Ohana Reviews

Review- The Crystal of Althea

Reviewer- kinalhariya
Book- The Crystal of Althea
Author- CubistPerson

Awesome start. We are directly thrown into the action. The imagery created and detailing provided is perfect.

The way the roots and vines move was so beautifully described. The scenes were really eye-catching.

Ivor's Character has also made his mark. Although we don't have much details about him, a connection is made.

The first chapter doesn't reveal much of where this is and what world we are reading about, but it was really engrossing to read. And made me want to read further. So a good job was done there.

In the first two paragraphs of the second chapter, the author managed to make me amused by Wisp's character. He seems quite interesting.

I like how we are given small snippets of this world. As the chapters pass by, I am getting more and more curious.

Every character gets a chapter dedicated to them and we are slowly shown their life. I love how information is not bombarded all at once but rendered slowly in bits.

I am glad that you have shown a character that isn't too strong. It feels refreshing and relatable too. You have showcased really well how newcomers can be bullied by the seniors.

I love the slight bond shown between Wisp and his father. His rambling about his knowledge was cute too.

The gang members getting baffled by Tsunami's Entry was portrayed nicely, especially Hose whose spot was stolen. And also the fact that she isn't looking for making bonds. Brilliant.

I am really curious to see how they all are going to meet and what is going to change their decision when they are obviously itching for a war right now.

Minor plot hole...Fern's tent number was different in chapter 4 while Ivor went to a different tent to meet him in chapter 7.

Fern's power and Ivor's power together would create wonders.

Loved how you described the transportation of the Air nation.

The way war started between all the nations seems like someone's plotting.

Library was a great way to provide the readers information about the war. And I am glad that it wasn't even too much information. Just to make us more curious and suspicious.

★★★★★

Characterization is done perfectly. Each character had their own chapters for introduction. We weren't given too many details at the start, but there was enough action to understand their personalities and make connections with them.

World building is done nicely. I still have many questions for the world, but it is making me curious to read further rather than causing confusion. So it's probably a planned tactic.

Descriptions and detailings are balanced. It is enough to let me imagine the scenes without breaking the flow of the story.

Chapters are short and move like a breeze. I also like that every character gets their own dedicated chapters, so that each one of them gets enough screen space.

Storyline seems interesting and intriguing right now. Because the chapters are short, what I have read are mostly introductory chapters. However, they seem promising, so I am really hoping that further chapters would be just as good.

Writing style is perfect. Chapters flow smoothly and there's never a dull moment. While detailing and descriptions are beautiful, they all have been done in a simple language, making it so easier to grasp everything.

Grammar:

Apart from one missing quotation mark in the third chapter, there was no other error I could find. The book was grammatically well-written.

Last words,

Book is awesome. Concept is interesting, the way it progresses is intriguing, and the characters are fun and relatable. And the story is so easy to read. The book crosses all the checkpoints. It is really enjoyable and one of the perfect stories to start with if you are a new reader or trying out the fantasy genre for the first time.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. Great work!!

Thanks for choosing me. Keep writing!!