Y’all, it is time for me to start cutting, unfortunately. Not my most favorite thing to do… so I’ll finish that up with a Semifinalist. Let’s get started:
Cut #1 – Synworld Chronicles by Rai Bowen
This one had a premise that sounded really interesting and I was hoping to fall right in but unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into this one.
Synworld Chronicles follows Sera, who woke up in the Synworlds – which is something like… I’m going to say that it’s like the holodeck if it were also the afterlife? – and is greeted by Brims, who is her guide to this place. Brims is most curious why Sera has the same face as a love from a past life. Karma is currency in the Synworlds, and Brims is trying to pay some debts.
I couldn’t get into this one past about 30% or so. I just wasn’t vibing with Brims or Sera and so it was honestly a bit tough to keep myself interested.
I certainly think that this one has an audience out there, it just isn’t me, is all. So it goes.
Cut #2 – Stars and Soil by Dax Murray
This was another book that I just couldn’t get into. It is the story of Caitlyn, who is the daughter of two very successful merchants. She is grieving the loss of her wife, and suddenly gets thrown into a mess of political shenanigans. I just wasn’t really feeling this prose, and the 20% of it that I read felt really rushed. I found myself setting it aside for other things and just decided to stop picking it back up.
There was plenty of goodness to hang onto. This was a queer-normative world, which was fantastic. There was magic and elves and romance.
There’s a lot of potential here, and I definitely think that this one is going to find an audience of readers who like political intrigue + romance, but I just wasn’t feeling engaged with this one. C’est la vie!
Cut #3 – Beneath the Gods’ Tree by S. Kaeth
You can look back on my original review here.
I didn’t dislike Beneath the Gods’ Tree, but I found it difficult to get into it. I really liked the side characters more than the main characters in this one, which happens from time to time.
It was written well enough, I just had trouble connecting with any of the characters. The havi, Amanah especially, just had injustice after injustice after injustice happening to them, and at one point I was like… I get it. You are abhorred in this society. I already feel for you, this is just making my eyes roll now. The main antagonist for much of the book couldn’t have gotten more villainous if he had climbed on top of his tent and twirled his mustache for a while like Dick Dastardly.
It just wasn’t for me – however I think that this book will find its audience, and I think I will revisit this author’s future works to see if I vibe with any of them.
A SEMIFINALIST?!
It’s The Stonebound Heir by L.A. Barnitz!
You can see my original review here!
I enjoyed my time with The Stonebound Heir. I thought it was well written and the story was interesting. I guessed some of the bigger twists early on, but I found that it didn’t detract too much from my overall enjoyment of the book. While I thought Sid and Lingli grew as characters as the story continued, you really got to see some of the side characters change and grow, or show their true colors, which was awesome.
I thought that because the story was so long that it was going to drag, but I ended up reading the entire thing in about four sittings. The story seemed to be influenced by Indian mythology and folklore, which I thought was interesting, and something that you don’t often see in Western fantasy (thankfully, more these days than in times past).
I am definitely eager to see where this story goes with the next volume. I had This Should Be a Semifinalist amounts of fun with The Stonebound Heir. So, here we are! ^_^ Until Next Time!
superstardrifter 
Leave a comment