Book Review – Elk by Jacob Russell Dring

Available at Lulu.

I read this book as a paperback. This is an unsolicited review.

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The Review:

This book is one of Mr. Dring’s older books but that doesn’t take anything away from it. I love the storyline. The main character, named Elk, wakes up with amnesia in a stranger’s home and ends up on the run searching for who he really is. It ends up in a run-down city where the law is dirty and the townspeople know it. He becomes a bit of a self-made vigilante, executing anyone he crosses paths with who doesn’t hold a sacredness for human decency as he does (such as a pimp who pimps out his teenaged step-daughter or a would-be rapist caught in the act). The situations seem to come to him by providence and he unapologetically takes care of business.

Jacob Dring’s style, as I’ve come to expect, engages you immediately from the first line and holds you until after you’ve turned the final page. I loved this story. I liked and wanted to see the bad guys get their justice. For once, to see them NOT get away with it. I won’t give away the ending… but this book is worth every minute.

My Overall Score:

This book gets 4.75/5 stars from me, with the only losses coming from some misspellings/mistakes in the storyline (such as the character leaving behind a certain gun as the scene and then later having it and then later having a different gun again). There were 8-10 in the entire book, so not too many and it was only enough to lose 1/4-star. Other than that, a tight engaging story, awesome character, awesome justice, great cover and title.

Highly recommended to those who like fast-paced fiction with justice for all.

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be a good writer: read.
~tara caribou

A FINAL NOTE ON REVIEWS: it may seem that I am harsh on many writers for their editing, formatting, grammar, punctuation, etc. I do so unapologetically. First, because this is a review not a popularity contest. Second, because honest criticism should help us grow as artists.

The fact of the matter is, these things MATTER. A mathematician must use his tools and use them correctly to be an effective mathematician. A surgeon cannot simply say, “I know I can’t sew the wound closed but at least I could remove the appendix or whatever that thing is called.” Same with writers. We can’t claim to be writers yet refuse to use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. We can’t claim to be a photographer just because we know how to push the button on the camera (or phone). There’s an art to it.

So while I may appreciate the artist as a person and their words, I believe that it does us all a disservice to claim that lower quality editing is okay, whether in word, deed, or omission of criticism. Instead: believe in yourself! Believe in the power of your words! Put the effort into being the very best you can be. Ask for help. Grow and learn.