The First Spark by Teshelle Combs: A Book Review
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book for a complete and honest review.
Combs writes of an intriguing concept in The First Spark. Slow to start – and with different formatting errors – the book was hard to get into. There was more telling than showing; the pace was off; the words used were hard to understand without much background given; words that were used and easier to understand seemed to be the case of using the find tool on Word and using it to replace the original word with a synonym. Honestly, going into the story, I didn’t have much hope. I thought the whole thing was going to flop. Interestingly enough, however, Comb’s concept and delivery were enough to satisfy me and actually leave me wanting more. That said – as always – I do have my suggestions.
Comb’s presents her story as an enemy to lovers trope – personally, I find this not the case. I think if she truly wanted the trope more animosity needed to start out in the beginning. The challenge between the two was not that they were enemies per se, but for the fact that he was there being used for research. Yes, technically he was in a “jail”, but it was mentioned often that she actually didn’t know why he was in “jail” only that he was used for research and that she needed for find her predecessor’s notes on the fact of what he was being used as research for. To me, that is not an enemy to lovers trope. It’s more of an ethical dilemma. Of course, saying enemy to lovers brings a lot more people in that ethical dilemma , but let’s be honest and just say how it is.
Second, if you want to read this book, which I do actually say would be a good read, the plot is a mess. Not only that, but the world building is also a mess. Too many things are going on in a short amount of time. Somehow, in the end, it works, but it is also enough to drive the reader insane. Talk about loose ends? The plot was like holding a knot of cords and being told to unravel it without even being able to tell where a cord ends. The moment you think you find an end is the moment when you realise that what you actually have in your hands is the middle of another cord that is still locked in the center of the knot.
The world-building also was not much better. We have a queen come in from an outside country, but we have no idea about that country. We know nothing about the main setting, that country itself, besides one town, the Academy that apparently is also the palace, and that the borders are closed. We know nothing of the landscape, how big the country is, how the people fair… We can assume that they have more advantages than other countries because of their gift of “Insight”, which is somewhat like a paranormal force that can be manipulated – but we are also told there are other types of gifts (although no one in the country seems to have those). So why have those other types? The dragons have a different type of paranormal force – why? Why is one different from the other? Why is one seen as superior? Is it actually superior? All of these aspects could have seriously impacted the writing for the better. It would have created a better world that the reader could actually want to save. Personally, I didn’t really care if the world was destroyed – I just wanted to see what would happen with the “Insight” and the main characters.
I would say that the main characters were the saving grace. Taking away the enemy to lovers thing, the main characters were pretty amazing. I enjoyed how they bickered and teased each other. I enjoyed the friendship and personalities out of all of them. I have no clue about what happened at the end. My brain refuses to acknowledge or respond to it. It needed more. I’m actually quite mad about it. I do not understand what happened and rather than give more detail or work on tying more loose ends with it, Combs goes for another loose end that makes it end on a cliffhanger.
[A little rant here: I don’t understand the idea of a series when you know you are going to switch characters. If the book is a standalone, focus on that story. Series aren’t all what they are cracked up to be either. I get some of them. A Queen in Hiding by Sarah Kozloff – that one I get as each book (4 total) is part of the established story. The Daughters of Riverstone series by Mandy Schimelpfenig – I get that one as the story ended for the character, but another story needed to be told for another. Standalones are called standalones for a reason. Are you ready? It is because – they. stand. alone. The reason that you want to read the next book is because you enjoy the world. You enjoy the concept. Not because you want to know what happens next. Sure! We all love a good camo, but we don’t read the next book in a standalone series to find out what happens after the previous book ends. That in itself negates the fact that it is a standalone – because it does not stand. alone.]
To finish out, after writing one of the longest reviews I have in a while, I am not saying do not read the book. I do think it is a good read. I just think that it could have been better. I think that what Teshelle Combs had could have been a great read, but for that to happen, more work had to be done. Excellence is not done in mediocracy.
Who would most enjoy the work and who should stay clear (if necessary):
Those that enjoy paranormal concepts, elements of romance with a little spice, and witty banter would enjoy this book. If you aren’t a fan of sex talk or messy, disorganized stories, I would avoid this piece.
Other books like the one reviewed:
A Queen in Hiding by Sarah Kozloff
The Rise of Riverstone by Mandy Schimelpfenig
| Plot: | 9 / 10 |
| Characters: | 9 / 10 |
| Writing: | 8 / 10 |
| Editor: | 8 / 10 |
| Total | 34 / 40 |
Title: The First Spark
Author: Teshelle Combs
Edition: ARC Digital
Published: November 19th, 2024
Publisher: Independent
ISBN: 9798300720674
If you want to get it: Amazon; Barnes&Noble
Rosey Reviews 