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annettenis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
muretski's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
The book started a little off. Confused, however, I continued reading for I was very curious about Nate, why he was imprisoned and hateful of the kingdom his father love so much that he is a close friend of the king. I was also curious about Cat, about the kingdom, the king, the infection and their day to day lives. The narration is good and it somewhat gives me an old-fashioned or historical vibe. Maybe because the way the couples are pre-destined to be married and how dictatorial the king is in the kingdom. Nevertheless, the story is good. you will learn everything that happened as you read along and get invested with the characters. You will be pulled into their post-apocalyptic dystopian world where Nate and Cat are on the run from the king after their possible infection and after what happened to Thom. It also has romance, mystery, action and suspense. I got bored in the middle chapters but picked up when Cat was in danger and Nate saved her from his old friend. I look forward to reading book 2 of The Outlands series. Thank you for the author who gave me a copy to review a wonderful, unique story.
The book started a little off. Confused, however, I continued reading for I was very curious about Nate, why he was imprisoned and hateful of the kingdom his father love so much that he is a close friend of the king. I was also curious about Cat, about the kingdom, the king, the infection and their day to day lives. The narration is good and it somewhat gives me an old-fashioned or historical vibe. Maybe because the way the couples are pre-destined to be married and how dictatorial the king is in the kingdom. Nevertheless, the story is good. you will learn everything that happened as you read along and get invested with the characters. You will be pulled into their post-apocalyptic dystopian world where Nate and Cat are on the run from the king after their possible infection and after what happened to Thom. It also has romance, mystery, action and suspense. I got bored in the middle chapters but picked up when Cat was in danger and Nate saved her from his old friend. I look forward to reading book 2 of The Outlands series. Thank you for the author who gave me a copy to review a wonderful, unique story.
denali_epub's review against another edition
3.0
A special thanks to the author, Rebecca Crunden, for sending Lexi and myself ebooks of A TOUCH OF DEATH in exchange for honest reviews.
Life got in the way, as it always does, but I’m back again with a new review for a love self-published high fantasy novel! Now, I know what you’re thinking: “But Deni, you only gave this book three stars!!” And that’s true. Truth be told, A TOUCH OF DEATH was simply not the book for me. My newfound reading habits have had my reviews landing all over the map, but that by no means entails that I can’t appreciate a good book when I see one.
First off, let me start by absolutely raving about how well this book is written as a self published novel. As a junior publishing professional, I’ve seen a lot of books that need… Well, let’s just say they need quite a bit of work. And that’s after they’ve been picked apart by acquisitions and developmental editors. Crunden’s novel is excellently paced and well developed, a chronicle of fantastical intrigue from start to finish. Without naming names, there are Big Five supported authors out there with less mind for tone and development than Crunden has in her big toe. Her character are interesting and lifelike, both captivating in their dystopian world and relatable to us mere mortals here on our bland, boring Earth.
So yeah, you could say as a fledgling writer myself, I admire Crunden’s work ethic.
While A TOUCH OF DEATH was a little outside the realm of my go-to tropes and storylines, I’d recommend it for readers fond of dystopian societies, heart wrenching romances, and a good cry. Because if you’re invested, you’re not getting through this book unscathed.
Life got in the way, as it always does, but I’m back again with a new review for a love self-published high fantasy novel! Now, I know what you’re thinking: “But Deni, you only gave this book three stars!!” And that’s true. Truth be told, A TOUCH OF DEATH was simply not the book for me. My newfound reading habits have had my reviews landing all over the map, but that by no means entails that I can’t appreciate a good book when I see one.
First off, let me start by absolutely raving about how well this book is written as a self published novel. As a junior publishing professional, I’ve seen a lot of books that need… Well, let’s just say they need quite a bit of work. And that’s after they’ve been picked apart by acquisitions and developmental editors. Crunden’s novel is excellently paced and well developed, a chronicle of fantastical intrigue from start to finish. Without naming names, there are Big Five supported authors out there with less mind for tone and development than Crunden has in her big toe. Her character are interesting and lifelike, both captivating in their dystopian world and relatable to us mere mortals here on our bland, boring Earth.
So yeah, you could say as a fledgling writer myself, I admire Crunden’s work ethic.
While A TOUCH OF DEATH was a little outside the realm of my go-to tropes and storylines, I’d recommend it for readers fond of dystopian societies, heart wrenching romances, and a good cry. Because if you’re invested, you’re not getting through this book unscathed.
snoopydoo77's review against another edition
4.0
***I received a free copy from the author and chose to leave a voluntary review. Thank you!***
It has been a while since I have read a dystopian, so it was nice to delve back into one. What I liked about this book was that it was not just straight dystopian, but had a touch of fantasy and Syfy as well. Plus, we get romance which is also nice.
I’m not going to lie; the beginning was a bit rough and hard to get into. It was soo much and confusing, the people, the world and everything going on.
It took a while but I did finally get into it and enjoyed it.
The further I get into the book the more I enjoyed it , I really enjoyed the world, the characters as well. There were some minor things but that was more of a personal opinion to me that it shouldn’t matter....
One thing is for sure, this book will take you on a wild rollercoaster ride of events and emotions.
Overall, once I got over the first part of the book, I liked it and got invested into the people and can't wait to see what will happen next.
It really can go either way.
I rate it 3.5-4 , but leaning more towards the 4★
lifeinthebooklane's review against another edition
4.0
I think I will be devouring this series in the same way I did Lindsay Buroker and Pippa DaCosta's work.
I've always had a soft spot for a misunderstood bad boy who fights for what is right, so Nate was everything I could want in a hero. Kitty was the perfect foil to him, their personalities and strengths helping them battle the trials littering the pathway. I found myself sucked into the story, the author's prose exactly to my liking, not to verbose or flowery but with world building and detailing that allowed me to picture situations and settings.
The title should not be ignored, there is a LOT of death, turmoil and heartache to endure in this book. I may even have shed the odd tear. Though the book is set in a far dystopian future it had an almost steampunk feel, with a blend of futuristic and old fashioned technology, archaic traditions and cross-era clothing. Almost Planet of the Apes but with mutants rather than apes, and the humans still in charge. The theme of battling against a corrupt dictatorial regime is nothing new, but the execution, the characterisation and the setting made this stand out, and definitely left me wanting more.
Recommended to fans of Kate L. Mary, Robert J Crane, and the aforementioned Lindsay Buroker, all I can say is - WOW I loved this book, even if the ending did make me want to sob!
I've always had a soft spot for a misunderstood bad boy who fights for what is right, so Nate was everything I could want in a hero. Kitty was the perfect foil to him, their personalities and strengths helping them battle the trials littering the pathway. I found myself sucked into the story, the author's prose exactly to my liking, not to verbose or flowery but with world building and detailing that allowed me to picture situations and settings.
The title should not be ignored, there is a LOT of death, turmoil and heartache to endure in this book. I may even have shed the odd tear. Though the book is set in a far dystopian future it had an almost steampunk feel, with a blend of futuristic and old fashioned technology, archaic traditions and cross-era clothing. Almost Planet of the Apes but with mutants rather than apes, and the humans still in charge. The theme of battling against a corrupt dictatorial regime is nothing new, but the execution, the characterisation and the setting made this stand out, and definitely left me wanting more.
Recommended to fans of Kate L. Mary, Robert J Crane, and the aforementioned Lindsay Buroker, all I can say is - WOW I loved this book, even if the ending did make me want to sob!
kim_brockway_gatehouse's review
3.0
This is a good dystopian sci-fi story: I will post my review on 21 December 2019
tiredbookish's review
5.0
I have always been a fan of dystopia novels in general, so I thought this would be a nice read. It was so much more than that! Dystopia, Adventure, and Romance all in one. While I was in the middle of the book I just got online and made sure that I bought all the rest of the series.
My favorite thing about this book was the banter. Nate and Kitty are really the heart and I really enjoyed all their conversations. They also really start to influence each other as the book goes on.
The only thing I didn't like about it was the format, but that has more to do with me and my preferences than anything. It's split into long parts instead of chapters, so even though there are markers for different scenes, it just felt strange to be around 25% into the book and still be on part one, but again, that's probably just a 'me' thing.
If you like dystopia novels you should definitely give this one a chance!
My favorite thing about this book was the banter. Nate and Kitty are really the heart and I really enjoyed all their conversations. They also really start to influence each other as the book goes on.
The only thing I didn't like about it was the format, but that has more to do with me and my preferences than anything. It's split into long parts instead of chapters, so even though there are markers for different scenes, it just felt strange to be around 25% into the book and still be on part one, but again, that's probably just a 'me' thing.
If you like dystopia novels you should definitely give this one a chance!
popthebutterfly's review
3.0
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: A Touch of Death
Author: Rebecca Crunden
Book Series: The Outlands Pentalogy Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: dystopian
Publication Date: February 24, 2017
Genre: Dystopian
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, death, slight gore, famine, illness)
Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: 306
Synopsis: A thousand years in the future, the last of humanity live inside the walls of the totalitarian Kingdom of Cutta. The rich live in Anais, the capital city of Cutta, sheltered from the famine and disease which ravage the rest of the Kingdom. Yet riches and power only go so far, and even Anaitians can be executed. It is only by the will of the King that Nate Anteros, son of the King’s favourite, is spared from the gallows after openly dissenting. But when he’s released from prison, Nate disappears.
A stark contrast, Catherine Taenia has spent her entire life comfortable and content. The daughter of the King’s Hangman and in love with Thom, Nate’s younger brother, her life has always been easy, ordered and comfortable. That is, where it doesn’t concern Nate. His actions sullied not only his future, but theirs. And unlike Thom, Catherine has never forgiven him.
Two years pass without a word, and then one night Nate returns. But things with Nate are never simple, and when one wrong move turns their lives upside down, the only thing left to do is run where the King’s guards cannot find them – the Outlands. Those wild, untamed lands which stretch around the great walls of the Kingdom, filled with mutants and rabids.
Review: For the most part this was a great book. I really liked the world building in this book and it was a super fun book to read. The character development was also well done and the plot kept me intrigued throughout the whole time.
However, I had such issues getting into the book. The book was so slow in the beginning and throughout the book it was just really hard to get into.
Verdict: It was an interesting read!
Book: A Touch of Death
Author: Rebecca Crunden
Book Series: The Outlands Pentalogy Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: dystopian
Publication Date: February 24, 2017
Genre: Dystopian
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, death, slight gore, famine, illness)
Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: 306
Synopsis: A thousand years in the future, the last of humanity live inside the walls of the totalitarian Kingdom of Cutta. The rich live in Anais, the capital city of Cutta, sheltered from the famine and disease which ravage the rest of the Kingdom. Yet riches and power only go so far, and even Anaitians can be executed. It is only by the will of the King that Nate Anteros, son of the King’s favourite, is spared from the gallows after openly dissenting. But when he’s released from prison, Nate disappears.
A stark contrast, Catherine Taenia has spent her entire life comfortable and content. The daughter of the King’s Hangman and in love with Thom, Nate’s younger brother, her life has always been easy, ordered and comfortable. That is, where it doesn’t concern Nate. His actions sullied not only his future, but theirs. And unlike Thom, Catherine has never forgiven him.
Two years pass without a word, and then one night Nate returns. But things with Nate are never simple, and when one wrong move turns their lives upside down, the only thing left to do is run where the King’s guards cannot find them – the Outlands. Those wild, untamed lands which stretch around the great walls of the Kingdom, filled with mutants and rabids.
Review: For the most part this was a great book. I really liked the world building in this book and it was a super fun book to read. The character development was also well done and the plot kept me intrigued throughout the whole time.
However, I had such issues getting into the book. The book was so slow in the beginning and throughout the book it was just really hard to get into.
Verdict: It was an interesting read!
cat_finds_the_time's review
2.0
2.5/5 stars
For my age rating go check out the full article on my blog!
Review:
Okay, so I was honestly teetering on 2 stars and 3 stars because when I say that I was going back and forth, I mean it! There were so many times in the book that I thought that maybe the story would redeem some of my other complaints, but it just didn't. Don't get me wrong, the premise behind the story and some of the details were absolutely FABULOUS. I feel that the book just didn't do the potential justice. There was definitely intrigue and mystery, but it wasn't set up in a way that made me care about the answers to those mysteries a whole lot.
Yes, there were moments where I was getting interested, but just not enough. I would get excited because a scene was picking up and it was intense, but it never lasted, and then I feel it just kind of slumped back into a monotony. I kept reading the book, though, because I didn't hate the story. I didn't hate the premise behind it and I felt that it was really unique! If I truly couldn't stand the book, I would've honestly just quit reading it, but this author put just enough intrigue in it, that made me keep going till the end.
One major word I thought of when reading was unsubstantial. I don't feel that the characters were written as in-depth as I would've liked them to be. I don't feel that the story was as in-depth as I would've preferred, Kind of interesting? Yes. Do I wish it was more comprehensive? Also yes. The reason I use the word unsubstantial (and it may not be the exact word but it's the closest thing I can think of that describes this feeling) is that I could literally skip two pages of the book and still have a pretty good understanding of what's happening. I could glaze over some of the pages, picking out keywords, and still know what was going on. While some books have that in a way that makes them easy to zone into, this book just didn't do that for me.
I feel that I need to say that I can see why some would enjoy this book. It's got a pretty amazing sci-fi/dystopian feel to it, which I really liked. The overall ambiance of the book was very enjoyable and I didn't mind entering this fictional world that Rebecca Crunden has created. I feel that I could have really enjoyed this book, but I just wasn't a fan of the writing style and the ways the story was presented. Again, I definitely see why this book would be enjoyed by others, but it's just not my cup of tea.
For my age rating go check out the full article on my blog!
Review:
Okay, so I was honestly teetering on 2 stars and 3 stars because when I say that I was going back and forth, I mean it! There were so many times in the book that I thought that maybe the story would redeem some of my other complaints, but it just didn't. Don't get me wrong, the premise behind the story and some of the details were absolutely FABULOUS. I feel that the book just didn't do the potential justice. There was definitely intrigue and mystery, but it wasn't set up in a way that made me care about the answers to those mysteries a whole lot.
Yes, there were moments where I was getting interested, but just not enough. I would get excited because a scene was picking up and it was intense, but it never lasted, and then I feel it just kind of slumped back into a monotony. I kept reading the book, though, because I didn't hate the story. I didn't hate the premise behind it and I felt that it was really unique! If I truly couldn't stand the book, I would've honestly just quit reading it, but this author put just enough intrigue in it, that made me keep going till the end.
One major word I thought of when reading was unsubstantial. I don't feel that the characters were written as in-depth as I would've liked them to be. I don't feel that the story was as in-depth as I would've preferred, Kind of interesting? Yes. Do I wish it was more comprehensive? Also yes. The reason I use the word unsubstantial (and it may not be the exact word but it's the closest thing I can think of that describes this feeling) is that I could literally skip two pages of the book and still have a pretty good understanding of what's happening. I could glaze over some of the pages, picking out keywords, and still know what was going on. While some books have that in a way that makes them easy to zone into, this book just didn't do that for me.
I feel that I need to say that I can see why some would enjoy this book. It's got a pretty amazing sci-fi/dystopian feel to it, which I really liked. The overall ambiance of the book was very enjoyable and I didn't mind entering this fictional world that Rebecca Crunden has created. I feel that I could have really enjoyed this book, but I just wasn't a fan of the writing style and the ways the story was presented. Again, I definitely see why this book would be enjoyed by others, but it's just not my cup of tea.
zraitor's review
4.0
–>I received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review.<–
Set in a dystopian society, a thousand years after the fall of mankind, two people mysteriously infected with some kind of illness or disease, now branded criminals, take flight...
Opening with an awesome and gruesome scene in a prison, we see Nate beaten and tortured for his crimes against the crown and king, which are too numerous for me to name and mostly all unfair. We are shown just how brutal this society is to those who disobey its many laws.
Freedom and History are called "the most insidious and destructive aspects of human nature" and the most important aspects of society should be CONFORMITY, CONTROL, AND CONTINUATION, yes in all caps as you'll read in the very beginning. We are reminded again and again just how oppressive this place is during this tale. Anyone who goes against these laws is set to the same prison as Nate either to die or be committed to hard labor and he only survives because his family is rich and affluential. The wealthy can buy their way out of the smaller crimes, but they too are killed for most things to set an example and keep everyone in fear.
Nate barely survives his ordeal, and leaves for a few years, only to come back and get into trouble once again. This time, however, he drags his brother Thom and the one Thom is betrothed to, Catherine into his problems as well. Leading Catherine away from the guards in a mad dash to escape, they run all night only to narrowly escape the guards. Afterward, they discover they contracted some sort of illness during this, and as being infected with one of the many diseases that exist in the kingdom is a crime, they flee from the Crown and search for the cure...
Most of this takes place during this adventure, and Nate and Catherine have so much dialogue and back and forth arguing that it really wore me out and got on my nerves. They aren't bad characters, they have a lot of development and good moments, but man the constant bickering got old and fast. It was what the author intended, Catherine hates Nate at first and so, of course, they would fight. But it's obvious to everyone I'm sure a relationship is going to form here, and I found myself just waiting for them to get on with it.
The disease that inflicts them both, which I won't spoil too much, also completely ravages Nate. He is described as losing half his weight and looking skeletal, and always in pain and exhausted. It kind of seemed unrealistic that he was able to run around and travel as much as he did towards the end. Almost further taunting the poor guy is the crazy amount of food on display in so many scenes, I know it made it me hungry, at least.
The world-building is amazing, and this very dark and bleak place is so well done and fully formed, and I wanted to know more about it, which made this arguing dialogue all the more frustrating. I was being teased of tales of rabid mutants, plagues, the bite, and something called 'The Thinning' but all I was being shown was them fighting and making up, only to fight again.
There really was a rich history and world developed here, and I'm sure it is greatly expanded on as this series goes on. Being the first of five! books this had to set up a lot, and so I'm quite understanding to the characters and not everything being shown at once. Maybe someone would be into their relationship, and I have serious doubts that I as a thirty-four-year-old man, and a very grumpy one at that, was the target audience for their budding romance.
But despite my issues with the main character's relationship drama, this book had a lot to like. The action scenes, although few in number were exciting, and the writing was great as well as the author's attention to detail. Every bit of the adventure is described wonderfully, and the world despite its darkness had a lot of imagination put into it, with all it's futuristic technology, like hovercars and many items that heal and change a person's body features.
As again this is the first of five books this doesn't offer a complete ending to the story, and everything is still up in the air waiting to be resolved. What fate awaits those who survive to the end of this book?
Set in a dystopian society, a thousand years after the fall of mankind, two people mysteriously infected with some kind of illness or disease, now branded criminals, take flight...
Opening with an awesome and gruesome scene in a prison, we see Nate beaten and tortured for his crimes against the crown and king, which are too numerous for me to name and mostly all unfair. We are shown just how brutal this society is to those who disobey its many laws.
Freedom and History are called "the most insidious and destructive aspects of human nature" and the most important aspects of society should be CONFORMITY, CONTROL, AND CONTINUATION, yes in all caps as you'll read in the very beginning. We are reminded again and again just how oppressive this place is during this tale. Anyone who goes against these laws is set to the same prison as Nate either to die or be committed to hard labor and he only survives because his family is rich and affluential. The wealthy can buy their way out of the smaller crimes, but they too are killed for most things to set an example and keep everyone in fear.
Nate barely survives his ordeal, and leaves for a few years, only to come back and get into trouble once again. This time, however, he drags his brother Thom and the one Thom is betrothed to, Catherine into his problems as well. Leading Catherine away from the guards in a mad dash to escape, they run all night only to narrowly escape the guards. Afterward, they discover they contracted some sort of illness during this, and as being infected with one of the many diseases that exist in the kingdom is a crime, they flee from the Crown and search for the cure...
Most of this takes place during this adventure, and Nate and Catherine have so much dialogue and back and forth arguing that it really wore me out and got on my nerves. They aren't bad characters, they have a lot of development and good moments, but man the constant bickering got old and fast. It was what the author intended, Catherine hates Nate at first and so, of course, they would fight. But it's obvious to everyone I'm sure a relationship is going to form here, and I found myself just waiting for them to get on with it.
The disease that inflicts them both, which I won't spoil too much, also completely ravages Nate. He is described as losing half his weight and looking skeletal, and always in pain and exhausted. It kind of seemed unrealistic that he was able to run around and travel as much as he did towards the end. Almost further taunting the poor guy is the crazy amount of food on display in so many scenes, I know it made it me hungry, at least.
The world-building is amazing, and this very dark and bleak place is so well done and fully formed, and I wanted to know more about it, which made this arguing dialogue all the more frustrating. I was being teased of tales of rabid mutants, plagues, the bite, and something called 'The Thinning' but all I was being shown was them fighting and making up, only to fight again.
There really was a rich history and world developed here, and I'm sure it is greatly expanded on as this series goes on. Being the first of five! books this had to set up a lot, and so I'm quite understanding to the characters and not everything being shown at once. Maybe someone would be into their relationship, and I have serious doubts that I as a thirty-four-year-old man, and a very grumpy one at that, was the target audience for their budding romance.
But despite my issues with the main character's relationship drama, this book had a lot to like. The action scenes, although few in number were exciting, and the writing was great as well as the author's attention to detail. Every bit of the adventure is described wonderfully, and the world despite its darkness had a lot of imagination put into it, with all it's futuristic technology, like hovercars and many items that heal and change a person's body features.
As again this is the first of five books this doesn't offer a complete ending to the story, and everything is still up in the air waiting to be resolved. What fate awaits those who survive to the end of this book?