Enjoyable but not without flaws
349749
With an interesting new magic system and interesting character and background concepts this book is good source material to create your own adventures with, it's far from perfect with average pictures and with some underthought class concepts. Most good dm's can take what's writ here and play with it until the world of aes sedai, algai'siswai and gleemen dance the Daes Dae'mar.
4203702
I enjoyed The Orion Connection. It kept my interest throughout, the plot was compelling, the characters fairly well developed, the science and technology interesting, believable and well described.

That said, I thought there was room for improvement. In the best writing the writing itself is invisible and we get absorbed in the story and the characters. Too often with The Orion Connection I became aware I was being told a story. And a few times there were events and actions that I found jarring, that could have benefited from additional prior development to fit more smoothly in the story.

All in all though this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to future books in the series.
2904711
The book could certainly use a good polish (and is need of a copy editor), but I found the plot to be intriguing, and the story-line to be fairly well-written; I also found that I could relate to and sympathize with the characters. Unfortunately, the author was not entirely successful in her attempt to draw the reader in by omitting facts that are key to character development (a technique that can easily become a point of frustration for the reader, which is what happened here) -- but this failure was not enough to make the book entirely unenjoyable.

I was provided with a free copy of this book so I could give an honest review
527557
This is an enjoyable book, it reads quickly and keeps the readers interest. The dialogue is convincingly Austenian and the plot darts from conflict to conflict buoyantly. To answer the books premise - would Pride and Prejudice be changed if Darcy had given Elizabeth a 'civil' proposal instead of the one he did? - seems to be 'no.' But it is mostly entertaining nonetheless.

But this book did prove frustrating to me, in it's small way. Be forwarned, I intend to spoil at least parts of it below, although exactly how spoilable this book can be is different to everyone.

The characterizations of P&P's characters, while largely apt and appealing, occasionally veered off in a most distractedly way. With main characters like Elizabeth and Darcy, they would move in and out of it, but other side characters like Lady Catherine and Mr. Bennett felt entirely and fundamentally misunderstood or at least poorly interpreted.

A good example of this is one of the first hurdles after Darcy has given his first proposal, when Mr. Collins perceives Darcy's extended stay at their house (while we know he is proposing but no one else does) as an attempt on his part to force himself onto Lizzy, spreads this news about, and the servants catch wind and a scandal is implied. My first problem here is the idea that Mr. Collins, who knows nothing better than to drool upon those of higher classes, would subsequently never accuse Darcy of what he did and effectively blacklist him from his life the rest of the book. My second problem is the 'implied' nature of the scandal, in that we are told it is a big deal but never actually hear about it from anyone other than those angsting over its consequences.

And, more problematically, we have Mr. Bennett instantly hating Mr. Darcy, preferring Wickham and believing him even after Lizzy has written to him detailing his crimes, and refusing his blessing and likewise blacklisting Darcy and Elizabeth from his house. This interpretation of Bennett has no relation to the original, who would have been more amused by the whole thing that passionate and enraged. Bennett is marked by his indifference, and you really fail to understand why exactly he hates Darcy so much. He almost let Lizzy marry Mr. Collins, it doesn't make sense why he would behave so here with Darcy.

There are other odd or annoying character details as well, such as Lady Catherine being reduced to a shrill harpy who runs a poorly managed estate. Lady Catherine may be annoying and condescending but she isn't a fool nor would she breach propriety in the way she does in this book, and Darcy certainly wouldn't too. There is also something odd in the character of Fitzwilliam, though he is more amusing that perplexing.

Kitty and Mary are largely ignored, the latter more so, and Lydia does indeed try to make off with Wickham in the night. In another odd moment Lizzy slaps her twice in a way that is certainly what the reader wants but comes off strangely on the page. Also, in a pretty surprising and somewhat disturbing aside in the epilogue, it is implied that after released from jail Fitzwilliam took a mysterious sabbatical to basically track down and kill Wickham? Such a brutal end to someone who yes is quite regrettable but in no way deserves to be murdered.

Lizzy and Darcy's relationship has many an up and down, to much so to relate here. But they do get married and have lots of sex. This book is quite chaste for the first half, and while the sex scenes aren't incredibly graphic you do have a good sense of what's going on so it's not PG.

This book also, I think, suffers a bit from its neglect of certain side characters, such as Jane who as usual has nothing interesting to do in these sequels. Mr and Mrs Gardiner and upgraded and Kitty and Mary and Charlotte downgraded. Kitty and Caroline meet ultimately sad ends, and it seems like Mary and Anne never marry.

For me, this book is enjoyable enough to recommend, but not crafted well enough to love.
286731
Let me start by saying how torn I feel between giving this four or five stars.

On the one hand, I absolutely loved the book and would strongly recommend it - with a few caveats.

On the other hand, there are a handful of spelling and editing issues that stuck out to me rather strongly, though they may be more or less annoying to others. It is those caveats I mentioned that are the real sticking point however.

So - what did I like? The premise of this book was a rather original one to me. While reversing the expected role of protagonist/antagonist isn't brand new, using a low level, unintelligent creature in the role was both unexpected and offered a lot of interesting opportunities for "seeing the world through different eyes." I was enthralled by the world building and the rule set/system of that world which was revealed bit by bit over the course of the story. Apparently "Lit-RPG" is a genre, but I had not encountered it before this, and so my reactions are thus based on that sense of going in blind, ignorant of the genre. Reading a story set within an RPG universe that explains pieces of the rules of that universe is definitely up my alley. I honestly wish that the rules were described further and in greater detail - I want to know more! Along the way there is plenty of humor, exciting action, and interesting, evocative, and detailed descriptions.

Okay, about those caveats. The characters are somewhat one dimensional, and although I did not find this to be a drawback, some might feel it is off-putting. If the cover isn't clear enough on this point - do not expect an overly nuanced depiction of sexuality. Or an even remotely nuanced one. In fact, overly sexy and over-sexed is a pretty apt description of almost all of the females in the book. In one case this makes sense within the larger story, but even with that fact, the aforementioned detailed descriptions paint some very smutty scenes rather graphically. If sex and sexuality that is clearly written to appeal to the "male gaze" upsets you, then I STRONGLY suggest you steer clear. Likewise (to a slightly lesser extent), if graphic descriptions of violence bother you. If you do not mind (or even enjoy) these things - then ignore these caveats.

In closing, I absolutely loved this book, enough so that I knew I had to go the 5 star route. I eagerly anticipate reading the next installment (which I just learned is out!), and learning more about this world and its rules. From what little I know of Lit-RPG as a genre, this seems to be a good example. If you are a fan of fantasy universes, intriguing world building, and the "nitty-gritty" of rulesets - give it a go. Even if that last bit leaves you a bit hesitant, there is still plenty to enjoy.
1498461
I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I loved she story - it was inspirational and bitter sweet. I appreciated the questions it raised, and the fact that it made me wonder. On the other hand, I felt some of the characters were unrealistic, and the quality of writing wasn't there.

After a tragic accident takes Michele's mother, she is sent to live with wealthy grandparents she's never met before. Her mother also leaves her a key that allows her to travel back in time. In the past, she learns to cope with her own grief by connecting with and helping her ancestors at key points in their lives. In 1910, she also meets and falls in love with Phillip Walker, the young son of a rival family. While the love story is poignant, I felt like this whole book was really about Michele coming to terms with being a Windsor, even more than it was about her falling in love. The time travel elements in the story were a clever way to tie Michele to her family legacy.

The love story is bitter sweet at best. In the beginning it's almost sappy how much these two beautiful, perfect characters love one another, but how can a two people from different times make a romance work?

I liked all of the characters in Timeless, both past and present.  Michele was lovely - she's nobel, unselfish, brave, and caring.  She suffers greatly in this story but yet you never once see her whine or complain - all in all a very admirable protagonist.  However, she's almost too perfect, which brings me to one of my bigger nitpicks with the story. I had issues connecting with the characters. Why? After much debate, I've concluded they were just too perfect. It seems almost silly to say that, because perfect is good right? But I think it's essential to have some flaws in a character to make them likeable. The audience of any book is innately flawed (we're human after all) therefore the characters should also have flaws that allow us to identify with them.

The whole book has a sort of Disneyish feel to me, which made things seem a bit unrealistic. As a 34 year old, I realize I'm not the target audience for this novel though *sheepish grin*, so take that assessment with a grain of salt. Timeless was definitely meant for a preteen and young teen audience, and I'm sure I'd love the book if I still fell into that age range. While I enjoy YA fiction, I tend prefer YA books that sort of lean towards the adult side, and this is not that kind of novel.

Timeless is a great discussion book. It's, by far, one of the things I appreciated most about the novel. The time travel elements raise TONS of questions. The book was assigned by my reading club, and we have pages of theories and thoughts on some of the novel's time travel mysteries. Which is all good fun. I just hope the author can deliver answers that will make us all happy in future books.

If you are an adult that enjoys reading YA books, Timeless might be a little too fluffy for you, but the story is still enjoyable. It is inspirational and touching.  Despite my concerns, I'm definitely looking forward to the next book. Timeless piqued my curiosity and I really look forward to seeing where the author goes with the story.
684162
I lived the story and the plot devices used by the author.  They were a novel twist on the elements of a traditional regency.  The author had also actually done some research on people and issues of the era which I really found refreshing.  It was also long enough to develop characters and situations with some depth and detail.

One important weakness kept me from giving this book five stars - editing.  I felt like I was reading an unedited rough draft.  There were spelling errors, words left out (often short ones but nonetheless noticeable by their absence), and incorrect words obviously left there from a spell check.  This made reading a jarring experience, especially in the first half of the novel.

So, to sum it up, very enjoyable regency, clever ideas from the author, and irritating mechanical issues.
1821566
This was an enjoyable book (enough that I will consider purchasing the sequel), but there is a slight issue with the way the author breaks up sentences to push simultaneous internal dialogue, which may be too jarring for some readers.  Good characterization.

I would recommend that anyone thinking of buying this book take a preview look at Chapter one and decide whether the occasional staccato delivery is acceptable.
891471
This story is an enjoyable swords and sorcery tale, but there are some issues. The book is rife with editing glitches (many proper names uncapitalized at random, two words smashed together due to lack of an appropriate space placement, first person personal pronouns written as "i", etc.)  If you have a pet peeve about these things, they will most definitely interfere with your enjoyment of the story.  The book also lacks exposition about how magic works in this world. The author uses terminology without defining any of it, and assumes the reader already knows.
648710
I don't like swimming against tide of other reviewers, but the novel left me with mixed feelings. Overall, I felt it had some very noticeable strong and weak points.

On the positive side, all of the characters were well drawn out and believable. Also, the overall mystery moved in a very sequential manner, with a few unexpected surprises along the way.  However, on the negative side, I felt quite a number of rambling passages could have been either deleted or better edited. Also, despite the surprises, other parts of the story were too predictable.

Thus, while the novel was definitely not a snoozer, I didn't feel the fireworks experienced by other reviewers.
1751297
I really debated whether this was a 3 or 4 star book, and settled on 4 since it's an engaging easy enjoyable read. The concept -- a fortune teller with a rough family history trying to make her way through Parisian society without being trapped by the "witch-queen," wealthy scheming ladies, lovers, or even the king -- is interesting and engaging. The character development is very believable and satisfying and the main character is very likeable.

My criticisms are primarily of the pacing and structure of the book. You get an intro section, followed by several hundred pages of back-and-forth scheming and posturing tension. However, unfortunately the moment the tension breaks is where the book ends. No denouement, no real satisfaction for the main character.

This is not really "historical fiction," but it is a fun novel that incorporates a number of bizarre and disturbing characters and events (often related to the "black mass" or other action by the witches -- not credible as historical possibilities, but entertaining) in an engaging way.
4003508
Interesting start to a series with potential
2959749
I have major mixed feelings about this book. For the most part, I loved it. However, there was one major, MAJOR flaw with it that nearly ruins the entire thing for me. However, let me talk about the positives first.

Im really happy that this book wasn't a young adult novel. Dont get me wrong, I love young adult fiction. But seeing more adult elements to a book dealing with teenagers was a refreshing change. I also loved how in depth Bayliss explained her characters. They were all very complex characters, but not complex enough to throw you off or confuse you. Though they were complex, they were very unique and distinct characters which were developed very well.

I also really liked how in-depth Bayliss was about explaining the magic and the use of it. For her, it wasn't enough to simply say then this was done. There was a full explanation of some of the bigger uses of magic, including why, how, and where it was done. Ive read many paranormal books that leave you guessing about how or why things were done, so it was great to get all of the details. It let me truly understand the characters actions.

The part that really bothered me was dealing with an assault that happened. I cannot give too many details about it without ruining the story, but let me just say that it was not dealt with in a real-life manner. As a victim of a similar type of assault, I was disgusted with how it was brushed aside and the assailant was not brought to justice. However, I will say that this character had a key role in another aspect of the story. Im hoping that in the next book of the series, this character will get what they deserve and the victim of the assault will get their justice.

Destruction was engaging from the very first page to the very last. I would recommend it to any mature paranormal reader, though some of the more adult scenes may be too heavy for younger readers who may otherwise be interested in this book. I enjoyed this book, but must say that certain things must be addressed in the second book for this reader to continue the series.
2573886
It's an interesting concept for a historical novel, sharing the story of Lady Jane Grey, teenaged queen of England for only a few days before being confined to the Tower and eventually beheaded.  What events brought her to that point?  What kind of person was she?  The author tries to answer some of these questions while entertaining the reader.  In general, I think she did better at entertaining than at answering those questions.

In general the read was enjoyable, but there were some significant negatives:

1) There is a gratuitous rape scene with explicit descriptions.  It's speculation as to whether such a thing occurred, but even if it did, it could easily have been handled by seeing her in the morning bruised and bleeding.  This was a big negative for me.

2) The use of a large number of 1st-person narrators, approximately 10 (though the vast majority of the narration is confined to a smaller number).  Every few pages the point-of-view changed to someone else, all speaking in the 1st person and not always well distinguished in voice.  You have to be careful to look at the section header to know who is talking.  I think it would have been better if the list had been narrowed down a bit, or perhaps to have used a 3rd person omniscient narrator.

3) The language was quite modern at times.  Turns of phrase that it's quite obvious were not from the time period.

As for answering the questions about Lady Jane Grey, the author does very little to make it clear what is pure speculation, what is educated guesswork, and what is established from source material from the time period.  Beyond the basic framework of the succession of the throne from person to person, there was very little I knew that I could accept as truth.  I feel there should have been an extended author's note or chapter end notes making it clear where this all came from.  I wanted to be entertained, but I wanted to know what was truth, what was fiction, and what was leaning one way or the other.

Overall, I'd say to pass on this book.  In the end, I think it falls short both in the categories of history and fiction.
2493189
I truly enjoyed this story.  I cared about  the characters.  However, this book needed serious editing.  There are issues with events that don't make sense.  The time line was weird.
  Otherwise, I enjoyed the book.
2316806
I liked the Hero, David, and the heroine, Amelia, and I liked their story until they got married. Up to that point there was plenty of fun and frolicking, with handsome David brooding pleasantly, and Amelia being wonderfully lively and a bit immature. Both characters had immense potential. When David saves her from a rakish villain bent on kidnapping and ravishing his way to a fortune, the plot is moving along swimmingly to a satisfying end. But no, we have to endure too many more pages of David's brooding as it becomes selfish and cruel. In addition, the plot begins to unravel as several superfluous subplots are plopped in and become distracting. Admittedly, the sex scenes were very hot, but by the time they were introduced, I was becoming frustrated with the lost focus of the story. For example, I could have forgiven the addition of Amelia's struggle to become a mother to David's distrustful daughter, but by the time the daughter's illness and a madman's attempt to murder Amelia were also thrown in, it just became a jumble. This could have been a 4 star novel but Ms. Willingham tried to make it be too many things at once.
3437709
I enjoyed reading this story, however the editing flaws distracted from the overall enjoyment. I found myself trying to edit as I go. Not good. But because the plot was intriguing and its subplots intertwined nicely I gave it a four star rating. It's worth reading if you don't mind the distraction.