Every once in awhile, the internet truly surprises you with something special. I found this book from a link at /r/WritingPrompts , and wow was it great! I finished it in 3 days, and couldn’t put it down.
Not the first book I’ve read from /r/WritingPrompts, but as we know, some of my last experiences weren’t that great.
Nicholas Carey’s writing style was the perfect weave of dialogue, scenery, and bits of mythology thrown in. I loved the introduction of Greek/Roman mythology; I loved the protagonists and the characterization of the antagonists; I loved the description of a corrupted purgatory; and I loved the snippet chapters that read like news reports.
Oftentimes, short writing prompts leave character developments by the wayside, but Nicholas did a great job in this book. The tease with Derek’s character in the beginning was well executed, with the readers not knowing why he was covering his face until we learn about what happened on the boat.
The characterization of Death’s daughter as a sliver of himself, and the reason why he softened was very interesting. And her spunkiness was very endearing.
Tying Greek/Roman mythology in with Bacchus and Zeus and the Gods was also very interesting. If there’s a sequel, I’d like to explore those themes more – I love learning while I’m reading lol.
All in all, by far the best novella from /r/WritingPrompts that I have read yet. I think I actually paid the most possible on Amazon for it, but I don’t regret any of it. Money well spent.
Two More Pages! 