AUTHOR: Bettie Sharpe
PUBLISHER: Samhain Publishing
LENGTH: Novella (roughly 28k)
GENRE: Sci-fi futuristic erotic romance
COST: $3.50
Even if you don’t hang out on the blogosphere, I dare you to look at the cover of this book and not fall in love. It is one of the most starkly sensual covers I’ve seen in awhile, and I am absolutely in love with it. I love even more that the story is worthy of the cover.
Sharpe has created a stark, violent world and tossed in a pair of characters that exemplify that world to a tee. Her prose is sharp and original, without unnecessary flourishes to detract from her plot or characterization. In fact, the first half of the book sucked me in and refused to let me go.
That being said, anybody who likes their stories dark, violent, and on the edge, will likely love this. The author’s voice is unique enough to separate her from the pack, and her anti-heroine will be one you remember, long after the story ends.
Readability | 9/10 – Evocative, original phrasing combined with super-tight writing. |
Hero | 8/10 – As much as I love the idea of him, there’s always a slight disconnect for me with him until the very end. |
Heroine | 9/10 – Loved her so much I kept going back to re-read some of the scenes from her POV. |
Entertainment value | 8/10 – The first half was amazing, but the second half faltered a little for me as the world exploded but the story itself narrowed to the end. |
World building | 9/10 – A fascinating glimpse into a captivating future, though there’s almost too much of it to be contained at this length. |
TOTAL: | 43/50 |
3 comments:
Bettie is brilliant. Her writing is some of the sharpest, freshest I've been privileged to read. She gives shivers like Tanith Lee, but she has a rapier light touch to go along with it.
I'm dying to see something longer by Bettie. I think the only thing that got in the way of this particular story is too much story for the length.
Most definitely somebody to watch.
Thank you for the review :D
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