Official Review: Mirage by David J. Eden

[Karshiva]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Mirage - The First of the Nascentian Chronicles" by David J. Eden.]

David J. Eden invented a world that stems from our myths. Kellen, a young man with no family, has been plagued with nightmares since he was five years old, and there are more to his nightmares than meet the eye. On a hike on Grouse Mountain, he is transported into the world of Nascentia after having met Mirage, a mysterious girl. He finds himself in a world where he can recognize many characters of fairy tales, myths, all the stories that humans have passed on for eons. He is then charged to protect Mirage,who is very important in Nascentia and both of them are sent on a quest to eradicate evil. This evil is intricately linked to his nightmares.

A lot of characters are infused in the story, many we know, some we don't know. All these characters are melt together to form a tapestry that create the world of Nascentia. Kellen and Mirage travel through idyllic landscapes and wild and hostile environments. Cities are majestic or in ruins. It is a complex world.

This complexity is sometimes a disadvantage. The cheer number of characters, of myths, is confusing. There are too many references to legends and there is too much information to remember. Nevertheless the inventivity of the author is not to be belittled. It is clear that he navigates with ease in this world.

Kellen was for me a character hard to relate to. He seems to have such acceptance and such conflicted emotions at the same time that I did not really know what to make of it. Mirage wants him to help her, but she doesn't tell him what is really important. He goes forward, blind most of the time. However his courage is without fault. My favorite part was when Kellen demonstrated his proficiency at baseball.

The author uses a language that sometimes feel stilted, because he tries too much to reference old forms, sometimes even archaic to give the impression of being in a legend. However it does not interrupt too much the flow of the story.
On the whole, the book has lots of good ideas, but I could not completely adhere to the story. As a result, I would give it 2 out of 4 stars. I think this book is still worth reading, and other readers may adhere to the story more than I did.

***
Buy "Mirage - The First of the Nascentian Chronicles" on Amazon

[Nascentian]

Thanks so much for that review! I've been looking for some real, honest feedback since it was written, and you've given me a lot to think about, and a lot to work on. It's hard to discover what may....or may not work in your stor when your friends and friends of friends are more supportive than they are critical

Thanks again so much. At first I didn't like the idea of only a 2 star rating but then again...it's nice to know what needs fixing.