Book: Night Myst
ISBN-13: 978-0515148145
Author: Yasmine Galenorn
Series: Indigo Court, Book 1
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release: June 29, 2010
Length: 352 pages (Hardcover)
Rating: D- (50 / 100)
Verdict
Night Myst is a distinctly amateur novel that bumbles through the forms and tropes of the urban fantasy genre without ever slowing its breakneck pace to allow readers a single moment of authenticity. All things considered, this book belongs on the shelf with Harlequin’s worse romances, not among in the fantasy aisle. Avoid it.
-
Pros: Fast pace. Mercifully short.
Cons: Shallow character development. Complete lack of emotional impact. No suspense or suspense. Forgettable characters.
Synopsis
In Brief: When Cicely returns home following the death of her mentor, she discovers her home town in the grip of a dark force. After her Aunt is kidnapped, she discovers that a new court of vampires are to blame, and her lover is now her enemy.
Official: Eons ago, vampires tried to turn the Dark Fae in order to harness their magic, only to create a demonic enemy more powerful than they imagined. Now Myst, the Vampiric Fae Queen of the Indigo Court, has enough power to begin a long prophesied supernatural war. And Cicely Waters, a witch who can control the wind, may be the only one who can stop her-and save her beloved Fae prince from the Queen’s enslavement.
Review
I’m having enormous difficulty reconciling Night Myst with the reviews I’ve read of the book. It has all the redeeming qualities of half an episode of Charmed, and yet, it’s receiving rave reviews around the web, leading me to believe that either I’m missing something or the advance review copies of this book were distributed very selectively.
In either case, I think it is safe to say, readers (especially those of the male persuasion) should steer clear of this bomb. There are simply too many good urban fantasy and paranormal romance series currently circulating to waste time on hastily churned out pseudo novels like this.
The premise of the series, of which this is the first book, is that a new court of half fae vampires have taken up residence in the woods outside a small town that is home to a small population of the magic-born (think witches) and the New Forest Conservatory, a school for gifted students with supernatural talents. People have begun disappearing or turning up dead, beginning with the society of witches who generally govern the magic-born. The norms don’t seem to notice or care, and none of the magic folk are doing anything about the situation.
Enter Cicely Waters, a cookie cutter fem fatal who conforms to all of the most tired conventions of the genre. No parents. Dark past. Tough attitude. Dead broke. Obstinate but highly selective sense of morality. Subject of prophecy. Untrained in magic. Constantly discovering new magical powers at the most convenient times. If you’re read a single urban fantasy novel featuring a female protagonist, you already know everything there is to know about Cicely.
The story goes something like this. Cicely rolls into town and discovers the extent of the situation. People begin giving her gifts. Here’s a room to stay in Cicely. Here’s an entire witch’s laboratory Cicely. Here’s a book explaining everything you to know about the fae vampires Cicely. Here’s a annual salary for doing nothing but what you’re already doing Cicely. Here’s a prophecy to ratchet up the tension. Here’s a magic feather. Here’s a magic fan.
Next comes the forbidden love interest. You know the one. That love interest that the female protagonist can’t stop thinking about even though he’s done nothing particularly romantic and is in fact a bit of a douche bag. The one that she can’t possibly be with because… well, because the fact that the love is forbidden is a convenient MacGuffin with which to fill out pages.
The forbidden love interest’s role in the plot is to come to Cicely all Romeo and Juliet and offer her just enough information to convince her that she can creep into the woods – which border on her lawn, conveniently enough – to rescue her aunt and cousin who are the latest victims of the evil fae vampires. Never mind that he’s now one of these vampires himself and he damn well could have just carried the aunt and cousin out of the wood on his way to skulk about Cicely’s lawn. He’s a douche. We’ve covered that.
So, of course, Cicely goes into the woods. For a moment she considers burning the entire forest down, and I got a bit excited. Burning down a magic forest to rescue people who didn’t have the good sense to relocate to a Motel 6 when evil vampires moved in next door would almost have rescued the plot. But nooo. The douchey forbidden love interest talks her out of it in a single sentence.
This is the point where the story takes such a sharp turn from all logic as to border on B-movie comedy. The love interest refuses to come away with Cicely. The love interest refuses to carry the kidnapping victims of the forest. The love interest refuses to join the rescue attempt. Then, the love interest refuses to let the heroine burn down the forest. Personally speaking, this would be the point where any girl I’ve ever dated would kick me in the balls, burn down the forest, and call the police to retrieve the kidnap victims. But evidently, that’s the reason my life isn’t the subject of an erotic urban fantasy novel.
I won’t spoil the end of the story but to say that the forest remains in tact, not a single plot thread is resolved, and our heroine tragically survives to pave the way for a sequel.
The upshot here is that Night Myst has done wonders for my confidence as an aspiring author. Seeing just how little originality or reason is required in publishable story has set me to thinking about writing a novel of my own.
I encourage writers working up the courage to mail out manuscripts to page through Night Myst in the book store to bolster their own confidence. Otherwise, readers should steer clear.
Disclaimer
The Great Geek Manual did receive an advance review copy of Night Myst, secondhand from a fellow reviewer. The free copy did not influence the opinion of this reviewer.
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