Golden Review: ‘The Eclectic’ by Colin Reynolds

It has been a while but I am finally ready to write a new review.

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It brings me a lot of joy to know that my first reviews are of products birthed by my fellow bloggers. I am honored that you have put your trust in me and my review abilities. I only hope that I am able to extend your success a little further!

You can read my previous review –> here <–.

Today’s review
is of an e-book
entitled “The Eclectic”
by Colin Reynolds.

Colin has graciously provided me with a free copy of his book. However, that does not mean that this review will be anything but honest. I have a reputation to uphold and I would not want to tarnish it by lying to you. Colin, being a proponent of truth himself, encouraged that I do not hold back on sharing my opinion and thoughts.

Now that we have gotten all of the formalities out of the way, let us dive into the review.

“The Eclectic” by Colin Reynolds

“The Eclectic” is, as you can tell from its name, a collection of diverse ideas and styles. It includes six short stories and eleven poems. Some are thought-provoking like “Majestic Sunrise,” some funny like “Mozzy Hell.”

First of all, I applaud Colin on making his dreams come true by publishing his work. That is no small feat. If you are considering self-publishing, you might want to take a look at some of his blog posts, in which he explains how to “make an e-book.” (<– That post contains links to previous parts of the “how to” series.)

If you know me, you know that I do not spend a lot of time on my phone and I prefer paperback to e-books. However, I quite enjoyed “The Eclectic” in its electronic version because of its bite-sized content. I could read a single poem at a time, or one story at a time and then go back to my busy life. If you are like me, and you do not pick up e-books as often because you are worried you might lose the plot, this book might be the one to start with as it allows you – the reader – a lot of flexibility.

“Mozzy Hell” is probably my favorite poem from the entire collection. It is a masterfully crafted illustration of how humans struggle against mosquitoes. You cannot help but laugh.

Do you know what happened to the “Titanic” or do you think you know what happened? Colin’s story “Hubris” might have the answers you have been looking for.

My favorite story from the collection is “The Wooden Groat.” All of the characters of that piece really drew me in. There is some really good story-telling in this one. When fog appears, some people disappear, while strangers arrive. Spoiler: “The Eclectic” contains part 2 of that story entitled “Necessity.” I was SO happy to see it in there! I told Colin that I would gladly read a full novel based on those two chapters. Absolutely captivating.

If you are a fan of sci-fi, space, or Everquest II, you will enjoy a few longer stories in this collection, like “The Ouroboros Gambit” or “A Watch of Nightingales.” Unfortunately, I found those flying a bit above my head.

Because of my tagline “To Stop a Whirlwind… One Day at a Time…,” and my gravatar, I was fully amused by “The Root of All Evil” – a poem that is shaped like a whirlwind. That is how creative Colin can be.

The book showcases the multitude of the author’s talents – poetry, prose, magic, realism, sci-fi, and more. Really impressive. However, I also found the variety to be its biggest drawback. I found myself longing for more of the stories that I liked and fewer of the stories that I was not the biggest fan of. I feel that there is something in this collection for everyone but not everyone will enjoy the book in its entirety. I wish Colin focused on one theme and stuck with it throughout the book.

While the collection often takes us away from this world, it never allows us to forget about what we do and the impact it has on our future. It is an added bonus when a poem or a story makes me think.

Colin does not take himself too seriously, and I enjoy that about him. Even his “About Author” bit is filled with humor.

If you would like to get your very own copy of “The Eclectic,” you can do so via Amazon. Right now, the Kindle edition is being sold for only $2.99. Of course, you can get it for free if you have Kindle Unlimited.

*** Colin has graciously offered a discount on his book for people from my blogging community. You might even be able to get it for free. Please reach out to him (via above links or below comment) or me for more information.

Stay golden,

***

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