Manningtree Account | Becky Wright

Happy Friday friends,

Life’s been keeping busy, but I’m doing my best to make time for y writing. I’m actually ahead with Heralding and managed to write a short story this past week that I’ll submit to a few places next week.

Anyway, I’ll be posting a small update Sunday on the writing front.

For now, here’s another review for you 🙂

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BLURB

1646 – A time of English Civil War, when life is cheap, death common and superstition consumes the hearts of God-fearing folk. The life of a healer is precarious, dwelling in the shadows of normal society. Ostracised, their time running out as the self-appointed Witchfinder General scours the countryside for the Devil’s whores…

2016 – One dark night, one sleepy town, one family gripped by terror. The EAPI paranormal team are called to investigate dark poltergeist activity. But, as the eternal night finally loosens its grip, it seems that some evil deeds are never forgotten, reaching out from beyond the grave to exact their revenge…

REVIEW

Well that was wonderfully dark and creepy and haunting!

A fast-paced story. A page turner. An absolutely spellbinding narrative that I could not put down. This novella might be little but the impact is great!

It’s hard to say much without spoiling it and I feel as though it’s best to go in knowing as little as possible so that each twist and turn hits as it should.

What I will say is this: Becky Wright does a masterful job of crafting a sinister atmosphere, her prose is mesmerizing and her narrative is perfectly executed.

And at the end, all I could think was: “Please sir, I want some more.”

CONCLUSION

If you like your tales dark, settle in for the night with this gem. You won’t regret it!

RATING

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May inspiration flow like ink upon your quill,

Faith

Awaken | G.R. Thomas

Happy Thursday friends,

It’s been an unfortunately long time since I posted my last review, but here is one of two I’m hoping to post today to try to get caught up on 🙂

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BLURB

SOME PEOPLE AREN’T DESTINED TO BE ORDINARY.

With a special gift held close to her heart, it was always going to be hard for Sophia Woodville to live an ordinary life.

As a 20 year old nursing grad, she thought she had her future all sorted.

However, destiny was about to intervene.

Her secret was not so secret. The gift she possessed was just a hint of something far beyond her wildest imagination.

Sophia will be pulled, kicking and screaming, into an unseen, ancient world that challenges all that she thought to be true of herself, her family and the origins of humanity.

Original sin, forbidden love and her life in constant danger.

Will Sophia survive this dark twist of fate?

Will the devil be her saviour?

Will an Angel be her downfall?

REVIEW

I first discovered this book on Sarina Langer’s blog. Her praise assured me that I had to read it! And I am extremely glad that I have!

Sophia Woodhouse is a young nurse with a unique mark on her face and a special talent for healing. But she is an ordinary girl by all other means, working during the day and spending time with friends at night. The normalcy of her life is swiftly ended when a coworker is attacked and Sophia learns that someone is after her and has been watching her for some time.

A classic yarn about a girl who discovers abilities she never knew she had, there is nothing contrived about this story. What sets it most apart is the impeccable world building. Thomas excels at envisioning a new mythos for the world, reinterpreting the stories of the Bible, the concepts of angels and Watchers and making it completely her own. She does it so convincingly and with such beautiful language and draws the reader into her world without confusing or overwhelming with her descriptions. History bends at her will and the deftness of it is astounding!

The characters too are well drawn and elicit sympathy and laughter. Sophia is a strong protagonist who is reluctant to accept her true origins and the role she is to play. Her mentors are at once compassionate creatures, but also firm hands that know the importance of their mission. Then there are her friends from her old life, her ties to who she was, to keep her grounded. And then there’s Nik’ael, who’s past and present create a conflicted character with ambiguous plans.

And then there’s that ending! A cliffhanger that leaves you wishing for the next book. Fortunately, it’s already out, so the wait won’t be a long one!

CONCLUSION

G.R. Thomas has crafted a stunning debut with an unforgettable cast of characters and a unique plot. A well woven narrative, full of heart, written with rich, flowing language that pulls you in.

RATING

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If you want to connect with G.R Thomas, check out the links below:

Goodreads or Website or Twitter or Instagram

Want to buy a copy for yourself: Amazon

May inspiration flow like ink upon your quill,

Faith

Into Aether | L.M. Fry

Happy Tuesday Friends!

This review is going to be a short one because I’ve fallen behind on getting my opinions out and I don’t want to inundate you lovely people with my ramblings.

DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Into Aether (The Trinity Key Trilogy Book 1)

Blurb:

Colorado teen Theodora (Theo) will do anything to find her missing mom, including travel into the hidden and mysterious Victorian subculture of Aether. She takes a ride with airship pirates to a floating island full of strange automatons and even stranger people.
After a century-old feud reignites, she uncovers the alarming truth about her family’s past. Finding her mother is more important than ever.

Firstly, I hate writing less than positive reviews…

When I spotted this book on NetGalley, I had high hopes. The cover was gorgeous, the premise was intriguing, the steampunk aspect highly enticing. So I went in with high expectations. Maybe that was my first mistake.

Theo started as a promising protagonist, but by the time the action really got started, she started to sound whiny and a little pathetic. There were moments where she glimmered with possibility, a deep love for her mother pushing her to resist those who tried to hold her back from discovering the truth and her compassion for others proving her possession of endearing qualities.

I think the real issue was the relationship introduced between herself and another character (being vague here to avoid spoilers). Their chemistry was lacking, their bond coming too swiftly to feel realistic. The contrived nature of it really detracted from a plot that otherwise had a lot of strengths.

The mythology and world building was wonderful and completely engrossing. The steampunk/speculative elements were strong and had me rather intrigued. It’s really a shame that the parts that lacked really distracted from those parts that shone.

If you don’t mind a relationship that feels superficially introduced and built, then you’ll probably enjoy the stronger parts. But it wasn’t enough for me! 

RATING:

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May inspiration flow like ink upon your quill,

Faith