Tuesday, August 6, 2013

The Big "IF"



http://www.amazon.com/Reveal-Cryptid-Chronicles-Book-1-ebook/dp/B006MOTN42/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1419273853&sr=1-4&keywords=cryptid+tales

This book would have been fine… IF it weren’t for the last 5 paragraphs (yes, I counted).  But I’ll come back to that.

I thought I was “a pro at weird” but this one mixed so many things I’m not sure what I think (and I’m not even counting the fact that it is 1st person in present tense, which always seems odd).  I don’t mind mixing paranormal creatures, (Remember Keegan's Chronicles?  It had Elves, Shapeshifters, white witches... all friends.)  but this one was a strange mix all in one person.  Shay can see and talk to ghosts, and she’s a shapeshifter.  (typically there are ghost stories and then there are other forms of paranormal; I don't think I like them mixed)  Despite all that, I did like Shay as a person… or more specifically a Cryptid. 

It was mostly that the whole idea of Cryptids is so weird.  Bred millennia ago by someone who drank cat’s blood: ICK!!  Then there is the whole “pure blood / half-blood” thing.  I think some of the prejudice was based on the fact that Hugh left the tribe to find Shay, but it still had a Harry Potter-like vibe to it.  

So, back to the last 5 paragraphs.  If this was just one book I was ok with it.  I mean they defeated the man in black (sorry, but I can’t write that phrase without mentioning The Princess Bride; only in this story the man in black really is the bad guy).  They were together, in love, everything was tied up for a great ending, and then she adds the whole voice telling Shay to “run.”  And of course, you’re supposed to “run” right out and buy the sequel:  Capture.  Sorry, this book was somewhat entertaining, but no way am I going to read a sequel (even if the whole series is on sale at Amazon for $5.99).  It just wasn’t that good.

Guess I’ll just pretend that last page didn’t happen and leave it at a happy ending.  Trust me, it’s better that way.

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