Review: Well Worth A Read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 10, 2014
I read the first paragraph of In the Shadow of the Earth  and thought, yes, this is the way a book should start. It grabbed my attention and made me want to read on, so I began the book with high hopes, and apart from a few issues, it didn't disappoint. Overall, I found it a very enjoyable read.In the Shadow of the Earth is a unique mixture of science and fantasy. It's a story about a scientist who develops magical abilities and by doing so attracts vampire-like creatures called Umbravi. The Umbravi are planning to take over the world and only Jim, Mika, Eric and Carl seem to know they exist, but do they have any hope of surviving an attack?There is something quite solid about this story; the characters are well-drawn and likeable, the plot is engaging and the tension and pace rises nicely as the end draws near. I don't know how realistic the scientific and technological aspects of the story are, but it's clear that the author has thought them through, and he presents them well. The story held me sufficiently to make up for the issues.What are the issues I'm referring to? When I first read this, the prose lacked sophistication and I sent some detailed notes to the author. He has now fixed many of these issues, but he retained a large section of expositional writing where I felt the author dumped information without any attempt at integrating it into the story. He assured me that he did it on purpose for a good reason and since I can see his point, I'm prepared to pass it, though I still believe it could have been handled better.The strongest scenes and best writing are in the Umbravi section. Particularly noteworthy is the scene between Eric and his son. I also found the visuals for Mika's hacking attempt very evocative. The end ties up this book in a satisfying way while setting up for a sequel.There's a lot of potential here for a great series.  I hope the author keeps working at refining his craft, because this is a good start.3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.