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John Lawson

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Introduction

John Lawson is a technical writer and online help developer by profession. In addition to technical writing as a profession, John writes intriguing stories that fit nicely into the horror genre. John is also the  Submissions Editor of the creative arts webzine TenThousandMonkeys.com. He currently resides with his wife and children in California's Silicon Valley.

Novels

  • Witch Ember
    In the days when gods walked the earth and the clay of Man was still wet, a Stone of Power was shattered. From that day forward, all humankind carried a piece. Most have just a little--just the tiniest speck of dust--but some have one of the bigger grains--or even a pebble--and they are the most powerful of sorcerers. In the paranoid, magically-barren lands of the Seven Kingdoms, the street urchin Esmeree is born to carry a stone of unprecedented size and power. As she struggles to survive the unforgiving streets of Cliffs Reach, she endeavors to master the sorcery of her stone and understand its purpose. But time is running out for her for others have discovered her skills and seek to use or destroy her. The Inquisition, the Superbus Tyrannus, the Primate of the Holy Median church. Esmeree must determine her own path, or she will die their slave.

  • The Raven
    Guiromelans is a knight, a sacred paladin, seeking nothing more than to obey the commandments of God. But when God betrays him and allows a hells- condemned witch to defeat him in battle, he is forced to reexamine his faith. What did he do to merit such disgrace? What can he do to atone for his sins? Facing challenges both of the flesh and of the soul, Guiromelans begins a pilgrimage across the known world. In search of redemption and forgiveness, he discovers the true meaning of God's will. The Raven is the sequel to John Lawson's first novel, Witch Ember.

Reviews

  • Reviews of Witch Ember

  • Reviews of The Raven

  • Witch Ember
    Not for the faint of heart. Witch Ember is the stuff of high adventure. John Lawson spins an intricate tale of disturbing brutality, exotic sensuality, and dark magic. Read More
    - Jeff Edwards, American Author's Association
     
    Author John Lawson is a rare word craftsman who takes relentless pride in his work. His characters are rich and full, and their dialogue flows as fresh and seamlessly as the unpredictable waters down a Colorado mountainside... Read More
    - American Society Of Authors And Writers
     
    John Lawson's Publish On Demand title is dark, and very, very nasty to it's characters. Read More
    - The Book Swede
     
    Witch Ember is written for the adult audience and is a darker fantasy fiction than the works of Tolkien or Robert Jordan, but this is a story that should not be missed. Read More
    - BookPleasures.com
     
    The final scene switches from recalled heartache to current bliss... Witch Ember has this reader anxious to see more from John Lawson... Read More
    - Curled Up With A Good Book
     
    While I am impressed by Lawson’s worldbuilding skills, I would have to say that his most impressive feat is the creation of extremely engaging characters. Read More
    - The Fantasy Review
     
    Prepare to be jolted. Read More
    - Front Street Reviews
     
    Witch Ember is a gritty novel, perhaps the grittiest fantasy novel I’ve ever read. Read More
    - Graeme's Fantasy Book Review
     
    All-in-all, this is a well developed story that fans of fantasy will highly enjoy. I heartily recommend it!... Read More
    - Huntress Book Reviews
     
    ...the journey that Esmeree experiences in the book is engaging. This girl is put through a lot of trials, and attacks each as best she can. She could succumb to the evils of this world and become like those who want to destroy her, but instead she embraces the challenge of being true to herself and the ones she loves... Read More
    - In The Library Reviews
     
    John Lawson has created a magical world with its own language, not for the faint of heart. If you love fantasy, you’ll most likely enjoy Witch Ember, as John tells this tale with imaginative flare and consummate writing skills... Read More
    - Kaye Trout's Book Reviews
     
    Especially enjoyable is Lawson's ability to load his narrative with highly graphic -- and sometimes disturbing -- images... Read More
    - Kapgar.com
     
    ...this complex telling is a worthy first effort... Read More
    - Sandy Amazeen, Monsters and Critics
     
    I have to give Witch Ember five medallions... Read More
    - Odyssey Reviews
     
    I like that Lawson’s world is deeply flawed and needs some unifying force to swoop in and spark change. Esmeree does have the potential not only to be that person, but to also be a liberating force in the Witch Ember-verse... Read More
    - Pink Raygun
     
    Reminiscent in many ways to Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS, John Lawson's WITCH EMBER is equally unique and complex, with a huge dose of "weirdness" mixed in... Read More
    - The Romance Reader Connection
     
    Congratulations are due to Mr Lawson on such a well thought out and executed development of the narrative... Read More
    - (not to be confused with) The Truth
     
    Thank you for not writing about elves...
    - AAnonymous Reviewer
  • The Raven
  • The Raven/i>, which follows on the tail of the author’s previous novel, Witch Ember, is the riveting tale of a knight who bends under the pressures of the outside world nearly as heavily as he does of those dwelling within. Read More
    - American Society of Authors and Writers
     
    John Lawson uses detailed descriptions which leave nothing to the imagination. You cringe as the characters do, while they walk along the coast, and wonder with every page you turn at what the next creature is going to be and if it is as horrifying as the last. Read More
    - BookPleasures.com
     
    Lawson's mythical settings and storyline are at times parallel to reality, allowing the reader an outsider's perspective of common human conflicts. War, religion, politics, race, gender, poverty: If it is an ill of man, it is likewise a concern of the inhabitants of the Seven Kingdoms. While engrossing and entertaining as a fantasy novel, it is concurrently a sociological study and a psychological thriller. Read More
    - Front Street Reviews
     
    For those who read the previous novel, Witch Ember, you have already been introduced to this mighty paladin. I found this character to be even more fascinating than I believed would be possible. Read More
    - Huntress Reviews
     
    If you like more complexity in your fantasy, this would be the book to read... Read More
    - In The Library Reviews
     
    The Raven is a fast-paced, unpredictable read... Read More
    - Kaye Trout's Book Reviews
     
    ...a worthy complement to the original. For people who enjoy fantasy novels, this is a good one. Read More
    - Kapar.com
     
    I guarantee you won’t be able to predict what will happen a mere ten pages ahead in The Raven, let alone a hundred. This unpredictability and the gruesome, unrelenting pace of the action kept me guessing till the very end... Read More
    - (not to be confused with) The Truth

     

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