ASTRUM – FARAMOND FRIE – REVIEW
This book is amazing. A story about an adventurer and warrior, recounted to an audience at the Savoy, and written as an epic poem. That's right the whole book is one amazing epic poem.
Indians living on the moon. Ships that fly, I'm not sure Faramond Frie describes it as such, but there is definitely a Steampunk element to this story, in so far as it is a parallel world of fiction where the science has developed in an alternative way to our own. The blurb on the back of the book describes it as being in the spirit of Jules Verne and HG Wells, so I guess that confirms it.
It has grand themes about the way technology is developed by powerful men and misused for their own power and development. The kind of men who in our own world benefitted from the slave trade and develop the machinery of war.
There are elements of love and friendship. Integrity and soul.
The poetry is wonderful. No nonsense poetry that carries the story on a wave of rhyme. It would make a brilliant play.
"I only wanted to test my ability.
I never thought my creations
would come with such responsibility!
And yet the truth is very clear.
My conscience speaks in words of thunder.
I must become a Father.
I will show him love and wonder,
and teach of pain and fear as well
and grow a human heart
beneath the metal shell."
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Copyright Faramond Frie © 2016
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Did I mention the robots and dragons?
This is an amazing book and I heartily recommend it.
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Grab a copy of Astrum at Amazon.Com Amazon.Co.UK
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COPYRIGHT RICHARD WEALE ©2020