This book was astounding, and I am not in this case attempting to exaggerate, in that I can not recall a more poorly written novel which I have had the misfortune to read, than this example by Mark Newton. I found it so much so, that I was left wondering how it came to be professionally published.

The consistent sheer mismanagement of language, ranging from the clunky, senseless, cliched dialog to the poor to outright bizarre choice of words, falls just shy of coming off as a contrived style of its own. Instead, it is simply painful to read.

The characters are barely two dimensional, gross caricatures of what would be already in the hands of more skilled writer, all too familiar genre archetypes. None come alive nor engender much in the way of sympathy or interest in the reader, no doubt in part due to their thin development and often inconsistent behavior.

As for the plot, the less said the better. Thin and predictable are the first two words that come to mind, followed by many more of a less kind nature after suffering through the slow uncoiling of the turgid storyline from the first page to the bitter end.

I want to contact the author, or TOR at least, and plead that a contractual stipulation be made that Mr. Newton promises to cease and desist from any sequels that might be in the works. At least that is, until he can better master the tools of basic writing or even perhaps take some time to attend a few creative writing workshops on the subject (or even turn his hand to smaller short stories until his prose, character development, and plotting is more up to speed). I could go virtually sentence by sentence through this book, and point out the mistakes made in nearly every one. I know this is the work of a young author, but I think being too easy on this book's numerous faults does not do the writer (or the poor reader) any favours. Either this is a case of a potentially skilled author (and their publisher) being incredibly lazy, or else someone who truly needs to re-appraise what they think they know about quality writing.

All in all, this has to be one of the most disappointing offerings that I have read, even having come to it with only the most basic of expectations. I truly feel like I have been cheated, considering I paid for a hard copy edition, and more than this, in the value of the time spent reading it which I have so without recompense lost, and shall never regain.

Please, Mr. Newton, I sincerely hope that you might do better than this in the future.