Almond and the Lanista
‘Leave the squirrels alone,’ Almond said, following Scrappy up the path. ‘You have terrorised them more than enough today.’
Scrappy growled more loudly. Almond jogged up to him and crouched. Scrappy sniffed the air again. The shrubs in the direction they faced rustled. A deep rumble sounded from behind them.
‘Go, Scrappy,’ Almond shouted, charging up the path. ‘Run!’
In the far south-eastern corner of the horse lands, a man and his dog are suddenly thrust into a world of slavery. With seemingly no way out, Almond holds on to hope of freedom.
A tale of bravery and resolve, Almond and the Lanista is a story of a man who refuses to break the promise he made to his one and only love. A promise he made to help him forget his hidden past.
Read a few of the series and I find that this author has it dialed in to what people want. I love the way they intricately weave together the buildup for the characters and the story.
With all of these types of books that are novellas they always feel slightly rushed as the story has to fit into the slotted pages.
This reminds me on some ways of gladiator the movie. It has a slave who becomes a Gladiator. I really find Almond is an interesting character who has nothing left to him hit revenge.
What can one say about Almond. He is more than what he seems definitely. He is a loving man who cares a lot for his dog. He also has a heart of a warrior.
Seeing how he treats people is great as he has a lot of respect for others. This I like as it sets a good example on how you can win with kindness and respect.
The book was short which was good but I want a lot more of this character including his past and more also more about what will happen in the future.
This book was so great and had a bit of everything from a persspective from numerous sides including free man and slave and Gladiator. It ticked all the boxes of what I love in this authors work.
It also has my favourite species in it which are vampires even if they were fairly minor in the overall story. I think it is setting up nicely for a huge story at a later time.
The writing style as a whole was very good and while it felt young which is also great I am looking forward to what is next.
I also love the throwbacks to my childhood as the name of the dog Scrappy it reminds me of Scooby Doo.
Crazy Canadian Writing 