The Lost War - Self-Pub Fantasy REVIEW

Thanks. I just want to know, if I should read the book. Your review is perfect for that.

As an avid SPFBO fan, I already own this one (I generally like to buy the finalists books to support these indie authors!). May have to move it up my TBR now.

So... there's a great and powerful plot (twist) that, however, makes some characters seem like dumb in retrospect?

What a wake up shout. 🤣

Yo I actually thought this was a pretty good review Daniel! I love reviews that dig deeper into concepts like what makes people like a book and stuff.

Your vids are getting better with each upload, love ye keep up the good work friend!

Having read some other SPFO winners and finalists, this does a good job of pointing to high quality self published fantasy. Thanks, Daniel for pointing us to this contest.

I just might have to read this book if the library has it 🤔😃🙂

Intriguing title. It sounds serious but a good one.

The editing of Daniel's video just keeps getting better XD

Happy weekend reading to you 😊📖

Ok it wasn’t a gushing review but a great one and I really want to read it

Love the review. Keep up the good work. Maybe one of these days you’ll end up reviewing my book up there.

You sound like a Goblin Sapper from Warcraft 3

Why does Daniels intro remind me so much of the Goblins from Warhammer Fantasy? Come to think of it, I expect nothing less from the Disheveled Goblin host Daniel Greene💚

That intro though... 😆👍🏼

After reading all of this years SPFO finalists I can say that this was definitely one of the better ones I cannot believe that Black Stone Heart didn’t win.

This book is very good, don’t get me wrong. But god damn Black Stone Heart is just a banger. To be fair though all of the finalist were good only one I did not like was the threadlight one (I forget the name). GGs though must have been close.

That intro scared my cat. Lol

I know this author, a little from a book club on FB. He's a really nice guy and had the opportunity to read this a bit early. Great stuff and cannot wait for the sequel. Great review.

Have you ever checked out Ian M. Banks Culture series? I'd be interested in what you have to say about them.

Im just here to request more door mic action

Oh like Mad Eye Moody.

The people who didn’t like endgame are wrong. 😆 the people who think it’s “perfect” are, too.

I read this last year and liked it. now wheres the next part cuz cliffhanger much :)

Just added this to my tbr!!

You can't keep recommending books to me when you made me pick up The Wheel of Time and there's only that many hours in a day.
(I want to try this one out though)

I replayed that intro 10 times. Was always funny.

I really like your videos but I leave most of your reviews not actually knowing what the book is about. Idk like even just a quick summary would go a long way

Loved hearing your thoughts in this review.. I enjoyed getting into some of the elements outside of just a rehash of story alone. Also, the Science Fiction version of SPFBO just premiered and I'm so excited. I love watching this process every year and I lean heavily SF.

Hi Daniel, could you do a video on what you mean by 'modern'? What are the traits of something modern vs not?

Everytime I watch one of Daniel's videos I still can't believe it's the same kid who I watched talk about the wheel of time on his very first video. He posted it on reddit way back in the day and I remember watching half of it, then saving it for when I finished the series. It took me forever to finish, so when I came back I was confused when I saw he had like 20k followers.

I like the way you do reviews because they're essentially spoiler free. So I can watch the review and read the book and experience everything for myself without much bias.

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Thanks, this review was a useful explanation on a big aspect that would get me to read it or not. Even if I don't agree totally, it is partially about style with what you're describing.

I started this book at your recommendation. When you say it has a ‘modern’ approach to fantasy, do you mean the writing style?

Me when i hear book reviews:
Oh good he liked it
I wonder if I'll like it
Hmm he's criticising it
Thats fair
I wonder if Daniel will ever read my book
Omg what if he hates it
What could he hate it for?
Probably everything. Like what if i think it's good but it's somehow Game of Thrones S8 level bad. Or last airbender movie bad.
He can't possibly hate it if you've really done the best you can.
Right...?
How do i know i've done the best?
And if he does hate it, it'll probably just be personal taste.
And so what? Its just one review.
If he doesnt like something you absolutely could have tested and fixed ... thats your fault isnt it?
I shouldn't worry about this if i dont even have a book out yet.....
I just want everyone everywhere to like the thing i have yet to finish but i like in my head so hopefully the thing jn my head is the thing on the page and so if they like my page they like my head.
Omg what if im ugly.
Wow, Dan's so reasonable when he reviews things.

- The Terrors Of Potential Reviews For Books I Haven't Written Yet

I like the discussion nature
Might've been better to put the summary before digging into what makes it controversial, though

Big Shoutout to Kitty G who put this book on our radar! This was probably our best sleeper hit in 2020. We thoroughly enjoyed the TWIST... We were not super entertained until like 1/3 through, then it got so good and the ending nailed our enjoyment. Looking forward to book 2!

I actually quit reading this book (maybe just temporarily) about midway through because something happened that just made zero sense to me. It's something that's probably not a problem for most people, but it was something that's so easily avoided with a little tweaking.

The problem is a supposed cause of the plague is revealed, yet the fact that no one had thought of it before makes zero sense. An expert says this... (I've blanked out the cause to avoid spoilers.)

"__ rare but not unheard of."

So you're telling me, no one thought of this the whole time the plague was raging? Not once? It's something experts have heard of before, yet none of them thought to check for it?

This issue could have been avoided by simply making it unheard of, or even better yet, thought impossible. That simple change would have made it fine for me.

Just finished this book, and because I'm curious, did you have a hard time with the, imo, chaotic shifts in POV? Maybe it's just preference as you say I your review, but I had a hard time settling into the story because of the almost jarring switches in POV, which dampened the overall experience for me.

That thumbnail is pretty accurate actually especially anytime I try to talk to a women.

Read Berserk

I enjoyed the book, and similarly it winning the SPFBO is what made me want to read it. I don't think it is quite as good as Sword of Kaigen (the other SPFBO I've read), but that's a very high bar. And maybe it will reach that when it finishes the story with the complete trilogy.

I did like the characters, in the book, most especially Samily. The combination of quiet confidence and competence and faith mixed with naivete and sheltered background and asexual approach to the other characters made a good mix to the party.


The twist I thought was setup and foreshadowed well and thus fairly predictable (I was about 90% correct with what was going on, at least with how we end things at the end of book one, with one minor part something that surprised me being there and one minor part something that surprised me that wasn't there - but maybe there will be more revealed in the future books).

This got picked up by orbit, and I just got the arc for the traditional pub one.

I am enjoying it thus far.
Reminds me or tjr last war by mike shackle

Awesome book! I love the plot driven nature of the story

Loved this book so much. Ending had me rereading it