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A review by zoes_human
Forsaken: Book One of the Shadow Cove Saga by J.D. Barker
2.0
This is an exciting, suspenseful plot-driven horror story. The universe built by J.D. Barker is fascinating, and the way he tied it in with the Salem witch trials was excellent. I also enjoyed his use of an epistolary flashback technique to slowly reveal the history behind the story. His pacing is also top-notch, and both the prologue and epilogue were executed perfectly. The prologue pulled me right in with that "Oooooo" feeling, and the epilogue closed out with a nice, satisfying "Ahhhhh, I see how it is."
So, why just 3 stars?
Character. The characters are shallow, borderline stereotypical, and, with the exception of Ashley, unlikable. Some of the dialogue of the antagonists is frankly on the cheesy side. If you consider yourself a lover of plot-driven fiction more so than character-driven, this may not be an issue for you at all. However, we've all got our thing, and for me it always comes down to the characters. Honestly, it's a tribute to how good of a story it is that I would give it 3 stars despite how I feel about the characters.
So, why just 3 stars?
Character. The characters are shallow, borderline stereotypical, and, with the exception of Ashley, unlikable. Some of the dialogue of the antagonists is frankly on the cheesy side. If you consider yourself a lover of plot-driven fiction more so than character-driven, this may not be an issue for you at all. However, we've all got our thing, and for me it always comes down to the characters. Honestly, it's a tribute to how good of a story it is that I would give it 3 stars despite how I feel about the characters.