The Gauntlet: Results and Reviews

Wielders: Protectors of the Realms by ChloeShepherd810

Final Total: 3.8 (reshelved)

Reader 1:

Cover: 2/4 It's nice! A bit busy, but I really like the font you used (can you tell me what it is?). In the blurb, however, there is no mention of fights and swords, other than Sora's blade of light, and these are rather standard edition blades of steel. I can't really make out what that is on the right sword, are those flowers? It looks a little bit like cabbage. Considering the one on the left has bits of light flickering about it I am assuming the cabbage is meant to be darkness?

I don't think you really need the "Novel written by" part. That's something you'd usually see in non-fiction.

It is a good effort, but I am not sure how it relates to the blurb... The planet in the background, and the "lens flare" feel very Star Trek-y, but the blurb doesn't mention space travel at all. Rather, the cover has rather a fantasy feel to it, with the mages and all.

Title: 1.5/2  Just looking at the title it is very clear this is for a scifi book. It's bold, and although I've got no idea what it means, it does have a certain gravitas to it. I'm expecting it to slam onto the screen with brute force and loud laser sounds like in the cartoons I watched as a kid. I don't know how it relates to the blurb, because you don't really mention the Wielders, or the realm...

Blurb: 2/4

You make no mention whatsoever to what "Wielders" are. I am guessing Sora is one - is he 'wielding' the blade of light? But because this is clearly important, considering it takes up half the title and half the cover, it would be nice to have an explanation of what it means and who they are.

The first part of the blurb is perfectly fine, in my opinion, but when you get to Sora's fiancée getting kidnapped it gets a little out of hand. This can be rectified quite easily. You're giving your readers a lot of information, which is good, but it needs to be diluted to be less overwhelming. Tell me, why he is forced to work with Ellery? Why is she an evil henchwoman? What makes her his sworn enemy? Would be also good to have at least the fiancée's name, so she feels more like a character and less a plot device.

When you start talking about Ellery, it would be good to split that into a second paragraph, as you are switching focus onto a different character. The way you describe Ellery's soul "lying in tatters" is quite poetic - I rather like it, but again, would be nice to know a little more.

The last sentence would need a re-looking at, I think, because as it is now, it reads as if Ellery and Malena are the only two who "can bring peace and prosperity to the universe..."

Now for overall thoughts. This story does appeal to me as it is - we have a guy who's been prophesied to be the chosen one, but he doesn't really seem to be hitting the mark with it, and a woman who seems evil but probably isn't considering she's willing to help him. That sounds good. We have a rough idea of a conflict - but this is vague. All of this seems very fantasy adventure - but then I read the tags and they are all romance? Where does arranged marriage come into play? I'm still interested, but now feel like this book might be completely different than what I'm expecting... 

Total: 5.5 (I've put the book back on the shelf)

Reader 2:

Cover: 0/0 What... is this? The huge title and wide-set plain subtitle font say "I am Textbook!" The planet and sun say, "I am Space Textbook!" but then we have ugly fantasy swords that aren't even all the way on the cover, one of which is draped in what looks like some sort of alien vegetable overgrowth, and now I'm getting an "I am Weird Space Fantasy Textbook!" vibe, which just... no. Not picking this one up. Send it back from whence it came and start over.