BOOK REVIEW - A Jar Of Wasps
Geek Syndicate
All that he needs to do is stay alive long enough to do it as he is chased by trained killers. Villazon is a debut author with a unique tale to tell. Released as an e-book, A Jar of Wasps is a fun read with a cheeky style of writing throughout and some great one-liners. Think a young Douglas Adams for humour and you’re probably not too far off track. The pacing is good as you are whisked across the globe as well as back and forth through the story’s timeline (each chapter opens with “fast forward 2 hours 20 minutes” or “rewind 7 minutes 31 seconds”). This technique keeps the action flowing and allows key plot points to be revealed over time. Having said that, I found myself lost at points as we changed not only time and location but point of view which meant I had to reread sections as I worked out which character was talking to the reader at a given moment. The characters, whilst clichéd (but that was part of the fun), are well developed and we have a great mixture of kick ass special agents, nerdy rock guys and a love interest or two along the way. I found myself rooting for Graham throughout, hoping that our everyday hero would eventually save the day despite everything kicking off around him. It was a shame then that while the development of some excellent characters was great, that a number of plot-threads were just left to fizzle out come the end of the book. We finish where we started. Atop an exploding volcano (told you
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the world. In the end, he manages two out of three. Which for a beginner, isn’t bad.
The Review:
Ok, this has to be a first for us here at Geek Syndicate, a novel about the adventures of a geologist, you know, the rock guys. People for whom the movement of tectonic plates over millennia can cause a rush of blood to the head. So, how do you make that world into an action packed, page-turner of a novel which will have you speculating all the way to the end? Well read on and I’ll tell you. Described as a geo-thriller, A Jar of Wasps opens in the house of Graham, your average geologist about town, as he receives a package containing a mysterious rock. Within five minutes we are left with a dead body, a police raid and the menace of two secret agents (though whose side they are on is another matter) who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Actually the story opens on the top of an exploding volcano but we’ll come to that in a bit... Graham is whisked off into a world of international intrigue as he tries to find out where the mystery rock came from and why hundreds more are crashing to earth from space. Dragged along by the sexy but dangerous Seraphina, Graham is on a mission to save the planet and we’re not talking recycling tin cans here.
Author: Luis Villazon Publisher: Anarchy Books
The Blurb:
Graham Trevennan has just been dumped by his girlfriend. That’s not the problem. He’s wanted by the police for a murder he didn’t commit. That’s not the problem, either. But around the world, dormant volcanoes are suddenly erupting and impossibly complex crystal meteorites are falling out of the sky in a way that probably isn’t coincidental. Now, the CIA, the army and at least one terrifyingly beautiful treasure hunter all seem to think that shooting Graham will somehow help them get hold of these priceless, extraterrestrial crystals. That is a problem. Graham’s mission is to avoid getting killed, figure out whose side he is on and save