novella
Book Review: The First Crystal
The First Crystal
by J.M. Bergen
by J.M. Bergen
3 out of 5 stars
This short story follows the villains of the Elandrian series, Arius and Arriana, as they search for a mysterious crystal and have to survive the booby traps of an ancient cave to retrieve it.
There wasn’t much to the story other than getting past the booby traps, and showing how heartless and power-hungry Arius and Arriana can be. I would have liked a longer story with more meat on it. For instance, how did they know which was the right cave to search? The story begins just outside the cave, and we never get to see the actual search. Continue reading
Novella Review: Among the Nameless Stars
Among the Nameless Stars by Diana Peterfreund
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I loved this prequel showing how Kai managed to run away from the North Estate, and his disappointment that Elliot didn’t join him. All while I was reading For Darkness Shows the Stars, I kept wondering, How did Kai make his fortune? What was he doing all those years out on the ocean? How did he meet the Innovation family and become such a brilliant mechanic/inventor? And this little story answers most of those questions.
For a novella, there is a really good story-arc, with some depth and complexity, but I wish there were more seafaring in the story. I’ve always loves Kai’s character, and seeing these experiences that made him so serious-minded helped me understand him better.
Luminous Libro 