The Betwixt Book One
The Betwixt, no. 1
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4.3 • 216 Ratings
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Publisher Description
A mysterious past, a grand destiny – can a simple waitress save the galaxy?
Mini’s just a waitress in a dingy space bar. But when her mysterious past comes knocking on her door in the form of a tiny red creature called Od, everything changes. According to him, she’s all that stands between the galaxy and an invasion of soul-sucking creatures from the in-between dimensions. As Mini's galactic experience revolves around serving drinks and smiling at customers, she finds that unlikely.
But Od’s right. So she reaches for the closest thing at hand – a frying pan – and gives saving the galaxy a go. She isn't alone, however; she's caught the eye of a handsome Galactic Military Commander, and he won’t take his eyes off her until the end.
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The Betwixt follows a waitress and a stiff-lipped marine battling a mysterious plot to destroy the galaxy. If you love your space operas with action, heart, and a splash of romance, grab The Betwixt Book One today and soar free with an Odette C. Bell series.
Customer Reviews
Good plot, bad execution.
Do not read this if you are looking for a complete story. The book ends with nothing at all resolved.
Like many of the self-published authors out there, this one would benefit from a good proofreader and the guidance of an editor/advisor.
Misspellings, misuse of words, and clumsy sentence structure abound. I can deal with that. It is sloppy, and the type of thing that would be dealt with in a good freshman English class, but it does not necessarily mean the work is without merit. Still, if the book was worth the writing, then it is worth some basic polishing and cleanup.
Perhaps the biggest irritant, to me at least, is that the author does not appear to know how to conclude a book. If a book that is part of a series has not set up a conflict, crisis, or central plot theme that is resolved within its pages; if it simply ends mid-story, with not a single issue settled; then what has been created is part of one larger novel rather than part of a connected series of novels.
I get this too, if it was intentional. It is a marketing strategy: "If I leave you hanging mid-story, then you will buy the next book." I get it, but I resent it. I see it as cynical manipulation of the audience, possibly combined with a lack of confidence on the part of the author. If the first book of a series is good, I will buy the next; the writing and the storyline will sell themselves without the need of manipulating the audience. Perhaps the author needs more self confidence.
If, on the other hand, it is just bad technique, then the author has some learning to do.
All of this is unfortunate because the concept and plot lines of the book are fresh and imaginative. Whether it is a lack of technical skills, the lack of an editor, or whatever else contributed to the issues I see here, this author could and should be putting out some super-good work. The creativity is there, but the diligence and/or deeper insight into the craft are not. I would hope that this will change and that we will see this author operating on a much higher level in the future.
Yikes
Flagrant and egregious abuse of metaphor and simile; this book could have been about 50 pages long, if it weren’t for a clumsy metaphor every five lines or so. The story, cultures, and characters are deeply unimaginative and lack any nuance or dimensionality. I hope that this was simply a very early, unserious self-published effort and that the author is now earnestly learning and developing their narrative skills.
Great
Enjoyed reading, def worth a place in my library.