This story is so full of imagery it is sometimes difficult to follow the story. But, the imagery is so very vivid, it tells a story all its own. This is a tale of almost-lost love, secrets that would best have stayed buried and adversaries who are even more evil that imagined. A fun romp through unfamiliar territory that makes the reader impatient for the next in the series so one can journey there again. ( )

I started out not being terribly sure about this; too many unexplained things were happening at once. However...

THEN THE TWISTS BEGAN TO HAPPEN.

The story of a Steampunk Buffy haunted by ghosts (literally) and undermined worse by her lack of self-confidence than by the betrayals of everything she holds dear.

I think I went through the last 3/4 of the book with the word "No!" on my lips the entire time, like when someone's telling you a particularly juicy piece of gossip. I only wished it had been much, much longer. ( )

"I am Portia Gyony," she repeated, and the world bent slightly around the edges.

What would it be like to witness a battle between celestial beings? Sort of like The Convent of the Pure by Sara M. Harvey. Portia is a demon hunter and a Nephilim, a descendant of human and angel. Still mourning the death of her lover Imogen, yet protected by the ghost of Imogen, Portia is trying to complete her training to become a full member of the Gyony (demon hunter Nephilim as opposed to magic user or necromancer Nephilim) community.

Instead she is pulled into a plot to over throw the Primacy, the ruling council of the Nephilim, by a dark-hearted sect of necromancers, one of which helped her keep Imogen at her side after her tragic death. Portia isn't just a tool in the necromancer plot, she is the plot, one of the rare "Pure Bloods", a direct child of an angel and human.

The Convent of the Pure is a fast paced dark fantasy with steampunk elements. The world is rich and enticing, the only real flaw is it's short length. The world really could support a full length book, if not a series as Portia and Imogen are engaging, their romance a sweet up point against the dark tenseness of the world setting. Portia is strong without being snarky or bitchy. There's no stress over her ability to "hang with the boys", no real issue of gender roles at all, which is refreshing. The action is large scale and satisfying without being too easy or overwhelming.

Overall The Convent of the Pure is an excellent, enjoyable tale sure to appeal to readers of dark fantasy, urban fantasy and even paranormal romance. ( )

The premise: this steampunk fantasy is steeped in the Biblical legends of the Nephilim and is the first installment of a trilogy. Portia is sent to an abandoned convent to investigate news of a demon. She's still reeling from the incident that cost her lover Imogen her life and has little to no confidence in her abilities or magic. Fortunately, the ghost of Imogen is always at Portia's side, giving her guidance when she needs it. However, it may not be enough, as what Portia hunts is far greater and more dangerous than anyone ever imagined, and worst of all, her dead lover might be involved in a plot that will destroy her.

My Rating

Glad It Was Free: there's potential in this book, no doubt, and certainly, Harvey is dealing with original material when it comes to the fantasy genre. Using Biblical mythology/legends that embrace more than simply angels and demons can make for a fascinating read, but my wish is that rather than writing a novella, the author had really THROWN herself into the world and created a story that was bigger and more epic. I wanted to like the book far more than I did, and I blame my distance on the fact that I'm thrown into the action and expected to care about characters that I don't even know in crisis. The info-dumping, while extremely necessary to get through the book, is unfortunate because I'd rather experience and discover the world, not have it dumped on me. It's a fast read that reminds me of a hybrid between Harry Potter and the film The Orphanage in terms of setting and world-building, which is kind of fun. But I firmly believe the novella (or a trilogy of) is the wrong form for this epic set of ideas, of world-building, and even the level of relationships that have formed between the characters. Everything about this story is epic, but the form is far too short to let the reader truly appreciate and experience it, which in turn is a let down. Will I read the rest of the trilogy? No. I'm convinced the two sequels will be told in the same manner, and if the form doesn't work for me, why read more just to get more out of the world and characters? That may not make sense, but it boils down to the fact that this should've been something far bigger, and anything less just won't do. Not for me.

The full review, which does include spoilers (and cover commentary!), may be found in my LJ. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome.

REVIEW: Sara M. Harvey's THE CONVENT OF THE PURE

Happy Reading! ( )

Have you ever looked at the cover of a book and knew you just had to read it? Opened the book and by the end of the first chapter knew this was a book that was going to be read in one sitting no matter how long that took?

Only to be disappointed when you turned the last page because you were not ready to leave the universe?

Well Convent of the Pure is all these things and more. Sara tells us the story of Portia, a woman who is 'special' and has been trained to hunt fiends. Demons who hunt and hurt humans. She is not perfect though, for she blames herself for the death of her love. A love who was turned into a ghost who both haunts and helps her.

All is not well in her world, and she is lead into a trap by a supposed friend who tries to use her, Imogen, and a group of children to put their world in danger. A wonderful world, part modern part mythical and all interesting. I look forward to more stories from this universe, telling us of Portia's further adventures, and back stories on some of the minor characters in this novel.

Sara, and Apex Publications promise this will be a trilogy, personally I am hoping for more than that. This is a small book only 138 pages, which surprised me because I could have sworn the book was longer than that. Some how she manages to put a full sized novel into this small book. I hope Apex is able to give this wonderful author a larger platform and publish a full size novel of this wonderful writer.

Please spread the word on this amazing author, Sara Harvey and her amazing book..

Convent of the pure

Oops, almost forgot the icing on this cupcake, an amazing cover and interior art by Melissa Gay