Book Review: "An Exercise in Futility" by Steve Thomas

An Exercise in Futility by Steve Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"An Exercise in Futility" by Steve Thomas tells the story of a war between nomadic tribes, the Gurdur, and their ancient enemies, the Kalhar. The story focuses on a small set of people, from the protagonists Ezekiel and Charity, as well as their families, to the antagonists, Emperor Kathelm and General Meunig. Each character tells part of the story, creating a patchwork of viewpoints.

I found the book a quick and entertaining read. While I found some of the plot to be predictable, the author created such a good story that I didn't mind the predictability. The characters grew within the story, each of them coping with the whims of fate.

I highly recommend this book to people who like fantasy books.

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Book Review: "Smite Me, Oh Dark One" by Steve Thomas

Smite Me, Oh Dark One by Steve Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Smite Me, Oh Dark One" by Steve Thomas is a short story about the stupidity of gods. Or the stupidity of humans. Or, well, something like that.

The narrator of the story is Acerbus, the God of Darkness. He seems to be the only power with any common sense at all. Lux, the God of Light, leads the other gods to perform some fairly inane actions, while Acerbus stands there wondering how he ended up in this particular funny farm.

In the end, Acerbus gets his own bit of revenge.

I love the humor in this story, especially the characterizations that Acerbus gives of the other gods and humans. It's a quick, funny read, perfect for a rainy day.

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