Official Review: Muse by Katherine Jean Pope

Please use this sub-forum to discuss any fantasy or science fiction books or series.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Post Reply
User avatar
BookWorm07
Posts: 155
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 05:41
Bookshelf Size: 30
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bookworm07.html
Latest Review: "The Voice of Thunder" by Raina Kadavil

Official Review: Muse by Katherine Jean Pope

Post by BookWorm07 »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Muse" by Katherine Jean Pope.]
Book Cover
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


Every story ever written started out in the Dreamlands, as pure imagination. It’s our job, the job of the muses, to find a good story and bring it back to the Real.”

Muse by Katherine Jean Pope is a fantasy novel like no other I’ve read. The story is set in the Dreamlands which is a world with a diverse population of mythical or imaginary creatures. Mina is a brand new muse in this world. She just appeared one day in the middle of a coffee shop in the Dreamland. The owner of the shop, Gimlore, a kindhearted gnome, allows her to stay on till she finds her footing in this strange world. It was in this coffee shop that she meets Max, a fellow muse, who invites her along to the Faelands for a masquerade ball held just a week before the Equinox. At the ball, she gets to meet Shade, better known as ‘the Creature’. When Shade gets blamed for kidnapping and possibly killing the Fae King, Mina realizes that something wasn't quite right in the land of imagination. She becomes a character in her own story as she is forcibly sent on a quest to solve the mystery before time runs out.

This novel came as a breath of fresh air after reading tons of fantasy novels with cliché plots and characters. I liked that this was the story about how and where stories are born. I particularly liked these lines from the opening paragraph of the novel.

“When you open a book, it seldom starts with a tedious accounting of all the character’s actions since birth, and it’s just the same with muses. I suddenly was, and am, Lumina. Call me Mina, though. I like that better. “

The major theme of the book is about finding oneself and knowing who were your real friends. Mina’s journey into the Dreamland is fraught with danger and she struggles to identify who really was her friend in the world where nothing and no one were exactly as they seem.

I was never bored while reading this book as the plot took a few twists and turns from what I had originally expected. The world was not just well-built, but also as intriguing as its occupants. The dynamics of the different powers in this world were quite interesting to read. The descriptions were truly captivating. It is clear that the author knew her craft. She uses just the right amount of description to perfectly set the tone for her scenes without bombarding readers with excessive details. Her characters are well-developed and as real as muses, faeries and werewolves could be. Pope wrote her main characters particularly well. Mina was a new girl in a strange place. She knew next to nothing and was confused yet determined to find answers to her problems. Shade, on the other hand, was cocky, foul-mouthed, good-hearted yet misunderstood soul. There are more equally complex characters such as the Fae King and Queen, the werewolf leaders, and even Packrats. I enjoyed the fact that though there was an obvious attraction between the two main leads, the story wasn't centered around their relationship. Nor had the author turned the romance into a love triangle which, unfortunately, seems to have become the current trend.

I'm being nitpicky, but I found a few phrases or dialogues that were repeated a couple of times. They, I felt, could have been avoided or at least differently worded. However, it hadn’t happened often enough to call for a reduced rating. So, I rate it with a full 4 out of 4 stars and say Muse by Katherine Jane Pope is a fantastic story by an author who seems to know her characters and the world really well. I hope this story shall continue and turn into a series because there were a still a few things left unexplained. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre and are looking for something different, then pick this one up. I guarantee you'll have a good time.

******
Muse
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like BookWorm07's review? Post a comment saying so!
"Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic" - J.K. Rowling
Latest Review: "The Voice of Thunder" by Raina Kadavil
User avatar
Lisalovecraft
Posts: 235
Joined: 19 Jan 2015, 22:10
Bookshelf Size: 21
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-lisalovecraft.html
Latest Review: "A Devil of a Time" by Gretchen Jeannette

Post by Lisalovecraft »

This sounds very interesting. Muse does sound different from your average fantasy novel. This is a well written review!
Latest Review: "A Devil of a Time" by Gretchen Jeannette
Duende Knocking
Posts: 208
Joined: 01 Feb 2015, 14:36
Favorite Author: Albert Camus
Currently Reading: Too lazy to update this every day
Bookshelf Size: 19
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-duende-knocking.html
Latest Review: "A World Within Our World" by J. M. Parker
fav_author_id: 2688

Post by Duende Knocking »

Sounds great! I agonized over grabbing this book up myself, but there was another fantasy book I was interested and a coin toss determined the other one.

I was wondering though - what would you say the intended age range for this is? I got the impression from the preview that it was more of a YA novel based on the language, but first chapters can be deceiving. :)
"Everything is a dangerous drug except reality, which is unendurable."
- Cyril Connolly
Latest Review: "A World Within Our World" by J. M. Parker
User avatar
HoneyB
Posts: 296
Joined: 05 Dec 2014, 11:09
Currently Reading: The Law of Moses
Bookshelf Size: 270
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-honeyb.html
Latest Review: "The Whisper of Time" by Ute Carbone

Post by HoneyB »

What a great review.

Side note: The cover and title would not have led me to think this was a fantasy novel (never judge a book...), but it's simple, clean, and pretty. I like it.
A book is a device to ignite the imagination.
~Alan Bennett
Latest Review: "The Whisper of Time" by Ute Carbone
User avatar
BookWorm07
Posts: 155
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 05:41
Bookshelf Size: 30
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bookworm07.html
Latest Review: "The Voice of Thunder" by Raina Kadavil

Post by BookWorm07 »

Lisalovecraft wrote:This sounds very interesting. Muse does sound different from your average fantasy novel. This is a well written review!
Thanks :lol:

-- 02 Mar 2015, 23:18 --
Duende Knocking wrote:Sounds great! I agonized over grabbing this book up myself, but there was another fantasy book I was interested and a coin toss determined the other one.

I was wondering though - what would you say the intended age range for this is? I got the impression from the preview that it was more of a YA novel based on the language, but first chapters can be deceiving. :)
Haha.. Your loss was my gain. :wink: Hope the other book was good.

Well yes it is YA fantasy. But its hard to give an age limit to this book. It has a fairytale like feel to it, but also has mild swearing. So I guess its for 14-15 years or older people.

-- 02 Mar 2015, 23:20 --
HoneyB wrote:What a great review.

Side note: The cover and title would not have led me to think this was a fantasy novel (never judge a book...), but it's simple, clean, and pretty. I like it.
True. The cover isn't what I expect in a fantasy novel either. But then the book totally makes up for that. Thanks for leaving a comment. :)
"Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic" - J.K. Rowling
Latest Review: "The Voice of Thunder" by Raina Kadavil
User avatar
shadenokturne
Posts: 3
Joined: 17 Nov 2014, 19:57
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by shadenokturne »

I think this is the nicest review I've ever gotten! This is my first (published) novel, and I'm so glad you liked it and were able to overlook my indie author first-timer mistakes. I am actually preparing to re-release a lightly revised version with a new cover that better reflects the genre very soon---along with another book set in the same world called Outsider. Thank you all so much for taking a chance, and taking the time to read it despite the slightly misleading cover lol. <3

As for age range, I think that 14-15 is a good starting age, but really it's for anyone. It's got some bad language, but nothing graphic or too mature.
User avatar
shelley_soetosenojo
Posts: 226
Joined: 04 Sep 2015, 16:20
Favorite Author: Nora Roberts
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 21940">the fiery cross</a>
Currently Reading: A Taste of Seduction
Bookshelf Size: 139
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-shelley-soetosenojo.html
Latest Review: "Love Built to Last" by Lisa Ricard Claro
Reading Device: B0716S5G56
fav_author_id: 3258

Post by shelley_soetosenojo »

Thank you for the great review. You make the book come alive. I will put this book on my to read list.
Congratz to the author for a great review too.
Latest Review: "Love Built to Last" by Lisa Ricard Claro
Post Reply

Return to “Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books”