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catscodeandcake's review
4.0
Interesting collection
I'll be honest, it was a toss-up between 3 and 4 stars here. If we could give a rating out of 10, I'd have given a 7 because it feels like this was a solo effort and to reach this standard without the help of editors or beta readers is good work. And I'd rather err on the side of kindness and reward the amount of effort that went into writing the book.
I think the writer has genuine potential, but would benefit from editorial assistance to really shape this into what it could be. There are some interesting premises explored in the stories, but the execution needs to be tightened up, and in some cases more research done: I nearly ditched after the first story for the improbability of the protagonist's work situation, for example.
I look forward to seeing what part 2 holds later this year.
I'll be honest, it was a toss-up between 3 and 4 stars here. If we could give a rating out of 10, I'd have given a 7 because it feels like this was a solo effort and to reach this standard without the help of editors or beta readers is good work. And I'd rather err on the side of kindness and reward the amount of effort that went into writing the book.
I think the writer has genuine potential, but would benefit from editorial assistance to really shape this into what it could be. There are some interesting premises explored in the stories, but the execution needs to be tightened up, and in some cases more research done: I nearly ditched after the first story for the improbability of the protagonist's work situation, for example.
I look forward to seeing what part 2 holds later this year.
milenabooksandcoffee's review
5.0
I received a free ebook from the author and this is my honest review.
The Empty Sky is a collection of eight diverse and very interesting fantasy stories. Each story is unique and fascinating. I really enjoyed reading this book. My favorite stories were The Girl and the Monster and A Step Behind.
The Empty Sky is a collection of eight diverse and very interesting fantasy stories. Each story is unique and fascinating. I really enjoyed reading this book. My favorite stories were The Girl and the Monster and A Step Behind.
midnightb00ks's review
4.0
Going into this book, I really wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was a marvellous collection of fantasy and sci-fi stories about all kinds of adventures, featuring headstrong and relatable characters.
Full of time-travel, conspiracy theories, hidden magic, diverse representation and twists of fate, K. B. Elijah's debut anthology took my breath away!
KB's writing style is stunning- the dialogue is casual and easy, seeming very realistic and there is a good balance between the dialogue and description. However, I found there was not enough description of the character's features.
I found that all her stories well written and easy to follow, with captivating plots and interesting, unique characters. A mix of first and third person viewpoint was used in different stories but we were always granted access to the characters feelings.
The characters were quickly relatable and seemed very human. They had flaws, which helped me to emphasise with them. They weren't perfect, and that made me like them all the more! They sometimes regretted their decisions and seemed to me like actual, real people. KB created characters who stood up for themselves and she somehow created wonderful character arcs in less than 60 pages!
The plot always left you questioning, asking why! All the stories were full of plot twists despite their short length, and they always surprised me!
These unexpected twists were one of the best things about the stories, somehow there was something awesome or strange (or often both) to discover in each of the stories! Though the story was a little rushed in some places, I think KB perfectly balanced plot twists and character arcs to create a wonderful collection of stories!
Most of the time I had no idea what was going to happen, though there were one or two predictable moments.
The beginnings of these stories drew you in and the ends left you almost satisfied but also ready for Part Two!
My favourite story had to be The Girl and the Monster, but all of KB's stories were ingenious pieces of fiction! Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this.
Full of time-travel, conspiracy theories, hidden magic, diverse representation and twists of fate, K. B. Elijah's debut anthology took my breath away!
KB's writing style is stunning- the dialogue is casual and easy, seeming very realistic and there is a good balance between the dialogue and description. However, I found there was not enough description of the character's features.
I found that all her stories well written and easy to follow, with captivating plots and interesting, unique characters. A mix of first and third person viewpoint was used in different stories but we were always granted access to the characters feelings.
The characters were quickly relatable and seemed very human. They had flaws, which helped me to emphasise with them. They weren't perfect, and that made me like them all the more! They sometimes regretted their decisions and seemed to me like actual, real people. KB created characters who stood up for themselves and she somehow created wonderful character arcs in less than 60 pages!
The plot always left you questioning, asking why! All the stories were full of plot twists despite their short length, and they always surprised me!
These unexpected twists were one of the best things about the stories, somehow there was something awesome or strange (or often both) to discover in each of the stories! Though the story was a little rushed in some places, I think KB perfectly balanced plot twists and character arcs to create a wonderful collection of stories!
Most of the time I had no idea what was going to happen, though there were one or two predictable moments.
The beginnings of these stories drew you in and the ends left you almost satisfied but also ready for Part Two!
My favourite story had to be The Girl and the Monster, but all of KB's stories were ingenious pieces of fiction! Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this.
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