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The Spirit of Pessimism
Negative Drinking. Negative Thinking.
The Spirit Series continues with its second installment: The Spirit of Pessimism.
Within less than a year Emily Rainn has transformed from a shy, unknown teenager into a confident, successful author. Introduced to the public as bestselling author John Crawford’s prodigy, her debut novel sells millions of copies worldwide. Though, the world doesn’t know the secret behind Emily’s transformation.
That secret is The Spirit of Imagination. Spirit, also referred to as creative juice by the Sisterhood of Librarians, is the substance extracted from the pages of well-read books. It’s what makes the pages of books turn a funny yellow colour after time. Once extracted, The Spirit of Imagination can be used to stimulate a drinker’s own imagination. With great imagination comes great possibility, but also great danger.
For there are others wishing to use spirit in sinister ways. The Spirit of Pessimism, a by-product of The Spirit of Imagination, when ingested gives power to the darker side of a drinker’s imagination, giving rise to negative thoughts.
Emily, John, Walter and Edmund return in the sequel to S. A. Tawks’s The Spirit of Imagination and discover more than they could ever imagine. With the threat of the Spirit-crushers‘ return plaguing their thoughts and the introduction of a revolutionary Ereader device, imagination and books may never be the same again.
The Spirit Series continues with its second installment: The Spirit of Pessimism.
Within less than a year Emily Rainn has transformed from a shy, unknown teenager into a confident, successful author. Introduced to the public as bestselling author John Crawford’s prodigy, her debut novel sells millions of copies worldwide. Though, the world doesn’t know the secret behind Emily’s transformation.
That secret is The Spirit of Imagination. Spirit, also referred to as creative juice by the Sisterhood of Librarians, is the substance extracted from the pages of well-read books. It’s what makes the pages of books turn a funny yellow colour after time. Once extracted, The Spirit of Imagination can be used to stimulate a drinker’s own imagination. With great imagination comes great possibility, but also great danger.
For there are others wishing to use spirit in sinister ways. The Spirit of Pessimism, a by-product of The Spirit of Imagination, when ingested gives power to the darker side of a drinker’s imagination, giving rise to negative thoughts.
Emily, John, Walter and Edmund return in the sequel to S. A. Tawks’s The Spirit of Imagination and discover more than they could ever imagine. With the threat of the Spirit-crushers‘ return plaguing their thoughts and the introduction of a revolutionary Ereader device, imagination and books may never be the same again.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 11, 2014
1 person is currently reading
305 people want to read
About the author
S.A. Tawks
15 books16 followersS. A. Tawks currently resides in Queensland, Australia. Some favourite enjoyments include the great outdoors, travelling and anything creative.
Works include The Spirit Series and the crime novels Mule, Misadventurous, Hacks, Double Feature & Skinflick. Other works include The Norfolk Solution and the story collection Life, Death, Money & Other Monsters.
Works include The Spirit Series and the crime novels Mule, Misadventurous, Hacks, Double Feature & Skinflick. Other works include The Norfolk Solution and the story collection Life, Death, Money & Other Monsters.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 26, 2015
When Emily Rainn published her first book she became an overnight success – no longer a shy teenager she had developed a quiet confidence under the tutelage of bestselling author John Crawford – her second book was in the process of being written. But the secret of Emily’s success – the spirit of imagination – was in danger. The spirit of pessimism which was a by-product of the spirit of imagination would cause dark thoughts – negative feelings…
When Emily ran into Edmund again after not seeing him for nine months, she was shocked and surprised. But when they had lunch together the strangest of feelings overcame her. And when he invited her to accompany him to his secret hideaway, four hours away, she didn’t hesitate.
The resultant discoveries which Emily, Edmund and John made, plus the new eReaders flooding the market, meant there was a risk that books and imagination would lessen – they would never be the same again – or would they?
The second in the Imagination series by Aussie author S.A. Tawks, The Spirit of Pessimism is a little slower than the first, plus to me seemed overly long. There are also editing issues which were distracting as well. But the imagination of the author to produce this series is intriguing and I enjoyed the actual story.
With thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
When Emily ran into Edmund again after not seeing him for nine months, she was shocked and surprised. But when they had lunch together the strangest of feelings overcame her. And when he invited her to accompany him to his secret hideaway, four hours away, she didn’t hesitate.
The resultant discoveries which Emily, Edmund and John made, plus the new eReaders flooding the market, meant there was a risk that books and imagination would lessen – they would never be the same again – or would they?
The second in the Imagination series by Aussie author S.A. Tawks, The Spirit of Pessimism is a little slower than the first, plus to me seemed overly long. There are also editing issues which were distracting as well. But the imagination of the author to produce this series is intriguing and I enjoyed the actual story.
With thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
March 1, 2015
I loved the story although some of the editing/proof reading could have been better. It definitely grated every time the word vile was used when it should have been vial. Small error I know but one that was very easy to spot!
The story flowed well, although it seemed a trifle long (possibly just in comparison with novella The Spirit of Imagination. Emily definitely grew as a character but also seemed to have that fatal female flaw of not being able to trust her man, understandable in the beginning but wearing by the end.
Looking forward to the third instalment!
The story flowed well, although it seemed a trifle long (possibly just in comparison with novella The Spirit of Imagination. Emily definitely grew as a character but also seemed to have that fatal female flaw of not being able to trust her man, understandable in the beginning but wearing by the end.
Looking forward to the third instalment!
August 21, 2025
The Spirit of Pessimism is my third published work and my second novel. The story is the sequel to my novella The Spirit of Imagination.
I recommend The Spirit of Imagination to all readers, young and old, but I must caution that I do not recommend The Spirit of Pessimism to very young readers. I believe twelve years and up is a decent restriction. However, this restriction may be a little lenient taking into consideration some of the mature themes explored in the story, and a little too restrictive taking into consideration some of the young but mature readers in this world. That said, I recommend parental guidance for the young and young at heart.
The Spirit of Imagination is suitable for all ages because the story celebrates imagination. The novella is a story that leaves some rocks unturned on its journey, encouraging the reader to wonder what may be under these rocks. By the end of the short book, the reader is presented with an ambiguous ending, which again encourages the reader to imagine what happens next.
I did answer most of the questions that I presented readers in The Spirit of Imagination, however, I do admit that I left a few unanswered. Luckily, The Spirit of Pessimism is here to continue Emily's story. The celebration of the power of imagination, reading and writing is further explored in the sequel. Some of the rocks unturned in The Spirit of Imagination are looked under and more is discovered about the substance that can be extracted from well-read books. The pros and cons of pessimistic thinking are discussed with focus placed on self-doubt amongst other issues.
As for the story, we find out whether Emily succeeded as the writer John Crawford imagined her being and discover what came about from Emily giving Edmund aged spirit. The impending return of the Spirit-crushers plagues our heroes' thoughts and the introduction of a revolutionary Ereader device threatens imagination and books.
I hope the sequel keeps you enthralled and surpasses your expectations and imaginings. But, most of all, I hope you derive enjoyment, small or large, from the words I've written.
I recommend The Spirit of Imagination to all readers, young and old, but I must caution that I do not recommend The Spirit of Pessimism to very young readers. I believe twelve years and up is a decent restriction. However, this restriction may be a little lenient taking into consideration some of the mature themes explored in the story, and a little too restrictive taking into consideration some of the young but mature readers in this world. That said, I recommend parental guidance for the young and young at heart.
The Spirit of Imagination is suitable for all ages because the story celebrates imagination. The novella is a story that leaves some rocks unturned on its journey, encouraging the reader to wonder what may be under these rocks. By the end of the short book, the reader is presented with an ambiguous ending, which again encourages the reader to imagine what happens next.
I did answer most of the questions that I presented readers in The Spirit of Imagination, however, I do admit that I left a few unanswered. Luckily, The Spirit of Pessimism is here to continue Emily's story. The celebration of the power of imagination, reading and writing is further explored in the sequel. Some of the rocks unturned in The Spirit of Imagination are looked under and more is discovered about the substance that can be extracted from well-read books. The pros and cons of pessimistic thinking are discussed with focus placed on self-doubt amongst other issues.
As for the story, we find out whether Emily succeeded as the writer John Crawford imagined her being and discover what came about from Emily giving Edmund aged spirit. The impending return of the Spirit-crushers plagues our heroes' thoughts and the introduction of a revolutionary Ereader device threatens imagination and books.
I hope the sequel keeps you enthralled and surpasses your expectations and imaginings. But, most of all, I hope you derive enjoyment, small or large, from the words I've written.
August 20, 2018
I give it 4 stars. The story picks up months after the previous story and takes you along on a ride through the darker side of the spirits: Pessimism, and how it can affect the user. I found the story to be interesting and not predictable, and I was quite surprised at the end!
Trigger warning: There are a couple cuss words and there was a sex scene that seemed short but I skipped it, (because that’s how I roll). I’m looking forward to continuing on in this creative series!
Trigger warning: There are a couple cuss words and there was a sex scene that seemed short but I skipped it, (because that’s how I roll). I’m looking forward to continuing on in this creative series!
August 8, 2016
**2.5 stars**
**Thank you S.A. Tawks for a free copy of this book!**
The Spirit of Pessimism
The Story
So this is the second installment to the series and we continue on with Emily's journey after she has written her first book which went absolutely crazily popular! Now a famous author who is much sort after, her life in the spotlight slightly complicates her ability to prepare for the (potentially) on-coming storm of a whole bunch of evil characters. Edmund takes a larger role as we find out what exactly he did with the crushed spirit that Emily gave to him and there is also a romance. I kind of enjoyed this book. Kind of.
However.
This book really dragged. I was completely determined to get to the finishing point, but I tell ya, I very nearly didn't make it. The first book I rather enjoyed - it was a lighthearted book intended for young audiences, which was fine. This book isn't meant for the same audience (which I don't understand because the previous audience would want to continue the story, theoretically, no?) as it is slightly darker, although still written in the same voice intended for younger readers. The writing felt a bit clunky and awkward sometimes and some of the expressions had me cringing. The plot itself was a great idea - and the book could totally have been fabulous - but it felt repetitive and not all that different from the first book. There were definitely parts that could have been a lot shorter and in general the book didn't need to go on for so long. The romance between Edmund and Emily also felt completely unnecessary and kind of awkward to be honest - Emily's character has a really young feel to her and I didn't feel she was mature enough for the sort of romance that was being written between her and Edmund. I think the removal of this would have, a) help make the book more suitable for the correct audience, and b) made me enjoy it more if they could've just been really great friends taking on the world together. The characters of John and Walter are the same and enjoyable, but overall I just felt like this second installment was just not worth the effort.
Summary
Perhaps this book is for some but I won't personally be recommending this on to anyone. The first book is fine and total by itself and I think, for the sake of a good taste left in one's mouth, the story should perhaps stop there. If you're keen to continue the story then feel free to plunge in - who knows, you might love it (there is plenty of action, albeit with prolonged periods of nothing in-between), but for me, I'm left thinking of the unfortunately lengthy amount of time I spent reading this when there were so many other books I could've polished off in that time and perhaps enjoyed a little more.
Happy reading!
**Thank you S.A. Tawks for a free copy of this book!**
The Spirit of Pessimism
The Story
So this is the second installment to the series and we continue on with Emily's journey after she has written her first book which went absolutely crazily popular! Now a famous author who is much sort after, her life in the spotlight slightly complicates her ability to prepare for the (potentially) on-coming storm of a whole bunch of evil characters. Edmund takes a larger role as we find out what exactly he did with the crushed spirit that Emily gave to him and there is also a romance. I kind of enjoyed this book. Kind of.
However.
This book really dragged. I was completely determined to get to the finishing point, but I tell ya, I very nearly didn't make it. The first book I rather enjoyed - it was a lighthearted book intended for young audiences, which was fine. This book isn't meant for the same audience (which I don't understand because the previous audience would want to continue the story, theoretically, no?) as it is slightly darker, although still written in the same voice intended for younger readers. The writing felt a bit clunky and awkward sometimes and some of the expressions had me cringing. The plot itself was a great idea - and the book could totally have been fabulous - but it felt repetitive and not all that different from the first book. There were definitely parts that could have been a lot shorter and in general the book didn't need to go on for so long. The romance between Edmund and Emily also felt completely unnecessary and kind of awkward to be honest - Emily's character has a really young feel to her and I didn't feel she was mature enough for the sort of romance that was being written between her and Edmund. I think the removal of this would have, a) help make the book more suitable for the correct audience, and b) made me enjoy it more if they could've just been really great friends taking on the world together. The characters of John and Walter are the same and enjoyable, but overall I just felt like this second installment was just not worth the effort.
Summary
Perhaps this book is for some but I won't personally be recommending this on to anyone. The first book is fine and total by itself and I think, for the sake of a good taste left in one's mouth, the story should perhaps stop there. If you're keen to continue the story then feel free to plunge in - who knows, you might love it (there is plenty of action, albeit with prolonged periods of nothing in-between), but for me, I'm left thinking of the unfortunately lengthy amount of time I spent reading this when there were so many other books I could've polished off in that time and perhaps enjoyed a little more.
Happy reading!
May 16, 2015
*3.4
I was kindly gifted 'The Spirit of Pessimism' from the author in exchange for an honest review!
I very much enjoyed this book but had a few more problems with it than I did with the first one. The plot is interesting and fun and offers some great insight, but sometimes I'd feel like it was a little too fleshed out and that it needed to move quicker. Another thing is that everything seemed to be voiced. Every thought and feeling. It isn't a bad thing but it didn't leave much to the imagination which is sometimes needed to engage readers just that little bit more.
One thing I don't think was necessary was the story about Tiffany and Dale. I feel like it just stalled the actual story plus it's hard to get invested in a new story and different style and vibe when you're just going to be pulled back into the main one.
I know it probably sounds like I didn't enjoy it very much but I did. The characters are great and fun and all have their own voice and set of characteristics, the plot was very original and interesting and Tawks's writing style is easy to understand and it flows rather nicely. It isn't simple but it isn't overly complex. I'll definitely be continuing on with the series!
I was kindly gifted 'The Spirit of Pessimism' from the author in exchange for an honest review!
I very much enjoyed this book but had a few more problems with it than I did with the first one. The plot is interesting and fun and offers some great insight, but sometimes I'd feel like it was a little too fleshed out and that it needed to move quicker. Another thing is that everything seemed to be voiced. Every thought and feeling. It isn't a bad thing but it didn't leave much to the imagination which is sometimes needed to engage readers just that little bit more.
One thing I don't think was necessary was the story about Tiffany and Dale. I feel like it just stalled the actual story plus it's hard to get invested in a new story and different style and vibe when you're just going to be pulled back into the main one.
I know it probably sounds like I didn't enjoy it very much but I did. The characters are great and fun and all have their own voice and set of characteristics, the plot was very original and interesting and Tawks's writing style is easy to understand and it flows rather nicely. It isn't simple but it isn't overly complex. I'll definitely be continuing on with the series!
March 7, 2015
This book is ok from where I read up to about 75%. There are interesting events but the story was too slow for my liking, there wasn't as much suspense and mini- cliff hanger moments as the first book and it got boring so I didn't finish it and it needed better editing/ proof reading
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews