Alternate Susan

Alternate Susan #1

by Kater Cheek

Susie Stillwater summoned a djinn and made a wish to go to an alternate reality where her siblings were still alive. Susie Stillwater switched places with her alternate counterpart and got her wish. Her story is over.

But Susan Stillwater’s story is just beginning. She’s stuck in a not-quite-right version of her home town, where her brother and sister are dead, the magical investigation bureau is asking her about the illegal summoning of a djinn, and a talking lizard claims he only wants to help. Susan has to find her missing mother, dodge sleazy-hot men who want favors, and try to find a way home again…
…all before the djinn collects payment for his wishes, which weren’t as free as Susie thought.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Fiction

275 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 19, 2013

About the author

Kater Cheek is the author of the urban fantasy Kit Melbourne series, the Alternate Susan series, and the chicken comic Coop de Grace. Her short work has appeared in The Steampunk User’s Manual, The Living Dead anthology, Weird Tales, Fantasy Magazine, and some other forums including foreign textbooks. Kater Cheek is a graduate of 2007 Clarion San Diego. www.catherinecheek.com. When not writing, she enjoys dangling in the air and making the sort of art that requires safety glasses and good ventilation.
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Reviews

[Aditi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alternate Susan by Kater Cheek is a fantasy YA book which involves magic, lots of magic, literally and an alter ego of a girl who is naive enough to understand the trouble she was getting into.

Many thanks to the author for giving me this opportunity to read and review her book.

Well Susan Stillwater is dragged into her alternate reality where her whole family is dead and without even realizing she is waist deep in a mud of dilemma. Her alter ego, Susie is an evil one, who did this to her and now Susan, is left with hundreds of mysteries to uncover and get back to the life she lost!

To be honest, I had no idea, that this book could be such a bore. The author failed to spark up any interest in her plot. It felt like I was going through the same thing again and again. Maybe the flow of narration and crafting of the plot went wrong. The characters were ok, but I couldn't be able to relate to them. What I liked is the synopsis, but once I started reading the book and once Susan went into her alternate reality, I felt, I couldn't connect to the whole situation.

Hope the other book in the series will be better than this!

[Kater Cheek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this book after I was several books into the Kit Melbourne series. When I first started the Kit Melbourne series, vampire urban fantasy novels were thin on the ground, as shocking as that might seem. By the time I started this one, urban fantasy had mushroomed into a healthy sub genre.

I love urban fantasy, but for this one, I wanted to do something different. This series has no vampires, no werewolves, no fallen angels, no demons or devils, and nothing that resembles an Irish fairy. It does have mages, non-human magic using people (gnosti), non-humanoid fey, a djinn, and a world in which magic has been folded into American society. It takes place in an alternate version of Tempe, Arizona, so I didn't have to do as much field research aside from trying out new bars on Mill Avenue.

ALTERNATE SUSAN tells the story about what happens when one Susan uses magic to escape her life, and leaves the other Susan to clean up the mess. It has a mystery, and danger, and adventure, and a little romance, but it's also a story about family dynamics. What happens when you're the only responsible person in your family? How do people fail to grow when they have magic to solve all their problems? How cruel can people be, when the only victim is themselves?

I've written two other books in this world featuring Susan Stillwater, MULBERRY WANDS, and THE HEAT STEALER. They should be out next year and the year after. Don't wait for the next ones to read this one. This isn't one of those "first of a trilogy" cliffhanger books. ALTERNATE SUSAN's plot begins and ends in one novel.

You'll be able to read the first few chapters for free as a sample on my blog, www.katercheek.com

[Lindsay]

I hate to say it, but I'm going to DNF this book for now. The cover is wonderful, the writing style is enchanting. However, it is in serious need of a round of edits. There are facts being repeated, there's a lot of info dumping (to teach the reader all they need to know about complex magic), and I was kind of turned off by the repeated comments on how fat or flabby Susan's new body is, compared to her old one. It needs to be tightened up a bit, but otherwise is a really great concept.

[Jim Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Stillwater has been royally screwed by her counterpart in an alternate reality. In Susie's reality magic is real and Susie is a mage. Also in Susie's reality her brother and sister are dead. Also in her reality a powerful djinn is trying to drag her into his alternate reality, for purposes not specified, but nefarious, and probably deadly.
So, Susie, who is not nearly as ethical a person as Susan switches realities without asking. Susan gets home from work and quickly discovers that though she has the same roommate her hometown, Tempe, Ariz has been renamed Hayden's Ferry and evil is afoot. Not only that, but Susan was a workout freak and Susie was not, so her butt is bigger.
Following Susan as she works her way through this without getting killed or killing anybody is a treat. Read it in two nights with huge enjoyment.
Wh

[Beth Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in a couple days, just couldn't put it down. It really got the feeling of living in Phoenix, and then mixed that with a very believable system of magic. Susan is a protagonist to root for, both to win her battles and to grow as a person. The villain was scary and the relationships between the characters felt very real. I'm looking forward to the next book.

[fred jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining and different story. Susan finds herself in a alternative reality where magic is real. Dumped right into the path of a seductive Djinn who wants her to make a wish she needs to save her friends and return home. I liked Susan/Suzie as a character, and the talking lizard who keeps coming to sticky ends. Well written with some excellent ideas this one is well worth a read. The ending is open ended and I look forward to reading more in the series. I received a complimentary copy from Storyorigin and am leaving a voluntary honest review.

[Silver Surfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the Kit Melbourne books I kind of knew this authors work. But honestly I wasn’t prepared for this one, it’s so right up my street. Feisty females, magic, snark etc.etc. Cannot wait to read the next one. Highly recommended.

[Cheryl Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy reading

Very easy to read, likeable characters, bitter sweet ending. You really feel for Susan/Susie but do wonder if she is helping people for them or to validate her own existence. Looking forward to reading the next book

[Govno Nichevo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this was an okay read. The premise was intriguing and reasonably well considered. The pace seemed to drag a little bit at times.

[Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Schu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really couldn't get into this story, and I enjoy a good fantasy.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the premise and that it was unpredictable. It did drag in places with too much detail but I just skimmed past those sections.

[Shirley Pollock · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok, but mostly boring. Did not finish