Review: A good start to the series from a talented author!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 22, 2014
I was keen to read and review this book as I am always interested in new NZ talent.  It's an interesting and well written cross genre scifi/ romance tale which is strong enough for me to want to purchase the next in the series.So on to my take on  its strengths and weaknesses.Strengths:After reading many recent self published novels, I am tired of the endless spelling and other mistakes that seem to almost universally accompany these offerings. I'm not particularly anal regarding these matters but it does become wearisome.  So what a delight it is to read a novel with an appropriate standard of grammar and spelling (I only observed the one spelling mistake).  The authors writing of prose is particularly good (though not literary in tone)  and the characters are well drawn.  The story is imaginative and the plot engaging.  All in all, this was a very professional first novel.So why was it a 4 star and not a 5??  For me, the novel dragged a bit.  There was a bit too much prose and not enough dialogue and action.  I kept comparing the book with Ann Aguirre's Sirantha Jax series and found the book somewhat lacking in pacing and slickness.  I imagine the book could be edited down further.I also found there was a relative lack of romantic development between the characters and  I had the sense that there were emotional steps missing along their journey.  Improving this aspect would turn a good book into a great book IMO.Having said all this I enjoyed the book, read it cover to cover and am very much looking forward to the next instalment.