Fractured Legacy Review/Blog Tour

Thank you, Skye Callahan, for sending me an ARC of Fractured Legacy for an honest review.

When I first heard about this book, I thought it was a full-length romance novel with paranormal/horror elements. In fact, it’s a novella (53 pages) with very little romance and full paranormal/horror focus. Still, I liked this book and couldn’t put it down.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!! 

I thought it was an ingenious idea that the author started each chapter or new scene with one of the main character’s name to advise the reader of the POV used. The chapter headings were beautiful in the old Celtic style.

This book followed Kaylyn Anderson and Jonah Troyer as they navigated the perils of the Teague Hotel and the inner politics of their jobs with the Aicil Corporation.

Kaylyn was a very private, secretive person. She’s spunky and strong-willed. She carried the weight of the world on her shoulders, which is commendable, and did so without help. Jonah and Cole—her sister—kept trying to help her and, even though she eventually accepted their assistance, she did so grudgingly. She tried to act so strong and self-assured, which only made her look vulnerable and unreliable, even immature at times.

Jonah was an awesome character. He’s protective and responsible, the type of man who would give you the shirt off his back. For being the boss of the office, I loved it when he had to call his big-wig dad for advice and help. I liked it as he dictated new rules and flouted his horn to the employees under his command. Unfortunately, since he was portrayed as a strict boss who doesn’t answer to his subordinates, I felt that he explained himself and his reasons to Kaylyn a little too often but it made for great dialogue.

I wish I could’ve learned more about Jonah’s Irish background. The scene with his mother’s spirit visiting Kaylyn was awesome but, since Kaylyn couldn’t really remember the out-of-body experience until the end of the book when she, Jonah and Cole battled the evil entity (and at that time they didn’t have a chance to properly discuss it), the scene felt like a let-down. Still, we got to know more about his mom and Kaylyn’s own legacy that was intertwined with the hotel.

The H/h never once kissed or showed much romantic feeling toward each other. They became fast friends throughout the course of the story, which was about a week, and I could tell that they cared for each other but I didn’t see the spark of love between them. Maybe a little lust—from Kaylyn—but not from Jonah. After they lived together for a few days, they both thought they acted like an old married couple (which was very sweet), and I agree with that. Old married couples act like best friends, not lovers, which was how Kaylyn and Jonah acted. Kaylyn did, however, catch herself thinking about Jonah’s chest and his sexy cross tattoo on his back a few times (lust) and her sister told her not to sleep with the boss—which is great—but that’s basically the extent of their relationship.

Even though I enjoyed this story, there weren’t enough detailed character descriptions and scene developments in my opinion. Still, that didn’t take away from the catchy, fresh dialogue or the characters themselves and the way they viewed their world. For example, the author rarely mentioned, if at all, Jonah’s and Kaylyn’s physical attributes. All we know is that Kaylyn isn’t as tall or lean as her sister, Cole, and that she has long hair that she sometimes wears in a low ponytail (we learn that she’s a brunette on page 48). Jonah has at least one tattoo and that he can brush his hair to the back of his neck.

The climax, after the evil entity lured Kaylyn to the hotel, felt rushed. The reader is led to believe that the brunette woman from Kaylyn’s dreams is the bad guy but then we find out that Kaylyn’s birth mother is also brunette, who is the good, protective entity. So, since both the good and bad entities have the same hair color and that the author typically described them as good, bad or brunette, it was sometimes hard to know whom the author referred to.

I had a lot of questions by the time the story was done but I suspect the author will address them in the following book. The main questions that stick out in my mind are: Why didn’t Kaylyn panic or cry when she found out that she was adopted (Cole showed more emotion than Kaylyn did) and that she was actually about 3 years older than she thought she was (she believed that she was born in 1989, but her parents adopted her in 1987, a year after the fire at the Teague that killed her birth mother in 1986)? What role did Emerson play at the time of Kaylyn’s birth mother’s death? Why was Jonah transferred from Paris?

This novella is the first in the Darkness Bound series. The series will continue with Kaylyn and Jonah. I’m anxious to see how their friendship morphs into romance and how the author plans to wrap up all the loose ends. The characters kept me entertained and I’m rooting for Kaylyn every step of the way! I have so many questions (as you can tell from my review) and I didn’t even post them all. I’m antsy for answers.

I look forward to the next book!!!  

3 Stars.

Again, thank you, Skye Callahan, for the ARC.

Fractured Legacy  

Available on Amazon, October 22, 2013. 

Kaylyn Anderson's fascination with abandoned places and dark creatures kindled her work as a paranormal investigator. But when dreams begin to distort reality, she questions what is real and pulls away from everyone she trusts. The opportunity to investigate the Teague Hotel--a long-abandoned landmark that has always piqued her curiosity--provides a chance to redeem herself. Unraveling the hotel's secrets won't be easy, but Kaylyn soon finds herself the target of a dark entity that has been trapped in the building for decades. If Kaylyn stands any chance of defeating the spirit, she'll have to accept that her fears are real and convince fellow investigators that she hasn't lost her mind.

Goodreads |Wattpad

About the Author: Skye Callahan

Skye Callahan was born and raised in Ohio and has seen enough unbelievable stuff to feed a lifetime of paranormal stories. When not writing or working at the dayjob, she hangs out with her ethnomusicologist husband and pet ferrets, reads, and takes long walks through the cemetery.

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Excerpt

Cole was out of the car and at least ten steps ahead by the time Kaylyn closed the passenger door. She shook enough dullness from her head to manage a quick sprint to catch up. Each thump of her foot against the ground echoed through her head, drowning out the latest spiel from her sister—yet another lecture.

Something is seriously off with this family dynamic, Kaylyn thought.

“He was supposed to meet us at the main entrance,” Cole said, pulling on the front door. “But it’s locked.”

“So… lecturing me about being late was all in vain?”

Cole clicked the heel of her boot against the concrete porch, her lips pressed into a tight line. “Or he gave up on waiting.”

“Five minutes, Cole. No one gives up after five minutes.”

Kaylyn and Cole peeked through the windows on either side of the door.

“Well, I don’t see anyone around,” Kaylyn said.

“I have a bad feeling.”

No. Not today. Whether Cole’s bad feelings turned out to be accurate or not, they always meant Kaylyn was about to have a shitty day. When little sister had a bad feeling, everything got done the hard way.

Kaylyn closed her eyes, reaching deep to muster enough energy to keep up and whispering a silent plea for Mr. Edwards to rush to the door and apologize for losing track of time.

Her plea was answered by a crash somewhere on the second floor of the house.

“Fuck,” she muttered, with little regard to who might hear it. An elderly couple glared in the direction of the two girls, probably convinced that they were planning to rob the old house. They may have been at the edge of town, but the historic district was always alive with sight-seers and antiquers.

Clue: It


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October 14-A Creative Mind 

October 15-Sunshine & Mountains Book Reviews 

October 16-My Beautiful NightMare 

October 17-Room With Books 

October 18-Ch’kara SilverWolf 

October 19-Amber Daulton Author 

October 20-All in a Book 

October 21-Dawna Raver 

October 22-Release Day BLITZ!! 

October 23-Depression is my Illusion but Books are my Reality & Books A to Z 

October 24-Once Upon a YA Book & Taylor Grace 

October 25-Sydney Aaliyah & Because Reading is better than real life