REVIEW: Wintercraft (shadowcry)

The Night of Souls—when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest—is only days away.

Albion is at war . . . and losing.

The wardens have descended, kidnapping innocent citizens for their army, but looking for one in particular.

And fifteen-year-old Kate Winters has just raised a blackbird from the dead.

As her home is torn apart by the wardens, Kate's discovery that she is one of the Skilled—the rare people who can cross the veil between life and death—makes her the most hunted person in all of Albion. Only she can unlock the secrets of Wintercraft, the ancient book of dangerous knowledge. Captured and taken to the graveyard city of Fume—with its secret tunnels and underground villages, and where her own parents met their deaths ten years ago—Kate must harness her extraordinary powers to save herself, her country, and the two men she cares for most. And she'll make a pact with a murderer to do it.

Those who wish to see the dark, be ready to pay your price


                                            
                                               3 Smokin' Kisses

***

 This book was slightly disappointing. Sometimes, it basically comes down to if you like the main character(s) or not. Even if the plot is good, not being able to connect to the main character(s) causes one to lose interest in the book. Kate wasn't that great of a protagonist. There are times when I liked her, but most of the times she annoyed the crap out of me. She was whiny & weak most of the times, when it was clear she wasn't escaping, and she had a hard time coming to terms with her powers- and then out of no where she does that whole bit with Silas and breaking his bond. Uhhh, if i was her and had just figured out my powers, I wouldn't suddenly know what to do without proper instruction. It seemed unrealistic. Edgar was an OK character. Artimis was just.... annoying. I liked Silas most of the time; typical bad guy with bad/good intentions and a sad story.

The main issue I had was my lack of connection with Kate. The things that made her sad, did not affect me at all. I wasn't into her character and most of the time she seemed lifeless/emotionless. Her thoughts and dialogue lacked emotion- it seemed as if she was just saying everything monotone. Usually what makes me love a book is my connection to the main character: when they cry, does my stomach tighten for them? when they're happy, am I smiling as I read? If I can connect witht he MC's emotions, then the book's definitly a win. I did not have such a connection with Kate. Also, the 3rd person jumping in the chapter confused me. It would be in Kate's mind at one point, and then in Silas' mind the next. 

The plot was nothing special and there was WAY too much discription. I had to skim read most of it, it was so boring. plus there were tons of details which did nothing for the story but increase its wordcount, which isn't much fun for us readers.

However, the story was interesting enough for me to keep reading. There were moments when I would think Finish already so I can move on to the next book , but there were times when I would read fast to see what happens next.
The idea behind Wintercraft is interesting nonetheless, and I might even consider reading the next book in the series.


 Happy reading all!