This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Michael J. Allen is a bestselling author of multi-layer science fiction and fantasy novels. Born in Oregon and an avid storm fan, he lives in far too hot & humid rural Georgia with his two black Labradors: Myth and Magesty. On those rare occasions he tears himself away from reading, writing and conventions he can be found experimenting in the kitchen, enjoying bad Sci-Fi movies, playing D&D or the occasional video game, getting hit with sticks in the SCA or hanging out with the crew of Starfleet International’s U.S.S. DaVinci. To learn more about Michael, check out his website at www.deliriousscribbles.com
Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Recently released from the prison of Wasteland on a trumped-up sham conviction, Elias (Eli) Graham is thrust onto the streets in a perilous future with nothing to his name...a name which was once attached to an illustrious career and a fat bank account. But that's all gone now. "This is my life now. Survive first, be picky later." As he navigates his way through homelessness and scrounges what he can to eat out of dumpsters (and occasional charity), his former protege, Darrin Silus, is on the hunt to find solutions for Thoth Corp's retail magic spells that are going horribly, horribly wrong. So wrong, that it creates the very real possibility of war and annihilation. In a world where magic means power, Eli's expertise as an architect of spells is able to save his life...but can he save it again, along with the lives of everyone and everything else in existence?
Discarded weaves its power with the concept of commercializing magic in a refreshing and unique twist that I found instantly intriguing. Michael J. Allen writes with a genuine attention to detail, building an America of the future that convenes comfortably as fantasy and science fiction in a way that feels as fully fleshed and alive as the characters existing in it. Eli is something of a rogue; extremely rough around the edges (for reasons that become understandable as I got to know him better), and an MC that is forced to balance on a delicate line between moderately decent and incredibly bad. He's authentic and I loved that. The elements of impending war and a fantasy realm that lurk within Discarded's pages are brilliant, bridging the human to fairytale chasm in a crisp tone. It's a first-rate story that allowed me to enjoy a long weekend of escapism, and I'd recommend it to any who loves to read skillfully crafted fantasy and science fiction.
