Location: United States
Member Since: Dec. 24, 2014

Alex Trask

Smashwords book reviews by Alex Trask

  • Killer Girl on Dec. 26, 2014

    I was drawn into this story by the quality of the writing, which I would describe as hard, spare and edgy, not typical of what I’d expect in this genre. I felt I was in the hands of a seasoned storyteller, who knew what he was about. The writing had a way of getting into the characters’ heads that was very appealing, and it’s especially unusual as the main character is a girl. I bought Eli’s reality completely, and rooted for her the whole way. I’m glad to know that this is the first of a series, and that she’ll be back. The author also seemed well versed in survival skills, weaponry and other military technology, all of which added to the vividness of the bleak, dystopic world. Everything about this book was all too believable, and I sometimes had to stop and remind myself it was fantasy—there are zombies in the book, but the real evil came from the humans. An auspicious beginning.
  • Making Sense on June 13, 2016

    Jim Murdoch has an original, singular intelligence, and it's worth reading anything by him. He's always surprising, and capable at any time of a stunning sentence or turn of phrase. These twenty pieces read like theatrical monologues, and perhaps would be best brought to life on the stage. In the main, I agree with Jessica Bell's review, although while she especially likes his first sentences, I like his last. Here's a few examples: "You should thank me. You really should." (Scent); "The rest is private." (Sub Rosa); 'Goad (God)? Are ye thur (there), Goad?" (Disintegration); "Gowan (Go on). Beat it." (Monsters). Read one story at a sitting, and don't speed through.You'll soon be charmed, and amply rewarded.