Review of Sunchaser

Post by **Sarah Schmidt** » 20 Oct 2023, 13:48

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sunchaser" by I.P. Eviston.]

4 out of 5 stars

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Sunchaser continues The Vanguard Chronicles book series written by I.P. Eviston. On the hunt for the divine artifacts left by the gods, Spirit and the rest of his Vanguard squad, led by Captain Isaac, head to Aloweth. Their enemies won’t let them get away so easily, however. The Kindred are hot on their heels, lurking in the shadows and waiting for the perfect time to strike. If that wasn’t enough, the demons are making their move, ready to wage war on the aether-rich humans. Can the members of the team deal with their baggage and find the artifacts before their enemies?

Compared to the prequel, Sunchaser had way more flashbacks, and they weren’t limited to the young adult cast of characters. This added to the worldbuilding, and I like that the settings were switched up.

The direction of the plot was very satisfying. Spirit and his group are battling against two villainous factions, and where we saw more of the demons’ side before, the Kindred’s actions receive most of the limelight now. In my review of Demonslayer, I mentioned understanding a little about the demons’ thought processes and motives for their actions. Contrarily, I wanted to mete out violence to the Kindred, unable to fathom the reasons for what they did. It’s interesting to see the dual takes on antagonism. It’ll be a major plus for the series if Eviston has the main characters approach the two enemies with different strategies and according to their separate causes—even though the two groups of villains do have the same end goal.

As for characterization, more characters were introduced, yes, but they were supporting characters and didn’t interfere with the protagonists’ screen time except for relevant plot devices. Romance entered the equation, and I liked how it was carried out by Eviston. Skylar is still my favourite character by far, evoking in me a strong feeling of sympathy when she went through a rather hard time near the climax. How the plot left off has me wondering about a lot of people’s fates, and I can’t wait to see what Eviston cooks up next for our group of aetheren.

I doubt readers will receive full enjoyment from reading or grasp the storyline without first reading the previous book, as it contains a lot of information that sets the stage for this book. I think continuity has improved somewhat, and I appreciated that the book’s length was way less than before. The length was just the right amount to tell the story, and readers who are normally daunted by a drawn-out read won’t have this to worry about.

As was seen in the last book, mistakes present made for a poor reading experience. I firmly believe that it has not gone through any basic editing, much less professional editing. I think the author needs to revise how certain sentences are framed, especially because they interrupt the flow of the story, which can affect how readers perceive the story overall.

I rate Sunchaser four out of five stars. Though it has more or less the same issues that were prevalent in the first instalment of the series, Demonslayer, I felt more invested in the characters this time around, watching the bonds and characters themselves develop. It still had a problematic writing style and poor editing quality to thank for the one-star deduction, however.

People looking for an ongoing series (as of this review’s publication, anyway) with a character-driven story that shows promise will be sure to enjoy this. Let me reiterate that it would be prudent to read the prequel before diving into this book.

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Sunchaser
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Miracle Oge Adaeze · Post by **Miracle Oge Adaeze** » 24 Oct 2023, 02:45

I like that the author managed the characters in a way that will not allow supporting characters affect the main characters. It takes a great deal of skill to do that. Thank you for the honest review.

Cara Wilding · Post by **Cara Wilding** » 24 Oct 2023, 13:22

Sarah Schmidt wrote: ↑20 Oct 2023, 13:48 [Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sunchaser" by I.P. Eviston.]

Sunchaser continues The Vanguard Chronicles book series written by I.P. Eviston. On the hunt for the divine artifacts left by the gods, Spirit and the rest of his Vanguard squad, led by Captain Isaac, head to Aloweth. Their enemies won’t let them get away so easily, however. The Kindred are hot on their heels, lurking in the shadows and waiting for the perfect time to strike. If that wasn’t enough, the demons are making their move, ready to wage war on the aether-rich humans. Can the members of the team deal with their baggage and find the artifacts before their enemies?

The direction of the plot was very satisfying. Spirit and his group are battling against two villainous factions, and where we saw more of the demons’ side before, the Kindred’s actions receive most of the limelight now. In my review of Demonslayer, I mentioned understanding a little about the demons’ thought processes and motives for their actions. Contrarily, I wanted to mete out violence to the Kindred, unable to fathom the reasons for what they did. It’s interesting to see the dual takes on antagonism. It’ll be a major plus for the series if Eviston has the main characters approach the two enemies with different strategies and according to their separate causes—even though the two groups of villains do have the same end goal.

As was seen in the last book, mistakes present made for a poor reading experience. I firmly believe that it has not gone through any basic editing, much less professional editing. I think the author needs to revise how certain sentences are framed, especially because they interrupt the flow of the story, which can affect how readers perceive the story overall.

Got it, start with the first book - thank you for that! Despite the flaws you kindly identified, it seems as if the plot and character development are good enough to make up for them. This has a nice unprecendented storyline with the two villainous factions. The disparate perspectives for the conflict sound absolutely fascinating. Perhaps you will get your wish in the next installment! Loved reading this review, thanks so much for sharing it!

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 04 Nov 2023, 14:47

I was intrigued by the basic idea of Demonslayer and this sequel seems to build upon that with engaging plot and characters. Alas, the poor editing is part of this sequel too, which is discouraging. Regardless, thank you for your great review!

Gee-Q Mdluli · Post by **Gee-Q Mdluli** » 05 Nov 2023, 05:09

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the book. I've never read it, and looking at the cover, I wondered what it could be about. Your review has convinced me to check it out. Thanks again for your insights!

Azaz Raja · Post by **Azaz Raja** » 11 Feb 2024, 06:59

Thank you for your insightful review of "Sunchaser" by I.P. Eviston. Your detailed analysis of the plot direction, character development, and worldbuilding provides valuable insight for potential readers. It's great to hear that you found the storyline and character relationships engaging, despite some issues with editing and writing style. Your recommendation to read the prequel before diving into this book is helpful for readers considering the series. Your thoughtful critique will surely guide readers in making informed decisions about their reading choices.