My First Objective Review

Talk about a late birthday present - the first "objective" review of On The Backs of Dragons! I've received positive feedback from a number of people that I know that have either read it, or begun to, but one can't help but take those with a grain of salt. The mores of our society preclude most people from telling me to my face that they hate it, even if they do - or to put it in the way that only Marty McFly could, most people won't say: "Get out of here kid, you've got no future." Which is good, because I don't think I could take that kind of rejection. . .

Anyway, it's understandable that I'd be a little nervous to see my first piece of objective feedback. I do have a couple of reviews on Amazon, which were positive, but they are pretty generic. But this review on a website called EAB Publishing Company would qualify as my first totally objective, substantive review I think, although it only covers the first 100 pages. Here's a highlight:

I started reading On the Backs of Dragons and quickly got into it.  The characters are well developed and the author gives them each a unique presence so you quickly keep them apart.  The world On the Backs of Dragons takes place in also has a lot of room to develop back-story and I found myself wanting to know more about it.  For an author’s first book I am impressed so far.  The opportunities so far have been minor.  There are some grammar and structural opportunities, but nothing you can’t skim past.  I feel like there are also some points where the book could be longer to better establish character personalities and story points, but nothing major.  I am reading on.

Anyway, the reason I am calling it a birthday present is because it was published on my birthday! Kind of cool. Anyway, I hope he enjoys the other 250 pages. The issues he has with the book are hopefully just my lack of experience showing - for example, when I had to make a decision about cutting back story or keeping the story moving, I almost always cut back story. I wanted to make it a swift read not bogged down with needless details, or details that were not central to the story anyway. I don't doubt that I may have taken it to extremes. As far as grammar errors, I won't pretend to be pleased about those!

Anyway, this made my day, and I am very grateful that Mr. Benson chose to read and review my book (coincidentally, I am from the Benson area of Omaha and was once a Bunny).