Tiny Glitches
By Rebecca Chastain
ISBN 978-0-9906031-9
Author’s website: www.rebeccachastain.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Scott
Review
This is paranormal romance with a punch. Tiny Glitches, Rebecca Chastain’s latest work is by far her most ambitious novel to date. It literally is a post-modern take on the genre. A killer plot, emanating from a series of “tiny glitches,” quickly rollercoaster into a web of intrigue, thrilling mystery, and, of course, romance. It’s probably the single book I’ve read, in this oft overlooked genre, that I would recommend to those who are new to it – or for that matter anyone who wants a good read. Chastain’s writing is a constant evolution as she flexes her wings, and Tiny Glitches sits at the top of the heap now. The sheer enjoyment reading this book (not the type you can put down easily) left me feeling exhausted, yet fulfilled. It was sheer pleasure to read.
The plot I’ll leave to the reader. Needless to say, all the stops were pulled out here, and layers of “tiny glitches” pepper the novel, building pressure and culminating in an explosive ending. The reader is constantly trying to stay two steps ahead of a game that’s seven moves ahead of them. You’re constantly behind the eight ball in this cat and mouse game. It’s impeccably detailed, and unerringly woven into a solid foundation, one that collapses as you rush headlong into a conspiracy that defies the traditional boundaries of a “paranormal romance.” Aside from the intimate encounters, which are tastefully written and spaced out adequately, you’d swear you were reading a Robert Ludlum novel – actually it’s almost exactly like a Ludlum book – high praise indeed.
The characters are varied and the cast of Tiny Glitches is the largest menagerie Rebecca Chastain has thrown at us yet. In sheer defiance, she handles even the minor characters with a flair and panache separate from her other works, namely, Fistful of Evil, Fistful of Fire and Magic of the Gargoyles. Her masterful working of the characters is almost transparent, allowing the reader to never have to guess at who happens to be speaking to whom, or how a character is going to react in a given situation. Eva, and Hudson, the main “couple” of the novel, make excellent protagonists, and their foils flip sides as often as they are tossed. The characters, even the minor ones, speak in a true, well thought out voice, that sheds more light on their character the more they speak. There are no “tiny glitches” in the characterization.
The writing is Chastain at her finest. By far, if I can repeat it enough times, this is her most intricate and captivating novel to date. Her writing has matured at a rapid pace, and there seems to be no hurdle she cannot overcome. Smooth sentence structure, and natural grammar, are the norm here, and, like the characterization, is transparent to the reader, easing the suspension of belief necessary in any “paranormal” volume. At no point, does this suspension of belief collapse. Description is done with broad strokes in places, and in a fine line in others. Dialogue is natural, given the circumstances of the book. The writing is from the perspective of Eva, the unwitting heroine in the novel. All the pieces fall, almost miraculously and magically into place toward the end. Kudos must be given to the author for tying the disparate plot themes and events into a neat package, delivered to you at the end.
Tiny Glitches is a book I would highly recommend to anyone, not just lovers of the “paranormal romance” genre. It’s an incredibly well written, hard hitting and conscious arising novel. There is something in Tiny Glitches for everyone: romance, adventure, ninjas…. oh, I didn’t mention the ninjas. Pick this novel up. You won’t regret it.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
