New Book by Holy Ghost Writer, titled: The Sultan of Monte Cristo

Nov. 12, 2013 - PRLog -- This collection of short stories (which is really what it is) builds upon the old and the new, the old of other authors and the new of this author. The stories are generally well-written, but the author has fallen under the spell of keeping some of the story to himself and not giving it to his readers.  For instance, just look at chapters one and two; he goes from smoking a drug that I doubt historically was known by Europeans at this time to waking up and relating back to himself a dream.  Unless you have read the Count of Monte Cristo and the author's other works, the names of the men he mentioned (such as Le Abbe) may not be known to the reader.  What is there relationship? Why a part of one and a part of another?  What do these parts have to do with each other? The author has this great story in his head, but fails to help his readers keep up.  I've read his other two books and the main book by Dumas and I still get the characters confused.  Lo, the reader who has not read anything else about this count! How confused they must be.

There is also some discontinuity between stories that is actually a bit refreshing.  Though they can all be related, somewhat chronologically, they could be mismatched in a different order and still be a good story. But, again, the author needs to provide some back-story at times (such as about the count himself) to remind readers of what has happened before (even if they never read the character). So the story line of the book flows nicely, even treating minor characters with importance and clear development. Some writers make their book about the characters, others about the story.  I think that by choosing the story, the author has made a wise choice because the story he writes and the way he writes this story allows for character development.

At the beginning, in the introduction part of the book, the author mentions that this is based on a true story.  Two questions: which story? And which part is based on a true story?  Don't tantalize your readers and then not give an answer.  Don't leave readers wondering what is true and what is fiction. Or is this supposed to be creative nonfiction?

Given that I am an editor by profession, and that I reviewed another book by this author, I feel comfortable in saying that this book needs a good proofreading - and the author perhaps a good spanking. From the first page of the story, there are punctuation and capitalization errors that hold up the story. Putting commas where they don't belong means your readers pause there, and that is not what the author wants, I'm sure.  Hiring a proofreader and paying a few hundred dollars to get a clean manuscript before publication will make the book easier to read and the critics concentrating on the story and not the writing.

Overall, this book, though shorter than I wanted, was a good one to read.  I wished it was longer because it seemed that there might have been more to the story within the pages but that the author cut it short by leaving some things out.  I could have used more imagery, especially of the places mentioned.  What was the ocean like?  What were each of the towns/cities/villages like?  What was the big black ship like?  What were the smells of each? What sounds were good or bad?  How did things taste?  If this author can write sense perceptions into his works, then the reviews will be higher.  When a reader can smell the mustiness of a castle or can taste the wine, then the reader will love the book and come back for more.