Reviews and recommendation

Lawless heaven | @AshlynLynx 🤌🏻

Hi everyone!

Sorry if this took a while, but as I said in my announcement, it was a stressful period.

Plus, when I came back and started reading the book I was supposed to review, I realized that while it might take a lot of time, it definitely was worth it.

It had been a while since I had read something worth entering the hall of Fame :)

Today we're reading Lawless Heaven, by @AshlynLynx

Lawless Heaven reimagines the haunting and unresolved story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Beginning in 1588, or the third year of their settlement, the European's ramshackle homestead is blighted by drought, sickness, and an ever-growing cemetery. Whispers of rancorous spirits in the surrounding forest keep the children up at night; the villagers believe themselves cursed and having ousted their original leader. They seek guidance from a man only known as the Orator.

POSITIVE NOTES

1. Cinematography.

Honestly, it's not really just the excellent descriptions.

There is a general sense of flow and vision in those descriptions, helping the reader visualize it as a proper movie in their head.

It's actually a rare sight in published books as well, so I'm super impressed.

For example, the Orator's entrance: first, assessing him as a tall man. You know what you're looking at, but you still haven't looked. Then, sound, we hear the hollow tumps of his boots on the wooden platform. A little detail of his beard.

Large shot, the crowd gathering below him.

Abruptly, we see his silver eyes: they're alive as they shift around the crowd. We realize that the previous image of the crowd was his POV, and we're suddenly inside his head.

In two short paragraphs, you created suspense regarding who this tall man is, definitely a man of power. The fact that we're able to hear the sound of his boots despite the crowd below him gives him an insane amount of respect. Whatever he is going to say, it's extremely important.

The beard, and the eyes, are crucial aspects of the way he looks. We can now identify him. And in a second, not only have we looked at him, we perceived his aura, and we're inside his head.

Gorgeous!

2. Villain

Villains will always hold the readers' hearts.

Sometimes, quite literally.

Hero allows us to identify with the person doing the right thing. The one who saves the day. But Villains are able not to care for others. Which, as bad as it sounds, is something most people deeply desire. They act of their own free will.

Sometimes they're strong enough that they can do whatever they please, without caring about repercussions. Sometimes they aren't really strong, just crazy.

Sometimes, they think that their reasons are worth the repercussions.

I think the Oracle is a mix of all of them.

Which is why it's so easy to hate him, love him, be slightly scared of him.

How I love a good villain!

3. Language

Forget the Wattpad's writer grammatical mistakes, forget the lazy present tense, the short, undescriptive sentences.

I have already nominated the way you can build powerful moments.

But I forgot to mention your incredible dominance of the English language.