Black Diamond by Jennifer Loiske.
Release Date: January 22, 2013
Publisher: Self through Amazon.
Rating:

The Summary: After her mom’s sudden death, twelve-year-old Shannon McLean has to move from the US to the English countryside to live with her mysterious father, Connor McLean, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a baby. Soon she discovers that he doesn’t want her around and her moving into his huge manor, Greyman Hill, is nothing more to him than a compulsory deal. But if he does not exactly give her a warm welcome, his servant Robert is most likely an incarnation of evil. He runs the house with an iron touch and makes everyone who works there his little puppets.

Weird things start to happen and the whole place scares the crap out of Shannon. Her dad can control her just by looking at her. The walls are full of secret passages and apparently she has the talent to awaken the ghosts in them. Every day is worse than the day before and she wants badly to run away but discovers it’s impossible. If she wants to stay alive she has to do exactly as her dad says or else she will not only jeopardize her own life but also the lives of the people around her.

While Shannon struggles to find the magic inside her, Connor is slowly turning into a demon. One carelessly spoken word from her could either save or destroy them both. In the end she has to decide whether to save herself and her loved ones, or lose her dad to the darkness and evil that threaten to eat his soul.

Disclosure: I was gifted a copy of this book to read and review. I am not being compensated, nor am I influenced in any way. All opinions are my own.

The Review:

“Magic is all about words and believing. If you believe then anything is possible.”

I’m at odds with this book. I feel as though it’s a decent story, and has some great writing in it, but I didn’t really get into it. My main problem is that a lot of the details are spelled out word for word. It’s a classic story of telling rather than showing, and that really pushed me out of the story. I may sound a little harsh, but the potential for the story is there. It’s rushed at times and twists on itself becoming a little too convoluted for what it is.

It’s an interesting premise and a fun take on good vs. evil. Shannon is a great character, with a strong voice and she fits well with the story. She grows as the plot moves forward and learns as she does. I like that she’s not handed all of these abilities straight off the bat, it’s a journey of discovery and learning. I like the way the magic is presented, and the rules that go along with it. The world that Loiske has set up is amazing, and Greyman Hill is probably one of the creepiest settings ever. A lot of the characters are more than they seem and there are some really good points in this book.

Overall, it’s an okay book with some major potential. I actually rated this up to a three umbrella rating–I’d consider it more like a 2.5 rating. Some might really enjoy it, but in the end it wasn’t my cup of tea.

Purchase Black Diamond here Amazon