Status Updates From The Chronicles of Beauty: S...

Since my last entry, Sherina, her friends, and the Dream-Changers were captured by the evil Barush, the Lizarian warlord. Her father arrived in a desperate attempt to save her…but failed. Now, the story has taken an unexpected turn. Sherina and Barush find themselves in a dynamic reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast. The end’s😳

I’m almost done with page 258 already and realising that most chapters don’t engage characters in dialogue. Yes, they talk here and there, but most of the narrative remains descriptive. Anyway, since my last entry, there’s war on their planet. Not aimed at the Azura kingdom but the Salamanders. The Lizarians, led by their evil ruler Barush, will not stop until they destroy the Salamanders entirely.

There are two parallel stories in the novel: one about Sherina, who is now a high priestess, and the other about her father, King Dranchku, and how he defeats the evil Vermont. The author mostly sticks to the king’s story, which can get a bit tiring, and it feels like she almost forgets about Sherina and her friends. The world-building scenes and prose fit the genre well.

Using the power of love and teamwork, the trio defeats a Shadow Hunter. I have the feeling that there are more of these creatures where it came from. I will rethink the name, though. The Shadow Hunter absorbs other forms of energy, so it does not make sense that such a creature would hunt shadows, as they are dark forces themselves. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m hooked! What I like about the author’s writing style is that it reminds me of L. Frank Baum’s. Chapter one has a magical feeling to it as the author takes their time describing the main magic characters and their purpose in the story. Also, the main characters’ illustrations are beautiful. 😍
I’ll add my notes to the comments.