Blog Tour Review - Michael's Spear by Hilton Pashley

 

Michael's Spear by Hilton Pashley 

Published 16th November 2017 by Dome Press

Goodreads Challenge - 79/50

Star Rating - ***

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis from Goodreads

The Universe is coming apart at the seams.

As Jonathan and his friends fight to save it, their every move is being watched from the shadows. Lilith, the last Archdemon, has plans of her own, and with the legendary Michael's Spear under her control Jonathan has never faced a more lethal foe.

With the odds stacked against him, Jonathan will need all the help he can get if he is to fulfill his destiny.

It's time for Gabriel's grandson to finally spread his wings... 

My Thoughts

I saw a shoutout from Dome Press a couple of months ago looking for reviewers for Michael's Spear and I was intrigued by both the cover and the synopsis so I reached out. They informed me it was the conclusion to a middle grade series but assured me it could be read as a standalone so I signed up. Now, me being me, I cannot read the third book in a series as a standalone, even if its able to be, so I had to seek out the rest of the trilogy from the library, which I have since read and enjoyed (review here). In short this series follows Jonathan who is the only half angel half demon in existence. We follow Jonathan and his eccentric group of friends from Hobbes End as he goes on a journey of self discovery whilst trying to save the world from the evil forces of the Archdemons.   

As a standalone book this was a really fun read however, I definitely think I got more out of the story having read the first two books in the series. So, if this sounds like something you would be interested in I would recommend that. The books aren't too long, approx 250 pages each and I actually read all three in a week. Although, it can be read as a standalone if you wish as the author did quite a good job at summarizing the previous events as part of the story and you would of got the gist of what was happening. Going back to the story at hand it was just as fun and enjoyable as the other two. The writing was quite easy to read and this made for a very quick and fast paced story. The level of depth to the story and the characters was better again in this one and there were definitely feelings of loss and devastation at points as well as feelings of joy. This story was also the most intense. There were some quite dark elements to it and I enjoyed that. Lilith was definitely the most evil of the three Archdemons and as a result, my favorite. 

The character growth in this story was good too and again this it something I don't think you would pick up on unless you've read the other two books. Not that that would hinder your reading experience but it did add something to my enjoyment of the story. Jonathan and Cay's character growth was the most evident. They have both grown in maturity and their decisions and desires were always to help and benefit others not just themselves, they both really grew into what they were. I still love Elgar! He is my favorite character of the series, his sarcasm and wit were fantastic and he definitely made me laugh. This whole series also has very strong threads of friendship and family running throughout it and it was really heartwarming. All of the villagers of  Hobbes End played their own part, even the constructs, and this just made me really happy. 

Overall I thought this was a fun conclusion to an enjoyable middle grade series. It was a easy, fast paced read that I would recommend to all ages. Children will really enjoy this series and I think there is lots they can take away from it, such as the importance of family and friendship and older readers should take it for what it is which is just fun. 

Overall Rating 

I was lucky enough to have Hilton Pashley the author of Michael's Spear write a feature piece as part of this review post. Check out below his thoughts on what inspired him to start writing. 

‘A Long Goodbye.’
When doing a school visit, I am often asked what started me writing. For me this is actually a tricky question, and one that I have to think carefully about before answering. The truth of it is that a close friend died suddenly over a decade ago, and not only did this make me sad, but it also made me question whether I was doing what I wanted to be doing. When my time came, would I look back and regret not taking a chance? 

It took about a year of pondering before I finally picked up a pencil and began scribbling. I had this odd image in my head, of a cat trying to play a piano and being thoroughly exasperated by the limitations of not having opposable thumbs. And so Elgar was born, the irascible vicarage moggy who wanders through the Hobbes End trilogy and says out loud all the things you should probably keep to yourself. I guess he’s me really. 

I had no training or experience as regards writing; I just kept on typing until I finally had a first draft. It was awful of course, most first drafts are, but that wasn’t the point. I had actually written something, sixty thousand words of a story that hadn’t existed before I committed it to paper. It took another couple of years of trials and tribulations before the manuscript reached the desk of a publisher; when children ask me how I managed to get to that stage, my response is that I did everything wrong at least once. In essence I wrote a book and got published because nobody told me that I couldn’t. I think that’s an important message for aspiring authors, as the odds against being published unless you’re a celebrity of some sort are slim at best. 

But there is more to it. I remember sitting down with my editor at my first meeting and her asking me the same question about how I began. When I told her she nodded sagely and said that it was actually quite common for an author to use a powerful emotion to propel them through the daunting process of a first book, when , assailed by doubts, the choice to simply quit is ever present. Sometimes the sheer power of a challenging experience is required to plough on through until you type the magical words ‘The End’, and you realise that something lovely has been born from your efforts. You have written an actual book, a world full of characters created by you and just waiting to meet an audience. Pain becomes peace, grief becomes joy, and in the minds of readers the words take on a life of their own, out of your head and into the world. 

And so, four years later, Michael’s Spear, the last in the trilogy that began so long ago, emerges blinking into the sunlight; ready for fans of the series to find out whether Jonathan and Cay, Monty and Stubbs, Elgar, Ignatius and Grimm get the happy ending they have earned. It has been a long goodbye indeed, but it’s been a good one.

Thank you for stopping by to check out my review of Michael's Spear by Hilton Pashley. The blog tour has been going on all week so if you fancy checking out any of the other reviews as well as more feature pieces or Q&As with Hilton check out the other stops below.