Review for "Silver Knight"

"Silver Knight" is the first book in Caron Rider's "Silver" series.


A young woman stands in the dark. She has her forearm to her head almost as if to wipe the sweat from her brow. In her hand she holds a small dagger, its tip pointed downward. A spiral of blue/grey smoke snakes up the left hand side of the page.
Diana dreams every night of a different life, a different death. She fears sleep and the tortures that will undoubtedly follow either at the talons of a demon or at the hands of man she feels strangely pulled to. When she sees an unsettling video on YouTube, Diana realizes that her dreams and the lives she remembers may just be real afterall.

What I liked:

• I was hooked pretty much the moment the author referenced my favorite author of all time, Terry Brooks, and then proceeded to describe his writing similarly to the way I usually describe it. :))
• The most interesting part of this novel has to be the author's ingenious use of pop culture to immediately identify eras. We hear Pink Floyd music, buy Milton Bradley stocks, wear gogo boots. Each and every setup of Diana's lives is exquisitely colored in with details that bring the history of the moment to life.
• The romance between Alex and Diana is deeper than average. She doesn't just roll over and go weak at the knees for him. The tug and pull of their relationship is part of what makes this novel above average.
• I also liked the introduction of the other hunters as major figures in history, like a certain beautiful woman whose face launched a thousand ships. Rewriting these individual stories with a demon hunter slant was wonderful.

What I disliked:

•  This book very nearly captured 5 crowns but there was something in particular I couldn't overlook. The sudden first person point of view changes. Once or twice I couldn't keep up. When the author jumps from chapter to chapter taking in Jarret's, David's, and Helen's lives without so much as a how do you do or a visible writing style change to denote their different inner voices its unsettling. I found myself once or twice having to reread a paragraph because it didn't make sense to be coming from Diana, only to find that's because it came from one of the others instead.
• Every once in a while the author waxes on a bit about the surroundings. Nowhere is this more noticeable than in the descriptions of the Titanic. We all pretty much have a basic idea of what the Titanic looks like, we don't need several paragraphs to help us paint a mental picture, just like we already kinda have an idea what Greece/Rome would be like. And I challenge you to find one well read person for whom the word Egypt doesn't immediately call to mind desert sands and pyramids.
• Sometimes the jumps between Diana's dream lives and her current life is a little confusing, especially when they all begin to run together. 
   

"Silver Knight" was actually one of the first books I got for my Kindle. It has sat at the bottom of my digital shelf for probably a year. I can't believe it took me this long to get to it. It is a gem of a read. Perfect for teens and adults, and you almost feel like you just might be learning a little something along the way. "Silver Knight" is available at the time of this review for $2.99 and I dare say it is worth it. The second novel in the series is "Silver Demon" is already out, also available for $2.99 and will be going on my short list. I want more of Alex and Diana. You can find out more about the author at www.caronrider.com

4.5 out of 5 crowns

Recommended for mature teens (there are a few kinda gory parts) and adults. Those with a historical bent may find this series amusing.






Synopsis:
"A Struggle Against Evil--Love Through the Ages--A Destiny to Fulfill When seventeen-year-old Diana recognizes an elderly priest in a video on YouTube, she realizes that reincarnation is real and that she's been alive before! Every night in her dreams, she views her past lives learning that it's kill or be killed. Now a bishop at the Vatican whom she saved in another life calls on her once more. She is needed to help defeat an infestation of demons living within the catacombs of Rome. Warned by their foul smell and armed by her dreams, Diana is a warrior who must battle the Dark in order for the Light to prevail. But when she arrives in Rome, she meets Alexander - the man of her dreams! Through the centuries she has loved him...betrayed him...been killed by him. Will she give him another chance or this time will she strike first? Silver Knight takes you on an adventure where demons and heroes from the past blend with history, action, and just a hint of romance."