Alea iacta sunt – the dice have fallen. I’ve finished Control Point this morning and it’s got a fulminant ending, making you want to have part two on your desk right now.
We’ve been talking about topics somehow connected with the book for a week now – let’s have a look at the actual book now, shall we?
First, the few negative things: The font of the book is rather small, so it’s not the best choice when you’re half sleepy and want to read in bed. Secondly, you have to get used to the military slang.
But that’s already all that I have to mope about.
The positive aspects are that it’s well written and the language is used beautifully. Each character has their way of speaking, the vocab is chosen perfectly and strengthened by the attitude the characters have.
Seriously, I think Myke Cole has mastered a level of language here that is above average compared to other books freshly published.
The story and the setting itself is rather fresh,too, at least for notorical fantasy readers like me, who usually escape into the medieval setting or the urban fantasy settings in a world that is completely like ours except for maybe the werewolves. Here you find yourself on our planet and yet there is some kind of sphere that is completely different – the magical world. Also, we have some kind of new hero. Whom do we have in other fantasy-sub-genres? We have the ladies who get in touch with sexy, fantasy guys, we have the heroes with a prophecy on their shoulders that they need to fulfill. Here, we get a soldier who is ripped out of his usual enviromnment, put in a world of war and magic and who first of all feels completely lost and not destined for greater thing. We meet a man who is fighting for his own freedom, who wants to fight for good things but simply in the way he wants and not how it is forced upon him. We meet a man who has doubts and worries and fears. We meet a human individual confronted with horrors of all kind and who is struggling to find his place in such an insane world.
A world btw that is developped nicely. The descriptions are clear enough to give you an impression of the surroundings and yet they leave you enough space for your own imagination. There are other races of magical creatures (On a sidenote: Marty is soooooooo cute!…) and the use of magic, that you can totally picture while reading but which, I bet, looks different to everyone.
All in all it’s a great story and I bet all the publishers that didn’t take the chance to have Myke Cole as an author will now be kicking their own asses. But then again, I think the timing for Myke’s books is just perfect – we have had a gazillion of stories with vampires, werewolves, orcs and dwarves. Here comes a new, refreshing side of fantasy literature.
(Also, it’s the perfect gift for everyone who ever joined a military force and likes comics…)
Summing it all up: It’s a book you definitely should consider purchasing. Why? It’s well writing, the story is catching, it’s something you’ve never read before and the author is an intelligent AND sexy fantasy nerd himself. So, ladies, order that book for your boyfriends now and single men: Grab that book and see how cool and manly fantasy can be! 😉
Btw… my cat, too, says, this book is a must-have!
Sephiroth Crescent's Library 