Review: Spirit Thorn

Title: Spirit Thorn (A Tale of Parallel Worlds)
Author: Zacharias O'Bryan
Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction
Format: eBook
Rating: 1/5

Do parallel worlds exist? Searching for proof, Professors Rodger & Cassie Swift vanish. Kestrelle, a spirit girl claiming to know their fate, tells their son Braden he must brave a whitewater, tooth-sprouting river into a land where wise vultures predict the future and blue minds inhabit lava caves. Only two powers can help: Kestrelle's Blood Thorn and Braden's vine-painted guitar.

Spirit Thorn is a story that begins from the point of view of Braden a young human boy and then flipping back and forth between him and Kestrelle, a spirit "elf" girl. Each chapter is then interspersed with fragments of Braden's father's scientific journals giving a reference to phenomenons and other scientific theories that may explain some of what is happening in the story.

Although the Thorn is said to be important for nearly the beginning it's importance and origin of only hinted at throughout the book and is never fully explained. The same also goes with Braden's guitar which is said to be monumental in their quest yet is hardly stops anything when it is destroyed halfway through.

Setting: In a parallel universe in Oregon (oddly not mentioned until about half way through) where gasoline, and other usual modern amenities are a thing of the past.

Characters: As for character development this book is also highly lacking and left me with even more questions by the end instead of revealing withheld information or explanations by the end as many other books do. How Braden was portrayed his year long struggle/search to find out what happened to his parents seems to be glossed over so it evokes little sympathy. His later selfishness and lack of premeditated actions made him seem more like a secondary character than a main one and made me think how much the book could have kept most (if not all) its literary integrity and storyline if Braden was simply removed all together.
As for Molly, another non-human character, I would have appreciated more explanation of who she was (or more specifically what her job was in the eyes of the other creatures). She is identified as "The Singer" and you are left puzzled as to why it is important until at which time she seems to be paralleled with religious figures such as Jesus or Buddha.

Age Recommendation: Although this books is said to be for all ages I would adjust that to being best for pre-teens, particularly for those interested in books involving creatures of other races (mythical or otherwise).

Overall it is a fairly fast read and if you have nothing better to do go and give it a read after all it is free to buy but I wouldn't spend money for it which is disappointing for me as I had moderately high hopes for this one...

Missing my Books

I recently found out that from Amazon I was able to download "Kindle for PC" for free. This is a program that allows you to read ebooks (like you would on a Kindle or other reader) with just your ordinary computer (In my case, on my laptop). I've been thinking about getting a ebook reader since they first came out so I figured this was a great way to see if I'd like it or not. Although I do realize that eReaders have more features than my PC version allows. Do you have an eReader; e.g. Kindle, Kobo, etc.? Do you like it?

The other day I set aside the book I was reading to give an ebook a try. I am now about 3/4 of the way through my first ebook "Spirit Thorn" by Zacharias O'Bryan and let's just say I'll be glad to get back to my hardcopy books. Here are a few things I don't understand/am missing when I compare my Kindle for PC with books:

1. I miss my standard page numbers. I am instead given a percentage of completion and a location number (a number that doesn't correspond to page/screen numbers) which seems to skip numbers at an irregular rate.
2. I spend too much time on my computer as it is so reading on it too just makes my eyes burn...ouch.
3. The "pages" turn too easily so sometimes while I'm reading I'll accidentally skip a page which leads to confusion on my part.
4. I like to curl up in my bed or my favourite chair when reading... my laptop is too bulky and not at all conducive to this.
5. My laptop is heavier/bigger than most of my books which makes it tricky to carry around and since I tend to only read one or two books at a time it isn't such a problem to just carry them around.
6. I like the feeling of accomplishment when I look at the side of a book I've been reading and see how much (in thickness) I've read compared to how much I have still to read. Although the percentage in the eReader does give me this same information I just don't get that same feeling.

How about you? What other things have you found that you liked/disliked/missed when reading an ebook?

In My Mailbox

I recently got these books in the mail so I figured I'd share them with you. Let me know if you have read any of them and what you thought about them.

The Perfect Summer: Dancing into Shadow in 1911 by Juliet Nicolson
(Published/Released: September 13, 2007)
The summer of 1911 was one of the high sunlit meadows of English history, but on the horizon lurked a gathering storm. A new king was on the throne and the aristocracy were at play. Yet as temperatures soared, cracks appeared under the surface with strikes, class divisions and the seeds of war to come. Through the eyes of a series of exceptional individuals - among them a debutante, a choirboy, a politicians, a trade unionist, a butler and the Queen.

In Cold Pursuit: A Mystery From The Last Continent by Sarah Andrews
(Published/Released: June 3, 2010)

Valena Walker is a dedicated master''s student in geology headed to Antarctica to study glaciology with the venerable Dr. Emmett Vanderzee. Being on the ice is something she''s dreamed about since she was a little girl. But when she finally arrives at McMurdo, she discovers that her professor has been arrested for murder, and what''s more, that the incident happened a year ago. A newspaper reporter who''d visited Antarctica the previous winter had died from exposure, and though no one was a fan of the guy---he was attempting to contradict Vanderzee's research---by all accounts, everyone was devastated to lose someone on the ice. Valena quickly realizes that in order to avoid being shipped north immediately and having her grant canceled, she must embrace the role of detective and work to clear his name---and save herself in the process.

The Devil's Queen: A Novel of Catherine de Medici by Jeanne Kalogridis
(Published/Released: March 29, 2011)
Confidante of Nostradamus, scheming mother-in-law to Mary, Queen of Scots, and architect of the bloody St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, Catherine de Medici is one of the most maligned monarchs in history. In her latest historical fiction, Jeanne Kalogridis tells Catherine's story-that of a tender young girl, destined to be a pawn in Machiavellian games.Born into one of Florence's most powerful families, Catherine was soon left a fabulously rich heiress by the early deaths of her parents. Violent conflict rent the city state and she found herself imprisoned and threatened by her family's enemies before finally being released and married off to the handsome Prince Henry of France.Overshadowed by her husband's mistress, the gorgeous, conniving Diane de Poitiers, and unable to bear children, Catherine resorted to the dark arts of sorcery to win Henry's love and enhance her fertility-for which she would pay a price. Against the lavish and decadent backdrop of the French court, and Catherine's blood-soaked visions of the future, Kalogridis reveals the great love and desire Catherine bore for her husband, Henry, and her stark determination to keep her sons on the throne.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Ben Winters (and Jane Austen)
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters expands the original text of the beloved Jane Austen novel with all-new scenes of giant lobsters, rampaging octopi, two-headed sea serpents, and other biological monstrosities. As our story opens, the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her romantic sister Marianne is courted by both the handsome Willoughby and the hideous man-monster Colonel Brandon. Can the Dashwood sisters triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love? Or will they fall prey to the tentacles that are forever snapping at their heels? This masterful portrait of Regency England blends Jane Austen's biting social commentary with ultraviolent depictions of sea monsters biting. It's survival of the fittest-and only the swiftest swimmers will find true love!

Lastly this is an ebook (free from Amazon and Chapters) that I figured I'd see what it's all about:
Spirit Thorn (A Tale of Parallel Worlds) by Zacharias O'Bryan
(Published/Released: April 7, 2010)
Do parallel worlds exist? Searching for proof Professors Rodger & Cassie Swift vanish. Kestrelle an other-world girl claiming to know their fate tells their son Braden he must brave a whitewater tooth-sprouting river into a land where wise vultures predict the future and blue minds inhabit lava caves. Only two powers can help: Kestrelle's Blood Thorn and Braden's vine-painted guitar.