Everville: The First Pillar
Author: Roy Huff
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Date: February 5th, 2013
Book Description:
Owen Sage is the emblematic college freshman at Easton Falls University. With all the worries about his first year in college, he was not prepared for what would happen next. His way of life was flipped upside down when he mysteriously crossed into another dimension, into the beautiful land of Everville. His excitement was abruptly halted when he discovered that there was a darkness forged against both the natural world, which he knew well, and the new land which he discovered, Everville. He must devise a plan to save both worlds while joining forces with the race of Fron and The Keepers, whom both harbor hidden secrets he must learn in order to gain power over the evil that dwells in The Other In Between. With a race against time to save both worlds, his short time at Easton Falls did not quite prepare him for the evil, dark forces he must fight in order to conquer The Other In Between.
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MY REVIEW
Everville: The First Pillar is a quick and fun read. I'm not usually one for stories that tell more than they show, but, every so often, I come across such a story and find myself forgetting about technicalities (at least, when they don't intrude as much). Although I would have liked more substance in the creation of the world that is Everville, nonetheless, I thought the world building was well crafted with room for one's imagination to make it flourish and come alive. I'm still questioning the connection that keeps pulling Owen into Everville. There wasn't a solid, logical explanation for this, and I just couldn't stop thinking about the ties that bound Owen to this magical land. Perhaps it will be addressed in the other books, but I felt there needed to be more insight implemented in the first book.
The story didn't grab me right away as we are immediately thrust from Owen's world into Everville without much of a foundation, so I was a little disoriented at first. However, as the story went on, we got a better sense of the situation, and I felt more at ease to allow the story to take me on this wild adventure. Owen goes through quite the life change and suddenly has a huge responsibility thrust upon him that he's not certain he's ready for. There were moments that I felt lacked conflict or tension, particularly when it came to the action scenes. At times, I didn't see a range of varying emotional gradient, which may have been due to the quick pace and the occasional abrupt scene changes. The story moved so swiftly in some places that it restricted the time I needed to absorb what was happening.
The characters were a little underdeveloped for my liking. They needed a little more depth to them. Although I did sense the bond between Owen, Anika and Dante, I didn't know much about his two best friends, and I need to feel as though I know these characters to care about what happens to them. His two closest friends didn't stand out to me. I found my attention drifting more towards the other characters, particularly Zee.
Having said all that, I still found this to be quite an interesting story with so much potential. It was an enjoyable read. Personally, I would have liked more intricacy given the fact that we were presented with the concept of an alternate reality, a fascinating one at that. Fantasy lovers who are up for a quick and energetic read will enjoy this book. Looking forward to reading the sequel.
VERDICT:
The story didn't grab me right away as we are immediately thrust from Owen's world into Everville without much of a foundation, so I was a little disoriented at first. However, as the story went on, we got a better sense of the situation, and I felt more at ease to allow the story to take me on this wild adventure. Owen goes through quite the life change and suddenly has a huge responsibility thrust upon him that he's not certain he's ready for. There were moments that I felt lacked conflict or tension, particularly when it came to the action scenes. At times, I didn't see a range of varying emotional gradient, which may have been due to the quick pace and the occasional abrupt scene changes. The story moved so swiftly in some places that it restricted the time I needed to absorb what was happening.
The characters were a little underdeveloped for my liking. They needed a little more depth to them. Although I did sense the bond between Owen, Anika and Dante, I didn't know much about his two best friends, and I need to feel as though I know these characters to care about what happens to them. His two closest friends didn't stand out to me. I found my attention drifting more towards the other characters, particularly Zee.
Having said all that, I still found this to be quite an interesting story with so much potential. It was an enjoyable read. Personally, I would have liked more intricacy given the fact that we were presented with the concept of an alternate reality, a fascinating one at that. Fantasy lovers who are up for a quick and energetic read will enjoy this book. Looking forward to reading the sequel.
VERDICT:
SILVER
Award: Silver
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Source: My own copy
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