The Unquiet Dead by Chris Dubecki
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Rating 3.5 stars.
The Unquiet Dead is a paranormal tale set in Toronto, Canada. Nineteen year old Tyler Dufresne is a Necromancer. At a funeral he is drawn to a mausoleum with an eerie statue which emits a fearful energy. Sharing his experience with his friends he is persuaded to visit an occult shop where Martin and his partner Thomas might be able to teach Tyler to use his own powers effectively.
Research finds that Father Yeung knows more about the evil bound in the mausoleum and its links with a past mass suicide pact. Someone is trying to release the bound spirit and Tyler and his friends must put a stop to it all.
There is a big cast of supernaturals in this book; Necromancers, eidolon, were-folk, sorcerers, psychics, ghosts and more for lovers of the paranormal theme. The story-line has great potential, I felt it needed more building of layers and depth of characters, characteristics and action scenes. This would have made each person more memorable and their purpose in the book more believable. Some of the dialogue didn’t feel right, Police officer Mark Hennessey’s use of the F-bombs when talking to an almost complete stranger just wasn’t professional enough. There is also a time and place for f-bombs and generally over using them in writing robs an author of opportunities to show the reader his or her skills as a writer.
A good first attempt at a paranormal tale, it just needs more work to compete in this very competitive genre.
This review is based on a free copy of the book given to me via Curiosity Quills
Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
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I just dealt with the f-bomb thing in a book I read too. It bugged me because – whilst I don’t mind the word even several times – the constant use just made me think “Ugh, really? Find another word.”
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Yes I agree, find another word – even a made up one!
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Great title for a book!
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Hi, Rosie – Sounds like there’s quite a variety of characters. From the synopsis, it does seem there’s great potential.
@dino0726 from
FictionZeal – Impartial, Straightforward Fiction Book Reviews
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Love the cover though
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Thanks Sacha.
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That’s a lot of supernatural folk. I’m a big fan of delving into characters so I’d prefer less with more in-depth description. I don’t mind the f-bomb but, when overused, it strips something from the dialogue, I think.
😉 I agree with Sacha that the cover is fab.
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Thanks Sarah.
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