Ivan AmberlakeCritiques

Path of the Heretic (The Beholder, #2) by Ivan Amberlake

Jason does not expect the Darksighted to return to New York. This time they are not after him, but after those who might know where Emily is. After being betrayed by her, (and her disappearance) he is struggling to sort things out. He still has feelings for her even after everything that happened. He needs to know exactly what happened to her and why.

Emily comes to Jason in dreams and gives him clues and where to find answers he needs. He knows it is hard to live in this world as he learns more about the world of Energy and Light. But will Emily betray him again? Who exactly is she? He is determined to find the truth and do what ever it takes to protect those he loves and himself.

The perfect follow up to book one The Beholder, but great as a stand-alone. I liked Jason from the first time we met him, and I like him even more in this story. His friends old and new, all have likable qualities as well. They are unique and interesting and I loved getting to know each person. Then there are those who are not likable, that adds to the suspense and spice up the story.

There are some surprises, and shocking moments that kept me at the edge of my seat needing to know more. Well written story with action, suspense , mystery and surprises. Path of the Heretic is an enjoyable read. I strongly recommend to those who love (Urban) fantasy.

Diary of the Gone by Ivan Amberlake

When The Blackwells move to the town of Olden Cross, Fifteen year old Callum's life is not the best for him. He is bullied, haunted by dead people and not to happy about the move. But he does makes some friends.

Soon his friends begin to disappear and so does "The Diary Of The Gone". It is a diary that has a mind of its own, nothing good seems to come out of that diary. Will Callum be able to figure out what is going on? What (if anything) is the connection to the disappearances and the diary? Will he be able to face "the Gone" and save his friends?

A well written short story. I really liked Callum. He is an average teen, bullied, just wanting to fit in and have a happy life. The story is very original, not your usual ghost story. The pace is swift, exciting and captivating. A definite all night read!

I also liked the cover, very eye-catching. I feel that young-adult as well as adult readers who love a great ghost/paranormal story will enjoy Diary of the Gone. I highly recommend to all.

The Beholder by Ivan Amberlake

Jason is an average New Yorker, but soon his world is about to turn upside down. People are going missing, all of them with a strange brand on their body. He meets a beautiful woman named Emily, she tells him an unbelievable story. Jason has powers deep inside of him that will be surfacing. He is special, not ordinary.

He soon finds out the world is filled with Light and Darksighted people. He must learn to use his powers, with Emily's help to prevent the Darkness from taking over. He is told he is the Beholder, and it is his job to do this, after all they have been waiting for him for many years.

Well written with likable characters (and those who are not). Jason is just awesome, someone who I would want as a friend, and on my side in tough times. Emily is a strong female, lead. I love that in a story.

A great blend of fantasy, action and a splash of romance. Each pages pulls you into the story, gripping tight and not letting go until the last page. I highly recommend The Beholder by Ivan Amberlake to book lovers of all genres. Yes it was that good, fantastic!

"The Beholder" by Ivan Amberlake is a very technically well-written novel. Falling into the New Adult genre of fiction it’s a bit of an acid trip of a story. The nature of New Adult is that it skips genres but in this novel there is less a problem with cohesion and more an issue with connection.

Amberlake starts the novel by introducing us to the true focal theme: the battle between good and evil. Shadows and Light are personified and Shadow is a cany warrior. The byplay during this brief battle shows the author’s skill with action that carries his story through this 264-page work. It is short, brutal and brilliant.

It is in modern day New York where the story starts to feel a little forced. Jason and his friends Matthew and Donna are average New Yorkers working average jobs in interior design. Jason is deeply emotional and, we’re led to believe, connected with his friends. We know when he collapses in the bathroom that he kind of knows, courtesy of nightmares, what’s happening and yet often he comes off rather pie-eyed. "The Beholder" is book one of a series and when we leave Jason he has grown as a character immeasurably and while the end result is distinct the progress read as contrived.

Amberlake’s profile states that this author is an “avid editor” and that skill shows in "The Beholder." While frequently Amberlake’s dialogue is stilted, his descriptions are vivid. “The storm of sound rolled over him so quickly that he understood what was happening only after several pieces (of broken mirror) had ripped into the girl’s flesh.” (Page 59). The author description on Amazon confesses a love of Harry Potter and while I enjoyed some of the movies it was also a series with which I was not able to connect as a reader. I do see some style similarities that may appeal to fans of the genre.

"The Beholder" is a solid start to the series planned but one that simply did not engage this reader.

So after a long time I've finally finished this novel and I'm glad I finally read it all. It was so worth the wait.

There are many things I liked about this book: it's originality, the description, the unwavering loyalty of friendship, the mind blowing world and the fight scenes. I even liked the cheesey romance because of the fact that this was written by a male author; if I hadn't known that when reading it and had been told afterwards I'd have been stunned. The romantic element is so gentle, intense and sometimes overwhelming on the point of cheesiness I found it so surprising coming from a male author. It was lovely to see, and refreshing too.

Ivan is definitely reliant on his kick ass description to create a scene and he does it so well. His vocabulary and descriptive skills are so far above anything I could create it makes me feel a bit dense, especially when knowing English is not his first language. I had to check the dictionary several times! There are so many beautiful pieces of writing it was such a pleasure to read. I wish I could mention them all but there was just too many! I found myself so engrossed at times I forgot the world around me. It was like I was really there in New York on top of a skyscraper gazing at the destroyed sky and carnage that had been left in the wake of the Dark Ones' attacks. So breathtakingly vivid.

The downside to this for me was the need to concentrate all the time, which can be a little difficult with a toddler around! Maybe if I read it a second time I would understand it better but because of the huge amount of knowledge about this fascinating world that is fed to you page after page, it was sometimes difficult for me to work out. I tend to be good at understanding literary concepts and imaginary worlds pretty well. I think the great amount of information on top of my spacing out my reading and my constant distractions whilst reading made it harder to absorb.

I'm still trying to work out what happened to Emily and whether she did betray Jason and the others or not. There is obviously much more that needs to be explained and i think Ivan will make room for that in book 2, which I will be anxiously waiting to read.

Another few points I'd like to mention is that along with the uncertainty about Emily's outcome and her role in the novel, there are many things left unanswered. About Tyler for one (will he become a little or a lot evil? Did the death of Emily -that is IF she really died- and the guilt of William's death bring out a bit of the bad boy in him and we just don't know it yet?), about Pariah and his history and what he actually is (my bet's on Ivan's interpretation of the devil, or at least the devil's right-hand man/demon) and about some of the other characters and their back story. Some of my questions I would say are important, most of them not but that's just me being curious. I want to know what the initials are. Who else might be EE, at least that's what I thought Jason was leading towards. There was so much to know and so many questions to ask I forgot to mention them earlier in my review.

Apart from all the questions it unleashes in our overwhelmed, awestruck brains, this novel really pulls at the heart strings. You feel what Jason feels so easily and at times, unwillingly. The description with out a shadow of a doubt is what really grips you and it doesn't let go. Whether creating a canvas for a scenery, for expressing an emotion or describing an action, feelings of pain, infliction, torture, Ivan's description captures it all.

I don't know whether to feel saddened by the outcome or hopeful. I'm on the fence at the moment. The ending was poignant but with the image of Emily it made me hopeful that things were looking up. It was nice to feel like I cared enough for the characters to wish them happiness and health.


So to sum up, because of the muddling of my brain trying to work out what was going on, and the swiftness of Jason's affections for Emily which I didn't connect with (the romantic emotions not the people) except for perhaps until the last third of the book where I found their relationship flowed much more nicely, I couldn't give it the full five stars.

My overall rating is four and a half, but I've rounded up as I usually do unless I feel it really doesn't deserve it. Because I like the author and admire his skill, I don't think his work should be rounded down because of my incompetence!

4.5 out of 5 stars. Thank you very much!

This book was reviewed for Bit'N Book Promoters.


Diary of the Gone is the second novel I've read by this author; the first being The Beholder, which was also very good.

The author, Ivan's, strongest ability is his description. No doubt about that. He has a way with words and manages to set a mood simply by describing the scenery and that's not as easy as it sounds.

This novel was creepy, mysterious and original. The idea that the dead visit the main character, Callum, before passing on to the next world is very unnerving. Especially when you're put in his shoes. It's a curse, passed down to him and there are many side stories which connect at the end so you fully understand why things are the way they are. Why he has this ability. Why the swamp came to be, and why it mysteriously grows bigger each year. What happened to the boy who was killed many years ago. Who is kidnapping characters and why. It's a maze of questions and the book constantly keeps you on your toes.

Callum is a likable character. He's strong in many ways but also weak in other ways. He's bullied by the principal's son and is quite an introvert. He finds it difficult to talk to girls and the way he reacts, the way he is written, makes it very believable that he is a fifteen year old boy. I enjoyed being in his shoes and following him around.

The book had a build up of impending doom. You could feel it and it gave you chills. The scenes with the shadows (the dead) visiting Callum while he's writing in his diary to send them away, are very chilling even though very little actually happens. It's the way that it is written that makes you uncomfortable and that just shows the skill of the writer.

There were a few errors in the novel, such as grammar, but there was also the dialogue, the way it was written, which showed that the author is not a native speaker. I know he plans to fix that anyway, and to be honest, it never deters your enjoyment of the novel; the errors are that minor.

I love the cover, even more so than The Beholder's cover. I know the designer of the cover and he did a grand job. It's very eye-catching and quite pretty despite the fact it is ominous.

The flow of the plot is smooth and each chapter gives you something new to look forward to. Questions to ask and something to fear. The novel is actually a novella really but it feels a decent size. Everything that needed to be covered, is.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery, urban fantasy and spooky stories. It isn't graphic but it is a little dark. Plus the twist near the end is definitely worth waiting for.

I preferred this novel to The Beholder, just because I liked how creepy it was. It was simple, short and sweet, with decent, well-formed characters; the mystery was well concealed and not predictable- I didn't guess what the twist was and I'm fairly good at that. It was just an enjoyable novel, and an interesting concept. I liked it a lot. So because I liked it a little bit more than Ivan's other novel, it has to get a higher mark. I gave The Beholder 4.5 out of 5.

It only makes sense that this should get full marks. FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS.