What is your opinion?
A Must Read Mystery Horror Thriller
"Candace’s WIP is already a must-read at only nine chapters in as of this review! Dark and intriguing, we get awesome “The Scarlet Letter” and “Sherlock Holmes” vibes as we are introduced to a small historic French village where a vicious murder has happened. I don’t want to give away too much, because the way Candace unwraps the mystery thus far is spectacular. She presents an excellent hook and world building right out of the gate, leading us down a never-ending road of questions and mystery. We find ourselves profoundly relating to the emotional upsets of not only our protagonist, the village doctor, Marcelle, who happens to be the village’s sleuth, but to his family and the other villagers who have been affected by this terrifying tragedy. I am very immersed within the pages of this story! As a WIP, the reading is smooth and free of any major technical errors; I will definitely be following along as she continues to post! I must know more! Please join me in this journey!"
Personally, so beautiful.
"First off, I'm glad I found your stories. Second, it hurts my soul that this doesn't have the attention it deserves. You are an astounding writer and I know I'm not much by myself, but I can say that your writing is just splendid. I'm normally not a fan of stories starting with smuts - but - I am a fan of body horror so the way you described the corpse, the tension, the grim atmosphere with the civilians just filled my soul with so much satisfaction. I loved your use of words, the way your structure each paragraph and the way you intensively but not excessively describe every event so evidently. I think I definitely struck a gem with you and your books, and I'm sure as hell compelled to read more from you! Please keep writing, I'm so curious as to what's coming! I know the plot is not yet completely out, but that just makes me all the more excited. Great Job Candace! I aspire to someday write this way!"
Eerie and Fascinating
"Note: This review is for the first 5 chapters (Green Exchange Awards 2024) ~This review contains some mild spoilers~ “Blood of the Lamb” is an eerie, suspenseful, and promising story. This isn’t the kind of thing I’d usually read—I was a bit put off by the cover, haha, since I usually don’t read anything “cultish”—but I can really appreciate what the author has done with the story. I quite enjoyed this story’s writing style. Some might say it’s a big flowery, but I feel that it adds to the setting and tone of the story. The writer has a very distinct, beautiful writing voice that’s perfect for poetry and makes for a lovely reading experience. I loved the inclusion of French in the dialogue and narrative. It makes the story feel unique while giving the reader an immediate idea of the setting. One thing I questioned was that characters only speak French of the time. Is the implication that they’re speaking French in every line of dialogue? If so, it’s a bit confusing that the dialogue would be split between French and English. Just something to consider 🤔 Speaking of setting, the old-fashioned, close-knit, small town aesthetic in this story is perfect for the plot and makes things so much eerier. ✨ This story doesn’t have a main character, per se. I’m a sucker for multi-POV books, but the characters who are given perspectives in the book didn’t particularly catch my eye. Based off the first chapter I assumed the main protagonist would be Sophie, since the murder victim was her best friend, and because she was the one to find the body. But having read five chapters, I get the feeling that the protagonist will be Marcelle? If the story were to be revised, I feel it would be a good idea to choose one or two characters to be the leads, and then give them a bit more internal conflict, personal stakes, etc. Personally (like I said already), I see Sophie being a very strong potential lead 👀 But ultimately this is the writer’s story, so do whatever you feel is best, author! Overall a well-written story with lots of potential. 😁 "
Green Exchange Awards Review (2024)
" I have had the pleasure of being introduced to this author through the Green Exchange Awards 2024. While the genre might not typically align with my reading preferences, the author demonstrates a commendable command of language, skilfully crafting each scene with vivid descriptions. Personally, I gravitate towards a simpler writing style, making the abundance of descriptive text a bit demanding for me. Nonetheless, the story's depth and the gradual immersion into the characters' lives amidst unfolding uncertainties make for a compelling read. I encourage readers to delve into the narrative themselves and form their own judgments."
Enticing!
"Cultish front cover, enticing blurb. What a great start! Chapter 1 The introduction was cleverly constructed. After reading the blurb, I thought that this was setting up a hunt against enemies, but through the gorgeous description, the true nature of the scene slowly emerged. This seems to foreshadow something ominous and as a lover of gothic literature, I really enjoyed the symbolism. Similarly, the tone is masterfully serious and grim, matching the depressive mood of the crime and setting. Bravo! Additionally, I loved the French to English translations. They added a layer of mystic to your story as clarity was deliciously delayed. The story is skilfully written, and I noticed only a single typo. In chapter 1, you write ‘they boy went down’, instead of ‘the boy’, but that’s it. Everything is very well crafted and polished in all 6 chapters. I loved how you described every small detail of Sophie and Etienne’s romantic encounter. The resistance of Sophie against the coaxing of Etienne was very sexy! When they transitioned to full on intercourse, I was a little disappointed that the details were glossed over though. At first, I thought it was their first time as Sophie was resistant and seemed shocked by what I assumed was the wetness of herself or Etienne’s manhood, but later in the chapter it is revealed that she wasn’t a virgin, so I’m not sure what this was… The way you describe the *discovery* at the end was spine-tingling. The only jarring question that I had, aside from what had happened to Marie, was what was wrong with Etienne. Was he dead? Being unresponsive, with blood on his lips made it sound like he’d been poisoned or something equally sinister. Chapter 2 Utter perfection, aside from that lingering question from chapter 1, stopping my mind from fully immersing myself within your beautiful writing. Where is Étienne, what had happened to him, and is he dead? After a reread, I’m thinking that what you were trying to describe is blood from Marie, that Etienne and possibly Sophie had unwittingly touched. Again, I’m not sure. Possibly more telling than showing here would help to clarify! Chapter 3 and 4 As I started reading chapter three, something struck me… who is the main character or characters of this story? It isn’t clear, and this is stopping me from building an emotional connection. Every chapter seems to introduce new characters but none are anchored by a sole voice. As a reader, I’m not sure who is the protagonist or antagonist, who I am rooting for, and who I should care for. The mystery of what happened to Marie is an enticing goal, but without a clear main character, and not even really knowing Marie, I feel adrift. By chapter 5/6, I’m starting to think chapter 1 and possibly 2 were more of a prologue and Marcelle is the main character… Is this what you intended? Overall, from a technical and writing style perspective, this is flawless and evocative. The snag for me is that I feel a little lost from a plotting/character-building point of view. Iron that out and you have a corker of a book on your hands."
