The Cerberus Rebellion by Joshua K. Johnson

Hey guys! Welcome to today's stop on the review tour for The Cerberus Rebellion! :) I really enjoyed the book and it was a good read!

First Published: 25 June 2012
Publisher: Gunpowder Fantasy Books
Pages: 242
Format: Ebook
Finished Date: 8 Sept 2012

Synopsis

One hundred years of peace and prosperity. War changes everything.

On the world of Zaria, Elves, magic and mythical beasts coexist beside rifles and railroads. The futures of two nations hang in the balance as rebels and revolutionaries trade gunfire with loyalists and tyrants.

Eadric Garrard was raised to believe that as the rightful King of Ansgar, his loyal nobles and fearful subjects answered to his every whim, no matter the cost or consequence. His decision to send his troops thousands of miles away will test that fear, and loyalty.

Raedan Clyve was ordinary until an Elven ritual involving a griffin’s heart turned him into something more. Twenty years later, he still struggles with the magics that rage through his body. His mentor holds him back from his full potential and he faces pressure to find a suitable wife and father an heir.

Hadrian Clyve has picked up where his father left off and works to expand his family’s influence amongst the Ansgari nobility. His aggressive negotiation of alliances and shrewd choice of marriage agreements has earned him respect, and resentment. When his King calls his troops to arms, Hadrian has other things in mind.

After a century of scheming and decades of preparation, Magnus Jarmann is ready to bring his family’s plans to fruition by launching a war of independence that will free his people and return his country to its rightful place among the nations of Zaria. The King’s call to arms creates an opportunity that Magnus cannot afford to miss.

In a war, little is held back; in a revolution, nothing is safe.

My Rating

And a half!

My Review

The Cerberus Rebellion was a relatively good read. I say relatively, because there were some things about the book that detracted from my enjoyment of it. As a whole though, I did enjoy reading the book and I was hooked towards the end.

But let’s start off with the good shall we?

The plot was good, to be certain. It was interesting and it never bored me, not even once. While some may find some of the talking to be too much, I felt that it gave me a very good idea of what was going on, and it really helped in character development. It gave me a better understanding of the world the book was set in and how things operated. There were a couple of twists that I enjoyed reading about, because I never expected it to happen. And I must say, many times, the strategies during war had me clapping in admiration or just groaning at the sheer stupidity of a character. *cough*The king*cough*

I liked the fact that we could read about everything that was going on in the entire nation. What’s more, what was covered wasn’t too trivial but rather, the author gave a rather comprehensive view of the different regions at that time. That was something I enjoyed and I felt that it gave me a good view of the nation, thus allowing me to appreciate the book even more.

Another thing that I really enjoyed was the characters. Character development was amazing. After the book, I felt that I just knew all the characters personally. It was truly enjoyable reading and understanding about them and I felt that the author conveyed who they were meant to be very well. I really loved reading about them and also seeing each character from another’s point of view. I laughed with them, I wanted to scold some of them, and the characters just drew me into the story. The main characters had a lot of depth to them and I did see their individual motivations. I empathized with them, truly, I did.

Take the king for an example. In the beginning, I was alright with him, but as I saw how his character was really like, I found myself disliking him and to be honest, hoped he would lose all the wars. However, towards the end, I found myself rooting for him to win at least one of the battles. I won’t say the outcome though, go find out for yourselves! Hehe :P

One thing to note though, there were a little too many characters and while that gave the story a more realistic spin, it did get confusing to read about so many of them.

However, I have one main complaint. Some details were rather technical to me. I had trouble understanding the politics and the reasons for moving here and there. At times, the description escaped me and I felt it was extremely difficult to visualize it in my head. However, I do acknowledge that this could be my own view on things. After all, I am still a teenager and hence, I haven’t really got to know about this sort of things. But yes, sadly, this did take away some enjoyment from the book. Initially, I was extremely confused and I didn’t understand what was really going on. However, perhaps simply time is needed. As I came to the end, I found myself understanding the intricacies of the plot more and more, allowing me to enjoy the book.

I would also have liked to see a bit more of magic in the book. I felt that it could have been touched on perhaps a little more. As it is, I felt that it didn’t really play a role in the book, at least, not that major a role.

A final thing that I had issues with was the pacing. I was left rather confused now and then when the time would skip forward a few months or weeks. I felt like I was thrown into the middle of things now and then, without any real thing that said a length of time had passed. Hence, I would always be flipping back and forth with a confused expression on my face as I tried to figure out how much time had passed. Some scenes were extremely well-elaborated and really interesting to read about, for example, the battle. However, several were just passed over quickly and I thought more could be done with it! Furthermore, the ending was rather abrupt, I was hoping for a little more. While it wasn’t a cliffhanger per se, I felt that it lacked something to wrap it all up. Though the situation had not passed yet, I felt that a good conclusion was still necessary. However, this does make me want to read the next few books just to find out what will happen! Guess I’ll have to wait.

So, all in all, The Cerberus Rebellion was a good read and I did enjoy it. The rating is quite tricky. I can’t decide between a 3.5 stars or 4 stars. I think I’m gonna go with 3.5 this time, but I will say this. The Cerberus Rebellion is a book worth reading, not a waste of your time at all. While it may not be a book for relaxation, it is certainly a very interesting book. In fact, I think I even learnt some new things about ruling a kingdom, uprisings, revolts and all. Though, not like I really knew anything before. Now, however, I have a more concrete view of it! I do recommend one picking up this book. I don’t think you’ll regret it. I certainly didn’t.

Joshua K. Johnson

Joshua Johnson is the author of "Gunpowder Fantasy" The Cerberus Rebellion (due to release in early July) and the creator of the Griffins & Gunpowder universe. When he isn't working or spending time with his family, he writes novels, short stories and novellas.

He currently lives in Northern Illinois with his wife and young son.

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Time for a short excerpt!

The crackle of musket fire drifted up from the trenches; only a few quick shots at first, but quickly followed by full volleys. Flashes of light marked the battle in the trenches and Raedan listened carefully for the command to push his troops forward. He glanced behind him quickly.

The color guard stood resolute, the banners of Arndell and the North Griffin Cliffs at the front of the formation. A half-company of infantry had been assigned to protect the flags should they come under attack.

Wounded began to drift back out of the trenches. Some retreated under their own power; others were carried between two of their fellows. Raedan tried to count the men fleeing the battle, but quickly lost count.

Finally, the trumpets sounded again, ordering him forward.

“How's it look in there?” he asked a retreating officer. The man wore the gaudy orange of Sea Watch and the stripes of a captain. He had taken a round through his shoulder and was supporting a corporal that had taken a shot to the leg.

“The artillery did a job on them,” the captain said. “But they've still got some fight left.”

“All right, men! Let's take it to them!” Raedan started toward the trenches at the double time and his men started to trot after him.

The earthworks twisted and zagged one way and another, slowly leading the infantry closer to the fortress that loomed large above. The sun had finally set and flares were exploding high overhead.

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