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A WISHING SHELF BOOK REVIEW
13th January 2021
TITLE: The Ninety-Two: Core Town True
AUTHOR: M B Swerdlow

Star Rating: 4.5

‘A superbly-crafted dystopian novel packed full of complex and charismatic characters. Highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf

REVIEW
My job is to tell you if this novel is any good or not. Simple. The problem is, I have to try and do it in 300 words and, trust me, that's almost impossible. Why? Well, to begin with, the book’s a sizable brick, over 700 pages long. Secondly, it's not only far-reaching in terms of a dystopian plot, but also in the complexity of the central and secondary characters. But I'll do my best.
To begin with I'd like to say, yes, it is very good. In fact, I’d go far as saying it’s excellent, particularly in terms of the setting, the oppressive Empire and the grim corridors of Core Town Academy. Also, the depth of the characters is remarkable; the author seems determined the reader knows them well and, as a result, begin caring for them. But it is the author's writing style which is particularly impressive. There is a wonderful flow to it, and his extensive vocabulary allows him to fully imagine this dark, almost tyrannical world.
Is there much to work on? Well, I suspect a good editor would cut it here and there improving the pacing. But, fantasy books of this nature often work best when the author’s allowed to forget the word count and simply - go for it! For example, the sci-fi classic, Dune. Personally, I found Dune to be slow and and unevenly paced but, hey, it’s sold over 12,000,000 copies, so what do I know.
So, to the important bit. Who is this book for? Well, if you enjoy novels like The Hunger Games and the grim reality of it all, you'll enjoy this book too. If you like novels like Dune where the emphasis is very much on creating a complex, all-encompassing world for the readers to get lost in, I'll think you'll find much to enjoy in Core Town True. This novel offers the reader a world of magical rings, superhuman powers and, most interesting of all, an evil empire that needs to be overthrown.
I suspect this novel is just the beginning of an amazing story. Enjoy!

A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk