A tale of two reviews

Exactly the same book (but the audio and paperback versions, of ‘Creeping Fate,’ not that that matters very much.)

I got my first one star review not long ago, which was at least detailed, followed by Sherry Fundin’s review. I’ll share them both, shall I? Because it’s all feedback, but feedback can be quite contradictory at times. Obviously, only pay attention to the good one =p

Also, the bad review contains a few spoilers.

Bad first:

⭐

Rating: 1 out of 5.

“Ummm, Say What?

This is just an odd story. It’s hard to say what the author is trying to go for, but whatever it is, he is missing the mark. Is this a Gothic romance? Does it have to do with some degree of insanity? Vampirism? The plot, so much as there is one, doesn’t follow traditional structures. Authors should definitely consider that before they stray too far from writing tradition. It’s the story of a young orphaned heiress who’s decided it’s time to wed but is very choosy and certainly doesn’t want a man more interested in her money than her. We are more told than shown that she typically sends her potential suitors packing with some sort of stinging rebuke that sets tongues wagging in society. The man she focuses on for much of the book seems very unlikely from what we’ve heard she’s already cast aside. He’s also decidedly cruel and cold—a word the author uses far too often … word choice!—at times, especially after she accepts his suit. I could see no reason why she would do so; the author in no way made it clear what the attraction was. Various colorful peripheral characters populate the story, including a flamboyant, silver-tongued rake she gets engaged to briefly—while still betrothed to the other guy (even though she is now beginning to doubt)—before he dies right in front of her. Oddness. The story also includes elements of frequent sleepwalking and of her getting cuts and bleeding though she doesn’t know why. But nothing was tied together or ultimately explained. The story and characters made little sense. I think the author is trying to go for an unreliable narrator but never quite pulls it off. It just came across as poor writing. The book has two different covers that I’ve seen, and neither goes with the book. One is of a painting of what looks like a fairly young girl, given her proportions, not the tall young woman as the heroine is described. The other one reminds me more of 1940s pulp fiction, except for the hat on the gentleman on the right, which is decidedly more Victorian. In that one, the heroine’s outfit and hairstyle is so unbelievable for the Victorian era. This author should study more about writing—and his stories’ era—before subjecting his audience to more like this.

I received a promo code for this audiobook, but that did not affect my review.”

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/172981051-creeping-fate

All I can really say about that review is that I’ll try and use cold a bit less. What I like about it is the detail, and that it’s like she/he taking me seriously as a writer, which feels kinda nice.

I do think they misunderstood Cecilia’s motivation, possibly was making a cup of tea during chapter 2 or something, and missed the lengthy but dry explanation about her finances and goals. I was in two minds about whether I needed to include as much of that as I did, but apparently yes.

It is an odd little story, that’s fair. But, to be fair to me, I’ve read a few gothic novels (Eg. the turn of the screw) and ended up with the feeling of ‘well, that was certainly a book.’ I don’t think that one explains all that much, actually, and being left to decide if yourself is valid, but frustrating, way to end a story.

I do explain it all later, in the Idle Hands series, but I have the sneaking suspicion that this person might not be interested in reading those after the ordeal she/he suffered at the hands of my Audiobook.

I actually chose a male pen name to see if that affected how readers would see my female characters/romances. I don’t know if that was a factor, but it is interesting that this reviewer called me ‘he’ a lot (in the booksprout version of the review), when ‘the author’ or even ‘they’ is more common.

Just a note though, I’m probably ‘coping.’

Now for my favorite reviewer, Sherry’s review is obviously the one we should read. And luckily, it restored my confidence a bit, especially when it came to calling it ‘gothic.’ I was just inspired by Victorian horror stories, which I especially enjoy reading. I adopted the word after other people described it that way, you see.

Sherry Fundin’s review:
https://www.fundinmental.com/victorian-gothic-romance/

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Michael B Chikondi has a distinct writing style that I find intriguing. It is not in your face, but subtle, eerie and creepy, such as in Creeping Fate. A Victorian gothic romance is an accurate description. It is 1847 London. Cecilia Everett’s family is gone and she is a wealthy woman. It is time to be wed, but there are no men in sight. I felt I knew where this was going pretty quickly, but Spencer Black and John Oliver kept the mystery alive. I wasn’t sure who was the good guy and who was the bad guy, but sometimes…well, I know what I want to say, but I feel that will give it away, so mum’s the word. You’ll have to read Creeping Fate by Michael B Chikondi to find out for yourself what becomes of Cecilia.

“:…choose a man who loves you more than you love him. Such a man won’t let you down.”