Official Review: Rituals by Ryan Hastings

mmm17 · Post by **mmm17** » 17 Jan 2020, 18:20

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Rituals" by Ryan Hastings.]

2 out of 4 stars

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Rituals, written by Ryan Hastings, is an imaginative fantasy/sci-fi story that revolves around the archetypical battle between good and evil. Galai’el is a good angel who, along with Yana Skarlet, a beautiful exotic dancer, prepares to battle the evil Dom’rel, a fallen archangel. Dom’rel plans to destroy the lands of Malene (on Harth) – which include Gol, Vae’yir, and Shiro. To do so, Dom’rel aims to destroy Azal’el’s spear in the consecrated city of Rime, in Shiro.

At the beginning of the book, King Balthrazed is murdered by his treacherous son Baalta, who has sided with Dom’rel and the forces of evil. A brutal war ensues, with a flood of monsters and demons pouring into the city of Evermore, in Gol, as Baalta watches from the royal balcony with satisfaction. What unfolds is a sequence of heroic battles to save Harth and Bree Firebourne, a royal princess who is currently living in Shiro.

While the book lacks character development, it does provide a lot of action. There are battleships, portals, polymorphs, swords, and a lot of magic. There’s also a nice touch of romance. Besides the main plot, the author unfolds a few secondary plotlines that are entertaining. I especially liked Rayne’s character – a close friend of Yana’s and also a dancer with special powers.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and their stories, for there were too many of them. Each chapter introduces different names, stories, and settings, making the book a bit fragmented for my taste. Additionally, I didn’t feel that the main plotline got well resolved in the end. On the contrary, it felt like several threads were still loose. But no spoilers are allowed! What I can say is that it felt as if we had seen just another battle. The war, though, seemed to be far from over, and this lack of proper closure bothered me a little.

In closing, I found more than ten spelling and grammatical errors in the book, and unfortunately, they were enough to detract from my enjoyment of the story. For this reason and also for the negatives previously mentioned, I’m taking two stars away from the rating. Thus, I rate Rituals 2 out of 4 stars. If you are a fan of mixing fantasy and science fiction, you might enjoy it, especially if the themes of angels and battles between good and evil appeal to you. However, if you prefer deep, nuanced characters, you should probably look elsewhere. Also, since the book has a fair share of profanity, I wouldn’t recommend it to younger audiences.

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Rituals
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Jaime Lync · Post by **Jaime Lync** » 20 Jan 2020, 06:13

Great review! This book sounds like it has potential and would be more appealing as a series of books instead of trying to introduce so many characters in one story.

Stephanie Elizabeth · Post by **Stephanie Elizabeth** » 20 Jan 2020, 18:07

Wow! Those are some unique names! While I like that the book is full of action, I prefer books with more character development. As always, thank you for the great review!

mmm17 · Post by **mmm17** » 21 Jan 2020, 15:51

Jaime Lync wrote: ↑20 Jan 2020, 06:13 Great review! This book sounds like it has potential and would be more appealing as a series of books instead of trying to introduce so many characters in one story.

Thank you for reading!

mmm17 · Post by **mmm17** » 21 Jan 2020, 15:52

Stephanie Elizabeth wrote: ↑20 Jan 2020, 18:07 Wow! Those are some unique names! While I like that the book is full of action, I prefer books with more character development. As always, thank you for the great review!

They are rather unique names, aren't they?

Thank you for your kind words!

Anon_Reviewer · Post by **Anon_Reviewer** » 22 Jan 2020, 08:21

I cannot handle books with too many characters, especially if they are not developed adequately. I don't think this is the book for me, so I will have to pass. Thanks for the wonderful review!

Erin Painter Baker · Post by **Erin Painter Baker** » 22 Jan 2020, 10:59

I definitely like the concept of the book, but even reading your synopsis had me struggling to keep everything straight, so I am guessing the abundance of plot lines and characters (especially underdeveloped characters) would make this just too much for me.

mmm17 · Post by **mmm17** » 22 Jan 2020, 13:21

Ever_Reading wrote: ↑22 Jan 2020, 08:21 I cannot handle books with too many characters, especially if they are not developed adequately. I don't think this is the book for me, so I will have to pass. Thanks for the wonderful review!

Yep. I hear you! Thank you for commenting!

mmm17 · Post by **mmm17** » 22 Jan 2020, 13:25

esp1975 wrote: ↑22 Jan 2020, 10:59 I definitely like the concept of the book, but even reading your synopsis had me struggling to keep everything straight, so I am guessing the abundance of plot lines and characters (especially underdeveloped characters) would make this just too much for me.

The concept is a good one, but the characters could have been better developed. Thanks for reading and commenting!