Post by leethompson on Jan 27, 2011 9:56:38 GMT -6
Since I'm addicted to Googling my story titles I've found 2 reviews the last two days for my novelette AS I EMBRACE MY JAGGED EDGES... Thanks!
From Rich Sampson at Skull Salad Reviews:
Lee Thompson is a rare thing; a cracking writer and a genuinely nice bloke. He has started on the verge of real success (he has a forthcoming novel from Delirium Books and it’s already being compared to early Greg F Gifune) but his enthusiasm and passion for the genre is refreshing. Outside of short stories, this was the first 'longer' work of Thompson's I've read.
As I Embrace My Jagged Edges (Sideshow Press) tells the story of a shard from King Solomon’s temple guarded by a Jewish family. Boaz, twin brother to Angel, must come of age and stand tall against an onrushing chaos of demons, golems, sea gods and his own sexuality.
Thompson builds a believable mythical backdrop, based on Jewish history, and uses it to weave a mounting tension in the first two sections Morning and Afternoon. In the second half the pace hits breakneck and hurtles towards a startling climax, whipping the reader along for the ride. The final scene on the beach is superbly staged and littered with memorable imagery.
At its heart, lies Boaz, the real success of this story. In Boaz, Thompson has created a believable and flawed protagonist, whose struggles against his family, his own sexuality and the demons massing on the horizon will ring true with many a teenager. The second act - where Boaz meets the boy at the lighthouse - showed me the true potential of Thompson’s writing, a scene that carried a ring of truth and made for poignant reading.
The myth-making on display here is reminiscent of early Clive Barker and the unexpected poignancy put me in mind of British writer Joel Lane. All these ingredients make for a great novelette, packaged in ebook format at a very reasonable $3.
Undoubtedly, Lee Thompson will be a name to watch in 2011.
And from writer Bec Zugor:
Last week I was chuffed to hear that I’d won an ebook copy of Lee Thompson’s As I Embrace My Jagged Edges in the contest over at Bookhound’s Den (Thanks again, Neal!). I’d wanted to read this novella for some time, having been lured by the intriguing title, and having enjoyed Lee's writing before.
The story is about Boaz, whose family is always on the move in order to prevent a powerful bronze relic from falling into the wrong hands. When his beloved Uncle Jack is brutally murdered, Boaz realises he’ll have to face his inner demons alone as well as deal with a dangerous opponent.
The prose – sometimes poetic - quickly pulled me in, and I had to keep reading. Each sentence was a pleasure to read, and it’s obvious that the author has a great love of language. The story is beautifully crafted and well-paced – a real page-turner. It’s written in the first-person, present-tense, which I like, because the reader is easily immersed in the tale, experiencing events along with the main character. Characterisation is good; it’s easy to empathise with Boaz, who is full of self-doubt but is likeable. A deep sadness pervades the story, and stayed in my mind long after reading. Settings are believable and well-chosen. For example, the old lighthouse – which reminds us of both isolation and protection – reflects Boaz and his loneliness as he comes to terms with both his sexuality and his responsibility for protecting others from harm.
I’ll definitely be looking out for more of Lee Thompson’s work.
From Rich Sampson at Skull Salad Reviews:
Lee Thompson is a rare thing; a cracking writer and a genuinely nice bloke. He has started on the verge of real success (he has a forthcoming novel from Delirium Books and it’s already being compared to early Greg F Gifune) but his enthusiasm and passion for the genre is refreshing. Outside of short stories, this was the first 'longer' work of Thompson's I've read.
As I Embrace My Jagged Edges (Sideshow Press) tells the story of a shard from King Solomon’s temple guarded by a Jewish family. Boaz, twin brother to Angel, must come of age and stand tall against an onrushing chaos of demons, golems, sea gods and his own sexuality.
Thompson builds a believable mythical backdrop, based on Jewish history, and uses it to weave a mounting tension in the first two sections Morning and Afternoon. In the second half the pace hits breakneck and hurtles towards a startling climax, whipping the reader along for the ride. The final scene on the beach is superbly staged and littered with memorable imagery.
At its heart, lies Boaz, the real success of this story. In Boaz, Thompson has created a believable and flawed protagonist, whose struggles against his family, his own sexuality and the demons massing on the horizon will ring true with many a teenager. The second act - where Boaz meets the boy at the lighthouse - showed me the true potential of Thompson’s writing, a scene that carried a ring of truth and made for poignant reading.
The myth-making on display here is reminiscent of early Clive Barker and the unexpected poignancy put me in mind of British writer Joel Lane. All these ingredients make for a great novelette, packaged in ebook format at a very reasonable $3.
Undoubtedly, Lee Thompson will be a name to watch in 2011.
And from writer Bec Zugor:
Last week I was chuffed to hear that I’d won an ebook copy of Lee Thompson’s As I Embrace My Jagged Edges in the contest over at Bookhound’s Den (Thanks again, Neal!). I’d wanted to read this novella for some time, having been lured by the intriguing title, and having enjoyed Lee's writing before.
The story is about Boaz, whose family is always on the move in order to prevent a powerful bronze relic from falling into the wrong hands. When his beloved Uncle Jack is brutally murdered, Boaz realises he’ll have to face his inner demons alone as well as deal with a dangerous opponent.
The prose – sometimes poetic - quickly pulled me in, and I had to keep reading. Each sentence was a pleasure to read, and it’s obvious that the author has a great love of language. The story is beautifully crafted and well-paced – a real page-turner. It’s written in the first-person, present-tense, which I like, because the reader is easily immersed in the tale, experiencing events along with the main character. Characterisation is good; it’s easy to empathise with Boaz, who is full of self-doubt but is likeable. A deep sadness pervades the story, and stayed in my mind long after reading. Settings are believable and well-chosen. For example, the old lighthouse – which reminds us of both isolation and protection – reflects Boaz and his loneliness as he comes to terms with both his sexuality and his responsibility for protecting others from harm.
I’ll definitely be looking out for more of Lee Thompson’s work.
