Official Review: Nightlord: Sunset by Garon Whited

bluemel4 · Post by **bluemel4** » 26 Jun 2016, 20:30

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Nightlord: Sunset" by Garon Whited.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Nightlord: Sunset (Nightlord book 1) by Garon Whited is the first installment of a three part series and an exciting fantasy quest. The kindle version is 680 pages that are filled with adventure, action, magic, and comedy. The novel lights the fire of imagination and engages curiosity.

After finding himself dumped by his fiancée, broken-hearted Eric drowns his sorrow in alcohol. He wakes up the next morning in a beautiful stranger’s bed and feels different… He slowly learns that he has been changed into a vampire without his consent and worse has inherited enemies called the Church of Light from a different dimension. When someone close to him is murdered, Eric seeks revenge on the Church of Light and accidently opens a magical portal to their world. Once there, Eric’s natural abilities to wield magic and general knowledge of the land grow quickly. He is aided by new friends, a golem horse called Bronze, and a sword called Firebrand. Eric fights a dragon, battles armies, and eventually confronts the Church of Light. Can Eric get revenge without losing himself in the process?

The epic saga, told through journal entries (dated with the familiar Gregorian calendar) uses first person point of view; the storytelling technique was highly successful and engaging. The main character, Eric, remained amusing, inquisitive, charming and self-deprecating. He begins as an everyman and becomes a hero through various quests and deeds. The character development was impressive. Every character encountered existed for a reason and felt authentic to the story. The dialogue flowed well, was witty, and served to explain details about the new land. The world building was fantastic. There are multiple cultures, religions, creatures, and languages. The land is ruled by a king and is heavily influenced by the Church of Light. The details about the foreign land were handled superbly by using relatable examples from our world to understand what Eric was experiencing. The made up languages are used sparingly and do not slow down the story. Whited provides unique and funny descriptions to explain how Eric responded to the new world.

Vampires in this book are not possessed by demons or sex symbols. They are similar to Grim Reapers or Valkyries who ease the dying into death and consume their life spark. During the day Eric is technically alive with a beating heart and a need to breath, but at night he dies and walks around as a powerful animated corpse. He does need blood and food to survive. This was a fresh take on vampires and brings interesting identity issues and a crisis of conscience.
Whited has written an epic adventure that is well thought-out and captivating. The story was a perfect blend of fantasy and reality that made it feel authentic and true; it was thought-provoking, funny, with a good balance of action and self-reflection. The major themes are identity, morality, advancement of society, dangers of new weapons and technology, education, and freedom.

There was very little to criticize about this book. Eric explain too often that he does not like anything that alters thoughts or “messes” with someone’s mind, proper nouns are not capitalized consistently, and a few words were placed incorrectly. Otherwise this was a very polished and well-written novel.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It is easily one of the best books I have read this year. The book was so rich I felt like I could read it multiple times and get something different from it each time. There are unique and interesting ideas about magic, science, vampires, religion, and medicine. The strongest message I took from the book was not allowing what you are to define who you are. If you enjoy epic adventure fantasy then this is the book for you.

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Nightlord: Sunset
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Heidi M Simone · Post by **Heidi M Simone** » 27 Jun 2016, 16:17

What great and intriguing review, bluemel4! I've actually read this, and unfortunately it wasn't for me. The journal entries were an intriguing aspect of the book, but I found some scenes confusing and my interest dwindled. It's great that you feel that there was a balance between fantasy and reality. I'm not sure how I felt about the balance of magic, vampires, science, and religion, but I'm glad that you found this one enjoyable! Thank you for sharing!

bluemel4 · Post by **bluemel4** » 27 Jun 2016, 16:27

Thank you! @hsimone I loved this book and I hope you read and enjoy it too! It's very original. I purchased book two already and can't wait to find out what happens next!

Heidi M Simone · Post by **Heidi M Simone** » 27 Jun 2016, 16:32

That's awesome! I've added to my TBR list!

bluemel4 · Post by **bluemel4** » 27 Jun 2016, 17:29

Yay! I'm so excited.

Post by **bookowlie** » 27 Jun 2016, 19:16

I enjoyed reading your insightful review! The book is a bit long for my taste, but it does look interesting.

bluemel4 · Post by **bluemel4** » 27 Jun 2016, 20:17

Thank you! @bookowlie It is a long book but worth taking on. Eric's reactions alone are worth the read combined with the unique story it's a win. ?

gali · Post by **gali** » 27 Jun 2016, 21:31

A man waking up and finding out he is a vampire? Sounds good. It is great that the author created a perfect blend of fantasy and reality. That it is filled with adventure, action, magic is another plus. I almost chose this book but hesitated due to its length. I will add it to my list. Nice job on the review!

kimmyschemy06 · Post by **kimmyschemy06** » 28 Jun 2016, 06:05

Well, for a vampire story, it does sound different..

making it more interesting, I think

I hope I get the chance to read it. Great job on the review. Congratulations to Garon Whited on such an obviously well written book.

bluemel4 · Post by **bluemel4** » 28 Jun 2016, 07:46

@gali I almost passed on it for the same reason, but I was taken in by the vampire premise. I am so glad you are adding it to your TBR list! It's also available as an audiobook. ?

-- Tue Jun 28, 2016 6:48 am --

kimmyschemy06 wrote:Well, for a vampire story, it does sound different.. making it more interesting, I think I hope I get the chance to read it. Great job on the review. Congratulations to Garon Whited on such an obviously well written book.

Thank you! @kimmyschemy06 I hope you read it too! ?

purplepeepleeater · Post by **purplepeepleeater** » 09 Jul 2016, 10:55

Great review blueme14, thank you!!

Seraphia Bunny Sparks · Post by **Seraphia Bunny Sparks** » 09 Jul 2016, 11:29

OMG! This book sounds soooo good!! Your review really makes me want to run out and get it right now! I am a huge fan of fantasies and this book sounds like it brings together a lot of really great elements. Definitely a must read! Thanks for the awesome engaging review! Two thumbs up!

ALynnPowers · Post by **ALynnPowers** » 09 Jul 2016, 12:04

Wow, sounds like an interesting new take on vampires. Personally, I can't stand the idea of vampires because they are just so "been-there-done-that" but the way you have described then in this book seems very original.

Volvetter · Post by **Volvetter** » 09 Jul 2016, 12:35

Well, I read the short summary in Amazon. I was mildly interested. Next I read the first chapter in the sample. I was very interested. The author's style was great. Finally, I read this excellent review and bought the book! I have now put other books on hold so I can continue reading Nightlord.

bluemel4 · Post by **bluemel4** » 09 Jul 2016, 12:46

BunnySTx wrote:OMG! This book sounds soooo good!! Your review really makes me want to run out and get it right now! I am a huge fan of fantasies and this book sounds like it brings together a lot of really great elements. Definitely a must read! Thanks for the awesome engaging review! Two thumbs up!

Thank you! @BunnySTx I absolutely loved the book! Read it now!

-- Sat Jul 09, 2016 11:47 am --

purplepeepleeater wrote:Great review blueme14, thank you!!

Thank you! @purplepeepleeater

-- Sat Jul 09, 2016 11:49 am --

ALynnPowers wrote:Wow, sounds like an interesting new take on vampires. Personally, I can't stand the idea of vampires because they are just so "been-there-done-that" but the way you have described then in this book seems very original.

@ALynnPowers The vampire lore in this book is very fresh and original. I highly recommend reading it!

-- Sat Jul 09, 2016 11:52 am --

Volvetter wrote:Well, I read the short summary in Amazon. I was mildly interested. Next I read the first chapter in the sample. I was very interested. The author's style was great. Finally, I read this excellent review and bought the book! I have now put other books on hold so I can continue reading Nightlord.

@Volvetter I am so excited that you're going to read the book! It's hard to put down.

If there was one thing I wish the author would change it is the blurb/ summary of the book.