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| Coexist by Julia Crane Published: June 2011 Buy: Amazon or E-book Format: E-book Source: Smashwords |
I grabbed this book off Smashwords thinking it sounded like a good idea, so I sad down and read it rather quickly. I wasn't blown away, but it was good and it kept my attention. The plot was a good idea, but I felt the execution was a little lacking as was the character development. There were also a couple of typos, but those could be over looked.
Coexist is the story of a young elf named Keegan. She is living, mostly, seamlessly in the human world biding her time until she turns 18 and can meet her chosen, her one true mate. Little does she know the war between the Light and the Dark is nipping at her heels, her chosen, Rourk, is secretly protecting her, and the war will change everything she ever thought to be true.
As short as that description is, I feel that it is an accurate summary of the events. This novel is less than two-hundred pages with not too much story to it. My initial reaction when finishing the book was excitement and annoyance, but with further thought and calming down from the action, I realized there wasn't much there. The main character, Keegan, was underdeveloped and I felt she was unlikable in her naivety and perfection. The secondary character, such a Keegan's friends, are picked up and dropped as they are needed. I dislike losing characters or character traits simply because it's no longer of use. I feel the story could use a lot more thought and planning.
That's not to say I didn't like the book. I did, while I was reading it. I really did like Thaddeus, Keegan's younger brother. He was interesting and a nice character. I feel he acted responsibly, but not unrealistically, given his age and role in the book and war. I also liked Richard, Keegan's father. And, of course, Keegan's chosen, Rourk. They were all much more developed and likable than Keegan herself. I would love to hear the story from Thaddeus's point of view.
Over all, I'm giving this book a three-star rating because it was decent enough to keep me interested and invested in the relationship between Keegan and Rourk, but I really was not impressed at all by the style or the character development. I probably will not choose to pick up the second book. In truth, I wouldn't have picked this one up were it not free. It's worth the read if you have the time or nothing else to read and you like fantasy novels, but do not expect anything extravagant or well thought out.
Have you read Coexist? What did you think? Think I'm being too critical?
Do you think the standard for free/self-published e-books is much lower than for printed books?