"The Risk Book"
CLOSED
All feedback contained here is pure opinion; some of these opinions have changed over time as the reviewer has since received professional training, but this book remains posted for the authors to look back on. Use discretion...
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Title Although the title seems similar to many, we'll see how it applies to the story before condemning it. Last time, your title wasn't as important as it was made out to be. We'll see how this one does.
Cover I fairly like the image, I suppose, though I remember adoring your cover for "The Talisman." The title with the letters "WITA" being the most visible text isn't really what I would recommend whatsoever, if I'm to be honest. "Oath," a different story of yours with a similar cover layout if I remember correctly, only mostly worked because the letters spelled out the title. However, this title does not and is only an abbreviation of what it stands for. Furthermore, there is too much text throughout the entire thing, which detracts focus from the title and the image of the cover.
Why have the actual title smaller than the abbreviation? Why have the abbreviation at all?
Here's my final verdict: get away from the "aesthetic" of your cover and choose something that will excite readers rather than entice them with an "aesthetic." It's aesthetic, but the title and the concept of your story has a lot more potential for a much better cover that would serve you well—especially in a fantasy "retelling" genre.
Blurb It's flowery, very purple prose. It may be aesthetic, but it doesn't serve its purpose of informing me of what your story is and what I might expect to find inside.
Also, what's the point of having an extended summary inside if there's plenty of room outside?
Again, I think getting away from the aesthetics might help. Why not put the summary where it belongs?
*since your story comes in ten parts, I'll be doing the extra parts and then "Act 1" and each chapter separately, coming to five portions of review*
The Extra Parts They're exactly that: extra.
Once again, I think you should get away from too many of your aesthetics. Like I said with the cover, the overwhelming amount of stuff really detracts from the focus that you should want, which is focus on the actual writing. Six whole parts is too much for me. I'm already tired of scrolling and scrolling...
In all seriousness, you should consider moving all the aesthetics to the back of your story rather than having them at the front if you really must have them. That way, readers can get to what they actually came for and readers who actually know your characters and plot can appreciate the story aesthetics and characters much better. Of course, you can keep the important things at the front, particularly the note about swearing. But the briefer you can get at the beginning before the story begins, the better.
I would, however, highly recommend deleting the extended summary. There's already a blurb on the outside of the story. If readers wanted to read the blurb, they could easily do so outside. Although some argue that extended summaries contain new and vital information to the plot, I don't believe yours does that either way. Consider deleting it at the very least. It doesn't add much to my interest, though it adds a bit to my frustration. Why do people always want so many extra parts at the beginning of their stories? In my opinion, it makes me more uninterested than not.
