Thoeba by Donna Milward Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

Today on the blog I have for you Donna Milward, author of the upcoming novel, Thoeba.  

Her book is a unique take on the eternal struggle of good vs evil.  Her vision involves a deadly struggle between the heavenly hosts and the demons hell bent to destroy all of Creation.  It is a gripping, action packed book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  

Her ideas on the customary views of Angels, God and Heaven are unique and orginal.  See my full review below.  

Donna is here to share with us today a little piece she wrote about how she creates her characters. Be sure to stay tune for the giveaway and my review of her book.

Here is Donna:

M,m,m,m,lkm,,,     Character development seems to come reasonably easy for me. Or maybe I’m just nuts.  I mean, all writers have characters who truly speak to them, the ones that won’t go away until you bring them life on a page, right? 

     Mine have been rattling around my brain for so long I wonder what they’re up to and what they’re doing with my life. . Case in point: Jim-thing in my debut novel ‘Thoeba’. He was supposed to be a blip, an evil entity intent on destroying humanity. He needed to die. What disturbs me is, if he isn’t smarter than me, how did he manage to take over for several chapters?

     In my upcoming novel, ‘Aphrodite’s War’, I imagined Ares a sort of a handsome rogue. (Insert game show buzzer) Wrong.  He said something so obnoxious in the first chapter, I stopped typing… Ooohhhh, so THAT’S who you are? You’re a prick, Ares. 

    

 And they came from MY brain! There must be something amiss in my head. Something black, and festering. Bad dreams reaching fruition and ripening like black cherries….BLACK like her stone cold heart, the evil harpie! No good will come of her words! Turn away now, lest you be tainted by her foul-

     Ahem! Excuse me. 

     Sometimes I frighten me, and most of my friends. They love me anyway. They just give me a wide berth when I start to talk plot and characters…as if I’m picking their brains for tidbits to write. Sorry…It’s much weirder than actual people.

     What freaks me out the most is how much simpler villains are to write than heroes. What does that say about me?

 

A big thanks to Donna for being here today!  Her novel will be out June 26th.  You can purchase it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and from her publisher Staccato Publishing.  

Staccato Publishing is a small publisher.  I thought it fitting to do a spotlight on Donna today as the Indie Author Hop is going on (enter here).  Be sure to support Donna.  Enter her giveaway and visit her on her blog, Goodreads, and twitter.  See Contest Policies for Details.  Up for grabs today is an ebook and a autographed book mark of Thoeba.

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My review:

Thoeba by Donna Milward

 

Debut novel by author Donna Milward.

Thoeba is a creature of light. As all things must be in balance, when the Energy created her kind it also created the darkness. 

Theoba’s world fell to darkness forcing her to flee. She came to Earth to protect the Energy, losing everything in the process.

Darkness has found a way to follow her and threatens to take this world as well.

With only humans as allies, can she succeed? 

Expected publication June 26 2012 Staccato Publishing

                                                                              

 Four stars: A book that puts an entirely new spin on angels! 

 

The battle wages, the demons and angels tangle in a deadly dance as they fight over the control of Eden.  Darkness and evil are slowly overrunning paradise.  The winged ones begin to disappear to other realms in hopes of escaping the evil that threatens to destroy everything.  Thoebe and her lover Thani decide to make one last stand.  Thani falls, his body broken after fighting off a giant demon.  Thoebe rushes to his side.  With his dying breath, he urges her to take the crystal around his neck.  The crystal holds the Energy, the power of God.  If it falls into the demons hands, all hope is lost.  Thoebe reluctantly leaves, pushing herself higher and higher into the sky.  The demons follow, clawing and gnashing at her injured limbs.  Just when she feels the end is near, a loud booming shatters her ears and she falls; blackness washes over her and she remembers no more.  On Earth, Peter is fishing quietly on the lake.  Out of nowhere a loud clap of thunder rattles as something plunges into the water.  He discovers a strange, naked woman drowning in the lake.  Without hesitation, he pulls her to safety, not realizing that his actions will soon bring the demons to his doorstep.  Can Thoebe and Peter fight to save the Energy and restore the balance, or will the world succumb to the demons?

What I Liked:

• I admit I am not always a big fan of angel and demon books.  I was pleased to find that Thoebe surpassed my expectations.  I was excited to find a read that took the traditional angel lore and turned it upside down.  I don't want to share with you the unique ideas presented, otherwise it would ruin the surprise.  Needless to say in this book, angels do die and where their spirits reside after their deaths was a unique twist. I absolutely loved the new presentation on the customary ideas of God, angels and the afterlife.
• This book is a roller coaster ride.  It opens with a turbulent scene and from that moment on it is action packed and full of danger The demons are relentless in their pursuit and hellbent on destruction. This is a page turner.
• I appreciated that the author portrayed men in such a realistic manner.  She gets it right by putting in all the behaviors that men exhibit that make us ladies shake our heads, i.e. scratching, dirty thoughts and all that stuff.  I definitely felt like the portrayal was genuine.  
• One of my favorite characters was the demon possessed Jim-thing.  This character is dark and vile but so fascinating.  A demon trying to figure out how humans work.  He is funny and disgusting at the same time.  I was actually disappointed that he didn't have a larger part. 
• I loved Ms. Milward's nice fluid writing style and rich descriptions.

And The Not So Much:

• The main character Thoebe was a bit perplexing.  She is difficult to connect with because she is an angel.  Meaning, she is a bit standoffish.  In actuality, this is a good thing because it makes her more realistic because she feels so alien.  
• I usually appreciate when authors incorporate senses into the book.  I always love books that use scent, especially when it pertains to delicious food.  In this case, Ms. Milward utilizes scent to describe all the nasty and vile smells that accompany the demons.  At times the descriptions were a bit nasty.  Yes, it enriched the experience, but I have to admit I didn't exactly relish reading about all the stench.
• Toward the end, the characters head to a top secret location to use satellites to destroy the demons. I never had a complete understanding on what the exact plan was to win the battle, even after the conclusion I was still a bit confused.
• This is a book best suited for an adult audience due to the graphic battle scenes and sexual content. 

Thoebe was a fast and furious read involving an epic showdown between the ultimate forces of good and evil: angels vs. demons.  This book takes the traditional views of God, Heaven and angels and turns them upside down.  The novel ideas presented are refreshing and thought provoking.  If you are looking for an angel book that is original pick this one up.  I thoroughly enjoyed the author's conceptualization of angels.

Favorite Quotations: 

"I will love you until time stops."

"Time could stop and I would still love you."

"Love wasn't the only way to a human's heart after all.  Sometimes love brought pain and rage."

"In the explosion that announced their birth they'd been magnetically drawn like moths to flame.  She remembered all those centuries ago how she'd peered into his soul and found her place there.  Just as surely as an empty chamber of heart belonged only to him."

"Tears cascaded to her lap like falling stars."

"Moonlight shone through wisps of twinkling silver, making her think of the misting waterfalls of her home in Eden.  She could see nothing for miles but velvet sky and diamond stars laced with the storm."

"He would've given his beer cooler to know what kind of creature in his neighborhood had a mouth that big, but he sure as hell didn't want to meet it."

"Colors rarely seen in her realm danced a solemn waltz of death in garish display amongst the clouds.  Pinks and yellows mated with oranges that became fuchsia, finally surrendering to purple."

 A big thanks to Staccato Publishing for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.