Book Review - Reckoning by Katheryn J. Avila

​* * * I give Reckoning by Katheryn J Avila 3 stars! I was given an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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Phew! I almost missed out on this enjoyable read. I loved the story after Chapter 2, but it took me that long to get into it. The truth is that if I hadn’t agreed to review it, I probably would’ve stopped reading at the start of Chapter 1 and that would’ve been a shame. It would be a 4-star read for me if it hadn’t been for the awkward start.

Click cover to view on Amazon.com

What I Liked:

• I enjoyed the fresh take on reapers.
• There were a lot of interesting details about Lexia and her family and their abilities. I enjoyed the “psychic GPS” shared by the twins, the descriptions of astral projection, and the way reapers had to hold back their power. The touch of romance was well done, too.
• There were some great sections where the action was interspersed with flashbacks. It served to keep the tension high while still revealing needed detail. I think more of the prologue could have been shown this way and the book’s opening would have been stronger for it.
• Also, less related to content but still a nice feature, the cover is amazing. 

What I Didn’t Like:

• As I mentioned above, it was hard to get into. The prologue seemed excessive to me. I understand that it depicted a huge turning point in Lexia’s life, but it seemed too long. And then, when Chapter 1 started, I felt like I had to reconnect with the characters as their ages and their lives had changed so much. But, I didn’t have the time to make that connection as a lot of action began immediately. The tension of those opening scenes was lost on me and when Lexia did a very noble, self-sacrificing thing I didn’t care very much because I hadn’t connected with her yet. When I made it to Chapter 2, I started to get a feel for her and I started to get into the book. But, if a writer loses readers in those critical first pages, it can be rough to recover.
• Also in the first chapter, I felt that I was learning about the abilities of the characters just a split second before those abilities were in action. Common advice for writers is to begin in the middle of the action. But, this first chapter didn’t flow for me. It seemed disjointed. I feel I would’ve connected to the story quicker if we had been shown Lexia at work, trying to help people with her gifts right off the bat and I would’ve been more invested when her life was threatened. Additionally, the abilities could have been introduced further ahead of when they were needed and it would’ve felt more natural when they were used during the action.
• There were a few minor formatting and spelling problems such as missing letters or “purchased” instead of “purchase”. I noticed, but they weren’t so frequent as to distract me.
• Usually, I’m a fan of a fast pace. And I appreciate the difficulty of creating afterlife realms and describing them. Sometimes, though, the book seemed a bit rushed. I found myself having to go back to reread a bit to make sure I was understanding.

 
Would I Recommend This and to Whom:
I recommend this to fans of Urban Fantasy who want something refreshing. It’s a different take on the grim reaper and Nephilim. I plan to read the next in this series when it’s released as I think the concept has potential.