Description
The Perfect Tear
by Connie Lansberg
Synopsis:
Eleanor, a timid orphan, has no clue to her real purpose, but she also has no desire to become a subservient old maid, like the miserable nuns she is forced to with. Eleanor believes Edward, whom she loves, will save her from being forced to take vows. She knows Mother Superior has no intention of letting her leave–her songs are the only thing keeping the grey mist at bay. Her devastation is complete when she discovers Edward is a prince and heir to the throne, but it is the impetus she needs to leave the safety of the abbey and go in search of her long lost father.
She doesn’t get far before discovering her true destiny. With only her instincts to protect her, she must match wits with a powerful being intent on the destruction of her world. If she does not find The Perfect Tear and release its healing power into the land, she will become an accomplice in the destruction of all she loves.
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About the Author
Connie Lansberg is a singer/songwriter, scriptwriter and now author with the publication of her first book The Perfect Tear. Connie studied script writing at AFTR and has had songs placed in major Australian TV series. She has just complete an album of songs connected to the book and will be performing these live at her weekly jazz gig in Melbourne.
Review
Music is the basis of reality. Eleanor has known
this since birth, as she has been blessed with the amazing ability to
manipulate nature through her song, making wounds heal and plants grow. Meanwhile,
two supernatural contestants battle over the existence of the human world, one
contestant bringing chaos and destruction with every step closer. Thrown into
the middle of it is Eleanor, unknowingly holding the key to the world’s survival
or destruction.
Wow. The
Perfect Tear is not what I expected. From the book description on the web,
I figured Eleanor would be the “chosen one” battling against a human enemy, a
sorcerer, perhaps. Instead, in the very first chapter, readers are introduced
to a supernatural world with beings who are responsible for creating earth and
manipulating their own world. They appear angelic, but some have ulterior
motives and destructive desires. Three of those characters come to the
forefront, the Main Creator and two younger beings who wish to overthrow her. A
contest over the position of Main Creator—and her creation, earth—ensues. The
Main Creator is Eleanor’s patron and gave her extra abilities to thwart the
beings who would destroy the earth. She must survive in a dying world until she
turns sixteen and comes into her full power before the battle begins.
The existence of the supernatural beings really
threw me off. They made the story more unique than it could have been, and
added an extra layer of complexity to the plot. I couldn’t figure out which of
the two main contestants to root for, though. I loved Eleanor, who is just
trying to save the world, so I was attracted to the Main Creator whose goals
lined up with Eleanor’s. But at the same time, the beliefs of the two other
beings made sense too, and they weren’t essentially evil as characters. The end
may have rectified that problem, but it seems to have presented a few more. It
wasn’t a cliffhanger, but it left the story open for more adventures.
The settings were interesting, from the beautiful
supernatural world to the medieval-like human world. There could have been more
descriptions and explanations of where they were and why things were the way
they were, for example, the random talking bushes or the Spanish-speaking woman
living in the middle of nowhere. If nothing else, I would have appreciated a
little more description of the climate so that I could place the characters a
little better.
The romance, what there was of it, was sweet. With
the time gap, readers miss the initial friendship-to-romance development, but
it was pleasant to watch the relationships grow within the story and the
extents the characters would go for love of each other. There were a couple
things I would change, though.
Overall, I’m not quite sure what to think of this
book. It was enjoyable to read, but not a book I couldn’t put down. The
supernatural side of things had its ups and downs; it made me wonder if the
driving force of the story, the contest, was even satisfactory. I mean, if I
was Eleanor and had the knowledge of the readers, I would be really mad if my “god”
made me go through so much for the sake of some dumb contest that could have
had different stakes. The romance, the conflict, and the settings could have
been better, too. But it was still pleasant to read, presented interesting
theories on music, and contained lovely characters. If you are interested in
reading a story that mixes fantasy, a medieval setting, and the supernatural, I
recommend this book to you.
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