*Disclaimer*
Everyone is different and likes and dislikes different things. Reading is no exception. One person’s all-time favorite might seem too bland or too high stakes for another. That being said, the opinions of our judges in this contest are just that, opinions. Just because we let a book go, doesn’t mean it isn’t good. It could be your next favorite, who knows?
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can learn more about the contest here.
Today we are reviewing Mysterious Ways, which was The Fantasy Inn’s pick for this year’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off. You can read their review here. And you can see the finalist spreadsheet here.
The Goddess works in mysterious ways, and Isabella Varselak intends to find out exactly what those ways are.
As the commander of the 7th Unit of the Solistopian City Watch, Isabella Varselak has dealt with many a mystery. Murderers, burglars, con artists, and troublesome demons have given her a multitude of crimes to solve over the years.
But injustice in the way the world works is all around her. Innocent people suffer, guilty people triumph. When this is questioned, the only answer she receives is the Goddess works in mysterious ways.
Determined to get to the bottom of what these ways are and solve the ultimate mystery, she sets off on a journey to find answers—but she’ll have to go through hell to get them.
Our Thoughts
Mysterious Ways had a lot of potential to be a book our judges’ loved. The worldbuilding especially the non-judgmental attitude towards sex and the metaphysical questioning of the goddess gave the book a unique spin on most fantasy settings. And while we did love the ideas overall, our judges felt the book didn’t always fully deliver on its potential.
Some liked the lighthearted banter and humorous tone, others thought it was too big a contrast with the serious issues in the story. And even though there were a lot of good twists and turns, the pacing and plot meandered more than we would have liked.
Overall, there is a lot of potential here, and we will be looking out for more from this author, but Mysterious Ways just couldn’t beat out some of its competition.
[Note from Judge Kerry Smith: I would like to say, as the only kiwi judge, it is great to see a number of New Zealand writers in this competition and hooray for Abbie for making the finals!]
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And again, you can see the list of all the finalists and their scores here. Our judges are Julia Kitvaria Sarene, Kerry Smith, Max Freeman, and Jennie Ivins (me). If you’d like to learn more about us, including our likes and dislikes, you can read about them here.
Any queries should be directed at me, Jennie Ivins, via DM on Facebook and Twitter.
Julia Kitvaria Sarene
Geoff Matthews