The first red flag was this book was self-published in 2018. That's disappointing as I expect not yet released books for raffles. And unfortunately, the writing shows. The synopsis is a mixed bag that doesn't really provide much. The cover is horrendous. The cover and synopsis both scream fantasy but the opening chapters are set in the modern world. So there's a bit of a disconnect.
The chapters are short and choppy. There are no character descriptions. Elias must be good-looking since the flight attendant slipped him her number. but no descriptions of him or Ophelia at all. There are some hints to their abilities (e.g., Ophelia is an empath) and random references (e.g., Earth as a "glorious planet") that may indicate that Elias and his enemies are not human. But there's no world-building, nothing to indicate anything of the fantasy elements that are hinted at.
The writing style is awkward. Both Elias and Ophelia are written in first-person POV. So I have no idea what the author did once the two characters meet. There's also a lot of telling the reader what is happening instead of showing. Both characters tell everything they are doing (e.g., I pick up the box, I ran down the hall, I look behind me) instead of showing the reader. This makes the story read like a diary of what each character did that day.
It's obvious this is self-published and lacked an editor. This feels more like a first or second draft that character descriptions and development, more world-building, and more editing.
The chapters are short and choppy. There are no character descriptions. Elias must be good-looking since the flight attendant slipped him her number. but no descriptions of him or Ophelia at all. There are some hints to their abilities (e.g., Ophelia is an empath) and random references (e.g., Earth as a "glorious planet") that may indicate that Elias and his enemies are not human. But there's no world-building, nothing to indicate anything of the fantasy elements that are hinted at.
The writing style is awkward. Both Elias and Ophelia are written in first-person POV. So I have no idea what the author did once the two characters meet. There's also a lot of telling the reader what is happening instead of showing. Both characters tell everything they are doing (e.g., I pick up the box, I ran down the hall, I look behind me) instead of showing the reader. This makes the story read like a diary of what each character did that day.
It's obvious this is self-published and lacked an editor. This feels more like a first or second draft that character descriptions and development, more world-building, and more editing.