Owl Goingback

A group of hand-picked hunters stalks a killer, what the local Missouri Native American's call Crota, a mythical beast leaving a trail of mutilated bodies behind as it grows in power and returns to an underground labyrinth containing an unthinkable horror. Reprint.

A Novel

Crota

Sheriff Skip Harding is investigating a double murder that has shaken the quiet town of Logan, Missouri. A slaughter that seems too brutal for a human perpetrator. A bear, maybe? But there are no bears in the area...Bodies begin to pile up, and Skip soon discovers that bullets are useless against this foe. Only with the help of Cherokee game warden Jay Little Hawk, and the wisdom of Lakota medicine man George Strong Eagle, can Skip hope to stop the monster before it's too late.A magical tale blending elements of mystery, suspense, and Native American mythology.The novel won the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel, and was one of four finalists in the Best Novel category."The suspense of a Clive Barker or Dean Koontz." -Kirkus Reviews

Imzy

ARC received for an honest review


  But... once again he had been seduced by the lure of competitive gaming. Rationally, he understood that he indulged in it too much, but it was a habit he just couldn't seem to kick. The thrill of victory, the adrenaline, the satisfaction from well-executed strategies, and the camaraderie of teammates was too alluring.

Okay, so I've never read a LitRPG/GameLit genre book before and the only time I've been exposed to this genre was in one anime I watched; but after reading Crota, I will definitely be checking more books from this genre out. The setting is so beautifully set and the writing style is very engaging, hooking, and written in a way that makes you want to keep reading. It's a good introduction into the world and the characters.

I wasn't sure whether to give this book 3 stars or 4 stars, because I liked it so much but there was alot that I felt was missing. 

This book is about a boy, Kyran, who died in the human world trying to save someone but accidentally gets summoned with them to play in the Gods' Game. He doesn't have any 'divine spark' which made his intrusion difficult to detect. Thereafter, he is given a choice of whether he wants to play in the game or be reincarnated and sent back to the human world. He chooses to play.

Up until there, I would give the book five stars. The events were explained really well and there was good development. 

Then, Kyran builds an avatar. The avatar's skills/abilities were explained in a whole bundle and it just got a bit too much to digest. I suppose it was necessary to understand why he chose the skills/abilities that he chose but I just feel it would have been more impactful if they were integrated into the story.

Another thing is that not much happened when he actually got into the game. It was kind of plotless and I lost what he was actually trying to achieve as a whole. However, I do understand that this is just the first book and hopefully the story will be given more depth in the coming sequel.

I also wished there were more characters. It did get a little boring reading about the same character with minimal dialogue. This is probably just my opinion, but I do like some conversation and relationship development. 

I anticipate the next book and will definitely be reading it. 

[Bookstagram]

Crota A Novel

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