*** Review*** Tethers (Tethers trilogy #1) by Jack Croxall

On the Back of the Book

In the wake of a cold Victorian winter, Karl Scheffer and Esther Emerson discover an anonymous journal filled with strange passages and bizarre scribblings.

The journal soon draws them into a covert and sinister conspiracy, a conspiracy centred around an otherworldly artefact with the power to change everything …

Karl and Esther have spent almost every day of their thirteen years in the quiet market town of Shraye. Stifled by their rural surroundings and frustrated by their unfulfilled ambitions, they find the allure of the journal’s mysterious pages impossible to ignore. The book seems to be beckoning them away from Shraye, away from their homes and towards the coast where an unsolved disappearance has set in motion a dark chain of events.

The voyage the teenagers soon find themselves undertaking is one of desperate importance and true peril; it will change the way they see the world, and each other, forever.

Pre Read Thoughts

I’m choosing this because:

This is another book that I’m reading because I was approached by the author. This book excited me because it’s set in one of my top three historical eras (My favourites just in case you’re interested are Victorian, Roman and I like the WW2 era. There’s just something about the way we banded together as a country.) Not only that, it manages to be one of my favourite genres too (fantasy, I like imagining things.). So before I’ve even turned a page we’re on to a bit of a winner. This is another book with a male protagonist and as we know, I like this because I get bored of whiny girls hiding behind their eternal love and hoping the world allows them to be together forever. The Goodreads book description really appeals to me and I really hope what’s in the book is just as good.

Judging a book by its cover:

I actually really like the cover of Tethers. The blues and purples blend together perfectly and making the focus of the cover the purple stone. (Well, I put jewel in my initial draft of this review. Stone fits better though.) Either way, it’s intriguing and it makes me wonder about its importance to the story. Now on to the font... oh I think I’m in love with it to be perfectly honest! It’s so pretty without being over the top. It’s so beautiful and it manages to compliment the rest of the cover without overpowering it. I want that font!!! Anyway... back to the review, the simplicity of the cover is what makes it stand out. My magpie instinct has kicked in, this is the kind of cover I’d spend hours stroking in the shop.

Pricing the (possible) awesomeness:

So this is available in eBook form only and is very reasonably priced at £1.85 on Amazon. However, if you’re a Prime member you can borrow it for free!!! Then once you’ve enjoyed it you can buy it... and the rest of the trilogy.

Post Read Thoughts

I have to say this is another book that I thoroughly enjoyed. The story draws you in with beautiful description and a sidekick that shines so bright that I had to reach for my sunglasses! Did I mention how much I love the Victorian era and that made me love getting to create images of old fashioned scenes (although, I did miss making everyone drive Lamborghinis.). The writing made me want to read as much as possible and I would’ve finished this quicker but I had to turn into a gardening goddess for my mum and do her shopping. (It takes a lot of time being a good daughter you know!) I really did find this to be an enjoyable experience that I think everyone needs to experience.

Karl – He’s our main character and while I did like him there were definitely other characters that I liked more *cough* Esther *cough*. A comment about his eyes early on in the book made me think about another book I just read ‘Sky Song’ by Sharon Sant which also features an MC with unusual eyes. (Maybe they were psychically linked while MC planning!) A part of me wanted to see him getting a bit more stuck into the action in ways that weren’t accidental, however I did like that he wasn’t hands on. It set him apart from other heroes.

Esther – She’s easily my favourite character, she’s courage and awesomeness all rolled into a Victorian 13 year old!  She’s nothing like the damsels in distress that grace far too many book and I appreciated that. More than I can ever tell you. I do wonder what the book would’ve been like from her POV... or maybe a split POV. I think Esther needs to be heard!! Anyway, I loved her fearlessness, it makes me want to be her best friend... actually she’s only 13; I’ll be her big sister instead.

Mr Cauldwell – He’s an interesting character it has to be said, but of the characters featured throughout the story he’s my least favourite. I believe that he genuinely cares about Karl and Esther but I feel like I want to know more about him. He’s a character that we never really got to meet even though he’s there a lot.

Harland – I adored Harland. He really inspired and helped Esther and a guy that can do that is alright as far as I’m concerned. He had contacts that really helped to push the story forward and make their journey feel like it had an end destination. I appreciated him. Go Harland!!

Overall this is a wonderful read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I say this but there are definitely things I’d have done differently but I appreciate what Jack did with the characters and the story and it’s a testament to the quality of the story when you want to change things but still love how they are. The book managed to keep me occupied for long periods, which is a bit of a miracle considering my attention span, and was easy to read and wasn’t littered with the errors that indie authors so often seem to miss. It did exactly what a book is supposed to do and let me tell you it did it well! That ending! Eurgh! I hate cliffhangers! Especially awesome ones!! Gimme Tethers 2!!!

My Rating

4.5 Stars – I went through the motions rating this. I was like 4??? No it’s worth more 5??? I don’t know!!! I rarely give 5!!!  So at the moment we’re at 4.5 but I’m looking at that 5 and thinking yes! Okay:  

***Re-Rating: 5 stars – This is such a fun book to read and I really loved it! It’s action packed and has amazing characters that make reading such a joy. I adore how this is suitable for everyone. All I have to say is: Well played Mr Croxall! Now when did you say Tethers 2 is available?

A Final Note

I received no pennies for this review. I wrote it because I’m nice and appreciate good books. Many thanks to Jack Croxall for providing me with this!

Also, did you know that I interviewed Jack the other day? Check it out here.