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book reviews |
Evercharm book 3Multi-volume, fantasy author S. D. Reeves introduces us to the third book in the Evercharm series, “A Song in the Dark”: Everyone seeks her song. But who among them is prepared to die for it... On a perilous mountain pass, Niena, the girl known as The Melody of Three, undertakes a treacherous journey with her fairy queen step-grandmother to escape all those who wish to control her. Niena's gift is also her curse. As the descendant of three races, she is the only one who can play the Evercharm, the lyre used to create the fairy, elf, and human worlds. For sorcerer Christaan De Rein and his trusted apprentice Higgins, he needs Niena for the protection of the Curators. But after one long week into their journey to capture her, it feels as if they are chasing shadows. When those shadows transform into seething Udur, the Teamor's vicious hounds, Rein's traveling party are not the only ones in imminent danger. Niena is learning fast that reality is not all that it seems. And if creation is to be stopped from unraveling completely, she must decide exactly who she can trust... Superb high fantasy! I love this storyline and this book caps the trilogy in a beautiful and unexpected way. I am committed to no spoilers. <Gritting my teeth.> This story has some languid moments that permit you to revel in the beautiful writing. In other places, the plot will leave you gasping for breath. Throughout the writing is wonderful. The characters are quite solid if you have read the preceding volumes. If you start with this book you will still find that they develop fully as the story progresses. Please don't ask me to pick a favorite character, I can't. I love several of them for different reasons. I must warn that there are some pretty scary parts, so don't read late at night alone. I award 4.9 stars to this magnificent story. I know, I am hard to please and picky as all get out. You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Song-Dark-Evercharm-Book-3 https://www.goodreads.com/-a-song-in-the-dark https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-song-in-the-dark-sd-reeves and other fine retailers. You can connect with the author: https://twitter.com/SD_Reeves https://sdreeves.com/ https://www.facebook.com/SDReeves.Author https://www.goodreads.com/author/S_D_Reeves I have reviewed the first book in the series: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/curses-of-scale-by-s-d-reeves I have reviewed the second book in the series: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-melody-of-three-evercharm-trilogy-book-1-by-s-d-reeves tags: fantasy, fairy, fairies, magic, elf, elves, music, books, sculpture Copyright © 2024 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction
45 Comments
3/3/2024 04:54:29 pm
Hey Mark! Thank you so much for taking the time to look at my book :)
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Mark
3/3/2024 05:29:00 pm
Welcome back to the Word Refiner channel.
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3/4/2024 11:37:01 am
Thanks for the welcome, it has been awhile - I am a bit of a slow writer.
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Mark
3/4/2024 01:15:02 pm
Quite a few authors assemble an ARC (Advance Reading Copy) team similar to you. Having a website is a critical part of that operation for the process to run smoothly.
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3/4/2024 02:10:18 pm
Oh there are a few out there, this one however is strangely by invite only and don't advertise the service. I got involved with them back when I was with major publisher (who dropped me).
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Mark
3/4/2024 03:03:18 pm
That is unusual for a company, but their exclusivity must work for them.
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3/4/2024 03:10:31 pm
Some are like that, I've heard. Especially those from a few years ago
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Mark
3/4/2024 03:53:25 pm
The stuff that breaks the magic spell you are trying to weave is important to find. Many authors that use beta readers are far more concerned with what doesn't work rather than what does. Quite a few authors have told me they don't care about typos and spelling errors in the beginning drafts.
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3/4/2024 04:45:13 pm
Hmm, well i am always advertising the Arc team, as there is normally some turnover. It takes awhile to establish a relationship though. Luckily I have a couple of old regulars (other authors) that are part of the team (and over time, I have joined theirs) which helps.
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Mark
3/4/2024 08:21:05 pm
I think an autographed copy is a wonderful gift from a book writer to a book lover.
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3/5/2024 01:09:31 am
Sort of, I take part in the writers flock discord. But it is not a group technically.
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Mark
3/5/2024 08:40:56 am
There are many, so many different social media groups out there. It seems there is a new one every few days. I can barely keep up with Twitter. I know, it's supposed to be X. But as long as the search bar says Twitter, I am sticking to it. Color me curmudgeonly chrome.
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3/5/2024 11:12:38 am
I personally think so. There are usually a lot of people in those discord groups, and a lot of prompts, advice (taken with a grain of salt) and what not. Though, to be honest it can be hard to keep up with the flow.
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Mark
3/5/2024 11:51:35 am
Good to know. I can barely keep up with Twitter. I know I can't take another SM account on. Though there are times I wish I could.
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3/5/2024 05:02:19 pm
About when I was 5, and my sister convinced me to distract my mother so she could take some cookies...
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Mark
3/5/2024 05:16:45 pm
Cute story! I love it. As the oldest of my siblings, I was usually the instigator and mastermind of any mischief.
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3/6/2024 04:56:52 am
I would say patience. It's the middle book in the trilogy, and as such is harder to get reviews for, place in promotions, and all of that. Main thing is to get the timing of things right.
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Mark
3/6/2024 09:18:28 am
Patience is necessary in every aspect of being a writer.
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3/6/2024 11:22:03 am
Yeah, you can do the research, but there are never guarantees.
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Mark
3/6/2024 12:43:27 pm
Marketing and promotion are a never-ending process. With so many books in the market now and a million or more added each year, the need to market a book becomes ever more important. Not just the newest book also, all of your books should be promoted in turn. It's also unwise to rely solely on one platform or another. If your favored platform has a hiccup or goes down then you're stuck with your books becoming invisible for the moment.
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3/6/2024 01:13:02 pm
That is some good advice there, Mark. And you other authors out there should pay attention to it.
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Mark
3/6/2024 03:57:43 pm
Living in Switzerland is different than living in America in many ways. Nearly everyone speaks several languages including English.
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3/6/2024 04:10:15 pm
It definitely is different, certainly, and poses unique challenges.
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Mark
3/6/2024 05:34:01 pm
I visited Switzerland in 1974. I was backpacking around Western Europe studying architectural history. I learned that nearly everyone knew at least a smattering of English. I learned key phrases for the country I was in at that time.
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3/7/2024 06:37:07 am
It is something I often take for granted: I live in a country others travel to for vacation. After awhile I suppose it just becomes normal?
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Mark
3/7/2024 08:46:12 am
A new normal, when you live in a vacation destination. I live in central Florida, close to Disney World. People from many different countries come here also.
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3/7/2024 09:07:22 am
Ahh I used to live up around Huntsville, Alabama - where I was born. Mostly space enthusiasts.
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Mark
3/7/2024 12:31:01 pm
I believe what you say about Scrivener.
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3/8/2024 01:28:45 am
Oh I'm one of those that has to edit everything previously written each time, before moving on. But I have started a few side projects, mostly making a map, which I've never done before.
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Mark
3/8/2024 08:20:02 am
The trends thing is pretty hard unless you are deeply involved in what others are doing.
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3/8/2024 07:23:25 pm
It's important.of course not to chase trends, but always be aware. In his case he lamented the fact he had to do a lot more work to make the same amount of money, that book signings and such weren't as popular, etc.
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Mark
3/8/2024 07:49:58 pm
All true.
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3/9/2024 08:44:38 am
That you are, and you should be proud!
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Mark
3/9/2024 09:21:31 am
Your readers do appreciate your writing style.
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3/9/2024 06:19:09 pm
Comparing themselves to others, or focussing too much on the end goals. Both can kill a book in different ways before it gets even finished. We all have different journeys when it comes to this whole writing shindig.
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Mark
3/9/2024 08:06:43 pm
Both of those are biggies. Good choices. Every author has a different voice and method of writing.
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3/10/2024 12:04:36 pm
Honestly, it is hard thing not to do, compare oneself to others.
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Mark
3/10/2024 12:56:49 pm
Very true. We all do it. We all judge a book by its cover and we compare our blooper reel with someone's highlight reel. It's not fair and encouraged by the inner liar, a voice that we all have within that accuses us of all manner of perfidy. A voice that needs to be ignored 99% of the time.
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3/11/2024 06:56:06 am
That is honestly a question that has been a challenge, at least at first. Originally these were meant to be, for instance, regular fantasy books. However, they fell into the YA range based on the main character's age.
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Mark
3/11/2024 07:02:23 am
You've got three volumes in the series. Those sales have given you a pretty good idea of who is buying.
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3/11/2024 05:51:59 pm
Hmm. Well it depends, when I do blog tours and what not I usually ask the publisher to lower the price of the first book. Else, mostly it comes down to just running tests, finding out what works. Because whatever works for one person, won't work for the next.
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Mark
3/11/2024 06:09:06 pm
It certainly seems to be the case. Amazon, and probably other major book platforms, seem to be constantly changing the algorithms without telling anyone. That leaves authors, publishers and whoever else having to be constantly testing strategies that Might improve sales and ranking. As soon as someone finds a pattern and enjoys some success, they tell others and shortly after that things change again behind the scenes and the new strategy fails. The window of opportunity doesn't stay open for long.
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3/12/2024 01:04:39 pm
Amazon has a stranglehold on the market.
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Mark
3/12/2024 01:15:48 pm
Yes, Amazon is the 8,000-pound gorilla! We are merely fireflies in the background.
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3/13/2024 06:36:41 am
Likewise Mark, it has been fun. Until next time, keep on with ye old proofreading!
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Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
October 2024
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"I'm very pleased with all your efforts. Twitter promotion and proofreading were beyond what I expected with a book review. Your suggestions throughout the process of refining both books helped me immensely. I look forward to working with you again." A.E.H Veenman “Dial QR for Murder” and “Prepped for the Kill”
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