I was first introduced to Jess C Scott through her blog-novel “Eyeleash.” While I found it very intriguing, and unquestionably unique it was also very difficult to critique her writing style due to its formatting… so when she asked me to take a look at her novella “The Devilin Fey” I was excited. Here was my chance to see how well Scott pushed her pen, and if her more “mainstream” attempt at writing was as interesting as her previous work.
It was not.
Please do not misunderstand me… Scott’s writing was not bad, the quality of writing was quite good, what was lacking was focus.
“The Devilin Fey” is a novella comprised of 2 short stories. The first is a story of a girl who learns to channel her anger through her relationship with an Incubus, the other is the story of a Succubus who doesn’t know when to stop and is overrun with a wild jealousy.
The first story is the one I am most concerned with. The initial relationship “set-up” between the main character and her incubus seemed somewhat disjointed… as if Scott couldn’t really make up her mind as to how she wanted her plot to begin. It was not until half way through (when the “revenge” scenario popped up) that Scott seemed to finally hit her stride. Lucky for her, she has a genuinely artistic way with words that almost (and I stress the almost) overshadowed the jumpiness that (at times) had me re-reading paragraphs.
The second story however was much better. The choppiness was no longer present, the plot was was straight forward, and the details put into the characters was spot on. Scott’s writing grew and that is what’s important.
I can’t say for certain that I would fork over the $1.99 this novel is currently priced at (if for no other reason than the length alone) but if you are a hardcore paranormal romance/erotica fan the price tag should in no way be a deal breaker. I think you will enjoy what you get for your dollars.
On a side note: I look forward to the day Scott decides to take on the world and write a full length book. While rough and somewhat abstract… her talent remains undeniable.
Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Dreams are the windows to your soul… so you might want to grab the Windex and clean those bitches.
For a complete book description click image
[Rating:3.5/5]
I am not at all familiar with the paranormal romance genre, but I read Jess Scott’s The Devilin Fey and I was pleasantly surprised. She has a skill I sometimes miss in the contemporary, mainly plot-driven literature: a good command of language, convincing images, and an accessible but intelligent style. She is still young and if she sticks to it, she will become a very accomplished writer.
Christa Polkinhorn, Author
I agree…. She is very talented. I think if she keeps writing she will smooth out her edges and leave a very impressive stamp in the literary world. 🙂