Now that WSA22 is officially over, I’m posting the Reader Review I submitted as part of the award consideration:
Yes! Praise to this story! The highest compliment I can give this story is that when the author writes a scene where the main character's heart races, mine did as well. I. Was. Riveted. I was fully invested and can't wait to finish my other reviews so I can go back and read more. The quality of the writing, the characters, the dialogue, the world… I have no complaints about this story--It is a gem. Please, please recognize this book and author with a top tier award.
Grammar and Language
This novel is incredibly well written and virtually flawless in terms of spelling and grammar. In all the required chapters, there were only a couple very minor isolated errors; otherwise, the writing was clear, direct and interesting. Beautifully descriptive imagery brings scenes to life for an immersive experience without being verbose or repetitious. The descriptive text is well balanced with the dialogue, which always enhances the scene and characters. Life and death motifs are throughout the story, and the language really highlights that juxtaposition. An interesting quirk is how characters use "Goddess" as a mild exclamation when speaking. Touches like this add flavor to the dialogue as well as contrast the various character races. Scenes and dialogue flow naturally throughout the story. Paragraphs and chapters are satisfying lengths, and chapter cutoffs are sensible.
Character Design
The main female lead is Cora, a half-vampire/half-"other" (fae and lycan) young woman with the unique ability to restart hearts and bring life to the world and those around her. To some vampires, this ability is a gift, a means to escape an eternity of death; to others, it is a threat to their existence. As long as her heart beats, she is an anomaly among vampires. Her vampire father is presumed dead; her mother, Penelope, is a fae/lycan that has denounced her origin and abilities for the safety of her family. Her brother, Zane's heart has "arrested," and he's transitioned into a vampire. The royal vampire family has taken Cora and her family under their protection to manipulate and use her ability for their own purposes. Queen Ambrose and Prince Rayth are committed to doing whatever they can to remain the most powerful family among the vampire realms. Prince Grayson is curious and charismatic but veiled in a layer of deception. And amidst these events, a mysterious wolf appears and recognizes Cora as his mate; this is presumably the male lead, but nothing is known about him at this point, and yet the story is not lacking because of this mystery, rather it is enhanced.
I cannot begin to do these characters justice the way the author has added such depth, complexity and uniqueness to each and every character. The main and side characters all feel distinct in their personalities and roles.
World Building
This story takes place in a realm contemporary but separate from the world as we know it. Gray Vale is the strongest of the nine vampire realms, ruled by Queen Ambrosia and her sons (there has not been any mention of a king, yet). As the name suggests, it is gray and devoid of life. An emotionless river of blood runs through the land and feeds the vampire inhabitants. They have access to modern technology but choose not to use it. Other realms exist that contain other supernaturals, specifically Fae and Lycans. Fae, as the embodiment of life, are vampires' greatest enemy, and they have access to The Veiled, an ethereal force of energy and unseen creatures that is the source of life and Fae power.
Overall, the world feels rich and interesting, and the story hints at other aspects yet to be discovered, especially where the Fae and Lycans are concerned.
Story Development and Creativity
The opening is full of intrigue and mystery that will have readers gripped from the beginning. Details about the world and characters are masterfully woven in so the story proceeds naturally and smoothly. There is no filler; there are no info dumps. It is quality content from chapter to chapter. Every character elicits a complicated emotional response. Readers will be wondering whose intentions are good, who can be trusted, who is safe; and there's an underlying fear that some of the characters you begin to love may be hiding dangerous secrets and motives. There are regular episodes of tension and relief that keep readers satisfied and simultaneously hungry for more. At times, the tension is palpable. Several different common fantasy tropes and races are combined in a refreshingly unique way that is not common in the fantasy romance genre. The creative narrative is unpredictable so it never feels boring. A reader will not have to make concessions, meaning things that happen in the story happen for a reason and the reason makes sense. Hallelujah, that is so rare and appreciated!
