I haven't really liked any straight up fantasy books (as opposed to fantasy horror or historical fantasy) in a few years. They just didn't vibe for me. I'm so glad I read this one, so glad it was published, because it's what I've been waiting for: someone using fantasy as an excuse to do an anthropological deep dive on a culture they made up, but without getting self-consciously pretentious about it like most Le Guin descendants tend to. Essentially, I applaud K. Ritz for having the determinatio...

K. Ritz’s debut novel, "Sheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master," introduces readers to the richly textured and morally complex world of Me’acca Mysuth Sheever. A nuanced character study wrapped in the trappings of a fantasy thriller, this novel explores themes of identity, secrecy, and redemption with both depth and nuance.Set in the year 516 post Cyntic War, Sheever, a former predator now living in exile, masquerades as a cook in the kitchens of High Lord Fesha Trivak. This dual life is me...

I had no idea what I was expecting when I started this book. In fact, it was completely different from what I thought. Based on the cover and brief synopsis, I thought it would take place in modern times and have a religious note to it. However, when I saw the dates and descriptions for each journal entry, I loved how it took place in a historical setting.I haven't read a lot of journal-type books, but I have enjoyed every single one of them. I like how it gives me the perspective of the charact...

What if you get a chance to look back on your life and reflect on the twists and turns you have survived?That will be interesting as well as enlightening for anyone of us to know more about what has been played with us by God.While enjoying this interesting read, I had the same thought: I felt like I should revisit my life and put it into words.As our central character, Me’acca Mysuth Sheever, lived among enemies with a hidden identity and a motive and survived, He gets hold of a journal, and th...

Mika missive which in his language means glorious goat is 40 years old he has been working at a royal house for five years far from the land of his birth. When the story starts you learned there are many things Sheiver (because that is what he goes by now) is on the run but for what the reader doesn’t know at least not yet. For five years he has kept to himself his only interactions with others being mandatory at work but when he sees a woman in an alley who looked as if her throat has been cut ...

"Sheever’s Journal, Diary of a Poison Master" by K, introduces us to Sheever, who, for five years, has been masquerading among those he deems his sworn enemies.Sheever has a complex existence, which is told in the format of a journal, through which his thoughts, fears, and experiences, are exposed​​​​, all at the behest of a mysterious woman who sells him the blank journal.The story gradually reveals hints of Sheever’s past and the difficulty he faces in his present life, as he unintentionally g...

Just finished "Sheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master" by K. Ritz and oh, where to start? Imagine finding a book that's part memoir, part fantasy, and fully impossible to put down. That's this book. The book follows Me’acca Mysuth Sheever, who's basically living undercover among people he'd rather not be, which is already a situation ripe with tension. He buys a blank journal on a whim (or destiny, if you're into that sort of thing), and the seller hits him with a line that's something like...

There is much to like in SHEEVER’S JOURNAL, DIARY OF A POISON MASTER by K. Ritz.One quality might seem strange, so let me get it out of the way first.Many adventure/fantasy writers place their stories in well-developed alternative, dark worlds filled with strange countries and cultures that are vaguely reminiscent of medieval or post-apocalyptic times in which magic and sorcery are as common as casual violence and swordplay. Perhaps the master of this is Robert E. Howard in his “sword and sorcer...

Sheever’s Journal, A Diary of a Poison Master by K. RitzBook Review by Dawn Thomas410 PagesPublisher: Strategic PublishingRelease Date: August 9, 2019FantasySomeone is searching for Sheever but that seems to be an everyday event for him. The book is written in the form of a journal or diary. Sheever writes of everyday events as he sees them. He also writes about his past, his family and his fears. He reaches a point when he must decide to stay in this current life working as a cook or make a run...

I began reading this book/journal and I have to admit, I didn't know if I was going to enjoy a day by day record of someone's life. For me it started out a little slow, which is my reason for only 4 stars. Once I got going, I found myself getting more and more interested in how this was going to turn out. I write reviews of all the books I read and will never give any spoilers, just my opinion about whether or not I could recommend a book to a potential future reader. I truly did enjoy this, and...