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msknight

Michelle's corner

Michelle Knight. Writer, photographer, programmer, truck driver and general, all round nut case. Life is a journey and that's what this blog will probably end up being. Let's see where we go, eh? ;-)

Currently reading

Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics
Dalai Lama XIV, Ian Coghlan
Progress: 23/433 pages

Review - Opening Bell - J.B.Garner - 4 out of 5 stars

The Opening Bell (Three Seconds to Legend Book 1) - J.B. Garner

It took me the best part of a year to read this first book in the three part series. Not any fault of the book, just life. It was actually to the books credit that the story and main characters stuck in my head throughout that period. Perhaps you can comment that it didn't stick two fingers up my nostrils and drag me, face first, in to the story; that would be fair, I believe.

 

Full disclosure - I do correspond loosely with J.B. but this was purchased with my own fair coin.

It is set in an environment that I don't read about very often, which is the wrestling circuit. That fact alone was a breath of fresh air and if you're looking for something different, then you might want to give this book a look, simply for that.

There were a few points where I was jarred a bit. During character introductions, things got difficult on a spot where a character was referenced by first name, last name and I think also nickname. It was at a point when other characters were being introduced and I got confused for a while. It's a known issue, during a piece of writing where you have to reference a character by name, but don't want to over use the same name. The fights were detailed, but I think my lack of knowledge of wrestling jargon prevented me getting the full images in a number of fights. There were a few places where I didn't believe events would have actually happened in real life, but then again, fact is stranger than fiction.

Garner took some of the ethics that one might expect in a martial arts story, propelled them in to modern day America, mixed in a bit of jealousy, a touch of two-timing, a pinch of suspense and simmered throughout some twists and turns. He obviously did his research on this story. Personally, I'm stopping at book one although it does finish nicely set up for book two. Not a cliff hanger, but a logical, gentle onward roll.