Book Review: INSIGHT Beholders book 1 by Terron James

What the book says for itself.

Rumors are surging through Appernysia that a Beholder has been born, the first wielder of True Sight in over a millennium.

Seventeen-year-old Lon Marcs discovers he has been blessed—or cursed—with this gift. He cannot control the power of True Sight and feels it killing him with each passing day. He realizes that the only people who might possess the knowledge to save his life are the sworn enemies of his king. To obtain their help, Lon would have to journey into exile, leaving behind his village, family, and beloved Kaylen.

Although this is the hardest decision Lon has ever made, it is only the first of many that will test his strength and challenge his interpretation of right and wrong.

What I have to say about it.

I had already read this book in its first printing and enjoyed it then. I think it has improved a lot since the first version. Some of the extra fluff and unnecessary stuff was removed or condensed. (And I loved the prologue in this version) 

Things I liked about this book. Lon Marcs actually goes and does something about his problem. The battle and fight scenes were very engaging and kept my attention throughout. I liked the characters and how they were developed for the most part. Some characters I even hated, but I believe I was supposed to and Terron did a great job on making me feel something for many of the characters. The world and the magic system were interesting and I liked how Lon had to work hard to figure out how to survive with this magic that was taking over his body.

Some things I didn’t like. Though most of the characters were well developed and I got a pretty good feel for them, I thought they were lacking in emotion and a solid reason for them to do what they did. I didn’t see it enough. I’m not used to reading 3^rd person stories where we get to see everything everyone else sees, I prefer the kind where I get really into a characters mind and emotions so I personally didn’t feel what I had hoped to from the characters.

I also thought there were many times when things were skipped over for one character while we went to a different location and a different character. I wanted to see more of Lon’s trials and experiences in the Rayder lands instead of the stuff about his twin sister Mellai and his girlfriend/fiancé Kaylen. I’m sure they are important later on in the series, but I sort of found their little side stories kind of annoying at times since I missed out on stuff from Lon’s point of view.  

The only real fault I can find with this story is that Lon’s experience spans something like 7 months in the story and I never really felt that his rise to power in the Rayder army was truly warranted. I didn’t see him really earn it since I think a lot of the time we went to the side characters stories and missed what he did to actually earn his place. I can believe his change of loyalty and the reason for him truly joining himself to the Rayders cause. I just don’t think it really would have happened that fast with the information I saw as a reader experiencing Lon’s actions. Other than that, it was a fun read. Not quick and easy by any means, but enjoyable still.

It will be released on June 1st and you can buy it on Amazon HERE or 

Get it on Barnes and Noble HERE

Book Review. INSIGHT, Beholders book 1

A Book review of

Well, here it is. The book review you've been waiting for.  I've posted a couple of times about this book, one was where it was the prize for my September Blog Hop.  Another was a post for you to have a chance to win a Nook by entering the contest on his blog.  So now I'm going to tell you my thoughts about this book.

First off, the cover...  I have to say when I first saw it, I hated it. I didn't like the expression on the guys face. It looked too unhappy, stressed, irritable, and downright miserable.  Then when I started reading the book and learned of the predicament the young man found himself in, I could totally understand the expression on his face.  Not that he feels that way all the time, but since he is forced to leave his family and his fiancee in order to keep them safe from the threat he becomes to them when his ability to wield the long lost True Sight comes out, the cover now works for me.

The story is about a young man whose family had to leave their home in a rush five years earlier without being able to say goodbye to family or friends for a reason Lon and his twin sister Mellai never knew. It turns out, Lon is a Beholder, or a person who can use the power of True Sight, (a power where he can see the elements and manipulate them)  The Rayders have been searching for a Beholder for centuries because they want to use his power to overthrow the King and the kingdom of Appernysia. The history behind the Rayders is interesting, but brutal. They are a very ruthless society, relying on exact obedience, and will kill without a second thought.

When Lon decides the only way he can learn about this newfound power of his, which is killing him every time it manifests, is to join the Rayders, we get to learn about the Rayders, and the terrible choices Lon will have to make. Should he stay with them and help them with their cause, or return to his fiancee and family?

I liked this book a lot, and enjoyed the world and magic Terron James created. I found myself really liking the characters and rooting for them. Terron did a nice job making me really know the characters enough that I actually felt sad for them, or angry with a particular choice, or happy if they got what they wanted. I did feel there were too many times the background information was just given to us in conversation between Lon and his dad Or Lon and another character. Sometimes those conversations dragged.  Also, there were places where I really wished I could have experienced with the character, instead of having it summarized with the characters conversations.

Terron's style of writing reminded me of the Wheel of Time series by the late Robert Jordan.  There were times when he broke away from one character to go to the others.  This is a series, though I don't know how many books are planned for it, but he ended the story in a good spot, and made me want more right away.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes High Fantasy, or a clean romance, or even just a few hours in a faraway world.

Go to his website to order the book.