Location: Canada
Member Since:
Aug. 11, 2010
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Catherine Fitzsimmons
Biography
A perpetual temp who has worked for a number of evil empires, Catherine pours her energy into entirely too many hobbies. She lives outside Toronto, Ontario with her husband and a black Himalayan with a penchant for sliding into walls. For more information about Catherine, please visit her blog.
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Books
Smashwords book reviews by Catherine Fitzsimmons
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Weeping Willow (Part One)
on March 30, 2011
Overall, perhaps a promising story. I have to admit, when I started reading this story, I didn't expect much. The plot and characters were typical, the narrative voice was very passive, and it is in bad need of proofreading - most notable was consistent misspelling of the word "awe." I also admit I don't see the necessity of breaking such a short story into two parts. As I got nearer the end and the background of the story revealed itself, however, it began to sound like it could be interesting. A different approach might have suited this story better, or perhaps fleshing it out into a longer work. I'm not really compelled to read the second part of the story - again, a failing more of format than necessarily of writing - but it's possible it could have an interesting ending. I wish the author all the best in her writing, though I might suggest considering a switch to third person POV.
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Markan Throne
on Sep. 06, 2011
I've read some very good amateur/independent/self-published fiction in my time, but it isn't necessarily common, and I'll admit I wasn't expecting much from this book when I began reading it. In that regard, I was pleasantly disappointed. A strong world was built right from the start, one that showed a clear understanding of how medieval society and politics worked. At the same time, the fantasy element was ever-present and skillfully woven into the historical basis of this world, in a way that made it seem very natural in a way I have rarely seen in fantasy. The result was a rich, unique, and engaging world that did not merely draw from existing mythology but created its own and made it real. It was a slower book than most I've read, with few moments of actual action and much of the novel devoted to politics and scheming, but far from it to say it wasn't good or interesting. It's not what I would call a casual read, as it took my full attention to keep track of all the characters and the various elements of the story, but that made it all the more engrossing. I did find some climactic events lost a bit of their impact due to much information being revealed beforehand; while said information was revealed sensibly, it did undermine the surprise of what could have been a much more dramatic event. Still, I found this a very enjoyable and recommended read, and I am certainly interested in seeing where the story goes in the second book of the trilogy. The precedent set in this book seems to be building towards quite an epic conclusion.