Umlingo the Rogue Warlock

Umlingo the Rogue Warlock is a fantasy web novel by Khala Grace about a elf rogue who goes on a long journey through a world of wonder, and danger. It is a story that will stay with me for a while to come as the descriptions and stories leave a lasting mark on my soul. The story follows Umlingo, a elven thief who in an attempt to escape a bounty on his head, ends up getting himself in adventure after adventure. Each time he settles in a new place, something happens, and he ends up having to move on. The story shows off so many places, and so many people, and it is clear that the Author had fun creating these places and people for Umlingo to meet. In terms of creativity in style, something I always like to point out, Grace has done something very interesting that I love. All throughout the story she has woven dialog not in English, the point being that Umlingo can not understand it. Yet at the same time, somehow, its is understandable due to contextual clues, and when it is no, due to explicit translations. I love it when Authors do something interesting and unusual with the way they write or present their work, and this fits into that nicely. The story has a nice pace to it. Not too fast, but not too slow either. Years sometimes pass in the span of a few pages, but it does not make it seem like much was missed. At the same time, when life does proceed at a regular pace, it is slowed to a point where you can really feel what is going on. This makes it an enjoyable read that allows for the reader to understand what is going on. Overall, I would give Umlingo the Rogue Warlock a 5 out of 5 stars. It was an enjoyable read, with an author who dared stray from the norm and do something interesting in their presentation. Its hard to get a 5 stars from me if there is no creativity in presentation or style, and it sticks just with what is standard. And since this story does not do that, it has earned that fifth star from me.