The characters are wonderful, extremely credible and likeable
354552
Stranger Than Fiction is a real page turner!!
The plot is fast paced, with mystery, suspense and full of twists and turns. The characters are wonderful, extremely credible and likeable. The book its excellent written, with clever dialogues and intense situations that keep you wanting more until you found yourself at the end!!
This is my first book of Emelle Gamble, and it won't be the last one, she's a fantastic writer.
Highly Recommended to all type of readers.

*I received a Free copy in exchange for an Honest Review*
4955956
The characters are gentle, firm and credible.  The pace is lively.  The premise is plausible, in an outlandish way.

I'd liken the tale to a soft boiled Mickey Spilane.
4554224
A wonderful voice, that is clear and lucid and very endearing.  This is one of those tough girl novels that is credible and woven together very delicately.  Enough consistent "reveals" of a troubled past, but no dreary details.  The ambiguity about Lacey's true identify continues up until the very last pages.  Very engaging.  I actually accidentally read a later novel in the series, and worked my way backwards to the start.  Still works.  I very eagerly await the next publication in this series.
3184502
I am not a big reader of fiction, but this story is beguiling, humorous, and wonderfully refreshing.  The technique is very interesting and took courage, and I agree with other reviewers in that I felt as though I was  ease dropping.  Ms. Cook writes with verve and intelligence and is  respectful of the reader.  I found the book more amusing than side  splitting, but, then again, I am a guy.  I wish there was as much  acceptance of an unfulfilled husband's life as there is a wife's.  Good for  Claire for breaking through with a lovely, well written and developed story  and peculiar characters that are actually believable.
624099
This is one of the few books that I press upon everyone I meet.
This volume contains both "The Door into Fire" and "The Door into Shadow."  Both are fine fantasies, with enough adventure for those who mostly want slam-bang plot, and enough character development for those who prefer that.  But the setting is probably this series' biggest draw, a land where one doesn't have to *believe* in the Goddess, because everyone meets Her once during their lives.  Bisexuality seems to be the norm, and people love according to personality and chemistry, not gender.  It's a great series for anyone, but it will especially appeal to Pagans, polyamorists, and GLB folks.  Both stories have lovely messages about openness, tolerance, and facing one's fears without feeling like "message stories" that sacrifice plot and character to the message.
One caveat:  the second book deals partly with the main character's recovery from child sexual abuse, and the resolution that the character reaches about this may feel offensive to some real-life survivors of child sexual abuse.  Of course, others will find the story edifying or freeing.
Cory
204840
Perhaps some of the most realistic and relatable characters in fantasy! Do yourself a favor and give it a read
64531
What a wonderfully fun ride!  In the vein of Felix Castor meets a less doom and gloom Harry Dresden, I am now a serious fan of Jackson Pastor.  This book takes a wonderful deviation from the expected supernatural lore and never looks back.  The supporting cast of this novel are wide and varied, with a pleasantly surprising balance of strong men and women helping to fill out a complete and extremely enjoyable mystery.  Enough twists that a few caught my ever pessimistic self by surprise more than once, I am extremely glad I was recommended this book, and I am already looking forward to the next book of the series, which thankfully is coming out within the next couple of months.

Congrats to the author on a very fun tale, and looking forward to reading more of this extremely entertaining series.
4223226
I HAD TO FIND THE PLACE TO REVIEW AS SOON AS I FINISHED THE BOOK.  IT WAS DELIGHTFUL, ENTERTAINING AND FULL OF SURPRISES.  THE CHARACTERS WERE GREAT AND THE PLOT SO REFRESHING FOR SO MANY THAT ARE SO PREDICTABLE AND UNINTERESTING.  HATED TO SEE IT END AND LOOK FORWARD TO MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR.  THE JOKES AND BANTERING WERE FUNNY AND REFRESHING.
I'VE READ HUNDREDS OF AMAZON BOOKS SINCE I GOT MY KINDLE A FEW YEARS AGO AND MUST SAY THAT THE DEVICE IS ONE OF THE MOST DEPENDABLE OF ANY ELECTRONICS I HAVE EVER OWNED AND THE BOOKS HAVE BEEN SO APPRECIATED IN VIEW OF PROVIDING ME WITH SO MUCH PLEASURE.
2679462
This is a pleasant, entertaining, cozy story with a character that is  instantly likable and compelling. Smooth, effortless writing that is clear and robust. The best novel I have read in a long time. I loved Count Rostov and the Audible performance was a delight, spot on, added so much to the texture of the story and especially the character, Rostov. Just a lovely story, lovely writing.
3732769
This is a wonderful read. It has everything I look for in a novel. The plot is ingenious, the characters well filled out, and it displays a delicious and perverse sense of humor. I was especially impressed with the lives of the teens--they suffer appropriately, they triumph occasionally, and most of them are likeable. The copy-editor mum cum detective and the murder victim become more and more interesting and sympathetic as the novel progresses. I join the other critics in hoping for a sequel.
4102281
Delightful.  A wonderful main character, a romance with real spark, and a setting you'll fall in love with.  The slightly old-fashioned narrative voice is perfect for this story of coming out and finding true love in rural Wales.  Though it deals with prejudice and homophobia, it does so gently and almost everyone in the book (there are a few exceptions) are decent people trying to find happiness.  The two principle characters are beautifully drawn and the supporting cast is fun.  Be prepared to cry.
4517368
Fun and interesting story with likeable characters that generally react in realistic ways to fantastic situations.
3699306
Full of the suspense we all have come to appreciate and expect of Koontz this book is special because of the characters. Full of optimism and a joy of life that is infectious despite the horrific situations in which they find themselves, I found these characters to be especially endearing. More of a mystery than a horror novel, quite scary on places, but really funny in others - I loved this book!
2286701
The main characters are believable and likeable.  The plot and flow of the story makes it hard to put down
1661505
The story is intriguing and yet convincing, and the characters are likable.
1220577
Alexia Tarabotti is a delightful character!  She's outspoken, loves good food, and is intelligent and sarcastic.  I loved reading all about her adventures in this novel.  And of her antagonistic relationship with Lord Maccon, who finds her very exasperating.  But of course there is something more between them.  The romance aspect was delicious - a bit steamy, but also fun because of how unused to romance Alexia was.  Lord Maccon was not a character that leaped off the page as distinctly as Alexia for me, but he was a character that I can easily think of as 'yummy'  and 'book boyfriend material'.  I'm sure though that there will be a lot more development to his character through the course of the series.

The steampunk-ish, supernatural world the author sets up is fantastic as well - so detailed and believable, down to the pseudo-scientific explanations for the supernaturals and preternaturals.  The Victorian aspect was very well described as well with the details of dress and etiquette, which made the whole world really come to life.

The mystery aspect of the story sometimes felt subordinate to the romance and the development of the characters, but there were some great twists and surprises, and a highly satisfactory resolution.  I felt the villains' motivation behind the mystery was relatable and something important to examine, because it is an aspect of human nature that seems to be unfortunately prevalent today and I thought it interesting to consider that universality of it while Alexia had to deal with it in the novel.  But I don't want to reveal too much about that part of the story, as it might give away some key details about the mystery.

The only aspect of this novel that disappointed me somewhat, was some of the illogical actions of a character towards the end.  I didn't understand why that person did a couple of things, regardless of his feelings, so it sometimes felt like the situation that came of it was very contrived.  But this is a great start to a series, and I plan to continue reading!
1637794
This enjoyable book includes fantasy, magic, and eccentric, but loveable characters that are very real and that the reader cares about.  I didn't want the book to end.  This novel defies classification.  I thought it would be another "Gormenghast" (it isn't) or a picaresque comedy like "Tristam Shandy" (it's not).  It is a young adult novel, as the plot centers around a couple of teens struggling to grow up in trying circumstances.  But unlike many YA books, it doesn't talk down to kids and displays a large and varied vocabulary. And sometimes (not always) the teens are wiser than the adults. The audience for this novel isn't limited to teen readers.  I'm not young, but I really enjoyed the book.  I can't wait for the next book, which I understand will be published in a few months.