Reviews

Rune Gate by Mark E. Cooper

chelsea2020's review

4.0

This was a fairly entertaining read, though the beginning was highly slow-going and slightly difficult to get into. It was largely revolving around mystery (thought not so much suspense) which was interesting to see progress. It was also very "supernatural" in an alien and (literally) out-of-this-world type of way, even though it still took place on earth.

I disliked the predictability of the entire story. I was honestly calling most of the genes at least a chapter before they appeared towards the end. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the plot scenes as they appeared. I'm very excited to see what becomes of Alex, Douglas, and all of Alex's close friends as we travel into a whole 'bother world and realm of adventures.

tash_93's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

claire_loves_books's review

3.0

This was okay but it was a bit slow going for me. The magic wasn't particularly well explained (mostly because no-one really understands Alex's magic). There was a decent mix of characters but none of them seemed to have that much depth. It also felt like there might have been a prequel or book I missed before- it felt like I should have known more about Alex's background from the constant references to LA. I guess that sounds pretty negative, I did enjoy it but there were lots of little things that were irritating. I might read the next one because it did improve as it went along.

gbixler80's review

5.0

Great start

Great start to a new series and a new-to-me author. It ends in a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to get the next book to see how the characters adjust to their new reality

paperbackstash's review

2.0

Fans of serial killer police detective stuff may like this one better than me - but for me, it wasn't working. I thought the story would be more complex but it wasn't too my liking. Alexandra is another overburdened and drained psychic who works for the police even though it gives her nightmares, she gets involved with another twisted plot with the killer (although this time it involves paranormal elements), and she has a long-standing crush/ex-love affair with the local sheriff. This was all too familiar to keep my interest, but throw in awkward dialogue where names are overused in discussion and a strange added character where we suddenly get his point of view sometimes, and it kept losing me unfortunately.

billydoubledown's review against another edition

4.0

Alex is a witch and clairvoyant who works with the police with some of their cases. She can see memories when she touches the victim's body and is a Wicca (not witch!). The story starts off strong with Alex being called out reluctantly to the scene of a brutal crime. Someone is out doing sacrificial killings and the police need her help to stop it. Things become even weirder when she meets a mysterious stranger on a dark road. Soon others from a different world come to earth and only Alex can save the day, even the world. I liked how the author mixed different forms of the paranormal and this is the first book I’ve read where aliens are involved. I look forward to reading the next book too.

kgrhoads's review

5.0

Ends with cliff-hanger ...
great take on various paranormal/supernatural elements. Starts moderate, pace picks up to climax. Good character developement.

Strongly recommended.

nixwolfwood's review

4.0

***4.5***
I was given a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw this one was available for review, I sprung at the opportunity. I had gotten the ecopy from amazon earlier this year, so I already knew I was interested in it.

The narrator, Mikael Naramore, was perhaps one of the best I've heard in a while. He has a way of giving everyone their own voice, to the point that I'd likely know who he was portraying even if it didn't state so in the story. Although there is one character that makes me think she's a drag queen every time she talks, which makes me giggle - because I'm so mature. It really didn't distract me from what was going on, I just wanted to point it out.

There's a lot going on here, so much that I had a bit of difficulty keeping up at times. Mostly it was only for a few moments, and I quickly caught back up. Even in the other times, it would pull me back in almost immediately and everything was good again.

I do really enjoy the magic element involved in Rune Gate. It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Fantasy books, but this one stood out for me. Wicca was a great influence and I found that fascinating. Throw in multiple worlds, a murder mystery, one hell of a back story, and this was a pretty fantastic story.

I was only around 75% finished when I contacted the author to see if he'd be interested in me reviewing book 2 as well. Highly recommend.

http://www.platypire.com/j-hooligan/rune-gate-by-mark-e-cooper