Sonora and the Eye of the Titans by T.S. Hall
My Goodreads Rating: 3 of 5 stars
My Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
Sonora and the Eye of the Titans is a fast, interesting read. The magic is well thought out and a lot of consideration was put into tying Earthen mythology and the like to Sonora. There were some cool magical devices (like the glue ball and the safe), and quite a bit of action. The overall plot is interesting enough for me to want to check out Book #2 via Kindle Unlimited once I get through my backlog.
As with any early story, it’s not without its flaws. I realize that I’m older than the intended audience by a couple decades, so maybe I don’t recall being a teenager much, but the way the characters behaved at times seemed overly exaggerated. The repetitious almost-romance got annoying; there are other ways to show growing affection. In parts there is more telling than showing. At the beginning, there were some really wacky similes that didn’t mesh well. I didn’t feel that the characters changed very much most of the book, and also got confused about their ages versus the grade they were in (isn’t 16 for the majority of the school year too young to be a senior?). I’m not a fan of fully omniscient point of view, but that’s just a personal preference. There’s also some editing issues; the book could definitely use one more pass from a writing group or professional editor.
The plot was strong and mostly organized well enough to keep me going. It’s not easy being a writer, so kudos to Travis Hall for putting it together.
Pros:
– interesting alternate world
– good plot
– thorough and unique magic system
– fun magical devices
– lots of action
– strong secondary characters
– currently a Kindle Unlimited option
Cons:
– not enough character development
– relationships don’t feel real
– hard to relate to the main cast (but again, that may be an age thing)
– Milly
– combat scenes start out well, but are hit or miss at the end
– some editing issues
– still confused on how the prologue fits in the book
Sonora and the Eye of the Titans is available for free via Kindle Unlimited or is $4.99 to buy.
I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
The Concordium of Cyliena 