WOO! Great review for Winterborn!

It's from Novel Musings Book Reviews!

With every book, you get reviews. Some are good, some are not so good. For me, personally, there's always just one that stands out above the others. So far, this one is it!



Winterborn
A.D. Roland
Winterborn is one of those novels that upon reading the first couple of pages you begin to wonder to yourself “hmm, I hope this story isn’t going to be the same as all the other horror/thriller stories I’ve read in the last few years”. Don’t worry with every passing page A.D. Roland pulls in details and elements common in other stories in the genre and creates an a verifiable nightmare that is unique in and of itself. A story that is sure to leave you spell bound well past the last turn of the page.

The story begins 18 years prior to the main story arc where a group of 4 teenage friends have decided to sneak into the old Wraithborne Estate. Local legend has the mansion being haunted and is the #1 make out spot for young lovers. Their visit starts off bad and goes down hill fast as they find that the police officer keeping on eye on the house has been brutally killed, followed by a strange creature that scares them into the mansion and comes in after them. The terror only ends when an ancient wasted woman attacks Sharla causing her to lose consciousness.

This dark tale picks up with Tamsyn, an artist her husband Sean and his bastard child Kevin having recently moved back into his family’s home which just happens to be the original house of the caretakers of the Wraithborne Estate. The family dynamics quickly turn dark as you learn that Kevin’s mother is Sharla, the young lady attacked those many years ago, and that Sean was having an affair with her for most of his marriage with Tamsyn. Tamsyn only recently learning this information has resorted to drugs to cope with her feelings and marriage issues.

What follows is a psychological nightmare of monsters, demons, and magic that at first appear to the be the hallucinations of a deranged, drug addicted mind that slowly reveals itself to be a dark and horrifying reality. This story will continue to surprise you as each twist and turn in the plot unravels leaving you doubting what you know and just what evil lerks at the Wraithborne Estate.

A.D. Roland captivates your attention by spinning realistic characters rich in emotion and history. One of the most refreshing aspect of her writing is that both Sean and Tamsyn have very complex personalities and both play a major role in the plot. Due to this there are a few events that leave you doubting who the actual lead character is making it very difficult for the reader to know what is going to happen. In some cases A.D. Roland flipped the outcome of events to be the complete opposite of my expectations making the story all the more enjoyable.

Throughout the story we are introduced to many supporting characters, however their part in the story is restricted to when they interact with the lead characters. This enables some very central characters do not make there initial appearance until the end of the novel, leaving the reader to learn the underlying plot only when the character themselves learn it.

Winterborn will drag you along a dark and haunting road through the live of a psychologically damaged mind. You will enjoy every jarring minute as the line between reality, the supernatural, and hallucinations blur leaving you lost as to what demons A.D. Roland will unleash next.


You can buy Winterborn at www.allromanceebooks.com, and you can find excerpts in older blogposts!