star_tbr2020's review against another edition
3.0
Very surprised how this book turned out. I expected some kind of romantic suspense with an earthquake or something getting in the way. This is more "Oh Shit, the world is ending, will the hero/heroine even make it out alive?" kind of thing. While the story was pretty much non-stop action and I was hooked because I wanted to see how it ended, I'm not sure I'll continue with the series because I'm not a fan of post-apocalyptic stories.
soless's review against another edition
4.0
It started out strong but very, "I can put this down and go to sleep" -ish. (Although, on reflection, that could have been because I started it on a plane and mass transit makes me zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...) Right around the time the second earthquake hits, though, the whole thing becomes "Oh god, is it one in the morning? I have to work in five hours."
sophie_cale's review against another edition
3.0
This novella is a short prequel to Her Dark Mission novels, but you don't have to read it to know what's going on in the first book of the series. It takes place during the apocalyptic event that is mentioned in the books, so really it's a front row seat to the destruction. I read the e-book version, as I don't know if there is a print version available.
Now, I'm having trouble rating AND reviewing this story because...well, I loved it, but I have to admit that it isn't perfect. So in the interest of fairness I'll pull the old Good vs Bad style of review.
The Good Stuff:
This is an unbelievably intense short story. It made me ghasp, tear up, blush, and filled me both with dread and hope. It is an incredibly engrossing and very rewarding short read. The pace was fast and the drama is the kind of heart-wrenching thing that makes you cover your mouth and shake your head as you keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. There's only 150 or so pages to meet some 10-12 characters and each one feels real and believable in the very short time you know them.
The Bad Stuff:
Despite that I enjoyed myself immensely, there were things that confused me. For one, the action. While intense, it isn't always comprehensible and I wasn't always sure what was happening. The larger problem is that "Witches" and any actual witchcraft have very little to do with the story. So if you are expecting some supernatural elements, you will only find the barest hint of it. You could take the whole witch thing out and still have and incredibly good story. As a matter of fact, it might make more sense if there were never any mention of witches at all.
So the long and short is that Karina Cooper is excellent at three things: Mood, Emotion and Characters. Her world building however, needs a lot of work. Luckily, this doesn't make the story any less enjoyable. If Karina's novel addresses the problems in the short story she might just have converted me into a PNR fan. I've been more on the Urban Fantasy bench until now.
Now, I'm having trouble rating AND reviewing this story because...well, I loved it, but I have to admit that it isn't perfect. So in the interest of fairness I'll pull the old Good vs Bad style of review.
The Good Stuff:
This is an unbelievably intense short story. It made me ghasp, tear up, blush, and filled me both with dread and hope. It is an incredibly engrossing and very rewarding short read. The pace was fast and the drama is the kind of heart-wrenching thing that makes you cover your mouth and shake your head as you keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. There's only 150 or so pages to meet some 10-12 characters and each one feels real and believable in the very short time you know them.
The Bad Stuff:
Despite that I enjoyed myself immensely, there were things that confused me. For one, the action. While intense, it isn't always comprehensible and I wasn't always sure what was happening. The larger problem is that "Witches" and any actual witchcraft have very little to do with the story. So if you are expecting some supernatural elements, you will only find the barest hint of it. You could take the whole witch thing out and still have and incredibly good story. As a matter of fact, it might make more sense if there were never any mention of witches at all.
So the long and short is that Karina Cooper is excellent at three things: Mood, Emotion and Characters. Her world building however, needs a lot of work. Luckily, this doesn't make the story any less enjoyable. If Karina's novel addresses the problems in the short story she might just have converted me into a PNR fan. I've been more on the Urban Fantasy bench until now.
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