Sanctuary Reviews

The Arrows of A Spitfire by AngelMickaella

"The Arrows of a Spitfire" by AngelMickaella is about an alien race that changes humans into redheaded demons called "Spitfires."

The cover looks professionally done. The image of the character is clear and the addition of the arrows centers the image. The font is stylistic and bold.

The blurb introduces characters and conflict effectively, however, the characters mentioned in the blurb were not introduced in the first five chapters, so it was difficult to assess how well the blurb aligned with the conflict introduced later in the story.

The concept of aliens using invisible "spitfire" arrows to turn people into redheaded demons is interesting and unique. I liked the use of red admiral butterflies as an omen for the appearance of the demons, and to herald an impending possession. Butterflies are normally peaceful, beautiful creatures, so it was cool to see them used to instill a sense of dread and horror. I found it to be effective and surprisingly creepy. There were certain elements of the concept that I thought was unclear, and a bit difficult to follow. In the preface, I wasn't sure what the snake bite had to do with the initial spitfire infection, if it was the bite itself that did it, or if it was a matter of genetics. The setting was also unclear. Earth is referenced, but there aren't many elements that ground the story in Earth as we know it.

The dialogue and actions of the characters are used effectively to convey characterization, with each of the characters introduced in the first five chapters having a unique and individual voice throughout. I liked the inclusion of the spitfire transformation not only from the perspective of others anticipating or watching it but also from someone undergoing it. In Chlodia's POV we get a fantastic description; "she felt her blood simmering in her veins like boiling water in a kettle."

I did notice there was repetition, with "jabbed [their] chin at," "ruddy," and "curse" (in chapter four) appearing frequently. In certain areas, words were used inappropriately, or incorrectly, which detracted from the overall image and tension of the scene.

I liked how the worldbuilding was woven into the story naturally through dialogue between Lillian and Binna. This may come down to personal preference for me, but I'm not a huge fan of the premise being laid out immediately as it was in the preface, however, I understand how sometimes that's necessary for a science fiction or fantasy story. There was a fair amount of telling rather than showing within the preface itself. I liked that there were a lot of breadcrumbs dropped in the story and I thought the clues were placed effectively. I always love to see when a writer trusts the reader to pick up what they're putting down without spoon-feeding.

I thought the story handled the third person omniscient pov well. It can often be tricky to transition from the pov of one character to another within the same scene, but I thought the shifts were smooth. I think this is due in part to the previously mentioned individual character voices. For example, there is a clear contrast between Peter and Lillian's reaction to Zoe's transformation. Lillian goes into 'Mom mode' and wants to find a way to protect Zoe, while Peter's concern is primarily for his own safety and he disconnects from his children during their transformation. This was even shown within the narrative itself, where Zoe is referred to as 'The Beast' when she is transformed.

I did notice some inconsistencies throughout the story. Lillian mentions there are no surnames in Donan, yet she refers to a couple as Mr. and Mrs. Finnegan. I was also wondering why the two children, Zoe and Chlodia, are surprised by the colour of their hair when they seemed to be aware of the spitfire phenomenon in general.

The overall pacing and tone of the story was conveyed effectively. Tension was built up steadily, and the signs and symptoms of the spitfire arrows was revealed steadily, so that I was able to understand what was going on, but wanting to see more. I thought they were revealed at just the right time, and as I mentioned previously, some of the signs such as the red admiral butterfly is very creepy. 

- Mandie (TheQueenofGremlins)