Valley Of Shadows

Rating:
Summary: A Legenday Journey
Review: Frank Fradella's genre-breaking "Valley of Shadows" lends a whole new perspective to the phrase, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" in the most interesting ways. This is a book I quite literally couldn't tear myself away from; I carried it around with me, reading bits here and there until I finished it the evening of the day I started reading.
This page-turner takes the reader on a journey through legend, myth and religion of all times and places cleverly blended with a modern-day tale. The hero is refreshingly normal and candid, making readers believe that true heroism really is attainable for the common man. Join him in his journey to the depths of Hell to rescue his love, meet the heroes of Greek legend, battle the guardians of Hell, and fight alongside warriors of Valhalla as you get pulled into this wonderful weaving of words that makes a vivid and intriguing tapestry. For anyone who loves legends and myths, great dialogue, humor and a rollicking adventure, this book is absolutely a must read.
-Review by Sarah Sanford, Ashland City, TN

Rating:
Summary: Reality Check, Please
Review: Have you ever wondered if there's another world going on around you that you just can't see? Forces at work that are undetectable? The protagonist of Valley of Shadows, David Knox, wakes up one day and finds just such a world imposing itself on his previously normal life. That woman he loves? Not who he thought she was. That opera he took her to - just killed her. And though hidden forces manage to keep his senses at bay for a little while, he eventually peels back that thin veneer, the one that is not strong enough to keep him from his True Love, and goes hunting for answers. If you're looking for adventures, you'll find them in this book. If you're looking for happy fairy tales, well, look again. As David goes from a mountain cabin to the depths of Hades, itself, he's physically and spiritually accosted by beings that just shouldn't exist. Terror, bodily harm, threats to his own life and those of his loved ones, none of it is enough to deter him from finding out the answer to the question: What is real, and what is illusion? In Valley of Shadows, Frank Fradella uses vivid imagery and stark terror to answer those questions, about the world around David and his true friends, as well as the love that he feels for a woman he just can't let go - not even if it means challenging the very substance of his own reality.


Rating:
Summary: A Great Read! Don't miss this one!
Review: I'm by no means a critic or a reviewer. I just know what I like. With that said, I must say I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I found it just the right balance of romance and mythology. It took me through the whole gamut of emotions and had me rooting for our hero from the first. Speaking of our hero, David Knox is just a regular guy, or so you think until you see the lengths he'll go to for the sake of love, then you see how extraordinary he is. Follow along as he battles everything from an alarm clock to a wolf-god. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy, you won't be sorry, I promise you.

I can't wait to see what journey Frank Fradella takes us on in his next novel. You can bet I will be picking up his next book too!

Rating:
Summary: Old Gods plus New Author equals Modern Greatness
Review: I'm not very good at reviews. I try to write them, but find myself afraid of hurting somebody's feelings -- fearful that an honest critique on my part will have an ego shattering result for the creator. Well, when it comes to VALLEY OF THE SHADOWS, I have no such fear because I truly have nothing bad to say.

Frank Fradella has fashioned a wonderful story -- a genre-bending rollercoaster ride filled with romance, adventure, pain, loss, mythology, love and redemption. The book is an addictive page-turner that kept me riveted from the first sentence to the last. This is easily one of the best novels I've read in awhile (and I read a heck of a lot), and it has the potential to sell gobs of copies given the necessary publicity.

There are many great books about old gods. Jason Henderson's SPAWN OF LOKI comes to mind, or Neil Gaiman's AMERICAN GODS. I would not hesitate to place VALLEY OF SHADOWS amongst those two, nor would I be afraid to predict that Frank Fradella is about to become a very recognizable name in literary circles.

Don't pass up this great book, folks.


Rating:
Summary: What some will do for love...
Review: In first reading this book, you may ask yourself what makes the lead character so special. He is uncharacteristically normal for a protagonist. He owns a bookstore/coffeehouse, employees typical college students and has a decent love life. But he is soon thrust into a very abnormal situation, leading him to face things no `normal person' would ever face. As the story unfolds, events happen and things look very bleak for this person, he does something most people would think is not only foolhardy, but it should beg the reader to ask the question of them self, `Would I be willing to do that...?'.

Author Frank Fradella has weaved a tale with a very original premise, and has done it with an astoundingly simple format that uses very little description of environment. This allows the reader to paint their own minds-eye picture of what they read, like any good novel should do. Fradella is known for letting the dialogue of the characters tell the story more than trying to do it through paragraphs and pages of third person narration. His style is quick, witty and consists of more short sections and chapters, allowing the story to move at a brisk pace. As mythology is introduced more into the story, the element of shock wears off on the main characters and moves into the realm of fantasy, and the fantastic.

Fradella has done a tremendous job in breathing his own perspective and sense of realism into an otherwise tired genre. He is obviously a writer with something to offer in the way of originality in a subject that has long been considered overdone.


Rating:
Summary: Good on Frank Fradella!
Review: In the hands of the right director this story would make a great movie. There aren't enough well written books in this genre, which I would call fantastic realism. I literally could not stop reading and, as soon as I finished, I read it again! I truly marvelled at each and every unexpected turn of events, and believe me, there were plenty. This author kept my interest, told a great story and I fell in love with some of the characters, and they weren't even the main ones, and some of them were the baddies. Deirdre Fallon, her pet monster/henchman Chester, Thracian and who could forget dear Uncle Teddy. I really hope this author brings them back if this is to become a series. Joss Whedon needs to read a copy of this book!

Rating:
Summary: Romance is not dead. It's just gone back to literary form.
Review: My first exposure to "Valley Of Shadows" was at a reading in August of 2003. I happened to be in the right place at the right time, and I was lucky enough to hear Frank Fradella read the first few chapters of this new masterpiece.

You see, I'm a romantic at heart. My dvd collection is filled with romances, both comedic and not-so-funny. This story appealed to me immediately.

Frank Fradella has written a wonderful story that's one part romance, one part adventure story, and one part mythology lesson. And when David Knox saw his love burst into flames on the first page, I was hooked instantly.

Frank Fradella is a gifted writer, and I'm looking forward to reading more books set in this world.

Rating:
Summary: Good story, average editing
Review: The story itself is an excellent one, although I have to say some of the main character's reactions were a bit blase' considering what he was faced with. (Especially when facing Anna's uncle the second time.) Also, the ending was a bit abrupt for me. All this build up, and then bam! we are back at the main character's home.

The editing on this story was extremely poor in several spots. Mr. Fradella needs to smack his editor around a bit, I think. Typographical errors, misuse of the apostrophe, grammatical errors...it all added up to a major annoyance for me, and the errors kept pulling my head out of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was entertaining, and I do recommend it to anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre.

Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Journey
Review: Wow! I am in love with this book! I read it in a single sitting the first time and now I've picked it up again to savor it. David's journey, both his physical journey to, and through, Hell, and his more symbolic journey in which the depth of his love for Anna is explored, is just fascinating.

The prose is lively and engaging and the book literally pulls you through, picking up momentum as you go along. It's a bit like a really big wave, dragging you out into the story until you're over your head and you have no choice but to finish it.

Excellent read! I look forward to more works by this author.