Shannon McRoberts

See the original review at The Indigo Quill here: http://theindigoquill.blogspot.com/2013/06/giveaway-guest-post-verses-of-athine-...

If you have the occasional inkling for an entirely new world conjured utterly from a person's imagination, then Verses of Athine is for you. When I first read the description, I'll be honest, I was a little wary that it would be significantly overwhelming. At first it was with the lineage of the characters listed in the same format you find throughout the Bible. That was probably the worst part about this book. I still thought it was cool that Miss McRoberts chose to include the lineage this way, but it made me just a tad bit dizzy. After that part, however, I found myself engrossed through the work. It was very well written and the plot and characters written with a mythological style. I found it interesting and innovative and Shannon McRoberts truly did a wonderful job. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys delving into a magical land they've never ventured into before...and be prepared to meet some new friends on the way, while learning new things about characters you thought you once knew!… (plus d'informations)

I mainly read this book as a companion to another book I read and reviewed for Shannon McRoberts, Verses of Athine. While it helped connect several questions in that book, this is still a great stand-alone story, explaining the past of Zara, and what had happened to her, prior to the current time of the book.

The plot was very unique- books set in the future are always interesting, and the explanation of where clones would come from was original to me. Most of the story ended up being bittersweet, but still had a sense of finality and success. With only a few main characters, the story primarily focused on Zara's immediate past, making it a quick little novella.

The writing was alright. Continually leap-frogging the story into the future, then back-tracking to explain what happened, is a style I don't particularly enjoy, but I suppose it is different from most books. It still flowed alright, but the mental whiplash of going back in forward in time took some getting used to, which is why I took a star away. This is certainly a book I'd recommend though, to any fan of clone stories, and especially for anyone who's read, or planning to read Verses of Athine.

*I was given an ebook copy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.… (plus d'informations)

Being a collection of all four parts in The Daughter of Ares series, this is not a short read. Luckily, it's interesting and full of great characters, making this a wonderful fantasy book.

Mixing Norse and Greek Mythology is certain to make for an epic plot. With rich histories and backgrounds plunging into both areas of myth, Shannon McRoberts does a fantastic job of creating a new story out of old legends. Full of mystery, secrets, suspense, and quick adventure, this story keeps you second guessing an on your toes.

This book follows Athine, daughter of Ares, and tells her story, from her childhood, to her connection with our world. We meet a wide range of characters, including the descendants of humans with dragon blood, descendants of dragons themselves, mermaids, most of the famous Greek gods, several Norse gods, vampires, and many humans. Watching history unfold in this magical realm is sure to satisfy the imagination of any fantasy fan.

The writing style took a few chapters to grow accustomed to, but is wasn't bad. Like most fantasy stories creating an alternate reality/realm/universe, there were a lot of names and places that were unique. It had a lot of dialogue and history, but still had action and adventure to keep the story flowing at good pace.

Overall, I really liked this book. With dynamic characters and extraordinary challenges, this story has done a great job of tying in the myths of Olympus and Valhalla with our own history. I would recommend this story to any fantasy fan.

*I was given an ebook copy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.… (plus d'informations)