What do you think?
Rate this book
Parallel Parks #1
Pile of Bones
In one world, they’re ordinary university students. In another world, they are a company of heroes in a place of magic and myth called Anfractus……
The Cree called the area Oscana, "pile of bones," a fertile hunting ground where game abounded. The white settlers changed that to Wascana. And centuries later, it became Wascana Park, a wooded retreat in the midst of the urban sprawl of Regina.
For a select few, who stay in the park until midnight, the land reverts into a magical kingdom, populated by heroes and monsters. They become warriors, bards, archers, gladiators. In the city called Anfractus, they live out a real-life role playing game.
All harmless fun—until they find themselves in the middle of an assassination plot which threatens to upset the balance of everything. Politics are changing, and old borders are about to disappear. The magic of Anfractus is bleeding into the real world—an incursion far more dangerous than the students suspect. Only they know what is happening—and only they can stop it...
The Cree called the area Oscana, "pile of bones," a fertile hunting ground where game abounded. The white settlers changed that to Wascana. And centuries later, it became Wascana Park, a wooded retreat in the midst of the urban sprawl of Regina.
For a select few, who stay in the park until midnight, the land reverts into a magical kingdom, populated by heroes and monsters. They become warriors, bards, archers, gladiators. In the city called Anfractus, they live out a real-life role playing game.
All harmless fun—until they find themselves in the middle of an assassination plot which threatens to upset the balance of everything. Politics are changing, and old borders are about to disappear. The magic of Anfractus is bleeding into the real world—an incursion far more dangerous than the students suspect. Only they know what is happening—and only they can stop it...
321 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 30, 2013
4 people are currently reading
734 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 31, 2014
Don't read this review. Seriously. You have been warned. I wrote it because I needed it off my chest pronto.
I started the book without refreshing myself with the description and immediately thought I had bought a fantasy book set in a purely fantasy world, which is fine, only not. There are literally no world building descriptions. None. At the 5% mark I started highlighting words I had never seen before or that were only vaguely familiar (and I assumed Latin/Roman) just to give myself something to do. No description is ever given, you’re just told “look a meretrix is here”. One hundred pages down the line I was pretty sure a meretrix was a prostitute, sort of, maybe, but I still wasn’t 100% sure and I was so distracted trying to juggle new words and guess/memorize their meanings that half the time I didn’t remember which character was what and whether I should even trust that character. The book is written in third person omniscient, so you get everyone’s thoughts but none of them feel the need to give you any explanation at all. I highlighted 45 words which are either completely made up (sagitarri are archers, because ya’know, we can’t call them archers and we can’t give a description, you have to figure it out yourself), or Latin/Roman and therefore not found in my kindle dictionary and only the fact that I know way more about ancient Rome than I should even made me realize I should actually google some of these words and confirm my guesses.
So, I finally settled in to putting up with words I didn’t know and suddenly wham, bam, no more weird Roman words. Fun fact: the first portion is all in the alternate world, with no mention of the world our characters come from. It’s as though it doesn’t exist at all. You learn much later in the book (or rather figure out for yourself) that the characters don’t remember the world they come from, hardly at all. So, imagine my shock when suddenly some girl name Shelby and some boy named Andrew were having a conversation. My note in my kindle at this point reads “wtf. who is this Shelby bitch. wtf.” Let’s point out too that the characters in our imaginary world beyond the park and our characters living in our world have separate names that are not at all alike so it takes another 100 pages to be 100% sure who everyone is, and I admittedly repeatedly forgot because my brain just refused to be that convoluted.
At this point I thought “oh good, these characters will think back on the other world and I’ll learn something.” Screw that – no such luck sucker! You see, you can’t talk about that alternate world, it’s against the rules. Who decides these rules, teaches these rules and enforces these rules? You stupid fool, did you think anyone was going to give you any background other than that which you stumble over? Silly, foolish mortal. You’re not good enough for that.
So, now there are two sets of rules, neither one of which seems to actually be enforced or followed. No “parking” which means no talking about the park in the normal world – except everyone does, just not in a way that’s useful to you. No staying in the alternate universe (AU) through the night, except they always seem to be there at night and wake up at home in the morning….
My favorite part? (<-- this is a deeply sarcastic comment) During the day everyone’s a TA earning a master’s in ridiculous literature or history tracks in which they will never get jobs, boo hoo (welcome to the real world, seriously you didn’t know that going in?). During the night they slip into the park, after grading papers all evening and they seem to spend all night in the AU. When the #$^%#%$@#% do these people sleep? No, seriously. When. The. #$^%$@#%. Do. These. People. Sleep. At one point a character references something they do in their spare time. What spare time? WTF. I just read about the day you were talking about. You were talking to a giant salamander. Are these hallucinations they have while standing awkwardly at parties? Nope, apparently not. Their physical bodies cross into this AU. I don’t get it either.
The beginning drags in part because it’s basically a language and a culture lesson with absolutely no rule book around to help you. I LMAO when I realized there was a pronunciation guide but nothing like a dictionary. Because what I really need is to know how to pronounce words I will never say out loud, and not to know what they actually mean. I checked 3 times in the first 5% of the book trying to figure out where book 1 is because I could not believe the authors just dumped you into this world with absolutely no explanations whatsoever. Spoiler alert – this is it. This is book one. This is all the author thinks you need to know. Have fun ferretting the rest out in some perverse treasure hunt.
Positives: One little thing I did like is that it’s not just our characters who cross into this world, others do too. Sometimes something comes across from the AU too (whatever a silenus is – sounds bad, no description, don’t get it, whatever). So, while our characters are special in that they are on a particularly grand quest they are not the only fluffy, brilliants who know this world. The Lares were fun too, because if I was going to be anything in this world I would want to be an Auditore and speak to Lares. Did that sentence make any sense to you? Don’t worry, the authors will never explain, you’ll have to divine what I meant by doing intense context reading. By the 30% mark you’ll understand most of the major terminology but right until the end I was finding new words I had no frame of reference for and cursing wildly.
By the end, I enjoyed it, when the action finally picked up, I was finally able to tell the characters apart (I think, except the author kept adding new ones, with new names and gah…) and I had at least a rough guess at most of the terminology. I would probably read the next book, as long as the price stayed roughly the same (I am not paying more than I already did to survive the first book) and as long as there are no other more pressing books (which would be difficult, as nearly all books look better at this point). If you make it to the end the author manages a cliff hanger of sorts which I would actually like to see get resolved. Or I’ll lick an electrical socket and hopefully the short term memory loss will erase this book from my thoughts.
I unfortunately can’t recommend, this book without knowing you’re reading scores from standardized tests, and your level of education. If you aced every reading context test ever and love reliving those days, and are looking at receiving at least a master’s degree this book may be entertaining, worth your time and relevant to your life style. If you are a purely soft core pleasure reader, who hates having to pull a dictionary out every 15 minutes or dragging your knowledge of ancient Roman terminology out from the depths of your cerebrum and have no desire to imagine what it feels like to have your life taken up by grading papers and undergrads who really don’t care about iambic pentameter this book is probably going to suck for you. I’m not saying there aren’t enjoyable parts for everyone but for a lot of it you have to use the equivalent of a mental jack hammer to get down to the diamonds.
I realize this is a giant, rambling, grammatically-incorrect and terrifyingly bitter diatribe but that’s how far reduced my brain is after reading this book. Really this book is a 2 star, but I’ve bumped it mentally to 2.5 because the end is semi fun and I honestly can’t stand that I read this long a book only to give it 2 stars.
My list of words I took the time to highlight. Please be aware, this isn't all of them, it's just the ones I was either especially annoyed by or repeatedly annoyed by. Yes, some of these words I did know but there use was so irritating/pointless it was like nails on a chalkboard
Words: carcer, sharbah, vici, meretrix, gens, fibula, basilissa, lares, aedile, lupanaria, clepsydra, Auditores, spadone, morpheme, lupo, caupona, lyceum, tabularia, nemo, fricatives, silenus/silenoi, popinae, cloaca, basia, Arx, scale loricae, acedrex, xamat, hortus, impluvium, triclinium, arquites, oecus, clerestory, chlamys, halberds, miles, stola, cinna, nemones, hypocaust, latrinculi, aegis, arras, Sagittarius
Also, a few choice notes from my kindle:
where am i. who are u. wtf.
i cant tell if shelby is a who or a what
wtf. i thought this meant eunach
i am continually left feeling like i missed something even page to page
now there are obscure cree words
"Then _________ felt him die" - am i to assume die means climax. you can say cock and not climax. wtf
I believe those sum up my journey as I staggered through this book.
I started the book without refreshing myself with the description and immediately thought I had bought a fantasy book set in a purely fantasy world, which is fine, only not. There are literally no world building descriptions. None. At the 5% mark I started highlighting words I had never seen before or that were only vaguely familiar (and I assumed Latin/Roman) just to give myself something to do. No description is ever given, you’re just told “look a meretrix is here”. One hundred pages down the line I was pretty sure a meretrix was a prostitute, sort of, maybe, but I still wasn’t 100% sure and I was so distracted trying to juggle new words and guess/memorize their meanings that half the time I didn’t remember which character was what and whether I should even trust that character. The book is written in third person omniscient, so you get everyone’s thoughts but none of them feel the need to give you any explanation at all. I highlighted 45 words which are either completely made up (sagitarri are archers, because ya’know, we can’t call them archers and we can’t give a description, you have to figure it out yourself), or Latin/Roman and therefore not found in my kindle dictionary and only the fact that I know way more about ancient Rome than I should even made me realize I should actually google some of these words and confirm my guesses.
So, I finally settled in to putting up with words I didn’t know and suddenly wham, bam, no more weird Roman words. Fun fact: the first portion is all in the alternate world, with no mention of the world our characters come from. It’s as though it doesn’t exist at all. You learn much later in the book (or rather figure out for yourself) that the characters don’t remember the world they come from, hardly at all. So, imagine my shock when suddenly some girl name Shelby and some boy named Andrew were having a conversation. My note in my kindle at this point reads “wtf. who is this Shelby bitch. wtf.” Let’s point out too that the characters in our imaginary world beyond the park and our characters living in our world have separate names that are not at all alike so it takes another 100 pages to be 100% sure who everyone is, and I admittedly repeatedly forgot because my brain just refused to be that convoluted.
At this point I thought “oh good, these characters will think back on the other world and I’ll learn something.” Screw that – no such luck sucker! You see, you can’t talk about that alternate world, it’s against the rules. Who decides these rules, teaches these rules and enforces these rules? You stupid fool, did you think anyone was going to give you any background other than that which you stumble over? Silly, foolish mortal. You’re not good enough for that.
So, now there are two sets of rules, neither one of which seems to actually be enforced or followed. No “parking” which means no talking about the park in the normal world – except everyone does, just not in a way that’s useful to you. No staying in the alternate universe (AU) through the night, except they always seem to be there at night and wake up at home in the morning….
My favorite part? (<-- this is a deeply sarcastic comment) During the day everyone’s a TA earning a master’s in ridiculous literature or history tracks in which they will never get jobs, boo hoo (welcome to the real world, seriously you didn’t know that going in?). During the night they slip into the park, after grading papers all evening and they seem to spend all night in the AU. When the #$^%#%$@#% do these people sleep? No, seriously. When. The. #$^%$@#%. Do. These. People. Sleep. At one point a character references something they do in their spare time. What spare time? WTF. I just read about the day you were talking about. You were talking to a giant salamander. Are these hallucinations they have while standing awkwardly at parties? Nope, apparently not. Their physical bodies cross into this AU. I don’t get it either.
The beginning drags in part because it’s basically a language and a culture lesson with absolutely no rule book around to help you. I LMAO when I realized there was a pronunciation guide but nothing like a dictionary. Because what I really need is to know how to pronounce words I will never say out loud, and not to know what they actually mean. I checked 3 times in the first 5% of the book trying to figure out where book 1 is because I could not believe the authors just dumped you into this world with absolutely no explanations whatsoever. Spoiler alert – this is it. This is book one. This is all the author thinks you need to know. Have fun ferretting the rest out in some perverse treasure hunt.
Positives: One little thing I did like is that it’s not just our characters who cross into this world, others do too. Sometimes something comes across from the AU too (whatever a silenus is – sounds bad, no description, don’t get it, whatever). So, while our characters are special in that they are on a particularly grand quest they are not the only fluffy, brilliants who know this world. The Lares were fun too, because if I was going to be anything in this world I would want to be an Auditore and speak to Lares. Did that sentence make any sense to you? Don’t worry, the authors will never explain, you’ll have to divine what I meant by doing intense context reading. By the 30% mark you’ll understand most of the major terminology but right until the end I was finding new words I had no frame of reference for and cursing wildly.
By the end, I enjoyed it, when the action finally picked up, I was finally able to tell the characters apart (I think, except the author kept adding new ones, with new names and gah…) and I had at least a rough guess at most of the terminology. I would probably read the next book, as long as the price stayed roughly the same (I am not paying more than I already did to survive the first book) and as long as there are no other more pressing books (which would be difficult, as nearly all books look better at this point). If you make it to the end the author manages a cliff hanger of sorts which I would actually like to see get resolved. Or I’ll lick an electrical socket and hopefully the short term memory loss will erase this book from my thoughts.
I unfortunately can’t recommend, this book without knowing you’re reading scores from standardized tests, and your level of education. If you aced every reading context test ever and love reliving those days, and are looking at receiving at least a master’s degree this book may be entertaining, worth your time and relevant to your life style. If you are a purely soft core pleasure reader, who hates having to pull a dictionary out every 15 minutes or dragging your knowledge of ancient Roman terminology out from the depths of your cerebrum and have no desire to imagine what it feels like to have your life taken up by grading papers and undergrads who really don’t care about iambic pentameter this book is probably going to suck for you. I’m not saying there aren’t enjoyable parts for everyone but for a lot of it you have to use the equivalent of a mental jack hammer to get down to the diamonds.
I realize this is a giant, rambling, grammatically-incorrect and terrifyingly bitter diatribe but that’s how far reduced my brain is after reading this book. Really this book is a 2 star, but I’ve bumped it mentally to 2.5 because the end is semi fun and I honestly can’t stand that I read this long a book only to give it 2 stars.
My list of words I took the time to highlight. Please be aware, this isn't all of them, it's just the ones I was either especially annoyed by or repeatedly annoyed by. Yes, some of these words I did know but there use was so irritating/pointless it was like nails on a chalkboard
Words: carcer, sharbah, vici, meretrix, gens, fibula, basilissa, lares, aedile, lupanaria, clepsydra, Auditores, spadone, morpheme, lupo, caupona, lyceum, tabularia, nemo, fricatives, silenus/silenoi, popinae, cloaca, basia, Arx, scale loricae, acedrex, xamat, hortus, impluvium, triclinium, arquites, oecus, clerestory, chlamys, halberds, miles, stola, cinna, nemones, hypocaust, latrinculi, aegis, arras, Sagittarius
Also, a few choice notes from my kindle:
where am i. who are u. wtf.
i cant tell if shelby is a who or a what
wtf. i thought this meant eunach
i am continually left feeling like i missed something even page to page
now there are obscure cree words
"Then _________ felt him die" - am i to assume die means climax. you can say cock and not climax. wtf
I believe those sum up my journey as I staggered through this book.
August 18, 2013
Readers who have never lived in Regina, Saskatchewan (the "Queen City," actually named for Queen Victoria, though Bailey Cunningham has a different explanation) probably won't recognize all the local colour in this fantasy novel. Those who recognize local landmarks will be startled and impressed by the "parallel parks" or parallel worlds in which four graduate students at "Plains University" live. The culture of the city of Anfractus (the alternate world that can be entered through Wascana Park at midnight) is well fleshed-out, and the political intrigue is convincing.
The novel is written in a third-person omniscient voice, but it is divided into four section, each focusing on one of the major characters. Andrew a.k.a. Roldan, the "auditor" (one who can hear and communicate with the elemental spirits of Anfractus)is a key player, and the one who first understands why the two worlds must be kept separate.
Anfractus seems like a combination of an online role-playing game, a version of ancient Rome, and a shared hallucination based on the preoccupations of graduate students (who must spend much of their time in the geeky world of their own faculties and their own minds).
This novel works as a metaphor as well as an adventure story. Best of all, it is billed as the first of a series, so readers can expect more.
As Bailey Cunningham explains, the actual Wascana Park has always been unreal in some sense. It was originally a dumping-grounds for buffalo bones, but was transformed into a large city park, dotted with trees that all had to be planted (some imported from outside Canada), and a lake that had to be dredged on the site of a sluggish creek. The park was actually someone's fantasy before it became part of a deliberate effort to remake a very unpromising natural setting into the capital city of a Canadian province.
The blending of fantasy and reality in this novel is fascinating for local readers, and enjoyable even for those who never visited the Canadian plains and probably never will.
The novel is written in a third-person omniscient voice, but it is divided into four section, each focusing on one of the major characters. Andrew a.k.a. Roldan, the "auditor" (one who can hear and communicate with the elemental spirits of Anfractus)is a key player, and the one who first understands why the two worlds must be kept separate.
Anfractus seems like a combination of an online role-playing game, a version of ancient Rome, and a shared hallucination based on the preoccupations of graduate students (who must spend much of their time in the geeky world of their own faculties and their own minds).
This novel works as a metaphor as well as an adventure story. Best of all, it is billed as the first of a series, so readers can expect more.
As Bailey Cunningham explains, the actual Wascana Park has always been unreal in some sense. It was originally a dumping-grounds for buffalo bones, but was transformed into a large city park, dotted with trees that all had to be planted (some imported from outside Canada), and a lake that had to be dredged on the site of a sluggish creek. The park was actually someone's fantasy before it became part of a deliberate effort to remake a very unpromising natural setting into the capital city of a Canadian province.
The blending of fantasy and reality in this novel is fascinating for local readers, and enjoyable even for those who never visited the Canadian plains and probably never will.
August 25, 2016
This book slowly grew on me. I found the first few chapters a bit overwhelming, and it was a fair bit to take in. However, by about the middle of the book I felt more connected to the story and what was happening. Also, by this point the main characters had found a quest to complete, and the action picked up considerably.
I really enjoyed the author's descriptive writing, and the care taken in making each setting realistic. As I am from Saskatchewan and spent some time in Regina, I was a bit surprised at how detailed it was. I had to wonder if someone who hadn't been in Regina, or wasn't familiar with it would react to all the detail. It was fun for me, but I thought it may get a bit tedious for someone who has never been there.
I found all the characters were well-developed, and that some were a lot more interesting than others. Even so, I liked their group dynamics both in Anfractus and back at home, and felt that despite some of their differences in personality that they made a strong team.
A couple things that I would have liked to know more about in this book were the rules of the game, and more about how the park worked. There were some bits and pieces from each character, but I never felt that I had a solid grasp on how things worked.
Overall, once I got into this book I found it very entertaining. I am looking forward to read more in this series.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. Thank you!
I really enjoyed the author's descriptive writing, and the care taken in making each setting realistic. As I am from Saskatchewan and spent some time in Regina, I was a bit surprised at how detailed it was. I had to wonder if someone who hadn't been in Regina, or wasn't familiar with it would react to all the detail. It was fun for me, but I thought it may get a bit tedious for someone who has never been there.
I found all the characters were well-developed, and that some were a lot more interesting than others. Even so, I liked their group dynamics both in Anfractus and back at home, and felt that despite some of their differences in personality that they made a strong team.
A couple things that I would have liked to know more about in this book were the rules of the game, and more about how the park worked. There were some bits and pieces from each character, but I never felt that I had a solid grasp on how things worked.
Overall, once I got into this book I found it very entertaining. I am looking forward to read more in this series.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. Thank you!
August 23, 2013
If you like Game of Thrones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or D&D, you will love this book. If you're a grad student, or have ever been a grad student, you will love this book. If you've ever secretly wished that you could cross into a magical world, you will love this book.
It took me about two chapters to figure out/remember the Latin that's used to flesh out the world of Anfractus but it's used in such a way that it soon becomes clear what the words are referring to.
The characters are clever and funny, and it surprised me in the end when I realized how attached to them I had become. I can't wait for the next book in the series!
It took me about two chapters to figure out/remember the Latin that's used to flesh out the world of Anfractus but it's used in such a way that it soon becomes clear what the words are referring to.
The characters are clever and funny, and it surprised me in the end when I realized how attached to them I had become. I can't wait for the next book in the series!
August 24, 2016
Sure, it's not the usual book I'm exposed to... But it was a recommendation and I am very glad I listened. It was very interesting to read, even though in the beginning it was somehow difficult with all the new words. But hey, you get used to them and it's super fun.
Also, I've read here that a lot of people complain about not having the whole story... For me it was a good thing, I liked to fill the gaps, imagine and see if I was right or wrong.
The worlds are incredible, and so are the characters. I'd recommend if you're not easily "scared" about books that take time.
Also, I've read here that a lot of people complain about not having the whole story... For me it was a good thing, I liked to fill the gaps, imagine and see if I was right or wrong.
The worlds are incredible, and so are the characters. I'd recommend if you're not easily "scared" about books that take time.
November 18, 2017
Published 2013. Cunningham is actually Jes Battis. Initially hard to read I finally got a sense of the rhythm and Latin used in the beginning. That plus the sparse explanations of how the world and then the park actually work has a learning curve necessary for the book.
I can't tell if the author is intentionally making it difficult or not. There are plenty of jokes and such throughout (ala Buffy/Josh Wheden) many of which I'm sure may be grad student "in" jokes.
Also the bisexual nature of the participants may throw some readers. It's a series (what isn't these days) but I'm unsure I will try books 2 and 3. There's a difference between being challenged by an author versus having to work hard to grok his work. I'm undecided here which it was.
I can't tell if the author is intentionally making it difficult or not. There are plenty of jokes and such throughout (ala Buffy/Josh Wheden) many of which I'm sure may be grad student "in" jokes.
Also the bisexual nature of the participants may throw some readers. It's a series (what isn't these days) but I'm unsure I will try books 2 and 3. There's a difference between being challenged by an author versus having to work hard to grok his work. I'm undecided here which it was.
October 6, 2020
The author drops you straight into a new world, much like a human who walked through a tear between alternate realities and was now another person in another world. Which is the plot, after all. A good bet for fans of RPG's, LARP groups, and grad students who wish a literal escape from it all existed. Edit* Now that I've finished the series, STOP AT BOOK ONE. Book 2 ends at a cliffhanger so you can't really read it without book 3 and I loathe the ending of book 3 so... I can't suggest this series, unless you can stop yourself at book one. Book one was fun (for those who table top RPG, you might remember playing a campaign where you get dumped into a world) and makes a decent stand alone read.
February 7, 2019
A mix of portal and urban fantasy: grad students by day, heroes in a fantasy world by night. Well-done setting, both the city of Regina and the Roman-inspired fantasy world of Anfractus felt real. I enjoyed the different feel of this--salamanders and undinae and the goddess Fortuna who can stop time. I also liked that the girls' fantasy alter-egos were fighter types. The twist at the end took me by surprise and I expect I'll be ordering book two soon.
Quibble: The first chapter was a little daunting with lots of Latin words dropped in. By the end of the story I understood them all, but I was a bit lost at first.
Quibble: The first chapter was a little daunting with lots of Latin words dropped in. By the end of the story I understood them all, but I was a bit lost at first.
Read
July 1, 2019Great premise, poor execution.
September 8, 2015
Every sci-fi/fantasy novel has a learning curve. This one? This one's got a corkscrew.
Oh, and I got this book in exchange for an honest review through the Goodreads FirstReads program. This in no way influenced this review, except to ensure it exists as I likely would never have read it otherwise.
By day they're a group of grad students, toiling away at never-ending stacks of grading (or "marking" as the Canadians apparently call it) and trying to figure out just what they were thinking when they decided to join academia. But by night...by night they are whisked away to another world entirely, living out very different lives as characters in the pseudo-Roman city of Anfractus. In our world, Andrew is a slightly introverted scholar of Old English epic poetry. In the other, he is Roldan, a majorly introverted would-be auditor, able to hear and speak to the lares that share Anfractus with its human visitors. In our world, Carl is an overly-confident historian studying Byzantine buttons. In the other, he is Babieca, an overly-confident would-be trovador skilled both at music and theft. In our world, Shelby is a slightly awkward scholar of Restoration literature that has been studied until there's nearly nothing new left to learn. In the other, she is Morgan, a no-nonsense sagittarius, one of the bow-wielding guardians of Anfractus and the de facto leader of the company. In our world, Ingrid is a single mother studying elementary education. In the other, she's Fel, a sword-wielding gladiator and one of the many keepers of the peace in Anfractus. It's all fun and games, until our protagonists find themselves embroiled in an assassination plot that threatens to upset the balance of power both in Anfractus and back in our world....
The idea behind this series is brilliant, and the world created therein is fascinating. The character you assume in the other world is very real, complete with a backstory and distantly-glimpsed memories of a time before you played them, and while there are often a number of striking similarities there can also be drastic differences as well. You might find yourself back in our world marveling at the behavior of your other self, wondering why in the world you said or did something on the other side. One of the more amusing scenes was the moment our characters returned from Anfractus, only to suddenly remember at the same moment that they'd hooked up on the other side. Anfractus may seem like fun and games, a live-action version of Dungeons & Dragons, but it can be deadly as well. Injuries sustained there will follow you home, as will the grudges of those you've crossed. If you're not careful, you can wind up very much dead in both worlds.
Like I said, the concept is fascinating. The execution...can be incredibly frustrating. Anfractus comes with its own extensive vocabulary that is never clearly defined, forcing you to figure things out by context clues. That technique is all well and good here and there, but when employed on this scale it can be just confusing. You even have to figure out that Andrew and Roldan are the same person (kind of) in different worlds and how that works. I actually set this aside for a few weeks after about a hundred pages (things with deadlines take priority) then started the book over from the beginning when I came back to it, and that did help a bit. I enjoyed the first part a lot more when I was able to figure out what was going on. A glossary would have been helpful. For all that, though, I have to admit that I did enjoy the book. The characters were engaging, as nerdy or more than I am myself, and despite what I expected most of the way through, I think I actually will end up trying to get my hands on the other books in the series....so long as I can get them from the library.
CONTENT: R-rated profanity. Strong violence. Awkwardly explicit (yet not graphic) sexual content, mostly of a homosexual nature.
Oh, and I got this book in exchange for an honest review through the Goodreads FirstReads program. This in no way influenced this review, except to ensure it exists as I likely would never have read it otherwise.
By day they're a group of grad students, toiling away at never-ending stacks of grading (or "marking" as the Canadians apparently call it) and trying to figure out just what they were thinking when they decided to join academia. But by night...by night they are whisked away to another world entirely, living out very different lives as characters in the pseudo-Roman city of Anfractus. In our world, Andrew is a slightly introverted scholar of Old English epic poetry. In the other, he is Roldan, a majorly introverted would-be auditor, able to hear and speak to the lares that share Anfractus with its human visitors. In our world, Carl is an overly-confident historian studying Byzantine buttons. In the other, he is Babieca, an overly-confident would-be trovador skilled both at music and theft. In our world, Shelby is a slightly awkward scholar of Restoration literature that has been studied until there's nearly nothing new left to learn. In the other, she is Morgan, a no-nonsense sagittarius, one of the bow-wielding guardians of Anfractus and the de facto leader of the company. In our world, Ingrid is a single mother studying elementary education. In the other, she's Fel, a sword-wielding gladiator and one of the many keepers of the peace in Anfractus. It's all fun and games, until our protagonists find themselves embroiled in an assassination plot that threatens to upset the balance of power both in Anfractus and back in our world....
The idea behind this series is brilliant, and the world created therein is fascinating. The character you assume in the other world is very real, complete with a backstory and distantly-glimpsed memories of a time before you played them, and while there are often a number of striking similarities there can also be drastic differences as well. You might find yourself back in our world marveling at the behavior of your other self, wondering why in the world you said or did something on the other side. One of the more amusing scenes was the moment our characters returned from Anfractus, only to suddenly remember at the same moment that they'd hooked up on the other side. Anfractus may seem like fun and games, a live-action version of Dungeons & Dragons, but it can be deadly as well. Injuries sustained there will follow you home, as will the grudges of those you've crossed. If you're not careful, you can wind up very much dead in both worlds.
Like I said, the concept is fascinating. The execution...can be incredibly frustrating. Anfractus comes with its own extensive vocabulary that is never clearly defined, forcing you to figure things out by context clues. That technique is all well and good here and there, but when employed on this scale it can be just confusing. You even have to figure out that Andrew and Roldan are the same person (kind of) in different worlds and how that works. I actually set this aside for a few weeks after about a hundred pages (things with deadlines take priority) then started the book over from the beginning when I came back to it, and that did help a bit. I enjoyed the first part a lot more when I was able to figure out what was going on. A glossary would have been helpful. For all that, though, I have to admit that I did enjoy the book. The characters were engaging, as nerdy or more than I am myself, and despite what I expected most of the way through, I think I actually will end up trying to get my hands on the other books in the series....so long as I can get them from the library.
CONTENT: R-rated profanity. Strong violence. Awkwardly explicit (yet not graphic) sexual content, mostly of a homosexual nature.
August 21, 2013
3.5 stars
Andrew, Shelby and Carl are TAs during the day, but at night they go to the park and cross into Anfractus. In Anfractus their names are Roldan, Morgan, and Babiecca. In Anfractus they’re asked to assist in discovering more about a silver bee. When Roldan discovers that there is more to it they’re pushed into a quest that may change the fate of Anfractus and our world.
Pile of Bones is the first novel in the Parallel Parks series. Readers are pushed right into the world of Anfractus and shoveled a tone of words and phrases that made me feel more than a little confused. The story follows Andrew (Roldan) and then switches to Shelby (Morgan), Carl (Babiecca) and later one more member of their party. This other world is like a second world fantasy setting, but with a little bit of clockwork mechanics mixed in.
Because readers are thrown into the fray with little to grab a hold of, I didn’t have high hopes for it starting out. The first couple chapters are slow, especially with the main character being the quiet Andrew. When the story switched to Shelby I found it moving faster as the plot in Anfractus heated up.
In the description of Pile of Bones, Anfractus is described as a kind of role-playing game. While the characters even state they see it that way, I didn’t take it away from the story. The characters themselves forget about our world when they enter Anfractus. When they’re in our world they remember time in Anfractus. One of the biggest issues, at least for me, was the unclear rules of how the two worlds function side by side. Some rules are given, but they slowly unfold along with the story. Bottom line, I was never sure how it worked. Because a part of the problem presented in the plot has Anfractus bleeding into our world, the hazy rules and loose descriptions didn’t always work for me.
The relationships between the characters keep the story moving forward. While I’d never call Pile of Bones a romance, there are romantic interests and side plots. Shelby is pursuing an internet hook up, or attempting to. Carl and Andrew aren’t doing much in our world, but in Anfractus Andrew seems to be the person everyone wants a piece of. There is a sexy scene, but the description is hazy to the point of confusion. Another character had to point out what had just happened. I’ve never seen ‘dying’ as a description for organism before. A part from that the characters, Shelby and Carl felt very real and fun to tag along with.
Pile of Bones has a good bit of action and adventure that despite my misgivings makes it fun. After I got past Andrew’s part the novel moved at a much faster pace. Shelby and Carl’s parts were by far the best in Pile of Bones. The ending, well it just ended. There is a battle and that’s it. I turned the page wondering where the last bit was, you know, where the characters discover… something. This was an adventure, a quest, and while some bits of the quest are done, I wanted a bit of an award for our company of heroes.
- Beth
Andrew, Shelby and Carl are TAs during the day, but at night they go to the park and cross into Anfractus. In Anfractus their names are Roldan, Morgan, and Babiecca. In Anfractus they’re asked to assist in discovering more about a silver bee. When Roldan discovers that there is more to it they’re pushed into a quest that may change the fate of Anfractus and our world.
Pile of Bones is the first novel in the Parallel Parks series. Readers are pushed right into the world of Anfractus and shoveled a tone of words and phrases that made me feel more than a little confused. The story follows Andrew (Roldan) and then switches to Shelby (Morgan), Carl (Babiecca) and later one more member of their party. This other world is like a second world fantasy setting, but with a little bit of clockwork mechanics mixed in.
Because readers are thrown into the fray with little to grab a hold of, I didn’t have high hopes for it starting out. The first couple chapters are slow, especially with the main character being the quiet Andrew. When the story switched to Shelby I found it moving faster as the plot in Anfractus heated up.
In the description of Pile of Bones, Anfractus is described as a kind of role-playing game. While the characters even state they see it that way, I didn’t take it away from the story. The characters themselves forget about our world when they enter Anfractus. When they’re in our world they remember time in Anfractus. One of the biggest issues, at least for me, was the unclear rules of how the two worlds function side by side. Some rules are given, but they slowly unfold along with the story. Bottom line, I was never sure how it worked. Because a part of the problem presented in the plot has Anfractus bleeding into our world, the hazy rules and loose descriptions didn’t always work for me.
The relationships between the characters keep the story moving forward. While I’d never call Pile of Bones a romance, there are romantic interests and side plots. Shelby is pursuing an internet hook up, or attempting to. Carl and Andrew aren’t doing much in our world, but in Anfractus Andrew seems to be the person everyone wants a piece of. There is a sexy scene, but the description is hazy to the point of confusion. Another character had to point out what had just happened. I’ve never seen ‘dying’ as a description for organism before. A part from that the characters, Shelby and Carl felt very real and fun to tag along with.
Pile of Bones has a good bit of action and adventure that despite my misgivings makes it fun. After I got past Andrew’s part the novel moved at a much faster pace. Shelby and Carl’s parts were by far the best in Pile of Bones. The ending, well it just ended. There is a battle and that’s it. I turned the page wondering where the last bit was, you know, where the characters discover… something. This was an adventure, a quest, and while some bits of the quest are done, I wanted a bit of an award for our company of heroes.
- Beth
August 22, 2014
First thing I have to say if you've picked up this book to read - don't be intimidated by the vocabulary in the first two chapters. Unless you know a lot about ancient Rome, you're going to run into a lot of unfamiliar words. But once you learn them, you're pretty much good to go for the rest of the book vocabulary-wise. And the story is worth the effort of a vocab lesson.
Taking place across two worlds, Pile of Bones focuses on a trio of heroes who accidentally become immersed in a plot they believe is meant to assassinate the queen of their city, Anfractus, as well as larger plot that may be meant to destroy both worlds as they know them.
The book starts off with the introduction of our heroes in the city of Anfractus, unlike many you may have seen in fantasy novels before. Unlike most stories which are based in Medieval British/European settings, here the civilization is based on that of the Ancient Rome, including details like the mythology, the language, and the gladiatorial arena.
The story is definitely fantasy, though, with magical creatures and magicians throughout. One of the characters is a bard, similar to those seen in other fantasy novels, while another is an 'auditor' -a type of magician that can hear and bargain with the various magical creatures (elementals) that surround them.
Overall I quite liked the story. I'm familiar with Regina, so I got a kick out of seeing the various places mentioned though I can understand how some mind find it a bit irritating. It was well-written, and the story drew you in. I found myself liking the characters, and was kept wondering what would happen next when they found themselves in trouble.
I would recommend this to fantasy fans, especially those from Regina or familiar with the area. It's a different take on the genre from those I've seen, and it's a nice change.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I received this book as a give-away from the author (through Goodreads First Reads) in exchange for an honest review.
Taking place across two worlds, Pile of Bones focuses on a trio of heroes who accidentally become immersed in a plot they believe is meant to assassinate the queen of their city, Anfractus, as well as larger plot that may be meant to destroy both worlds as they know them.
The book starts off with the introduction of our heroes in the city of Anfractus, unlike many you may have seen in fantasy novels before. Unlike most stories which are based in Medieval British/European settings, here the civilization is based on that of the Ancient Rome, including details like the mythology, the language, and the gladiatorial arena.
The story is definitely fantasy, though, with magical creatures and magicians throughout. One of the characters is a bard, similar to those seen in other fantasy novels, while another is an 'auditor' -a type of magician that can hear and bargain with the various magical creatures (elementals) that surround them.
Overall I quite liked the story. I'm familiar with Regina, so I got a kick out of seeing the various places mentioned though I can understand how some mind find it a bit irritating. It was well-written, and the story drew you in. I found myself liking the characters, and was kept wondering what would happen next when they found themselves in trouble.
I would recommend this to fantasy fans, especially those from Regina or familiar with the area. It's a different take on the genre from those I've seen, and it's a nice change.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I received this book as a give-away from the author (through Goodreads First Reads) in exchange for an honest review.
October 25, 2014
I read tons of fantastic / fantasy / urban fantasy / I don't even know the name / sci fi. And there is always a part of the book dedicated to introduce the reader to the "new" world.
For instance, in Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore, we were in another world. At the beginning of each book, the character reflects on :
1) the fact that they are different ;
2) how so and how they are perceived ;
3) the basic politics of their world.
I love those books.
But I did not love Pile of Bones. I kind of liked the end but that's as far as it goes. Why is that ?
First, Bailey Cunningham never takes a moment to introduce us to the new world. Some "rules" about both worlds are discussed throughout the book, but there are not developed them. I seriously don't know what they are. And how have they heard about those rules ? Did they made them up ? Because I know of the rules insides the group, but not between the worlds.
And, holy smokes, they can't remember anything on one side but they can on the other (although it is a blur) ? Talk about logic.
I have to concede that the original idea is a very good one. But I couldn't lose myself completely because I felt I missed a part of the story. How they discovered the park, why they like it so much, what rules keep them grounded.
The end is surprising and I kind of liked Part 3 and 4, when I finally understood the words "sagittarii, meterix, fortuna,..." and others. Unfortunately, I did not like the beginning at all.
For instance, in Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore, we were in another world. At the beginning of each book, the character reflects on :
1) the fact that they are different ;
2) how so and how they are perceived ;
3) the basic politics of their world.
I love those books.
But I did not love Pile of Bones. I kind of liked the end but that's as far as it goes. Why is that ?
First, Bailey Cunningham never takes a moment to introduce us to the new world. Some "rules" about both worlds are discussed throughout the book, but there are not developed them. I seriously don't know what they are. And how have they heard about those rules ? Did they made them up ? Because I know of the rules insides the group, but not between the worlds.
And, holy smokes, they can't remember anything on one side but they can on the other (although it is a blur) ? Talk about logic.
I have to concede that the original idea is a very good one. But I couldn't lose myself completely because I felt I missed a part of the story. How they discovered the park, why they like it so much, what rules keep them grounded.
The end is surprising and I kind of liked Part 3 and 4, when I finally understood the words "sagittarii, meterix, fortuna,..." and others. Unfortunately, I did not like the beginning at all.
March 1, 2015
I had already purchased and began this book before I came to goodreads (and Amazon) to see the reviews. I did notice that one of the main complaints regarding Pile of Bones is that there was a lot of difficulty understand the series-specific terminology. It was confusing and took a while to even understand what the author was referring to. Here's my feelings on that: the author did it exactly the way it should have been done. Like an episode of Naked and Afraid, each of the main characters found their way accidentally into this parallel world and when they did, they also arrived there naked and afraid. No clothes, no weapons and no knowledge of what was going on. So, like the characters themselves, the reader has to be immersed in the world and eventually the pieces come together. Eventually you can begin to see the alternate city come in focus around you. In the beginning of the book, the unfamiliar words, like matrices), are confusing and seem out of context. if you don't fight the story and become hung up on each word you don't get, you'll soon find yourself flying through the rest of the book with ease. In other words, roll with it.
That being said, the story was great. The plot is great although some of the "plotting" of the "bad guys" was kind of obvious. Characters were flawed and likable, not really a big romantic element, but just enough romance to keep you wondering in the back of your mind how some of these sub-stories will play out in the future. I'm really looking forward to future novels in this series. I wish I might have waited a little longer to start reading this book only because I would then have a lot more books in the series waiting to be read on my shelf. So, just a suggestion to Cunningham. Please don't slow down putting these books out!
That being said, the story was great. The plot is great although some of the "plotting" of the "bad guys" was kind of obvious. Characters were flawed and likable, not really a big romantic element, but just enough romance to keep you wondering in the back of your mind how some of these sub-stories will play out in the future. I'm really looking forward to future novels in this series. I wish I might have waited a little longer to start reading this book only because I would then have a lot more books in the series waiting to be read on my shelf. So, just a suggestion to Cunningham. Please don't slow down putting these books out!
August 21, 2015
A lot of other reviews have commented on the worldbuilding in the first few chapters of Pile of Bones. For me it was actually a great reading experience - sort of like the fast-paced start of a Joss Whedon movie. (Serenity comes to mind.) You don't have all of the answers right away, but that's okay. The necessary information usually appears pretty quickly. I much prefer this approach, as opposed to the high fantasy trope of the prologue that explains the history of the made-up world for the last two thousand years or so before any actual action takes place.
Pile of Bones consistently took me by surprise. The synopsis made it sound like it was going to be Narnia for not-quite-adults; a paint-by-numbers two-worlds thing. It was definitely a two-worlds novel - it even referenced Narnia at least once - but there was nothing formulaic about it. It smashed conventions and blurred genres. It made me laugh louder than I have in months. (That may be a response peculiar to people who have served time in universities?) It was also tender and sad and unexpectedly philosophical.
The characters were complex, funny, decent, messy human beings, almost all of whom I wanted to invite home for beers and barbecued bratwurst and argue with until the small hours of the morning.
Pile of Bones consistently took me by surprise. The synopsis made it sound like it was going to be Narnia for not-quite-adults; a paint-by-numbers two-worlds thing. It was definitely a two-worlds novel - it even referenced Narnia at least once - but there was nothing formulaic about it. It smashed conventions and blurred genres. It made me laugh louder than I have in months. (That may be a response peculiar to people who have served time in universities?) It was also tender and sad and unexpectedly philosophical.
The characters were complex, funny, decent, messy human beings, almost all of whom I wanted to invite home for beers and barbecued bratwurst and argue with until the small hours of the morning.
August 29, 2013
I'm going to start out by saying I hope to read the sequels, and I've ordered the author's other series, all 5 books. That said, it's hard to get into. It's like Stravaganza for adults, with way less explanation of the alternate world, which is more like a multiplayer real world role playing game. The main characters are Canadian graduate students who live in the city of Regina. By day they grade papers and teach classes while wondering what they will do to graduate, what they will do after they graduate, and why they exist--just like grad students everywhere. By night, they go to the city park and transfer to another world, where artificers (techies) soldiers (saggitarii and miles) musicians (trovadores) and (auditores) people who can hear/feel/see elementals, try to better their lives by risking greatness (throwing the dice to fate). By about halfway through, I had acclimated, and the story heated up. By the end I was appreciative of librarians and wishing the sequel was already out. If you don't mind working for your story and you are a proud geek or nerd, you will enjoy it too.
November 27, 2014
This was a really tough read, and I'm still not sure if I actually enjoyed it or if I am clinging to the hope that I'll love it because it's Canadian content. The CBC would be so proud of me.
Pros
Compelling, realistic characters
Good dialogue
Intrigue and mystery
Very interesting premise
Cons
World building issues
No explanation of magic system "The workings have been forgotten" is a lazy way of saying "I don't want to have to explain it to my readers" or "I don't know how it works, so my reader doesn't need to know"
Social caste system and titles have to be figured out along the way.
"Rules" are referenced, but never explained so that they can come out of nowhere and make us have the feels when they negatively impact the characters.
Also, the first full half of the book is incredibly confusing when they're dealing with the fantasy setting, specifically with caste titles. I studied linguistics and *I* had a tough time sorting out what they all meant.
So, my issues with this book really come down to lazy writing.
But I'm still going to read the next one because the ending didn't resolve the plot.
Pros
Compelling, realistic characters
Good dialogue
Intrigue and mystery
Very interesting premise
Cons
World building issues
No explanation of magic system "The workings have been forgotten" is a lazy way of saying "I don't want to have to explain it to my readers" or "I don't know how it works, so my reader doesn't need to know"
Social caste system and titles have to be figured out along the way.
"Rules" are referenced, but never explained so that they can come out of nowhere and make us have the feels when they negatively impact the characters.
Also, the first full half of the book is incredibly confusing when they're dealing with the fantasy setting, specifically with caste titles. I studied linguistics and *I* had a tough time sorting out what they all meant.
So, my issues with this book really come down to lazy writing.
But I'm still going to read the next one because the ending didn't resolve the plot.
November 28, 2013
I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book off First Reads. However, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
Don’t get me wrong, the idea was really awesome. Grad-student that live other lives at night in an alternate universe? I mean, everyone as some point has pretender to be their favourite superhero and I found that the characters were connected to their alternate selves. I really liked the idea and it seemed very original.
I do like how the story was written so that we get to see some part of the story in their perspective. It was cool to see the different problems that each character really struggled with. They were different so we got a little bit of variety and it also added a sense of reality to these characters.
However, I didn’t like how the story came together. It felt really slow and at times I found myself
confused and had to reread a couple of lines.
Overall, I liked the idea and thought that some parts of the book weren’t bad. But, this story just wasn’t my cup of tea.
Don’t get me wrong, the idea was really awesome. Grad-student that live other lives at night in an alternate universe? I mean, everyone as some point has pretender to be their favourite superhero and I found that the characters were connected to their alternate selves. I really liked the idea and it seemed very original.
I do like how the story was written so that we get to see some part of the story in their perspective. It was cool to see the different problems that each character really struggled with. They were different so we got a little bit of variety and it also added a sense of reality to these characters.
However, I didn’t like how the story came together. It felt really slow and at times I found myself
confused and had to reread a couple of lines.
Overall, I liked the idea and thought that some parts of the book weren’t bad. But, this story just wasn’t my cup of tea.
August 12, 2016
Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Alluring Angel - Kathy:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review
--Actual Rating 3.5 Skulls
Pile of Bones tells the tale of four ordinary college students who get together to play a role playing game in a park. But this isn’t just an ordinary game. These young adults are able to slip into a dangerous alternative world. A world that begins to slip into their normal world. Pile of Bones is the first book in The Parallel Parks series by Bailey Cunningham.
I must admit that I struggled with this book. While the concept of this book caught my interest, I often found myself confused. It felt like I was reading a book that was in the middle of a series. I wish that more background information was given. The terminology threw me for the first half of the book. But by part 3 (Pile of Bones is written in 4 parts) things started to fall into place. Overall I would recommend this book to diehard fantasy fans.
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review
--Actual Rating 3.5 Skulls
Pile of Bones tells the tale of four ordinary college students who get together to play a role playing game in a park. But this isn’t just an ordinary game. These young adults are able to slip into a dangerous alternative world. A world that begins to slip into their normal world. Pile of Bones is the first book in The Parallel Parks series by Bailey Cunningham.
I must admit that I struggled with this book. While the concept of this book caught my interest, I often found myself confused. It felt like I was reading a book that was in the middle of a series. I wish that more background information was given. The terminology threw me for the first half of the book. But by part 3 (Pile of Bones is written in 4 parts) things started to fall into place. Overall I would recommend this book to diehard fantasy fans.
January 11, 2014
While initially a bit hard to follow because the characters move between two worlds, using different names in each world, it is worth adjusting to the changes. It is a good story with interesting characters. I would have appreciated the inclusion of a glossary for the more unusual words that come from Latin or are used in unusual ways. I hope if there is a reprint that a glossary is included. I look forward to the 2nd book in the series that will appeal to fantasy fans.
October 7, 2013
‘Pile of Bones’ is the first in a new series called Parallel Parks. I tried very hard to get into this book, but I wasn’t able to get past more than the first few chapters. I was really intrigued by the synopsis, but unfortunately this was a “Did Not Finish” for me.
Parallel Parks series: Pile of Bones (1)
Parallel Parks series: Pile of Bones (1)
April 29, 2015
This novel felt like just too much work to read when I was looking for a relaxing read. There are so many terms to learn, it was like studying for school. I expected this somewhat because the author has created a new world, but wading through this novel's multitudinous volume was just too extreme for me.
January 1, 2015
Interesting concept. Dual persona who don't remember the other when moving from world to world. Was hard to read at first because of the dual names of each character and you don't know from which point of view the story is being told. It gets easier as the book progresses.
Left quite the cliffhanger at the end. It will be interesting to see how the characters recover/continue.
Left quite the cliffhanger at the end. It will be interesting to see how the characters recover/continue.
own-to-read
April 22, 2015Update 10.02.2014 Just received my copy in the post today. THANKS!!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm so gutted this never arrived. I entered the goodreads first reads competition because it sounded amazing. It just never turned up. :(
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm so gutted this never arrived. I entered the goodreads first reads competition because it sounded amazing. It just never turned up. :(
March 2, 2014
I didn't receive this book as a FR until after Christmas. So far I've started & stopped this book 6 or 7 times. It is painfully difficult to get into. After reading the reviews I've given it another shot...
November 18, 2013
I could not get into this book. See Lauren's review for a detailed explanation. The short version is nothing is explained, keeping track of the characters is work, too many made-up words with no way of knowing what they mean. I have better books waiting to be read.
August 5, 2014
It took me a little to get into, but once involved, it was a fun tale. I haven't read much in the urban fantasy genre, if that is what this qualifies as (fantasy tale set in modern times), so I don't really know what to compare it with.
January 24, 2015
The characters, plot, storyline were all good, but the constant use of Latin was too disruptive . An occasional word would have added interest to the story but excessive use detracted from the readers' enjoyment because of lack of understanding of the meanings.
August 2, 2013
Not quite what I was expecting from the blurb I saw describing it and I don't like the near complete lack of explanation of where and how and why the "park" does what it does.
December 29, 2015
good story, interesting characters but it needs a glossary to be understood properly. too many roman terms not adequately explained.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews