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A review by michellehenriereads
Broken Veil by Jeff Wheeler
5.0
In PRISM CLOUD, the world is a mess and there appears to be no hope for our friends Cettie and Sera. How can they even be friends after the betrayal? They’re not even on the brink of war, but in the middle of it. Time, space, and ideals separate them. The world may even be destroyed.
Once I finally had the book in my hands, and before I opened it, I took a deep breath and asked myself: Who is going to die? Am I going to cry through the whole book? Will any of the love interests work out?
These are legitimate questions because we all know, Wheeler loves to throw in twists and turns. In the interest of not spoiling things, I will not answer the questions I posed but will say I was frequently surprised.
I’m going to divert from talking about BROKEN VEIL for a moment to talk about themes in great literature (but if you’ll hang with me, I promise there is a connection).
Two of my favorite books are LES MISERABLES by Victor Hugo and THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexander Dumas. Some of the themes found in these books are revenge, betrayal, redemption, and forgiveness. These are strong and powerful emotions. If an author sets out to write a story and says my book will be about betrayal, I think this fictitious author would fail because it isn’t that simple. For strong themes to work, they have to be woven through the text in a way that is genuine and believable for the reader to become vested. Hugo’s and Dumas’ books are as much a fantasy to me as the world built by Jeff Wheeler, because I didn’t live through those time periods. (I actually see just about every book as being a fantasy: romance? Totally a fantasy – people never act like they do in those books.)
Getting back on track, all of Wheeler’s series do two things. First, they draw me into a believable world and tell an interesting story. Second, because I believe the world, every moment of revenge, betrayal, redemption, and forgiveness hits me to my core. Yes, sometimes, I cry and laugh through these books. This is why I read.
Once I finished the Harbinger Series, I felt satisfied. Now, satisfaction may seem like an only okay response but that isn’t what I’m trying to say. Some books I hate by the end, others I roll my eyes because I can’t believe in the world anymore because of literary decisions. But to say I am satisfied means so much more; it means that I still believe in the world, that I’ve gone through the journey with the characters, and that I am at peace with both the good and bad in the book. I’ve heard it said that the ending of a story should be ‘surprisingly inevitable’. If that was Wheeler’s goal, he succeeded.
Wheeler is a master storyteller. I hoped that both Cettie and Sera would come into their own power, believe in themselves, and ultimately make choices from their core selves instead of external factors. I hoped for peace in the two kingdoms. And I hoped for love to be fulfilled. But love can take so many turns. Love for country, love for the masses who suffer, family love, and romantic love. I honestly hoped for all of these to be fulfilled.
I know this review says very little about the BROKEN VEIL but that is because I want you to read it and go on the journey yourself. Doesn’t the idea of living revenge, betrayal, redemption, and forgiveness make you want to run out and read this right now?
Here are a couple of quotes to whet your appetite:
“She should just toss the book into a fire and burn it. Adam must hate her now.” p. 16
“She’d had a year to scheme.” p. 70
“She grabbed at the handle, trying to twist it, but she was too late.” p. 123
“They had traded darkness for daylight.” p. 143
“She now had access to memories that weren’t her own.” p.220
“It was treason. But perhaps, in his mind, he’d justified it.” p. 254
“No one was coming. She was alone.” p. 270
“The worth of a soul is its capacity to become something greater.” p. 294
“And you never will.” p. 347
I highly recommend this book, series, and author. I hope you step into a new world and discover more about yourself. You can find more at www.talesuntangled.wordpress.com
Once I finally had the book in my hands, and before I opened it, I took a deep breath and asked myself: Who is going to die? Am I going to cry through the whole book? Will any of the love interests work out?
These are legitimate questions because we all know, Wheeler loves to throw in twists and turns. In the interest of not spoiling things, I will not answer the questions I posed but will say I was frequently surprised.
I’m going to divert from talking about BROKEN VEIL for a moment to talk about themes in great literature (but if you’ll hang with me, I promise there is a connection).
Two of my favorite books are LES MISERABLES by Victor Hugo and THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexander Dumas. Some of the themes found in these books are revenge, betrayal, redemption, and forgiveness. These are strong and powerful emotions. If an author sets out to write a story and says my book will be about betrayal, I think this fictitious author would fail because it isn’t that simple. For strong themes to work, they have to be woven through the text in a way that is genuine and believable for the reader to become vested. Hugo’s and Dumas’ books are as much a fantasy to me as the world built by Jeff Wheeler, because I didn’t live through those time periods. (I actually see just about every book as being a fantasy: romance? Totally a fantasy – people never act like they do in those books.)
Getting back on track, all of Wheeler’s series do two things. First, they draw me into a believable world and tell an interesting story. Second, because I believe the world, every moment of revenge, betrayal, redemption, and forgiveness hits me to my core. Yes, sometimes, I cry and laugh through these books. This is why I read.
Once I finished the Harbinger Series, I felt satisfied. Now, satisfaction may seem like an only okay response but that isn’t what I’m trying to say. Some books I hate by the end, others I roll my eyes because I can’t believe in the world anymore because of literary decisions. But to say I am satisfied means so much more; it means that I still believe in the world, that I’ve gone through the journey with the characters, and that I am at peace with both the good and bad in the book. I’ve heard it said that the ending of a story should be ‘surprisingly inevitable’. If that was Wheeler’s goal, he succeeded.
Wheeler is a master storyteller. I hoped that both Cettie and Sera would come into their own power, believe in themselves, and ultimately make choices from their core selves instead of external factors. I hoped for peace in the two kingdoms. And I hoped for love to be fulfilled. But love can take so many turns. Love for country, love for the masses who suffer, family love, and romantic love. I honestly hoped for all of these to be fulfilled.
I know this review says very little about the BROKEN VEIL but that is because I want you to read it and go on the journey yourself. Doesn’t the idea of living revenge, betrayal, redemption, and forgiveness make you want to run out and read this right now?
Here are a couple of quotes to whet your appetite:
“She should just toss the book into a fire and burn it. Adam must hate her now.” p. 16
“She’d had a year to scheme.” p. 70
“She grabbed at the handle, trying to twist it, but she was too late.” p. 123
“They had traded darkness for daylight.” p. 143
“She now had access to memories that weren’t her own.” p.220
“It was treason. But perhaps, in his mind, he’d justified it.” p. 254
“No one was coming. She was alone.” p. 270
“The worth of a soul is its capacity to become something greater.” p. 294
“And you never will.” p. 347
I highly recommend this book, series, and author. I hope you step into a new world and discover more about yourself. You can find more at www.talesuntangled.wordpress.com