L. A. Brown

Haunted Essence is a unique fantasy novel by Author L. A. Brown. This fast paced tale immediately hooked me with its opening scene, where we learn that Aurora has been running from a monster man (in her dreams) since she was a child.

A fiery and independent individual, Aurora holds more power than she initially realizes. With the help of friends William, Veronica, Kan, and Garnet, she attempts to counter the attacks of her foes who seek to use her as a weapon. The level of animosity in some of the characters, particularly William, was interesting to see.

The novel stays true to its Scottish setting with Fae-type creatures that are beyond compare. There are strong themes of friendship, loyalty, and personal identity that touch many of the characters involved in the novel. Events are shown through multiple third person perspectives, though they centre on those of Aurora and William. I found William's overwhelming need to protect Aurora endearing and was rooting for him the moment I came across his character.

The history of the magical lands and mythical beings is extensive, yet is delivered to the reader in manageable chunks amid conversation and action, so it can be easily processed, without becoming overwhelming. The plot had predictable moments, yet also delivered several delicious twists and surprises that kept me on edge.

I would have rated this novel a solid 5 stars, had it not been for the amount of crutch words used in every other sentence, or for missing connective words, or words used incorrectly. These issues, though slight, took me out of the novel each time and I eventually found myself skimming over the crutch words. With a quick spelling and grammar check, this would most definitely be a 5 star novel and I would recommend it to all lovers of Fantasy, or lovers of books for that matter.… (més)