SciFi / Fantasy / Horror
Plot: Toothless throws readers into the middle of a glitched RPG. With a light touch and a big wink to the RPG community, Thomas serves up humor and gentle scares.
Prose: The narrative integrates player stats alongside the prose, adding an air of verisimilitude to the gaming aspect.
Originality: Thomas offers a clever and original concept that will readily appeal to RPG fans.
Character/Execution: Characters aren't fully fleshed out, but the concept works; it's a breezy, fun read that mimics the experience of gaming within the body of a horror novel.
Plot/Idea: Moore's novel pits two contrasting desires against each other within a vampire-hunting tale: the desire to flee for the sake of one's safety and the desire to remain in place for the sake of preserving what is important. It adds unexpected depth to the well-known vampire-slaying storylines.
Prose: Moore takes a slow and masterful pace in unfolding the twists and turns of her story but at times it felt heavily laden with details about things that weren't central to the flow of the story.
Originality: It's almost impossible to write a vampire-hunting tale that is entirely original since so much has been written on that topic. However, Moore manages to add her own flavor by creating a conflict that isn't just "us versus them".
Character Development/Execution: Moore successfully creates a central character that is a strong lead for the other characters to follow. While the supporting characters each have their own motivations for their decisions, they all tie back to the main protagonist which creates cohesion that could otherwise easily be lost among so many twists and turns.
Plot/Idea: This work of suspenseful horror focuses on a group of individuals thrown together during a natural disaster--who must then face a sinister force among them. The author effectively sets the stage for the circumstances and builds tension throughout.
Prose: The storytelling is generally clear and engaging. Some descriptions might be pared down for clarity and brevity.
Originality: Although the notion of a seemingly random assortment of people forced to gather under unforeseen circumstances isn't entirely original, Thorne provides a number of fresh elements.
Character Development/Execution: The characters are mostly believable, with distinctive voices, but they might be more effectively grounded in their era.
Plot/Idea: The concepts at work are interesting, but the mechanics powering them occasionally struggle to build up speed, which could hold some readers back from the full ride.
Prose: Wino's prose is accommodating, though untested bouts with expository backstory and details tend to hinder the flow and disengage from the experience.
Originality: Wino takes familiar, well-trod elements of science fiction and finds ways to inject life into them by splicing together other genres in a way that, while not always conducive, makes for an interesting read.
Character Development/Execution: The cast of Dusk Upon Elysium are rendered with thought, but unsteady prose and a lack of energy surrounding their conception undermines their efforts to root themselves and their struggles in the reader's mind.
Plot/Idea: Cato's Choice is a layered sci-fi story that unfolds in the twenty-third century in the 'People's State of California.' Initially, Pill introduced dramatic worldbuilding elements that will capture the reader's attention. However, as the novel progresses, these attributes are somewhat diluted by aggressive pacing and thin characters.
Prose: Pill's prose comes off as rather rushed and unfocused, flitting from character to setting to exposition without settling in long enough to give them the full attention they deserve.
Originality: Cato's Choice introduces some clever maneuvers and competent worldbuilding, but ultimately it falls short of truly innovative.
Character Development/Execution: Pill's cast is intriguing, but ultimately difficult to connect with, particularly Cato, whose reactions frequently feel blasé and out of place with the story's events. The novel's breakneck pacing prevents in-depth character development.
Plot/Idea: A rich premise with vivid imagery is somewhat weakened by an unfocused perspective, uncertain pace, and passive prose that may prove a challenging combination of obstacles to readers.
Prose: While occasionally shining, Shadowmist Chronicles struggles with a passive, tell-not-show approach to its prose that reads more like an outline than a full-fledged novel.
Originality: Shadowmist Chronicles lives firmly in the territory of its genre contemporaries, content to mix-and-match original characters with ones already established, and does little to break the mold.
Character Development/Execution: Characters come across as rushed, their interactions, conflicts, and motivations feeling inconsistent and unfinished at times, and readers may struggle to latch onto them, and the story as a whole, as a result.
