Review: A hidden gem
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 4, 2013
Set in the far future "magic" meets "science" in the universe of stars and planets. We meet our heroine, Maeve, who for not being human, is so very much human in her needs and desires to forget the past horrors and pains. She is running for her life from her nemesis, Coldhand, who has his own painful past he is running from. Together they discover a common bond to save a small bit of their souls and find a little forgiveness for the sins of the past.--May contain spoilers--What I loved about this story:Characters:I loved the flashbacks on the characters, main and side characters. It made the characters come to life. I loved the dark turmoil that followed both Maeve and Coldhand. Both painted as horrible people but really just two wounded souls trying to find a reason (or end) to the hell that is their life. I did find some of the characters a little rough around the edges but I suppose there is only so much you can put in one book. I liked how the story gave you little glimpses into the side characters histories. How they met up with each other. How they were tied together. It flushed out the story beautifully.Setting:I loved how you had science worlds and magic worlds. I liked the opposite end of the spectrum setting. I loved how they were at odds with each other. It was such a wonderful truth to how life really is. You fear what you don't understand. What you fear you kill or despise. It jerked at my heart strings to read about the Arcadian's treatment. I really felt the story was a reflection of how many minorities/refugees are often treated in human history. I loved the side notes on describing the planets and technology. I felt it helped me understand the worlds the characters lived in fuller. I loved the way each subspecies was described and given unique characteristics.Plot:What I loved the most was how the Authors wrote the tale to lead you down one path making you view the characters one way, only to have the path suddenly make a U-turn taking the story down a whole new path. The actions of the character or flashbacks constantly giving you deeper insight into the characters actions and past. It did that over and over, surprising me again and again. I loved the layer on layer of details as they fell into place creating and amazing puzzle of twists and turns that left you going... "I did not see that coming at all".I loved that it wasn't just a heroine against bad bounty hunter story; instead it evolved into a larger tale. I felt the story ended well. I was sad it ended. Was it a happy ending? You will have to judge for yourself. In many ways it was. In many ways it wasn't. It really depends on which of the characters you were supporting the most.Were there errors in the story?Well yes there were, but I was so wrapped up in the tale I barely noticed them.Overall Impression:I have not, in such a long time, found a story that made me wonder what was going to happen between reading sessions. I would ponder as I moved about my daily tasks on the motivating factor behind the characters. What made them be the way they are? Who broke them? What are they going to do next? Where was the story going? I was almost obsessed with this tale to see how it would end. I couldn't wait till the next time could sit down and read more. I only wish there were more books like this.So that being said, it's not your traditional Sci-fi tale. It's a beautiful eclectic mix of Sci-fi and fantasy and totally worth your time to read it.I am off to buy book two...