Foto de l'autor

Rowan Altwood

Autor/a de A Light Amongst Shadows

10 obres 92 Membres 10 Ressenyes

Sèrie

Obres de Rowan Altwood

A Light Amongst Shadows (2018) 47 exemplars
A Hymn in the Silence (2018) — Autor — 13 exemplars
A Calm Before the Storm (2018) — Autor — 7 exemplars
A Shimmer in the Night (2018) — Autor — 7 exemplars
Car Crash Hearts 2 exemplars

Etiquetat

Coneixement comú

Nacionalitat
UK

Membres

Ressenyes

I really enjoyed this one! An all-boys boarding school historical romance with a supernatural twist? Yes, please. The book was very well-paced, and even if I had a hunch who the bad guy was pretty much from the start, the little plot twists and turns kept it from being predictable. The ghost story was a bit cliche in the beginning, with the chain-rattling and the haunted hallways, but the physical manifestation of the spirits and the fact that they could actually hurt people was an interesting change.

James was a really fun narrator, and his POV kept the book from becoming too dark or depressing, even though he had some skeletons in his own closet. His relationship with William, who's also far from problem-free, was a big part of the story. They had great chemistry, and understood each other well despite their differences. The way James courted William with poetry was super cute.

The HFN ending wrapped up the story nicely. The way everyone came together in the end - the guys, the teachers and even the ghosts - to defeat the villain was a very satisfying conclusion.
… (més)
 
Marcat
claudiereads | Hi ha 5 ressenyes més | Nov 25, 2022 |
This was the perfect October read! It was actually quite suspenseful and hair-raising which is something I don't find near as much as I expect I should in the horror/paranormal genre. That on top of a charming romance and even more charming lead character, it's a recommended read.

This is told from the POV of James who is shipped off by his parents to an all-boys religious finishing school after he suffers from abuse from his uncle that his parents refuse to believe and, in retaliation or a sort-of mental break, he sets fire to his family home with all inside. The school is one for "wayward boys" as they used to say so they're stricter than what might be considered normal with curfews and punishments. However, when James' roommate and now-best friend starts to act strangely and coming back from the headmaster's office with more injuries from "punishment" than is decent, then suddenly disappears altogether, James feels it's his duty to get to the bottom of it, with no help from the rule-following (out of fear) peers and staff.

The ghosts here are very vividly described with a well thought-out plot and, while the climax gets maybe a bit over-the-top, it's a very scary but fun read with equal parts romance, drama, and thrills.
… (més)
 
Marcat
brittaniethekid | Hi ha 5 ressenyes més | Jul 7, 2022 |
Not sure why the author made this a 2.5 rather than just the 3rd book in the series, since it's just about as long and is a different story. This is from both Preston and Benji's POVs detailing what they've been up to since leaving Whisperwood - while James and William have been doing their ghost hunting - as well as giving a lot of information about Benji's background and family life.

It takes place both during their time at Whisperwood, and shows how they ultimately met as well as their friendship with Oscar, as well as the subsequent months where Benji's mother has died and he meets his father for the first time. We learn of Benji's Chinese background (in the first book it's noted by James that he has "some Asian descent" but I found it unclear if that could mean Indian or east Asian in the 1800s vernacular) and of his mother and father's relationship. We also learn that both Preston and Benji have feelings past friendship for one another which also wasn't clear from the first book.

I find both Preston and Benji much more interesting with better developed voice than William so I enjoyed this much more than the 2nd book in the series and even a bit more then the 1st, which adds to why I find it odd this is considered more a novella in the series than a book in it's own right. I look forward to the next book which takes Preston and Benji overseas and more involved with the spiritual world Preston's aunt and their friends are already immersed in.
… (més)
 
Marcat
brittaniethekid | Jul 7, 2022 |
This was a decent sequel but didn't grip me quite as much as the first book.

This plot sounded really similar, no doubt the authors took inspiration from The 1922 Gruber Family Murders, but seemed to get a bit grandiose especially when the next book in the series is from the POV of yet another different character in an entirely different country. I think the authors could have pared it down a bit or closed it out a little cleaner, unless we do see The Order again in a sequel.
As some other reviewers said, this book also feels a little flat being from the POV of William who is not as strong a character as James. It didn't feel like we learned much more about him or that he grew as a character, and the relationship between him and James felt a bit stagnant which is not what you want from your main pair in a romance novel. I actually wanted to see more from Victor and his budding relationship with Adelia, they seemed much more interesting if I'm honest.

The thing the authors do really well is create a really creepy atmosphere and write scenes that almost feel like a good paranormal horror movie. There were a few bits where I didn't want to read anymore in the dark before bed in case of nightmares. Really great descriptions of both the scene and the ghost... zombies? just like the first book made this a great read for the spooky season.

I'm hoping we get a bit more character development in the subsequent novellas but I am actually excited to read the third book, about Preston and Benjamin, James' school mates from the first book.
… (més)
 
Marcat
brittaniethekid | Jul 7, 2022 |

Potser també t'agrada

Autors associats

Kale Williams Narrator

Estadístiques

Obres
10
Membres
92
Popularitat
#202,476
Valoració
½ 4.3
Ressenyes
10
ISBN
8

Gràfics i taules