The Atlantean Way

I like the chorus of voices – the adventuring with voice. Prose itself has a sparkle and leaves a satisfying crunch underfoot. Dialogue is great – there’s artistry in it. The monkeys dressed in flight suits elicits a warm grin. Architecturally it’s got something quirky and original about it. Chapters two and three are studded with very fine writing. Lots of wry incisive and sometimes almost surreal wit. The ancient world is depicted with confident playful vitality – colourful intelligent ideas conveyed with a series of effortless flourishes. I found this just got better and better. I’d very happily read all of this on paper. Big thumbs up from me.

Greetings Ostercy, "The Atlantean Way" is the most original, fascinating, humorous novel I've read so far on the site. Rich in characterization, erudition, and satire, it should certainly be made available to a wide reading public. This, of course, assumes that its qualities are maintained throughout. (I've read only two long chapters.) But it's definitely a page-turner, with endless surprises and rewards. I'll enthusiastically back it and plan to return for more.

Bill Carrigan
"The Doctor of Summitville"

Natla is a fiesty, likable character. You flesh her out well. Your storyline is edgy and intense. Your imagery is stunning. For example, your description of the dead woman in the cave. You enrich your narrative with apt similies such as 'like a static Titanic' and clever metaphors like 'I'd been thrown out of Oz and into Kansas.' Your conversations flow naturally and deepen your story. Your world building is awesome. Your pacing kept me riveted to the page. This is a gripping fantasy adventure, masterfully told. Backed.

This is a wonderful idea, original and brilliant executed. I'm hoping a publisher can see the promise in this, because I can. Truly superb, full of vivid descriptions and turns of phrase that leave the reader thinking there is such a thing as a book that deserves the label of both "literature" and "a damn good read!"

Backed with pleasure.
Abi xxx

Ostercy,
I love the original concept of The Atlantean Way and was pleased to find a place on my shelf for it today. Fantasy and Historical Fiction make a fine blend of genres and this work stands out for its originality.

Walden Carrington
Titanic: Rose Dawson's Story

Golly. It's ages since anybody commented on the book. Thanks very much for reading it and for being so mice about it. I'm happy that you enjoyed it. Thanks again, Ost.

I am so glad i came across "The Atlantian Way." I have played every "Greek Mythology" game there is, so this was a wonderful read for me. It's entertaining, funny, brilliantly written, and i think it would make an awesome movie. I loved the Character Natla, and all of her idiosyncrecies.
Backed with six stars.
Best always,
Maria
"Dark of the Moon"

I am so glad i came across "The Atlantian Way." I have played every "Greek Mythology" game there is, so this was a wonderful read for me. It's entertaining, funny, brilliantly written, and i think it would make an awesome movie. I loved the Character Natla, and all of her idiosyncrecies.
Backed with six stars.
Best always,
Maria
"Dark of the Moon"

Impressively stylish and captivating. Backed.
Laurence Howard, The Cross of Goa

Hi there,
I noted you have a book posted on the site. I can’t swear it’s one I would like, but I’m happy to take a look if you’d like me to (always if time allows). My readings are usually of two or three chapters only; it’s enough to see if the book is going to grab the reader and identify major features of style, and by limiting myself it means I can look at more books. It follows that my comments are usually purely practical rather than comprising general praise. Often a book doesn’t appeal to me. This is a matter of taste and doesn’t imply criticism.

There’s no “charge”. You don’t have to back, star or even read my book and my response to yours will be unaffected by your response (or lack of response) to mine. I don’t trade backings. By all means trash my stuff. I like to laugh at my own pretensions.

Jim Williams
Death and the Tango in Madeira

Hi Ostercy, I dipped into Chapter 4 and enjoyed the colorful ancient world, especially with the contemporary counterparts in the narration. "still stillborn" -- that phrase made me pause. The strike and the royals was welldone - funny. I was kept with the story with this smooth narration. Shelved again - Katherine (The Swan Bonnet)

Thanks for the review :) I'm glad you think it's better than "almost all" video game tie-ins - I'll take that as a compliment and not faint praise :) - even though that wasn't the type of "genre thing" that I was trying to write.

I feel as if I have to justify myself a little here. I think that the main reason I wouldn't immediately contact the game company Eidos is that the link between their game and my book is flimsy at best. If I'd written a Lara Croft book (she is, after all, the main character of the Tomb Raider games amd films) I might agree with you. However I wasn't really interested in writing fan fiction (which cannot be posted here anyway) but a wholly new parallel novel in the vein of "Wicked". The story of Jacqueine Natla's 20th century - the vast bulk of the novel - is not found in any game, and her "memories of Atlantis" are all my own creation. That leaves about a page of stuff plus a few names that can be (possibly) linked to the world of Tomb Raider, although I altered practically everything that can a found the official fan canon, as far as I can tell. Should the day come that anyone shows an interest in publishing, if (big if) there's a problem I guess I can change the names. :)

Being a big Tomb Raider fan, I was intrigued by The Atlantean Way and how author Ostercy would expand on the character of Jacqueline Natla. For those of you who don’t know, Natla was an ancient who was trying to gather certain artifacts to restore her power and rule the world. She used Lara Croft for this purpose, but was eventually killed by her (twice) at the end of one of the games in the series.

I was always intrigued by the character of Natla, and sadly, the video game does not delve into her history very much because her transformation into a demon-like creature is supposed to be a surprise for the player. It was nice to see this “told from the bad guy” point of view based on a video game. And it’s done quite well here, with humor and satire.

Books based on video games are actually quite popular, as the Halo series and their best-selling status will attest. There is even a section in most bookstores for this type of tome. My suggestion to Ostercy would be to approach Eidos directly about the possibility of publishing this book with their help/backing. If their blessing (and help) could be obtained, I see no reason why this would not be as popular as many of the other books based on games out there. This is better than almost all of them I’ve read.

John Breeden II
Old Number Seven

Being a big Tomb Raider fan, I was intrigued by The Atlantean Way and how author Ostercy would expand on the character of Jacqueline Natla. For those of you who don’t know, Natla was an ancient who was trying to gather certain artifacts to restore her power and rule the world. She used Lara Croft for this purpose, but was eventually killed by her (twice) at the end of one of the games in the series.

I was always intrigued by the character of Natla, and sadly, the video game does not delve into her history very much because her transformation into a demon-like creature is supposed to be a surprise for the player. It was nice to see this “told from the bad guy” point of view based on a video game. And it’s done quite well here, with humor and satire.

Books based on video games are actually quite popular, as the Halo series and their best-selling status will attest. There is even a section in most bookstores for this type of tome. My suggestion to Ostercy would be to approach Eidos directly about the possibility of publishing this book with their help/backing. If their blessing (and help) could be obtained, I see no reason why this would not be as popular as many of the other books based on games out there. This is better than almost all of them I’ve read.

John Breeden II
Old Number Seven

Thanks for backing! Your book is a lovely read. 'Unreliable narrator' is always a good thing as it means you can shift gears throughout the story and not necessarily consider continuity an issue! It's well written and enjoyable.

Stuart Parker
Ghosts Of Marvel/Apple Of Clareza

Happy to support this fine book again. Cheers, M

You are totally, Ostercy! How can I ever thank you enough for backing my memoirs book? :)
God bless you. :) Love, Susie :) p.s. hope you ***** 'd it too. :)

I may qualify of one of the few who are totally unfamiliar with these characters, Laura, Natia, etc., so from such a standpoint, the author's manuscript is a shining example of intrigue, timing, convincing dialogue and it is technically well edited. Many authors expand or write peripheral books on well-known characters. My first experience was with my beloved Rex Stout books, then Ludlow, etc. I find this presentation exciting and a great read. Good luck to you.
Lenore
Surviving the Seaweed

Backed before and making sure that the new backing sticks in the new system. WHat can I say, those that deserve it get it.

BACKED (Again)

Good luck.

Thanks for your comments :). I'm not sure if you're implying that the Atlantean stuff is assured because it's plaigerised, but just in case ... there was no back story supplied with the game apart for a couple very short and gnomic "in game movies", and the novel I've built from those sparse "clues" is definitely not "canon", as they say. Not even the locales that I've used in the story match up with those suggested by the game makers. My characterisation of Jacqueline Natla is, shall we say, "skewed" and entirely my own take on the woman and her possible history. If I was merely writing fan fiction I'd not have posted the novel at Authonomy. :) (Just clearing that up.)

Hi Ostercy

I read the first chapter of this and backed it a while ago, so I thought I'd swing back for another read. I was struck by how all the Atlantean stuff was handled with the same assurance as the contemporary stuff, and seems just as convincing. I'm not too familiar with Tomb Raider, so have nothing to say on the subject of plagiarism, but I can only say that this seems very well-imagined to me and allows the reader to become engrossed in this world.

Nicole

Hi Ostercy

I read the first chapter of this and backed it a while ago, so I thought I'd swing back for another read. I was struck by how all the Atlantean stuff was handled with the same assurance as the contemporary stuff, and seems just as convincing. I'm not too familiar with Tomb Raider, so have nothing to say on the subject of plagiarism, but I can only say that this seems very well-imagined to me and allows the reader to become engrossed in this world.

Nicole

Chapter 4
Atlantis has always been a magical place for me and the story you have woven with links to Aztec is great. And the egg hatching is very imaginative. I enjoyed reading this and noticed many names I knew from reading other books. Well done. Happy to back.

Tony
Life Bringer

I've never read anything like this before. It's a strange blend of Oz, humor, fantasy , mild erotica and historical reference. Whatever it was, it held my attention, and I'm not even a movie-goer. Very clever. Could you sell it as either fan fiction or a prequel? Anyway, backed.
Niobrara Kardnova (Family Irregulars)

Thanks very much for the review and I'm happy that the book held your attention. I'm not sure it's technically possible to sell a book as fan-fiction though due to copyright issues, and besides I'm not sure that my story counts as fan-fiction anyway as it doesn't use any of the "canon" than the fans would recognise. Thanks for the backing. :)

I've never read anything like this before. It's a strange blend of Oz, humor, fantasy , mild erotica and historical reference. Whatever it was, it held my attention, and I'm not even a movie-goer. Very clever. Could you sell it as either fan fiction or a prequel? Anyway, backed.
Niobrara Kardnova (Family Irregulars)

You undoubtably have talents as a writer but I sturggled with the start. The iniital paragraph seems just too long and more like a scene from a movie than the start of a book. It just doesnt sit quite right, in my humble opinion

Once I got into it, its a good story, goes along with a fast pace and is jam packed full of intrigue and adventure

Backed - Clair

The more I read your work, the more I love it. Just wanted to share.... :-)

jim

I have no quibble with your undoubted talents as a writer and weaver of tales but I couldn't get into this at all...perhaps it's just me!
Good luck
Stewart

Sir,

My comments may indeed be tangenital, as I have not seen the movie from which your character is taken (nor even come across the game that inspired the movie, despite having teenage children).

My first observation is that the press conference with which you open reads more like a film script than a novel.

Into the first chapter and I notice you quote some song lyrics. Not sure about the copyright status of these, but permissions to use lyrics can be expensive, so it might be worth checking.

The first chapter surprised me, in the beginning I wasn't expecting to like it, but by the end your main character had become somehow endearing.

The early part--between her emerging from her prison and finding her new friend--seemed a little rushed, but once she meets Jaqueline everything unfolded very nicely.

Backed

Hi Ostercy

I really like all the different narrative voices and the brisk storytelling style as you whip round your exotic locations. This is just like the best kind of action movie - lots of adventure, but not stupid. Backed.

Nicole
Chosen

Well, I think that you have to be definitely in the mood for reading when you start this book as it sounds complex from the pitch, however once you have taken a bite sized chunk it becomes enjoyable and quite pleasant. it is skilfully woven and introduces a depth that attracts. It has a great thread of humour throughout and the more I bit off the more I wanted to chew. This is compelling, very creative and clever. I hope it receives the backing it deserves.

Backed,

Lisa

Hi there. Thanks for your kind review and I'm glad that although you found the novel complicated that it didn't put you off. I'm probably going to disagree with you about making the prose sections longer in the novel, as I deliberately wanted to leave stuff to people's imagination rather than spelling it out. Many of my favourite novels rely on dialogue and character reactions to paint the scenario - "Red Shift", for example, is also all dialogue, like a play or a poem. Thanks again for taking the time to have a look at the book.

This is an incredibly complicated novel (and I mean that in a good way). I honestly think it needs to be longer. It has a lot of the strenghts of a pacy thriller (the dialogue espcially works) but could be developed if you worked on the prose sections (which you can do). I hope this gets through to the editors at Harper and they work with you.
Good luck. Would appreciate it if you could check out my novel 'Nothing you can do'.

GE Fordson

This is an incredibly complicated novel (and I mean that in a good way). I honestly think it needs to be longer. It has a lot of the strenghts of a pacy thriller (the dialogue espcially works) but could be developed if you worked on the prose sections (which you can do). I hope this gets through to the editors at Harper and they work with you.
Good luck. Would appreciate it if you could check out my novel 'Nothing you can do'.

GE Fordson

This is an intelligent, entertaining book.
I really enjoyed reading it and have no hesitation in backing.
Dialogue is smoth and the narrative prose is fluent.
Only two things took me out of this.
First line chapter 1 should it not be 'this way then that' not' this way and that'?.
The use of MP dragged me out as well, because in the UK, 'MP' means Member of Parliament and I found myself stopping to think.

I guessing you are referring to the pitch and not the book?

Confusing really!...I know you are trying to impress on your audience but it seems to me and that's just my opinion, you are making this a difficult read in the process...what sort of crowd are you looking to target here?...your description bears great intensity but tells me nothing. Possibly needs rework and I can't imagine reading it again and again simply to decipher your thoughts. Haven't the time :)

Good luck!
JB

Confusing really!...I know you are trying to impress on your audience but it seems to me and that's just my opinion, you are making this a difficult read in the process...what sort of crowd are you looking to target here?...your description bears great intensity but tells me nothing. Possibly needs rework and I can't imagine reading it again and again simply to decipher your thoughts. Haven't the time :)

Good luck!
JB

Hi there

Thanks for reading the book, and thanks for saying it is a smooth read with personality. The structure might a bit problematical with respect to how I've uploaded the novel onto Authonomy. I think that if each "chapter" on Authonomy was broken into 2 chapters (as I originally wrote the thing) and the thing was`printed on paper, the changes in gear from modern to ancient and back to modern might (?) be more acceptable. I'm not sure. You're the first reader to point out this potential problem so thanks for the heads up.

Thanks for your advice about the decay of bodies. I remember seeing dessicated mummies in the Nazca desert in Peru whose hair could be lifted in one piece from the skulls, for what that is worth. However the whole novel is full of technical impossibilities, so the horridness or not of dessicated black hair is just one of many "tall tale" elements in the story. :) (Maybe Natla is a big fat liar?)

OSTERCY: THE ATLANTEAN WAY

Dear Ostercy,
You have a compelling story at hand although admittedly, I had some trouble steering through the read; there are "breaks" that impedes its smooth flow....

Some ideas though:
A semi-mummified body would have been exposed to the elements causing eventual degradation of the body form even if found in a cave; spiders may be present, insects of all kinds and the texture of the skin would have to be fragile and flaky; it would be hard to remove the scalp in one piece that easily and then place it on your protagonist head, unblemished with the hair all in one piece. That’s not possible. Bacterial decay would be inherent and the skin would be broken easily in places; you are lucky if the hair stayed pretty at all…you might have to revise the manner you present the material facts here…

In all, the book does have its own personality, and commands a unique character and voice – happy to read and happy to back!

Romilla
Forgetting Sally

OSTERCY: THE ATLANTEAN WAY

Dear Ostercy,
You have a compelling story at hand although admittedly, I had some trouble steering through the read; there are "breaks" that impedes its smooth flow....

Some ideas though:
A semi-mummified body would have been exposed to the elements causing eventual degradation of the body form even if found in a cave; spiders may be present, insects of all kinds and the texture of the skin would have to be fragile and flaky; it would be hard to remove the scalp in one piece that easily and then place it on your protagonist head, unblemished with the hair all in one piece. That’s not possible. Bacterial decay would be inherent and the skin would be broken easily in places; you are lucky if the hair stayed pretty at all…you might have to revise the manner you present the material facts here…

In all, the book does have its own personality, and commands a unique character and voice – happy to read and happy to back!

Romilla
Forgetting Sally

THE ATLANTEAN Way: Interesting and imaginative.

Heidi
Pearl Edda

Fun, fun stuff. Simply backed. Nice read!

blessings,
jim
jack & charmian london

This is a great read, a sly humour running through a fascinating narrative. Ms Natla is a great character, a lady with a past, as it were, and hopefully a great future. The journal style mixes well with the other narrarive forms employed, giving concision and an array of effects that are deployed with skill. Inventive and entertaining with a serious core of intelligent thoughts to build on, this should be widely read - and widely appreciated and enjoyed. Great stuff, thank you. KA.

Thank you for your lovely review. It's very flattering and gave me a "warm grin". I'm very grateful for your support and pleased that you were able to read more than the first chapter.

I like the chorus of voices – the adventuring with voice. Prose itself has a sparkle and leaves a satisfying crunch underfoot. Dialogue is great – there’s artistry in it. The monkeys dressed in flight suits elicits a warm grin. Architecturally it’s got something quirky and original about it. Chapters two and three are studded with very fine writing. Lots of wry incisive and sometimes almost surreal wit. The ancient world is depicted with confident playful vitality – colourful intelligent ideas conveyed with a series of effortless flourishes. I found this just got better and better. I’d very happily read all of this on paper. Big thumbs up from me.

This is marvelous! I have great respect for your wondrous imagination and quirky sense of humor.
Best of luck. Jedward (Knut)

I like the chorus of voices – the adventuring with voice. Prose itself has a sparkle and leaves a satisfying crunch underfoot. Dialogue is great – there’s artistry in it. The monkeys dressed in flight suits elicits a warm grin. Architecturally it’s got something quirky and original about it. Chapters two and three are studded with very fine writing. Lots of wry incisive and sometimes almost surreal wit. The ancient world is depicted with confident playful vitality – colourful intelligent ideas conveyed with a series of effortless flourishes. I found this just got better and better. I’d very happily read all of this on paper. Big thumbs up from me.

This is quite a tale with lots of imagination used.
Well done.
Backed.
Mike (the compulsive adventurer)

Hello Ostercy, wonderful fictional conceit, and deftly rendered. clean prose, engaging pace.
happily on my shelf.

i could send only kudos but see you welcome feedback. here's a thought that may strike a chord. if not, pls ignore ;)
perhaps shorten the first para, the intro given by the Natla PR person. i think it slows the opening a tad. maybe some info could be moved a few paras forward?

saw a possible tiny typo: "security personal" - security personnel" ?

great storytelling. best wishes, andy

Clever idea, which could have a big following. BACKED with interest, and on my watch list.
Appreciate any comments on my childrens' book ; Paperbat Adventures. Jerry [paperbat]

I couldn’t get my tongue out of my cheer for half an hour. This satirical novel has something for everyone if they have the inclination and imagination. Cleverly plotted and smitten with humour cant make up my mind if it isn’t a spoof of something but if it is who cares its very good.
Wilma1

Knowing Liam Riley – I hope you can spare a moment to take a look.

I think your Q&A start is clever. It allows you to divulge a good amount of useful info without resorting to any clunky exposition.

When we get to the story proper, there's not much to complain about. I think you've clearly taken the time to learn how to write well. Your book feels professional. The prose is descriptive and vivd without being overwrought. And the dialogue feels real.

I think I spotted a tiny typo in chapter 1. Is "there as nothing else" meant to be "there was nothing else"?

I'm v happy to back your book, as it shows evident skill. Good luck with it. :)

Pete

Well written but a little off the wall for me. Concentration needed to follow the narrative, maybe I don't? A mix I've seen before...the familar intermixed with the unfamilar, usually a good technique. Here, I find it a little confusing. Mind closing down I guess?

Natla Technologies is having a difficult time: explosions, deaths, the CEO missing. But back in time, we witness Natla's inexplicable escape from a mysterious prison. 'Thrown out of Oz and into Kansas', maybe she knows something we don't, or at least appreciates the extent of her difficulties. Resourceful as Lara Croft, Natla finds water, makes herself a wig, washes and dries clothes, and rigs a suitable ancestral burial. 'The primitive music of this fallen civilisation' LOL. Elwood helps her out, and then she meets Jaqueline, and then the monkeys...

'I wasn't in Atlantis anymore' ... never a dull moment in this adventures that is an entertaining mixture of legends: Atlanta, Wizard of Oz, and Lara Croft; ancient and modern; sex, danger and rock an' roll, plus a generous serving of humour. A sure fire winner ... backed.

Possible nits: 'and[,] as darkness fell[,] crossed the river'. 'headed north ... headed [veered?] westward'. 'came over and say [sat] down'.

Kind of quirky - but I like it. Happily backed. Eunice - The temple Dancer.

Raised on Alantis with twinned siblings as a Princess with a quirk for genetic engineering, she becomes the illegitimate daughter to a retired small town sherrif in a New Mexican Town of Roswell. In 1946 an American experimental rocket crash's, revealing a crew of harmless monkeys, which she adopts By 1950 its poodle skirts and the atomic age and by 1960 the space race and Vietnam, but by this time she's known as Jacueline Natla, owner of a mining empire.
Rich in humourous anachronisms she fears her equal pay and treatment policy of her workforce may get her the reputation of being a communist, and because of her hear fear of genetic mutation she hides away. Wasn't communism a form of genetic mutation in America at that time.
Excellent story.
Backed with pleasure.
Daniel Manning.
No Compatibilty
Pologue Elwoods world view seems to have stuck before WW2 which is perhaps he managed to tolerate me.( Should it be ' why he managed to tolerate me')
'Hey Sis' said the women to my joy she came over and say down ( Should that be sat down)
Chapter three: But my injured psyche told me that the world need a superpower (Should that be needs)

Greetings Ostercy, "The Atlantean Way" is the most original, fascinating, humorous novel I've read so far on the site. Rich in characterization, erudition, and satire, it should certainly be made available to a wide reading public. This, of course, assumes that its qualities are maintained throughout. (I've read only two long chapters.) But it's definitely a page-turner, with endless surprises and rewards. I'll enthusiastically back it and plan to return for more.

Bill Carrigan
"The Doctor of Summitville"

First I liked your profile - a man after my own heart. So I know that you will take my slight nit pics in the manner in which they are intended.
The Positive outways the negative in that I like the pace which is sharp and fast moving. The concept is interesting. I thouroughly enjoyed Wicked on the WEst End Stage and found that an excellent comparrison. I'm sure this book was not an easy task to approach and you have made a good story that I'm youngsters and those not so young will enjoy.
Nit Pics - In the first chapter I found the repition of the words The Shadow could have been avoided by the use of IT. THe two sentences I poked about and found a bag etc could be tightened by cutting it to I poked about and found a bag that they'd thrown in with me. Also I'd think about cutting one of the adverbs in the paragraph beginning Gradually, slowly, as they both do the same job. THese are very minor points and I'm sure matter of taste. Good luck. K.J. Rabane - According to Olwen.

Natla is a fiesty, likable character. You flesh her out well. Your storyline is edgy and intense. Your imagery is stunning. For example, your description of the dead woman in the cave. You enrich your narrative with apt similies such as 'like a static Titanic' and clever metaphors like 'I'd been thrown out of Oz and into Kansas.' Your conversations flow naturally and deepen your story. Your world building is awesome. Your pacing kept me riveted to the page. This is a gripping fantasy adventure, masterfully told. Backed.

Clever - and why not use this character with a bit of panache and a bit of pastiche? At worst, if no publisher wants to go down that route, you could seek interest from computer games companies, the book of the game?
Lara
Good for Him