_Autumn_Amber_

An Honest Review

The blurb: the description sets the boom up well, it piques the interest of the reader and makes us question what it is that's happening.

Characters and their relationships: the main character Eugene is our hero of the story. However, we don't get to see much of his personality or who he is, we can pick up that he has a humerous side but like the other characters, we don't see a lot of who they are.
The relationships between the characters is difficult to understand, their is mention of a romantic relationship between Eugene and Liz but nothing comes of it and is never mentioned again.
The other relationships are hard to tell and can cause a bit of confusion.

The beginning (prologue-chapter 3): we first get introduced to the protagonist here as well as the interesting 1st person narrative. However, what I picked out from these chapters is that there is a lack of description. If more was added, then it would help build the suspense and the world which you are trying to get us to see. It is missing elements that would bring your writing together by simply adding small explanations or comparisons so we can relate to either your character or places.
Describing characters is essential, so one way to do this is picking a key feature and having your main character describe it as though they are noticing the said feature.
Something else I noticed, is that, it is a very fast paced story with quite a few times jumps or leaps form one place to another, so it loses that element of a journey which we as the reader can accompany your character on. By drawing out the journey and describing it and the world around them that they are travelling, we ttok can see what they're seeing as if we were the one travelling.

Middle (chapter 4-7): form these chapters I once again noticed the fast paced nature.
Something else I picked up on was it's untracked sense, it made it difficult for me to keep track of where i, as Eugene, was and what I was doing.
Some of this came from information dumping which made it hard to absorb what I was reading..
But spreading it out and placing information strategically can significantly change the way your book flows.
As for the grammar and punctuation arrors, this can be helped by using apps and websites such as grammarly.

End (chapter 8-epilogue): I realised some loose ends and complications that doesn't entirely let the reader immerse themselves in your world. By reading over and perhaps putting together a rough plan/plot will help you keep track of everything so you can be sure that everything aligns so that there aren't any answered questions.
With some adjustments, I believe that this could be a very interesting read.
You have a very good base but it just needs some polishing up.

I, in no way, mean for this to be harsh, I simply mean it as constructive criticism and i hope that you find it useful in some way.

Keep up the work because the more you write the more you develop your ideas and skills.
It is clear you have a passion for writing and an image of what you want it to come out like in your head, it's just getting It onto paper that needs a little work. 😊🌿

Review of the first chapter only

After reading the summary of your story, I will say that I was apprehensive about reading it as it is something that didn't exactly take my fancy, it was an unusual idea that I will say needs work and to be self-reviewed by you.

I managed to only read the first chapter as it left me rather overwhelmed, with all of the vague information thrown at me.
It also left me confused because of the lack of explaining and the rather off the shoulder feeling it gave as if there was no effort to even try to explain. I would recommend reading through it and possibly finding a way to spread the information so it isn't so in your face.

In terms of the main character, I found him somewhat repetitive with the descriptions given. His weight and appearance, which were explained as ugly, utterly consumed the character and I could not focus on anything but those two features.

Similarly, was the description of most things, they were very vague and some didn't entirely make sense or seem in-depth enough to make it worth being in the plot, would definitely advise finding places to add more detail to make it not only more realistic, but more advanced in terms of the age range you are aiming for.

The punctuation needs a lot of work, with the absence of commas I was left trying to figure out what it was supposed to say instead of it being clear right from the off, it also made it feel as though sentences went on and on.

Overall, I could not bring myself to continue past the first chapter, but perhaps with some revisions and adjustments, I will look into it again. But as of now, I am afraid that it is not the type of book for me.
All the best🌿

Honest reviews

Abomination

Very intriguing first story.
Get the idea that it is an LGBT themed one with the mention of the same anatomy.
It gets the reader thinking and wondering what the meaning will be in the end.
Clearly, love went wrong and the perspective makes it feel as though we are responsible which is a clever writing tactic.
But it does make me wonder if it is actually murder or an internal struggle this character is feeling.

Fish Hook

Clearly an internal struggle, the fish hooks are metaphorical for the pain we are going through as the character.
Very gruesome and descriptive.
Find out that our character is a female from the mother's words.
Truly draws out emotions of dread, sorrow and yearning for a positive comment.
The list of words is a clever tactic, we can see by the way the font size and style changes that she is growing more distraught and angry with each word that comes to mind.
She is clearly a tormented soul that has not been given chances in life and has not been surrounded by nice people.
I get the feeling that it could be a way of describing self-harm, as she recites the words spoken to her and all of the negativity, the fish hooks tearing her skin, a metaphor for self-harm.
Or it is the way depression feels to her, until the end.

Nodnaba

Love the contrast of the snow angel in hell.
Get the idea that we were kicked out from home and yearning for someone to care, holding onto the hope that someone shows some kindness.
A very intriguing concept, we are clearly wondering the streets in the cold but of course, being alone and left to the elements would sure feel as though you were in hell.
We are clearly seeing a story of someone who is now left to the streets to try and survive, with no one stopping to ask if they are okay.
It is well written and evokes emotions from us as the reader.

Atlas

Instantly, I feel as though he is taking his life. The way it is described as him having the weight of the world on his shoulders is very clever.
It is very hard hitting to the reader with the descriptions and the gore, it exposes us to the gruesome things and horrific thoughts tormenting and torturing his mind.
It is truly heartbreaking.

Villain

Right off of the bat, there is a fight, I can tell by the language and descriptions used.
I get the idea that she was abused by a possible partner but wasn't believed, it leads me to think that he is the one she is fighting.
Looking at the title and what is written, it is like the title wants us to think she is the villain for murdering this abuser, as do the words that people have said about her, but it is hard to think that way when she clearly went through so much pain and hurt with people ignoring her cries for help.
There is a theme through all of these short stories, the protagonist is always seen as a monster or a villain, where the people pushing them to their edge are the real monsters and villains.

Rot

Is the character imagining all of this illness, do they see the illness as their mind and how that reflects onto the body.
I did find this one a little harder to understand but nevertheless, it was well written and very effective.

Garden

The weeds I feel as though represent the anger and emotions invading our minds left there by our family members.
It is a clever way to compare the mind and feelings to nature.
I like the last line and the impact it has and how it shows how we feel like the reader and character.

An honest review

The overall book

The Seer Chronicles kept me gripped from the very beginning to the very end as I found myself reading as many chapters as I could to know a little more.
Andriel is different from our world, you can tell by the architecture, the people and the lands themselves, it takes us to a new world and makes us feel taken away from the ordinary, but even in Violet Springs, there is a trickle of the supernatural seeping in from Andriel.
There were a few things I picked out but they were discussed with the author and resolved which is something that I find genuinely good, alongside the book.
Having communication with the author can be key to understanding their work but also for them to receive the best review, the more I understood, the more I could enjoy it.
I can firmly say that I am looking forward to the second book and all of the adventures, plot twists and new characters we will meet along the way.

Plot

The plot line for the seer Chronicles was very well planned, that was for sure, there were no loose ends that left something vital unexplained and it was clear to me that the author had thought it through to the very end.
Every branch from the main plot was clear and rejoined the main storyline very well, everything came full circle and caught you off guard.
The author used a wide range of skills that provoked emotion from the reader, as well as using foreshadowing and getting us to think back to the very beginning where we can draw connecting lines to something happening towards the end.
Overall, I love the plotline and I can see that the author had a clear image in their mind of what they wanted their book to be and in doing so, created a very well written and well-established book.

Writing Style

The writing style is what stood out to me as well as the plot itself.
The descriptions and explanations were well written and painted a clear picture in my mind as the reader, I could almost see what was happening and the way the people looked, even things down to the swords and stones I could envision clearly because of the way it had been written and said.

The Characters

My thoughts and opinions of each character fluctuated throughout the thirty-seven chapters.
Destiny, being our protagonist, stayed a somewhat steady character throughout there were of course times where I questioned her actions but like the other characters, we place our trust in her and believe that she is doing the right thing.
From the beginning, there are clashes between certain characters, like Destiny's father and stepmother who doesn't particularly seem as though they get along, not to mention Destiny and her step-mother too who sometimes won't see eye-to-eye.
My opinions changed the most towards Cristos and Hope, these two characters I thought to be sweet when I was first introduced to them, but as time went on, I soon found out to not fall for the charms.
Loyalty was something I kept my eye on, with traitors and deceit passing around, it was hard to trust even the closest of characters, I felt the same emotions as them as they struggled to find reliability in each other out of the fear that they could be betrayed by those closest to them.
Even when Mother Nature, who is one of my favourite characters, was introduced, I kept reservations based on what she had said to Destiny and Taylor, despite her speaking in riddle-like phrases, they had many warnings and I couldn't help but think about who they may be referring to.
Each and every character certainly kept you on your toes, especially those like, Selina, Solomen, Cristos, Hope and Ashwen.

Relationships between characters

Despite being tricked and saddened by some relationships, like that of Destiny and Cristos, there were a few that left their mark on my mind.
Destiny and Taylor are the more obvious couple, their relationship is slow developing but isn't any less sweet. He is caring and accepting of her and her boundaries, with his joking personality he is a very thought out character.
Another couple that we see grow together is Ash and Esmeralda, their relationship is more of a side one but it is nice to see them share small moments here and there.
The relationship between Taylor and his father is one that I liked to see, it gave us more insight into Taylor himself and his family, it also revealed how he is with his family compared to his friends, there was definitely a difference.
I believe that the relationships were very thought out between the characters, equally so with the characters that weren't so loyal, they all had a role and a part in the plot that painted a bigger picture, and even at the end, I imagined their journey with Destiny is not over.

An Honest Review

Following my previous review, I can definitely see the changes and edits that you have made and it has made things clearer and easier to understand.
With added details I can now envision things much better and can get a firmer hold on the storyline that you have created.
I would say that I did enjoy it more so than last time, seeing as the characters were now introduced more indepth to ud as tge readers.
As requested I have left a comment on each chapters with things that I thought might help, so I hope that they make sense to you and that they do help in some way.
I in no way mean for them to sound harsh, I am just quite blunt with my note making as I only bullet point them as I go along.

I wish you all the best with this book, you have a good developing idea and I am sure that not just this book, but others you may produce will do well.
Thank you for letting me delve into your world of supernatural beings.

My Honest Review

Starting with the summary, it was definitely interesting and engaging. It got the readers thinking about the situation and the events that would be approaching as they began the book.
I did, however, believe that it could have included less information, or perhaps could have been written in a way that concealed more information to make it more of a mystery as to what would be happening.

What I thought of the characters:

Our main character, Kathleen, is an emotionally unstable woman who has suffered the great loss of her child.
It is clear that the event tortures her on a daily basis and is something she and her husband haven’t entirely talked through, to an extent that it is something they can move past together.
I do feel as though some of her actions are supported by her grief and the void she feels that this painting filled, however, there are times that she seems irrational, even in the beginning before the effects of the painting.

Her husband, Rene, on the other hand, seems more progressed past the loss and holds a strong but sometimes aggressive demeanour.
His words and behaviour, at times, do escalate quite quickly where the conversation could be drawn out a little longer to make it seem more natural and not as though he is an aggressive character that is always about to burst with rage.

The relationship between the two characters was clearly rocky and unpredictable with the loss of their child playing a major role, including their new member to the family.
They're often butt heads and fail to see eye to eye.
I would have liked to have seen more of a connection between them, perhaps a bit of backstory too so that we could get more of an idea as to who they were before the miscarriage and the rest of the events that unfold.

The beginning of the story:

The first chapter, and its name, were both intriguing, even more so when I came across the title that had been worked into the chapter itself.
You were first introduced to the characters and the interesting first-person narrative, Kathleen we discover is our main protagonist in this tale and that her husband is a side character who plays a vital role in triggering the plot and moving the story along.
As the story progressed I saw a change in the writing style as it became smoother, as well as the way each chapter progressed the characters themselves.
The first chapter set the story up well, but more detail could have been added, just to give it more of that suspenseful dread we want to feel when reading something like this.
Through this book, there were slight grammatical and punctuational errors, but it didn’t change my experience to the point that I didn’t enjoy what I was reading.
It proceeded nicely from chapter to chapter and we gradually get to know more about their miscarriage and how affected each of them differently and how they chose to cope with it moving forward.
There was a scene where the police were called and I do feel as though they responded too quickly, but then it is not entirely explained where it is they live, if it is the city then perhaps it would have been more reasonable, but I still feel as though there should have been a bit of a longer wait for the officers.
Another section was the news article, this could have been made a bit more formal to really sell the idea of it being an actual article.

Overall though, I feel as though it was genuinely a good novel with good foundations.
You can see the progression of Kathleen’s character and how she loses her grip on reality and sanity with the influence of the painting, she began isolating herself and distancing from others as her obsession grew.
Although, I do feel as though it ended rather suddenly and could have been done with more of a build-up to really grow the suspense, tension and exaggeration.
However, I do recommend this to others who enjoy the genre and I really hope that this review helps.
All the best on your other projects.

Review

Absolutely fantastic!! This for me is what fantasy is all about, the lore the worlds created as well as the characters. and you have done it all.
The plot is so well planned out so far that it makes for a smooth yet eventful.
You've created each and every character as well as the places in a way that shows their individuality and quirks.
Honestly, this is an amazing read and would highly, highly recommend it for anyone that is a lover of fantasy.
Keep up the great work :)