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Cornered Magic

(The Void #1)

Charissa Dufour (Goodreads Author)

3.83 · Rating details · 222 ratings · 59 reviews

Sam, a half-fae Void, is ostracized by her own people, much less the humans who control her home—the Illinois Mystical Reservation. Packed into the Reservation with vampires, werewolves, faes, and mages alike, Sam does her best to travel below the radar, but when her only friend asks for her help she can’t say no. Her work to solve a fae’s murder brings her to the forefron ...more

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Kindle Edition, 107 pages

Published November 1st 2015 by Amazon Digital Services

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· 222 ratings · 59 reviews

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Nov 06, 2016 Runningrabbit rated it liked it

Shelves: arse-kicking-action, fae-sidhe, rolled-my-eyes, magic, a-stray-lock-of-hair-behind-ear, i-bit-my-lip, fantasy, mystery, vampires, werewolves

I really enjoyed this and consider that I probably enjoyed book 2 more. The strength of the main character is both credible and finely crafted together with great world building and a good plot.

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May 30, 2017 Jennifer G rated it liked it

Cornered Magic is a novella set in a world where paranormals are known and must live trapped in a reservation. The conditions of the res are horrible; crowded and poverty-stricken. There is no privacy and little food. Within this terrible place, Samantha lives a shunned life. She is a Void. Born with no magic of her own she can only steal from others. She tries to control this, and mostly does with considerable difficulty, but she is still hated by most, including her own father. Sam has a boyfr ...more

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May 22, 2017 E.M. Swift-Hook rated it really liked it

Life on a supernatural reservation.

‘While she might forget someone’s face or name, she never forgot their power-flavor.’

Samantha Gollet is a fae who has to live on a reservation with other supernaturals, such as mages, werewolves and vampires. She has a lot of problems, some that any regular teen could relate to like issues with her parents and a rather over-protective boyfriend. But some that come from her supernatural heritage. As a Void - one who steals energy and ability from others - she is Life on a supernatural reservation.

‘While she might forget someone’s face or name, she never forgot their power-flavor.’

Samantha Gollet is a fae who has to live on a reservation with other supernaturals, such as mages, werewolves and vampires. She has a lot of problems, some that any regular teen could relate to like issues with her parents and a rather over-protective boyfriend. But some that come from her supernatural heritage. As a Void - one who steals energy and ability from others - she is shunned even within her own community. Fortunately, she has two good friends, her best friend Amber, who is an empath and Carl who is into computers, which is illegal on the reservation. She has two jobs, one as tour guide to the reservation and the other hand cleaning environmentally friendly diapers. Then one of Amber’s vampire friends, Becky, goes missing and Sam finds her life starts more and more to resemble the contents of those diapers.

‘Though she couldn’t put it into words, she wanted a man, and Chad was still a youth in so many ways.’

This is a really good YA supernatural beings novella with a heroine you can relate to right away and all the usual things you would expect to be in such a story - but given a fresh lift. The writing is usually good and the characters are engaging and realistic enough personalities to keep a reader connecting with them and caring about what happens to them - a lot.

The strengths of this book are in the storyline itself, which unfolds irresistibly drawing the reader in, with strange and intriguing revelations. It proceeds at a cracking pace that carried me in page-turning interest from start to finish. There are hints at more going on than we see, no doubt ready to be explained and exploited into more developed aspects of Sam’s story in future books. I was completely swept along by it.

‘Sam flung a leg out, carefully finding a footing before dragging her other leg out, her hands firmly gripping the windowsill.’

There were two issues for me with the book. First, and most serious was Sam’s utter lack of reaction when she kills for the first time. She is supposed to be a decent person and a decent person would be shocked and probably horrified at killing another, no matter the circumstance. Sam goes through being responsible for two deaths close together and does not even bat an eyelash about it. which made me lose a lot of sympathy with her as a character. Up to that point, the book was close to five stars for me.

Secondly, a more minor irritation, was being thrown out of deep reading immersion by the occasional really oddly phrased sentence, of which there were one or two, and by each and every occurrence of ‘Sam rolled her eyes’ or a near variant. There were ten of those and ten chapters, so it was a frequent experience. Together, these issues knocked a lot of the shine off the book - without them it would be very much better, in my opinion.

But those points aside this is YA supernatural shenanigans close to its best and even though that is not my genre I really enjoyed the story a lot and would not hesitate to recommend it to any whose choice of reading it is - or as a good introduction to the genre for someone wondering what it is all about. ...more

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Nov 29, 2018 Pam Nelson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: _finished-2018, audiobook, paranormal

Audiobook’s that are short usually don’t appeal to me because I think oh the story will be rushed but no I didn’t feel like that with Cornered Magic at all.

We really got a feel for who Sam is and what she is about. We learn of her gift and how she almost fears it, what she has to live with. It isn’t easy to be what she is but she is doing the best that she can.
We get a little mystery going on and it sucks you into the story, I want more. It wasn’t enough but I never felt like the story was lac ...more

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Mar 07, 2019 Cheryl Whitty rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-edition, emotional, best, interesting, paranormal, murder, mystery, killing-with-magic, new-adult, the-first-in-a-new-series

Reviewed on behalf of http://bookaddict.live,
This book introduces a world where all supernatural groups are now living in reservations controlled by the human government.
Our story is about a young women Samantha who has been ostracized by her own people the fae. Sam is a Void which she has no magical ability, but can drain others magic.This is Sam an introduction to the world and her life which isn’t very pleasant.
A good start to a new series that set the scene off the world Sam and her few frie ...more

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Aug 16, 2017 Kelly Bedford rated it it was amazing

I enjoyed this novella. The descriptions of characters and scenes put you right in the middle of the action, and you really feel for the main character and what she's going through. The ending was abrupt and makes you want to immediately go buy the next in the series. I hope Sam harnesses her power and comes out on top for once. I'm very curious to know more about her world. ...more

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Feb 17, 2017 Julie Powell rated it it was amazing

An enjoyable start to the Void series, where Sam must deal with her unfortunate gift, which forces her to live a solitary life. She has few friends and a father who hates her, and in addition, is despised by the majority of the fae, who are kept strictly separate from humans.

Some intriguing characters and a plot that has you guessing...where will it all end? What will Sam do? It will be interesting to see how it develops.

Well-written and fast-paced.

Recommended.

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Dec 30, 2018 Geoff Habiger rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

What if there really were fae, vampires, werewolves, and wizards in the world? And what if these people were all placed in reservations to keep them away from regular humans? That's the basic setting for Cornered Magic, by Charissa Dufour. Sam is a half-fae who's family avoids her, her father detests her, and the rest of the fae and other supernatural denizens of the Reservation fear her. Why? Because Sam is a Void - a fae who's power is to steal the powers of other fae. Sam wporks hard to contr What if there really were fae, vampires, werewolves, and wizards in the world? And what if these people were all placed in reservations to keep them away from regular humans? That's the basic setting for Cornered Magic, by Charissa Dufour. Sam is a half-fae who's family avoids her, her father detests her, and the rest of the fae and other supernatural denizens of the Reservation fear her. Why? Because Sam is a Void - a fae who's power is to steal the powers of other fae. Sam wporks hard to control her power and to keep under the radar, to avoid everybody else as much as she can. But when the enforcer of the vampires seeks her out for a job, Sam wonders what is up. But as she searches for a missing friend and deals with an enigmatic wizard from outside the Reservation Sam is soon drawn into an intricate web of politics and power that will alter her life.

I really enjoyed this book. Charissa has created a unique and interesting world where the fae, supernatural, and magical people are real and know to the world, but are feared and so are placed in highly secure reservations. This is unique world-building, improving on the tired and stale take on the supernatural usually seen in many other urban fantasies. And Sam's magical ability is also a fresh take on magical powers and reminded me very much of the character of Sylar from the TV show Heroes. Sam fears her power because it has ostracized her from her people, and I found this to be a great trait for Sam. It shows that she is a good person at heart, afraid to use her power, because with such an ability Sam could easily be the most dangerous and feared fae in the Reservation. I enjoyed seeing Sam struggle to deal with the demands put upon her and how she must meet these demands while keeping true to herself.

I do have a couple of quibbles with the story. One is that the story is told as a first person POV with Sam being the main character. Charissa does a good job of writing in the first person, and my quibble is just that I would have liked to have known more about the other people in Sam's world, and to know their motivations, fears, and desires. That would have been easier to get across in third person. My second quibble is over the setting of the Reservation. While I love the concept and the idea of a modern reservation for magical people, and Charissa's description and world is unique and fresh, I am left wondering how it came about. How did people so powerful - vampires, werewolves, and wizards specifically - allow themselves to be caged up like animals? I'm sure Charissa knows why, however the reasons and causes are not made clear in the story. I would have liked to have known the why and how this came about.

Cornered Magic is a fun and entertaining story with a strong female lead. I recommend this book for anybody who enjoys urban fantasy, and the unique world that Charissa has created sets this series apart from other, more typical urban fantasies.

I listened the the audio book narrated by Janelle Tedesco. Janelle does a great job of bringing the characters to life and really makes Sam stand out. This is a quick listen, being less than 3 hours in length, and makes for a great diversion. ...more

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Mar 11, 2019 Lauren Jones rated it really liked it

If you were feared for something that you were born with, how would you react? If you walked down the street and those who saw you backed up or ran away…would that offend you? Attempting to live your life in a small community that despises you for what you are instead of who you are is lonely. Dufour has a beloved character who fights every day of her life to be somebody worth looking at twice. Even though this is a short story, readers will be pulled into a full action-packed dilemma of sorts w If you were feared for something that you were born with, how would you react? If you walked down the street and those who saw you backed up or ran away…would that offend you? Attempting to live your life in a small community that despises you for what you are instead of who you are is lonely. Dufour has a beloved character who fights every day of her life to be somebody worth looking at twice. Even though this is a short story, readers will be pulled into a full action-packed dilemma of sorts where being taken advantage of feels better at first than having no one.

Sam is a Void. That means that she is a half-fae and she is the only one of her kind within the community. Voids are somewhat of a nuisance for everyone, according to well…everyone! They are takers and drain the power out of other supernatural forces, leaving the victim either really weak or dead. Sam isn’t like that though. She knows what the people in her community say behind her back. She knows that everyone fears she will lose control and cause mass destruction. But they don’t care that she is trying…they don’t care that she is a person too. They only see what she can do to them and that is terrifying. When a friend goes missing, she gets entangled with the Vampires within the community, but doesn’t realize exactly what their rules entail. Before she knows it, they are blackmailing her into doing things that she doesn’t want to do. What mess did her friend get her into and how can she get out with her dignity and life intact?

Dufour has wonderful story-line, filled with creativity, originality and fascinating characters. The pace is very quick, but easy to follow. There are several decisions that the main character must make in the impossible situations that she is dealt, making the story spellbinding. The story appears to be written fairly well, although it is a bit short. This narrator seems to have a little trouble with some voice differentiation, but others were captivating. If you are a reader of paranormal or urban fantasy, this may be something to pick up the next time you are looking for a book to read. This is the first installment in the Void Series; therefore, the reader can dive right in without missing a thing.

An audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a four-star rating to Cornered Magic by Charissa Dufour. ...more

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Jan 29, 2019 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, audiobook, urban-fantasy, contemporary, 4review, action-adventure

I really like Samantha’s character. She’s fae, but not quite fae enough. On top of that, she’s a rare and usually shunned type of fae, a Void. Her special power allows her to steal energy from others (though she tries hard not to). With few friends and a parent who belittles her every day, Sam treasures her friendship with Amber. Sam also has a boyfriend, Chad, who she doesn’t really click with but so few people hang out with her, that she feels obligated to give Chad a chance.

Then in steps Roma I really like Samantha’s character. She’s fae, but not quite fae enough. On top of that, she’s a rare and usually shunned type of fae, a Void. Her special power allows her to steal energy from others (though she tries hard not to). With few friends and a parent who belittles her every day, Sam treasures her friendship with Amber. Sam also has a boyfriend, Chad, who she doesn’t really click with but so few people hang out with her, that she feels obligated to give Chad a chance.

Then in steps Roman, who makes her tingle in places she didn’t know could tingle. Roman works for some corporation that makes plastic housing (since iron is such a hazard to the fae). He’s got a secret and Sam immediately keys into it. Roman shows definite interest in Sam but she’s not used to such attentions. So there’s potential there for a meaningful romantic involvement in the next book.

Now all this is taking place on the Mystical Reservation in Illinois. Basically, all magical creatures in the US have been rounded up and forced onto reservations. I think this idea has the potential to be a significant part of the plot. However, I worry that there is some cultural insensitivity too. We’ll just have to see how that develops with the series.

There’s a variety of other characters, like Heywood the vampire and Carl who has a gift with technology (even though almost all tech is forbidden on the reservation). There’s mages and empaths (like Amber) too. The murder mystery was solved a little too quick and the initial build up was a little silly. Why wouldn’t Amber and Sam check their friend’s apartment first, before going to the unconcerned authorities? So that could have been a little more tightly written. On the whole, it’s an intriguing start to something that could be really good, or could be mediocre. 3.5/5 stars

I received a free copy of this book. My opinions on it are wholly my own.

The Narration: Janelle Tedesco gave an excellent performance. She had the perfect voice for Sam and distinct voices for each of the characters. Her male voices sounded masculine. I thought her voices for the bullying authorities were especially good. There were no technical issues with the recording of this audiobook. 5/5 stars. ...more

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Mar 05, 2019 Teresa rated it it was amazing

Cornered Magic is book 1 of The Void Series by Charissa Dufour. It s a short book but gives you in site on the key players of the series. It is what I would call a YA Vampire series. It is also a clean read, there is no sex, strong language and even the violence is understated. I did enjoy the story and will be waiting for book 2 to see where the series heads next. The ending does leave a bit of a cliffhanger which opens up multiple paths for this series.

Samantha Gollet is a half Fae Void. She ...more

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Dec 03, 2019 Lilly Charysma rated it really liked it

To be fully honest with you guys, this was so short, I didn’t even realize when it ended. It has so many complicated aspects and so many extraordinary beings, I didn’t even get to become familiar with them. I am not saying this as a negative comment, I just want more.

Sam is a Void – she steals other’s abilities. This doesn’t make her the popular kid in school, on the contrary. She deals with being isolated, she deals with family issues, teenage stuff, I feel her life is more full of trouble than ...more

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Dec 05, 2021 Jen R. rated it it was amazing

A Fun, Entertaining and Interesting Novella
Samantha Gollet is a teen in a world where paranormals (werewolves, vampires, wizards, magi, etc.) are so feared, they are forced into reservations that are run by the government. Samantha lives at the “Illinois Mystical Reservation” in rampant poverty even though she has two jobs. She is a “void” and this means she has no real powers of her own but gains it only by stealing it from others. Consequently, she is hated by nearly everyone, including her ow ...more

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Feb 22, 2020 Zimena rated it liked it

Shelves: ebook, english, 2020

This book came to me as a free download back when I bought my Kindle. Otherwise, I would probably never have been aware that it exists. The setting - a reservation where various kinds of supernatural beings live - feels both very original and inspired by real history, and at first this was what intrigued me and made me want to read the book.

The story is interesting and moves along swiftly, with little "transition time" between events. Also, everything that happens, happens for a reason or is som ...more

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Sep 15, 2018 Norman Turrell rated it it was amazing

A believably presented dystopian fantasy world

Charissa builds her world and her characters in a very believable and readable manner in this introductory novella.

Separated from humans, vampires, werewolves, mages and the fae live in a restricted reservation, severely limited in resources and accommodation. On top of this, our protagonist—Sam—has a gift which is shunned by her own people, leaving her isolated, with only a few companions. The intrigue begins when the vampires recruit her because of ...more

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Sep 23, 2018 T R rated it it was amazing

What starts out with Sam staying in her room because she is a Void and they were a nuisance to the fae community. Fae’s had certain powers and Voids, on the other hand, had nothing but the ability to drain another of their powers. But Sam had a tattoo, and along with a power of the crafter of it, she could control her powers. A gift to her, ostracized her from others. She is also ostracized by humans who are in control of her home—a mystical reservation. Right away I connect with Sam; I feel for ...more

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Apr 07, 2019 Michele rated it it was amazing

Sam is ostracized by her friends and family alike--you see she is different--very different from all the others in the reservation where she lives. Humans had put all Faes, werewolves, vampires etc in reservations that really were not the nicest places! Sam was the only Void--which meant essentially you could take the others magic from them. Not that she did--but she could. Until the day she found one of the few friends that she had murdered. She somehow got shanghied into helping the vampires.

T ...more

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Dec 06, 2018 Elizabeth Robbins rated it it was amazing

This is the first story I've read by this author, but it won't be the last. Cornered Magic is not your typical urban fantasy, where the strange beings live among us, either in secret, or in the open. Unfortunately, I think Dufour is correct in her portrayal of the human propensity to either cage or destroy anything they fear. If supernatural creatures did ever come out in the open, humans would probably put them in reservations, guarded and oppressed. I found the main character, Sam, likable and ...more

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Jan 28, 2019 Jocelyne rated it it was amazing

This was my first Charissa Dufour's book. Cornered Magic is the first book in The Void Series. This novella is a great introduction to this Series. The world building is well described, and intriguing. Sam is a great character, and the other characters are interesting. I can't wait for the next book in the Series. The narration is well done. Janelle Tedsco has a great voice, well paced, and easy to understand. All the characters are easy to distinguish. I received this free review copy audiobook ...more

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Mar 25, 2020 mia rated it liked it

Sam's misfortunate made me feel for her, she's in an impossible position, living under guard on a reservation, and a pariah, she already has a tough life. The decisions of her only two friends put her in the cross hairs of the criminal element, blackmailed to use her power on a mage or she and Carl pay for his choices, there are no good decisions! I liked Sam, but she doesn't ask enough questions, and I really didn't like her boyfriend! I think this could've been a longer book maybe, but I liked ...more

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Sep 01, 2017 Rick Yvanovich rated it really liked it

Shelves: relaxation, fiction, author-book-review

Was not sure if I'd like this book but once I started I found it hard to put down even if it's a genre I'd not usually read. Ok so I was on a plane so maybe that made me be more persistent at the start and then found it hard to put down.

It's an interesting read and I want to read the next book to see how the characters shape up.

Disclosure: I was offered a free copy of this book by the author in return for an honest review. ...more

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Jan 13, 2018 William Howe rated it liked it

Not a book

This is more the first part of a book, establishing characters and motivations but lacking real substance.

Clean prose (no major spelling or grammar errors) and well written dialogue.

Depressing, since it only establishes the main character’s situation.

It’s not bad, it’s just not good.

I will not be following this series. I prefer my novels to contain a full story. Even a novella should have more story than this did.

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Aug 07, 2018 C.A. King rated it really liked it

All supernatural individuals have been corralled into reservations in this paranormal novella. Sam, a local resident, has an unusual gifts - stealing power from others. Living a life in the straight and narrow isn't easy and becomes much more difficult when a vampire walks into her life.

This is one of those reads where you need to get the next book! I look forward to seeing how Sam's saga plays out! ...more

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Jan 03, 2019 Amanda Forry-Fino rated it liked it

Cornered Magic wad a GREAT read! Lot's of pl0t twish and trurns that wanting me read more. Sam grew up in a uphappy home being a haft-fae void that set out to help friend in need getting Sam way over her head. I thoght it was neat that mages alike was living together having conflick among each other.

This is my frist book that I've read by Charissa Dufour and I just love her amazing story telling. I can not wait to read what will happen next in The Void Series!!!~ ...more

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Jan 20, 2019 Amy rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, audio-complete

I found this story to be a great introduction to a new series that I will continue. The main character was engaging and well rounded. The details of the world were enough to give you knowledge but not bog down the story. The secondary characters had purpose and added to moving to plot forward. I cannot wait to see what is next for Sam.

(Audiobook-from Audible) I will add that I also enjoyed the narration of this book. The narrators voice and flow fit the character and the dialogue.

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Jan 21, 2019 Catrina rated it it was amazing

This short really sets the stage for what could be a phenomenal series. The characters and setting are well developed. I really like the setup. I’ll be anxiously awaiting the next book in The Void Series!

Both the author and narrator are new to me. They make a great team and I look forward to their next releases.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

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Jan 25, 2019 Mandy rated it it was amazing

I asked for this book for free but the review is of my own. Sam is half fairy and half human but the true problem of this in her community is being a void were one can take and even kill another magical creature by taking their powers. Sam tries avoiding using her gift until one day there seems to be no choice and than her life is changed forever. This story definitely leaves you with an open ending and a wild ride.

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Apr 06, 2019 Bluepits73 rated it it was amazing

I listened to the audiobook version of this book.

I love the aspect that Sam is a void, very refreshing choice. Very well written prequel that lets us see what this series is about and it does not disappoint. I absolutely can't wait for the next book in this series.

The narrator did a fantastic job bringing out Sam as a character. Excellent performance and I'm excited to hear more books by this narrator!

I received a review copy at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. ...more

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May 27, 2019 The Book Junkie Reads . . . rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-requested, indieauthor, blogtour, quickie-read, audio-i-own, audibles, sci-fi_fantasy

Just not enough to full get hold . . .

Overall 3 out of 5 stars
Performance 4 out of 5 stars
Story 3 out of 5 stars

Sam for me was something special. She was more than the assignment given to her. She was more than just a void. I am not sure if it was the shortness of the story, the details in the story, the narrator, or a combination. I wanted to have more of the story. It ended all too soon.

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Dec 28, 2020 Christy deSade rated it it was ok

Meh

There was nothing outstanding about this book and to be honest it was a DNF at 52% for me. The world building was lacklustre and there was no character development. There was no reason to emotionally invest in the characters and the interesting points of the plot were all in the blurb. Everything was very one dimensional. I certainly don't feel the need to read anything else by this author. ...more

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About Charissa Dufour

Charissa Dufour

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My journey to become a writer began in 8th grade, when I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and pulled from school to recover. During this time, I was left alone for hours on end and it was then that I discovered new friends within the pages of books. I also learned the blessing of creating my own friends by writing down the stories that plagued my lonely mind—as demented as that sounds. ...more