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5.0 out of 5 stars
A Note from the Author, June 4, 2009
This review is from: The Tento Saga: Mankind's Perilous Journey (Kindle Edition)
Note: If I could have opted out of giving this a starred rating, I would have. I give this story five out of five. But please read on...
_______________________________
From my blog:
Writing is such a funny thing. One can spend a lifetime on writing/rewriting/editing a single work and never publish it. The very act of going back and reading over a chapter and making changes can be brutal. This has been my experience, anyway. I digress.
My main reason for self-publishing Tento was for other purposes than its literary value. I've heard many comments on its roughness in literary terms. Let me say to all of those readers that are looking for a literary masterpiece in Tento to NOT BUY IT. I understand this work is nothing special speaking in literary terms.
I see the beauty in the plot, characters and overall message. And I think it will make a fantastic sci-fi epic film. This-- truth be told-- was the main motivation for my self-publishing this work. I'm looking for it to become a film. If you can have an open mind and tolerate not-so-great writing at times, you will-- in my opinion-- be treated to a great story that you might just get something out of. If you enjoy a book that reads like a screenplay, I encourage you to check this work out.
Bottom-line: No Arthur C. Clarke here. If you're looking for one, I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere. I'm working-- as I think most authors do-- on my craft. I might get better and I might not. We'll see. If I have gotten my message across to just one reader, my heart is glad.
Thank you to every person that has taken the time to digest my work. And I sincerely apologize to those who feel they wasted their hard-earned money on an unreadable piece of trash.
Thank you and God bless,
- Jason William Egroff
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5.0 out of 5 stars
The Tento Saga: A MUST READ, August 18, 2008
MOST IMPORTANTLY: THIS IS A FUN READ!!! However, a great deal can be said about the content, both as a first entry by an up-and-coming author, and concerning its content. WARNING: What follows is an in-depth review of "The Tento Saga."
As a starter, The Tento Saga is an 'Ethical/Morality Sci-Fi' entry, in my opinion. It's point is to make the reader ponder their actions and consider the results to the universe, as a whole. The style reminds me of Frank L. Baum ("The Wizard of Oz") and James Patterson (creator of Alex Cross) mixed together. The former is for the pleasant undertone of morality and theology which is never overt, malicious in insistence of any particular secularism, judgemental, or particular. The point of any theological reference is to provide a framework for the reader to push themselves away from their own beliefs, to question the quality of them. The latter is for the fast-based direct-approach style the author has implemented. The chapters fly by and large amounts of material are covered in short periods. This allows the reader to feel accomplished in their reading, even if only completing the book chapter by chapter. I should know, this is how I read it. In fact, I have found it difficult to deliver a brief synopsis of the novel due to the complexity and richness inherent in the text.
WARNING, SPOILERS (a spoiler-less review follows): Ok, so what's the story like? Well, the book is 4 parts, the first beginning the end of Mankind's existence on Earth. It focuses on the character Zonfer, and his totalitarian domination of planet Earth. A mysterious plague capable of destruction and proliferation on an unspeakable scale threatens complete planetary annihilation. The focus of this segment is to show the transformation of Zonfer from a heartless self-important bully to a benevolent ruler who elevates his primary concern from self to others. The ultimate result of his transformation allows humanity a second chance at existance on the desolate planet Tento. Though initially a fragile arrangement, peace is obtained on Tento and mankind enters a new life in a golden age of sorts, though a simple one.
Segment 2 focuses more specifically on Zonfer and his rise to power, demonstrating that it takes more than one man to make a monster, and several people have to make ethical, moral, and political decisions for one man to be allowed to commit mass genocide. This is my favorite portion of the book and displays Mr. Egroff's control as an author and ability to create a multi-layered story with twists and turns abundant. Also Mr. Egroff's crafting of Zonfer's ascendency demonstrates his ability to create depth and his unique understanding and opinions on development of the human psyche. I really was able to connect to the character of Zonfer and believe all the events which would follow.
The third and fourth segements are two parts to one story: a possible cure to the plague on Earth is discovered on Tento and allows for a mission back to Earth to learn about Mankind's past and future. Discovery of an alien race is made and ignored by the ruling Senate on Tento. The Senate, originally a democracy, has become bloated and corrupt, eliminating all challenges to its power. Several ploys for total domination of mankind are made, repeating Zonfer's mistakes. Warnings are made and ignored. Ultimately, the entire species faces the consequences of its own decisions to destroy itself. Mr. Egroff implements various perspectives, keeping the story objective and interesting, to fuel his presentation on politics, ethics, morals, comradery, and strength of the human spirit. Part 4 is my second favorite segment for its pacing and the multiple storylines. Not to mention the ending of the saga!
All in all, Mr. Egroff shows his streamlined capacity to invent all the classics of sci-fi as a genre: characters, creatures, weapons and technology, alien life, etc. He also shows a remarkable ability to weave storyline and wed these talents with his unique brand of morality tale.
I was reminded throughout the reading of this novel, and especially in its conclusion, of Native American folk tales. There is a focus on the environment of the charecters for setting mood and furthering plot, the creation of massive, mystical, and almost unbelieveable objects, the questioning of morals, and ultimately the making amends for decisions and the guiding intervention of mystical forces in the life of humans to better its advancement.
This is an excellent first entry novel, with the quality of some authors best. I look forward to future releases by this author, and highly recommend this particular read to others.
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