Krista Walsh

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. Parts of it deserve a higher rating, but some of it deserves less stars than it got.

What I did like: the plot was pretty good. Old hospital with some kind of unrest...a creepy ghost story vibe...a decently not boring storyline. Not bad.

What I didn't like: The characters. I had zero connection with the characters, especially Daphne. I wanted to, on the surface she seemed pretty solid, but in the end, I didn't really care about her. She was missing something for me. But even putting that aside, I didn't really connect with anyone in the story. Most I felt were added in to give the main character someone to talk to rather than for an actual purpose.

The world building. This is book one, but there is no world building. None. As the book progresses, you learn that there is magic, and magical folk, but no explanation or reasons. Even the magic...there are different colors, but no explanation. Are some better than others, more elemental, or are they color coded to make them easier to imagine for the reader? Daphne's power, where does it come from? What are the limits? Is there a cost? I need more to understand the story.

There was also a mention of Daphne's previous dark turn and some of the people she met....I think that story needs to be told. It's great to hint that she's overcome a lot, and great to see her saying she's atoning for it. But telling me she was bad and showing me are very different. I have a hard time believing in her.

***MILD SPOILER ALERT***Also, there were references to the darkness building and the meeting of the 5-7 people in the locked room (none of which was really explained at all), suggesting a connection. But if you are going to use something from that time to be the major arc in your series, I feel like you should write that part of the story. Forgive me if there is a prequel book I missed.

Overall, I wanted to really like this book, but it left me a little lukewarm. It's a great idea, I just had trouble connecting.… (mais)

Interesting angle

This is certainly a brilliant idea--an author being pulled into his own novel. I will even admit, the ending surprised me. Leaves you hanging. That said, I didn't really connect with the main character--the author. I sort of felt disconnected, not knowing which world--the fantasy world the author was writing and the world he was from--to invest in. Because Jeff was the protagonist, I couldn't connect to the other characters. They felt temporary to me. And Jeff took so long to believe that he had fallen into his world that it got old. The story finally grabbed me mid way when a certain twist happens. The man character finally gets some balls and the story finally progresses. By the end of the novel, I was curious enough to want to read the second one, but not strong enough to weed my way through the slow moments. The novel had a lot of telling scenes where things were just explained. The Sisters were fascinating, though not consistent characters. But I think that's who they are. Lots of magical elements. Otherworldly creatures. An evil villain. Violence. Swearing. Dragon. I must say, my favorite character is Jayden. Really about 3.5 stars. Great idea, just not my cup of tea. I'm sure other readers will love this.… (mais)

Disclaimer: I won this in a Booklikes giveaway. Honest review anyway.

Long train ride went by in a flash with a good book to read, and it is good. Originally written as a collaborative serial by nine authors, it maintains a surprisingly consistent authorial voice (with only one short chapter jumping out as a little jarring.) That is already more than a lot of individual authors can manage, but it's got plenty to recommend it beyond that.

rel="nofollow" target="_top">Full (but slightly tipsy) review … (mais)