Thursday, 26 January 2012

Mike Saxton Review

Banshee in the Well begins with Niall Carver in his room, on the computer when he hears a loud shriek that cracks the glass of the window. Home alone, he decides to investigate. His journey leads him to an old well on the property, which has been sealed and locked since long before he came around. He manages to get it open to discover a strange girl with black markings.

After a brief confrontation, she introduces herself as Sathra the dryad. She is from the 13 century, her magic used to escape her imprisonment from monks by warping her to the present day. She explains what a dryad is and what she needs to do to regain her magical powers to return to her time and her 11 half-sisters. Niall is fascinated, not realizing that Sathra is actually a banshee, not a dryad, and there are only two ways to regain her power: get struck by lightning or sacrifice a male her age. Well it just so happens that she is 12 and so is Niall. There are more 12 year old males than bolts of lightning striking in the vicinity so inevitably, she needs to commit murder.

Sathra can't just kill. She has to sacrifice the male in a circle of stones, and he has to enter it willingly. Adventures ensue as she tries to lure Niall to the circle while pretending to be his friend. In the meantime, she becomes a bit conflicted and decides to try alternative males but manages to get herself in trouble. Can she find someone else to sacrifice to spare Niall? Will the young boy be able to escape with his life? Is there a way for both of them to get their way with no bloodshed?

I have to say, Sathra is quite an amusing character. She does not understand modern technology (no surprise) such as Google Searches (gargoyle searches), computers & televisions (magical simulacrums), etc. Despite her heightened physical attributes (she beats the hell out of full grown adults pulling off some crazy stunts), she keeps managing to get herself into trouble and screwing up her plans.

The story itself is a lot of fun. It's not a long read, but it draws the reader in. With amusing characters (especially Sathra), an unexpected and welcome amount of action (especially the part where she beats the hell out of a mouthy little punk), and an interesting story, this is worthwhile for younger readers (teens) on up. There's even a band called Karmic Surprise, and they are very aptly named (I will give away no more than that as it comes together in the end). I hope the author comes out with a sequel, I'd love to read it.

Mike Saxton Review

Wednesday, 25 January 2012

Faso Wall Review

Original, perceptive and witty; edgy, shrewd and sly; this is a dazzling read from a Charlie’s Angel of an author who delivers karate chops with both hands and winks at the audience while she does it. Twelve-year-old Niall, a farmer’s son, is alone in the farmhouse when he hears a blood-curdling shriek outside. He tracks the sound down to an old well in the corner of his garden. He rescues Sathra, a banshee girl who’s been transported through a time warp from the thirteenth century to the present day. After this captivating opening Niall and Sathra set off for lots of unlikely yet spellbinding adventures. But whose side is Sathra really on? Truth may be stranger than fiction but in the altered reality of Lovejoy's intricate tale you'll keep on guessing till the end and you'll think about the story long after you've finished reading. Gritty, quirky, smart and vibrantly funny, BANSHEE IN THE WELL is as compelling as it is entertaining.
Faso Wall Goodreads Review

Monday, 23 January 2012

Mark Chapman Review

Banshee in the Well is a well written novel/novella (not sure which) and is good fun. The two main characters are both likable and amusing. Robin Lovejoy has learnt how to write a 'page-turner.' I read the book on my kindle in one evening. Well worth buying if you enjoy this genre. I look forward to the sequel.
Mark Chapman Review

Monday, 16 January 2012

Jonathan Winspear Review

An excellent first book from this author that clips along at a nice pace and is full of adventure for readers in the YA category. One feels for both protagonists; the young Niall, and his banshee 'friend' Sathra, and the reader is never quite sure until the final pages as to the outcome.

The author has a fine use of English, especially when characters are moving from scene to scene - action and location being never muddied but always clear and descriptive.

A very good first novel. 


Jonathan Winspear Review 

Sunday, 15 January 2012

Reg Cragin Review

Well done, a must for the quick, and adventuristic. A shining first achievement, from the most promising author Robin Lovejoy. Excellent characters, fun, and fantastic. Greatly woven wit, twisting the enchanting, and entertaining to the very end. Highly recommended. This year reward yourself with this fine read, or give a Kindle to someone you love, and enhance it with the "Banshee in the Well". You'll be glad you did. 
Reg Cragin Review 

Wednesday, 4 January 2012

Sara Jo Easton Review

Sathra is a twelve year old banshee who is in the wrong century. To return to her own time, she has to sacrifice a twelve year old human boy. Unfortunately for her, the 21st century is a strange time with strange new ideas and customs. Her one hope may be a boy named Niall who wants to be her friend.

I loved that Sathra stayed true to her banshee self throughout the story, and I was greatly amused by her attempts to find a sacrifice and regain her powers. Lovejoy has written an entertaining story that is a great way to spend the afternoon. I'm looking forward to reading more of her work. 


Sara Jo Easton Review 

Monday, 2 January 2012

BANSHEE IN THE WELL IS RELEASED!

I guess that means she’s out of the well! But anyway the moment has arrived, my book is now available on Amazon Kindle for the princely sum of $1.49 (or £0.99). It’s the kind of quality you just can’t buy. Well obviously you can, but not until now. I’ll get $0.52 in royalties for each book sold, so I need to make twenty sales to get my $10 outlay back. So what are you waiting for? Download Banshee in the Well right now! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! I’ve also done a separate post for comments/reviews by anyone who happens to read the book.

Here are the Amazon US and UK links. 



Siouxsie and the Banshees




Banshee in the Well by Robin Lovejoy - a totally SPELLBOUND book inspired by the music of Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Banshee in the Well on Amazon.com
Banshee in the Well on Amazon.co.uk