Release Date: April 28, 2015
Gabe lost his memories in a car accident. He remembers the face of a woman he loved but nothing else. Lea wants to prove there’s a dimension beyond our own. Lea and Gabe team up and discover dangerous secrets neither could have imagined.
The author, Laura Maisano, gave me a copy of this novel in exchange for my review.
The main premise of [easyazon_link identifier=”B00TWPORSA” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]SCHISM: Illirin Book One[/easyazon_link] is a great idea. A fragile veil separates the world of Illirin from our world. Illirin is a vaguely Arthurian landscape with an interesting integration of technology. There are shades of the crack in the wall from Matt Smith’s outing as Doctor Who in the idea that thrill this ardent Whovian. Sadly, what follows does not live up to the initial promise.
Lea is a great character with great motivations. She’s nerdy, smart and imbued with drive and a wiliness to do what it takes to achieve her goals. Lea’s parents are in an asylum as they’ve witnessed the schism but no one believes them. Lea sees it as her duty to prove the truth of the fourth dimension and to clear the reputation of her parents, who claim to have been attacked by a creature from another world. Lea wears the reputation of her parents like armor and embraces being seen as eccentric as a way to protect herself. In many ways, Lea is a truly real character. While she is mostly well written, Lea often reads as younger than a 20-something, making decisions that are contrived.
Helping Lea in her quest is Gabe. Gabe is a character in transition throughout the story. Once Lea and Gabe reach Illirin, his true character is revealed in a way that changes the direction of the story. Normally, a switch in a story about parallel universes and alternate worlds is expected and welcomed, but something in the styling of [easyazon_link identifier=”B00TWPORSA” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]SCHISM: Illirin Book One[/easyazon_link] is off. The resolutions are rapid fire and we’re told things about Gabe and Lea that are only rounded out in Lea’s character. We are told that Gabe is a take-charge kind of guy, but the character we read gives us nothing to back that up though people tend to illogically follow him as though he has psychotropic powers.
Ultimately, [easyazon_link identifier=”B00TWPORSA” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]SCHISM: Illirin Book One[/easyazon_link] is a great idea that is poorly executed. The exposition is lacking and while the concept calls for a lot of background, the actual plot twists feel rushed and the writing, at times, is oddly arranged. There’s a love triangle that seems fueled by proximity and snap-together parts and little else. [easyazon_link identifier=”B00TWPORSA” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]SCHISM: Illirin Book One[/easyazon_link] is the first book in a series and while many story threads are left hanging, it’s about inciting interest in readers to continue the series. This reader is not enticed.
If [easyazon_link identifier=”B00TWPORSA” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]SCHISM: Illirin Book One[/easyazon_link] sounds like a book for you, give it a shot. If you’ve read it and enjoyed the work, let me know what you loved about it.
Read an excerpt and buy Schism: Illirin Book One by Laura Maisano on
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For more information about Laura Maisano, visit her website. You can connect with her on Goodreads, Facebook, Google+ and Twitter @MaisanoLaura.