Sorry about this review being posted on Saturday not Wednesday. I had a banging headache on Wednesday and went to bed early.
Anyway today I’m reviewing Refuge of Delayed Souls by Miladysa. Which is available as free web fiction on that link or as two ebooks for a reasonable price at Refuge of Delayed Souls Volume One – RoYDS and Refuge of Delayed Souls Volume Two – Billy.
In a story spanning many lifetimes, we follow Elizabeth Whyte’s journey as she investigates the supernatural & seeks information about her own past, all while trying to keep a balance between the light & the darkness in her work for an agency known as the Refuge of Delayed Souls. A world where ghosts, angels, the Living & others exist side by side, although not always in harmony. (Blurb for volume one).
Volume 2 ~ Billy. Elizabeth Whyte’s investigations into the past and the supernatural continue. A barguest wreaks havoc on the moors above the town and Billy Lawrence is introduced to the world of RoYds. (Blurb for volume two).
Refuge of Delayed Souls fits squarely into the Paranormal Fantasy Genre and is an enjoyable read.
Likes:
- Refuge of Delayed Souls has an interesting premise and plot which definately kept me reading.
- The characterisation is well done.
- The multiples times are well handled. The jumping around could easily have been confusing but isn’t.
- The writing is generally strong.
- It’s not a romance, thank goodness. Doesn’t happen often in the Paranormal genre.
Dislikes:
- I read this as an ebook on Stanza. The primary reason I did this is I’m not fond of the layout of the website. The black on grey text makes my eyes go funny. This, of course, is a matter of taste.
- While, as I noted above, the multiple times are well handled I did sometimes wish the story jumped around less. Again a matter of taste.
- Miladysa occassionally resorts to small scale telling. What I mean is that there are no long passages of narrative summary, but she sometimes tells us what characters are feeling instead of showing it. Sometimes she shows it and then tells us. The alternatives to “said” sometimes get a bit out of hand as well (people seem to remark a heck of a lot for one).
- I want book three now, but it isn’t written yet.
Verdict:
Refuge of Delayed Souls is an unusual Paranormal Fantasy and well worth taking a look at (and buying if you have the moolah to spare).
3.5 stars.
