Review Detail

At Water’s Edge by S. McPherson

The Story:
Dezaray leads a miserable life in the wake of her parents’ death. Her brother beats her, she’s forced to work for free in a steak house, and to top it all off, she’s seeing things. When she learns of a portal leading to the magical world of Coldivor, her life is turned upside-down, and she is drawn into an age-old battle between good and evil.

The Characters:
The journey of the main protagonist, Dezaray, is enjoyable. She is initially guilt-ridden and lacking in confidence, and we see her take large steps toward her full potential throughout the book. The relationship she forms with the love interest is a major draw, and the juxtaposition of Dezaray and her Coldivor counterpart adds something extra to the reading experience.
There are many characters that the Author juggles, and for the most part all characters maintain a presence throughout the novel—no mean feat considering there are multiple worlds. I desperately wanted to be afraid of the antagonist, the Vildacruz, and could not quite get there, however, I was emotionally invested in the fates of Dezaray, Lexovia, and Milo.

The World:
The world of Coldivor is intriguing; There are spells, different magical subjects—even a sport! The transportation between Earth and Coldivor is explained to perfection, something which is rare to find in this genre. Especially interesting was the concept of Corporeal and Coltis counterparts, whereby each person (corporeal) on Earth has a double (coltis) in the parallel world.
Though unique and exciting, I found myself wanting more ‘showing’ in the execution of the world building, in order to be fully and completely immersed in the story.

The Readability:
S. McPherson has a nice, light style that flows well. She uses changing point of view to maintain a quick pace, and this is well done—though the viewpoint perhaps changes between too many characters in the final few chapters for my taste.
While the premise of the characters, world, and story are interesting, I experienced them from the sidelines at times, particularly in the middle section of the book. Some of the scenes fell just short of their emotional potential. Never the less, the intrigue of the world is enough to spur the reader on and one scene in particular, which made me shed a few tears, shows the reader what this Author is capable of.

Final Verdict:
At Water’s edge is an intriguing start to this YA Fantasy series. I look forward to seeing what S. McPherson does with the sequel.
Suitable for ages 14 and over.

Favorite Quote:
"Every now and then I am almost sure I see a ghost of a shimmer, a faint flutter above the water that appears as if from nowhere."