Review: Promising start!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 15, 2012
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC copy in return for this review.I gave this four stars, and this is why...The story itself I would only give 2.5 stars because:1. I didn't get a good sense of who the characters were right from the beginning. I didn't know why I should care about this dying fae and her son, other than the fact that it's sad when anything dies.2. The story didn't feel natural to me. There was way too much backstory in the conversation between the fae and her father (and in the narration), and it all just seemed conveniently rushed to keep the preview short.3. There were several editing issues I saw that could have been caught before this went live (and maybe they have been by now. I'm not sure).So, I "liked" the story, but I didn't like the way it was handled. I thought it was interesting, but it left me wanting more--a LOT more, as in a full, novel-length prequel based on the fae's life before she had her son, so that we could get to know her a little better. I think it would be spectacular if the authors fleshed out the seed of a story they have here and gave us a better glimpse into the fae's world. Please, Melissa and Pauline??The "bonus chapter" I would give 4.5 stars because:1. I didn't see the editing issues I saw in the preview story.2. I knew who the main character was (the blond-haired boy, Tristan) from the preview story, and I loved the glimpse into his character that this chapter allows. In the preview story, he seemed so lifeless and inactive...not fully formed as a personality yet.3. I could get a good sense of who the other characters were in relation to the main character. I especially loved the maid, Sarah's, Scottish accent. That's a hard thing to convey in writing, and it seems as if the authors have done that very well.I'm deducting a half-point because of how the bonus chapter ended. Is this the place the actual first chapter of the book ends? I hope not. It's really very awkward. "The stone rolled between Gareth's fingers, and he remembered the feeling of the girl's lips on his cheek." The End? Right in the middle of his conversation with Mr. Strong? It almost feels like another preview, not the first chapter of a book. I think it would have been better for this sample chapter to have ended at a more natural, definitive break in the action.This is the first time I've ever used a mathematical formula to complete a book review, but here it is... 2.5+4.5=7, divided by 2 is 3.5. Rounded up (because Amazon won't let you give half-stars), that's 4. And I don't mind the rounding up, anyway, because I really did like the first few pages of the bonus chapter...and I like the story idea. I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest of Armored Hearts turns out!