Reviews

Strange Roads: Book I of Omens in the Night by Jennifer Quail, Sara Dasteroad

mentat_stem's review

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3.0

Jennifer Quail has the makings of a great story here. Two well developed characters overcome ideological differences as they learn to use their newly discovered magical powers. And use them they do. Quail writes magic quite well. The four elements are splashed across the page in a synesthetic rainbow. Her vampire lore is well thought out and remains consistent.

Both relationships work well and the multiple points of view give us plenty of insight. The book is worth reading solely on the strength of the characters and the action.

However, the plot is “survive till the end.” They do. The characters and the action and the magic and the historical surroundings all set a big stage and beg for something more. Supporting characters tell us that there’s more. The wafer thin baddies seem to know there’s something more. The epilogue hints that there’s more. But it’s not in this book. Waiting for the reveal (which I never got) kept me reading to the end and I’m glad I did. In spite of its shortcomings, page by page it was a great read and I fully expect future installments to deliver the goods.
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