JaceBell

Dark, fun, and brutal

The good:
I really enjoyed this story. The action is tight and fast. The creatures are smart and deadly. The characters are well-realized and fit into the narrative well. The standouts for me were Eva and the evil Doctor, both were fun to follow and felt fully detailed and real. The premise is interesting and fun while staying well inside the boundaries of the universe it exists in. I never felt as if things didn't make sense or that they were confusing or out of place. You don't shy away from the necessities of the world you've laid out. Whether it's men, women, or children; monsters wouldn't discriminate and yours definitely don't. Some of the horror I see here seems to forget this. As for the violence itself, It never felt unnecessary or out of place. It happened when it made sense to happen and it did not linger beyond what was needed for the scene. One of the things I most enjoyed was the method the scientists use to "control" the monsters. It was interesting and extreme without being silly or ridiculous. Definitely makes for an interesting mental image.

The bad:
At the beginning of the story, it often felt like I was having a huge cast of characters thrown at me. It made it difficult to know for certain who I should be focusing on. I often felt like I was missing some world-building, information about the world around the characters to help me better understand them and their place in it.

The advice:
The world-building is where I think the most could be done. More insight into the universe you have constructed would go far to help us immerse ourselves in it. Politics, time period, social issues between characters, or maybe backstories on their lives, things like this might make this story really sing. Honestly, I struggle to give any real advice here. The work is competent, engaging, and most importantly fun to read. I would recommend it to anyone interested in a dark, visceral horror story.

Final thoughts:
This work is filled with the marks of an adept, caring author. I encourage anyone reading this to give this book a once over. You won't be disappointed.

Helpful and engaging

‘How to Inkitt’ caught me a bit by surprise. I have often come across similar works that provide little in the way of real, helpful advice on navigating the website on which it is written.

The information contained within is well thought out and effectively delivered. The writing style is fun and conversational, which better helps impart the information to the reader.

I particularly appreciated the chapter on internet and site safety. Not just as a matter of author safety but also as a reminder to us all of the dangers of plagiarism and protecting our work from predatory behavior.

The real value here for me, and likely to many on this website, are the portions dedicated to the proper method of writing and formatting your work, both for Inkitt and for writing in general. Proper grammar is crucial to effectively communicating in text and this guide does a good job of gently imparting this idea to its readers.

Overall I see great value in this book for many of the aspiring authors out there who may need a bit of a push to better understand how to formulate their work into a successful and enjoyable manuscript. I enjoyed reading ‘How to Inkitt’ more than I thought I would. I would encourage the author to continue working on similar guides for new writers to help them better acclimate to Inkitt and develop useful habits for their writing.

Enchanting and immersive

The Good:
A wonderfully imagined and fleshed-out world awaits in this somewhat nostalgic fantasy story centering around a young man and his journey to realize his destiny. The writing is competent and engaging and the main character is fun and relatable. The introduction of young Eric and the magic system for the setting was delightfully reminiscent of something from dungeons and dragons or skyrim. I particularly enjoyed the beast spirit and look forward to seeing how that relationship plays out. Eric himself feels well-realized and developed, making him a joy to follow.

The Bad:
The development of some of the ancillary characters seemed sometimes a bit lacking since we don't get to spend much time with them in the beginning chapters. I would have liked to have spent a bit more time in conversation with grandma and mom in the beginning. Even so, there isn't much to complain about here that doesn't come down to taste and I would hardly hold this against the work.

The Advice:
Since the story seems largely focused on Eric's perspective, it might be interesting to find ways to have interactions with the other characters that clue us into their personal motivations and their place in the world around them. Even skewed through the lens of Eric's perspective, it might go a fair way in allowing you to world-build and grow your characters without the need for substantial exposition.

Final Thoughts:
This story is fantastically conceived and is a joy to read. Eric is delightful and entertaining, both mischievous and childish, and yet at the same time, competent and powerful. A fitting fantasy romp for a cozy weekend read. I look forward to following this work as it develops. Only three books to go! I look forward to seeing how your talent grows. Well done!

Great front to back

The Good: The main character is funny, relatable, and enjoyable to follow. The story structure is well-made and maintained, with little in the way of lag or distraction from the material. It is well-written throughout and often funny and endearing. The world itself is well-constructed and realized, making it easy to place yourself in the environment to enjoy the ride.

The Bad: I honestly struggle to find something to complain about.

The Advice: Submit your work to some contests if you haven't. Beyond that, I have nothing to really add. This work needs little in the way of polish and is worthy of consideration for publishing in my opinion.

Well done! I really enjoyed this story and look forward to continuing it. This stands above almost any other story I have read on this site thus far.