Now that WSA22 is over, I’m posting the Reader Review I submitted as part of the award consideration:
Allure of the Night is a story about one of the lesser explored supernatural creatures--mermaids. When there are so many vampire/werewolf fantasy romance novels available, a mermaid main character is a fresh new addition, making it a standout novel in a saturated genre. That said, fans of the genre and the author will appreciate familiar elements. I can see readers (myself included) becoming immersed in the characters and invested in their relationship. For the solid writing, the characters, creativity and for the great potential, I would highly recommend this novel.
Grammar and Language
The writing is well balanced to be both narrative and descriptive in a way that keeps the story moving forward. Most of the text focuses on dialogue, thoughts and impressions, which help the reader feel more connected to the main characters. Gestures are noted to help visualize the characters' actions and to cue readers in on potential motives and intentions. The author also does a very good job of keeping these gestures varied so they do not feel repetitious. Detailed (but concise) descriptions of scenes and appearances are used to emphasize differences such as social status, or to highlight distinguishing features so a character will be more easily recognized.
The author has an excellent command of the language, uses a well rounded vocabulary accurately, and varies her sentence structures. There were very few spelling or grammar errors, and when these rare errors occurred, they were isolated, did not interrupt the flow of the story and were not overly distracting.
Character Design
From the opening chapters, it's clear the lead female character, Genevieve (Eve) Barlow, has mysteries that even she does not understand. As a child, she is depicted as innocent, kind, vulnerable, and naive of the dangerous creatures in the world around her and the threat they pose to her life. It's during her childhood that she first encounters the male lead, a young social elite, Vincent Moriarty, where he discovers her carefully guarded secret--she is a rare mermaid, "a vault of treasures"--a secret he also chooses to protect for the time being. As a young woman, Eve becomes enthusiastic and confident, though prone to catastrophe. She is determined to become a governess and live a better life, and it's while pursuing this goal that she again crosses paths with Vincent as he becomes her employer. She finds him rude and shameless, but working in the Moriarty mansion allows her to pursue her primary objective: to discover what happened to her mother and seek justice for her death. Vincent's goals are less defined early in the story. As a youth and as an adult, he maintains an air of superiority and disdain for the lower classes, which only adds to the readers' curiosity about his motives regarding the female lead, whom he clearly enjoys taunting but also protects. A variety of interesting side characters are introduced to enhance the story; some add humor and will be supports for the main characters, and others will clearly cause danger and conflict.
World Building
The novel has a historical setting reminiscent of the Victorian or Regency era, which will feel familiar to fans of this genre. As of the early chapters, no unusual technologies are present that conflict with this setting; however, mythical beings with supernatural powers and abilities exist. There is a clearly defined social structure based on status and "kind," suggesting that most of the predatory "creatures of the night" are mingled into the nobility, though they hide their true identities. The towns where the story unfolds are also separated by status; Meadow Town, where Eve and her aunt reside, consists mostly of lower-class commoners; Skellington is where the social elite, including the Moriartys, have mansions and manors. Subtle descriptions in the text highlight these differences. Society has some misogynistic attitudes; for instance, at times Eve is pressured to forego a career to instead marry and let someone else care for her needs, which does not appeal to the independent female lead. Readers do not know much about the world's history except that mermaids have been hunted to near extinction, and goods harvested from their bodies are highly sought treasures. It feels as though the world contains more secrets that will be revealed as the plot unfolds.
Story Development and Creativity
The story naturally develops as the characters shift from childhood to adulthood. Events in Eve's childhood are what drive the story onward. Early chapters introduced both main characters to the readers and to each other, which sets the groundwork and gives a plausible reason why Vincent would be interested in Eve when they meet again. This is not a love at first sight story, rather the first meeting generated curiosity and--because he learned her secret--suspense. Additionally, her mother's murder and need for closure explain why Eve chooses to accept the governess position in the Moriarty mansion despite her dislike for Vincent. These two founding events are what ultimately bring the two main characters together again. This is a fantasy romance novel, and it's clear the female and male leads will form the main romantic relationship in the novel--eventually. Each chapter progresses the plot without filler content, but the author teases readers along as the story continues. The initial twenty chapters barely scratch the surface of this relationship, but the hook is set. Their different personalities, hidden identities and the inherent dangers of the society wherein the couple live all promise to keep readers engaged and eagerly anticipating more as this slow-burn romance unfolds.
Gold Prize for WSA 2022 Contest