Book Spotlight: The Transmigration of Cora Riley (A Forgotten Relics Novel, Book One) by Ellie Di Julio

***Originally posted on The Bearded Scribe on March 10th, 2014.***

Book Spotlight: The Transmigration of Cora Riley (A Forgotten Relics Novel, Book One) by Ellie Di Julio

Bonjour Beardies,

When Ellie Di Julio approached me about a blog tour to promote her title, The Transmigration of Cora Riley, I was drawn in by the amazing cover. Yeah, yeah… I know you should never judge a book by one, but it captivated me to read the premise, and I was sold. Magic, a soul-searching quest, and a trip to the Underworld; what could be better?

The Transmigration of Cora Riley by Ellie Di Julio bookcover

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{—PREMISE—}

CORA RILEY has always dreamed of a more extraordinary life; when her mother is diagnosed with cancer, she decides to forego college and the promise of one, settling down and marrying shortly after. After suffering a mental breakdown, leading to a divorce, Cora is forced to move back home with her parents, reminding her even more of her ordinary existence and the possibilities of more.

On an impulse, Cora decides to flee her parents’ house in the middle of the night in search of the life she relinquished. When her truck loses traction, causing it to roll and crash and her death, Cora succumbs to the clutches of the Mistress of the Underworld. The Mistress agrees to give her a second chance at life—but only if she can first complete a quest.

With the help of an atypical angel named Jack, a lost, young soul named Xavier, and the courage and determination she had once abandoned, Cora must travel through a complicated system of portals in search of a secret, thirteenth door (one that may not even exist) in order to complete her quest—and she must do it in only three days.

{—GEMS FOR WRITERS—}

1. World Building...

YOU probably assumed this would appear, but Di Julio truly does give us an incredibly-built world—several, actually. In The Transmigration of Cora Riley, we are introduced to the idea of twelve heavens, concepts based upon ideas held throughout various cultures. While Di Julio does not describe all twelve, she sets the premise for these worlds, all while immersing her characters and readers into a handful. The worlds range from stereotypical to mythological, borrowing elements from each yet expounding upon them with Di Julio‘s own twists and interpretations.

2. Mythology & Folklore Tie-In...

THIS Gem is, in truth, one in the same with the World-Builing Gem, but let’s delve a little deeper. Di Julio takes elements and characters from various mythological and folklore sources and makes them her own. Gods and goddesses from ancient mythos mix with angels, orcs, Faerie, dryads, and sprites, all done beautifully and believably. And a romp through Valhalla never hurt anyone, right?

3. Characterization...

NOT only is Di Julio a great world-builder, but she’s quite the romantic, too. Cora’s relationship with Jack starts off as just a business transaction of sorts, the two seemingly as different from one another as one could imagine. Attraction builds between the two not-so-polar opposites, climaxing in a tastefully-written love scene, and culminating with a bittersweet and unpredictable twist.

{—PEBBLES TO POLISH—}

1. Poor editing...

WHILE the story and the wonderfully-crafted worlds warrant a 5-Star rating, there are editing issues that exist throughout the story. These do not distract from the storytelling, however, and are only noticeable to those with a finely-tuned eye.

{DISCLAIMER: The editing issues are present in the ARC I received from the author only, which have been addressed in the final edition.}

{—RATING—}

{—CONCLUSION—}

ALONGSIDE heaven building and mythological tie-ins, Di Julio also weaves supernatural with mundane and sprinkles in a bit of magic, all while telling an awesome tale that left me wanting more. The readers get so caught up in Cora’s story, they don’t know that they’re truly being directed to their own secret portal: a twist ending that is sure to please. I can’t wait to find out what happens next in The Forgotten Relics Series.

***The Transmigration of Cora Riley (2013), by Ellie Di Julio, is published by and copyright Elle Belle Media.

***Per FTC Regulations: I received a free Advance Reading Copy (ARC) from the author and was not compensated in any way, monetarily or otherwise, for this review.

Book Spotlight: The Haunting Season by Michelle Muto

***Originally posted on The Bearded Scribe on July 25th, 2013.***

Book Spotlight: The Haunting Season by Michelle Muto

Bonjour Beardies,

Yesterday, as you all know, The Bearded Scribe hosted a stop on a Blog Tour for Michelle Muto‘s title, The Haunting Season. Today I will be digging a little deeper into this Paranormal Fantasy, highlighting specific strengths of the author—strengths that writers should consider emulating in their own stories.

PURCHASE FROM ONE OF OUR #affiliatelinks BELOW:

{—PREMISE—}

Be careful what you let in…

THAT’S what the ghost of Jess’s grandmother had told her before she stopped seeing it. But after the death of her father, and not being able to see his ghost—or any, for that matter…at least not anymore—Jess decides the opportunity to be part of a paranormal experiment might just bring back her ability. It wouldn’t bring back her father, but at least she’d be able to say goodbye to him, in a way, something she was unable to do before his death.

Against her mother’s pleading, Jess decides to take part in the experiment. She travels to Savannah, Georgia to the notoriously-haunted Siler House—a house that has stood vacant for years—to join three others and Dr. Brandt, the parapsychologist running the experiment. Their presence at the infamous Siler House has resurrected a dark evil that threatens to claim them, and they soon realize some houses are meant to stay empty.

{—BOOK TRAILER—}

{—GEMS FOR WRITERS—}

1. CHARACTERIZATION...

MUTO does an outstanding job describing all the characters—alive and dead—and maintaining the characterization throughout the story. In addition, each character has a distinct personality—concrete and seeming to come to life straight from the page.

2. Supernatural Originality...

WHILE the abilities of the four main characters are not necessarily unique in and of themselves, the combination of the abilities and the author’s research and thought behind the pairings was obvious. Muto does a wonderful job with making the abilities believable, too, as they all have limitations—both physical and mental.

3. Characterization...

ALTHOUGH the physicality of Siler House was inspired from a real place (The Sorrel-Weed House), the historical plot behind the haunting of Siler House is completely fictional and of Muto‘s own creation. Fictional though it may be, there’s something spooky behind the haunted tragedy of Siler House; its darkness and believability leave a chill in the reader long after the last page is turned.

{—RATING—}

{—CONCLUSION—}

THIS title was well-written, despite some needed editing for common (but minor) grammar mistakes. The sexually explicit scene ruined the flow for me; and although the author kept building toward it, I think the story would have benefited more from this act being merely alluded to and not actually described in graphic detail. Other than that, the story structure was well-organized and masterfully crafted. The world in which it is set—reality-inspired, yet so fantastically eerie—was impeccably built. The Siler House and its grounds came to life, the characters and their many personality quirks shined, and the story was terrifyingly gripping. I would definitely recommend this to all my readers (at least the ones who are 17 and up).

***The Haunting Season (2012), by Michelle Muto, is published by and copyright Autumn Hill Press.