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vikingwolf's review
3.0
*I was given a free copy of this book by the author via Goodreads in exchange for an honest review*
This book was unlike anything I have read before. It has subtle elements of urban fantasy, fantasy, paranormal, science fiction and thriller. It is impossible to decide where it fits and for that reason I think it should have a wide appeal. You don't have to be a big fan of any of these genres to enjoy the ride and that is pretty unique..I think I'd go 3.5 stars on this one if I could.
Jason's violent nightmares are causing him physical and mental pain and his world is turned upside when he discovers that they are visions of people being murdered for real, people who are dying to protect him. He is gifted with paranormal powers that lie dormant and uncontrolled, and holds the key to winning a coming war. Being the key to survival against the dark shadows that seek to destroy him and humanity is scary when he doesn't even know his own powers. Trying to protect his best friends and learn from the girl he is falling for complicates his life even further as he tries to help his allies fight their deadly enemy.
So what was good about it? Firstly, the language use is excellent-I cannot believe that the author does not have English as his first language! That is quite a gift to have and I was seriously impressed by it. The use of words is perfect for the plot and each situation. There are flowing descriptions that aren't too complicated, world building without huge info dumps, simple storytelling that carries you along and a plot that is always moving forward. The story is totally different featuring battles between gifted individuals using light and dark energy as weapons, which was a clever concept and worked well. The characters are all interesting but there is no attempt to tell you everything about them. I'm guessing that will happen over the course of the series. The love story part never detracts from the main plot and there are no sex scenes. Nice to see a lack of swearing as well which is pretty refreshing and shows that authors who are clever with language and conversation do not need twenty f bombs per page!
I found it a little difficult to follow a couple of bits where energy was being described but I don't think that was down to the author, more down to my brain going blank when I'm presented with the science stuff! I never was a science nerd and it's a reason I struggle with science fiction. I think most readers will follow it much better than I did, to be honest. For me, there could perhaps have been a bit less about his feelings for Emily (and her frequently mentioned amber eyes), though to be fair, their relationship is mentioned in the book description and it is a minor niggle. I don't mind romance when it is well written and in this case it was.
The action scenes are like something from an X-Men film. I can imagine all the light flashing and people flying around, fighting and putting on a scary show. Very cool! Yet it is more than just sci-fi. There is a real human emotion running through the story as well which is as impoertant as the action. Jason's love for Emily has an almost innocent quality about it. It is about love and affection, and not wanting to be away from her. I liked that because it was different from most books that have romance in it, where the characters are bedhopping ten seconds after they meet. This feels like a real relationship developing slowly, with emotions dominating anything sexual.
It also explores the bonds of human friendship and how strong those bonds can make us, helping us to face our fears and challenges. OK most of us aren't going to be worried about mad shadow men trying to blow them up but a lot of us can relate to having those fierce kinds of friendships that are so important. And of course there is the eternal struggle of good v evil and all the shades of grey that are in between. There is also the struggle within Jason to embrace his destiny when he isn't sure that he is up to the job.
Overall I did enjoy the book and I recommend it to fans of pretty much every genre! I first read this book in June 2013, and getting the chance to re-read it and add some more thoughts to my review before reading book two was a helpful thing for me.
This book was unlike anything I have read before. It has subtle elements of urban fantasy, fantasy, paranormal, science fiction and thriller. It is impossible to decide where it fits and for that reason I think it should have a wide appeal. You don't have to be a big fan of any of these genres to enjoy the ride and that is pretty unique..I think I'd go 3.5 stars on this one if I could.
Jason's violent nightmares are causing him physical and mental pain and his world is turned upside when he discovers that they are visions of people being murdered for real, people who are dying to protect him. He is gifted with paranormal powers that lie dormant and uncontrolled, and holds the key to winning a coming war. Being the key to survival against the dark shadows that seek to destroy him and humanity is scary when he doesn't even know his own powers. Trying to protect his best friends and learn from the girl he is falling for complicates his life even further as he tries to help his allies fight their deadly enemy.
So what was good about it? Firstly, the language use is excellent-I cannot believe that the author does not have English as his first language! That is quite a gift to have and I was seriously impressed by it. The use of words is perfect for the plot and each situation. There are flowing descriptions that aren't too complicated, world building without huge info dumps, simple storytelling that carries you along and a plot that is always moving forward. The story is totally different featuring battles between gifted individuals using light and dark energy as weapons, which was a clever concept and worked well. The characters are all interesting but there is no attempt to tell you everything about them. I'm guessing that will happen over the course of the series. The love story part never detracts from the main plot and there are no sex scenes. Nice to see a lack of swearing as well which is pretty refreshing and shows that authors who are clever with language and conversation do not need twenty f bombs per page!
I found it a little difficult to follow a couple of bits where energy was being described but I don't think that was down to the author, more down to my brain going blank when I'm presented with the science stuff! I never was a science nerd and it's a reason I struggle with science fiction. I think most readers will follow it much better than I did, to be honest. For me, there could perhaps have been a bit less about his feelings for Emily (and her frequently mentioned amber eyes), though to be fair, their relationship is mentioned in the book description and it is a minor niggle. I don't mind romance when it is well written and in this case it was.
The action scenes are like something from an X-Men film. I can imagine all the light flashing and people flying around, fighting and putting on a scary show. Very cool! Yet it is more than just sci-fi. There is a real human emotion running through the story as well which is as impoertant as the action. Jason's love for Emily has an almost innocent quality about it. It is about love and affection, and not wanting to be away from her. I liked that because it was different from most books that have romance in it, where the characters are bedhopping ten seconds after they meet. This feels like a real relationship developing slowly, with emotions dominating anything sexual.
It also explores the bonds of human friendship and how strong those bonds can make us, helping us to face our fears and challenges. OK most of us aren't going to be worried about mad shadow men trying to blow them up but a lot of us can relate to having those fierce kinds of friendships that are so important. And of course there is the eternal struggle of good v evil and all the shades of grey that are in between. There is also the struggle within Jason to embrace his destiny when he isn't sure that he is up to the job.
Overall I did enjoy the book and I recommend it to fans of pretty much every genre! I first read this book in June 2013, and getting the chance to re-read it and add some more thoughts to my review before reading book two was a helpful thing for me.
kenmooney's review
4.0
It took me a while to read The Beholder: real life got in the way about three chapters in and I read nothing for a few weeks. I was grateful for a lengthy train journey then, which gave me the opportunity to give The Beholder the attention that it rightly deserves.
Amberlake crafts a classic tale of good versus evil, of light and dark, that takes parts of magical fantasy, parts of scientific fiction and parts of good old-fashioned action/adventure. The story follow Jason Walker as he is inducted into a new world that he can barely comprehend. There are dark forces out to claim him and his friends, and if he can resist them, he can maybe prove the saviour of us all.
Stories like this are all somewhat similar, though I don't mean that in a negative way: we know our hero will face insurmountable odds with death and betrayal along the way. But Amberlake crafts this mix of magic and science that feels truly revolutionary. The tale put me in mind of a cross between The Matrix, Harry Potter and the Night Watch series, mostly because of the highly visual nature of Amberlake's descriptions, creating high concept action scenes and mind-blowing visuals that I would love to see on the screen, either big or small.
The Beholder is the first book in a series, and thankfully Amberlake is already working on a fabulously titled sequel that I look forward to reading. There are some small elements that I desperately wanted to see more of, from the relationship between the core the characters to the villainous Pariah, and I hope we'll get to see a lot more of these in the sequel.
Amberlake crafts a classic tale of good versus evil, of light and dark, that takes parts of magical fantasy, parts of scientific fiction and parts of good old-fashioned action/adventure. The story follow Jason Walker as he is inducted into a new world that he can barely comprehend. There are dark forces out to claim him and his friends, and if he can resist them, he can maybe prove the saviour of us all.
Stories like this are all somewhat similar, though I don't mean that in a negative way: we know our hero will face insurmountable odds with death and betrayal along the way. But Amberlake crafts this mix of magic and science that feels truly revolutionary. The tale put me in mind of a cross between The Matrix, Harry Potter and the Night Watch series, mostly because of the highly visual nature of Amberlake's descriptions, creating high concept action scenes and mind-blowing visuals that I would love to see on the screen, either big or small.
The Beholder is the first book in a series, and thankfully Amberlake is already working on a fabulously titled sequel that I look forward to reading. There are some small elements that I desperately wanted to see more of, from the relationship between the core the characters to the villainous Pariah, and I hope we'll get to see a lot more of these in the sequel.
bookish_satty's review
4.0
I got this book from the author, free of cost, in exchange of an honest review from my side.
Firstly I would like to thank Ivan Amberlake, author of The Beholder, for giving me this opportunity of reading and reviewing this fabulous book.
Well firstly I would like to say that guys, you have to read it, it's totally different than all the fantasy books I read and a total breath-taking one. A really intriguing read and a total page-turner. I loved the unique but simple concept of using two dimensions i.e light and darkness and making us the middlemen.
The story pulses with mystery, thriller, suspense and of course pure and sensational romance. Jason's character is great and the author really did a fantastic job in bringing out the basics of his characters to the readers and making him an alive and totally a man next door.
I loved and adored Emily and became a fan of her stunning beauty! The slow and steady development of the romantic feeling between Emily and Jason really won my heart and made me want to read more and more about them.
The author through the descriptive and skilled writing style and skill made the story more and more intriguing and exciting. The unpredictable twists and turns and the shocking revelations will leave you speechless and stunned.
The dilemma of whether Jason would overcome the call of darkness and save the world or give into it was really bugging me through out the story and the author did a great job in keeping the suspense till the very end and thus I had to sit on the edge of the seat, gripping my e-reader and reading on and on till I discovered the stunning end of the story.
If you want to have a treat then this is the must read and totally recommended book for you and I can assure you that you won't regret your decision at all.
Firstly I would like to thank Ivan Amberlake, author of The Beholder, for giving me this opportunity of reading and reviewing this fabulous book.
Well firstly I would like to say that guys, you have to read it, it's totally different than all the fantasy books I read and a total breath-taking one. A really intriguing read and a total page-turner. I loved the unique but simple concept of using two dimensions i.e light and darkness and making us the middlemen.
The story pulses with mystery, thriller, suspense and of course pure and sensational romance. Jason's character is great and the author really did a fantastic job in bringing out the basics of his characters to the readers and making him an alive and totally a man next door.
I loved and adored Emily and became a fan of her stunning beauty! The slow and steady development of the romantic feeling between Emily and Jason really won my heart and made me want to read more and more about them.
The author through the descriptive and skilled writing style and skill made the story more and more intriguing and exciting. The unpredictable twists and turns and the shocking revelations will leave you speechless and stunned.
The dilemma of whether Jason would overcome the call of darkness and save the world or give into it was really bugging me through out the story and the author did a great job in keeping the suspense till the very end and thus I had to sit on the edge of the seat, gripping my e-reader and reading on and on till I discovered the stunning end of the story.
If you want to have a treat then this is the must read and totally recommended book for you and I can assure you that you won't regret your decision at all.
maureensbooks89's review
3.0
My first thoughts about this book after finishing it late last night was that I definitely liked Ivan Amberlake’s writing. It was easy to read and from the first page on I really wanted to know what was happening. This book doesn’t have a slow start and immediately after you start reading you’re in the middle of the action.
Although this book seemed to have all the things I would love in a book I somehow couldn’t really connect with this one. In ‘The Beholder’ Jason is experiencing a lot of strange things and he learns about a totally new world. Unfortunately I found it really hard to understand what was happening all the time. Jason didn’t understand what was happening in the book and I also really didn’t understand all the time.
Still, I kept trying because I really wanted to enjoy this book. I loved the friendship between Jason, Matt and Debbie and how protective they were with each other. But sadly I really couldn’t follow the rest of what happened in this book. There is a lot of talk of different kind of energies and I just didn’t really feel it. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it at all. Like I said before, I really enjoyed the writing I just didn’t feel ‘connected’ to this book and the characters. And all the talk about different energies just couldn’t get my interest.
Although this book seemed to have all the things I would love in a book I somehow couldn’t really connect with this one. In ‘The Beholder’ Jason is experiencing a lot of strange things and he learns about a totally new world. Unfortunately I found it really hard to understand what was happening all the time. Jason didn’t understand what was happening in the book and I also really didn’t understand all the time.
Still, I kept trying because I really wanted to enjoy this book. I loved the friendship between Jason, Matt and Debbie and how protective they were with each other. But sadly I really couldn’t follow the rest of what happened in this book. There is a lot of talk of different kind of energies and I just didn’t really feel it. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it at all. Like I said before, I really enjoyed the writing I just didn’t feel ‘connected’ to this book and the characters. And all the talk about different energies just couldn’t get my interest.
emyals's review
5.0
It started as a boring book. I was thinking really? This is supposed to catch the reader's attention? BUT then the author throws at you the supernatural! I was convinced from reading the synopsis, that it will be just like any other fantasy books with the main character from ordinary world and being sucked up into the world of magic. But he made it so good that I was hooked. You could say I swallowed the book. (Read the full review here.)
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