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Spellcaster
In a turn-of-the-century England steeped in steampunk and magic, Christine suffers in ways no sixteen year-old should and that no doctor has been able to cure. That's because the excruciating pains and high fevers slowly destroying her body aren't triggered by a physical cause but by visions of a youth calling to her while fleeing a mysterious man who means to take his life. This could hardly be happening at a worse time, when she and her beautiful older sister Allison are making their début in high society, like other wealthy socialites seeking matches with impoverished aristocrats.
Christine becomes convinced that to stop the visions she must somehow save this youth. But first she has to find him, and since she's seen him only in visions, she needs someone who'd know how to locate him using the paranormal. Unfortunately, the authorities have driven underground all but one of England's occultists, Lady Kinloss, and the reason she isn't hiding is the only reason she would help Christine, something she wants in return. Christine must convince Allison to marry Kinloss's lover, one of those poor aristocrats, so that the illicit pair can share her part of the family fortune.
If Christine doesn't stop the visions by saving the youth, her illness will eventually take her life. But to do what Lady Kinloss wants is to betray Allison to a lifetime of misery. Can Christine lead her sister into a bad marriage if doing so is the only way to save her own skin - literally?
Christine becomes convinced that to stop the visions she must somehow save this youth. But first she has to find him, and since she's seen him only in visions, she needs someone who'd know how to locate him using the paranormal. Unfortunately, the authorities have driven underground all but one of England's occultists, Lady Kinloss, and the reason she isn't hiding is the only reason she would help Christine, something she wants in return. Christine must convince Allison to marry Kinloss's lover, one of those poor aristocrats, so that the illicit pair can share her part of the family fortune.
If Christine doesn't stop the visions by saving the youth, her illness will eventually take her life. But to do what Lady Kinloss wants is to betray Allison to a lifetime of misery. Can Christine lead her sister into a bad marriage if doing so is the only way to save her own skin - literally?
- GenresFantasy
216 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2017
8 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 22, 2017
She wasn’t like other young ladies in Victorian England. Christine has visions of someone being chased by a mysterious man meaning him harm. These visions are accompanied by excruciating pain and wretchedly high fevers, all with no physical cause, of course. Do the visions and the pleas or help meant for Christine or is there something more at play? If she puzzles out how to save him, will the visions stop? She must find him to save him and only the premiere occultists of the time can guide her through the otherworldly, but there will be a catch and that catch involves the marriage of her sister Allison to an impoverished gentleman, lover of the occultist. Sounds a little off, wouldn’t you think? What price is worth ridding herself of this mental intruder who is slowly killing her vision by vision? Is there more to these visions than Christine could dream of? Does it involve past lives and souls, perhaps a piece of herself from a previous life?
Lots of atmosphere and attitude, a feeling of close family relations, kind benefactors and mystery, lots of mystery as Christine struggles with both her reality and her dreams until they blur together into a quest to survive. Often chaotic, rich with details and certainly intriguing, George Bachman’s SPELLCASTER is a journey down twisted lane that, should one lose focus, getting back on track can be a bit of a challenge. I absolutely loved Christine’s character, she had a quirky strength and headstrong feel that seems to put her head of her time. A constant barrage of scenes, characters and situations will flash past, so pay attention!
For me, I could see more tales with Christine, but with less rolling scenic details, more concentration on pivotal scenes and a little less of a chaotic feel. George Bachman has something here that seems to hint at steampunk as well as the paranormal and I look forward to seeing where George Bachman takes his pen.
I received this copy from George Bachman in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
Publisher: Sublime Ltd. (April 3, 2017)
Publication Date: April 3, 2017
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Print Length: 262 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Lots of atmosphere and attitude, a feeling of close family relations, kind benefactors and mystery, lots of mystery as Christine struggles with both her reality and her dreams until they blur together into a quest to survive. Often chaotic, rich with details and certainly intriguing, George Bachman’s SPELLCASTER is a journey down twisted lane that, should one lose focus, getting back on track can be a bit of a challenge. I absolutely loved Christine’s character, she had a quirky strength and headstrong feel that seems to put her head of her time. A constant barrage of scenes, characters and situations will flash past, so pay attention!
For me, I could see more tales with Christine, but with less rolling scenic details, more concentration on pivotal scenes and a little less of a chaotic feel. George Bachman has something here that seems to hint at steampunk as well as the paranormal and I look forward to seeing where George Bachman takes his pen.
I received this copy from George Bachman in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
Publisher: Sublime Ltd. (April 3, 2017)
Publication Date: April 3, 2017
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Print Length: 262 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
August 2, 2017
Spellcaster by George Bachman, 262 pages, Sublime Ltd., April 3rd 2017, Genre: Historical Fiction/Paranormal. Warning: May Contain Spoilers.
Review by Leigh Holland.
“It took all my own will merely to swallow water. “What sort of powers?”
“Amalrich claimed he could descend into certain forbidden passages beneath the earth where our world meets others.” Lady Kinloss gave me a secretive look. “Unfortunately any records he might have made of his trips are lost. But recently one of these supposed keys passed into my hands.” I nodded. “I keep it locked away in a glass cage and take it with me when I’m out. Would you like to see it?”
Spellcaster is a work of historical fiction set in England. Unlike traditional works in this genre, this book has a strong paranormal element. Spellcaster weaves together two tales- one involving past lives and unfinished business, and the other involving magic, relics, and bargains in the present. If you enjoy Jane Austen’s writing style, you’ll enjoy the style of Spellcaster.
Christine Daniel, a Provencal young lady, is spending the summer in England with the Cote sisters. She is coming out into society, officially becoming a marriageable young woman. However, she has another purpose. Christine’s fevers induce visions and she’s hunting for a remedy. Rather than fight the visions, Christine follows their lead. She seeks out “the mage” to befriend her as her visions portend. She encounters Lady Kinloss, whom she determines to be the mage of her visions. She rents a home for herself and her friends in the countryside from Lady Kinloss. Christine strikes a bargain with her to gain possession of a relic.
I felt the book started off a bit slow. The last half of the book picked up pace and revealed more information, tying things together as the story continued. I enjoyed this novel, especially its interesting reincarnation twist. When magic is used, it’s apparent that Bachman researched beliefs about magic in this time period.
I'd give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.
Review by Leigh Holland.
“It took all my own will merely to swallow water. “What sort of powers?”
“Amalrich claimed he could descend into certain forbidden passages beneath the earth where our world meets others.” Lady Kinloss gave me a secretive look. “Unfortunately any records he might have made of his trips are lost. But recently one of these supposed keys passed into my hands.” I nodded. “I keep it locked away in a glass cage and take it with me when I’m out. Would you like to see it?”
Spellcaster is a work of historical fiction set in England. Unlike traditional works in this genre, this book has a strong paranormal element. Spellcaster weaves together two tales- one involving past lives and unfinished business, and the other involving magic, relics, and bargains in the present. If you enjoy Jane Austen’s writing style, you’ll enjoy the style of Spellcaster.
Christine Daniel, a Provencal young lady, is spending the summer in England with the Cote sisters. She is coming out into society, officially becoming a marriageable young woman. However, she has another purpose. Christine’s fevers induce visions and she’s hunting for a remedy. Rather than fight the visions, Christine follows their lead. She seeks out “the mage” to befriend her as her visions portend. She encounters Lady Kinloss, whom she determines to be the mage of her visions. She rents a home for herself and her friends in the countryside from Lady Kinloss. Christine strikes a bargain with her to gain possession of a relic.
I felt the book started off a bit slow. The last half of the book picked up pace and revealed more information, tying things together as the story continued. I enjoyed this novel, especially its interesting reincarnation twist. When magic is used, it’s apparent that Bachman researched beliefs about magic in this time period.
I'd give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.
May 26, 2018
3.5 Stars
Christine knew she was different, she had a sickly past as well as visions she can't explain. Christine begins a journey that is completely unexpected and too incredible to explain. The problem is for Christine to find her cure she must betray the only family she knows. Which path will Christine follow?
This was interesting, a bit slow and I found that there were so many characters it got confusing at times. Otherwise I liked the concept and reminded me a bit of some of the Anne Perry books.
Christine knew she was different, she had a sickly past as well as visions she can't explain. Christine begins a journey that is completely unexpected and too incredible to explain. The problem is for Christine to find her cure she must betray the only family she knows. Which path will Christine follow?
This was interesting, a bit slow and I found that there were so many characters it got confusing at times. Otherwise I liked the concept and reminded me a bit of some of the Anne Perry books.
July 13, 2017
“‘You really want to know, don’t you?’
She looked at me in the mirror without really seeing me, her eyes still glazed in thought.
‘Don’t you? Don’t you just want to know everything?’
We both observed the fire’s light flicker over Wilkie’s soft, vivid colors, trying not to fixate on the robed man behind the woman looking down at his book and writing in it.
‘Sometimes I fear I know too much,’ I said.” – Spellcaster by George Bachman
Christine Daniel is juggling two worlds. In one hand, she’s making her début in Victorian England with her sister and in the other, she’s suffering high fevers that no one can cure but herself. Her fevers are caused by visions of a man trying to get her attention all while trying to escape another man aiming to do him harm. Christine strongly feels that the only way she can cure herself of these pains is to find this man and save him. What if doing whatever means necessary to save him means betraying someone dear? Is saving her own life worth the pain she might need to cause someone else?
I love historical fantasy and the idea behind this one was really interesting. I really wanted to know who the people were that she was seeing in her visions and why there was a connection between them all. When I found out the reason behind it, I thought it was such a neat concept and very well-thought! It was fun seeing her juggle everything; it was like she was living two separate worlds though I will admit I couldn’t wait to get to the more fantastical parts of the book. I’m usually one for the historical fiction side of books but in this case, it felt a bit slow and I wanted it to speed up to see more of the visions and the magic. I would say that the only part I had a difficult time fully grasping was the ending. It felt a bit unresolved for me in a sense where, in my personal opinion, there were some unanswered questions.
I’m giving this intriguing novel a 3 out of 5!
She looked at me in the mirror without really seeing me, her eyes still glazed in thought.
‘Don’t you? Don’t you just want to know everything?’
We both observed the fire’s light flicker over Wilkie’s soft, vivid colors, trying not to fixate on the robed man behind the woman looking down at his book and writing in it.
‘Sometimes I fear I know too much,’ I said.” – Spellcaster by George Bachman
Christine Daniel is juggling two worlds. In one hand, she’s making her début in Victorian England with her sister and in the other, she’s suffering high fevers that no one can cure but herself. Her fevers are caused by visions of a man trying to get her attention all while trying to escape another man aiming to do him harm. Christine strongly feels that the only way she can cure herself of these pains is to find this man and save him. What if doing whatever means necessary to save him means betraying someone dear? Is saving her own life worth the pain she might need to cause someone else?
I love historical fantasy and the idea behind this one was really interesting. I really wanted to know who the people were that she was seeing in her visions and why there was a connection between them all. When I found out the reason behind it, I thought it was such a neat concept and very well-thought! It was fun seeing her juggle everything; it was like she was living two separate worlds though I will admit I couldn’t wait to get to the more fantastical parts of the book. I’m usually one for the historical fiction side of books but in this case, it felt a bit slow and I wanted it to speed up to see more of the visions and the magic. I would say that the only part I had a difficult time fully grasping was the ending. It felt a bit unresolved for me in a sense where, in my personal opinion, there were some unanswered questions.
I’m giving this intriguing novel a 3 out of 5!
January 12, 2018
I received a free copy of this book for a fair and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
If a hybrid of Harry Potter and Pride and Prejudice were to have it's own shown on the History Channel, then you'd get author George Bachman's Spellcaster. A breathtaking blend of fantasy and historical fiction (with a bit of steampunk mixed in for good measure), this book brings to life a fantastic blend of action, character growth and a plot filled with twists and turns you won't soon forget. Here's the synopsis:
In a turn-of-the century England steeped in steampunk and magic, sixteen year-old Christine Daniel learns her life-threatening illness stems from her paranormal visions. During the London Season, Allie, her beloved sister and the family heir, seeks a noble match while she searches the occult underground for answers. But the only witch who can help will not do so unless Allie marries her beau, an impoverished aristocrat, so that the illicit pair can share Allie's wealth.
This is such an incredible read. Full of classical humor, a rich handle on historical culture in several different eras, and a phenomenal tapestry of deep characters, Spellcaster does just that; it casts a spell on the reader throughout the entire journey. The protagonist Christine delights and draws you into this world of high society and dark magic. The plot brings the reader through the era of history where magic, superstition and religious persecution were at it's height. The book does an excellent job of bringing the time periods to life, and the story itself flowed evenly throughout.
Overall this was a great read you fantasy and historical fiction fans will not want to miss. Filled to the brim with adventure, wit and a whole lot of magic, this is a book worth reading. If you haven't yet be sure to get your copy of George Bachman's Spellcaster today!
If a hybrid of Harry Potter and Pride and Prejudice were to have it's own shown on the History Channel, then you'd get author George Bachman's Spellcaster. A breathtaking blend of fantasy and historical fiction (with a bit of steampunk mixed in for good measure), this book brings to life a fantastic blend of action, character growth and a plot filled with twists and turns you won't soon forget. Here's the synopsis:
In a turn-of-the century England steeped in steampunk and magic, sixteen year-old Christine Daniel learns her life-threatening illness stems from her paranormal visions. During the London Season, Allie, her beloved sister and the family heir, seeks a noble match while she searches the occult underground for answers. But the only witch who can help will not do so unless Allie marries her beau, an impoverished aristocrat, so that the illicit pair can share Allie's wealth.
This is such an incredible read. Full of classical humor, a rich handle on historical culture in several different eras, and a phenomenal tapestry of deep characters, Spellcaster does just that; it casts a spell on the reader throughout the entire journey. The protagonist Christine delights and draws you into this world of high society and dark magic. The plot brings the reader through the era of history where magic, superstition and religious persecution were at it's height. The book does an excellent job of bringing the time periods to life, and the story itself flowed evenly throughout.
Overall this was a great read you fantasy and historical fiction fans will not want to miss. Filled to the brim with adventure, wit and a whole lot of magic, this is a book worth reading. If you haven't yet be sure to get your copy of George Bachman's Spellcaster today!
December 24, 2017
*This ARC was received in exchange for an honest review*
This is the story of sixteen year old Christine Daniel whose life is threatened by illness and the only answer she can find is to play these visions out, if she finds this man maybe the visions will stop.
But she has to sacrifice her sister Alison to a marriage with an impoverished man, who is lover to the occultist and they can share the family fortune.
There was a lot of mystery and atmosphere where Christine was struggling with her reality as well as her dreams and nightmares.
This was a great story from George Bachman and can’t wait to see what comes up yet.
This is the story of sixteen year old Christine Daniel whose life is threatened by illness and the only answer she can find is to play these visions out, if she finds this man maybe the visions will stop.
But she has to sacrifice her sister Alison to a marriage with an impoverished man, who is lover to the occultist and they can share the family fortune.
There was a lot of mystery and atmosphere where Christine was struggling with her reality as well as her dreams and nightmares.
This was a great story from George Bachman and can’t wait to see what comes up yet.
October 21, 2017
A beautiful blend of the fantasy and historical genres, Spellcaster is an amazing adventure leading you through a new version of Victorian England. With magic and aristocratic sensibilities at odds, Christine must skillfully navigate her way through drawing rooms and seedy fortune tellers alike. Don't miss this excellently written adventure!
September 15, 2017
Part regency romance with an occult streak, though partly set near the turn of the century, part de-romanticized medieval quest fantasy, this book tells two stories in parallel: a debutante searches the occult underground for a cure to visions which seem to be destroying her body, while the objects of some of the visions, a medieval knight, fights his away across a 14th century France that has already mostly succumbed to Reimar Hane, master of the Livonian Order, who holds the duchess Marie of Hainaut, and with her the fate of all France, captive. Uses alternate history in an interesting way with two protagonists faced with making evil choices for the greater good.
August 9, 2017
****I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review****
*Actual rating: 2.5
“Spellcaster” is really two stories crammed into one book. The blurb has you believe the main character, Christine, is a young woman assaulted by evil spirits from the beyond so dramatically, that it may actually kill her. The only option she has, is to dive deep into London’s underground occult and seek help from a powerful witch. The witch will demand Christine sacrifice her best friend’s happiness in order to free herself from these evil forces. Now that is a book I want to read! But that wasn’t the story I got with “Spellcaster”. Instead I got a want-to-be Jane Austen book with its writing style and language (that doesn’t always work), mixed in with a kind of steampunk setting, and then another tale where it’s not really spirits plaguing Christine, but a past life who is being attacked by a being called the “Spellcaster”, and that past life must stop the fiend in their own time? It’s a confusing, and I’ll try to explain, but I don’t know if it’ll do much good…
Usually when books need an editor, it’s because of grammatical problems, but sometimes it’s because their idea is so lofty they need someone to reign them back in. Ultimately, that’s what I feel Bachman needed. Christine’s story could have been more interesting if it had gotten more focus, if the author had kept true to that blurb, and then maybe turn “Spellcaster” into a two book series. Because with the way the book is written, by the time you realize what’s happening, and what Christine needs to do, it switches to what I’d consider the second story. So I never felt like Christine was betraying her friends, that her life was in danger, or really why she keeps going on and on about how she hates her body, and how she looks. Instead, if it were written with Christine just trying to figure out what’s happening, it would have been a much more coherent story, and then I would have believed her life was in danger, or that she had a tough choice to make. As it currently stands, I never got that feeling.
I won’t spoil the second half of the story, but suffice it to say, the part where you meet Rodam and Thomas, could have been book two of the “Spellcaster”. Then Bachman could have taken the appropriate amount of time to set up who the Spellcaster was, what he wants, what he’s doing, and just why he’s so bad, rather than just from a sort of pseudo-Christian viewpoint. This book is pretty long as is, so I don’t think just adding that attention to this book now will help, as the story already drags with Christine, but as they genuinely feel like two separate books or stories, Bachman should treat them as such, and just delete all the steampunk references in their entirety, they honestly don’t matter for the world the author has created.
I think Bachman has some creative ideas, and the author is wonderful with describing medieval combat scenes, but I think Bachman is just trying to accomplish too much within one book, so both stories suffer for it. It’s an interesting premises, and perhaps if the author takes the work to an editor that can help with story structure, “Spellcaster” will turn into a fabulous book (or two book series). But as it stands, I can really only give the story 2.5 stars.
*Actual rating: 2.5
“Spellcaster” is really two stories crammed into one book. The blurb has you believe the main character, Christine, is a young woman assaulted by evil spirits from the beyond so dramatically, that it may actually kill her. The only option she has, is to dive deep into London’s underground occult and seek help from a powerful witch. The witch will demand Christine sacrifice her best friend’s happiness in order to free herself from these evil forces. Now that is a book I want to read! But that wasn’t the story I got with “Spellcaster”. Instead I got a want-to-be Jane Austen book with its writing style and language (that doesn’t always work), mixed in with a kind of steampunk setting, and then another tale where it’s not really spirits plaguing Christine, but a past life who is being attacked by a being called the “Spellcaster”, and that past life must stop the fiend in their own time? It’s a confusing, and I’ll try to explain, but I don’t know if it’ll do much good…
Usually when books need an editor, it’s because of grammatical problems, but sometimes it’s because their idea is so lofty they need someone to reign them back in. Ultimately, that’s what I feel Bachman needed. Christine’s story could have been more interesting if it had gotten more focus, if the author had kept true to that blurb, and then maybe turn “Spellcaster” into a two book series. Because with the way the book is written, by the time you realize what’s happening, and what Christine needs to do, it switches to what I’d consider the second story. So I never felt like Christine was betraying her friends, that her life was in danger, or really why she keeps going on and on about how she hates her body, and how she looks. Instead, if it were written with Christine just trying to figure out what’s happening, it would have been a much more coherent story, and then I would have believed her life was in danger, or that she had a tough choice to make. As it currently stands, I never got that feeling.
I won’t spoil the second half of the story, but suffice it to say, the part where you meet Rodam and Thomas, could have been book two of the “Spellcaster”. Then Bachman could have taken the appropriate amount of time to set up who the Spellcaster was, what he wants, what he’s doing, and just why he’s so bad, rather than just from a sort of pseudo-Christian viewpoint. This book is pretty long as is, so I don’t think just adding that attention to this book now will help, as the story already drags with Christine, but as they genuinely feel like two separate books or stories, Bachman should treat them as such, and just delete all the steampunk references in their entirety, they honestly don’t matter for the world the author has created.
I think Bachman has some creative ideas, and the author is wonderful with describing medieval combat scenes, but I think Bachman is just trying to accomplish too much within one book, so both stories suffer for it. It’s an interesting premises, and perhaps if the author takes the work to an editor that can help with story structure, “Spellcaster” will turn into a fabulous book (or two book series). But as it stands, I can really only give the story 2.5 stars.
February 7, 2018
Christine, a Victorian debutante, suffers from visions that connect her to a man endangered in another time and afflict her with a deep psychic sickness slowly killing her unless she finds a way to save the man and thus stop the visions. When the only person who can help her demands a devil's bargain, Christine must decide between betraying family and saving her own life.
May 7, 2017
Title: Spellcaster
Author: George Bachman
Publisher: Sublime Ltd.
Date of publication: April 3, 2017
Number of pages: 262
E-Book ISBN: 978-0-9908990-2-0
Store: Kindle
Spellcaster by George Bachman is a Historical/Fantasy/Paranormal & Urban novel set in the Victorian era (1837-1901).
The protagonist Christine and her sisters arrive at their family friend’s residence- The Marble’s. Christine, Allison, and Natalie are the debutants of the year. While the sisters and their friends are busy searching for a suitable husband, Christine searches for those who haunt her in her lucid dreams.
Christine has a strong ESP. Gradually her dreams turn into nightmares!
Several times, the sixteen-year-old, has out-of-body experiences. Our strong heroine hides her physical and mental turmoil from her sisters and family. Sometimes Natty, who shares the room with Christine, feels that her sister needs help. Christine, however, convinces her, every time with her wit that she is completely fine.
As the dreams become more lucid, frightening and recurrent, the young lady decides to unearth the cause of it all.
Christine uses her talent as an occultist to unearth her past- life- experiences eclipsing her present life. She uses magic and some amounts of selfishness to find her lost friend from the other life. Christine succeeds but is riddled with guilt for sacrificing Allie’s happiness and future.
Christine and her friend use astral projection to return as people of their previous lives- to France. Here we are introduced to the Spellcaster. Christine, who was a knight in the twelfth century, takes us on a high-voltage adventure and to a grand finale.
The novel is engaging. There are a lot of magical rituals which arouse different sensory experiences. There is a Jane Austin-ish feeling to the novel initially that completely flips into an action fantasy. The narrative moves into different genres deftly. The battle techniques are frightening, exciting and exhilarating to read. The reader is left to wonder if the magic can be as powerful! It’s amazing!
The conclusion to the book is befitting for the strong Knights of Spellcaster. The only thing that I missed was how Christine’s life turned out. Maybe, George Bachman, the author has a sequel planned. It would be nice to see Christine, her sisters, and her friend whom she found after terrible endeavor get a just story of their own.
I would give Spellcaster 3.5 Stars and will implore all fantasy lovers to definitely read George Bachman’s spellbinding novel.
Book Review ©welovequalitybooks.biz
Author: George Bachman
Publisher: Sublime Ltd.
Date of publication: April 3, 2017
Number of pages: 262
E-Book ISBN: 978-0-9908990-2-0
Store: Kindle
Spellcaster by George Bachman is a Historical/Fantasy/Paranormal & Urban novel set in the Victorian era (1837-1901).
The protagonist Christine and her sisters arrive at their family friend’s residence- The Marble’s. Christine, Allison, and Natalie are the debutants of the year. While the sisters and their friends are busy searching for a suitable husband, Christine searches for those who haunt her in her lucid dreams.
Christine has a strong ESP. Gradually her dreams turn into nightmares!
Several times, the sixteen-year-old, has out-of-body experiences. Our strong heroine hides her physical and mental turmoil from her sisters and family. Sometimes Natty, who shares the room with Christine, feels that her sister needs help. Christine, however, convinces her, every time with her wit that she is completely fine.
As the dreams become more lucid, frightening and recurrent, the young lady decides to unearth the cause of it all.
Christine uses her talent as an occultist to unearth her past- life- experiences eclipsing her present life. She uses magic and some amounts of selfishness to find her lost friend from the other life. Christine succeeds but is riddled with guilt for sacrificing Allie’s happiness and future.
Christine and her friend use astral projection to return as people of their previous lives- to France. Here we are introduced to the Spellcaster. Christine, who was a knight in the twelfth century, takes us on a high-voltage adventure and to a grand finale.
The novel is engaging. There are a lot of magical rituals which arouse different sensory experiences. There is a Jane Austin-ish feeling to the novel initially that completely flips into an action fantasy. The narrative moves into different genres deftly. The battle techniques are frightening, exciting and exhilarating to read. The reader is left to wonder if the magic can be as powerful! It’s amazing!
The conclusion to the book is befitting for the strong Knights of Spellcaster. The only thing that I missed was how Christine’s life turned out. Maybe, George Bachman, the author has a sequel planned. It would be nice to see Christine, her sisters, and her friend whom she found after terrible endeavor get a just story of their own.
I would give Spellcaster 3.5 Stars and will implore all fantasy lovers to definitely read George Bachman’s spellbinding novel.
Book Review ©welovequalitybooks.biz
June 28, 2018
A steampunk and urban fantasy set both in an alternate Victorian era and an even stranger 14th century France. Preparing for her official debut into London society, a young girl suffers an illness threatening to kill her and seemingly caused by psychic headaches triggered by otherworldly visions too vivid to be merely a nightmare. Discovering the cure forces her to confront possessing spirits from the medieval era, forbidden spells, and a horrible choice to help save one world by betraying someone close to her.
November 10, 2017
A literary fantasy about Christine, a Provencal socialite trying to find a remedy for psychic visions that seem to be killing her while her adopted sisters, wealthy and ambitious American debutantes, try to land titled but poor Englishmen in 1890s England. When the only occultist who can provide a cure will only do so if Christine gets the oldest sister to marry the occultist's paramour, one of those poor aristocrats, so the two can share the sister's part of the wealth, Christine has to decide between betraying her family and saving her life.
October 9, 2017
A Gilded Age debutante and amateur occultist, Christine, suffers an illness she believes caused by her psychic visions of a youth possibly from another world who is in trouble. She comes to believe that she must find this youth and help him in order to end the visions and save herself, but doing this is beyond her own abilities. The only occultist who can help Christine will only do so if she makes a terrible decision to betray those closest to her.
March 20, 2021
Lovely mix of genres
Such an eclectic book. From a period piece with tech and mages, to knights and mages. This was quite a unique read.
I really loved following Christine and her family. I hope there's a 2nd book that let's us know what happens to her now that Sir Thomas's portion is done.
This would make a good trilogy w/ Christine's story being book 1 & 3, and Sir Thomas as book 2.
Such an eclectic book. From a period piece with tech and mages, to knights and mages. This was quite a unique read.
I really loved following Christine and her family. I hope there's a 2nd book that let's us know what happens to her now that Sir Thomas's portion is done.
This would make a good trilogy w/ Christine's story being book 1 & 3, and Sir Thomas as book 2.
August 19, 2017
4.5 stars, really. A very enjoyable historical/paranormal/steampunk fantasy with a suspenseful story on two fronts: will Victorian-era debutante Christine be able to end the visions that seem to be destroying her body and will a medieval knight linked to her across space and time be able to prevent a coup of the French throne. The last third of the book takes off in an unexpected direction in answering that question and I won't spoil it.
May 12, 2018
Appealing steampunk paranormal novel about a young woman forced to choose between getting her sister to marry an aristocratic cad and succumbing to an illness that only the cad's partner-in-crime and lover, Victorian England's most skilled occult practitioner, can cure.
October 18, 2018
For fans of fantasy, steampunk and historical novels, with lots of beautiful language and subtle descriptions of magic. An adventure in two time periods as a Victorian socialite and a medieval knight psychically linked to her battle evil in two very different forms.
January 30, 2021
What a true and compelling read. When it comes to reading a book what I look for is if there will be other genres in the book, and not only one. In this case, there was fantasy and history. Making it unique, and not a boring read for sure. I love the fantasy concept of how it takes place in England! What was interesting about it all is what came from the main character Christine. How what she has for an illness is from a special gift she has but can lead to her health not doing so well for her in the end. Having fantasy mixed in with a certain time period in England just made me want to read more. Due to how it is so out of the box! It sort of reminded me of reading Pride and Prejudice but with a mix of fantasy. Bravo to the author and I hope to read more from this author soon!
January 8, 2018
A Gilded Age socialite who is also a secret practitioner of the occult in a time when the occult is outlawed thinks her mysterious illness comes from her otherworldly, atavistic visions. She cannot get rid of these visions on her own, and the only one who can insists that she pay a terrible price to do so.
January 29, 2021
Historical fantasy
Well-written Victorian fantasy adventure. Intriguing characters with an absorbing narrative. Realistic honest story. Atmospheric page-turner that grabs your attention from the start.
Well-written Victorian fantasy adventure. Intriguing characters with an absorbing narrative. Realistic honest story. Atmospheric page-turner that grabs your attention from the start.
May 13, 2017
I seem to be on a turn-of-the-century steampunk England trend right now. I can't help if it's such an awesome style and am attracted to books of this nature. As the latest in this type of book, I can only wonder how this one fares in regards to the rest of the so far pretty good ones that I've been checking out recently.
Christine de Pisan Daniel is plagued by terrible visions of people she's never met and thinks may cause her harm. She seeks answers to whatever it is that's bothering her, but magic is deeply looked down upon in her world of propriety and standards. The only one she can find to help her is a woman who agrees to help Christine but only on the condition that she convinces her sister into a loveless marriage. Christine's fate depends on figuring out and unravelling the mysteries surrounding her previous life, that of Sir Tomas of Medieval Provence, and finishing the task he'd been given long ago.
Now, this book was a bit of a challenge for me. First off, the writing is very good. It's very clear that a lot of time and effort went into it and it is intricate and well-thought out and deeply detailed. But this strength lead to a serious weakness. There's too much detail. Way too much. There are descriptions in this thing that just go on and on and on and it doesn't do much to help keep the reader invested. Now, I've seen this kind of thing before, especially with writers like Tolkien. The kinds of things that you can capture with one sweeping camera shot of New Zealand can take up to two and a half pages of description in a Tolkien book. Well written descriptions, yes, but there's only so long a reader can put up with reading about grass when there's magic and mystery out there. It's the same problem with this book. Everything is explained in step by step detail, how spells work, how a debut into society goes down, everything that goes down in a knighthood ceremony, word for word what goes on in a marriage ceremony, how to do a sudoku puzzle, etc. The book needed some serious fat-trimming in that regard.
Once you get past all the descriptions, there's the story itself. Basically, this book has two stories, Christine's and Sir Tomas's. Now, this can also work. At their heart, both stories are very interesting. Christine's story is dark and creepy yet full of that Victorian England posh that people love to see, including parties and marriages and scandal. Sir Tomas's story is a bit more traditional medieval knights quest with good characters and thrilling chases and escapes. Both stories are good but, once again, we have a bit of a problem. Instead of the stories blending together nicely, one just stops and the other one takes over completely. This is especially vexing because the story that gets left behind has more loose threads than a craft store! I finished the book and felt "wait, that's it! What about all that other stuff! Are we just...never going to fix any of that?" It was really kind of upsetting. There's a character in particular who the book just kind of throws under a bus and we're just supposed to accept it and move on. It distracts from the rest of the story because I'm so caught up with wondering if they're ever going to go back and finish what was started in the first two thirds of the book and leaves you a bit put out when you realize that they're not. I don't know, maybe there will be a sequel in which this is all wrapped up, because leaving it as it is will more likely leave readers aggravated than amused.
Christine de Pisan Daniel is plagued by terrible visions of people she's never met and thinks may cause her harm. She seeks answers to whatever it is that's bothering her, but magic is deeply looked down upon in her world of propriety and standards. The only one she can find to help her is a woman who agrees to help Christine but only on the condition that she convinces her sister into a loveless marriage. Christine's fate depends on figuring out and unravelling the mysteries surrounding her previous life, that of Sir Tomas of Medieval Provence, and finishing the task he'd been given long ago.
Now, this book was a bit of a challenge for me. First off, the writing is very good. It's very clear that a lot of time and effort went into it and it is intricate and well-thought out and deeply detailed. But this strength lead to a serious weakness. There's too much detail. Way too much. There are descriptions in this thing that just go on and on and on and it doesn't do much to help keep the reader invested. Now, I've seen this kind of thing before, especially with writers like Tolkien. The kinds of things that you can capture with one sweeping camera shot of New Zealand can take up to two and a half pages of description in a Tolkien book. Well written descriptions, yes, but there's only so long a reader can put up with reading about grass when there's magic and mystery out there. It's the same problem with this book. Everything is explained in step by step detail, how spells work, how a debut into society goes down, everything that goes down in a knighthood ceremony, word for word what goes on in a marriage ceremony, how to do a sudoku puzzle, etc. The book needed some serious fat-trimming in that regard.
Once you get past all the descriptions, there's the story itself. Basically, this book has two stories, Christine's and Sir Tomas's. Now, this can also work. At their heart, both stories are very interesting. Christine's story is dark and creepy yet full of that Victorian England posh that people love to see, including parties and marriages and scandal. Sir Tomas's story is a bit more traditional medieval knights quest with good characters and thrilling chases and escapes. Both stories are good but, once again, we have a bit of a problem. Instead of the stories blending together nicely, one just stops and the other one takes over completely. This is especially vexing because the story that gets left behind has more loose threads than a craft store! I finished the book and felt "wait, that's it! What about all that other stuff! Are we just...never going to fix any of that?" It was really kind of upsetting. There's a character in particular who the book just kind of throws under a bus and we're just supposed to accept it and move on. It distracts from the rest of the story because I'm so caught up with wondering if they're ever going to go back and finish what was started in the first two thirds of the book and leaves you a bit put out when you realize that they're not. I don't know, maybe there will be a sequel in which this is all wrapped up, because leaving it as it is will more likely leave readers aggravated than amused.
June 27, 2017
★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
On a recent Once and Future Podcast episode, Rachel Caine said something about new writers today needing patience -- not rushing to publish, just because you can thanks to technology, to take the time to get the book right. Man, I wish Bachman had done that. I think there's a perfectly fine and probably entertaining novel here -- but this needed a few more drafts/revisions, and an editor to come alongside him and give him a hand. Sadly, we have this mess instead.
If you told me that the copy I downloaded was missing several chapters -- key chapters, I should note -- or that this was a sequel to something that I really should've read first, I would absolutely believe that. But given no other titles listed anywhere for Bachman and that the chapters are numbered, I can't even use that to rationalize the problems.
If I look at the book description, I get a much better idea of what happened in the book that I did from the book itself. Bad sign. I think Bachman was trying to go for mysterious, enigmatic, something to get the readers to dig in to the story. Instead he gave us something confusing, something that obfuscates more than intrigues. I'm not saying the author has to hold my hand and point out everything about the story that I need to understand -- but if I have to assume as much as he made me, or just shrug and say, I'm sure that made sense in his head that often, the author failed.
There's some sort of steam-punk/future tech going on in the setting, but . . . nothing comes from it. It was like he started writing some sort of alt-history or steampunk novel and dropped it, without deleting references to hovercars or two types of showers (one water and the other . . . sonic or something, I don't recall).
At some point we trade in one set of characters for another -- which was fine, but left us with no sense of resolution, or anything for those we left. Aside from 1 character being thought of occasionally, nothing more is said or done with them. I don't think that was handled well at all.
That goes for the whole book, really. It's not going to do anyone any good -- least of all me -- to enumerate all the problems I had with this book. There was some decent writing, a sense of style that should appeal to many, but they were wasted in a horribly plotted and executed novel. Spare yourselves.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this from the author in exchange for this post. I think it's pretty clear that the act didn't persuade me in any way. I still do appreciate the opportunity.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
On a recent Once and Future Podcast episode, Rachel Caine said something about new writers today needing patience -- not rushing to publish, just because you can thanks to technology, to take the time to get the book right. Man, I wish Bachman had done that. I think there's a perfectly fine and probably entertaining novel here -- but this needed a few more drafts/revisions, and an editor to come alongside him and give him a hand. Sadly, we have this mess instead.
If you told me that the copy I downloaded was missing several chapters -- key chapters, I should note -- or that this was a sequel to something that I really should've read first, I would absolutely believe that. But given no other titles listed anywhere for Bachman and that the chapters are numbered, I can't even use that to rationalize the problems.
If I look at the book description, I get a much better idea of what happened in the book that I did from the book itself. Bad sign. I think Bachman was trying to go for mysterious, enigmatic, something to get the readers to dig in to the story. Instead he gave us something confusing, something that obfuscates more than intrigues. I'm not saying the author has to hold my hand and point out everything about the story that I need to understand -- but if I have to assume as much as he made me, or just shrug and say, I'm sure that made sense in his head that often, the author failed.
There's some sort of steam-punk/future tech going on in the setting, but . . . nothing comes from it. It was like he started writing some sort of alt-history or steampunk novel and dropped it, without deleting references to hovercars or two types of showers (one water and the other . . . sonic or something, I don't recall).
At some point we trade in one set of characters for another -- which was fine, but left us with no sense of resolution, or anything for those we left. Aside from 1 character being thought of occasionally, nothing more is said or done with them. I don't think that was handled well at all.
That goes for the whole book, really. It's not going to do anyone any good -- least of all me -- to enumerate all the problems I had with this book. There was some decent writing, a sense of style that should appeal to many, but they were wasted in a horribly plotted and executed novel. Spare yourselves.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this from the author in exchange for this post. I think it's pretty clear that the act didn't persuade me in any way. I still do appreciate the opportunity.
November 10, 2017
Spellcaster is an intriguing mix of fantasy and steampunk, opening in a Victorian-style London amid a group of debutantes from an eclectic mix of backgrounds. Christine, also called Ophelia or Tom-cat by her adoptive sisters, turns out to have a hidden talent for witchcraft. While manoeuvring through appearance-conscious London society, she is also trying to find out why she isn’t alone in her own head, and why most of the mystics in the city won’t help her.
For me, one of the challenges with the story is that the read is chaotic. Every character comes equipped with at least one nick-name, one given name, and one (or more) formal names depending on the situation, and there is a wide cast of secondary characters, all of whom will also be called by any one of several names or a title when they show up. Christine’s viewpoint is frequently coloured or overlaid completely with visions or nightmares, and the fact that she is the main protagonist, and has an entire hidden life of spellcraft that she lies about to everyone around her, doesn’t help to keep the progression of the plot clear.
At about halfway through the book, Christine finally finds out who is in her head with her; a misogynistic, highly focussed knight from the end of the French Dark Ages. At about two-thirds of the way through the book, the French knights, or rather knight and squire at that point, manage to extricate themselves from Christine’s life, and that is, very abruptly, the last that you see of the character in whose head you have spent the first two-thirds of the book. The latter part of the book is written from the point of view of one of the knights, fighting a supernatural enemy with a magical artifact that they somehow found out about and tracked down at some point prior to their abrupt appearance in the Victorian era.
In short, I found that the plot, once I managed to disinter it, was inventive and worthwhile. It was, however, badly let down by the technical side of the story-telling, which is frankly a great shame. Some work to provide the reader with the context of both the timelines, consistent naming of the characters in the plot, and some pruning of the descriptive passages would immediately catapult this book two stars higher for me.
Reviewed for
For me, one of the challenges with the story is that the read is chaotic. Every character comes equipped with at least one nick-name, one given name, and one (or more) formal names depending on the situation, and there is a wide cast of secondary characters, all of whom will also be called by any one of several names or a title when they show up. Christine’s viewpoint is frequently coloured or overlaid completely with visions or nightmares, and the fact that she is the main protagonist, and has an entire hidden life of spellcraft that she lies about to everyone around her, doesn’t help to keep the progression of the plot clear.
At about halfway through the book, Christine finally finds out who is in her head with her; a misogynistic, highly focussed knight from the end of the French Dark Ages. At about two-thirds of the way through the book, the French knights, or rather knight and squire at that point, manage to extricate themselves from Christine’s life, and that is, very abruptly, the last that you see of the character in whose head you have spent the first two-thirds of the book. The latter part of the book is written from the point of view of one of the knights, fighting a supernatural enemy with a magical artifact that they somehow found out about and tracked down at some point prior to their abrupt appearance in the Victorian era.
In short, I found that the plot, once I managed to disinter it, was inventive and worthwhile. It was, however, badly let down by the technical side of the story-telling, which is frankly a great shame. Some work to provide the reader with the context of both the timelines, consistent naming of the characters in the plot, and some pruning of the descriptive passages would immediately catapult this book two stars higher for me.
Reviewed for
dnf
January 20, 2020I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my review of this book.
So, I DNF'd this book at 28%. I was considering doing it awhile before then, but that was largely because of how much stress I am feeling as of late and I probably wasn't in the best mindset to be reading this book with a deadline in place, but I did continue reading and began to enjoy it more. However, there was an instance in Chapter 4 that I could not deal with, so I had to stop reading.
Let's briefly talk about this instance. This instance only added to a multitude of other reasons why I did not like the main character, but this selfish, short-sighted and cruel type of thinking just made me hate her. I don't know if she redeems herself later on in the book, but I was not inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt. I actually (for the first time in forever) took notes whilst reading this book so I have exact thoughts written down which is exciting.
My biggest issue at the beginning of the book (to do with character at least) was that we are given very little background or depth to Christine's character. I didn't know anything about Christine by chapter 2 and I didn't feel like I was learning anything. I knew she didn't like the way she looked and that was about it. When I did find out stuff about her, it wasn't anything good and nothing detailed either. I found out that she is conceited, snobbish and woefully unaware of these faults and later on (as I previously mentioned) I found out that she was selfish as well. The only redeeming quality was her obvious love for her caregivers, but this too was presented in a situation during which she was being manipulative and all in all did not seem to mesh with the other parts of her character. All in all, I did not connect with the character, I did not feel empathy for the character, I did not feel like I knew the character and I certainly didn't like her or respect her. She may well have had a redemption arch and I'm sure many people would be less bothered by the aforementioned traits than I was, but characters that I like or at least respect are probably the most important thing for me when it comes to how much I like a book, so this was a pretty big thing.
Apart from the main character, I had a few issues with the characters in general. One issue I had was fairly minor, but I found that some of the dialogue stuck out as not following the speech patterns reminiscent of the other characters or even previous dialogue from the same character. This is something I noticed especially with Bell. This actually links quite well to the other major issue I had with the book, so let's take a break from talking about characters for a while.
A large part of why I was considering putting the book down already was how confused and unsettled I felt in the story. I really couldn't immerse myself in the world and that was because the world confused me. It was Victorian-esque and Steampunk-esque but neither of these things enough to not need world-building. There were London seasons and hover ships and things which usually go in these types of worlds, but also young ladies being free to roam London by their lonesome and seemingly a disdain among the nobility for the Tory party, which was certainly not a Victorian notion. It was all very confusing and it meant that I had no cultural reference with which to understand the characters' actions and to imagine the world.
In addition to this, the characters made consistent references to Christine being ill in Newport, but I did not receive more information each time they made a reference and rather it just became annoying. I think practically every other page (or maybe slightly less than that) for the entire first quarter of the book there was a reference to this event, but I am no closer to knowing anything about said event than I was at the beginning of the book. It could be that I am incredibly dense, but I am usually fairly good at picking up on cues, so I doubt that is the case. In addition to this, even if I did have a theory about what happened rather than the tiniest inkling so small it doesn't even deserve a mention, it is still rather annoying to be constantly told nothing about an event you don't know anything about.
The family/friends also confused me: I really could not discern what the basic status of their relationships with each other were. I'm not talking about the complex nuances of their relationships which may have emerged throughout the course of the book, but the basic information like who was related to who. And seeing as they aren't all related to each other, how come they are all so familiar and staying together. And who is American and who is English? Are any of them English? I felt like these were basic facts that were missing and made me largely confused and slightly lost. These are things I felt needed to be established enough for me to remember them within the first quarter of the book.
The book is short, only 262 pages long, but it is very dense and quite slow-paced at least for the first quarter. I found myself skimming a few paragraphs on occasion, partially because they were very large chunks of text (which automatically makes my brain hurt and my eyes skim) and partially because a lot was being said, but not very much was happening. In addition to this, there were A LOT of names mentioned that meant absolutely nothing to me (and not because of a lack of knowledge about history or something, for they were names of fictional characters).
There were a few things I did like about this book, however. The occult/paranormal/psychic related plot was somewhat interesting and there were some golden-nugget descriptions of scenery as well as some cultured discussions about art, which I found myself enjoying.
In conclusion, I mostly felt confused about this book, or angry and frustrated with the main character. However, if you don't mind less-than-likeable characters and are a fan of denser writing (because there are some beautiful descriptions) and don't mind being completely thrown into a world with little context for a long time, then you may enjoy this book! I am not rating this book because I DNF'd it.
This review can also be found on pirateladypages.wordpress.com.
So, I DNF'd this book at 28%. I was considering doing it awhile before then, but that was largely because of how much stress I am feeling as of late and I probably wasn't in the best mindset to be reading this book with a deadline in place, but I did continue reading and began to enjoy it more. However, there was an instance in Chapter 4 that I could not deal with, so I had to stop reading.
Let's briefly talk about this instance. This instance only added to a multitude of other reasons why I did not like the main character, but this selfish, short-sighted and cruel type of thinking just made me hate her. I don't know if she redeems herself later on in the book, but I was not inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt. I actually (for the first time in forever) took notes whilst reading this book so I have exact thoughts written down which is exciting.
My biggest issue at the beginning of the book (to do with character at least) was that we are given very little background or depth to Christine's character. I didn't know anything about Christine by chapter 2 and I didn't feel like I was learning anything. I knew she didn't like the way she looked and that was about it. When I did find out stuff about her, it wasn't anything good and nothing detailed either. I found out that she is conceited, snobbish and woefully unaware of these faults and later on (as I previously mentioned) I found out that she was selfish as well. The only redeeming quality was her obvious love for her caregivers, but this too was presented in a situation during which she was being manipulative and all in all did not seem to mesh with the other parts of her character. All in all, I did not connect with the character, I did not feel empathy for the character, I did not feel like I knew the character and I certainly didn't like her or respect her. She may well have had a redemption arch and I'm sure many people would be less bothered by the aforementioned traits than I was, but characters that I like or at least respect are probably the most important thing for me when it comes to how much I like a book, so this was a pretty big thing.
Apart from the main character, I had a few issues with the characters in general. One issue I had was fairly minor, but I found that some of the dialogue stuck out as not following the speech patterns reminiscent of the other characters or even previous dialogue from the same character. This is something I noticed especially with Bell. This actually links quite well to the other major issue I had with the book, so let's take a break from talking about characters for a while.
A large part of why I was considering putting the book down already was how confused and unsettled I felt in the story. I really couldn't immerse myself in the world and that was because the world confused me. It was Victorian-esque and Steampunk-esque but neither of these things enough to not need world-building. There were London seasons and hover ships and things which usually go in these types of worlds, but also young ladies being free to roam London by their lonesome and seemingly a disdain among the nobility for the Tory party, which was certainly not a Victorian notion. It was all very confusing and it meant that I had no cultural reference with which to understand the characters' actions and to imagine the world.
In addition to this, the characters made consistent references to Christine being ill in Newport, but I did not receive more information each time they made a reference and rather it just became annoying. I think practically every other page (or maybe slightly less than that) for the entire first quarter of the book there was a reference to this event, but I am no closer to knowing anything about said event than I was at the beginning of the book. It could be that I am incredibly dense, but I am usually fairly good at picking up on cues, so I doubt that is the case. In addition to this, even if I did have a theory about what happened rather than the tiniest inkling so small it doesn't even deserve a mention, it is still rather annoying to be constantly told nothing about an event you don't know anything about.
The family/friends also confused me: I really could not discern what the basic status of their relationships with each other were. I'm not talking about the complex nuances of their relationships which may have emerged throughout the course of the book, but the basic information like who was related to who. And seeing as they aren't all related to each other, how come they are all so familiar and staying together. And who is American and who is English? Are any of them English? I felt like these were basic facts that were missing and made me largely confused and slightly lost. These are things I felt needed to be established enough for me to remember them within the first quarter of the book.
The book is short, only 262 pages long, but it is very dense and quite slow-paced at least for the first quarter. I found myself skimming a few paragraphs on occasion, partially because they were very large chunks of text (which automatically makes my brain hurt and my eyes skim) and partially because a lot was being said, but not very much was happening. In addition to this, there were A LOT of names mentioned that meant absolutely nothing to me (and not because of a lack of knowledge about history or something, for they were names of fictional characters).
There were a few things I did like about this book, however. The occult/paranormal/psychic related plot was somewhat interesting and there were some golden-nugget descriptions of scenery as well as some cultured discussions about art, which I found myself enjoying.
In conclusion, I mostly felt confused about this book, or angry and frustrated with the main character. However, if you don't mind less-than-likeable characters and are a fan of denser writing (because there are some beautiful descriptions) and don't mind being completely thrown into a world with little context for a long time, then you may enjoy this book! I am not rating this book because I DNF'd it.
This review can also be found on pirateladypages.wordpress.com.
November 24, 2020
I received a copy of this book directly from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I'll be honest, I didn't get very far into Spellcaster by George Bachman. I think the major issue I had with this book, was that it was desperately in need of a thorough editor.
There were some really odd word choices and awkward sentence structures (re: "longish neck" and "Those of us who did this were me always…" or "…boats run by male and female athletes…"). Sometimes paragraphs took up entire pages on their own. To compound this, the narrative was thick and wordy, and... Well, just felt like it was trying too hard.
By the end of the first chapter, I didn't feel like I'd really learned anything about the main character, and I'd learned way too much about every single other character at the same time. There was no differentiation in what information was provided to the reader based on what was actually important to the story.
Eventually, I got bored. I really think this book suffers from a lack of a good editor. It needs to be trimmed down to what is actually necessary to the story and cleaned up so that the narrative flows well and is easy to read. Right now, the narrative is just too tangled to enjoy. On a personal level, as someone who works as a copy editor, it's just not enjoyable to try and slog through.
I'll be honest, I didn't get very far into Spellcaster by George Bachman. I think the major issue I had with this book, was that it was desperately in need of a thorough editor.
There were some really odd word choices and awkward sentence structures (re: "longish neck" and "Those of us who did this were me always…" or "…boats run by male and female athletes…"). Sometimes paragraphs took up entire pages on their own. To compound this, the narrative was thick and wordy, and... Well, just felt like it was trying too hard.
By the end of the first chapter, I didn't feel like I'd really learned anything about the main character, and I'd learned way too much about every single other character at the same time. There was no differentiation in what information was provided to the reader based on what was actually important to the story.
Eventually, I got bored. I really think this book suffers from a lack of a good editor. It needs to be trimmed down to what is actually necessary to the story and cleaned up so that the narrative flows well and is easy to read. Right now, the narrative is just too tangled to enjoy. On a personal level, as someone who works as a copy editor, it's just not enjoyable to try and slog through.
September 13, 2017
16-year old Christine has something that nothing can cure with its excruciating pain and high fevers. But what’s causing this are visions of a mysterious person on the run from a strange man. Instantly, I was allured by this paranormal ramification. Unfortunately, this plot line fell flat.
Set in Victorian England, the story sets off to an ambiguous start with its dreary characters and trite setting. At first, I didn’t really know who was telling the story, and, as I dove deeper, I felt deterred by the plot, getting more and more confused. I actually had to go back re-read a couple of parts just to clarify certain things. At one point, I even had to go back to the summary just to see what the heck this story was supposed to be about. Perhaps it was the writing style or the story itself that set me off, I’m not sure.
The author created a worthy premise that incited me enough to want to read this, however, the execution was meager and subpar. As the title indicates, the book should’ve casted me under its spell, but I wasn’t. I just expected more from it.
Set in Victorian England, the story sets off to an ambiguous start with its dreary characters and trite setting. At first, I didn’t really know who was telling the story, and, as I dove deeper, I felt deterred by the plot, getting more and more confused. I actually had to go back re-read a couple of parts just to clarify certain things. At one point, I even had to go back to the summary just to see what the heck this story was supposed to be about. Perhaps it was the writing style or the story itself that set me off, I’m not sure.
The author created a worthy premise that incited me enough to want to read this, however, the execution was meager and subpar. As the title indicates, the book should’ve casted me under its spell, but I wasn’t. I just expected more from it.
November 1, 2021
When a Victorian socialite dying of a mysterious sickness discovers the cause is linked to a Provencal knight centuries in the past, she must reach across time and space to find the cure, by saving him from an even greater threat. Compelling and beautifully written in a style that recalls the Regency authors.
November 4, 2021
A moody steampunk adventure that takes us from the drawing rooms of a Victorian England where the occult is practiced in secret and against the law to a medieval France poised to fall to a tyrant and effect the future unless a dying socialite and Europe's last knight can somehow find each other across time and stop him. Exhilarating and unpredictable, once it takes time to set up its story.
July 17, 2018
Goes down as another off my 2018 Bookworm Bingo Challenge – A book involving time travel. Well in a way it does as you have reincarnated souls needing to travel back to their past lives to finish a quest they were on to stop a great evil.
Christine has always felt different, mainly with the things she can do – a witch’s craft growing perhaps? Right from the start she feels the need to search for two people – Rodham and Valerie – though she doesn’t really know why, just that she needs to. She keeps calling on different spirits to help her quest, each stronger than the last, to try to find them. Seems in a way she is also connected to someone Rodham knows. Spirits reincarnates perhaps? So whom have they really gone into? Seems this is where Sir Thomas comes into play – her past life. Seems these past lives have merged with the present ones and might even be able to manipulate them into doing things to help their cause – no matter the trouble it causes.
She also seems to get weird feelings about certain people or situations but doesn’t really know what to do about them when they come about. Could this really be her or is it more to do with Sir Thomas? In his time magic is around more openly and this could be what she is drawing her feelings from. Could bad feelings be because the people she meets have past souls she, or more precisely Sir Thomas, knew.
One of the things that might be more her past self’s doing than her own is helping Lord Serton woo her close friend Allie. The reason isn’t for true love but more to do with what Lady Kinloss can gain and help her with if the match is set. From this moment on Christine has almost been charged with seeing all those close to her wed by her friends and Allie’s sisters. A job she may wish she never agreed to help with. Might get a lot of matches but are they happy ones? Allie’s it seems might not be. Whether she can find a way out of it though only time will tell.
This is where the story becomes a two in one, with reincarnation playing a part and time going forward and back. I found at times though that I was never quite sure whose head I was in. So it might have benefited with names at the top of chapters so you could understand quicker whether you were inside Christine’s head or Sir Thomas’s. The story shifts to focus more on Sir Thomas near the end than Christine. She was almost a means to an end to get him back to where it all started so he could defeat a great evil.
The great evil to be defeated in the past before the future is lost is Hane, a Spellcaster who seems to be ruling by an evil hand. His actions saw a turn of events lead those around into a darker future. His followers seem to have gone into their future selves to try to stop Sir Thomas – aka Christine – and Rodham – aka Edmund – from getting the key back to their time along with an urn. Both needed in taking the spellcaster and his followers down. Once the master fails his kingdom soon crumbles. Let’s see if our time travelling souls can get the job done.
I found this book a bit hard to get into to begin with. Mainly due to the amount of characters being introduced that surrounded Christine. Just when you think the story is going one way it changes course. Now this is actually where the story picked up a bit better. When you go back to the past lives and see how they fair in their quest. Can they save the day to take down an evil ruler? Only time will tell. I feel it could have been split into two books with the first half being closed off a bit better when the stories focus shifts. One had closure but the other is left open. Seems once a mind has merged it’s hard to break completely as they are still plague by what they had to do to get the job done.
I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
https://readingnook84.wordpress.com/2...
Christine has always felt different, mainly with the things she can do – a witch’s craft growing perhaps? Right from the start she feels the need to search for two people – Rodham and Valerie – though she doesn’t really know why, just that she needs to. She keeps calling on different spirits to help her quest, each stronger than the last, to try to find them. Seems in a way she is also connected to someone Rodham knows. Spirits reincarnates perhaps? So whom have they really gone into? Seems this is where Sir Thomas comes into play – her past life. Seems these past lives have merged with the present ones and might even be able to manipulate them into doing things to help their cause – no matter the trouble it causes.
She also seems to get weird feelings about certain people or situations but doesn’t really know what to do about them when they come about. Could this really be her or is it more to do with Sir Thomas? In his time magic is around more openly and this could be what she is drawing her feelings from. Could bad feelings be because the people she meets have past souls she, or more precisely Sir Thomas, knew.
One of the things that might be more her past self’s doing than her own is helping Lord Serton woo her close friend Allie. The reason isn’t for true love but more to do with what Lady Kinloss can gain and help her with if the match is set. From this moment on Christine has almost been charged with seeing all those close to her wed by her friends and Allie’s sisters. A job she may wish she never agreed to help with. Might get a lot of matches but are they happy ones? Allie’s it seems might not be. Whether she can find a way out of it though only time will tell.
This is where the story becomes a two in one, with reincarnation playing a part and time going forward and back. I found at times though that I was never quite sure whose head I was in. So it might have benefited with names at the top of chapters so you could understand quicker whether you were inside Christine’s head or Sir Thomas’s. The story shifts to focus more on Sir Thomas near the end than Christine. She was almost a means to an end to get him back to where it all started so he could defeat a great evil.
The great evil to be defeated in the past before the future is lost is Hane, a Spellcaster who seems to be ruling by an evil hand. His actions saw a turn of events lead those around into a darker future. His followers seem to have gone into their future selves to try to stop Sir Thomas – aka Christine – and Rodham – aka Edmund – from getting the key back to their time along with an urn. Both needed in taking the spellcaster and his followers down. Once the master fails his kingdom soon crumbles. Let’s see if our time travelling souls can get the job done.
I found this book a bit hard to get into to begin with. Mainly due to the amount of characters being introduced that surrounded Christine. Just when you think the story is going one way it changes course. Now this is actually where the story picked up a bit better. When you go back to the past lives and see how they fair in their quest. Can they save the day to take down an evil ruler? Only time will tell. I feel it could have been split into two books with the first half being closed off a bit better when the stories focus shifts. One had closure but the other is left open. Seems once a mind has merged it’s hard to break completely as they are still plague by what they had to do to get the job done.
I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
https://readingnook84.wordpress.com/2...
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