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| Book Cover via Amazon.com |
I want to start this review with a kudos to Taffey Champion because it was enjoyable to read. I felt her passion in this book, and I know she puts a lot of love and care into her work.
This is an exciting tale that is set before Taffey’s Evian’s saga. The story is basically a showcase of why her main protagonist, Evian Magi is the main protagonist in her Evian’s saga.
The prequel features Myth Vega as the protagonist for just this part of the overall narrative. Through the story are terrorism situations, battles, sparing and of course the beautiful world building. The Mystery Alliance and the Mystics are adventurous and unique. The characters are credible, and the systems in place for the world building are unique and exciting.
My favorite character in the story is Persia Lago because she is a lesson in duality. She starts the story in the arms of one man, and over time, has to decide on who she wants to be with by the end of the story.
Now for my personal opinions on the book overall:
Did you like the book?
I did, in fact, I liked it so much I purchased a copy for my Kindle so that I could have an extra copy when I wanted to reread it on every device I own. I found this a unique place to start in the series because I haven’t read Evian’s Saga yet. I know a lot going into it. In a way, it makes me feel special, that I have some inside information going in whenever I go to the next book.
What was your favorite part of the book?
There is this eye-catching scene in chapter 8, where one character catches another character off guard using a 3-Fist Plum Blossom Preying Mantis technique. I looked this up to see what it looked like and watched several kung fu Youtuber’s doing similar methods. When I went back to re-read the scene, I was even more impressed with it. The idea that someone could come out and hit someone like that was interesting to me, and the visual image is fun.
Do you have a least favorite part of the book?
My critique here is I feel somewhat minor because everyone writes how they are comfortable. From other reviewers and things I've read, Taffey writes similar to screenplay treatments.
I, however, am unfamiliar with screen treatments. So, the critique will not be regarding the story development as about the style in which ink was put to page.
For one, the book was written in present tense, and upon occasion slips POV. Additionally, there are many examples of ellipsis and parenthesis in the book where perhaps a comma or semi-colon could have come in. These are minor critiques, but for someone used to a different way of writing, I sometimes re-read a scene or had to go back a couple of pages to re-read a situation.
My feelings, however, are not going to reflect on the score, because, again everyone writes as they wish to. I only mention it in the review in case the formatting of a book is a big deal to someone who wants to read it. The way that the story develops is beautiful, the characters are great, and I love the world building.
If you could change something in the story, what would it be?
I wouldn’t change the ending, or the plotline, or any of the way the story develops. If I could change anything, it’d be to ask for more of something. As I mentioned in the review earlier, one of my favorite parts of the book had to do with the kung fu technique mentioned in a scene from chapter eight. There are a lot of battles, sparing, fighting and physical engagement in the book.
If I could change anything, I’d love to see more in-depth explanations or descriptions of what happened in them. Evian Magi is based on Keanu Reeves as the author explains in the forward, and I can see what he’s doing in my mind. Thus, to have more of those physical hard hitting descriptions would help me the reader to get into it.
I HIGHLY recommend this book. I loved it, and I think that I will like the world of Taffey as I go into Evian’s Saga!
