The Corin Chronicles: Volume 1

Debut author Amazon presents a sci-fi tale wrapped in fantasy and mystery.

Authors blend genres all the time, particularly sci-fi and fantasy, but this novel also adds a dash of modern-day mystery. The story begins with an intergalactic war between gods. After the great Auphora, a Zeus-like character, banishes his rebellious son, Baran, he splits Baran’s world, Corin, into light and dark halves. Although the turmoil among the immortals ends, the people who reside on Corin suffer in a hell of either permanent light or permanent darkness. However, they also whisper of the Anointed One, a legendary savior who is their last hope to reunite the planet. The story then shifts its setting to Earth, where it focuses on a global detective agency which aims to capture the Anointed One. The novel’s concepts are intriguing, and so is the writing; author Amazon conjures vivid descriptions throughout, as when he introduces monsters like the cave-dwelling Kalkarats, whose red eyes impressively “ripple with fire.” However, the author falters when he shifts perspectives, sometimes taking characters away before readers have had a chance to warm up to them. The book also starts with a massive battle, which proves a dubious choice; at that point, readers have little reason to care about the characters whose lives are at stake. Overall, the novel simply goes in too many directions, and some readers may feel at times that they, like the characters, are minor players in a major conflict, just passing through.

An imaginative but sometimes scattered genre-hopping novel.