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T. Michael Murdock

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The Dragon Ruby Paperback – August 21, 2008

by T. Michael Murdock (Author), J. Herschel Jeffrey (Author)

3.6 37 ratings

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Trouble is brewing in the Western Reaches . As a dark wizard attempts to cheat death, five less than likely heroes begin a search for an artifact as legendary and powerful as the Gods Themselves: the enigmatic Dragon Ruby. In their quest to ferry the gem to the distant shores of a haunted city, they must contend with the wizard's ruthless lapdog, survive the nightlife of the most dangerous port in the land, and square off against an infamous pirate captain and his swashbuckling crew. Can they learn to work together before the forces of evil overwhelm them? Can they escape the machinations of the deadly White Lotus Club? Will the aspiring thief ever reach second level? Only Salliwanda can tell, and she's not talking. Join Bob, Neil, Devan, Grunt, and Lobo on their pulp-fantasy romp through a land filled with peril, intrigue, and romance! Marvel as they explore the City of Gnomes! Cringe as they cross blades with an agent of the infernal Sick! Grin as they encounter a rogues' gallery of colorful characters from the diminutive Madame Yugolo to the grizzled Constable Kreegal! Cheer with Pfeltland abandon as they best the obstacles before them, and know that before the end, the fingers of the Gods are as crossed as your own. Freshman authors T. Michael Murdock and J. Herschel Jeffrey invite you to explore their new creation: a world of steam and sorcery, of blades and banter. Steeped in the traditions of popular fantasy and lovingly garnished with wit and frivolity, the Western Reaches and their memorable populace are sure to bring a smile to your face for months-nay, decades after you turn the final page. FROM THE BOOK "Neil!" Nancy shouted as the tide of Colonists carried him away. "I'll remember you fondly!" Neil winced at those words and wondered if he would ever see his mother again. Then, he wondered why his mother would say such a callous thing as her only son was about to be sacrificed to a volcano god by crazy Islanders. Then, he thought about Talya. Then, he thought about Bob. Then, he thought about why he was thinking about anything other than trying to get away. Then, he had a plan. However, the plan involved two swords and a lot of heavy firepower. So, he shrugged his shoulders and relaxed as they carried him past a wooden gate and along a torch-lit path toward the black mountain. Life was not good, but at least he had a Scarab that said "GHOTI" and had gotten his nipples pinched within the last two hours. Things could be worse. And they were seriously about to be. Herschel Jeffrey lives in Point Pleasant, West Virginia with his wife Kimberly, daughters Taylor and Arden, and the Mothman. He is thirty years old. T. Michael Murdock is a professional actor and writer currently living in Chesapeake, Ohio. He has never met J. Herschel Jeffrey

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sense of Wonder Pr (August 21, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 468 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1596635886
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1596635883
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 1.04 x 9.02 inches

Customer Reviews:
3.6 37 ratings

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T. Michael Murdock

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Mike is a professional writer, actor, director and treasure hunter. He lives in the great state of Ohio in the United State of America. He's lived in other places, but right now Ohio is where he calls home.

You might've read some of his stuff at Joystiq.com, Gamepro.com, Ain't It Cool News or Do Producers Dream Of Celluloid Sheep - or maybe even on his own blog - Cigarettes & Propaganda.

He is also 1/3 of the funniest semi-weekly podcast on the internet - Slightly Burned Pants. Check it out on iTunes or go to the website slightlyburnedpants.com - it'll either make you gasp or laugh - or both.

Thanks for taking the time to check out this page. Mike couldn't be more flattered that you're reading about him. Seriously. I think he's fallen a little bit in love with you. Even if this turns out badly, at least you two took a chance on each other, huh?

Thanks for that.

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3.6 out of 5

37 global ratings

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Chuck Minsker

A fresh and humorous take on Fantasy Adventures

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2014

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Over the years I’ve read lots of quest fantasy books, all trying to tap into the energy of “The Lord of the Rings.” Thankfully, “The Dragon Ruby” - while also a quest novel - has no interest in following Tolkien’s lead. Instead it blazes its own trail, using fantasy tropes (magic gems, elves, thieves, bards, trolls, goblins, wizards, knights, pirates, giants, magic swords, demons and dragons, to name a few) to build a funny story about an evil wizard and his attempts to recover a stolen gem of power. A rag-tag group of characters find themselves trying to steal the gem, then trying to recover it, all while going through a variety of adventures (and misadventures), romantic entanglements, deadly battles, encounters with thieves, dragons and treacherous allies. There’s a wonderful streak of humor running through the novel, with some Monty Python elements rising to the surface. It’s a fun, fresh take on a well-worn idea, and it takes it in new, unexpected directions. If HBO is looking for counter-programming for “Game of Thrones,” this might be just the ticket. Highly recommended!

One person found this helpful

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Mark

Well, it's different.

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2011

Verified Purchase

One of the first things I noticed about this book is that the authors generally shun fantasy genre conventions in the vocabulary they use. Two of the main characters are named "Bob" and "Neil," and even deities and other supernatural creatures are more likely to be named "Jeff" or "Helen" than anything sounding fantastic. It gave me a chuckle when I first saw it, but for me it got old. There's no reason not to give characters commonplace names except convention, but it just wasn't to my taste for a full-length book.

Additionally, the authors frequently employ a sort of quirky humor that reminded me of the "Hitchhiker's Guide" books at times. It fell short, in my opinion, but they tried. One (overused) joke I rolled my eyes at was based on Bob's and Neil's mounts: donkeys. As best I can tell their primary purpose was to provide material for "my ass" jokes. Most of the humor isn't as sophmoric as that, though. The book is clearly intended to be a lighthearted approach to fantasy.

The characters and dialogue were average. I didn't hate any characters, but I didn't grow too attached to anyone, either.

If this book has a major weakness, I'd say it's the first third or so. A lot of history gets told that just isn't very interesting at the time. For example, some of the main characters get paragraphs of backstory at the beginning of the book.

The strongest point of "The Dragon Ruby" is the story itself. It has a lot of twists and turns, and a number of apparently unrelated plot points end up connecting. I didn't always like the way some of the plot twists were executed (very deus ex machina at times) but at least the authors seem self-aware enough to poke fun at some of the more ridiculous occurences.

Partway through the book I probably would have only rated this book two stars. It does pick up, though, and I started to enjoy it more as I became more invested in the story and the characters.

4 people found this helpful

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Thomas M. Murdock

The Dragon Ruby

Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2010

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Great charcters and tongue-in-cheek humor. But, hey, one of the authors and I have the same last name. Give it a whirl...you won't be sorry.

25 people found this helpful

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L. Mas Perron

More like Drag-me outta here Ruby!

Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2011

I had more fun reading the directions on a bottle of aspirin I had to take after going trough this below fan-fiction garbage Mr. Murdock calls a book.

49 people found this helpful

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Red Rider

Not too brilliant.

Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2011

A bit of a waste, really.

The influences Murdock uses to inspire this book is unfortunately very apparent and in that, detracts from the immersion he is so painfully attempting to to instill. All the while I read, issues such as the modern names and 'funny' puns that he has used overbear the actual plot of the story and made the entire book a farce, as opposed to a witty break from the norm.

To be frank, I couldn't help but feel that I was reading a piece of homework for English class by a teenager that had guzzled a bit too much fast food and soft drink while playing the game World of Warcraft. The 'fun' and 'hysterical comedy' are borne from ill-concieved attempts at awkward situations and the whole book stinks of, 'Hey guys! I'm gonna write a book about fantasy, but with lots of funny names and other stuff like zombies!'

And that therein lies the problem. It's trying far too hard. Without the risible panache of more established authors, this book unfortunately does not pass the first hurdle of introducing me to characters that I care about in order to enjoy the book as a whole, so the rest, I have to say, was read with a firm belief that I thought it was going to get better.

It didn't.

At this point, I just have to mention that if you do decide that you need a comical fix within the canonical realm of fantasy-meets-random comedy, then by all means, pick up a Terry Pratchett book. The vast and immense universe Pratchett has managed to accumulate is far more entertaining and a much more enjoyable read, and Murdock's ineffective attempts to emulate this master's work is futile.

That said, I am looking forward to what Murdock might bring in the future as he does have a certain wit.

However. This book, The Dragon Ruby? It can stay where it seems to have been dug up from. A dark, dank and forgotten hole.

22 people found this helpful

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Dave

Better Than Expected

Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2011

somewhat dry in parts but the overall tone and pacing of the book is written well. I would recommend this book for maybe high school / middle school students interested in a fantasy style story with wizards and warriors feeling to it. I would highly recommend that everyone disregard the one star rated reviews of this book, the long story short version is, the author is also a reviewer for Joystiq and gave a video game ( Conduit 2 ) a poor review. In retaliation the higher ups that created the game sent out a company wide memo that their employees should create fake accounts and bash this book. I am offended by this personally and will make a concerted effort to never purchase a game from said developer in the future.

22 people found this helpful

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S. Vance

Great New Writers

Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2008

Verified Purchase

Highly recommended. Its always nice to have something new to read. The wit of the authors is great breath of fresh air, especially for this genre.

29 people found this helpful

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