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A review by krisrid
Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll
4.0
This was a solid five-star read for me, until the ending, which disappointed me a bit by not really feeling like a proper ending.
I loved almost everything about this book. It had characters representing virtually every paranormal creature you can think of, but because of the story, it feels completely natural and absolutely works to drive the plot. Everyone in this story feels like they belong here.
The story itself is one of the most inventive, well thought-out ones I've read in a while. I was totally engrossed and caught up in Garet's story and the adventure she went on, from the very first page. I didn't want to put this book down once I started it, and fortunately as I was on vacation when I read it I didn't have to. I read this in just a couple of days.
The intrigue and drama of the plot was extremely well-paced to keep the reader enagaged. The ups and downs in the events Garet had to face were exciting, but they also engage your mind to try to figure out whether Garet should or should not do this, trust him, go there, etc. I found myself feeling like I was right there with Garet as she tried to navigate the suddenly surreal world she found herself in, and for me, that is the very best kind of book - one that takes me fully into the world the author has created.
The supporting charcters were also unique and whether they were "good" or "evil" (and you never are completely sure with any of them, which category they truly fit from moment to moment throughout the story) all of them were interesting and they all contributed something to the story as it played out, so they were integral to a reader's enjoyment of the story.
Although you could make an argument that this is a paranormal romance, from my perspective, this is more parnormal fiction or paranormal adventure, as the majority of the book focuses on the quest Garet has to go on to do what she decides to do [no more detail to avoid spoilers] and the activities related to that. So there is no actual sex in the story, although we get references that it happened. There is some violence, although I would say they are mild in comparison to much of this genre's offerings.
This is a great book for women who wish they were Harry Potter. If you like magical quests, a variety of paranormal entities and lots of action this could be for you. I loved it. Looking forward to the next book in the series to find out what happens next!
I loved almost everything about this book. It had characters representing virtually every paranormal creature you can think of, but because of the story, it feels completely natural and absolutely works to drive the plot. Everyone in this story feels like they belong here.
The story itself is one of the most inventive, well thought-out ones I've read in a while. I was totally engrossed and caught up in Garet's story and the adventure she went on, from the very first page. I didn't want to put this book down once I started it, and fortunately as I was on vacation when I read it I didn't have to. I read this in just a couple of days.
The intrigue and drama of the plot was extremely well-paced to keep the reader enagaged. The ups and downs in the events Garet had to face were exciting, but they also engage your mind to try to figure out whether Garet should or should not do this, trust him, go there, etc. I found myself feeling like I was right there with Garet as she tried to navigate the suddenly surreal world she found herself in, and for me, that is the very best kind of book - one that takes me fully into the world the author has created.
The supporting charcters were also unique and whether they were "good" or "evil" (and you never are completely sure with any of them, which category they truly fit from moment to moment throughout the story) all of them were interesting and they all contributed something to the story as it played out, so they were integral to a reader's enjoyment of the story.
Although you could make an argument that this is a paranormal romance, from my perspective, this is more parnormal fiction or paranormal adventure, as the majority of the book focuses on the quest Garet has to go on to do what she decides to do [no more detail to avoid spoilers] and the activities related to that. So there is no actual sex in the story, although we get references that it happened. There is some violence, although I would say they are mild in comparison to much of this genre's offerings.
This is a great book for women who wish they were Harry Potter. If you like magical quests, a variety of paranormal entities and lots of action this could be for you. I loved it. Looking forward to the next book in the series to find out what happens next!