Gemstone Reviews [Closed for Catch up]

Review #6- The Past That Haunts- L.W. Chronicles: Book 1

Title: The Past That Haunts - L.W. Chronicles: Book 1

Genre: Vampire

Author: angelusanimi27

Rating: Mature

# of Chapters: 12 (ongoing)

# of Chapters I've read: 2

Summary/Blurb: 

Lilith Wardman has had a rough start. At the age of 6, her parents passed away in a tragic auto accident. She was taken in by her grandparents and eventually got back on her feet despite the overwhelming hole in her heart. Anger and sorrow transformed Lilith into a recluse, pushing away friends and loved ones. Leaving what little family she had left, Lilith began her new life in Downtown Manhattan.

Her world is about to turn upside down in a modern game of cat and mouse.

For years, unknown friends and enemies have been watching Lilith. Some as means of protection. Others however, are waiting for the right opportunity to strike. Bound by a single promise and with time dwindling fast, her discreet guardians concoct a plan of their own to save her.

Love, betrayal and secrets await Lilith. Will she gather the skills she needs for survival? Or will the past come back to bite her?

Review: 

Cover: 

It's almost surreal how well put-together this cover is—I can see that you've gotten this done by someone who knows their shit, but, also, it fits your genre + title to a tee. The cover itself is haunting, but every element is in its place and belongs there (there isn't anything that shouldn't be there). Everything, from the image to the cover, is in a shade of red—this sets the atmosphere for the story. It's ominous, haunting, just as the title says.

The blood moon, in the top right corner, holds apocalyptic beliefs, which is quite fitting to the story really, since it does contain supernatural elements to it. We have the main character right in the middle, surrounded by a kind of fog, and she seems like she's about to walk off some kind of cliff—the kind of things ghost do to make you wish you were never born.

For those people to whom I've already given reviews (and have commented that their covers need some improvement), I suggest that you look at this one as an example. Not only does it catch my eye, but it also fits the story. The author has put the cover credit at the bottom of the blurb, so if you're interested to see who made this for her (if they're still available for some cover making) I suggest you check them out.

Overall—Spooky!

Blurb: 

The blurb also has a specific structure—it moves in a chronological order, and the rhetorical questions are there only at the end. Of course Lilith will gather the skills she needs to survive and the past will come back to bite her little butt, but the author didn't throw this in halfway through the blurb, but rather as a way to make us want to click on the little "read" button.

We already know the answer to these questions (otherwise, quite frankly, there wouldn't be a story), but after getting a rough idea of what the plot entails, these questions are the deal breaker. Note how they are specific to the character, and have a clear-cut yes or no answer.

So the first paragraph of the blurb may have seemed a little generic—we have the MC orphaned as a little kid, moves to live with relatives, becomes angry and isolated, etc. all characteristics we've seen before. (I won't lie, my first story has something along those lines) But once you get to "Her world is about to turn upside down in a modern game of cat and mouse" things turn for the better. The next two paragraphs both tie into this idiom, and things get from "normal" to "creepy" in a *snaps fingers* I've also noticed you haven't mentioned any vampires, or werewolves, or whatever, leaving this up to the imagination. Of course, there will be vampires, it's in the genre, but you didn't throw this at us to make this seem more interesting.