Review: "Roar"... a short but interesting story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 18, 2012
"ROAR - A Wardstone Short" is a tale by author M. R. Mathias. In the time frame of the stories, it occurs a few years before  'The Wardstone Trilogy'.This work, as a stand alone Kindle e-book, was a 108 Kb download (approx. 11 printed pages) and retailed for $0.99 at the time of writing this review. However, my copy came as a bonus story in the novel 'The Sword and the Dragon' Book 1.Spoilers (general theme only)This tale follows Loudin as he tries to figure out how to make enough money to repay his debts while he attends the Summer Festival gathering. His best bet seems to be getting some inside information on the fights (better know as the 'Brawl') and wager some well placed bets. Of course the best laid plans often go astray.In addition to Loudin we meet some characters that played an important part in the ensuing trilogy.End SpoilersSome thoughts on "Roar"...1.) a quick and easy read2.) well written... a tale that stays focused on task at hand.3.) a few twists and turns that provide some interesting encounters.4.) despite its short length, some good character development.5.) from reading this tale I understand where the title came from. Just not sure it was the best choice available.Conclusion:A well written, short work that could serve as a prologue to the larger trilogy that follows.4 1/2 StarsRay Nicholsonraynicholsonsreviews@hotmail.com