Wednesday, March 28, 2007

After a 3-day late night gloom, I finally finished reading Suzanne Dent's debut novel, Never Ceese and as with any good book, it was sad to reach the end of it. Not being a fan of the genre, I initially digressed the idea of reading it. First, because the cover looked like my nemesis, warped in certain angles . Second, because it looked like a saga-type novel and I'm a short-span reader . Third, because it seemed a stereotypical story of vampires and werewolves up in arms. But I decided to peruse it anyway just to see if it actually offers anything new. I'm not sure what it was that sucked me in but I was immediately hooked! It was one of those rare fantasy books that explores faith and gets at deeper truths in life without trying too much and still leaves you breathless and wanting for more. Now, I could hardly wait for the second installment of this series (Is it done yet Sue?). How fun is it to find a new author to love?

BLURB

A determined werewolf, acting on her long-held wish to free herself of her curse, teams up with a skeptical vampire who can no longer admit that having his curse removed is something he wants.

Will Cassie Felts be able to help them as her grandmother implored her to do or will they suffer at the hands of a radical and evil stem cell researcher who want the fame and immortality he believes their blood will give him?

MY REVIEW

Never Ceese breathes some new life into the classic urban fantasy werewolf/vampire genre, synthesizing paranormal and Christian fiction to create a YA-spiritual fantasy that does not only entertain and delight but also mystify the mind and stir the soul.

Sue Dent has brought Christian fantasy to a whole new level in her debut novel, Never Ceese. Humorous, but refreshingly defiant, the story is elaborately played out through flashbacks and narratives with excellent dialogue that almost feels like a movie on its own. With an intriguing and well-researched historical/scientific extrapolation, the story explores spiritual concepts without bogging the reader down in endless detail. One-dimensional folkloric beings are skillfully recreated into realistic three-dimensional characters that the reader cannot help but sympathize with. The plot line, on the other hand, twists and turns, with evil plans, double crosses and plenty of back stabbing between humans, vampires and werewolves.

From the character interactions, to the adventure and plot line, to the emotional roller coaster of Richard, Ceese, Penelope, and Cassie, Never Ceese is a sure winner! If you haven't read a horror vampire/werewolf story, this is a great book to start with and if you've read plenty in this genre, this would definitely make it to your keeper shelf.

NITPICKS

This first foray into Sue Dent's series is truly a work of literary art. My only significant disappointment with it is the cover. (or maybe it's just me) The image looked undersampled and the title's font style has no immediate appeal in a somewhat similar manner as items near the checkout that trigger impulse buying. Apart from that, it's a great book worth spending bucks on! Die-hard romantics might want to give this one a miss though; it’s really not a romance but vampire/werewolf junkies will love this one immensely!

RATING

I'm not really the type to shower stars like confetti but I'm giving this fast paced, exciting and enjoyable read my highest rating, 5 STARS!
Never Ceese has all the elements of an exciting great book