One book is all I got to.
Finding time to read was quite tough for me this go-round. I'm in the middle of revising my own book, taking a writing class and renovating a room of my house. Last night, I gave myself just enough time to finish Spirit Legacy, coinciding with the end of #FrightFall Read-a-thon week.
I have to say, I didn’t have many expectations going into this book—Which totally had nothing to do with the author or any detail I found online about it. I just am simply not much of a paranormal-story kind of gal. I like romance and realism, and except for a few rare cases, I tend to avoid genre series altogether—though I truly seem to be the minority with that. Spirit Legacy is mostly what I don’t read, so I went into it merely looking to be entertained, possibly a little spooked, too.
The writing style of E.E. Holmes was pleasant surprise. It was skillful, and a true pleasure to read. I fell easily into the story.
Upon the opening, we immediately get a sense of who Jess Ballard is—she’s artistic, somewhat of a tough loner who is used to a no-frills life. And, she has scary dreams she doesn’t understand. Her mother’s death occurs in the prologue and the first chapter begins with unanswered questions about the death, but Jess is forced to move on and adjust to her new settings; a new life calling home an upscale Boston residence with an unfamiliar aunt and uncle, and starting her freshman year at St. Matthews College.
At school, Jess makes friends easily and meets handsome, smart and athletic Evan Corbett. With this flicker of romantic interest, I was hooked. Holmes brings us into the story so effortlessly that when the first apparition appears to Jess, I almost forgot I was reading a paranormal story.
He was too bright in the darkness, illuminated from some unseen source.
Through credible turns of events, Jess realizes ghosts are not only attracted to her, but are seeking her out.
Evan died on campus the year before. He’s a ghost.
Plagued by questions she can’t find answers to, Jess enlists the help of a campus parapsychology professor and that’s when the spooky things really begin to happen! Jess comes to learn of the heritage passed through her deceased mother’s bloodline. She is a Durupinen—A keeper of the doors that separate the worlds of the living and the dead. It is her calling to open the doors and help those trapped souls to whatever lay on the other side.
Here and there, Holmes injects bits of notable prose into paragraphs that made the passage of the book even more palatable.
Foil-wrapped leftovers and take-out containers populated the fridge, teetering on each other like an edible game of Jenga.
Sitting so, he gave the impression of a seeded dandelion in a pot, stretching toward the sunlight.
Spirit Legacy is the first of The Gateway Trilogy. It ends leaving the reader craving more knowledge, but thankfully without a cliffhanger. A great read for paranormal fans.
So the question is, will I continue onto book 2? From the way this book ended, it seems likely the author will bring many of the interesting St. Matt's characters into play again, and I would enjoy that, but as well written as Spirit Legacy was, I probably won't continue the series. This is based on the lack of a definable romantic interest—and the price tag. On Amazon, an e-copy of the second book, Spirit Prophecy, is $6.99. I suppose that's a fair price, especially considering I got the first book for free, but I'm just not enough of a paranormal fan to be tempted to buy it. If I could pick it up at the library, that might change my mind.
What's your thoughts about romance in a book? Important, or not so important to your reading pleasure?
And, what about price? Does the cost of a book stop you from picking it up?
Read as part of #FrightFall read-a-thon (http://seasonsreading.blogspot.com)
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