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apiratethatdoesnothing's review
3.0
Sloooew beginning. Took me weeks to try and get through the first third of the book! I really wanted to finish the story and find out where we were heading as readers but quite a challenge. In the end I did end up enjoying the last half of this book. I was a little nervous the lovers didn't have a positive outcome.
nefariousnev's review
3.0
The premise of the book really interesting and there were a lot of great, tense moments. Good job giving the characters distinctive voices. I was especially impressed with Marge- she wasn't a character with many good qualities, but despite that it was fun to read her thoughts and I found myself sympathizing with her. I'm glad I got the book.
elvang's review
4.0
This was an entertaining read. I liked the quirky and self deprecating Kiran as she bounced from one strong character to another. Samuel does a good job describing both settings and characters. I even enjoyed hearing from Marje, despicable though she was. It took me a bit to get used to the POV shifts from chapter to chapter but once I got comfortable with the books layout I was able to relax and let the story unfold.
Lots of action, light on romance. If I have a beef with the story it would be that I wish the reader would have been given more lead up time and a better understanding of what vision painting means and how Kiran developed her gift. This is one book where the dreaded prologue chapter may have been a good place to explain her talent. Without this knowledge the opening few chapters are a bit confusing for the reader.
An interesting and unique read. Great job Ms Samuel
Lots of action, light on romance. If I have a beef with the story it would be that I wish the reader would have been given more lead up time and a better understanding of what vision painting means and how Kiran developed her gift. This is one book where the dreaded prologue chapter may have been a good place to explain her talent. Without this knowledge the opening few chapters are a bit confusing for the reader.
An interesting and unique read. Great job Ms Samuel
trufyre's review
3.0
I really enjoyed this story, it had a great great plot & well rounded characters. However writer needs to define when someone is having a flash back. When a memory or flashback occurs without an obvious break it becomes confusing for the reader. If it was not for this fault I would have given it a 4 or 5 star rating.
corrie's review
5.0
Falling Colours (The Vision Painter #1) by R.J. Samuel was quite an interesting and entertaining read. This is not your run-of-the-mill lesfic romance (in fact, romance takes a bit of a backseat in favor of action/suspence but it was all good).
The author has kept the blurb intentionally vague and with a story like this one I think you need to be kept in the dark as much as possible and enjoy the revelations in the same pace as main character Kiran does. It is much more fun that way and so no spoilers.
I liked Kieran. She was a bit of an anti hero with her quirky, bumbling, tongue tied self (sweater vests and all). Ashley could have been better defined but I hope we get to know her better in part two. Star of the book for me was Marge, Ashley’s ill-fated mother. She is basically a horrible person but it’s so much fun to be in her head and you will find out why. I loved her dark humor.
For a beautiful in-depth review read Jem’s.
Well written, original plot, great characters and I’m excited to dive into part deux Casting Shadows.
f/f no explicit scenes
Themes: be careful what you wish for.
4.6 stars
The author has kept the blurb intentionally vague and with a story like this one I think you need to be kept in the dark as much as possible and enjoy the revelations in the same pace as main character Kiran does. It is much more fun that way and so no spoilers.
I liked Kieran. She was a bit of an anti hero with her quirky, bumbling, tongue tied self (sweater vests and all). Ashley could have been better defined but I hope we get to know her better in part two. Star of the book for me was Marge, Ashley’s ill-fated mother. She is basically a horrible person but it’s so much fun to be in her head and you will find out why. I loved her dark humor.
For a beautiful in-depth review read Jem’s.
Well written, original plot, great characters and I’m excited to dive into part deux Casting Shadows.
f/f no explicit scenes
Themes: be careful what you wish for.
4.6 stars
frankvanmeer's review
3.0
I struggled a bit with this book. I love me some good ghost stories, and Falling Colours certainly has an interesting twist on that genre.
My major problems were with the "Marge" chapters. It was confusing at first, with the change in POV. But later on they started to annoy me. I admit, it is an interesting way for unravelling the mystery that pops up later, but still, I found it hard to get it working for me (besides Marge being a total bitch)
Also, I'm not seeing any chemistry at all between Kiran and Ashley. So, ok, Kiran is in head over heals, but there isn't really anything coming from Ashley. Yet, at the end, there was apparently enough for Ashley to change something drastic. I just didn't see it.
It was a nice read, but it could have been better, in my humble opinion. Still,I will check out the sequel.
My major problems were with the "Marge" chapters. It was confusing at first, with the change in POV. But later on they started to annoy me. I admit, it is an interesting way for unravelling the mystery that pops up later, but still, I found it hard to get it working for me (besides Marge being a total bitch)
Also, I'm not seeing any chemistry at all between Kiran and Ashley. So, ok, Kiran is in head over heals, but there isn't really anything coming from Ashley. Yet, at the end, there was apparently enough for Ashley to change something drastic. I just didn't see it.
It was a nice read, but it could have been better, in my humble opinion. Still,I will check out the sequel.
talesoftheabyss's review
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
4 stars on a technical level, 5 stars for enjoyment, 4.5 overall and I rounded up.
This book is part frantic murder mystery, and part bumbling lesbian romance between Kiran, a person with a special gift who is normally quite sensible but starts knocking all sorts of things over when she sees a beautiful woman, and Ashley, said beautiful woman whose mother Kiran just made a ghost. Accidentally. Awkward.
Basically, protagonist Kiran has an interesting ability where people can come with a request, some sort of personal vision or deeply desired ideal they want painted, and when she paints it, it will come true. She doesn't charge money for this contract-based service, she can't, but asks that after the painting becomes reality, they paint their "gratitude" to her into it so THAT can become reality, too.
They usually never do, though.
Since you can't eat nonexistent gratitude, Kiran also works as a waitress at her good friend's restaurant that's part of a castle (an awesome detail that isn't emphasized nearly as much as I thought it should be) which is one of the places where she meets Ashley for the first time, before spilling soup all over the floor. Nearby, she'll meet Ron, a restlessly grieving man still pained by the mysterious circumstances under which his wife died. What was meant to be a courteous visit ends up with Ron rather unfairly manipulating Kiran into painting his wife alive again, one of the forbidden things for people with her vision painting ability to do. She stresses endlessly over it, comforted only by the fact that really, raising the dead isn't possible, right? Not really.
And "not really" means that a ghost becomes born, one with quite an attitude and a penchant for running off and getting into trouble. Who is also Ashley's mom. Which means Ron is Ashley's dad. And now the girl you've been hopelessly failing to flirt with is understandably kind of furious and wants to know why you've made her mom a ghost...?
Falling Colours switches between the POVs of Kiran's panicked chapters and the much shorter chapters of a mean, selfish and amnesic ghost. Marge, the ghost, was somebody I really didn't feel very sorry for at all until the end, and even then it was just a little.
However, the book is built on solving the mysterious circumstances of her death so she can rest in peace and Kiran doesn't lose her powers as a result of totally breaking the rules. In between investigating murder and being a server at a castle, she tries other smooth romantic moves on Ashley, like backing into her car and trying to stop the ghost she made of Ashley's mother from killing people. You know, the real feel-good stuff. But I guess we could all learn something from Kiran's smooth moves book, because it works. Yes, Ashley is hopelessly attracted to lovable fools, and she says as much at the end of the book.
So Falling Colours is worth reading for a frantic mystery, author R.J. Samuel's style of inventive and lively prose, enjoying an only mildly embarrassing lesbian romance, and descriptions of sleepy sheep that make you want to go out and hug one right now.
This book is part frantic murder mystery, and part bumbling lesbian romance between Kiran, a person with a special gift who is normally quite sensible but starts knocking all sorts of things over when she sees a beautiful woman, and Ashley, said beautiful woman whose mother Kiran just made a ghost. Accidentally. Awkward.
Basically, protagonist Kiran has an interesting ability where people can come with a request, some sort of personal vision or deeply desired ideal they want painted, and when she paints it, it will come true. She doesn't charge money for this contract-based service, she can't, but asks that after the painting becomes reality, they paint their "gratitude" to her into it so THAT can become reality, too.
They usually never do, though.
Since you can't eat nonexistent gratitude, Kiran also works as a waitress at her good friend's restaurant that's part of a castle (an awesome detail that isn't emphasized nearly as much as I thought it should be) which is one of the places where she meets Ashley for the first time, before spilling soup all over the floor. Nearby, she'll meet Ron, a restlessly grieving man still pained by the mysterious circumstances under which his wife died. What was meant to be a courteous visit ends up with Ron rather unfairly manipulating Kiran into painting his wife alive again, one of the forbidden things for people with her vision painting ability to do. She stresses endlessly over it, comforted only by the fact that really, raising the dead isn't possible, right? Not really.
And "not really" means that a ghost becomes born, one with quite an attitude and a penchant for running off and getting into trouble. Who is also Ashley's mom. Which means Ron is Ashley's dad. And now the girl you've been hopelessly failing to flirt with is understandably kind of furious and wants to know why you've made her mom a ghost...?
Falling Colours switches between the POVs of Kiran's panicked chapters and the much shorter chapters of a mean, selfish and amnesic ghost. Marge, the ghost, was somebody I really didn't feel very sorry for at all until the end, and even then it was just a little.
However, the book is built on solving the mysterious circumstances of her death so she can rest in peace and Kiran doesn't lose her powers as a result of totally breaking the rules. In between investigating murder and being a server at a castle, she tries other smooth romantic moves on Ashley, like backing into her car and trying to stop the ghost she made of Ashley's mother from killing people. You know, the real feel-good stuff. But I guess we could all learn something from Kiran's smooth moves book, because it works. Yes, Ashley is hopelessly attracted to lovable fools, and she says as much at the end of the book.
So Falling Colours is worth reading for a frantic mystery, author R.J. Samuel's style of inventive and lively prose, enjoying an only mildly embarrassing lesbian romance, and descriptions of sleepy sheep that make you want to go out and hug one right now.
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