Review and Giveaway Rook (Timeless Games #1) by Monica MacDonald

REVIEW:

"Often, we are so wrapped up in our own world that all we can see is the reflection of ourselves in others work. We all have our expectations," [...]. "We all have our beliefs and values. Often, the message communicated by the artist is lost to our internal noise." [B]ut we have to mix the artist with ourselves to interpret a piece."

Like many others, I too went through a phase of Indian spirituality and although it long passed as a primary focus, I left with nostalgia of it. That’s way when I found in the book’s description the name of Kali and past and future lives, I thought that the reference is clear and I could not resist the temptation to see how Monica MacDonald used these mythological elements.

Even if the supernatural element is introduced from the prologue, it is kept in a sufficiently blurred zone in the way that you’ll not know very well who, what and what are able of the characters. Along the way you get enough clues to lead you to the correct conclusion, but the author does not give you all the explanations and will even sprinkle some details that will guide you on possible other paths leaving thereby the door open to more possibilities.

Kali, Chandra, Shiva will come out of the mythological poems and will write through Monica MacDonald new pages about reincarnation, eternal love and soul mate, how love can bring destruction or salvation to the lovers and how good intentions can crumble futures when it’s considered that only the goal matters.

The author will captivate you by creating two "separate" stories, but closely related, and each time you read one you’ll be eager to know what happens in the other, but mostly to find out what exactly is the link between them. The mystery is well kept, the author knowing what and how much to unveil.

I liked how the characters have crossed time: some are (apparently) new consciousness which have their own mundane difficulties to overcome, but which contribute to their development, while others, self-awareness, do not seem to want to change.

Although the love is the cause of everything going on, the romance is a delicate and graceful presence. Alternating between past and present, the events are flowing smoothly, complementing each other and providing new information and connection points. I hope the chain links that seem to me to be missing or would be required would be included in the next volume. Because I mention the prologue, I will say also something about the epilogue: it’s belongs to ... to the negative character and makes me think (hope) that we will have in the future also his point of view.

I appreciated the author's style who successfully used both figures of speech and embedded some lessons for the young readers to whom the book is intended.

However, if you have a bit of a romantic nature or if you are attracted by the idea of cosmological love, there are big chances for you to like this book whose pages will fly without even notice.

"In the distance, tumbling feet tripped blindly through unseen roots and branches. My weak attempt to cry for help produced only a raspy whisper. Then it went quiet. My ears strained as the silence pressed in on me like a closing coffin."

"I've loved you since time began," he said. "You promised me that we'd be great, and that we'd do it together." His eyes slid in and out of focus, as though accusing me from each of the years we’d been apart."

"It’s so dark and I can’t hear him anymore."

“The moment you stop thinking with your heart is the moment you start to die a little. It's our passion and love that sometimes makes us choose the wrong path, but is also what makes us feel alive. There is no reason to be ashamed."

„It’s no coincidence that miracles disappear when people stop looking for them."

„When the pain gone, he closed his eyes while the music sang words of one soul being left for another.”

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About the author:

Monica is a married graduate student with three boys. Utah is home right now, but the need to wander has extended beyond the fantasy world of writing and into real life. She's lived all around the US and even into the Middle East. The world is really a small place, only made bigger through imagination.

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