Reviews - A Mage's Guide to Aussie Terrors

93 reviews for:

A Mage's Guide to Aussie Terrors

A.J. Sherwood

4.19 AVERAGE

lazareen's review against another edition

2.0

funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

decembermagpie's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

jasonie's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

fenwitch's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

storm_in_a_teacup_books's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

kf315's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

kathy123123's review against another edition

3.0

I was disappointed by this one. There's always the risk of unbearable cringe when American authors write a sequel set in Australia. In this case, there was a thankful lack of cringe, but the story was almost completely devoid of anything at all connected to Australia. The descriptions weren't in any way recognisable as Australia, and it didn't sound like there was even the slightest amount of research done into the location (e.g. landscape descriptions, sense of location, or even factual things like there would not be wild koalas in the Northern Territory where the Robertson Barracks is located. There are, of course, an abundance of crocodiles, yet no suggestion that the giant river lizard they're hunting might be in some way related???) The other baffling thing was the almost complete absence of Aboriginal people. There was one passing acknowledgement that the local Aboriginal people exist at 78% into the book, and then at 96% they finally get around to asking "hey, we found this, do you know what it is?". Surely, in the face of a major natural threat that you don't have a written record for, you would start by asking the local Elders? Even more so when, in the course of the story, you find evidence that local people had interacted with the creature in question the last time it emerged? Such lazy, lazy, lazy writing. Also, if something's eating campers wouldn't you absolutely be making contact with the communities that camp along the river? In summary, don't set books in a real location if you can't be bothered to do the bare minimum to research about that location.