The book is from Indie published Teresa McCullough, and I had fun reading it. In my own star system of 1 to 7 stars this one rates a solid 5
* * * * *
The basic plot: Two very different people sharing a single life, and have for such a long time that they have made peace with this somewhat unorthodox arrangement caused by very powerful magic. The classic “Ladyhawk” idea? Not quite. There are some interesting twists and turns, not to mention memorable distinctions.
The world: Contemporary with some fantasy elements. There are weres, sorcerers/witches and vampires but still it is the basic world that we all recognize.
The characters: I found myself liking Bengt and Tian, the characters McCullough created, despite the fact that both were a little too casual about the “who wants to live forever” drama they could have experienced. This is personal taste, however, I am sure that there are people who would deal with such a possibility far better than others. These two magically bound characters (they were titled a Dual) were described to have regretted or mourned certain dramatic events in the past, and yet I could not feel the emotional backlash, which was a bit of a pity. In my reading I prefer to feel what the characters feel, rather than be told. But there are many readers who do not and rather keep it matter of fact.
Perhaps the characters’ acceptance was very accurate in regard to the fact that they were very old and had gone through all that emotional trauma long before the story commenced. Also, from a romantic point of view, neither of these characters were romantically inclined, which, to a romance reader like myself, was a tad disappointing. Whatever the case, McCullough managed to hold my attention throughout the read and kept me going straight to the end for the sheer pleasure of finding out where these characters would lead me. Well done.
Writing style: Concise and easy to follow sentence structure. Personally I would have enjoyed McCullough to have taken a little more risk in her sentence structure, more of a rollercoaster ride, rather than the merry-go-round’s steady rhythm, if you get my meaning, but that is personal taste again. On the overall I could not find fault in her writing and enjoyed the ride, which is definitely a plus.
I only came upon a handful of typos at most, which is admirable for an independently published book.
End conclusion:
I really enjoyed the story McCullough created with this original-to-me concept. Technically it was well put together, and thought out into the tiniest details, kudos to the author. I recommend the story to readers and hope that they find pleasure in this story as well.
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That's it. If you're curious to read it for yourself, (and support the arts, so to speak) here's the link.
The Secret of Sanctua: A Bengt/Tian Novel
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