Randolph Lalonde
Biography
Born in 1974, Randolph Lalonde has worked in customer service, sales, played drums for several heavy metal bands you've never heard of, dealt blackjack in a traveling casino, and serviced countless computers. He's also owned businesses in the design, printing, collectible and custom computer fields.
He completed writing his first novel in the fantasy adventure genre at the age of fifteen and has been writing ever since.
He self published his first novel;
Fate Cycle: Sins of the Past in 2004 and after taking a break has begun to release his work again starting with the First Light Chronicles series.
Randolph Lalonde has sold thousands of eBooks to date, enough to keep writing full time. He is deeply grateful for his following of readers and strives to improve his skills to better entertain them. The Spinward Fringe Space Opera series has proven to be his most popular offering.
He currently resides in Sudbury Ontario with his roommate, a tattoo artist.
In his diminishing spare time he reads voraciously, tinkers with design, video editing and reviews the occasional film or television show. A science fiction and fantasy fan, he often comments on the state of the entertainment industry on his website, www.randolphlalonde.com.
Where to find Randolph Lalonde online
Where to buy in print
Books
Randolph Lalonde’s tag cloud
Smashwords book reviews by Randolph Lalonde
- Smashwords Style Guide
on Aug. 01, 2009
Fantastic guide! After dealing with a dozen or so eBook retailers, Smashwords is a breath of fresh air so far. I'm in the process of converting my work (11 titles at the moment), so it can appear here and this guide is absolutely essential.
- Shatter (The Children of Man, #1)
on July 10, 2010
On its own, Shatter is a novel that introduces us to the personalities and struggles of some memorable characters. Faela is a character on a journey propelled by deep motivations that aren’t immediately apparent. As you unravel the mystery surrounding her and discover what drives her you are treated to her practical yet charming personality. The other characters in this book are just as interesting, their struggles are just as compelling, you’ll find yourself cheering for some and sneering at others.
The world, magic system and history behind this book are specific and well made. Unlike many fantasy and science fiction novels these days, you don’t get the feeling that the whole universe is built to the direct benefit of the characters. Instead, Elizabeth Mock has built a setting that is anything but convenient or simple, adding depth and realism to their struggles.
This book does stand on its own, but I promise you’ll be looking forward to the second part of the trilogy by the time you finish it.
- Hero Wanted
on March 25, 2011
Hero Wanted is a rare gem of a novel in a dump truck filled with standard fare fantasy gravel. It doesn't pretend to lofty seriousness - this is a comedy adventure after all. Having said that, it doesn't dumb itself down - there is wit both high and low brow but often somewhere in the middle.
The main character, Jason Cosmo, is not a brash hero or a know it all, nor is he an ignoramus or coward. He flitters from one extreme to another while trying to find his place in the mayhem that besets his existence as he is plunged into a turbulent adventure. He's fun to watch and has a highly entertaining voice - a good thing since the story is told from his perspective.
His cohorts are a colourful group that only includes one person who is well suited to adventuring. The others have to struggle through, using whatever skills they have - even if wildly inappropriate or delightfully random - to survive the challenges ahead. Every character who has more than one line of dialog contributes something worthwhile to the adventure, the same can be said for the various villains.
Villains! There is a kaleidoscopic rogues gallery featured in this book who each have clear motivations, and often different modus operandi. They present fantastic challenges and contribute to the humour throughout the book very evenly.
The world within this book is interesting, hilarious and broad. I can't say much more about it; spoilers are the enemy, after all.
In short, this is an adventurous comedic rampage of a fantasy novel.
RL