Tagged: fantasy
Short Story: Lost in the Seven Worlds by Petronela Ungureanu
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Lost in the Seven Worlds is the debut work of Petronela Ungureanu, an avante-garde Romanian writer.
When a young woman finds herself captive in another world, she makes the mistake of falling for one of the disgraced beings. In the name of love, she is confronted with a most disturbing demand and faces a crucial decision. Will she remain lost in the Seven Worlds, or will she accept the challenge of a love beyond mortality?
[Full disclosure: I was given a free ebook copy of this short story by the author in exchange for an honest review.]
Petronela Ungureanu has one of the more beautiful, unique writing styles that I’ve encountered of late. It’s wonderfully descriptive in an old-fashioned sort of way and you really feel like you’re immersed in her fantasy world. In a longer piece than Lost in the Seven Worlds it would drag down the plot, but in a short story it just enhances the world she’s created.
From what little I could gather the world-building in this story is much more complex than could be contained in a short story. I would love to learn more about the Daevas and their customs but short stories are, well, just too short. The details that were included were all relevant to the story and were interesting but there just weren’t enough to make a fully realized world.
This is a great short story, it truly is. The only problem is the story itself is far too complex for the medium. In all honesty, this would be a great novel. However, I have to judge it based on its format. And the truth is, Lost in the Seven Worlds was more than a little confusing, especially at the end. There was a huge twist at the end and although I read the story through a couple of times I still don’t understand it. It’s nice to end on a bit of a cliffhanger but readers have to also understand what’s going on.
Overall, I think this short story was decent. It’s just that the ending was a little too rushed.
I give this short story 3.5/5 stars.
Amazon Barnes and Noble* Goodreads
*Unavailable.
Giveaway: The Devil of Ponong Series by Jill Braden
Today I’m lucky enough to be doing a giveaway in conjunction with author Jill Braden and her publisher, Wayzgoose Press. For my review of The Devil’s Concubine, her first amazing book, see here. For my gushing review of her even more amazing second book, see here. The fact that I gushed in both reviews should tell you all you need to know about how awesome Jill Braden’s writing is and how lucky you would be to win a copy of her book. Just follow the Rafflecopter link below and spread the word!
This giveaway will run from today (September 23) until midnight on October 6. Winners will be announced on the seventh and in addition to the prizes listed, there might be some more special swag thrown in. Who knows?
Spotlight: Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise by Diantha Jones
Spotlight is my weekly feature in which I highlight a book I’m really looking forward to or really enjoyed. This week it’s a book I really, really loved: Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise by Diantha Jones.
It’s official. Myth is doomed.
And it’s all Chloe Clever’s fault.
Still as whacked out as ever, Chloe is now faced with an even uglier truth: Not only is she the Pythia of the Great Unknown, but she is more powerful than she ever imagined and only the manifestations of her prophetic mind can save them all now.
With her Prince boyfriend, Strafford, and the Quad Fraternity always armed and ready to annihilate the opposition, she will embark on a mission to stop a great power that could consume every god in Myth…and everyone else she’s come to love.
But the worst is still to come.
[…]
This is just one of those books you zoom through then want to start again immediately after you’ve finished. It’s also one of the rare sequels that doesn’t get bogged down in the details necessary to set up the third book. Both of these things are rare on their own, but together they make Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise an incredible read.
Not only do we learn how Strafford came to be in disgrace, Chloe develops more and the Great Unknown Prophecy is beginning to fall into place. Here we have a fantasy book with the fast pacing of an action/thriller novel and Diantha Jones has also managed to weave in aspects of Greek mythology seamlessly with the modern era. There are believable explanations for why nobody knows about the Greek gods in the modern era, as well as a believable system of how the gods operate and how they’ve managed to stay immortal.
I’m not the biggest Strafford fan out there, but at least he isn’t your typical jerk Prince that you find in YA. No, he has a believable backstory as to why he was such a jerk in the beginning and he’s actually moved beyond that, another rarity. Say whatever you like about him, but at least he’s able to change, unlike a lot of bad boy types in literature and movies.
If you haven’t already read Prophecy of the Most Beautiful, you need to. Right now. And once you’ve read the first book, you’ll devour the second book and be desperate for the third, which comes out sometime this summer.
Spotlight: The Path of the Fallen by Dan O’Brien
Spotlight is my weekly Saturday feature in which I highlight a book I really enjoyed or am eagerly awaiting. This week I want to draw attention to a book that was excellent despite being slightly outside my comfort zone: The Path of the Fallen by Dan O’Brien.
Set against the backdrop of the tundra and a world desperate for hope, the journey of a young man, E’Malkai, will come to define a realm that has been broken by an evil that does not sleep. A bitter betrayal, and the inception of a war that will consume the world, forces E’Malkai to confront the past and undertake a pilgrimage that is his by birthright. Follow him on his journey and be transformed.
As you’ve probably noticed, while I read a lot of fantasy, not much of it would be considered epic fantasy. And certainly none of it would be classified as epic fantasy/science fiction crossover. That’s why I considered The Path of the Fallen out of my comfort zone. It took me a while to get used to the unusual names like E’Malkai and the background of Dan O’Brien’s strange world, but once I did I really enjoyed his book.
Dan O’Brien’s world was well thought out and was a compelling mixture of typical epic fantasy tropes like swords and huge battles but also of science fiction elements like spaceships and lasers. Truly, it’s the best of both genres. The best part? The reason for the mixture actually makes sense when you look at the history of the world. However, the best part of The Path of the Fallen is the characters. E’Malkai isn’t your typical angsty coming-of-age protagonist and *gasp* behaves maturely most of the time because this is more of an adult novel. Fe’rein (the villain) isn’t as fleshed-out as I would have liked him to be, but he does make for a great antagonist.
I’d definitely recommend The Path of the Fallen to anyone who enjoys fantasy or science fiction.
Spotlight: Prophecy of the Most Beautiful by Diantha Jones
Spotlight is my new regular Saturday feature in which I highlight a book I really enjoyed or am eagerly waiting for. This week it’s a book I really enjoyed: Prophecy of the Most Beautiful by Diantha Jones. (Link leads to my full review.)
She has a destiny so great that even the gods fear her.
Constant hallucinations and the frequent conversations with the voices in her head, have earned eighteen-year-old Chloe Clever the not-so-coveted title of “Whack Job” in her home town of Adel, Georgia. With the onslaught of prescription medications and therapists threatening to push her over the edge, she wishes for a life far away from the one she has, a life where she is destined to be more than the butt of everyone’s jokes and mockery.
Be careful what you wish for has never rung more true.
That’s not the full blurb (it’s actually quite long), but you get the idea: girl who’s special is an outcast in a small town that thinks she’s crazy until something attacks her and she’s saved to be introduced into a completely different world. This all happens to Chloe, but that’s definitely where the clichés end because Diantha Jones has put her own unique twist on a typical YA premise. And oh boy, what a twist!
Prophecy of the Most Beautiful is very well written and Diantha Jones has done such a good job with the plot that she keeps you guessing until the end. If you’re looking for some unique fantasy to brighten your day, you’ll love this book. But be warned! Upon finishing it you will have no choice but to buy the second book not only because the first one was so good, but because there’s one heck of a cliffhanger at the end.