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A Modern Myth [#1]
"Either kill me.... or I'll just get back up again"
A dark dystopian tale of a lost boy searching for the truth and fighting for a life.
--
Eighteen-year-old Nickolai is the only living elf in The Compound, a prison disguised as a training and reform facility. He has never stepped foot outside the walls, nor has he experienced kindness or compassion—only the cruel and unrelenting ways of the only home he’s ever known.
Tormented since birth and trained to be a rage-induced killing machine, Nickolai is fuelled by anger. Being as persistent as he is, it doesn’t take Nickolai long to realize that he is being used—that everything he’s ever known is a lie.
He becomes determined to expose the people behind this scheme and free those clasped to its chains. Eager to find a life and who he truly is, and feel alive for once in his life.
A dark dystopian tale of a lost boy searching for the truth and fighting for a life.
--
Eighteen-year-old Nickolai is the only living elf in The Compound, a prison disguised as a training and reform facility. He has never stepped foot outside the walls, nor has he experienced kindness or compassion—only the cruel and unrelenting ways of the only home he’s ever known.
Tormented since birth and trained to be a rage-induced killing machine, Nickolai is fuelled by anger. Being as persistent as he is, it doesn’t take Nickolai long to realize that he is being used—that everything he’s ever known is a lie.
He becomes determined to expose the people behind this scheme and free those clasped to its chains. Eager to find a life and who he truly is, and feel alive for once in his life.
385 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 7, 2018
3 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Alex Wake
1 book9 followersAlex Wake lives in the land down under (Australia) She is a mother of cats and one beautiful daughter. She is hard-of-hearing and half-blind.
Writing and drawing are her way of battling depression and anxiety. Being creative and an ecstatic nerd is all she knows and loves.
A MODERN MYTH is her debut novel.
Stay connected on:
Instagram @authoralexwake
Twitter @authoralexwake
Facebook /authoralexwake
Writing and drawing are her way of battling depression and anxiety. Being creative and an ecstatic nerd is all she knows and loves.
A MODERN MYTH is her debut novel.
Stay connected on:
Instagram @authoralexwake
Twitter @authoralexwake
Facebook /authoralexwake
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 19, 2018
When I saw this book and read the synopsis I more or less understood what I was getting into. It all started basically with the fact I was running low on books to read and decided to jump into a random book by the keyword of " myths" since I am a big history lover. As I scrolled through page after page, reading all the book's synopsis' this book cover immediately called my attention. So I read what it was about. I checked the author's personal page and noticed that she is new to the world of authorism. So I decided " Hmm, why not? I usually don't get into fictional books often and supporting a new author is always something I feel happy with doing". So yes, I bought it, read it and was ironically pleasantly surprised with the outcome.
This is a non-spoiler review.
In all honesty, as I read the book I could tell that she is new to the world of authorism, the worlds are in need of getting fleshed out. So she tries to do so in many ways as possible and tries to cram as much as she possibly can into the novel in hopes to get the audience a clearer picture of what exactly is the world Nikolai ( The story's protagonist) is dealing with. With that, I couldn't blame her. Seeing as I caught the gist that the world is in a dystopian setting I found out that the rabbit hole got deeper and a sense of danger needed to be established. Like more or less a TV show with its "make it or break it" pilot episode. I personally enjoyed the imagery, the vulgarness of against, Nikolai. The world is fresh and new and I have read many books with the same played out song, the chosen one in some magical land trying to restore balance to the world or a tale of "go get the girl". It always left a bit of a sour taste on my tongue because almost a lot of authors follow that broken formula to me. But Nikolai felt so much more humane.
He endured many shortcomings and the story focused less on him as a person but more on just how cruel the world can be. Seeing in her personal page on Goodreads she establishes that she battles depression and anxiety. To which I can tell is pretty much apparent in the tone of the book because it's not just Nikolai reflecting pieces of herself but the world, this dystopian mess represents the world around this author. The way she feels detached from it and tries to battle against all the stronger forces that not only personally want to snuff her out but also finding that personal will to keep going while also accepting the world as it is and its unwillingness to change. Nikolai battered and basically brought to the bottom physically and mentally but still finding that strength to somehow still wanting to live. That is very powerful on its own due to once again the symbolism towards the author's struggles. You meet certain characters like Jake or Skye and you tend to see the way they interact with the protagonist in some fashion feels like its a direct form of communication between a person to the author itself. That was very apparent.
I think the main reason why I enjoyed this book so much is that the author felt so real, the symbolism was so surreal. Like I could pick apart every scene within this book and makes me commune with this author and gives me this powerful sense of " don't give up", " keep on going", " you will lose people you love but honour them in your ability to live on". It's just in an odd way so euphoric and you don't really see that often. While I do digress and state that this is indeed her first book, I can definitely see potential in her, her world, and, Nikolai. Nikolai is a champion, not of the characters in the book but a champion for the people in real life fighting the good fight within themselves. The fight of self-realization/self-discovery. His personality and this book show us how the battle as a human being isn't just with the day to day life we live in and the monsters that inhabit it, but the demons lurking within ourselves that we have yet to confront until we are pushed there.
I give this book 5 stars because not only did I enjoy this ride with such great symbolism and visceral storytelling but I see such strong potential in this author and I can't wait to see her skills expand far beyond many authors I see nowadays getting fame for rehashed settings and plotlines. For her very first book, I was more than pleased. Thank you for the fantastic read, Clara!!! GOOD LUCK!!
"Nikolai is a champion, not of the characters in the book but a champion for the people in real life fighting the good fight within themselves. The fight of self-realization/self-discovery."
This is a non-spoiler review.
In all honesty, as I read the book I could tell that she is new to the world of authorism, the worlds are in need of getting fleshed out. So she tries to do so in many ways as possible and tries to cram as much as she possibly can into the novel in hopes to get the audience a clearer picture of what exactly is the world Nikolai ( The story's protagonist) is dealing with. With that, I couldn't blame her. Seeing as I caught the gist that the world is in a dystopian setting I found out that the rabbit hole got deeper and a sense of danger needed to be established. Like more or less a TV show with its "make it or break it" pilot episode. I personally enjoyed the imagery, the vulgarness of against, Nikolai. The world is fresh and new and I have read many books with the same played out song, the chosen one in some magical land trying to restore balance to the world or a tale of "go get the girl". It always left a bit of a sour taste on my tongue because almost a lot of authors follow that broken formula to me. But Nikolai felt so much more humane.
He endured many shortcomings and the story focused less on him as a person but more on just how cruel the world can be. Seeing in her personal page on Goodreads she establishes that she battles depression and anxiety. To which I can tell is pretty much apparent in the tone of the book because it's not just Nikolai reflecting pieces of herself but the world, this dystopian mess represents the world around this author. The way she feels detached from it and tries to battle against all the stronger forces that not only personally want to snuff her out but also finding that personal will to keep going while also accepting the world as it is and its unwillingness to change. Nikolai battered and basically brought to the bottom physically and mentally but still finding that strength to somehow still wanting to live. That is very powerful on its own due to once again the symbolism towards the author's struggles. You meet certain characters like Jake or Skye and you tend to see the way they interact with the protagonist in some fashion feels like its a direct form of communication between a person to the author itself. That was very apparent.
I think the main reason why I enjoyed this book so much is that the author felt so real, the symbolism was so surreal. Like I could pick apart every scene within this book and makes me commune with this author and gives me this powerful sense of " don't give up", " keep on going", " you will lose people you love but honour them in your ability to live on". It's just in an odd way so euphoric and you don't really see that often. While I do digress and state that this is indeed her first book, I can definitely see potential in her, her world, and, Nikolai. Nikolai is a champion, not of the characters in the book but a champion for the people in real life fighting the good fight within themselves. The fight of self-realization/self-discovery. His personality and this book show us how the battle as a human being isn't just with the day to day life we live in and the monsters that inhabit it, but the demons lurking within ourselves that we have yet to confront until we are pushed there.
I give this book 5 stars because not only did I enjoy this ride with such great symbolism and visceral storytelling but I see such strong potential in this author and I can't wait to see her skills expand far beyond many authors I see nowadays getting fame for rehashed settings and plotlines. For her very first book, I was more than pleased. Thank you for the fantastic read, Clara!!! GOOD LUCK!!
"Nikolai is a champion, not of the characters in the book but a champion for the people in real life fighting the good fight within themselves. The fight of self-realization/self-discovery."
November 10, 2018
When I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I was going to like it, but I didn't quite realize how much.
I find it hard to take the time to do 'self indulgent' things like reading, even though I love it so much, but just the synopsis had me so curious.
It is exactly what I love in a book, it pulled me in one direction and then threw me in the other. I dont want to spoil it but wow what a ride.
Although super time starved, I ended up doing things like not sleeping in order to just, find out what happened next! One point of the book had be so emotional I couldnt even explain to my partner why I was sobbing so hard, and I had to pace it off just to be able to see the words on the pages.
This is definitely one of my all time favourite books. I miss the characters like they were my best friends and I still feel my heart stop whenever I think of those parts.
This book absolutely blew me away. Cannot recommend it higher.
I find it hard to take the time to do 'self indulgent' things like reading, even though I love it so much, but just the synopsis had me so curious.
It is exactly what I love in a book, it pulled me in one direction and then threw me in the other. I dont want to spoil it but wow what a ride.
Although super time starved, I ended up doing things like not sleeping in order to just, find out what happened next! One point of the book had be so emotional I couldnt even explain to my partner why I was sobbing so hard, and I had to pace it off just to be able to see the words on the pages.
This is definitely one of my all time favourite books. I miss the characters like they were my best friends and I still feel my heart stop whenever I think of those parts.
This book absolutely blew me away. Cannot recommend it higher.
April 14, 2018
Where do I even start when it comes to this book? If I had to sum it up in one word, I would no doubt have to go with “fantastic”. But that’s just one word, not nearly enough for me to be able to gush about how good this book is. So bear with me, because this review is gonna be long.
I should probably start out with saying that I’ve been friends with Clara for a long time now, I’ve seen her working on this book from the start and I’ve had the honor of reading her very first draft of this book. And I can tell you; even the very first draft left me wanting more, even with its flaws back then. The way the book ended left me screaming at Clara. The way that the story developed since then is fantastic and yet again I’m left screaming ‘I want more, now!!’.
The story is very well written. The way that the sentences flow and the way that the structure is very comfortable to read in my opinion. It’s very; very hard to put the book down when you’ve started it.
There’s no denying it. Nickolai’s story is brutal. It’s full of pain and suffering but in this story, the author is still able to create lightness in the story, mostly through the character of Jake. His friendship with Nickolai, the moments of their interactions is a joy to read, a good source of light in this dark story.
When it comes to the antagonist, she’s a character you’re going to love to hate. Her motivations are pretty damn dark, maybe even bordering on the psychotic and her backstory is unclear, yet, even with knowing this little about her, you’re going to love to hate her, I know I did. Each scene featuring her, I wished I was there to punch her in the face or throw her out of a 5th story window just to make her pay for the hell she makes Nickolai go through.
I will say, there are some things you’re going to need to take into account when reading this book. It’s incredibly dark. Some things might not make sense, but I have no doubt that the author is going to clear these things up in the sequel to A Modern Myth. And of course, this is a work of fiction, so some suspension of believe might be a good thing when reading this. *SPOILER ALERT* okay, yes, I know that logically the caving in of a skull isn’t exactly possible with a 9mm gun, but it’s not about that. It’s not about the technical side of what happens to a skull when someone is shot. It’s about Nickolai. About what it does to him, about what he feels when it happens? *END SPOILER ALERT*
It’s going to feature some themes that some people aren’t comfortable with like torture and basically child abuse amongst others, but beyond that, this is a story about a boy trying to find his place in the world, who his parents are, and most of all, a way out of the terrible situation he grew up in.
I should probably start out with saying that I’ve been friends with Clara for a long time now, I’ve seen her working on this book from the start and I’ve had the honor of reading her very first draft of this book. And I can tell you; even the very first draft left me wanting more, even with its flaws back then. The way the book ended left me screaming at Clara. The way that the story developed since then is fantastic and yet again I’m left screaming ‘I want more, now!!’.
The story is very well written. The way that the sentences flow and the way that the structure is very comfortable to read in my opinion. It’s very; very hard to put the book down when you’ve started it.
There’s no denying it. Nickolai’s story is brutal. It’s full of pain and suffering but in this story, the author is still able to create lightness in the story, mostly through the character of Jake. His friendship with Nickolai, the moments of their interactions is a joy to read, a good source of light in this dark story.
When it comes to the antagonist, she’s a character you’re going to love to hate. Her motivations are pretty damn dark, maybe even bordering on the psychotic and her backstory is unclear, yet, even with knowing this little about her, you’re going to love to hate her, I know I did. Each scene featuring her, I wished I was there to punch her in the face or throw her out of a 5th story window just to make her pay for the hell she makes Nickolai go through.
I will say, there are some things you’re going to need to take into account when reading this book. It’s incredibly dark. Some things might not make sense, but I have no doubt that the author is going to clear these things up in the sequel to A Modern Myth. And of course, this is a work of fiction, so some suspension of believe might be a good thing when reading this. *SPOILER ALERT* okay, yes, I know that logically the caving in of a skull isn’t exactly possible with a 9mm gun, but it’s not about that. It’s not about the technical side of what happens to a skull when someone is shot. It’s about Nickolai. About what it does to him, about what he feels when it happens? *END SPOILER ALERT*
It’s going to feature some themes that some people aren’t comfortable with like torture and basically child abuse amongst others, but beyond that, this is a story about a boy trying to find his place in the world, who his parents are, and most of all, a way out of the terrible situation he grew up in.
June 25, 2018
Wow, what a captivating book to read.
I am one of those readers that will read a book slowly to soak up every detail.
A Modern Myth had me reading a little faster because I yearned to know what happens next. I can feel that there is so much more to tell about Nickolai’s life, where he came from and where he’s going. I CAN NOT WAIT to read the sequel/‘s.
Reading the synopsis left me craving to understand what the author was trying to share. I certainly got more than I could possibly imagine. Incredible.
When I bought A modern myth at the store, the women at the counter were speaking highly of the book and sounded confident that it would be a good read.
The cover is beautifully designed. Elegant and mysterious. I’m so glad I have a hard copy to keep. I love it.
As soon as i started reading, I was hooked. I could not put the book down. It was written in such a way that let my imagination create such a vivid vision of what the world looked like, and who the character’s were.
The ending just left me crying for more... let’s just say.. crying in real life.
I have no negative criticism to write, except, maybe, a few minor grammar mistakes. But for a self published first book, that didn’t matter to me. I still understood clearly what was being said.
It was imperfectly PERFECT. Just like the Phoenix. She will get knocked down, but will always get back up, stronger and better than before.
I have already recommended this book to friends and family, who I know will appreciate, love and connect with it. A modern myth is traumatic, dark and suspenseful, yet so heart felt, realistic and enduring all at the same time.
I will easily give Five Stars.
I am one of those readers that will read a book slowly to soak up every detail.
A Modern Myth had me reading a little faster because I yearned to know what happens next. I can feel that there is so much more to tell about Nickolai’s life, where he came from and where he’s going. I CAN NOT WAIT to read the sequel/‘s.
Reading the synopsis left me craving to understand what the author was trying to share. I certainly got more than I could possibly imagine. Incredible.
When I bought A modern myth at the store, the women at the counter were speaking highly of the book and sounded confident that it would be a good read.
The cover is beautifully designed. Elegant and mysterious. I’m so glad I have a hard copy to keep. I love it.
As soon as i started reading, I was hooked. I could not put the book down. It was written in such a way that let my imagination create such a vivid vision of what the world looked like, and who the character’s were.
The ending just left me crying for more... let’s just say.. crying in real life.
I have no negative criticism to write, except, maybe, a few minor grammar mistakes. But for a self published first book, that didn’t matter to me. I still understood clearly what was being said.
It was imperfectly PERFECT. Just like the Phoenix. She will get knocked down, but will always get back up, stronger and better than before.
I have already recommended this book to friends and family, who I know will appreciate, love and connect with it. A modern myth is traumatic, dark and suspenseful, yet so heart felt, realistic and enduring all at the same time.
I will easily give Five Stars.
September 29, 2018
This is not the normal type of book I would normally read. My partner bought me the book and a friend had recommended it to me, so I thought why not.
I was pleasantly surprised as the book hooked me in straight away. I loved the twists and turns introduced into the book and it wasn't what I was expecting. It was quite a refreshing read from my normal Genres.
I'm not good at writing book reviews AHHH!!! Trying to write a review without revealing anything...
I wish that I could have had all the books in the series as the ending did leave me hanging and wanting more.
I would highly recommend for a good read and I look forward with anticipation and impatience for the 2nd book to come out (God there better be a 2nd book).
I was pleasantly surprised as the book hooked me in straight away. I loved the twists and turns introduced into the book and it wasn't what I was expecting. It was quite a refreshing read from my normal Genres.
I'm not good at writing book reviews AHHH!!! Trying to write a review without revealing anything...
I wish that I could have had all the books in the series as the ending did leave me hanging and wanting more.
I would highly recommend for a good read and I look forward with anticipation and impatience for the 2nd book to come out (God there better be a 2nd book).
July 25, 2018
What can I say, this book is a clear winner in my mind.
I travel constantly for work so finding a good book to settle into for my flights is a must and A Modern Myth is definitely my favourite so far this year. With everything you want in a novel and the feeling when you read that you not only get the story of Nikolai but the feeling of connection to the author herself, you absolutely cannot go wrong with this book.
10/10 would read again.
I travel constantly for work so finding a good book to settle into for my flights is a must and A Modern Myth is definitely my favourite so far this year. With everything you want in a novel and the feeling when you read that you not only get the story of Nikolai but the feeling of connection to the author herself, you absolutely cannot go wrong with this book.
10/10 would read again.
May 29, 2018
Clara has such a wonderful, poetic and engaging writing style that it's hard to believe that this is her debut book! She talks about each moment with care and emotion that it's impossible not to be moved by her words. I try to read a variety of different genres but it's very different to novels that I have read before, making each page unexpected and refreshing.
February 13, 2019
I'm not a big reader, it takes a really good book to capture my attention and I loved this book!
from the first chapter I was emotionally invested in the characters. it had me laughing, crying, and shocked with all its twists and turns.
if you are looking for a novel you will want to read again and again, this is the one.
from the first chapter I was emotionally invested in the characters. it had me laughing, crying, and shocked with all its twists and turns.
if you are looking for a novel you will want to read again and again, this is the one.
April 28, 2019
I am in no way a prolific book reader,in fact, I havent read a book in 19 years. When this book was recommended to me by a close friend, I was less than enthusiastic about the task of sitting down and turning pages.
From the very first page, I was absolutely enthralled by the characters, the story and the writers ability to put me in the middle of a scene,almost smelling the environment and certainly painting a clear image in my mind. Every scene was woven together so perfectly without "unnecessary fluff or padding" keeping me flipping the pages to completion.
Something I have NEVER experienced before was being so emotionally invested in the characters that, on occasion, I would be exhausted from the feelings I had encountered, I believe this show great maturity and skill on behalf of the author and am still finding it difficult to believe this is her first book and will be on the look out for her future works.
Reading "A Modern Myth" was an overall VERY positive experience for me that has inspired me to try and read more. In the past I have really struggled with authors who seem to spend more time trying to impress with how many 12 syllable words they can put into one sentence, rather than focusing on telling a good story. I will forever prefer an author who uses language like "Chidge is a fucking idiot" over "Chidge doesnt indulge in sesquipedalian lexicological constructions", so i will be seeking out more authors like Clara Wake.
From the very first page, I was absolutely enthralled by the characters, the story and the writers ability to put me in the middle of a scene,almost smelling the environment and certainly painting a clear image in my mind. Every scene was woven together so perfectly without "unnecessary fluff or padding" keeping me flipping the pages to completion.
Something I have NEVER experienced before was being so emotionally invested in the characters that, on occasion, I would be exhausted from the feelings I had encountered, I believe this show great maturity and skill on behalf of the author and am still finding it difficult to believe this is her first book and will be on the look out for her future works.
Reading "A Modern Myth" was an overall VERY positive experience for me that has inspired me to try and read more. In the past I have really struggled with authors who seem to spend more time trying to impress with how many 12 syllable words they can put into one sentence, rather than focusing on telling a good story. I will forever prefer an author who uses language like "Chidge is a fucking idiot" over "Chidge doesnt indulge in sesquipedalian lexicological constructions", so i will be seeking out more authors like Clara Wake.
May 8, 2019
This book is a rollercoaster of emotions, the struggles, and triumphs of the hero can't help but enter your heart and bring forth a swell of emotions, can't wait for book 2.
May 18, 2018
I purchased this as a free book, when the author was celebrating the one month-versary. However, with this being a free book, I didn't have many expectations, but the premise sounded very fun and interesting.
Please note that this review will contain spoilers.
For a quick, non-spoiler review: This story was boring, with very trite and predictable characters. The author did no research whatsoever, even in the way of learning how her main character would deal with traumatic experiences. The story was so bland and boring that it made white rice look amazing and exotic. I give the book 1 star.
Spoiler Section
The author has a very simplistic, but not horrible, way of writing. Some sentences had me scratching my head in confusion, making me question, 'Why did she go with that?' Then there were the sentence fragments in the narrative, which is a huge no-no for me.
I found that some scenes dragged on far too much, such as with the parents in the opening chapter. Other scenes were cut off far too early, such are those that could have been world-building, which I found the book was sorely lacking. I was told, by the author, that this story is 'dystopian.' There was absolutely no evidence of that, due to no world-building.
Aside from the absolutely terrible grammar, spelling and tense mistakes, which also made me question as to whether or not the author had this looked by a professional editor (or even did any editing, as it looks like a second or third draft), I discovered that the author enjoyed 'head hopping,' as well. With very little warning, we would jump from one perspective to another. I was pleased to see that the author caught onto this later in the story, but wish it was something that was addressed at the beginning.
The author also had a huge issue with 'telling' us what happened, instead of showing us. When the boys pick their weapons (aside from having no idea what a 'Myst' and 'Mystweaver' are, as they are never explained), we are told they spend the entire day learning their weapon. I desperately wanted to see Nickolai attempting to fire an arrow for the first time and then see him get stronger and better with his chosen weapon, but was sorely disappointed.
I wish I could say that I know these characters very well, but unfortunately, character-building was also something that eluded the author. The main character, Nickolai is...bland, aside from being the greatest 'like no one ever was' and a walking composite of clichés. He's the tortured half-human that only one person understands, with the heart of gold under his cold exterior. He's so 'not like other boys.' Nickolai was boring. Even when truly traumatic events happened to him, he got over them after a night. He just murdered some innocent? Oh, that doesn't matter. He's going to annoy the nurses, despite showing that he has a slight fear of authority figures.
That's also an unfortunate issue I found with Nickolai. Despite making cardboard look exciting, he has no set personality. It constantly changes. He's shown to have trust issues, but instantly trusts some girl that was thrown into his room, who he then discovers is sneaking into his room every night without him knowing? No. He either has trust issues or he doesn't. He can't eat his cake and have it, too.
I found Jake to be the only character I liked. While he wasn't fleshed out in the slightest, he was the only one to resemble having a personality that wasn't just 'Oh, he's mean because he is!' or 'Oh, I've got different colored eyes and pointy ears, so I'm different because of that!' or 'She's cruel because she can be!' Jake was the only one that had a consistent personality that didn't come across as pedophilic or all round creepy.
The other characters were only there to make Nickolai look better by comparison. The bullies of his squad don't even bother to get better with their weapons or martial arts in order to keep Nickolai in check, which anyone that's serious on bullying would do.
***SPOILERS!***
Aside from this story somehow being super slow and super fast, I discovered how this was a 'dark dystopian' tale. There's a rape scene in this book. I reread the chapter that its in several times and found that there was literally no reason for it to be in there, aside from the shock factor. It didn't advance the plot in any way and it didn't show us anything we didn't already know.
After reading that scene for the second time, I realized that the way it was written was almost done to titillate, which showed me just how inexperience the author was when it came to writing scenes like that.
I also found it incredibly unlikely that every boy in The Compound, with the exception of Nickolai of course, could easily rape someone. I think the author would be surprised to learn that most, if not the vast majority of men would find it absurdly difficult to get an erection if there's no consent. I just found it appalling that she would make every, single boy in The Compound a rapist, in order to make Nickolai even more like Jesus Christ.
I feel that the author needs to research, before throwing in something that sounds cool. While Nickolai is being tortured, he is shot with one of his arrows. This is after a week or more without food, water and sleep. His arrows release the poison wolfsbane, which is pretty awesome. There's just a small issue. When a body is that depleted of food, water and sleep, I'm sorry, Nickolai is dead. He literally has no way of fighting off the poison, even with the antidote. Also, he was shot in the right pectoral, which means his lung was hit, which means the poison was even more directly in his blood stream, which means he's even more dead. Nickolai was also suspended with his arms above his head and since the author didn't go into detail about his feet, I'm assuming he was hanging from the ceiling, which means he suffocated after being hoisted up for a few hours. Again, simple research would have cleared this up and made for a far more compelling story, rather than just having me point out everything wrong with it.
***END SPOILERS***
Despite the major issues this story had, I feel that the author managed to kind of get across what she was hoping for. Unfortunately, what she gave us was a hot mess of incomplete scenes, underdeveloped characters, absolutely no world and far more Jesus imagery than the bible.
I'm glad I got this book while it was free, as I would have been extremely angry that I paid money for a story that has no research, has clearly not been edited and was never read aloud to see if the scenes flowed together.
I give this book 1 star and wish the author good luck in her next story.
Please note that this review will contain spoilers.
For a quick, non-spoiler review: This story was boring, with very trite and predictable characters. The author did no research whatsoever, even in the way of learning how her main character would deal with traumatic experiences. The story was so bland and boring that it made white rice look amazing and exotic. I give the book 1 star.
Spoiler Section
The author has a very simplistic, but not horrible, way of writing. Some sentences had me scratching my head in confusion, making me question, 'Why did she go with that?' Then there were the sentence fragments in the narrative, which is a huge no-no for me.
I found that some scenes dragged on far too much, such as with the parents in the opening chapter. Other scenes were cut off far too early, such are those that could have been world-building, which I found the book was sorely lacking. I was told, by the author, that this story is 'dystopian.' There was absolutely no evidence of that, due to no world-building.
Aside from the absolutely terrible grammar, spelling and tense mistakes, which also made me question as to whether or not the author had this looked by a professional editor (or even did any editing, as it looks like a second or third draft), I discovered that the author enjoyed 'head hopping,' as well. With very little warning, we would jump from one perspective to another. I was pleased to see that the author caught onto this later in the story, but wish it was something that was addressed at the beginning.
The author also had a huge issue with 'telling' us what happened, instead of showing us. When the boys pick their weapons (aside from having no idea what a 'Myst' and 'Mystweaver' are, as they are never explained), we are told they spend the entire day learning their weapon. I desperately wanted to see Nickolai attempting to fire an arrow for the first time and then see him get stronger and better with his chosen weapon, but was sorely disappointed.
I wish I could say that I know these characters very well, but unfortunately, character-building was also something that eluded the author. The main character, Nickolai is...bland, aside from being the greatest 'like no one ever was' and a walking composite of clichés. He's the tortured half-human that only one person understands, with the heart of gold under his cold exterior. He's so 'not like other boys.' Nickolai was boring. Even when truly traumatic events happened to him, he got over them after a night. He just murdered some innocent? Oh, that doesn't matter. He's going to annoy the nurses, despite showing that he has a slight fear of authority figures.
That's also an unfortunate issue I found with Nickolai. Despite making cardboard look exciting, he has no set personality. It constantly changes. He's shown to have trust issues, but instantly trusts some girl that was thrown into his room, who he then discovers is sneaking into his room every night without him knowing? No. He either has trust issues or he doesn't. He can't eat his cake and have it, too.
I found Jake to be the only character I liked. While he wasn't fleshed out in the slightest, he was the only one to resemble having a personality that wasn't just 'Oh, he's mean because he is!' or 'Oh, I've got different colored eyes and pointy ears, so I'm different because of that!' or 'She's cruel because she can be!' Jake was the only one that had a consistent personality that didn't come across as pedophilic or all round creepy.
The other characters were only there to make Nickolai look better by comparison. The bullies of his squad don't even bother to get better with their weapons or martial arts in order to keep Nickolai in check, which anyone that's serious on bullying would do.
***SPOILERS!***
Aside from this story somehow being super slow and super fast, I discovered how this was a 'dark dystopian' tale. There's a rape scene in this book. I reread the chapter that its in several times and found that there was literally no reason for it to be in there, aside from the shock factor. It didn't advance the plot in any way and it didn't show us anything we didn't already know.
After reading that scene for the second time, I realized that the way it was written was almost done to titillate, which showed me just how inexperience the author was when it came to writing scenes like that.
I also found it incredibly unlikely that every boy in The Compound, with the exception of Nickolai of course, could easily rape someone. I think the author would be surprised to learn that most, if not the vast majority of men would find it absurdly difficult to get an erection if there's no consent. I just found it appalling that she would make every, single boy in The Compound a rapist, in order to make Nickolai even more like Jesus Christ.
I feel that the author needs to research, before throwing in something that sounds cool. While Nickolai is being tortured, he is shot with one of his arrows. This is after a week or more without food, water and sleep. His arrows release the poison wolfsbane, which is pretty awesome. There's just a small issue. When a body is that depleted of food, water and sleep, I'm sorry, Nickolai is dead. He literally has no way of fighting off the poison, even with the antidote. Also, he was shot in the right pectoral, which means his lung was hit, which means the poison was even more directly in his blood stream, which means he's even more dead. Nickolai was also suspended with his arms above his head and since the author didn't go into detail about his feet, I'm assuming he was hanging from the ceiling, which means he suffocated after being hoisted up for a few hours. Again, simple research would have cleared this up and made for a far more compelling story, rather than just having me point out everything wrong with it.
***END SPOILERS***
Despite the major issues this story had, I feel that the author managed to kind of get across what she was hoping for. Unfortunately, what she gave us was a hot mess of incomplete scenes, underdeveloped characters, absolutely no world and far more Jesus imagery than the bible.
I'm glad I got this book while it was free, as I would have been extremely angry that I paid money for a story that has no research, has clearly not been edited and was never read aloud to see if the scenes flowed together.
I give this book 1 star and wish the author good luck in her next story.
October 7, 2018
A young and creative writer who has been let down.
This genre is exactly the type of book I go for and love the excitement of a new author but this fell flat. I have really struggled to complete this book, only reading when I have nothing left. But I don’t blame the author.
Clara clearly is a passionate and creative writer who is obviously new to the wider world of writing; her writing screams of community short story writer, such as fan fiction. This isn’t a criticism of that community or style of writing, merely a nod to the lack of true character development - using someone else’s characters and universe, it’s all set so development doesn’t happen. Clara makes the mistake of telling the reader who exactly each character is, you’re told personal traits rather than allowing them to bloom with the story. This leaves so many questions as to why. This is mentioned in other reviews so I won’t risk spoilers here.
The issue with this book is the editing. A young author should be guided and moulded during editing; minor grammatical errors pounced on, jerky, uncomfortable, or even just unnecessary words removed; this is where a writer develops. Not in the aftermath. Clara clearly didn’t use an experienced editor, or judging by the acknowledgements, she used a close personal friend. This was her mistake. Her friend wasn’t firm enough to object or not experienced enough to know better.
I hope Clara continues to write but I hope she saves some money to pay a professional (not necessarily in publishing, there are millions of students, fellow authors, or retired professionals who offer the service) so she can learn and develop.
This genre is exactly the type of book I go for and love the excitement of a new author but this fell flat. I have really struggled to complete this book, only reading when I have nothing left. But I don’t blame the author.
Clara clearly is a passionate and creative writer who is obviously new to the wider world of writing; her writing screams of community short story writer, such as fan fiction. This isn’t a criticism of that community or style of writing, merely a nod to the lack of true character development - using someone else’s characters and universe, it’s all set so development doesn’t happen. Clara makes the mistake of telling the reader who exactly each character is, you’re told personal traits rather than allowing them to bloom with the story. This leaves so many questions as to why. This is mentioned in other reviews so I won’t risk spoilers here.
The issue with this book is the editing. A young author should be guided and moulded during editing; minor grammatical errors pounced on, jerky, uncomfortable, or even just unnecessary words removed; this is where a writer develops. Not in the aftermath. Clara clearly didn’t use an experienced editor, or judging by the acknowledgements, she used a close personal friend. This was her mistake. Her friend wasn’t firm enough to object or not experienced enough to know better.
I hope Clara continues to write but I hope she saves some money to pay a professional (not necessarily in publishing, there are millions of students, fellow authors, or retired professionals who offer the service) so she can learn and develop.
July 2, 2019
This was disappointing.
When this book was mentioned to me, I had really high hopes. A dystopian with elements of high fantasy in it with a half-elf hero? Awesome, bring it on!
Sadly what seemed to be a promising premise was sorely lacking in the execution. There was next to no worldbuilding of any kind, the writing was all over the place, and the typos... I don't usually get too upset with typos, but there were just too many grammatical errors to ignore. It really made me question whether this book was edited at all.
The plot and the characters were also lacking. Everyone was either designed as one-dimensional villains and rivals to make the main character, Nickolai, seem perfect which was really off-putting, personally. As much as I tried, I couldn't connect with him at all, which sucks. This story could have been so much more, but it just fell flat.
Who knows? Maybe the next book will be better.
When this book was mentioned to me, I had really high hopes. A dystopian with elements of high fantasy in it with a half-elf hero? Awesome, bring it on!
Sadly what seemed to be a promising premise was sorely lacking in the execution. There was next to no worldbuilding of any kind, the writing was all over the place, and the typos... I don't usually get too upset with typos, but there were just too many grammatical errors to ignore. It really made me question whether this book was edited at all.
The plot and the characters were also lacking. Everyone was either designed as one-dimensional villains and rivals to make the main character, Nickolai, seem perfect which was really off-putting, personally. As much as I tried, I couldn't connect with him at all, which sucks. This story could have been so much more, but it just fell flat.
Who knows? Maybe the next book will be better.
November 3, 2020
Clara Wake - A Modern Myth
I had no idea what to expect with this book and then was thrown a mile
The storyline is intense with a lot going on. I felt I wanted more about how Nickolai came to be but the focus was more on the training camp and hostile environment.
I didn't hate the storyline and did enjoy the idea of it but I felt it was missing a lot of details and felt if I was more aware of what to expect I probably wouldn't of read it at 15 weeks pregnant 🤣🤣🤣
Good on you Clara! Well done and I expect this is only the start of your stories.
I had no idea what to expect with this book and then was thrown a mile
The storyline is intense with a lot going on. I felt I wanted more about how Nickolai came to be but the focus was more on the training camp and hostile environment.
I didn't hate the storyline and did enjoy the idea of it but I felt it was missing a lot of details and felt if I was more aware of what to expect I probably wouldn't of read it at 15 weeks pregnant 🤣🤣🤣
Good on you Clara! Well done and I expect this is only the start of your stories.
May 13, 2018
I officially 'DNF'd' this book about six pages into chapter 13. I found I could no longer force myself to go through, due to extremely bad grammar and spelling mistakes and the lack of character and world building.
I applaud the author for publishing her first book. I just wish she had taken a little more time to tell a more cohesive story. The cover of this book was absolutely amazing, but the story within was very lackluster.
Due to this, I give 'A Modern Myth' by Clara Wake one (1) star.
I applaud the author for publishing her first book. I just wish she had taken a little more time to tell a more cohesive story. The cover of this book was absolutely amazing, but the story within was very lackluster.
Due to this, I give 'A Modern Myth' by Clara Wake one (1) star.
August 17, 2022
A wild journey into the life of Nickolai! I really enjoyed jumping from different characters, getting to know each of their personalities. The story had action throughout that kept me wanting to read, and it leaves so much still to be answered in the series! Great job Alex! :3
November 16, 2023
I can see the potential in this story. It just needs some refining.
October 20, 2018
Disclaimer: The following review (particularly the list of cons) is in no way intended to be malicious, discourage others from reading it, nor discourage the author from future endeavours. I quite honestly struggled with how to rate this from the onset, and still have my reservations about it, since it’s not in my nature to hurt someone undeserving, but nor is it in my nature to lie--especially in a review. The review is simply meant to highlight my honest thoughts on the writing, plot, and characters, and (largely) what I feel could be improved upon—either in future editions, or in future works. So bearing that in mind…
Pros:
-The premise is interesting. The storytelling itself is compelling, and despite the list of cons below, I did find it engaging enough to finish the novel in two days.
-Some of the descriptive parts read very well. They were kind of sporadic and spread out, but I did find a number that were nicely done.
-The friendship aspect between Nickolai and Jake is pretty endearing.
-A little more than halfway through, it felt like Nickolai was beginning to show character growth; while a bit late in coming, it was nice to find myself becoming invested in him. And likewise, while I found his constant self-pity off-putting at times, I also found it authentic—partly because there are people in the world who often feel sorry for themselves, be it through suffering directly or indirectly inflicted on them, and partly because it translated well (without romanticizing) the obvious mental health issues he suffers as a result of growing up in the Compound.
-Nickolai’s struggles regarding his parentage, and how things progress from being in the Compound, to later in the story—regarding both the positive and negative ramifications.
-That cliff-hanger of an ending. It was also very action-packed, and I felt my heart racing periodically throughout the story.
Cons:
-A great deal of problems regarding technical writing skills: sentence structure, tense confusion, repetition, spelling errors, and diction in general.
-Words being used incorrectly. There was a fair number of instances like this, so I won’t bother writing them here.
-Too much telling/info-dumping. Instead of allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions about a character (their personality, feelings, reasons for a specific gesture, expression, or action) we’re constantly being told what to think of them, and why they’re doing/saying/emoting.
-For the first two-thirds of the book, Nickolai felt like a Gary Stu; that is to say, the male equivalent of a Mary Sue. All of the other characters seemed to be created in order to either generate sympathy for him, or to make him look better. Oftentimes both. We’re constantly being told Nickolai is “special”, “smarter than the others”, “more mature”…you get the idea. Whatever a character’s attributes, be it nice, a badass, or anything else, a writer shouldn’t have to outright tell us what they are. The reader should be able to reach their own conclusions based on the character’s actions. Moreover, the MC needn’t be perfect or better than all the other characters. Flaws are necessary and make a character more relatable. Likewise, not all characters need to be likable in order to be well-written—they just need depth.
-The various antagonists’ motivations feel very trite and disingenuous. Whether an antagonist is simply the opposing force to the protagonist, or intended to be a full-fledged villain, they are meant to have layers, motivations that go beyond the shallow desire to cause harm.
-Plot-wise, certain things didn’t make much sense. **Spoilers here; don’t read if you haven’t read the book and intend to.** For example, the fact that the elves were thought to have been wiped out by the humans: it’s glossed over, and what information is given makes little sense, as an entire race wouldn’t be able to wipe out another without impunity. To simplify—there would have been other humans against the elves being wiped out, who would have defended them. Likewise, I have a hard time imagining an entire race would just allow themselves to be offed by humans. Even if these elves aren’t superior in skill, strength, etc. to humans as so often seen, the threat of extinction should have triggered their survival instincts.
-Lack of research regarding certain things: When Nickolai shot someone with a 9mm gun, said person’s head caved in, and brain matter leaked out. I can tell you right now—no matter what range this was done from, up close or from afar, a 9mm would not cause half of someone’s head to cave in, nor for the brain matter to leak out. The bullet would either go through cleanly (in which brain matter and blood would spray out), or the bullet would shatter, leaving debris within the victim’s head.
All in all, I think the author has great potential and clearly a great deal of passion, but perhaps should have taken just a little more time and effort into polishing her work before publication.
Pros:
-The premise is interesting. The storytelling itself is compelling, and despite the list of cons below, I did find it engaging enough to finish the novel in two days.
-Some of the descriptive parts read very well. They were kind of sporadic and spread out, but I did find a number that were nicely done.
-The friendship aspect between Nickolai and Jake is pretty endearing.
-A little more than halfway through, it felt like Nickolai was beginning to show character growth; while a bit late in coming, it was nice to find myself becoming invested in him. And likewise, while I found his constant self-pity off-putting at times, I also found it authentic—partly because there are people in the world who often feel sorry for themselves, be it through suffering directly or indirectly inflicted on them, and partly because it translated well (without romanticizing) the obvious mental health issues he suffers as a result of growing up in the Compound.
-Nickolai’s struggles regarding his parentage, and how things progress from being in the Compound, to later in the story—regarding both the positive and negative ramifications.
-That cliff-hanger of an ending. It was also very action-packed, and I felt my heart racing periodically throughout the story.
Cons:
-A great deal of problems regarding technical writing skills: sentence structure, tense confusion, repetition, spelling errors, and diction in general.
-Words being used incorrectly. There was a fair number of instances like this, so I won’t bother writing them here.
-Too much telling/info-dumping. Instead of allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions about a character (their personality, feelings, reasons for a specific gesture, expression, or action) we’re constantly being told what to think of them, and why they’re doing/saying/emoting.
-For the first two-thirds of the book, Nickolai felt like a Gary Stu; that is to say, the male equivalent of a Mary Sue. All of the other characters seemed to be created in order to either generate sympathy for him, or to make him look better. Oftentimes both. We’re constantly being told Nickolai is “special”, “smarter than the others”, “more mature”…you get the idea. Whatever a character’s attributes, be it nice, a badass, or anything else, a writer shouldn’t have to outright tell us what they are. The reader should be able to reach their own conclusions based on the character’s actions. Moreover, the MC needn’t be perfect or better than all the other characters. Flaws are necessary and make a character more relatable. Likewise, not all characters need to be likable in order to be well-written—they just need depth.
-The various antagonists’ motivations feel very trite and disingenuous. Whether an antagonist is simply the opposing force to the protagonist, or intended to be a full-fledged villain, they are meant to have layers, motivations that go beyond the shallow desire to cause harm.
-Plot-wise, certain things didn’t make much sense. **Spoilers here; don’t read if you haven’t read the book and intend to.** For example, the fact that the elves were thought to have been wiped out by the humans: it’s glossed over, and what information is given makes little sense, as an entire race wouldn’t be able to wipe out another without impunity. To simplify—there would have been other humans against the elves being wiped out, who would have defended them. Likewise, I have a hard time imagining an entire race would just allow themselves to be offed by humans. Even if these elves aren’t superior in skill, strength, etc. to humans as so often seen, the threat of extinction should have triggered their survival instincts.
-Lack of research regarding certain things: When Nickolai shot someone with a 9mm gun, said person’s head caved in, and brain matter leaked out. I can tell you right now—no matter what range this was done from, up close or from afar, a 9mm would not cause half of someone’s head to cave in, nor for the brain matter to leak out. The bullet would either go through cleanly (in which brain matter and blood would spray out), or the bullet would shatter, leaving debris within the victim’s head.
All in all, I think the author has great potential and clearly a great deal of passion, but perhaps should have taken just a little more time and effort into polishing her work before publication.
May 19, 2018
Though I will say the only reason I chose to give this a chance, was I the synopsis intrigued me. THAT being said I am sorely disappointed in my choice. I will not give spoilers for those that have yet to "DNF" this like I did.
The story lacks 90% of what it takes to be a good read eg. to paint the picture for you the reading party to see in your mind, what they do is tell you in abundance what these bland lifeless characters think and feel. theres no back story to the mass genocide as performed by our entire monstrous human society.... you know just because everyone would go with it.
It lacks Physics, world and character building, and a total lack or research and editing.
This crumpled up newspaper of a story, with it's stop and go halting sentence structure physically hurt my head.
The story lacks 90% of what it takes to be a good read eg. to paint the picture for you the reading party to see in your mind, what they do is tell you in abundance what these bland lifeless characters think and feel. theres no back story to the mass genocide as performed by our entire monstrous human society.... you know just because everyone would go with it.
It lacks Physics, world and character building, and a total lack or research and editing.
This crumpled up newspaper of a story, with it's stop and go halting sentence structure physically hurt my head.
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