Not yet, but I plan to start reading this month. I’ve been getting ready start reading from multiple apps. Tales is one of them.
Cool. Well, when you do, PM me and we can come up with a plan for sharing this then. (wink)
Okay, sounds good to me! I’m pm you in the morning.
Recommendation Five
Fragmented
Historical, Thriller | 18 Chapters ongoing | Game story
You wake up in London, covered in scars and with no memory of who you are. A man approaches, relieved to have found you. He tells you you’re his governess and takes you home to look after his children. Only the house has no mirrors, you’re not allowed into the basement, and there’s something…off…about these children. Can you solve the mystery of who you are and what is happening around you? Or Will your memory be taken from you again?
Cali’s review of
Fragmented
3 1/2 chapters read ||| Overall Score: 85.3
First Impression (before reading): 9.5/10
I’m intrigued to read this story and find out what has happened. The cover-art is beautiful; the soft glow around the main character to separate her from the background is incredible. You can definitely tell that she’s the focus. For me, a thriller makes me want to read it more, however, I’m unsure about it being historical as well. Even if the cover tells me the approximate time it’s set.
Impression (after chapter one): 17/20
Immediately I was captured. The effects and sounds were used beautifully, making me want to find out what was happening. The first character the MC interacted with was the man of the house/their employer (supposedly), and he left me in a position of wanting to trust him but being hesitant. Love being torn like that. The only thing I didn’t much like was the two premium choices in this chapter; both only gave two options each. It would have been nice to just have another option in each for if you don’t always want to spend gems.
Characters: 18/20
From the beginning the character immediately show depth and that their is a story behind their eyes. I was a little confused as to way we saw an image of a little blonde child and then the two children looked different, since I know Tales has great options for character creation. As for the rest of the characters she starts meeting, they were interesting, all seeming to have both good and bad sides.
The developing plot & story: 15/20
It starts at a good pace, not moving the plot along at a too fast, nor too slow a pace. This continues throughout the next few chapters. One small thing is that you get given coins in the second chapter, which is represented with an icon up the top. The problem I see is that the icon is the same one used as the one for health, which is very confusing. I also don’t like that a key decision was a gem choice. That’s bad etiquette for those not willing to spend their gems. This also happened a couple of times too; readers don’t want to be forced to spend gems in order to get a good key decision outcome.
Music & Backgrounds: 16/20
The music and sound effects really set the scene for both the opening location and the thriller genre. There are some sounds in later chapters that go on a little too long, and you have to click to stop. I would have preferred them in the background as you read a sentence. As for the background, they fit well with the setting, although some got a little repetitive. Particularly those when you get to look around the house.
Grammar: 9.8/10
There were a couple is minor grammatical error here and there, but over all it was very well written. Nothing that made me any less willing to read.
Cali review of
Darkendore
3 chapters read ||| Overall Score: 68.9
First Impression (before reading): 3/10
The title doesn’t seem to stand out to me, as ‘Darkendore’ seems like a predictably imagined word in the fantasy. The cover does stand out, however, it feels too big for the frame. As for the bio, it tells me it’s at a magic school but that’s it. Nothing else; only that it’s probably gonna be like every other fantasy school story.
Impression (after chapter one): 11.5/20
The opening sequence feels very Harry Potter-esqe, which gave me the feeling of predictability. Then going into the first scene, I felt it was very flat between the characters. So when there was supposed to be a romantic spark between them, I wasn’t really feeling it. Although, when it came to the mystery and action scenes, there was a bit more of a thrill.
Characters: 14/20
Principal Skinner? Why reference the Simpsons? It may not be, but 'cause that’s such an iconic principal name, that’s all I think about. As for the other characters, they improved in the chapter after they are first introduced. As in the beginning they feel quite stock-standard and don’t have much depth. Then in the following chapter, there’s some more development.
The developing plot & story: 15/20
The story is easy to read. It is easier to put down than some stories, but I did still want to keep reading. Everything progressed at a good pace. Parts were a little cliche but it was still worth reading and kept me interested.
Music & Backgrounds: 16.5/20
I do like the music and backgrounds; the music and sounds are subtle. And the backgrounds fit with the story and setting nicely. Although, at times, I am reminded at lot of the Hogwarts, which puts me off the story. The narrator and speech bubbles do look really good, and work really well with the story.
Grammar: 8.9/10
A few missing commas, but aside from that it’s perfect.