Book Review and Giveaway: Carpe Noctem
For the giveaway, just leave a comment here and I'll select a name randomly. It's an ebook, so you'll be able to download in whichever format you prefer!
Carpe Noctem (Book #1 of the Immortalis Series)
Author: Katie Salidas
Review: 3 Stars
This book opens with a fairly graphic attack on the main character, from which she emerges as a vampire. I liked the concept, in that I think it's neat to see the urban fantasy setting from the perspective of a vampire main character. Ms. Salidas clearly put thought into the world she was creating, giving her vampires a unique background. The Las Vegas setting was interesting and well rendered.
Despite the action that begins CARPE NOCTEM, I didn't really feel as if the story started until about halfway through the book. The beginning establishes the world, and the characters to some extent, but things didn't really start moving until we began to learn about Alyssa's previous life.
The second half of the book has conflict, the plot hangs together, and we get a little deeper glimpse into the characters. I would have liked to have seen more of their motivations, more reactions, but the story is strictly from Alyssa's POV, so the reader is limited by what she notices, and Alyssa's perceptions of the other characters weren't as fleshed out as I would have liked them to be.
The writing was never too stiff or overly formal. But I didn't feel connected to the characters, or to their problems. Ms. Salidas doesn't shy away from putting her characters in tough situations, morally or physically, and it helps to round them out somewhat, but I didn't feel it had much lasting effect and the consequences always seemed to be brushed aside too easily.
Author: Katie Salidas
Review: 3 Stars
This book opens with a fairly graphic attack on the main character, from which she emerges as a vampire. I liked the concept, in that I think it's neat to see the urban fantasy setting from the perspective of a vampire main character. Ms. Salidas clearly put thought into the world she was creating, giving her vampires a unique background. The Las Vegas setting was interesting and well rendered.
Despite the action that begins CARPE NOCTEM, I didn't really feel as if the story started until about halfway through the book. The beginning establishes the world, and the characters to some extent, but things didn't really start moving until we began to learn about Alyssa's previous life.
The second half of the book has conflict, the plot hangs together, and we get a little deeper glimpse into the characters. I would have liked to have seen more of their motivations, more reactions, but the story is strictly from Alyssa's POV, so the reader is limited by what she notices, and Alyssa's perceptions of the other characters weren't as fleshed out as I would have liked them to be.
The writing was never too stiff or overly formal. But I didn't feel connected to the characters, or to their problems. Ms. Salidas doesn't shy away from putting her characters in tough situations, morally or physically, and it helps to round them out somewhat, but I didn't feel it had much lasting effect and the consequences always seemed to be brushed aside too easily.
Comments
Good Luck to those wishing to enter the giveaway too!
=)
~Katie