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348 Public Reviews Given
483 Total Reviews Given
Review Style
I'm a serious reviewer, which is why I charge so much. I won't waste your time. I focus on consistency and content, utilizing a review template that breaks down the basic elements of; perspective, verb tense, ambiance, location, transition, plot development, and characterization.
I'm good at...
Breaking down the elements of your story and giving you specific items to focus on.
Favorite Genres
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Favorite Item Types
Short Story; Chapter; Draft; Novel; Novella; Sample; Serial
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Public Reviews
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51
51
Review by Joshiahis
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Hello Tricnomistal working hard... . I saw your post in "Please Review. I hope you find some of my comments useful.

*Star*Style/Reference
         The prologue is told in the third person, past tense. There are no changes in the perspective, no odd interruptions from the invisible narrator *Thumbsup*

*Star*Plot
         A warrior makes his last stance against insurmountable odds.

         The plot flowed well. Great job. The author sticks to the action, without those pesky inrruptions.


*Star*Characters
         Everyone appears- ordinary. Other than the characters disdain for “under-humans” I could not put a face on the conflict here. The men attacking him were just men; the warrior was just some guy with a sword.


*Star*Setting
         That was a great way of describing the night sky in the beginning.


*Star*Reviewer's Opinion
         The first thing that hit me was the high number of He/Him words in the story. “He” and “him” could be replaced by a physical or emotional attribute, giving us a glimpse of this warrior from the onset.

         The descriptions of the forces overwhelming the warrior used great imagery. I especially liked the ”… taking tolls on families of a thousand fathers and brothers.” bit.

*Star*The Line-By-Line

...the help of Anon, he would...
...first wave, he noticed...but beyond that, he had lost...(The first paragraph showed the warrior with a sword in his hand. This paragraph shows him pulling out two swords.)
...clutching his neck as it seared. (as if? seared?)

52
52
Review by Joshiahis
Rated: E | (3.5)
Hello Jay D. . I saw your post in "Please Review. I hope you find some of my comments useful.

*Star*Style/Reference
         The narrator tells this story from the third person, past tense form. There are no breaks or pauses from this style.
         

*Star*Plot
         An overview of Valhalla, her people, and their inability to stray far from the hand of their god.

         Because of the way this is told, the “Action” does not begin until Carden goes into the fields, near the end of the chapter.


*Star*Characters
         Viracoy ~ The god of Valhalla, father to the people of Goldhiem

         Carden Tyr ~ a young child yearning for adventure. The narrator gives us a good description of his emotions; however, we cannot see what he looks like.


*Star*Setting
         This is a prologue, an introduction. The setting is an overall depiction of Goldhiem. Putting too much detail in a prologue is always a bad move, so no harm done here.


*Star*Reviewer's Opinion
         The overview told by a narrator makes it hard to sink one’s teeth into the story. We are told about Carden’s interests instead of shown them. It is hard to relate to the hero, perhaps if the story started from Carden’s point of view it would help. And yes, I would keep reading *Smile*

*Star*The Line-By-Line

…a realm in northeastern Valhalla...
It was a city of beauty, containing all that was necessary to live in luxury, so that they would never venture further than the fields in which they grew their food. (extra long sentence!)...
Pity then, that such testing times (that = singular, times = plural)
the horrible rules he was subjected (passive voice)
The blood drained from Carden’s face. He had been caught.
Carden looked into the mans eyes… by the boys clear…
the boy was traveling before…

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Review by Joshiahis
Rated: E | (3.5)
Hello Wiz . I saw your post in "Please Review. I hope you find some of my comments useful.

*Star*Style/Reference
         This story begins in the third person, past tense form. The narrator provides the “voice” for this tale, it feels like watching something on Court T.V. *Smile*
         

*Star*Plot
         Bonzo’s love for children gets him in trouble-

         The story flows well, there are no breaks or pauses for flashbacks or narrator explanations *Thumbsup*


*Star*Characters
         Larry Henderski ~ aka Bonzo the Clown. He has a love for children. Other than that, it’s hard to learn anything else about his personality.

         Billy Turner ~ aka the plantiff (BOOO! HISS!) It’s hard to “see” Little Billy. The style of the story, the overview by a narrator, makes it difficult for the reader to “get to know” a character.


*Star*Setting
         The narrator takes little time to give us a setting. We are obviously in court, but where?


*Star*Reviewer's Opinion
         No- spaces- between- paragraphs. Eyes- hurt- can’t- see*Exclaim*

         The word Bonzo appears a lot. Perhaps giving us a physical description or a personality trait instead would help reduce the count.

*Star*The Line-By-Line

Larry Henderski lived a happy and luxurious life. He owned mansions in several exotic locations, each containing everything and anything a man could ever wish to own. The most comfortable furniture, top of the line electronics, swimming pools, personal spas, body building equipment, and libraries full of noted first edition novels were all at his fingertips. However, Larry did not attain his status through the simple means of inheritance or a measly desk job. No, Larry Henderski was Bonzo the clown, star of Bonzo’s Super Funday Show, owner of the cherished theme park, Bonzoburgh.
One day, all of Bonzo’s wealth was threatened (passive voice, shows no action) by a terrible menace. This was the day of “Bonzo’s Thrills for the Terminally Ill Charity Extravaganza”. Bonzoburgh housed a special event for terminally ill children and their families, where the family could enjoy a fun-filled day of Bonzoburgh excitement and adventure free of charge. At the end of the day, kids could visit with their idol, Bonzo the clown, at a special ice cream party.
Billy Turner happened to be one of the youths in attendance at the hospitable event. At the closing of the Bonzo Meet N’ Greet, Billy took a picture with Bonzo. Billy Turner was even lucky enough to win the Bonzo Behind the Scenes Big Shot Raffle, where one fortunate child could visit the humble abode of Bonzo the clown, with Bonzo the clown as his or her personal guide. Meanwhile, the runner up received a lifetime supply of Bonzo’s Beef Bits, a meaty treat all the craze among Bonzonites.
It was only when Bonzo was preparing to go to bed, after a long closing ceremony including Bonzo’s Bright Busting Fireworks Display that Bonzo learned of the lawsuit that was being forged (passive) against him. He received a call from his attorney notifying him of an assault and battery charge, but in a state of emotional shock, could not comprehend any additional information.
The next day, Bonzo woke after an uncomfortable sleep to find none other than little Billy Turner on the national news station. His face was red and ridden with tears as he described the alleged beating he had received at the hands of Bonzo.
“-and he pushed me and said if I told anyone about this, h-he would dishonorably discharge me from the Bonzonites fan club,” Billy cried to a reporter.
The trial date was set for Monday, January 11, 1970.
Bonzo prepared for court, dressing in his best clown costume. However, today he painted frowning red lips on his usually jovial visage, and placed a single blue teardrop on his left cheek. Bonzo was heartbroken, he never expected the children he had come to love, and had dedicated his life to, would ever ravage him with hurt in the way Billy Turner now had. As his chauffer drove to the court building in the Bonzomobile, Bonzo sat in the back, sadly gazing at several news clippings with demoralizing titles such as: “Bonzo Bashes Kid,” “Bonzo Beats Billy Turner,” “Bonzo Bruises Terminally Ill Turner,” and “Bonzo Bludgeons Cancer Patient.”
As Bonzo stepped from his Bonzomobile onto the sidewalk before the court building, he was greeted (PV) by a mob of angry protestors. They yelled out hurtful words, cursing all things Bonzonized, tearing their Bonzonite membership cards into tiny pieces, and throwing them before Bonzo like a rainfall of condescending confetti. And that was not the least of Bonzo-bashing done that day.
Bonzo managed to find his way into the courthouse, physically unharmed but in a state of emotional wreckage. He felt as though he had not been driven to the courthouse in the Bonzomobile, but as though he had been hit by it and stuck in the front grate, dragged and broken against the street. He took a seat before the judge, and pulled a long band of seemingly unending handkerchiefs from his sleeve, and proceeded to blow his nose in an unbelievably loud manner in an attempt to mask his grief.
As the judge called for order in the court, Billy Turner’s attorney, Cain Ironhart, took the floor and began his opening statement.
“Larry Henderski, also known as Bonzo the clown, happy-go-lucky role model, or sinister sadist? This is the choice you are faced with today: Should we take this as a singular incident, and trust this man with the youth of our nation? Or should we prevent him from hurting our children, and our children’s children, and put a stop to this callous clown?” Mr. Ironhart questioned as he gave a disgusted glance toward Bonzo.
Next, it was time for Bonzo’s lawyer, John Jacob Jingleheimer-Schmitt, to plead his client’s case to the jurors.
“We’re all familiar with Bonzo’s Super Funday Show. As a matter of fact, many of us in this room grew up with this show when we were kids. Bonzo has been in business for nearly thirty years, now. Yet this is the first time that Bonzo has been accused of such an incredulous act as this. If Bonzo did not have the ability to get along with children, we must ask ourselves: First, would he surround himself with children on a daily basis? And second, why, after nearly thirty years of child entertainment, is this the first case of such an incident arising in Bonzo’s life? Mr. Ironhart calls him a callous clown, I call him a benevolent human being with the gift of a good sense of humor and a heart of gold,” J.J. Schmitt said with a gleam in his eye. (we know its JJJS from the previous paragraph. Would it be better to stick the “gleam in his eye” part there?)
In a short time, Mr. Ironhart began to display his evidence against Bonzo the clown. He showed pictures of Billy Turner’s bruises, which he claimed to have been caused by the gloved hands of a cold-hearted clown.
“If you look here,” Mr. Ironhart noted, tracing an outline of bruises with his pen, “You will see the distinct form of two handprints on Billy’s chest. These did not appear until after Billy’s stay at Bonzo Manor. With this in mind, I ask, how could these bruises be formed by any other than the malicious Larry Henderski?”
J.J. Schmitt declined comment.
The judge called for recess until the following day, giving both sides time to think of their plan of action.
Bonzo and J.J. Schmitt left the courtroom in a hurry, descending the stairs heading toward the Bonzomobile. The mobs were still clamoring around them as the Bonzomobile pulled away, their jeering cries penetrating through to Bonzo’s heart.
“I don’t know what to tell you, Bonzo,” J.J. Schmitt said when they were safely stowed away in the study of Bonzo Manor, “Maybe it’s time we cut our losses and give in, there’s just too much evidence against you. I bet I could get you a fair deal, Bonzo.”
Bonzo hunched over his desk and began to weep. It was all over, there was no way anyone would ever believe him. His make-up began to streak as silent clown tears dripped down his cheeks. This feeling was more painful than the crushing sensation of the heaviest anvil on his head, and Bonzo had many anvils dropped on his head.
J.J. Schmitt patted Bonzo’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, and as he did so he noticed the poster hung up behind him. His eyes skimmed to an image of Bonzo and Billy Turner. Both wore smiling faces, Bonzo in his most colorful and cheery clown suit, and Billy Turner with a T-Shirt stating: I blew chunks on Bonzo’s Blitzkrieg Rollercoaster! That is when J.J. Schmitt knew how to save Bonzo from his foreboding fate.
The next morning, Bonzo was once again exiting the Bonzomobile, running through a hoard of frenzied former Bonzonites, and taking his seat before the judge. Mr. Ironhart announced poor Billy Turner was far too tired and distraught from both his illness and his recent beating to go on stand.
J.J. Schmitt’s first motion was to once again show the image of Billy’s bruising, which surprised the jury. This, they believed, was the strongest evidence against Bonzo.
“This, in the event the jury has forgotten, is a photograph of the chest of Billy Turner. As Mr. Ironhart formerly noted, there are distinct hand prints, however, these handprints were not put there by Bonzo the clown.”
J.J. Schmitt then displayed the photograph of Bonzo with Billy Turner after the Bonzo Meet N’ Greet.
“If you look at Billy Turner’s shirt, you can clearly see the lettering which reads: I blew chunks on Bonzo’s Blitzkrieg Rollercoaster!”
Mr. Ironhart objected and asked if the evidence was at all relative. Bonzo noticed drops of sweat upon the man’s brow and became excited; perhaps J.J. Schmitt really had come up with evidence that could defend him.
J.J. Schmitt went on to describe how the alleged beating took place on the day of “Bonzo’s Thrills for the Terminally Ill Charity Extravaganza”. Billy Turner was present because he was a sufferer of leukemia, which, J.J. Schmitt stressed, resulted in easily busted blood vessels, or bruising. The boy had also taken a ride on Bonzo’s Blitzkrieg Rollercoaster. This was one of the most popular rides in Bonzoburgh because the rider could sit in a seat which was modeled to look like Bonzo the clown, and its’ safety restraints were in the shape of Bonzo’s arms and hands.
J.J. Schmitt held up an image of the rollercoaster seat, which backed up his description of the ride.
“That is how Billy Turner got the bruises, not by the hands of this gentle, kind clown, but by riding a rollercoaster which had clearly defined and posted health risk warnings,” J.J. Schmitt concluded, beaming at the bemused but blissful Bonzo.
The courtroom erupted in a massive chasm of excited murmurings. It took some time for the judge to regain order. This evidence was highly appealing. In the end, when the jury concluded deliberations, the foreman was asked to speak, his voice ringing throughout the room.
“Not guilty,” he said.
Bonzo leapt into the air in excitement, meeting J.J. Schmitt with a warm and thankful embrace.
“We did it, Bonzo! We did it,” J.J. exclaimed.
And there was a grand exit from the courthouse. Bonzo had procured a unicycle and a number of inflamed bowling pins from some unknown location, and left the building juggling and rolling over the pavement. He traveled down to the Bonzomobile through a tunnel of cheering Bonzonites. Bonzo was beaming; he was back in his niche, ready to entertain the masses.
Bonzo’s popularity returned with newfound fervor. He dominated children’s television programming with Bonzo’s Super Funday Show, met success with Bonzoburgh, and even triumphed in the courts. Bonzo’s Bonzonized holdings led him to become the owner of a massive monopoly over the entertainment industry, not to mention moneymaking endeavors in various other market fields. The clown seemed unstoppable, unshakeable, victorious, and immortal. In the end, Bonzomania swept over the world anew, and Bonzo the clown was once again a universal idol

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54
Review by Joshiahis
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
Hello J. A. Buxton . I saw this on the Writer's Cramp and I just had to check out one of my favorite author's- and one of my least favorite english/grammar teachers*Pthb*

ROFLMAO. Oh that's great, that's good. I had to stop four or five times because of the tears in my eyes. My mind flashed back to your story I read a long, long time ago without me realizing it. Suddenly, like a flash of light *Idea* I realized that I knew this Vulcan. Not the fiery destroyers from Star Trek, no this was the god who saved humanity a long ago by sacrificing his immortality- not to mention the fact that all us guys look like gods now! (WOOT!)

Ok, ok- this is supposed to be a review, let's get to it!

Style/Referencing
         This story is told in the first person, present tense. A difficult style, yet our Judity pulled it off without a hitch. *Thumbsup*

Plot:
         Our heroine is at her personal bat cave (that's what I call the PC when it's time to write type, when one of her most powerful characters comes to life, demanding an audience with his creator.

         The plot is rapid fast. It has to be with only 1000 words to work with. There are no pauses or breaks for those pesky flashbacks and overtures by the invisible narrator. *Thumbsup*


Characters:
{indent The characters are not the usual characters we imagine. They are voices, debating behind the BLUE SCREEN O' DEATH, the bane to all Generation X'ers.

         Judity ~ Ms. J. A. Buxton herself, in all her writing glory is the heroine. Because of the first person style, she gets away with not letting us see her face!

         Vulcan ~ The god's blacksmith and hero of "Seraglio of the Gods.

         Walker ~ He's an unknown to me, but an obvious character in another Judity creation. He is also a big wimp who can't handle his own against a digital diety.


Setting:
         Um- well- its the bat cave. You know- dark room, computer monitor the only source of light, empty soda can or teacup or coffee mug close by, an empty bag of chips within arms reach, a notebook full of notes you can't see because of the light.

The Line-By-Line

I usually do a cut and paste to the ole' grammar checker, but come on, it's J. A. Buxton! The very idea of spell checking one of my mentors is an affront to my senses!

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Review by Joshiahis
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
Hello Requiem . I wanted to return the favor and review some of your work. I hope you don't mind and I hope you find some of my comments useful.

I'm not a poetry guy
For worse of better
So I've decided to try
To review this letter

         I like realizism a lot. I felt the pain from the writer intensly. I vividly saw this woman sitting in her dark bedroom, a lamp provided poor lighting on the desk. I envisioned her sitting up on her side of the bed, not yet used to having the whole thing to herself. I saw her tears flowing down as she penned her thoughts. I saw her rip the page out of an old spiral notebook and toss it in a wastebasket close by.

         I loved the letter. Yea, I know, not much of a review. I ran the letter through a spell check and everything checks out ok.*Bigsmile*

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Review of Crying  
Review by Joshiahis
Rated: 13+ | (3.5)
Hello JT 3000 . I wanted to return the favor and review some of your work. I hope you don't mind and I hope you find some of my comments useful.

Style/Referencing
         This short story is written in the first person. There are slight fluctuations between present; "...I have dinner...then threw her hands..." and past tense; "...was that the table...roast beef was..."

Plot:
         Our character is having Sunday dinner with parents when something odd occurs that brings unsuspected emotions to the surface. The story slowly drags the reader further and further along, we share Jason's lack of understanding and the intense need to know what is going on. Well done!

         The different things the character points out throughout the dinner brings the reader deeper into the story. We see the pieces of the familiy's history through the eyes of the protaganist. These "pieces" are woven into the context of the plot and help push the story along.


Characters:
         Jason ~ The author helps us identify with the main character by throwing details throughout the story; "...sometimes I could do that...I should have shown restraint...I decided against taking advantage of it...People really are stupid..." without bogging down the plot.*Thumbsup* I enjoyed journeying through Jason's thought process, he is a truly dynamic character; an onion, like Shrek.

         Mother ~ This emotional woman is seen through the eyes of Jason as arguementative. His slight disdain for her leads the reader to sympathize with the woman int he beginning of the story, connecting us to her. However, it was difficult to actually "see" her. We don't know what she looks like.

         Father ~ The strong silent type, yet not so strong that he cant shed a tear or two. Also, we cannot "see" him as we read the story.
         Neil Fowler ~ We get very little meat about this guy. We know his name and his relationship with Jason. He seems to be of no importance to the story.

         Meg ~ the girlfriend, another named character with no history.


Setting:
         Our story takes place in a home, we see the details of the home through the context of the story. Although lacking in detail, the setting fits with the style of the story. Jason simply did not look around the house.

         The town falls in the same trap, we do not see any details because Jason does not see them. The sense of time is hard to figure our as well, but I pieces together that it was late afternoon (the football game)


Spelling/Grammar
         Nothing leaped out at me, but don't trust my word. I was too busy reading.

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Review by Joshiahis
Rated: ASR | (4.0)
Hello Delores L. Haze . I wanted to return the favor and review some of your work. I hope you don't mind and I hope you find some of my comments useful.

Style/Referencing
         This story is told in the first person, past tense. The author does not leap out of the main character's head through the story. There are no breaks or pauses by an invisble narrator.
         

Plot:
         Our heroine is traveling to Florida and has a rash of misadventures along the way, from train hopping to runaway trains.
         HA!*Bigsmile* Nice ending!


Characters:
         It was hard to "see" Katie, "the lady," John and Den.


Setting:
         Our heroine is in a train station, the scene around the station is clear and concise.


Spelling/Grammar
         I didn't notice anything, but don't take my word for it.

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Review by Joshiahis
Rated: E | (5.0)
Hello Dr M C Gupta . I wanted to return the favor and review some of your work. I'm not a poetic person, and the mass of poems in your portfolio was slightly intimidating. I was intrigued by this folder in particular. I travel all over the world for my job and I take interest in what people of different backgrounds believe. So I perused a few of yoru poems, and for some reason I found it strange that we agree on a great many things. We share a belief in god, but have a slightly cinical view of the men and women who preach his word througout the world. I was also slightly ashamed that I found such similarites strange. your work not only helped me understand your views, but also evaluate myself. I guess a writer can't ask for much more than that.
Lee
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59
Review by Joshiahis
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
Hello Neko ♥ Away . I wanted to return the favor and review some of your work. I hope you don't mind and I hope you find some of my comments useful.

Style/Referencing
         This prologue is told in the third person from Lucifer's point of view. There are no pauses or breaks in the flow of the story. The prologue does its job, makes you want to turn the page. Good job *Exclaim*

Plot:
         Lucifer is looting the tomb of one who wrong him a long time ago. He is on a mission of vendetta against a perceived betrayal from his past.


Characters:
         Lucifer did not seem to a carbon cut out villain. I liked how the conversation between him and the "man" made him sound like a man of reason, a scholar gone slightly demented on his quest for vengence. The only issue I had is the fact that I could not "see" him. I imagined two shadows conversing over candlelight as they studied the prophecy.
         Lucifer's assistant was almost invisible. Perhaps he is a minor character that we will never see again, but it seemed important that I should know him.


Setting:
         We are in a dusty dark tomb of a man who betrayed our protaganist. It was easy to visualize the area from the opening sentence. I liked how the authors leaves the minor details to our own devices. It keeps the perspective true. Lucifer was intent on the book. Why would he care about the details of the tomb?


Spelling/Grammar
         No errors!

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Review of Rio Cangrejal  
Review by Joshiahis
Rated: 18+ | (5.0)
Hello Brent Sisson . I wanted to return the favor and review some of your work. I hope you don't mind and I hope you find some of my comments useful.

         This is a personal adventure story, part two of the hillarious misadventures of our poor author and his beloved wife in Honduras. The story starts off well as we are introduced to the promising, but underwheling San Pedro Sula (never heard of the place, and I probably won't go there thanks to Mr. Burke's insight)

         The restaurant scene was great..breaking the language barrier can be trying at times. I'm glad you went the waiter's recommendation, nothing like bad beer to really make a vacation go bad.

         "little did we know we would return the following day on foot..." The ominous forewarning! I can hear the drums playing in the background "DUM-DUM-DUM!" *Laugh*

         Oh my...you people ARE crazy! The ending was amazing...*Delight*

         Let's see, review wise I thought this was an excellent piece. The action stayed in your perspective and we relived the experience through your eyes. There were no pauses in the story, no breaks to overexplain something we normally wouldn't comprehend. We even learned about the "kiwi's" with you. There were no spelling errors that I could find, but to be honest i was too busy reading (and to me, that's the whole point)

*Bigsmile*          Now you have to write part 3...you haven't even hit Honduras yet!

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Review by Joshiahis
Rated: 18+ | (5.0)
Hello emerin-liseli . This is one the reviews for your winning bid in the "Invalid Item, sponsored by "Invalid Item. I hope you find some of my comments useful. Since this is a timed contest entry, I'll lay off a bit.

Style/Referencing:
         This short story is told in the third person. There are no breaks, pauses, or cheats thrown in by the narrator. The piece flows cleanly and the dialogue not only fleshes out the characters, it also keeps the story moving.

Setting:
         We are on the side of the road in good old California. The dialogue infers that it is after working hours, five or six o' clock.


Plot:
         Nora Allison battles with her own demons as an old flame comes crashing into her life...literally.


Characterization:
         The pain seeping between Nora and Joe's (can I call him Joe?) dialogue fleshes them out, making them seem more real. We learn sbout their past and present in just a few lines.


Spelling/Grammar:
         No errors!


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Review of The Oil Rig  
Review by Joshiahis
Rated: E | (5.0)
Hello emerin-liseli . This is one the reviews for your winning bid in the "Invalid Item, sponsored by "Invalid Item. I hope you find some of my comments useful.

Style/Referencing:
         The story is told in the third person from Sean's perspective. There are a couple of breif point of view shifts where it seems that Sean should not know what his family is thinking or feeling throughout this tale.
         We get some flips from past to present tense throughout the story. The scene never shifts, only a past tense word placed at an importune place makes the story look like it is jumping from past to present.

Setting:
         The filthy, dirty, smog hidden town of Crofton. My mind put the story in America's Industrial Age in the New England states to the north, where fortunes were made off the backs of the uneducated in the 18th century.


Plot:
         Sean fears losing his big brother, and storms out of the house, wishing for the source of his problems to go away-
         The story pushes onward nicely, and ends well. Emerin's Fable! A life lesson wrapped in a realm of modern fantasy. I like it.


Characterization:
         The unnamed Leprechaun was funny. "Rainbow-gambling." HA!
         Sean and his family seemed hazy, it was hard to physically see them.


Spelling/Grammar:
         No errors! -I think-

Reviewer's Opinion:
         This is a well written piece for a FIFTEEN MINUTE time limit. It's easy to disect someone else's work when you have all day to read it. I loved this story, warts and all!

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Review of Saeni and Millie  
Review by Joshiahis
Rated: E | (5.0)
Hello emerin-liseli . This is one the reviews for your winning bid in the "Invalid Item, sponsored by "Invalid Item. I hope you find some of my comments useful.

Style/Referencing:
         This funny tale is told in the first person. The author doesn't cheat and give us details that the main character shouldn't know.
         This is a past tense story, told from the perspective of a memory. We do not jump in and out of the past tense. Well done!

Setting:
         We are out and about in Millicent's home. It is obviously the cat's home because our poor heroine suffers under Millie's wrathful hand...claw
         


Plot:
         Millie -vs- Saeni! I cheered for the winner too when the villian got her comeupends.
         


Characterization:
         Millie's character is told through her actions. She's mean, nasty, and intelligent. Her ultimate dominance of the home is curtailed only when a foreign intruder causes her fall from grace...literally.


Spelling/Grammar:
"...in to she be spayed..."



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Review of Gargolinks  
Review by Joshiahis
Rated: 18+ | (4.0)
Hello IGWOOTEN . I wanted to return the favor and review some of your work. I hope you don't mind and I hope you find some of my comments useful. Very cool port bio by the way. I favor similar genre's, so I'll pop in and read the other stories later *Bigsmile*


Style
         The explanation of Earth's current state is told to us rather than shown to us throughout the story. The action stops for a moment as the setting is introduced. I would have liked to have seen the destroyed, conquered plant through Bolt's eyes.
         The concept of the story is great, but too much time is spent telling us about life in this New Earth instead of showing us. Cutting out past-tense words would get rid of this. I normally don't do rework suggestions, some people hate it, I apologize in advance if this suggestion if offensive-

"Hearing the low rumbling of thunder from behind he knew he had only minutes to find shelter. He twirled on the road looking in desperation for anything that would protect him when he spotted a footpath almost hidden by high bushes"
A low rumbling of thunder from behind caused Bolt to look around in desperation. Bolt knew he only had a few minutes to find shelter. He spotted a footpath, hidden by high bushes.


Plot:
         The first line is a slightly new twist on a classic line. Very cool, like Stephen King's "The Gunslinger" combined with "The Stand".
         The Earth is devastated by a virus, humans, having had their numbers reduced to a few survivors, offer little resistance to their new canquerors, the Gargolinks.
         Jeff (can I call him Jeff)Bolt rebels from the oppresion by simply living his life. Very cool*Exclaim*
         *Shock*WHOA*Exclaim* Was NOT expecting that ending- Very well done


Characters:
         Bolt comes to life bit by bit as the story is told. I couldn't help but picture The Gunslinger, the ending gives us a hint as to why the author ignores giving us a description of jeff's face. In the end, it really doesn't matter.


Setting:
         Earth is a colony for the Gargolinks. The world unfolds well through Bolt's eyes. We can clearly see the state the planet is in.
         


Spelling/Grammar
         I didn't notice any errors, but don't trust me I was too engrossed in the story.

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Review by Joshiahis
Rated: E | (3.5)
Hello theresa. I wanted to return the favor and review some of your work. I hope you don't mind and I hope you find some of my comments useful.



Plot:
         Cassie is on a blind date that takes an unexpected twist that gives the story an unexpected ending. (Maybe she should try a different bar *Wink*) The plot flowed well with only a minor flashback that explained Cassie's previous relationship.


Characters:
         The characters were faceless. It's hard to give flesh them out when you only have 300 words to work with- I sympathize with your troubles.*Bigsmile*


Setting:
         The setting is in a restaurant or bar, its hard to tell, again that pesky 300 word limit bites you!


Spelling/Grammar
         No errors that I could notice.
         There are some sentences that could be trimmed down to give you room to flesh out the characters and setting, but I hate writing down suggestions to other people's work. In hindsight you probably see the same thing. *Bigsmile*
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Review by Joshiahis
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Hello ramniscian_saga_162 . I saw your plug on "Invalid Item. I hope you don't mind the review and I hope you find some of my comments useful.



Plot:
         As far as prologues go, this little write-up did the trick. It hooks the reader without normal bogged down details you would normally get out of a prologue. I can't wait for you to continue the story. The title was well chosen and fit with the theme of the chapter.


Characters:
         I was disappointed that Shad's age was told by narrator instead of through some dialog in the story, but you can't get everything you want out of a prologue.


Setting:
         The details were well told during the natural flow of the story.


Spelling/Grammar
         "...awoke to [the?] oncoming..."




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Review by Joshiahis
Rated: E | (5.0)
Hello kiyasama. I saw this in this weeks Author's newsletter. I have always learned something each time I visit an informative writeup so I decided to check this out.

         I'm American and I work with two Brits (well, one Englishman and one Scotsman...I won't go into detail on THAT), an Aussie, and a New Zealander (can you say that, I'll have to ask him). We all speak english, and we all speak english a different way. The commonly misunderstood words section helped out quite a bit.

         The Shifting chapter helped out a lot and I will make sure to keep it in mind when I write in the future. (looks like I have another round of editing coming up*Cry*)

         I write technical documents for contracts that sound a lot like Goobledegook. My feelings were slightly hurt by this chapter, but then I realized that it's just work- so who cares?

         ARGH!*Sick*The formality of my writing is something I've never thought about. Looks like more editing work*Cry*

Thank you for the tips, I learned a lot.

         "...this to micmic Earth's...



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Review of The Dentist 4!  
Review by Joshiahis
Rated: E | (5.0)
         Hello Kez . I wanted to return the favor and review some of your work. I hope you don't mind and I hope you find some of my comments useful. I clicked on your port and noticed that you're The Dentist guy! I already did the first three and so I decided to check out the fourth. It was an funny as the first three, and I didn't dork up any of the words this time. (I did go overboard with the number though...3,457 cavities is a lot*Smile*)



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Review by Joshiahis
Rated: E | (5.0)
         Thank you for linking me to this page David E. Navarro . I instantly saw room for improvement with my all my work just be glancing at the first half of the page. A lot of my misconceptions about writing a good book were shattered as well, especially rule 15. The Fiftenth rule really shocked me. (See I'm learning already *Smile*).
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Review of No Sunday Siesta  
Review by Joshiahis
Rated: E | (5.0)
Hello Just an Ordinary Boo! . I wanted to return the favor and review some of your work. I hope you don't mind and I hope you find some of my comments useful.
...
...
...
Why do I hear my wife in my head as I read this?*Smile*
"...Jeev, my ‘bitter’ half..."

That wasn't very nice. I'm almost offended...almost.

I love Jeev's answer. I would have said something along those lines. I see no problem here.

HAHAHA! This is a great piece! I just had like three flashbacks.

I suppose I should actually review this now...ok
ahem (That's my, time to be professional cough)

         I would have preferred more detail about the home and the characters. The story unfolded well, and the ending was great. But the little details were missing. Also, I saw no spelling and grammar errors
...
...
Except this one*Exclaim*
"...to hand.I clicked..."

Space between hand and I.



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Review by Joshiahis
Rated: E | (4.5)
Hello The Doctor's. I wanted to pay you back for the great feedback you have given over the past weeks by finishing up Game of the Gods.

"He was so edgy that he failed to notice that his instructor wore an approving thin grin at his swift success."
It feels like you cheated with this one. If this scene is from Guelah's POV, then he wouldn't know that his teacher approved of his work.

I realized that cant is the actual word for the songs. I hit you for a type-o in the last chapter. I'll have to fix that. *Wink*

This was an excellent tie-in to the original story.
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Review by Joshiahis
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hello The Doctor's. I wanted to pay you back for the great feedback you have given over the past weeks by finishing up Game of the Gods.

I had to reread the previous chapter because I was sure that the barbarian was dieing when I last stopped. Then I saw the description of the chapter and I realized what was going on.

After the church was described, it felt like the perspective jumped a bit. It started with Hurnn, then Guelah, and finally Qrstcht.

This is the first chapter without anyone dead or near death. It felt odd for some reason, but that's probably my beer drinking, manly side coming into play.

It was a good chapter and flowed well. I would have liked to have "seen" more of the other students, but I think that it won't matter what they look like for much longer if the first chapters were any indication.

Spelling/Grammar:
"...strength to any c[h]ant trying..."
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Review by Joshiahis
Rated: 18+ | (5.0)
Thank you for your reviews on some of my work.
I decided to return the favor and take a look at your profile. I don't do poetry well*Smile*. So, I'll stick with what I know.


You can again tell that alot of time went into developing the background premise for the story. Lelianna's condition during the battlefield survey is proof of that.

Very cool move to replay the battle through the echos of the soul that the cleric can hear.

This chapter was disgustingly vivid. The carnage was very, very clear.

I hope this isn't the end. I hope you finish your book. I'd like to read more.
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Review of London Town  
Review by Joshiahis
Rated: 18+ | (4.5)
Plot:5.0
You eloquently hid the protaganist (can a felon be a hero) of the story until the very end. It starts out as Dylan but if you read too fast you lose the fact that Dylan is talking about Edmund. Most people might hold it against you, but I think it's brillant.

Climax:4.0
The climax felt sureal. You can clearly visualize the action. The only thing that I can comment on is the speed. But your entire story is fast, so I can't hold it against you.

Resolution:4.0
You feel Edmund's pain when he takes the old man's life. You empathize with him at his sentencing. But the resolution doesn't stand out because it's told from Dylan's point of view. It's hard to say that this is a bad thing because it fits with the style of the story.

Characters:4.0
I have to say, I liked the way you physically described your characters from another character's point of view. Very slick. I did have trouble making out Myles and Malcolm, but they were background characters anyway.

Environment:5.0
London town has a fully fleshed out look to it. You can clearly see the "strip" the five boys walk down when they leave the pub. (Do they still call them pubs over there?)

Spelling/Grammar5.0
I was to engrossed with the story to look for errors. Don't trust the rating, sorry. *Frown*


Other5.0
Okay, I had to read this story about five times to fully grasp the complexity of the pattern you wove here. I hope others will do the same before writing this off. The "...various methods..." employed by Dylan's friends can't be found in the first read. I applaud you for the effort put into this. This required alot of forward thinking.

The way you flip from first person to third person is, well for lack of a better word, great. That's hard to do.


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Review of Mystery  
Review by Joshiahis
Rated: E | (4.5)
The prologue scared the *$%^ out of me. My heart was beating out of chest. Stephen King doesn't even do that to me.

The prologue and the first chapter blend together perfectly. I enjoyed the play on wisdom.

Your ability to describe your world to the reader is incredible. "...rock rose out of the lesser hills like a king among men, black and jagged and raw and majestic. The dewy wilds of its sides..." You also use conversation to speed along the geography instead of drawing out your description. Very cool.

I did have trouble bouncing perspective's between the sisters. The chapter starts off with Parasceva, then Nan's thoughts are known when she thinks about how selfish her sister is, then Marion has a flashback about "grandmother".

All in all, I think your an awesome with an awesome story. Oh yea, and I saw no spelling or grammar errors. (yawn)
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