Review: Delver Magic Book III: Balance of Fate

Title: Delver Magic Book III: Balance of Fate
Author: Jeff Inlo
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
ISBN: N/A      ASIN: B0030ZRWA8

Old enemies return to threaten a world just gaining its feet after the return of magic and monsters. And once again it is up to Ryson Acumen and his gang of friends to save the day. A dark general makes a deal with an evil sorceress gaining an army and the means to conquer mankind. Via a near omnipotent and semi-omniscient sorcerer, Ryson learns of the troubles and of an even greater threat on the distant horizon. Somehow, Ryson must end the scourges before they can grow beyond control.

Once again the story suffers.

The story is romantic in nature. This is normally not a problem, but with this story it is. Ryson, for example, moves with such speed that no opponent can harm him, neither can they escape him, and his unyielding moral compass preventing internal conflict. This positively robs the story of so many possibilities and avenues.

Nearly every chapter features a lecture on destiny and free will. The reader can often skip whole sections of dialogue without missing any of the story. The reader isn't led on the path of exploring the ideas, but is rather battered at every opportunity with it.

Then a number of scenes felt contrived and unnatural to the flow of the story. These scenes served as nothing more than a device to allow later scenes the author wanted to happen to occur. Although, the author did plan ahead and placed the clues and devices he needed in the last chapters in the early ones so that the idea was already in the reader's mind

Again there was rampant word confusion, the most prolific of which was using "then" as "than" and vice versa.

The underlying story, its bones if you will, is an excellent one. However, this telling while not bad, isn't great. It serves as a time killer and reads almost like a transcribed role playing game adventure. If I had encountered the book in a library or bookstore before obtaining it, I would have returned it to the shelf. But as it was free and I was between authors I gave the series a try. Read it if you will, but be forewarned.

P.S. - Strangely, I've become oddly fond of the characters. Perhaps it's an acquired taste. Scary thought.