4 STARS This story was a variation on the theme of Beauty & the Beast, a story I happen to love. Of course, the author threw in a bit of a mystery with someone out to get Vincent, determined to use Olivia to hurt him. All of the clues were there, so it wasn't a total shock, but it was a little too far-fetched for me. The lengths this person would go to seek vengeance for something he didn't experience firsthand were hard to believe. The scheming and planning were extreme. There were some wonderful descriptions in the book. Battle scenes were so well-described, I felt nauseated. There’s an evocative description of rain at Vincent’s home near the beginning that was divine, even using personification for the building with “hollow eyes” and the “open-mouthed statues” with “silent screams directed upward to a god who had all but abandoned this place.” Some of the depictions of the rooks in the abandoned parts of his home were equally note-worthy. Olivia’s impression of her cold and somber new home upon her arrival in the darkness was also exceptional, the light casting “startling shadows upon the floor, almost sentient in their movements,” and darkened doorways reaching out “like clawing hands.” The book is not without its problems, which is why I’m only giving it 4 stars. It went on too long and I found myself begrudgingly reading after I felt it should have ended. A few times, the narrative veered too much into the realm of being didactic and I felt as if the author stopped just short of saying, “The moral of the story is…” If a story has been told well (and, in this case, I felt it had been), telling the reader the moral of the story is both unnecessary and insulting. Additionally, generally, I’m in favor of epilogues, but I seldom see the need for extended epilogues. At that point, it seems like the author is either trying to pad the word count or just doesn’t know how to tie up loose ends by the end of the actual story. Perhaps this is a requirement of being a part of Cobalt Fairy publishing, since it seems to happen consistently with these authors, but I don’t like it. Overall, however, I appreciated the book and the inconsistencies were insignificant compared to my enjoyment. May 17, 2020
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Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
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