At Water's Edge

The Last Elentrice #1

by S. McPherson

When 17-year-old, Dezaray Storm drunkenly stumbles across a portal one night, her abused and broken life begins to change, mainly because she starts living someone else's life.

Accidently trading places with the most powerful sorceress of the realm, Coldivor, Dezaray finds herself assuming the identity of her magical lookalike, having to convince everyone in the realm that she's the real deal.

Aside from a few minor hiccups along the way, like the fact that she is not magical nor does she know even the simplest cards trick; Dezaray soon finds herself settling in. Particularly in the arms of Milo; a blue-eyed jokester with the ability to teleport.

However, it doesn't take long for Dezaray to realise that life on the other side is far from glitz and glamour and that creatures unimaginable are hunting her. A war is brewing between the seven empires of Coldivor and those that long to take over. Dezaray's enchanted double is their only hope; their secret weapon, set to be unleashed on her eighteenth birthday when she is gifted the powers of her forefathers.

But for the enchantress to return, Dezaray has to leave, and the thought of going back to Islon fills Dezaray with dread, for more reasons than one. Torn between a reality she can't stand and a fantasy she can't keep, Dezaray is struggling to see how any choice she makes will lead to a happy ending.

At Water's Edge is a young adult, epic fantasy tale of magic, parallel worlds, young love and war.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, Romance, Paranormal, Vampires, Fiction

390 pages, Paperback

First published November 10, 2015

About the author

Hey there, Pixies,

Welcome to my playground.

If you'd like to learn a bit more about me, feel free to send me a message and/or read on:

S. McPherson is a young British expat living in Dubai and working as a kindergarten teacher. When she is not at work immersed in a world of imagination and fantasy created by the children, she is immersed in her own worlds of imagination and fantasy at home, dreaming up tales and writing them down.

Fit for the Throne is S. McPherson’s latest series full of hope, heart and heat!!

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you believe there can be parallel worlds, similar to, yet different from Earth? Could another you be existing in another place? Is your true love waiting across a portal? Can one exist in another world with their “twin?” So many exciting questions, right? Discover another place, lost portals and an adventure filled with danger, misunderstandings and even young love. At Water’s Edge by S. McPherson is a journey into another world, another reality touched with humor, power and new discoveries.

Desoray’s life is worse than anything Cinderella knew. She has no fairy godmother to help her find the magic of a happy ever after. What she does have is a drunken brother who takes pleasure in brutalizing her, beating her and humiliating her at every turn. Then they came, from another world, through a mystical portal and Desoray is transported into another world, filled with magic, brighter stars and a boy named Milo. Her “twin” is left behind on Earth, and the portal will not open for fourteen days. Can Desoray fool those around her into believing she is a powerful magic user like her twin, Lexovia?

Meanwhile, Lexovia becomes the responsibility of Nathaniel, Desoray’s own Knight in Shining armor on Earth. New to electricity, television and even clocks, she must learn to master a world that includes Desoray’s brutal brother’s wrath. Will he find he is no match for the sister he sees before him?

S. McPherson has put a new face on young adult fantasy with the brilliant strokes of her pen! Imagine two worlds connected by a portal, a time limit to death and finally finding happiness in a world you don’t belong in? Is there a way for Milo and Desoray to exist together with their love? Legends say yes, but are they stories for a child’s bedtime or are they truth faded through time? Clever dialogue, highwire tension, an amazing world filled with magical creatures, let go of reality and embrace S. McPherson’s. The hardest part will be leaving until she invites us back!

I received an ARC edition in exchange for my honest review.

Series: The Water Rushes - Book 1
Publication Date: November 10, 2015
Publisher: S McPherson Books
ISBN-10: 0993360505
ISBN-13: 978-0993360503
Genre: YA Fantasy
Print Length: 346 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every wonder if there was another "you" out there, another world? A world you can travel to by portals.

Dezaray and Lexovia look almost exactly a like, yet they are from two different dimensions. They are each others counterparts, one from the world as we know it. The other, Lex is from a magical world filled with dwarves, vampires and other magical creatures.

I find that this is the kind of book that you can't speak much about because by doing so it will spoil it for those wishing to read it. I can say however that if you are looking for an exciting magical and action filled book, with a love story to neatly tie it all together, the look no further then "At Water's Edge". But on top of the magic, portals, dimensions and the love story there is a darker side to the story, abuse. I'm only informing you all of this just incase it is something the reader avoids or uncomfortable reading, just want to prepare the reader. With that begin said I am thankful for the opportunity to review this book and I absolutely would recommend this book to fans of young adult fantasy literature.

*I received an e-book in excange for an honest review as part of Virtual Author Book Tours.*

http://icanhasbooks.blogspot.ca/

[Brianna Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two worlds, two girls so similar yet so different, a portal that links these two different worlds together . Two people so completely in love yet can't be together, will they make it? Find out in this extraordinary book by S. McPherson what happens when two girls from two worlds accidentally switch places and must live the life of the other while trying to get back to there rightful world, with war looming in one world see these two girls make friends and try to pull of acting as each other in a world all to different from there own.

Dezaray is plagued with a horrible life of abuse and guilt for the death of her parents until Lexovia crosses worlds to save her and the two get stuck in each other's worlds. With Lexovia being the las of her kind and the only one who can truly save her people, being stuck in another world is the worst thing that can happen but for Dezaray she finds love and a world she has been hidden from all her life and the worst of her problems are a whole world away and everything seems great and it can't be that hard to pull off being Lexovia can it? Full of
Romance, action, adventure, and lovable characters this book is a great read and anyone who loves ya literature and fantasy will simply love this book I strongly recommend it and can't wait for the rest of the series.

[Diana · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book presents us with two girls who are practically the same person, or two manifestations of the same person living in two different worlds. One lives in a world were her parents died and she thinks its her fault and that it makes her deserve the beatings her drunkard brother inflicts her, which being honest, raised a red flag for me on liking this character or this book. And the other lives in a weird world with weird friends. And one day both worlds collide and the two girls meet and exchange. And I just couldn't keep on reading much longer because then we got instalove on the mix and I just couldn't. I have to say that I liked the parts with the other world girl on our world better. At least she had a back bone and was an interesting character. The other one... let's just say not so much and wrap it up.

[AMadalenaDivaga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by Shalina McPherson, this fantasy/science fiction series mixes magic, parallel universes, human and magical counterparts (people similiar but different to us), romance, adventure and tones of humour. Extremely entertaining, it’s a great series for those who love fantasy books with a twist.

Dezaray Storm is a 17 year old girl who lives with her older brother Drake. After their parents death, Dezaray and Drake took over their parents business and live off of it. Drake, who is constantly drunk and blaming Dezaray for their parents death, violently beats her to the point of unconsciosness. After a night of drunken beating, Deazaray manages to knock out her brother and run away to the forest across her home. Hurt and in a daze, Dezaray stumbles across a magical portal to another world. Standing in front of that portal and waiting for her, were a group of teenagers from the Realm of Coldivor, Earth’s parallel universe. In the mix of these teenagers was Dezaray’s counterpart, Lexovia, a powerful sorceress and Coldivor’s only hope of defeating the Vildacruz, magical creatures that seek to destroy the people of Coldivor. Dezaray, excited in learning that other worlds and magic exist, decides to show her new friends around. But all of them forgot that they can only stay on Earth for a short while before the portal closes. Rushing to get back to their own world in time, the teenagers confuse Dezaray with Lexovia leaving the latter on Earth while the first lands in Coldivor. Realizing that she can’t go home immediatly, Dezaray must now wait for two weeks before she can cross the portal again and go home. In the mean time, both girls have to blend in in a strange world they know nothing about and filled with dangers they don’t know how to handle. But when both girls grow fond and accustomed to their new worlds, will they still want to go back to their own worlds? Will they choose between their hearts or their minds?

Funny, thrilling and romantic. “At Water’s Edge” has a way of captivating the reader’s imagination and curiosity. I found myself daydreaming about what it would be like to live in Coldivor or have Lexovia’s powers, to fall in love like Dezaray or simply go to a magical school like she does. Because of the mix between sci-fi and fantasy used by the author, I can honestly say I have never read or heard of a similar concept. Personally, I believe the best part about it is the idea of counterparts. I enjoyed discovering the similarities and differences between Lexovia and Dezaray and wondered if the other characters counterparts would be the same. The character development Dezaray goes through was extremely interesting. Although she sometimes doesn’t admit it to herself, Dezaray completly transforms from beggining to end. I also enjoyed, a lot, the romantic aspect of this book. The characters relationship (thought I was going to spoil that one did you?) doesn’t start out as passionate but as the story progresses, the reader can feel their love growing to the point where you don’t care about anyone else’s fate or about the impending responsibilities, you just want them to stay together.

Overall, I was very pleased with this book. I thought it was very well written and I’m definitly interested enough to continue to read this series for as long as it exists.

[Aanchal · Rating 5 out of 5]

**4.5 stars**

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book! And was constantly asking myself why I didn't pick it up before.

I adored the world Ms. McPherson created. I loved how vast and different it was from our world. The people of Coldivor and the spells they used, the powers they had. It was all mesmerizing. This story also had a fantastic cast of characters which I will definitely look forward to reading more of.

The only thing that I found difficult was that it was a bit slow at some points and I kept waiting for some action. But it came.

Except that, I really loved this book and I still don't understand why more people have not read it yet.

Really, go read it!

[S. McPherson]

Hello there,

I wrote this book and will be releasing it on November 10th. In the meantime I will be putting up excerpts and would love to get your feedback.

Please click on the 'Read Book' tab and let me know your thoughts :)

Thanks in advance,
S.McPherson

[C. McIntosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I was given an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review, so here it is.

I enjoyed At Water’s Edge. I found the story vibrant, action packed and intriguing. The plot itself was intriguing because it offered a world full of magic that often appeared superior to ours. I felt a little envious when I discovered the inhabitant’s magical abilities!

The whole story was well thought and colourful. I particularly liked the phrases “’No,’ I repeat in something quicker than a whisper.” The tension oozes off that page. As well as, “We all groan in harmonious distaste.” I can just imagine that complaint.

Although I enjoyed the story, there were a couple of parts that I found confusing. At the beginning it jumped from scene to scene quicker than I would have liked. It took a while for me to get what was going on. Also, there were patches where I would have liked more depth or the story to slow down so that I could feel the character’s fear.

But, I enjoyed the plot and the idea of the two worlds. It was an imaginative and exciting story. I recommend this book, At Water’s Edge. And I am glad I had the opportunity to read it. Thank you.

I added my review to Amazon at the following links:

https://www.amazon.com/review/RLGQLJW...

https://www.amazon.ca/review/RLXWA82N...

And on the https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/RFLN3...

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5

I had a hard time getting into this book. It starts off a little bit too slow for me and most of the time there isn't anything happening.

I was intrigued by the concept of the story and I think the whole doppelgänger in a different dimension is amazing but the execution lacked in depth.

You clearly see that it is a debut novel when it comes to the storytelling and language used. The names reminded me too much of Harry Potter and I had a hard time remembering what has been what.

Another thing that was disturbing was the way Dezaray fell in love with vanilla-smelling Milo. It was over the top and way too much insta love and soulmate bleh.

I liked Lexovia the best but sadly her part was way smaller than her lovesick counterpart.

All in all this book has a fantastic concept and if we remember that it is a debut novel than I can look past the negative points and still give it 2.5 stars. The ending was nice and I hope the second book will be better.

[Lyssa Kendrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had such great expectations for this book and they completely met them. I can honestly say I haven't read anything like it. I can't wait until the next one comes out!!

[Julayn Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF:
I tried, but I just couldn't get into this book. Although I feel like the author is talented and imaginative, this story just felt way too forced. However, I wouldn't refuse to review future books from this author as I think she's got a book in there that I'd enjoy. This just wasn't the one.

[Cassiopeia's Moon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the title and synopsis I expected something with sirens or mermaids. A beautiful world where water played a major role and a romance beyond worlds.

Instead I found a bad case of insta love, tropes and a not so well written heroine. That together with a writing style that didn't explain enough dropped this book quite a few notches. It is put as YA, but it is written in a way that makes me think of younger teens. Here I want to put up a warning: Domestic violence right in the first chapter. So in other words, maybe not for younger teens.

I found the characters lacking, well, character and much of the information was given so hastily and the heroine accepted and learned everything a bit too fast. She had to learn a whole new terminology! Believe me, it is not that simple, I didn't learn it.

Lexovia, the supposedly most protected person in all of "portal-world" (I cannot remember the name, terminology... Coldivor? Or was that the normal world?) was surprisingly unprotected an un-looked after. And that just a month before the most important occasion in her and the "portal-world's" life! I mean, whut?

The final battle, what happened with everyone? All main characters became pathetic. The battle didn't raise my pulse or make me afraid to lose anyone. Not the epicness you want in the battle to save a wold.

In conclusion , I wasn't a fan of this. But it was okay, I think I might have liked it if I was 5-10 years younger (for reference, now I'm 22).

[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stopped at page 91.
This is a bad combination of mooning, insta-love from Twilight, spells and school construct from Harry Potter, and classification by skills of Divergent.
Unfortunately the Twilight piece is there at all, ugh. The classification is told to use and not shown (literally a lecture from a minor character, yawn). And the spells and school construct might as well be stolen from Rowling.

What should make this book stand apart?
The alternate dimension that has a doppelgänger in it. This idea is what drew me to this book and the construct of the idea is solid. Even the main plot where the two gals get stuck in each other's dimension is great.

So why doesn't this book hold my attention? Because so far 90% of the book is about our lust obsessed 'Muggle' in Harry Potter land. She's so annoying. In the beginning she seems like a tough adult. Once she meets her Edward she becomes a 14 year old girl that won't shut up about all the sexy features of her crush. I'm not talking thoughts here and there. I'm talking paragraphs of description, long internal monologues that are stuck in the middle of an interesting spell dialogue. This mooning gets in the way of establishing the world, dialogue and engagement between character, and is just generally annoying beyond belief to me.

I think there is something here... maybe. But this book needs a serious, not afraid to hack and slash, editor. Someone that will focus on characterization and plot; and less about how pretty one man is.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review. Don't believe me? Check out the other books I've had eARCs for that I gave great reviews to. I always give my opinion whether good or bad.

[Fay Tannerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

In At Water's Edge there is a parallel world called Coldivor. Coldivor is a world filled with magic and supernatural beings. The people of Coldivor are counterparts of the people to Earth.

Dezaray Strom is an ordinary 17-year-old girl living in England. Everything changes one night when she is accidentally taken across a portal into Coldivor and her counterpart; Lexovia is left behind on Earth.

Lexovia is the most powerful sorceress of Coldivor and if she were missing, It won't go unnoticed, so Dezaray assumes her identity and Lexovia assumes Dezaray's on Earth until they can cross the portal again in two weeks.

At the Waters Edge was a magical and captivating novel. It had an interesting plot and some great characters. It was filled with adventure, fun and action. I really enjoyed reading it and getting to know more about Dezaray, Lexovia, Milo and the world of Coldivor!

I would recommend this novel to fans of magic, fantasy and the Harry Potter series!

[Erik Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever someone has a bad life, they always wish to have a different and easier life. But what if that wish did come true at a very unique price? Of course this type of plot has been used many times in literature and film. Probably the most famous of them all is “The Wizard Of Oz.” But that’s the problem with all of these stories that follows this formula. They all seem to copy off “Oz” and they bring no original material to their story other than new character names. Thankfully, author S. McPherson does bring her original story to this infamous plot device. She includes romance, war and to a certain extent, a dark side of living in a magical land that seems innocent when we’re introduced to it.
Dezaray Storm is a seventeen year old girl who suffers through life rather than living it thanks to her alcoholic brother, Drake. On rare occasions, her protector Nathaniel helps her out but still, Dezaray longs for a new life. That new life does occur thanks to a few bottles of beer and a portal and suddenly Dezaray assumes the identity of Lexovia of Coldivor. It then becomes a case of trading places where Lexovia becomes Dezaray. The real Dezaray however has it more rough as she has to convince the “people” of Coldivor that she is in fact the powerful sorceress that everyone knows. This is rough considering the fact that she literally has no magic. But she actually does seem to blend in. Most of that is due to the fact that a man named Milo who can teleport to different places falls in love with her and aides her. But once things seem to be finally going Dezaray’s way, a war starts to breakout. The only hope for Coldivor is for the real Lexovia to use her powers to save the day. But the portal won’t seem to open in time for the two women to make the switch.
Some of the other things I like about “At Water’s Edge” are how detailed Dezaray’s life is before she enters her new world. I really hate how in many romance stories, we hardly know the female’s background and more of the man’s background. Now that’s not the case with every romance story but in my experience, I was always less interested in the woman because I always hardly knew her. With that being said, I know this book is being marketed as a romance book and even though there are a lot of romantic scenes, I really didn’t get the sense that it was a romance. It was more like the movie “Titanic” where the romance was just a secondary genre and that the real genre was drama. In this case and least from my point-of-view, the real drama is suspense. I also like the different flow of narratives in the story telling. Not once did I become confused of who was telling their version of what was going on. I heard that this is book number one of a series so with that being said, be sure to be on the lookout for book number two because I will be too.

[Maghon Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book. After Dezaray loses her parents, she's struggling. And she also has dreams that turn out to be premonitions, and there's also a portal to a parallel world. Wow right! And there's of course a prince Charming, kinda. LOL And a great adventure, some “finding yourself moments” and a sweet romance. There's also a beautiful fantasy world that was built here. Oh, but it starts out oh so sad, with an abusive brother, and a devastating loss, and a little despair. Thank goodness for a little magic to make it better.

Dezaray, Milo, Nathaniel, and Dezaray's parallel twin, Lex, are such interesting characters. In the switch, Dezaray goes into the portal and Lex stays on Earth while the portal temporarily closes. So Dez has to make everyone believe she is her twin, and has magical powers. And Lex becomes attached to Nathaniel, which is Dez's earth prince. I know, I'm trying to explain without explaining spoilers. And think about it, if you didn't know what electricity or cable or phones were, you would be freaked out too. Oh and we can't forget about Dez's psycho brother.

The writing is well done, and I loved the characters, they are all full of depth and complexity, believable. But the world building was my favorite. I will say, I was a little disappointed with the ending, but I think it's because this is a series and we have to have something to look forward to in the next book. It's not a cliff hanger but it's not a full wrap up yet either. So with that said, I can't wait for book two. 4.5 MAGICAL PAWS!!

[Rita Ames · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a great example of the 'Love is Blind' saying then this book is for you. Inter-dimensional wars - dopplegangers on each side of a portal. It's got it all.

When Dezaray and Milo fall in love their need to be together over-rides the fact that they are from different worlds and can only see each other safely for 90mins every 2 weeks (some would say that is the perfect relationship!) As love flies in, commone sense flies out and the two hapless lovers manage to start a war before everyone was prepared.

Dezaray's counterpart, Lexovia, the last in her line finds herself stuck on the wrong side of the portal and the race is on to get back before it's too late.

The story builds up to a nailbiting ending, and of course Dezaray had to do something silly yet again and get herself into danger.

No spoilers on the outcome, you'll have to read it. I liked that this was a little different to the usual hero versus evil story and that the main characters were flawed, it made it harder to guess what was going to happen.

Overall a great read and I can't wait for Book 2.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received the book free from the We ♥ YA Books! group and/or the author in exchange for a honest review. I loved the ideas for the story--alternate or parallel type worlds, a bit of magic, a bit of romance. Even so, there were times I struggled to get through the story. Some of the words coined for the book felt forced or like spin-offs from Harry Potter. I struggled to keep them (and the bad guys) straight. Sometimes, Dezaray frustrated me--I do not relate well to characters who have little self worth and feel like they deserve to be beaten, and even though I love a good romance, it was disappointing that she didn't develop a reason to live until she found a love interest. Other characters lacked the development I needed to care for them: Lexovia, Nathaniel, Jude, the friends of Milo & Lexovia, etc. There were times when nothing was really happening except maybe elaborating on Dezaray's emotion (angst). I was hoping for a more conclusive ending but I guess this will be a series. Negatives aside, it was an imaginative story and I'm grateful for the opportunity to read it.

[Rachel's Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars, maybe 3.5.

Good, but a little ambiguous as far as plot goes. Still not entirely sure what happened/how/why.

Terms were very difficult to keep straight. I don't know... It's going to take awhile for me to decide.

[Chocomeiske · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up because of the potential to evolve. I liked it but didn't love it. Full review to come.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER-FREE VIDEO REVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE0kX...

[Jason Hubbard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book on Twitter and got it because it sounded intriguing. The concept of a "mirrorverse" can be fun to explore within both fantasy and sci fi.
I had thought this story would be one of adventure and intrigue, but it quickly becomes more of a romance than anything. This would be fine if the couple had any chemistry that went beyond physical attraction and fun nights on the town, but it doesn't. And unfortunately, the main character, Dezaray, proves to be really foolish and self-centered. Just before the midway point, she convinces her boyfriend into making a huge mistake on the premise of going on a date in an exotic location (and she even knows she's crazy for doing it). This sets off a series of events that ignites a war and gets many people killed. I know this statement may make no sense to a reader of this review since there are many details I'm leaving out, but once you read the book for yourself, you'll see what I mean.
I realize the main character is seventeen years old, so some recklessness from her can be expected, but this mistake she makes pretty much ruined the book for me.

[cthulhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

at the water's edge by s.mcpherson


**i was given an electronic copy in exchange for an honest review as part of YA Reads BOOK BLOG TOUR

Synopsis:

‘Her, him and the magical twin’, ‘Can another you be existing in another place?’, ‘They say love can cross oceans but can it cross worlds?’; these are just a few ways in which ‘At Water’s Edge’ can be summed up.

‘At Water’s Edge’ tells the tale of Dezaray Storm; a 17-year-old girl from England who is mistaken for the most powerful sorceress of a distant land and one unexpected night, she is pulled through a portal leading to that realm.

Dezaray is flung into a world of magic spells, empires, legends and boys; one boy in particular. As time passes, Dezaray finds herself and she finds her love but she cannot stay in this mystical land of Coldivor as it is on the brink of war. For the sake of the realm and all those that follow, she must trade back with the real sorceress (their only hope of survival) and she must say goodbye to her love; Milo.The trouble is; Dezaray doesn’t believe she can or that she will. But when a 17-year-old girl from England, gets involved with an 18-year-old boy from another world; more than their hearts will fall.











Review: When I was young, I used to think that there were uncommon things we cannot see around us. Or probably I still think about the conception of invisible creatures who strangely look like us with inhuman capabilities. In my country, there are lots of great stories about fairies, dwarves and so. Even vampires and warlocks are pretty much in the culture. I believe there's no culture whose doesn't have such bizarre myths and legends of how and what roam our world.
That we are not the only ones who are living, and we're just part of their ruthless games. They say it's evil and demonic. But I say it's a beautiful phantasma.
Imagining there's a parallel world with full of bright and fair fairies, having a counterpart or twin, and kinda falling into an infatuation are something I wish to happen! Ms. McPherson has created a magical trance to join the fantasy craze.
Dezeray Storm was a damsel in distress. She was like Isabella Swan from The Twilight Saga, yet her character is evolving through the story. Like from being this girl who needs saving to a heroine-to-save-us-all. That what appeals to some fantasy readers foremost. Her existence has been a little troublesome in Lex's world. And her hunger for love is what makes her weak.
Whilst her C.P. Lexovia Trice wasn't that well introduced into the story, with limited narration about her time in the Corporeal world (Human world), her character isn't well defined to me aside that she's the only key to save their world against the enemies that have been fighting them for so long. What I noticed about the story how it is only riveted in Milo's and Dezeray's infatuation love story. I was expecting something heavier like heart-shattering action. Like Dezeray was a real Coltis, a good cliched plot twist or something spectacular. I wasn't sure what would be the lesson of the story: is it either fight for your love, or listen to your heart over mind.
Ha-ha! However, too much romance kills the aura of fantasy, that's my opinion. The story isn't well-balanced to create a spark. The story came well too fast! Yes, there was an adrenaline rush. I felt like I need more. Like what will happen to Lexovia, to her friends, or the next romantic adventure between Milo and Dez, will they see each other in some set. I also like the genuine terms that Ms. McPherson has created! It was like Harry Potter to me, less the wand. I actually tried to Google a few terms to know its preference. But na-da!
There's a quotation I've seen before. It comes like this if you read a good book, you'll always find it short. That's what I felt when I reached the last page, reading like a pumpkin, trying not to fall asleep because you were already hooked. Actually worth the sleepless night.

I really like this book. Reasons are
1. It's a Brit Fiction Book! Hey I fancy some maelstrom of British phrases ;)
2. It has similarities to The Mortal Instruments, Harry Potter (I utterly do believe), Tithe,
The Twilight Saga as YA lit is a smash these days, I really recommend this novel to those YA fantasy fans
3. It made me crazy!

I am down to the ground hoping that Dez's foundation as the main character will be improved in the next installment, and also the turn of events that will create a spellbinding element I was looking for in many fantasy novels: jam packed, heart-jarring actions and unique, jaw-dropping plot twists.


4 stars

[Adrian G Hilder · Rating 5 out of 5]

At The Waters Edge by S McPherson is a YA (young adult) romance fantasy fiction story. The principle characters are 17 to 18 years old. If you have completed the Harry Potter series and feel bereft of something with a strong vein of the magical running through it and a teen romance is your thing then there is probably no finer novel to pick up next.
So there is the target audience for this story. There must be millions of people in the world that fit this description and it is with this audience in mind that I review At The Waters Edge.
As a 45 year old man I doubt any would consider it a natural fit for me, but as a writer myself I do read some unexpected novels. Like “The Witness” by Nora Roberts (arguably the Queen of romance) for example. I read it as I wanted to see how an expert in this genre of fiction portrayed a romance to help inform my own writing which has a romance sub-plot to it. It occurs to me that if Nora Roberts were to add a fantasy romance to her 200+ works it is unlikely she would do better than At The Waters Edge.
S. McPherson, in common with JK Rowling and Nora Roberts, demonstrates the techniques many authors and screenplay writers use to structure their stories in such a way as to create drama in the right places to support a story and character arc. For those who have no interest in writer’s craft it simply means the plot moves along at a good pace with a clear direction – the story is always going somewhere towards its resolution. That does not mean the story is predictable.
The portrayal of the 17 year old protagonist Dezaray, who crosses a portal into a magical world and finds romance with boy she can’t possibly have a future with, is rendered in great detail. It all happens against a backdrop of a war between magical empires with fearsome warlocks and vampires among their number. All this threat and danger sinks into the background while Dezaray and the reader is caught up in the developing romance. There were times when I thought Dezaray was at risk of being less than the proactive daring heroine the story needed to keep an audience rooting for her. A passenger in the story rather than the catalyst for change. In the end she does enough to be worthy of our continued interest at the same time as leaving plenty of room to develop her character arc in future stories.

One thing I thought was particularly innovative about the writing was the use of both the first person point of view and present tense together. It did take a few pages to get used to but worked very well and contrasted nicely with the parts of the narrative when we follow Lexovia (Dezaray’s double from the parallel world). In these chapters, the writing switches to third person present tense which immediately indicates the change of scene. The writing also maintains a consistent and easy to read style (voice) providing just the right level of description to immerse the reader in this magical story.

The only thing I might criticize this story for are the flavours of Harry Potter running through it. Personally, I would have loved to have discovered something I’ve never seen before. I suspect this aspect of the novel might actually work in its favour for the target audience.
These days I abandon half of the novel’s I start because there are so many stories in the world that I don’t want to waste my time on anything that isn’t actually working for me. At The Water’s Edge was not one of these. Quite the opposite. I picked it up almost every day for the little reading time I have and felt disappointed it had ended. And it did end well.

In future instalments, I hope to see Dezaray develop more as a proactive and daring heroine - she only just started to become this towards the end. I’d like to see her romance mature beyond the all-consuming first flush of love - which is realistic for the age and circumstances of the characters involved. There is a war on out there after all.
5 stars because I never expected a teen romance to grab me enough to make me want to follow the future stories. It helps that it is a fantasy, even so, that is an amazing thing!

[Megs 📚 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review can be found here! https://betweenthepages13.wordpress.c...

[Joey Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up because of the blurb and dived right in. I'm not normally a fan of fantasy, but this one had me hooked from the first chapter. I wanted to know more about Dezeray and Lexoia and how the two connected. I loved the way the story was told, how you switched from one world to the next and the love story intertwined between them. I loved that Coldivor wasn't completely fantasical, that they had some basis with Earth, that teens were still teens! It was an amazing read and that ending? Give me more! Highly recommended!

[Auburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a wonderfully written romp into a different world.
Dezaray ends up in a different world and takes over the life of someone who looked exactly like Dezaray. Unfortunately she doesn't know magic. The whole story is just one fun chapter after another.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy and different worlds.

[Guy Vestal - Counter Culture Critic · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review: Another version of me in another world, that I can make my way to? Isnt one of me enough? Of course for me it is, but for this book, the plot works well. One dimension is the living room I am sitting in now, the other, a magical world of all the fun fantasy things that so many books are made about.

If you read other reviews, you can see we all have basically the same overview, and all trying not to give away too much, if any plot.

For me, this writing seems more like an imaginary friend and world that one builds in their head, because their life has been hit with many horrible instances of abuse, tragedy, etc. That is actually as much underlying feeling/premise, as it is used to build the world and story.

I do not like the female protagonist, and for me, that is a huge problem for a work. I would still suggest reading this, because as a single father of 8 daughters, the female protagonist must meet a horribly high bar, so the author cannot be blamed for not meeting my expectations.

The one thing I will say, is that this is a “Jack-of-All-Trades” book that has a litle something for any, and everyone. All the fantasy, real life, adventure, romance, thrills, mystery/suspense, etc. No matter what your taste, you can get something out of this.

Dark, clear type. excellent font size, good quality paper, cover sells nothing, please redesign it! It sells for $12.75 at Amazon, but I think $10.99 would be more fair.

This is a good read for a quiet day outside in the good weather, or a really late night in bed, in the bad weather. Nothing intense, just the kind of work for taking time to yourself, a time off kinda read. It is 4 stars if you are not picky about the girl that is the star of the show, 3.5 if you are…

[LAWonder10 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not what I had expected when I began to read...It was even better than I thought it would be!
After the death of her parents, Dezaray's life changed dramatically. Not only did she battle with feelings of guilt, but so did the growing hate of another feel the same to the point of threatening her very existence! After one particular night of struggle, it seemed that all was coming to an end but then something very unreal happened. A part of a recent dream...a premonition... became real! Can this truly happen? Will there be any future or escape? When another door is opened in life, there are always new and different challenges. How will it all end?
This was an intriguing, steadily moving, romantic fantasy. It was hard to put it down once one began to read it.
The characters were all creatively vivid and seemingly real.The scenes were filled with adventure and described in detail. I did have a problem, in the beginning, with the book cover but after reading the tale, it fits the story well. I do feel if a couple of clips of other scenes within the portal were portrayed, it would be more eye-catching to the "browser" reader. The title is very good, but could be better if a word or two was added to At the Waters Edge.
The only real problem I have with this book is the weak ending. I was left with the feeling I was missing a few pages. Even with a series, ( I am looking forward to reading the next one) there has to be a feeling of the culmination of present events while leading into the next series. I did not get that feeling.
*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review, of which I have given.

[Andrew Ferrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever had the joy of falling so completely into a vortex of another world that you lose all track of time? That is exactly what happened to me while reading this book. S. McPherson draws you into the ordinary life of Dezaray Storm. Dezaray is a young girl, not quite eighteen, suffering under the thumb of her drunken, abusive, older brother. The small lights of her world are not enough, until one night, she stumbles though a magical portal to the realm of Coldivor. In the company of her counterpart, Lexovia's friends, Dezaray must blend in for the two weeks necessary for the portal to be reopened so they can swap back. Dezaray and Milo, a Coltis gifted with the ability to teleport, are destined for a forbidden love. As time passes, Dezaray doesn't want to go home. Coldivor, however, is on the brink of war. Lexovia is their ultimate weapon, once she reaches maturity. The Coltis' oppressors, the Vildacruz, would like nothing more to get their hands on Lexovia and/or Dezaray. The teens rush headlong into love, war, and desperation to stay alive and together. I won't spoil the ending for you here, but prepare to be entertained along the way by the Coltis views our own society.

I will warn you gentle readers, that this book is written in British English, not American English. There are phrases and terms that may strike you as unfamiliar. Having read my share of the terminology I only stumbled once or twice. The author does a great job at times of interchanging the words in order to not confuse readers. I highly recommend this riff on star, or in this case, dimension crossed lovers