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A review by brittanymwillows
Apocalyptic Empire: The Hatchery Compound by Chris Blake
3.0
Alright, I was given this story to review in a book swap. I’ve never read one of these apocalyptic zombie novels before, so it was a nice experience and I will try to go as in depth on this review as possible. I would also like to say that this is my very first review, so I’m new to this but will certainly try my best!
STORY
The story behind this book is compelling and has truly great potential. I don’t have a lot to say about it here, as I expand upon the problems I encountered within it below.
WRITING
In the beginning of this novel, the writing seems somewhat “bumpy” and disjointed. Looking through other reviews, I saw Chris had mentioned he’d hired a professional editor for the job, and after discovering that . . . well, I would honestly suggest he finds a new editor.
That said, the writing in this is not terrible by any means and it clearly improves as the story moves along. I won’t lie, though; it could certainly use some work and I would definitely suggest putting it by several beta readers before entering the final editing process – this may have been done, but I can't be certain. Anyhow, as I learned recently, beta readers can be extremely helpful. My beta readers helped to improve my book in wonderful ways.
CHARACTER
While a few of the characters are quite interesting, many of them are lacking a bit in development – especially with the women in the story. I’ll also say that I personally did not have much of a problem with the protagonist’s age, however I would have imagined him being older considering his level of maturity. (Then again, some 24-year-olds are surprisingly mature these days.) He was quite a good character, though; I liked him.
COVER
Most people don’t share their opinions on the cover of a book in the reviews, but being an artist my self, I shall because I feel it is quite important to the success of any book. While not all people will judge a book by its cover, there are still quite a number of us who feel that a poor cover equals poor story content.
My opinion of the cover designed by Sharon Watkins is that it’s off-putting. If I had come across the book myself, I would have looked the other way. This is mainly due to the color scheme and the lettering. I feel that the silhouettes should have been black, and that a monotone color scheme would have suited it much better than the bright greens and reds.
Please keep in mind that this is my personal opinion. Chris may be happy with the cover, other people may love it as well – but I just don’t. I am an extremely picky person about color and design and proper execution, which is why I strive to improve my own work each and ever day.
___________________________________________
Overall, I think this book deserves three stars for an enjoyable, well-thought-out story and pretty decent writing! I would give a 3.5, but that isn't an option. I hope this review is helpful, and I hope I didn’t come off as rude at any point as that was not my intention. <3
Kind regards, (and much luck on your future endeavors, Chris)
Brittany M.
STORY
The story behind this book is compelling and has truly great potential. I don’t have a lot to say about it here, as I expand upon the problems I encountered within it below.
WRITING
In the beginning of this novel, the writing seems somewhat “bumpy” and disjointed. Looking through other reviews, I saw Chris had mentioned he’d hired a professional editor for the job, and after discovering that . . . well, I would honestly suggest he finds a new editor.
That said, the writing in this is not terrible by any means and it clearly improves as the story moves along. I won’t lie, though; it could certainly use some work and I would definitely suggest putting it by several beta readers before entering the final editing process – this may have been done, but I can't be certain. Anyhow, as I learned recently, beta readers can be extremely helpful. My beta readers helped to improve my book in wonderful ways.
CHARACTER
While a few of the characters are quite interesting, many of them are lacking a bit in development – especially with the women in the story. I’ll also say that I personally did not have much of a problem with the protagonist’s age, however I would have imagined him being older considering his level of maturity. (Then again, some 24-year-olds are surprisingly mature these days.) He was quite a good character, though; I liked him.
COVER
Most people don’t share their opinions on the cover of a book in the reviews, but being an artist my self, I shall because I feel it is quite important to the success of any book. While not all people will judge a book by its cover, there are still quite a number of us who feel that a poor cover equals poor story content.
My opinion of the cover designed by Sharon Watkins is that it’s off-putting. If I had come across the book myself, I would have looked the other way. This is mainly due to the color scheme and the lettering. I feel that the silhouettes should have been black, and that a monotone color scheme would have suited it much better than the bright greens and reds.
Please keep in mind that this is my personal opinion. Chris may be happy with the cover, other people may love it as well – but I just don’t. I am an extremely picky person about color and design and proper execution, which is why I strive to improve my own work each and ever day.
___________________________________________
Overall, I think this book deserves three stars for an enjoyable, well-thought-out story and pretty decent writing! I would give a 3.5, but that isn't an option. I hope this review is helpful, and I hope I didn’t come off as rude at any point as that was not my intention. <3
Kind regards, (and much luck on your future endeavors, Chris)
Brittany M.