{"id":4319,"date":"2024-11-20T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/araopenpages.com\/?p=4319"},"modified":"2024-11-15T11:16:17","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T03:16:17","slug":"review-the-purple-haze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/?p=4319","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW; The Purple Haze"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1010\" height=\"400\" src=\"http:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/the-purple-haze-review.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/the-purple-haze-review.png 1010w, https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/the-purple-haze-review-300x119.png 300w, https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/the-purple-haze-review-768x304.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1010px) 100vw, 1010px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"324\" height=\"500\" src=\"http:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/the-purple-haze.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4321\" srcset=\"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/the-purple-haze.jpg 324w, https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/the-purple-haze-194x300.jpg 194w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 324px) 100vw, 324px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Title:\u00a0<\/strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/61399857-the-purple-haze?ac=1&amp;from_search=true&amp;qid=2p029oW2bI&amp;rank=1\">The Purple Haze<\/a><\/em><br><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>The Western Lands and All That Really Matters<\/em><br><strong>Author:<\/strong>\u00a0Andrew Einspruch\u00a0<br><strong>Genre:<\/strong>\u00a0Young Adult, Fantasy, Humour<br><strong>Type:<\/strong>\u00a0E-book<br><strong>Publisher:\u00a0<\/strong>Wild Pure Heart<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her twin abducted. A treacherous rescue mission. Can an unproven princess escape a prophecy of doom?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Princess Eloise Hydra Gumball III prefers things just exactly so. As the meticulous Future Ruler and Heir with an almost-useless magical gift, she\u2019s in no hurry to take the throne. But when a seer foretells her royal twin\u2019s peril, a simple quest with her champion friend to rescue the girl becomes a complicated journey filled with danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thrown completely out of her comfort zone and with her wayward sister slipping through her fingers, Eloise\u2019s desperate hunt turns to disaster when she\u2019s slammed behind bars in an unfamiliar realm. And even though she persuades the stern monarch to set them free and help them secure a ship, she soon finds herself sailing headfirst into a menacing violet fog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Can Eloise find her sister and her own strength before they fall to the deadly mist\u2019s lethal embrace?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Purple Haze<\/em> is the sharp-witted first book in <em>the Western Lands and All That Really Matters<\/em> humorous fantasy series. If you like tongue-in-cheek humor, vivid medieval worlds, and clever cultural references, then you\u2019ll love Andrew Einspruch\u2019s lively adventure.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1010\" height=\"50\" src=\"http:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/review.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3606\" srcset=\"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/review.png 1010w, https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/review-300x15.png 300w, https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/review-768x38.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1010px) 100vw, 1010px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Thank you Booktasters and Andrew Einspruch for the copy of the book!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was such an interesting read. In the vein of <em>The Princess Bride<\/em>, this was something of a satire or parody of the genre, but crafted in such a way that you can tell the author really loved these sorts of stories. It wasn&#8217;t mean-spirited or mocking, but rather so lovingly put together that invites you into the joke. It makes fun of fantasy quest stories while being one, and an entertaining one at that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The novel is peppered with tongue-in-cheek references, humourous asides and jokes that make fun of genre conventions &#8211; while also abiding by them &#8211; and not so gently pokes fun at monarchies as well. It was supremely entertaining and I spent a lot of time giggling to myself as I caught the references &#8211; or in some cases, caught them <em>after<\/em> a few more pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ve got an array of different characters who fit into the &#8216;accepted&#8217; genre stereotypes, but a little to the left. There&#8217;s a damsel princess, but also a princess saviour, and neither are quite fit to the trope they occupy. We&#8217;ve got animal companions &#8211; a number of them, actually &#8211; who have different tones, characteristics and plot-related places to fill. We&#8217;ve got a stoic knight who has, I think, the least number of sentences spoken in the novel? I could be wrong, but I do want to know more about this character. He fascinates me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If I have one gripe about the novel, it&#8217;s that for a large part of it, it felt more like world-building with the plot as a dressing. A lot of information about the towns and the histories given as the cast of characters travel, but the plot was relatively plodding along until about the last quarter, when it picked up so much I couldn&#8217;t put the book down. It was so was fastpaced and fun and left on a cliffhanger that makes me excited for book 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I&#8217;ve mentioned before, I have been struggling to read due to health reasons, so getting through this took longer than it might for others, but overall, it was an entertaining read. I&#8217;ll be picking up book 2 in 2025 for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1010\" height=\"400\" src=\"http:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/FOOTER.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3907\" srcset=\"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/FOOTER.png 1010w, https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/FOOTER-300x119.png 300w, https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/FOOTER-768x304.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1010px) 100vw, 1010px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1010\" height=\"50\" src=\"http:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pin-this-post.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3051\" srcset=\"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pin-this-post.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pin-this-post-300x15.jpg 300w, https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pin-this-post-768x38.jpg 768w, https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/pin-this-post-600x30.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1010px) 100vw, 1010px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/the-purple-haze-review-pin.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4322\" width=\"450\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/the-purple-haze-review-pin.png 600w, https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/the-purple-haze-review-pin-200x300.png 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1010\" height=\"50\" src=\"http:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/divider.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/divider.png 1010w, https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/divider-300x15.png 300w, https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/divider-768x38.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1010px) 100vw, 1010px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you like my content, consider\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/aradhnak\">leaving me a tip on Ko-fi<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Title:\u00a0The Purple HazeSeries:\u00a0The Western Lands and All That Really MattersAuthor:\u00a0Andrew Einspruch\u00a0Genre:\u00a0Young Adult, Fantasy, HumourType:\u00a0E-bookPublisher:\u00a0Wild Pure Heart Her twin abducted. A treacherous rescue mission. Can an unproven princess escape a prophecy of doom? Princess Eloise Hydra Gumball III prefers things just exactly so. As the meticulous Future Ruler and Heir with an almost-useless magical gift, she\u2019s in no hurry to take the throne. But when a seer foretells her royal twin\u2019s peril, a simple quest with her champion friend to rescue the girl becomes a complicated journey filled with danger. Thrown completely out of her comfort zone and with her wayward sister slipping through her fingers, Eloise\u2019s desperate hunt turns to disaster when she\u2019s slammed behind bars in an unfamiliar realm. And even though she persuades the stern monarch to set them free and help them secure a ship, she soon finds herself sailing headfirst into a menacing violet fog. Can Eloise find her sister and her own strength before they fall to the deadly mist\u2019s lethal embrace? The Purple Haze is the sharp-witted first book in the Western Lands and All That Really Matters humorous fantasy series. If you like tongue-in-cheek humor, vivid medieval worlds, and clever cultural references, then you\u2019ll love Andrew Einspruch\u2019s lively adventure. Thank you Booktasters and Andrew Einspruch for the copy of the book! This was such an interesting read. In the vein of The Princess Bride, this was something of a satire or parody of the genre, but crafted in such a way that you can tell the author really loved these sorts of stories. It wasn&#8217;t mean-spirited or mocking, but rather so lovingly put together that invites you into the joke. It makes fun of fantasy quest stories while being one, and an entertaining one at that. The novel is peppered with tongue-in-cheek references, humourous asides and jokes that make fun of genre conventions &#8211; while also abiding by them &#8211; and not so gently pokes fun at monarchies as well. It was supremely entertaining and I spent a lot of time giggling to myself as I caught the references &#8211; or in some cases, caught them after a few more pages. We&#8217;ve got an array of different characters who fit into the &#8216;accepted&#8217; genre stereotypes, but a little to the left. There&#8217;s a damsel princess, but also a princess saviour, and neither are quite fit to the trope they occupy. We&#8217;ve got animal companions &#8211; a number of them, actually &#8211; who have different tones, characteristics and plot-related places to fill. We&#8217;ve got a stoic knight who has, I think, the least number of sentences spoken in the novel? I could be wrong, but I do want to know more about this character. He fascinates me. If I have one gripe about the novel, it&#8217;s that for a large part of it, it felt more like world-building with the plot as a dressing. A lot of information about the towns and the histories given as the cast of characters travel, but the plot was relatively plodding along until about the last quarter, when it picked up so much I couldn&#8217;t put the book down. It was so was fastpaced and fun and left on a cliffhanger that makes me excited for book 2. As I&#8217;ve mentioned before, I have been struggling to read due to health reasons, so getting through this took longer than it might for others, but overall, it was an entertaining read. I&#8217;ll be picking up book 2 in 2025 for sure. If you like my content, consider\u00a0leaving me a tip on Ko-fi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,714],"tags":[849,6,847,848],"class_list":["post-4319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-reviews","category-books","tag-andrew-einspruch","tag-reviews","tag-the-purple-haze","tag-the-western-lands-and-all-that-really-matters"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4319"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4319\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4323,"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4319\/revisions\/4323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/araopenpages.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}