Insight - Review

Before that fateful summer night, Willow had balanced the insight of emotion, and the vivid images. That night, the figure in her nightmare marked her wrist with a star, giving her father no choice but to tell Willow a family secret that would abruptly change life, as she knew it, forever. Before Willow has time to absorb the shock of her father's secret, her soul mate that had shared every stunning dream with her, finds her, and darkness captured her closest friends. In order to save them, she must weave through broken myths and the undeniable power of the Zodiac.

***I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

I wanted to like this novel, I really did. The book blurb was enticing, the cover was beautiful and Jamie Magee’s writing style is a joy to read. But I just…didn’t.

The story is intriguing, if a little hard to follow initially with so much information to take in, but I loved the idea of multiple worlds and dimensions accessible by those who can travel “the strings” between realms. Unfortunately there then wasn’t a lot more explanation until the final part of the book which left me a little confused at times.

One of my main issues with the novel was the main character Willow. I prefer my heroines to have a little more autonomy, but Willow is a slave to her surroundings. Without much to go on, I didn’t really connect with Willow as a character. Her relationship with Langden was similarly hard to invest in. Because they are simply “soul mates” and that's that, their insta-love is hard to buy into and seems hurried, despite pages upon pages being dedicated to them gazing adoringly into each others eyes. I'd much preferred to see a more organic start to their relationship, or even some conflict around the idea that you have one soul mate, you meet them and you have no choice but to love and adore them, but it doesn't happen. It’s not a good sign that I could describe the blue of Landen’s eyes in about ten different ways, but I couldn’t picture Willow at all. The book establishes that once beings find their soul mate, they become their world. Everything they love. Ok, fine. Let’s move on…oh no, another chapter of eye gazing and hand holding. Ok then.

The dimensions and character building was lacking a little, described only in relation to Willow. Nobody seems to have much of a believable personality of motivation of their own, disappointing given that Willow’s “insight” is to be able to read people and their emotions. It's a gift which has tormented her waking life, but which would have been a great way for the reader to discover things about supporting characters in a way that other novels would struggle to reveal. There were a lot of informed attributes that we just don’t see the evidence of. If the world building and supporting characters had received the same level of care and attention as the central relationship between Willow and Landen then this would be a five star read.

The book does get better towards the end when the story starts to pick up towards the inevitable sequels. At this point it recaptured my interest and I found myself actually wanting to read the next book in the series. Unfortunately it was too little too late.

A green for the Review Star Jar!

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