100%
First and Second Lessons (3rd Polish Edit)
88%
Sacrifice (Manuscript)
90%
The Flames (5th Polish Edit)
100%

Top
Copyright © 2011-2022 MathiasCavanaugh.com