The real synopsis (from
Smashwords):
A
spooky dream of a gigantic crow and an old, crumbling church in the
lost reaches of a forest. A hint of mystery, murder and mayhem in
dark underground passages. A poor magician and his little girl,
surrounded and harassed by a group of mad trappers…
These
are the visions that bring Ian and Connor to the site of their
abandoned tree house where, unsurprisingly, the crow awaits. As they
sit in the embrace of the crow’s eerie time knot,
the strange bird tells them a nearly two-hundred-year-old story of
how a town and great church came to be and of the misery that befell
it. Of how the church became home to many animals and birds, and of
the massive oak that had since grown up through the floor and slowly
engulfed the church’s remains. But now the tree has begun to wither
and an avalanche of death will soon follow. The two boys are the
crow’s only remaining hope because of an innate talent they have
been diligently hiding. They will be required to walk into the teeth
of an old crime that has gone years unpaid, and of course the crow
cannot promise that they will not be swept up in the flood of danger
and madness that is fast approaching. Because something has changed
in The Bone Cell and Connor and Ian are the only ones who can do
anything about it.
It
really has a great cover. Coupled with the short synopsis (I really
should have read the whole thing) and the fact that it was free, I
picked this one up quickly. It's for a very young teen or middle
grade audience. It's also very short and can be read quickly. It
promises action and the writing is very simple. I think that sums up
the positive things I can say. I wish I could be nicer in this review,
but in all honesty I genuinely hope this version of the book gets
edited and revised. It has potential.
If you decide to read this version of the book, don't
stop at the short synopsis for the book. Read the whole thing. The one I pasted up there from Smashwords. The
story is - and I kid you not - more than two thirds the crow's
narration of a long ago trouble that befell him and others. It's a
story about the crow, a mouse, a Fat Man, a Church, a tree, a
Magician and his daughter, a cat, a spider, bad people...
Unfortunately, it's filled with unnecessary details and sidelines
that make it confusing. It really is two thirds of the way through
the story before the reader even finds out what the crow wants from
the boys (Ian and Connor).
The
last quarter of the story - the part described by the short synopsis
- is better. The boys finally get their dangerous adventure -
although they admit that after all that story telling, it's a bit of
a let down.
I
really hate being negative on indie reviews - I know it's not easy to
go out there and publish your work. However, I do think the story has
potential. It just needs to be reworked and edited properly.
Particularly while reading the crow's story, the entire first two thirds of
this short novel, there's a good chance that the reader will give up. If the author just
revamped the story, maybe by deleting a substantial amount of the first part or if it gets broken it up with
present day action (not just the characters interrupting the crow during the story
telling) - it would make a much more appealing fantasy.
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