My Book Rating System

My book rating system is based on 5 stars. The book must be rated at least 3 stars for a review.

3 Stars: Good story, good plot, good writing.

4 Stars: I was wowed, but something about the story fell short of perfection.

5 Stars: I was either drooling, on the edge of my seat, or falling in love.

If you would like me to review your book, please contact me at 00ibitz@charter.net.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Book Review: Sweet Light, by Jen Wylie

Sweet Light
Jen Wylie

Shara is a healer in the midst of a war. She's been conscripted by King Darren to be a court healer, but then finds herself in the middle of battle. When she saves a young, mute soldier, she doesn't know that her bond with him will cause shock waves throughout not only the kingdom, but through the healer community as well.

The story started solid. The characters are rich, and there is much descriptive detail so that the reader is immersed in the world that Jen built. Shara is a strong character who sheds the obscurity of an over-shadowing lover by striking out on her own to become a master healer. There are hints that she is destined to be a strong, powerful healer.

The story itself is quite good, however, it's one of those stories that I'd call a 'slice of life'. I would call this character driven, and I do prefer plot driven books. She's not on a quest, she's not trying to beat the clock to accomplish some far-reaching goal. She's just going on with her day-to-day life, and we the readers are watching. There's nothing wrong with that kind of story, but there's no sense of urgency or tension or suspense either. The story is mellow and smooth, and doesn't carry a dramatic climax.

Towards the end, the writing started to unravel a bit, with a number of grammatical errors.

This a good read if you like character driven fantasy stories that follow the life and times of your favorite character.

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