The Legend of the Three Roses
Year: 2017
Author: Jason Hubbard
Length: 509 pages
***THIS BOOK WAS RECEIVED FROM A GOODREADS GIVEAWAY***
After reading plenty of sub-par independent authors recently, I was pleasantly surprised to have the opportunity to read The Legend of the Three Roses by Jason Hubbard. With a slick cover and good chapter header graphics, the book looks good, but how does it read? I’m a stickler for proofreading, and I found maybe one or two errors in the entire manuscript. Again, good so far. There were a few confusing spots near the end that could have used either chapter or scene breaks, but overall, the book was solid. What made me truly enjoy reading The Legend of the Three Roses were the characters.
I can forgive a lot if the story is engaging, but if I find the characters annoying or illogical, I’ll usually force myself through. This book was not the case, as it had both an immersive story and setting, as well as excellent characters, even to the point where minor characters who only showed up in a chapter or two (or even a brief section) felt well-developed and intriguing. Concerning the main characters, there was plenty of growth for each of the main protagonists, which succeeded in not only showing the hero’s journey but also the harsh realities of living in a country at war.
I haven’t read too much fantasy, but I did find the representation of a war fought with ground troops and magic to be pretty realistic to how I would imagine it would happen. Unfortunately, one of the few weaknesses in this book is its fusion of modern ideologies and topics with the fantasy setting. While this made the characters easy to understand, it all felt somewhat out of place. Furthermore, while I initially thought this book was pro-Christianity, the tarnishing of the main character’s innocence, as well as the inclusion of many religious hypocrites painted Christianity in a negative light. Plus, it would have been nice going in to know how much sex was included, both implied and gratuitous. Still, by the unconcluded ending, I did want to keep reading. Hopefully, the second book continues to be well-written.
An enjoyable fantasy with a realistic war setting and engaging characters, I give The Legend of the Three Roses 4.0 stars out of 5.
