eBook Through the Veil (A Veil Novel) ePub

Brajind

This book was a little better than I thought it was at first glance. It's not really urban fantasy as the cover suggests - more real fantasy - and it's a little bare. I like my books a little more epic.

However, the book kept my interest throughout and the author created an interesting world. I do think that world could have been a little more detailed as well.

Finally, I have no issue with sex in novels (graphic sex or sex-light), however, the graphic sex in this book seemed completely out of place and didn't fit the tone of the rest of the book. It seemed a bit like the author was trying a bit too hard to make this a flavor of the month urban fantasy, and the book has definite genre identification issues! I wasn't sure if it was urban fantasy, straight fantasy, romance or what...

All in all, though, a fun read with some interesting characters. If the author chooses to develop this world further in future novels, I'd try her again to see what she does with it!

Nicanagy

This story about Lee and Kalen and their fight against the Warlords of Anqar had me hooked at the beginning and I was intrigued by the world Kalen lived in and how Lee had been moving between the two worlds. Kalen was very patient with waiting for Lee to regain her memory after everything they shared and I am disappointed that this seems to be a one off and not an ongoing series as there is room for it to continue.

Budar

The plot had an interesting concept (alternate universes, etc.) but the story dragged and some parts were hard to grasp. Its like the story started somewhere in the middle instead of the beginning. Maybe this was part of a series or something. The characters never really develop any depth to them. I had to force myself to finish reading it.

Kerahuginn

I loved this book. I loved the character development. I couldn't wait to read what happened next!

Tygolar

This book's cover snatched my attention one night when I went to the store, so I bought it... and was mildly disappointed when I finished the book. I found that the heroine didn't really grow, although there was a part in the middle of the book that should have inspired a rather drastic change in her personality/voice... but it did not. And after this event, certain things continued to happen, although they should not have - and there were also a few gaps in the story, wherein some areas of the worlds were left flat or not as detailed as I would have liked. The cover also hints at a more swords and sorcery type fantasy, as there's a crossbow like weapon - but there's laser type things instead in the novel itself. The writing itself has problems - sometimes it's like watching someone try to get in a car without actually opening the door, because some conditions are not met, and then the action's taking place anyway. Sometimes characters just mysteriously seem to pop in, although earlier they weren't there, or the person is doing one thing, and then later has to re-do it, or they are in the wrong place. Some phrases are also reused a lot, and it just reminds me of another author who I've actually quit reading who is infamous for reusing phrases to the point that readers make fun of her.

I found that the plot was actually quite predictable in some places - I guessed several factors that were revealed near the end of the book, and I'd guessed them about half way through.

There aren't many female characters in this novel, but that's quite understandable considering the plot. The hero of the novel was actually a little annoying. The most interesting man was not even the main character - but a side character who is also supposed to have a twist at the end, and yet I guessed that, too. I felt like the plot twists had a little too much foreshadowing/were rather transparent.

What I found good about the novel was the idea behind the world and the conflict found within the book, although I wish the author had some how explained or shown why the problems started in the first place. With some authors, these types of details are sorted out in later books in a series, but there is no sign that this is part of a series.

Like another reviewer said, the author tries to place this novel into too many genres - there's elements of traditional romance, science fiction, fantasy and urban fantasy. For example, the term "witch" seems wrongly applied in this novel. The majority of this novel is set in a world that is technologically advanced compared to our own present but one that has had some major setbacks. The term "witch" seems strange, especially when the term "talented" is also used. I've never really heard of a science fiction heroine who was a witch... and this seems more like psychic power and power over the gates/veil... which also somewhat falls into psychic powers, in my opinion.

Despite all the problems the book had, I did enjoy reading it. I found myself jolted out of the story for the reasons I've stated above, but overall it was a good story. I really enjoyed the excerpt of another book by another author at the end... in fact, I enjoyed it just as much, if not more, than the actual book.

Winawel

Lee wakes up every morning, battered, bruised with no idea what happened to her while she slept. Haunted by half-remembered dreams, maybe even memories, she's tried everything to find out what's happening to her. The truth is more than she expected. Born of another world, a world at war, Lee somehow manages to travel there, to fight on the battlefront in her sleep, though she can't get there when awake. Until the call of Kalen, a fellow warrior desperate for her help and her magick, pushes her through the veil between worlds during the day.

Ishtan is a buffer world, sitting between the demon realm of Anqar and our world. The demons of Anqar have nearly laid waste to Ishtan. Desperate to continue their race they kidnap women and children for use as breeders and body slaves. Women who breed powerful children with the Anqar Warlords are highly prized and well treated, but still prisoners.

Kalen is a battle leader on the front lines of the war, trying to defend the women of his world against the Anqar raids. He's worked with (and loved) Lee for years, never having an opportunity to tell her how he felt. But now she's reappeared, in the flesh, and his biggest priority is keeping her safe.

Through the Veil is mesh of a book. It's a romantic fantasy that reads like an urban fantasy, but these character also wield plasma charges and cold-firing guns (and cannons). The world setting is excellent, intriguing and reminiscent of Anne Bishop's Black Jewels books (which are a favorite of mine).

The book, however, is not without its flaws. Lee is set up to be very powerful, almost infinitely powerful, special and an all around bad-ass. However nearly the entire book she's shown as a shaken, obtuse woman. Some of this is understandable, since she's not the same person awake in Ishtan as she has been dreaming in Ishtan. It's her refusal to believe in herself, combined with everyone else's blind faith in her specialness that wears the patience thin.

Kalen is a drool-worthy, sizzling hero and had my vote of most awesome character until about halfway in, when Lee repeatedly tells him to stop touching her and instead they have sex. Set in a frame of Kalen being the hero fighting against a race that's kidnapping and raping women, keeping them as sex slaves and breeders, the multiple times Lee said no and Kalen kept going anyway until Lee finally loosened up and gave in to her own lust killed off the like I had for him. (Note: I don't consider the scene to be rape per say, but it was too close to non-consensual for m tastes.) I'm afraid I just couldn't simultaneously accept that the Anqar demons are evil for what they do to women, but when the hero does it it's supposed to be hot.

As stellar as the world building is the description gets repetitive and there's a lot of time spent repeating that could have been spent on other things, namely the missing battle scenes. After all Kalen and Lee and everyone else are in the middle of a huge war for their world, yet there aren't any battles shown "on screen" and the darker aspects of the tale are glanced over and described as little as possible. Lee and Kalen might be watching a pyre of the teen soldier that just died in a fight with the giant wyrms that the Anqar demons put on Ishtan to take out the natives, but the emotion of these moments is glanced over.

Given the power of the lust between Kalen and Lee, the vividness of the world setting and story concept, and the depths of the emotion Lee feels between what she's supposed to be and what she thinks she is, the lack of power to the darker parts makes the story feel like Walker is pulling her punches. The combination of how very much I loved the fantasy setting, Kalen in the beginning and Walker's style versus the things I was dissatisfied with leaves me feeling very conflicted about this book. Certainly it will appeal to romantic fantasy fans, and probably also to Anne Bishop fans. The uniqueness of the world and its conflict is engaging (and that's why I bought the book), I just feel unsure that this is the tale Through the Veil wanted to be.

One thing I do know is that if Ms. Walker ever turned her pen toward a true dark fantasy or urban fantasy I would be all over it.