Just a quick update, I am back home and recovering from my back surgery. Luckily, I had a fun fantasy book to pass the time with. I received a copy of author M.J. Mallon’s Golden Healer: The Curse of Time Book 2, and it was a great read. I didn’t read the first book in this series, but it didn’t matter as Book 2 kept me abreast of the story.
It was surprising to find that each chapter was titled as a “Puzzle” piece. As I got into the story, I understood why as everything fell into place with each chapter. Shadows, demons, and spirits fill this strange world as the main conflict between the forces of good and evil (something I always love to see in my fantasy stories) are met in a variety of situations. The author’s world-building is breathtaking, but that’s not always a good thing. Occasionally, I lost track of where I was in the story with the beautiful visuals. However, the steady pace of the story kept me on track. I also love the mixture of poetry, music, and story as it flowed together seamlessly.
From the disappearance of her Bloodstone to her first dream travel, Amenlina is a heroine you can get behind. Her story is told from her POV, as well as from her family and friends around her. There is humor mixed in with elements of danger throughout the story, making a good mix for the reader. There are plenty of twists and turns that keep you guessing and the ending is definitely not your normal “Happily Ever After” one comes to expect from a fantasy story. Still, reading Book Two of the series makes me want to go back to the first book, Bloodstone.
I also appreciate the author’s sensitivity to suicide and self-harm, even addressing it with self-help at the end of her book. That shows her dedication and responsibility as an author by addressing this delicate issue.
I give this book FIVE STARS and highly recommend M.J. Mallon to any young fantasy reader.
As a reminder, I’ll be at the Moravian Book Shop on Saturday, June 3, for my next book signing. Be sure to check out my Events page to see where I’ll be in the coming months. My schedule is changing and updating on a regular basis, so STAY TUNED!
Mark Piggott is an award-winning independent author of several fantasy/steampunk novels and short stories. A 23-year U.S. Navy veteran, his stories will take you from the shores of eternal Avalon to a dystopian steampunk future and other worlds.
The Forever Avalon fantasy book series—including Forever Avalon, The Dark Tides, and The Outlander War—is available online at Amazonand otherbooksellers. His fantasy steampunk novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart, is available through Luluand otherbooksellers.
Cross over The River of Soulsin a fantasy novella and the steampunk historical fiction,Corsair and the Sky Pirates fromCurious Corvid Publishing. The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel and The Prometheus Engine: Book Four of the Forever Avalon Series, are coming soon. Stay tuned for more new fantastic stories from the imagination of Mark Piggott.
I have to give a big shout-out to my friend and fellow author T.K. Toppin! I count T.K. as one of my many independent author friends in the online community. She is one of new generation of science fiction authors and her latest release is no exception.
THE DARK WITHOUT is her new release, available TODAY on Amazon, and she continues to amaze me with her attention to detail, world-building, and creative science fiction writing.
“Humankind is always doomed to fail. It has fallen many times before, and many times we have intervened to ensure it stays on the correct course. Earth is salvageable, but if you had continued along the path you were on, it would not have been. You have billions of years more to exist before your planet’s final destruction. We are only making certain it survives that long, and ensuring your survival until the ultimate end. At times you progress too fast, but such is humankind’s way. So we had to accelerate this current failure sooner in order to restart. As we have done before, a guide with a better objective and understanding of how to protect your world, will be inserted…”
But why did they care what humans did with their lives? They were aliens—beings from another dimension! Earth wasn’t their home.
Esme Serrano’s predestined encounter with the trans-dimensional anthropomorphic Aakehollats sends her on a multi-pathed journey spanning ten thousand years. A journey riddled with lies, manipulations and untold layers of deception. She guides Earth as the Sibyl, a powerful and mystical leader, and brings the dying world back from the brink of death. She helps the Aakehollats, and ensures that Earth survives until its ultimate destruction in the cosmos.
But her one true goal is, and always will be, to kill the Aakehollats.
I had the privilege to be one of T.K.’s ARC readers so I got an advanced copy of her sci-fi novel. Here is my review:
Science Fiction prophecy has been a part of our culture for decades. Science Fiction writers find a way to take what is happening in our world today and figure out what is coming next. This book is another great example of that heritage. After reading the first few chapters of THE DARK WITHOUT, I saw our world today–political upheaval, climate change, skyrocketing food prices, rolling blackouts–all of these things are affecting us today. T.K. blends the reality of our world with the possibility that life exists out there, watching over us. It’s a powerful story of a world controlled by a single doctrine, forged from the story of one person setting humanity on its destined course, but what if they got the story wrong? Can humanity survive knowing the truth? These questions boggle the mind but it keeps you enthralled with every page. T.K. belongs with the science fiction prophets of the past, giving us ample warning about our future.
Do yourself a favor and check out T.K.’s other offerings, including Jax Marlin and RAQ. They are just what you need for a great sci-fi read, and it supports a fellow indie author!
Mark Piggott is an award-winning independent author of several fantasy/steampunk novels and short stories. A 23-year U.S. Navy veteran, his stories will take you from the shores of eternal Avalon to a dystopian steampunk future and other worlds.
The Forever Avalon fantasy book series—including Forever Avalon, The Dark Tides, and The Outlander War—is available online at Amazonand otherbooksellers. His fantasy steampunk novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart, is available through Luluand otherbooksellers.
Cross over The River of Soulsin a fantasy novella and the steampunk historical fiction,Corsair and the Sky Pirates fromCurious Corvid Publishing. The Last Magus: Dragonfire and Steel and The Prometheus Engine: Book Four of the Forever Avalon Series, are coming soon. Stay tuned for more new fantastic stories from the imagination of Mark Piggott.
Book reviews are the “bread and butter” for any independent or self-published author. Good or bad, book reviews are great feedback for an author to work on their craft and make them a better author. I can remember the first “honest” review I received on Forever Avalon shortly after it was published in 2009. It’s my one and only 2 STAR review.
“Nice try, but the book seems to be the effort of someone truly not gifted in the art of writing. Skip this one and save your money.”
Carl W. Alvers (Verified Purchase)
Ouch! I can honestly say this one hurt, but it also made me take a closer look at my writing and editing. The “vanity” publisher I worked with pushed my book out with no real edit or comments. I think they just wanted to get my money (lesson learned) and I just wanted to be able to call myself published. When they went out of business and I republished Forever Avalon on Amazon, I did a good edit on my manuscript. In the time between my first publication and this one, I took the criticism to heart and worked to improve my writing style, grammar, point-of-view, tense, etc.
That’s what I like about book reviews. Most reviewers love my storytelling, its the mechanics of my writing that they criticize, and I understand that completely. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I started working with professional editors to clean up my work. Their insight has made me a better writer.
Book reviews also help with promoting your book with Amazon. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it in searches. Book reviews are important for all books, but especially for self-published books, because most of their sales are online. When it comes to selling books online, Amazon customer reviews can make or break a shoppers interest in a book.
“Authors rely on reviews to build credibility and word of mouth marketing, while readers rely on them to decide whether or not to purchase a book. The more positive reviews an author has, the more books he or she is likely to sell.”
Author Learning Center
The problem is that people are not very reliable in leaving reviews. That leads to other problems, as in how to get reviews. I will admit that I have paid for some of my book reviews, but I no longer do that. It leads to spam email and unwanted followers offering reviews for cash. I prefer working with my fellow indie authors. We swap books and provide reviews for each other. Feedback from my peers is priceless.
I get a lot of my reviews that way, but also from people I meet at book fairs and festivals I attend. I like the honest reviews I get from them. They’re not always frequent and not always positive, but it helps me grow. By reading these reviews, I know what my faults are and what I need to work on as I continue in my career as an author.
So, my one piece of advice to everyone out there . . . Help and Author and LEAVE A REVIEW! We can take the criticism and we need the attention, so please help out. It may sound like I’m begging (well, maybe just a little) but its a few minutes out of your day and it helps more than you know.
Mark Piggott is an award-winning independent author of several fantasy/steampunk novels and short stories. A 23-year U.S. Navy veteran, his stories will take you from the shores of eternal Avalon to a dystopian steampunk future and other worlds.
The Forever Avalon fantasy book series—including Forever Avalon, The Dark Tides, and The Outlander War—is available online at Amazonand otherbooksellers. His fantasy steampunk novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart, is available through Luluand otherbooksellers.
This is turning out to be a great Christmas, and it’s not even December! My latest book, The River of Souls, was nominated for two Next Generation Indie Book Awards, for best novella and fantasy. The Next Generation Indie Book Awards is the largest International awards program for indie authors and independent publishers. In its sixteenth year of operation, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards was established to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books in 80+ different categories, for the year, and is presented by Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group in cooperation with Marilyn Allen of Allen Literary Agency.
First off, a big thank you to my poet, Ashley Valitutto, for adding her wonderful poetry to my story. Second, none of this would have been possible without the love and support from my publisher, Curious Corvid Publishing. Ravven White and her team made my dream of publishing with an actual publisher a reality, and The River of Souls is my first step into a new journey as a published author with plenty more to come.
As a bonus, The River of Souls picked up another FIVE STARAmazon book review! And you can listen to an excerpt of my fantasy novella as read by voiceover artist Teri Schnaubelt on my new YouTube channel.
“This is not my usual genre…but maybe it should be! I absolutely loved this. Now I have a new author to follow and keep up with. I am a sucker for an authentic and genuine love story, and this delivered. I can tell I’m going to be thinking about this story for years to come. The morals and messages are timeless. A treasure.”
Aimee N Curran, Verified Amazon Review
If you want to get your hands on a signed copy of The River of Souls, hop over to the Curious Corvid shop for my novella and check out the other great books and merchandise from CCP. Or, if you’re in the Virginia area, I’ll be attending the last 2nd Sundays Williamsburg Art and Music Festival on Sunday, December 11, on North Boundary Street in historic Williamsburg, Va. So many great things happened at the end of 2022. I can’t wait to see what 2023 brings me!
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Mark Piggott is an award-winning independent author of several fantasy/steampunk novels and short stories. A 23-year U.S. Navy veteran, his stories will take you from the shores of eternal Avalon to a dystopian steampunk future and other worlds.
The Forever Avalon fantasy book series—including Forever Avalon, The Dark Tides, and The Outlander War—is available online at Amazon and other booksellers. His fantasy steampunk novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart, is available through Lulu and other booksellers.
The first book reviews for my new fantasy novella The River of Souls are in and it’s a great start for me under the wing of Curious Corvid Publishing. The first comes from author T.K. Toppin, and its always good to get feedback from your peers. We often support each other with ARC reads to give insight into each other’s work. T.K. has a new book out, which I’ll talk about in a minute.
“This was a delightful and heart-warming novella about the power of love, and how it can stretch and endure through different worlds – even death. A cleverly woven tale mixing fantasy and steampunk, and reflecting on topics that are all too current, from hatred to bigotry and life after war. I thoroughly enjoyed this moving, fast-paced book. Magic, swords, crossing different realms and mystical beings – what more do you need for an engaging read.”
The next review came from Instagram bibliophile scifiladygj, Geo VanJar. She has previously read my books and reads a multitude of genres. I love when readers who come out to my events continue to support me as an independent author.
“@foreveravalon.author is quite the love storyteller. This novella is packed with memories of war and war. But what makes it encouraging is the author’s way of bringing to fore a future out of strife, pain and love. The story tells of the love of human and Dragonkin, which is taboo for most of those filled with prejudice after a 300 year war. But in the end, as it should, love conquers all. The author brought our own world into the fantasy world of Drogon vs human through the River of Souls, which brings home our own reactions to some. This novella is insightful, a bit of steampunk along with a healthy dose of true love. Well worth the read.”
Lastly, I want to give a shout out in my review of T.K. Toppin‘s latest sci-fi novel, Raq, available now in paperback and releasing September 16, 2022, on Amazon Kindle. I was captured after the first chapter. This book reads like an episode of original “Star Trek” written by Gene Roddenberry himself. It had the feel of classic science fiction but still modern to today. I loved the way it switched between the alien to the human perspective throughout. You understood both sides of the story, even though you may disagree with one or the other. It presented all the challenges of a first encounter with a world ending reality. T.K. is one of the great new voices in science fiction writing today. She has an array of novels from sci-fi crime noir to aliens and outer space. T.K. has got you covered. Stop by her Amazon Authors Page and check out all the great books she has to offer!
That’s the thing you have to understand about authors and readers. We look out for each other, we support each other, because we love our stories and what they represent. I know what it means to struggle with writing, editing, publishing, and marketing as an independent author. It’s not an easy path for any of us. Luckily, there’s a great support system out there to encourage our efforts every step of the way. Bonus, readers and bibliophiles LOVE to read and want to dive into your stories. To me, as a writer, that’s a “win/win” situation.
Mark Piggott is an award-winning independent author of several fantasy/steampunk novels and short stories. A 23-year U.S. Navy veteran, his stories will take you from the shores of eternal Avalon to a dystopian steampunk future and other worlds.
The Forever Avalon fantasy book series—including Forever Avalon, The Dark Tides, and The Outlander War—is available online at Amazon and other booksellers. His fantasy steampunk novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart, is available through Lulu and other booksellers.
I am from a small town in northern New Jersey called Phillipsburg. Our little town sits on the shores of the Delaware River, right across from Easton, Pennsylvania, and the Lehigh Valley. Our claim to fame is our high school football team, always ranked top in the state of New Jersey (“I bleed garnet and gray!”) and our high school football rivalry with our neighbor across the river in Easton High School. That rivalry has been going on since 1905 and we fight it out on the gridiron every Thanksgiving. It’s a Stateliner tradition!
I have a good friend from Phillipsburg, Jennie Rosenblum, who is an online book reviewer (jenniereads.com) and she has been a wonderful supporter in my literary career as an independent author. Jennie gives comprehensive and honest book reviews of a variety of genres. If you’re looking for a good book to read, check out Jennie’s blog and I know you’ll find a something worth your while.
Add to that list my latest fantasy novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart. Jennie surprised me this past week when she posted her review. You can read her entire review HERE, but this is the highlight for me . . .
“Magic, Fantasy, and Steampunk all rolled into one very enjoyable adventure story. I have read other books by this author and he always pulls me in with incredible covers and beautifully laid out interiors of his books. When an author takes this much care, I’m already into the story before the first line. Oh, did I also mention that the main character has lost all memory of who he is or what his life was before we see him on that very first page?”
Plan to visit the Fredericksburg Independent Book Festival and West Virginia Book Festival in October
I have two upcoming events to mention here! I will be signing and selling my novels at the Fredericksburg Independent Book Festival on Saturday, October 2, from 10am to 4pm at Riverfront Park on Sophia Street in historic Fredericksburg, Virginia. This is my first book festival EVER so I’m looking forward to attending!
Their mission is to provide a venue for local authors, graphic novelists, publishers, book artists to market their work, and to foster an interest in reading, writing, and literature. By bringing writers and readers together to promote indie authors and creators in the community to inspire the next generation of writers. Visit fredbookfest.com for more information.
UPDATE: The 2021 West Virginia Book Festival has been cancelled, at least for in-person events. Due to COVID concerns, the festival is now virtual so I will not be attending. The pain of COVID for independent authors continues…
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Mark Piggott is an independent author of the Forever Avalon fantasy book series and other fantasy novels and short stories. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon and as an audiobook from Audible and iTunes. The Dark Tides: Book 2 of the Forever Avalon Series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from iUniverse Publishing and at Amazon, and other booksellers. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from Austin Macauley Publishing, and at Amazon and other booksellers. His latest fantasy novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart is available through Lulu and other booksellers. Get ready for The Prometheus Engine: Book 4 of the Forever Avalon Series, coming soon, and the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates.
It also includes a new piece of art done by artist and fantasy author Zenkiea Hjerpe of Gideon and the Naiads. It shows the moment when the Naiads were pulling Gideon underwater while trying to seduce him. The artwork conveys the terrifying feeling of drowning without being able to stop from being pulled under to your death.
I love seeing my words brought to life by these great artists. The vision of the fantasy world that swirls around in my head is visualized through the skill and imagination of these artists. I am truly humbled and amazed by the work they do.
In addition, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart received some great additional book reviews. Thanks to everyone for the kind words about my fantasy novel.
_sofiyaa_khan_ said, “The title of book is unique but has a true deep meaning and suits perfectly to the storyline. I fell into the world of Attlain, following the main character, Marcus Gideon, as he navigated his way through the story in a sort of ‘coming of age’ way. The story line keeps you hooked as Gideon strives to recover and to learn all that his mentor can teach him and his journey to follow his mentor’s instructions after his death.
“Piggott has created a rich world with strong characters, and an original magic system which is slowly revealed. Each of the characters were unique and had a fun banter as they engaged with one another — and who wouldn’t want to go to a school dedicated to magic! I look forward to reading more from this author.
“Gideon is a wonderful character, and adds a nice touch of mystery as we meet him regaining consciousness but not his memory, just in time to get stabbed though the heart. The armoury is pure magic, and I loved finding out about the ‘characters’ of the weapons that they call forth. The relationship between the wielder and the weapon was key for me, and I wish there was more of it!”
tanmeen_kaur_anand_sethi said, “The Last Magus is a fantasy filled story line which will make it readers indulge in a world full of magics, miracle, powers, and mystical creatures and their world. This is my first book from this author and after reading the book I am sure that I will continue to find some more good books by author Mark.
“About the story, it’s about a world called Attlain, where all the magicians live who are expert in magics only to an extent of the betterment, saving and protecting its own people rather than using it as a power to rule over others. The story is a combination of a creative world with amazing characters and full of adventure. When you have power, you should also have the ability and mentality to preserve it and ensure its optimum safety from falling into the wrong hands. Attlain being a land of magicians is threatened by some of its own men who decide to overpower the inbuilt abilities with the intent of ruling and proving supreme to the masses.
“The story has lead protagonist as Marcus Gideon who was stabbed and left half dead at the crossroads of Armandis. He is saved by a black smith who is himself a loyal guard of Attlain and a firm believer of how to use magic of the betterment of its people. When Marcus gets to know about this blacksmith and his good intentions of protecting the magical weapons to fall into the wrong hands, he wants to know more about him. But the black smith is getting old and he needs someone who can continue his legacy of protecting the magical armoury and weapons to fall into the wrong hands which will eventually led to the diminishing of its own clan which is to be protected.
“Author Mark Piggott has really penned down a fantasy which will take it readers to another dimension of the universe. A must have book full of imaginary fantasy which is marvelously mesmerizing!”
For anyone interested in reading The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart themselves, I have teamed up with Enchanted Rose Author Services to promote The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart on a book tour, August 30-Sept. 3. By participating in the book tour, you will get an opportunity to read my latest fantasy novel for FREE in exchange for an honest book review. To sign up to read The Last Magus go to bit.ly/LastMagus! Visit Enchanted Rose Author Services website for more information on their many author promotion services and make sure you follow Jennifer Rose and The Crafty Book Nook on Instagram!
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Mark Piggott is an independent author of the Forever Avalon fantasy book series and other fantasy novels and short stories. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon and as an audiobook from Audible and iTunes. The Dark Tides: Book 2 of the Forever Avalon Series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from iUniverse Publishing and at Amazon, and other booksellers. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from Austin Macauley Publishing, and at Amazon and other booksellers. His latest fantasy novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart is available through Lulu and other booksellers. Get ready for The Prometheus Engine: Book 4 of the Forever Avalon Series, coming soon, and the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates.
I have teamed up with Enchanted Rose Author Services to promote The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart on a book tour, August 30-Sept. 3. By participating in the book tour, you will get an opportunity to read my latest fantasy novel for FREE in exchange for an honest book review.
With over 10 years of experience reviewing books for Authors, Jennifer Rose decided to create her own Personal Assistant services. “I wanted to create a service that was designed to help Authors promote their upcoming releases, expand their readers list and allow time for them to get back to what they do best, write!”
Whether you are a brand new debut Author or an established Author, promoting your book can be quite time consuming. Enchanted Rose Author Services takes care of the analytics with promoting your book, establishing a book tour or having a release blitz. They have many different services available and can even discuss specializing any service to help cater to the author’s needs.
MAGUS… The Magus were the protectors of magic, armed with a magic caster’s power and the strength of a warrior. They were able to summon various magical weapons from specialized caches they wore as an armored pauldron known as an Armory of Attlain. They were legendary among the people of Attlain, until the Magus Rebellion. When a few Magus decided they should lead the people instead of protecting them, they rebelled; but the insurrection ended from within the Magus ranks. However, the rebellion already did the damage. The Magus were cast out, feared, and outlawed except for those few who remained loyal to the crown and lived as adventurers. For generations, they had all but disappeared from the landscape of Attlain.
Marcus Gideon awoke at the crossroads outside the border town of Armändis. Lost, with no memory of his past life, he was left for dead by brigands… Stabbed through the heart. His life was saved by a blacksmith’s kindness who replaced his damaged heart with a mechanical, magical miracle—a clockwork heart. The gears turned, the motor spun, and his heart was beating again, powered by his magical energy.
Gideon was alive, but his savior was no ordinary blacksmith. Henry Botàn was a Magus, hiding out in Armändis to protect the weapons within his magical armory. The swords, spears, and other-worldly artifacts were potent in their rights, some cursed and even forbidden to wield. His responsibility was to protect these weapons from falling into the wrong hands, but he was old and past his prime. He needed an apprentice, and Marcus Gideon may be the one he waited all these years.
Now begins a new adventure, as Gideon searches for clues to his past, looking ahead toward his future in Attlain as THE LAST MAGUS
Mark Piggott is an independent author of the Forever Avalon fantasy book series and other fantasy novels and short stories. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon and as an audiobook from Audible and iTunes. The Dark Tides: Book 2 of the Forever Avalon Series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from iUniverse Publishing and at Amazon, and other booksellers. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from Austin Macauley Publishing, and at Amazon and other booksellers. His latest fantasy novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart is available through Lulu and other booksellers. Get ready for The Prometheus Engine: Book 4 of the Forever Avalon Series, coming soon, and the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates.
Book reviews are something every author likes to see. Good or bad, it helps inform the author about what needs work in their writing and what they’re doing right. I received some great new reviews for The Outlander War and The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart. The first one comes from Booklife Publishers Weekly. They gave The Outlander War a 6.5 out of 10, and broke it down as follows:
Plot: Despite multiple factions working against one another and duplicitous characters at every turn, Mark Piggott’s plotting is tightly woven and flawlessly plotted. The pacing would benefit from being as even-footed.
Prose/Style: The third installment in the Forever Avalon series paints a vivid portrait of the mythical land of Avalon while still lending itself well to the quick pacing of the plot.
Originality: The Outlander War is a unique spin on the familiar legends of the mythical King Arthur and Avalon, combining elements of many iterations of the traditional tales familiar to readers while featuring new characters and mythological creatures. The appearance of Avalon in the modern world amid US Navy ships also provides fresh perspective on the complexities of international relations and the sometimes competing necessities which arise from globalism versus nationalism.
Character Development/Execution: The strong, self-sure Lord Bryan MoodDrake, the Gil-Gamesh, is sure to appeal to readers, even as he is torn between the life and legacy he’s built in Avalon and the career and friendships left behind in our own world. Secondary characters are well-realized and integral to the plot. Villains range from the understandably revenge-driven Mordred to the evil-for-evil’s-sake Secretary Barry.
The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart also received two new reviews to start things off! My first book in a new world, with new characters, got a pair of glowing reviews. Just as a reminder, you can pick up this fantasy novel at Lulu. First, from book reviewer/book blogger Diksha Malik (@book_riot006 on Instagram).
Recently I got my hands on the book The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart by Mark Piggott. This is my fourth read from the author and his creativity never fails to amaze me. His writing style is quite impressive and I always prefer to go with more works of him. This book is an assemblage of 13 chapters, I found this book quite a long read but the perfect narration made it easier for me to go through. I was completely hooked till the end. Cover of the book is fascinating and the title of the book goes perfect with the storyline. This makes a book a perfect one to be added to the “tbr” for each one of you. I would highly recommend this book to everyone out there, go and get your hands on this book as soon as possible. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to riffle through this masterpiece.
The second book review for The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart comes from fantasy author Helen Garraway of The Sentinals Series. It is always great to hear from your peers about the work you do as a writer.
The Last Magus is the first book I have read from Mark Piggott, and I’m sure it won’t be the last! Piggott has created a rich world with strong characters, and an original magic system which is slowly revealed. Gideon is a wonderful character, and adds a nice touch of mystery as we meet him regaining consciousness but not his memory, just in time to get stabbed though the heart. Fortunate for him he is rescued by an elderly man who is much more than he seems. The story line keeps you hooked as Gideon strives to recover and to learn all that his mentor can teach him and his journey to follow his mentor’s instructions after his death. The writer in me wishes Piggott showed us a bit more of the characters experiencing their emotions and reactions rather than telling us, but the reader in me can’t wait to read more. The armoury is pure magic, and I loved finding out about the ‘characters’ of the weapons that they call forth. The relationship between the wielder and the weapon was key for me, and I wish there was more of it! The story picks up once he reaches the Basilon Magical academy and the world and the characters expand. I loved Lady Jacqueline and Wren and Guilfoy who turns into a useful ally at the academy! Overall a wonderful tale and great characters that give us a very enjoyable read.
It is always great to get a review, good or bad, because (a) it tells me that people are reading my novels and (b) the feedback helps me, as a writer, to not only improve my writing style but helps me continue on this path as a writer. So please, remember to always leave a review for any author you read, whether it be an established writer to the independent author. We all need the love and support from our readers!
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Mark Piggott is an independent author of the Forever Avalon fantasy book series and other fantasy novels and short stories. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon and as an audiobook from Audible and iTunes. The Dark Tides: Book 2 of the Forever Avalon Series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from iUniverse Publishing and at Amazon, and other booksellers. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from Austin Macauley Publishing, and at Amazon and other booksellers. His latest fantasy novel, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart is available through Lulu and other booksellers. Get ready for The Prometheus Engine: Book 4 of the Forever Avalon Series, coming soon, and the steampunk historical fiction, Corsair and the Sky Pirates.
This is a great way to start off the holidays! I would love to receive more Christmas presents like this (if you’re listening out the Santa Claus!) The three books in the FOREVER AVALON fantasy book series–Forever Avalon, The Dark Tides, and The Outlander War–were reviewed by Instagram book reviewer, avid reader, and supporter of independent authors everywhere Nerdybibliophilee! Here’s a snippet of the reviews:
“It has been a great fantasy week. Ever happened to you that after reading a book it took some time to get back into reality. Was in such wonderful wizard world created by Mark Piggott. The fantasy book is called Forever Avalon. Starting with the title of the book, I feel its a relevant one for such an amazing storyline. Taking about the cover on the other hand, as you all see is a very creative one. It gives a very comic like vibe and I feel it’s a fun read for both children and adults who are looking for a soothing, adventurous and a fun read.
“Talking about the plot of the book, the plot is very well designed and written. I would like to talk about narration of the book first, the way book starts gives a hype to the upcoming story. Stephanie with three of her children end up on a mysterious land after hit by a storm. Now as the story proceeds we get to know about the mystery land which is full of very different creatures and wizards. Trust me if I was a child I would have gone crazy while reading the story because I feel children have a great power of imagination. If not books like these give them a great way of expanding their imagination. I being an adult could film the story in my mind while reading it. Now as the pages turn we get to know more about the island and the creatures living there, Avalon has been a sacred place for 3000 years and now Stephanie and her children ended up here. Being from the outside world they are unaware about all of this and that’s the same for the life of Avalon. Now they are struggling to find their way out.
“To be very honest, I personally love reading about such islands and sacred places even if it’s a fantasy because as the pages turn the story takes a different way revealing more about the Avalon. Trust me if you are a fantasy lover you are definitely going to thank me for recommending it to you. I would highly recommend it to all the readers out there.”
“Just as I told you before I am going to complete the Forever Avalon series and after a very positive response from you guys I got a lot of requests regarding the review of the Book 2 and if it’s worth reading. So let’s start my way. Starting with the title of the book The Dark Tides the story being in continuation of the last book that is Forever Avalon. After reading it I feel the title was a perfect fit. The cover on the other hand is as creative as the first one. Overall the other appearance of the book was not compromised just for the sake of response from the book 1.
“Talking about the content of the book, The Drake family is travelling by sea to lay a wreath in honor of the patriarch of the family, Bryan. Unfortunately, they run into a big storm and soon find themselves trapped on a desolate island. Fortunately, that’s where Bryan and his new life on the island of Avalon find themselves. It’s an island full of characters and places that you would usually find in a mediaeval version of a fairy tale. It’s known to Bryan as Lord Bryan MoonDrake. Now the storyline has been amazing as we all know but at this point I felt like the characters created by the author were pretty amazing. I was really wondering what if how beautiful and creative the mindset of author would be while writing the book. The story line did really hook me up but in the middle somewhere I felt I was a little off but that too was compensate with the story ahead. I feel the book 2 slows down a bit. While the book 1 was really an amazing and stormy read, book 2 is more of a steady read. It has a page turner. I totally liked it and I would definitely recommend it to all the readers who are looking for a series with an amazing storyline. For the storyline I would rate this book as 2.8/3.
“Talking about the words and the language used in the book in terms of difficulty, personally I didn’t face any difficulty while reading the book. Also the editing was on point so if you are the one waiting to start you have a green signal.”
“Forever Avalon series, after such a wonderful response to both the books, I didn’t want to skip the book 3 of the series, while reading the book I had some experiences that I would like to share with you all. Starting with the title of the book, The Outlanders War. For the people who are have read the book 1 and 2 it was easy to guess what’s going to happen next, however it was just a hint but a relevant one. So the title is totally on point. Cover on the other had has a very different vibe from both other books, I liked the thought of changing it in 3rd book. Overall the outer appearance is really appealing for a viewer who sees the book for the first time so I would like to give it a 2/2 for it.
“Talking about the content of the book, for those who haven’t read the book, basically the story is about a mysterious Island, where mysterious creatures exists, where there is no such thing as time, which is ruled by King Arthur. There a thing about the book I would like to mention that it gives a very different vibe when something in real world is connected to the fantasy world just as this one the concept of Bermuda Triangle gave that spice. Now what happens next is suddenly the Avalon reappeared in middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
“The U.S. Navy, circling the mysterious island right now needs answers. On Avalon, they fear that Outlanders will invade their home; and Lord Bryan Moon Drake, the Gil-Gamesh of Avalon, Knight Eternal and champion of the magical realm, is caught in the center of it all. Now here while reading it I was really hooked to the story because after reading book 1 and 2 there was no point in building the story line like the characters were set and everything was turning out to be in favor of reader, I mean being an avid reader all I want is flow and then I am just reading to experience what author wants me to and it happened while reading the book. I loved the experience this book gave me, not just this book but this series. I am a fan of the author and looking forward to read more from author, if you haven’t tried it yet what are you waiting for. I am sure the series would not disappoint at all. So for the content and plot I would like to give it a 1.8/2.
“Talking about the words and the language used in the book in terms of difficulty, I personally didn’t face any difficulty while reading the book also the choice of words was amazing, which helped mention the feel and the flow. I would highly recommend it to all the readers out there. So yeah!
“Happy reading!”
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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon fantasy book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides: Book 2 of the Forever Avalon Series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from iUniverse Publishing and at Amazon, and other booksellers. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook from Austin Macauley Publishing, and at Amazon and other booksellers.
Mark Piggott | Fantasy and Steampunk Author 