Voice From the Dead by Aster Shock
Genre: Fantasy
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC so I could provide an honest review.
Well, I’m unfortunately not going to like every book I read. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t read this one. Voice From the Dead is a “portal” story…or if you’re an anime nerd like myself, it’s an Isekai. It’s the first book in a series called The Power Thieves and written by Astor Shock.
The main character is thrust unwillingly into the afterlife when attacked by bullies. Our setting is post World War II Germany (1961 to be precise) and Tosho is the son of a Nazi war criminal. In the afterlife, he’s sent on a quest to hunt down a sword. I honestly had a hard time understanding the reasoning? Oh, and Merlin’s a character?
Now here come my biggest complaints. I know, I know. I’m sorry. I’ve got more.
The dialogue didn’t feel natural. And by that I mean, it didn’t feel like how people normally talk. Writing natural dialogue can be hard. Fortunately though, this is a skill that can be easily honed by working with some alpha readers and practicing.
I also have a hard time liking a book if I don’t feel empathetic towards the main character. I know our protagonists need to go through growth and development, but there needs to be a reason for the reader to feel instantly connected with a character. One way to do that is by “saving the cat.” We need to see the character’s moral compass almost right off the bat, and I feel like it was hard to find that moment in this book.
These aren’t the only things I noticed, but they were the pieces that stood out to me the most.
Something I will say. The author definitely has the potential to write a good novel. Shock clearly has the passion and desire to write (they’ve already published one other book), so by keeping up the hard work, listening to feedback from alpha readers and utilizing editors, there’s room for improvement and I hope to witness them grow as a writer!
Oh, and did you notice the cover? It’s gorgeous.
