Saturday 24 May 2014

Telling half the story

Hey wonderful readers! It's been another couple of months since my last post but it's been another busy time for me - I moved house again, and have been trying to spend my evenings getting to know my new housemates. I have a Saturday to myself today, and it's such a luxury!

A couple of weeks ago, I read a book called Bound, by Kira Saito. It was one of Amazon's free Kindle books (and still is on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com, I believe). It starts off alright. Be warned, mild spoilers. I'm always intrigued to read about magic/anything vaguely supernatural, and the book strongly features voodoo, with some interesting facts I'd never known. Call me silly if you like, but I'd always thought that hoodoo was a type of fake magic. Not so, and I love finding things like that out!
"Hoodoo is pure magic, without the help of the spirits while voodoo is magic with the aid of the spirits."
Anyway, the topic and a fairly good build up meant that the book had some promise. However, it had some serious flaws. For a start, the best friend was awful. It was like she was just there to provide a bitchy, unlikeable obstacle to the romance that was obviously going to happen between Aurelia and Lucus. While nothing technically happens, the 'romance' is still fairly cliched - other woman throws herself at him but he's obviously attracted to the protagonist, who puts herself down and really isn't interested, honest. I've never been a fan of that.

Here's the main thing, though. I had forgotten about most of my gripes and had just got into the book, when, mid-plot, it finished. No exaggeration - the plot starts to thicken, you can tell some good s*** is about to go down, and then I read the last lines...
"I cleared my throat and remained cool as I spoke. 'You need to put on a shirt because we have to talk.'
To be Continued
No this is not a trilogy".
http://www.buzzfeed.com/whitneyjefferson/the-31-most-iconic-eye-rolls-of-all-time
Erm, what? Come on! I know it was a free book but that is so blatantly an attempt to make me buy the second book that I just won't now, out of principle. Let me just say that I can understand that it was free and that writers, particularly indie writers, need to make money. There are surely some much better ways about it, though. I probably would have paid for the full version of that book (not cut off mid-way), and much preferred it to reading half a book for free. Admittedly, I don't think I'd pay more than about £1, but surely if the book was good, the writer would be able to raise the price of the following books a little? I've frequently spent a fair bit of money to read more books in a series I love - Veronica Roth's Allegiant was around £8, for example.

It also makes me wonder. If I bought Punished, the second book in the series, currently at £1.79 at Amazon.co.uk, would the same thing happen? Would it be the second half of the book I was hoping to read, or would the old plot be resolved, a new one start, and the whole thing happen again?

What do you think? Is it just me that hates an early finish? Would you be more likely to read the book if it was free, and what would your thoughts be on it finishing before the end?


10 comments:

  1. I think it happens with all the free books that it ends up quite early I wonder why they would offer free book if it was a famous or lengthy book.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I was wondering if you ever thought of changing the structure of your site? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or 2 pictures. Maybe you could space it out better? netflix login

    ReplyDelete
  3. There are 26 bi-weekly payments in the year so the gap between 581. canada mortgage calculator If you intend to reside in in your current home for several years, and after that move to your bigger one, then you must make your mortgage plans around your desired equity level at that time. mortgage payment calculator canada

    ReplyDelete
  4. . LED Light Tapes For Stage Design Lighting
    Any event needs stage lighting. Stage lighting is crucial for any event. Because they can be used for many purposes, LED light strips are an excellent way to illuminate stages. They are energy-efficient and last hours. These light strips can reach places where traditional sources of light cannot.
    click here

    ReplyDelete
  5. Shop sign with led neon
    This is a practical and creative video about RGB lights in a room.


    What you will need:

    For wall lighting with LED strip light strips, we recommend 3528 CCT Adjustable Strips to recessed lighting, 573 LED Strip for surface-mounted lighting, and a 4-in-1 5050 RGBW strip for decorative lighting.
    Depending on how bright the light is, you can use 60 to 120 LEDs/m.
    The wall's measurements will determine the length of the strip. To connect the strips together and connect them to a power source, you can use connectors for LED light strips.
    The wattage needed to run the strips can be calculated by multiplying its length with the wattage/meter. For example, a 20 m LED light strip of 5730 will consume 20mx13w/m = 265w.
    Use LED light strip controllers to control the brightness and color temperature of your LED light strips.
    click here

    ReplyDelete
  6. The #1 online furniture shopping in North East. Discover a large selection of products by top brands ✔ Low Prices ✔ Big Discounts ✔ Fast Shipping ✔ Genuine Brand beds, sofas, bed room, lighting, accessories, living room, mirrors, dining, seatings and pictures. For more information's and details to visit us: https://homedesign.co.uk/accessories

    ReplyDelete
  7. For the best experience visit here
    https://www.revisebook.com/digital-marketing-agency-company-online-advertising/

    ReplyDelete
  8. telling half the story is best version i like it
    get to know more
    https://www.revisebook.com/digital-marketing-agency-company-online-advertising/
    Adopt the Future of Marketing with Digital Marketing Solutions from ReviseBook. Being ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving digital environment is essential for corporate success. With the help of ReviseBook's cutting-edge digital marketing solutions, businesses may thrive in the current marketing landscape. ReviseBook enables businesses to forge deep connections with their target audience and fuel growth like never before by leveraging the power of AI-driven data, individualized marketing techniques, and omni-channel approache

    ReplyDelete
  9. half the story is really best
    visit here:
    https://www.revisebook.com/digital-marketing-agency-company-online-advertising/
    ReviseBook enables businesses to forge deep connections with their target audience and fuel growth like never before by leveraging the power of AI-driven data, individualized marketing techniques, and omni-channel approaches.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for commenting!