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Wednesday, September 9, 2015

The Wraith of Carters Mill by C Evenfall : A Review





THE WRAITH OF CARTER'S MILL
BY C. EVENFALL
GENRE: PARANORMAL/SUSPENSE

          The Wraith of Carter’s Mill chronicles five generations of women from the turn of the century to present day. It depicts in startling detail the result of an old curse and the wraith that haunts the family. Sensitives, The Guardians and The Forgotten tell the tale while the fourth shocking segment, Carter’s Mill provides the back-story. It reveals the shameful truth behind a century of sorrow and the curse of revenge that plagues the Carter women.

          Zeb, the Carter family patriarch, is a hard, callous man. He runs his thriving sawmill, farm and family with an iron fist. When he commits an incredible act of cruelty, he ignorantly brings a terrible curse down upon all his kin. Martha Thompsons’ prophecy proves true as the family falls into ruin, and the women pay the price.

          Almost a century after Zeb’s death, a Carter daughter is born with notable yet uncanny gifts. It will be up to Shyanne to unearth a long buried family secret and set an old wrong back to rights. Will she find a way to lift the curse and banish the accursed wraith that haunts her? If she fails, she risks losing her own little girl to the dark entity forever.

          A small North Carolina community, where everyone knows everyone sets the perfect stage for this suspenseful drama. Rich in history and southern culture, The Wraith of Carter’s Mill harkens back to a time when life was simpler, and superstition was part of everyday living.

REVIEW:
          This review is part of Sage’s blog tours. And I would like to start it by thanking the organizer for actually sending me this book. When I took this up, little did I realize that I would fall in love with a ghost story. The book was a 435 page PDF document (provided as a review copy). I was a bit skeptic about such a big book holding my interest completely.
          But thankfully, ‘The Wraith of Carter’s Mill’ is divided into what I would call are 4 novellas. They chronicle the life of women of Carter family over generations. This book is exactly like the summary promises it is. And there was no doubt about the book holding my interest – I couldn’t put it down even if it were a running novel of 435 pages.
          How serious could a curse get? Are all those superstitions real? The story starts with ‘Sensitives’ that is about little Libby who sees a dark shadow man chomping threateningly. Her mother, Julia is very unsupportive when she comes to know of it and here we see the relationship strain between a parent and a child.
          Libby grows up and has Shyanne, who has a curious gift, born almost a century after Zeb, who was the reason for the curse. The same dark man seems to haunt Shyanne too. By then we as readers realize that this curse of the family is seriously paranormal.
          Then the next generation arrives and Shyanne has Melody who is haunted by the same dark shadow that loomed over her family and Shyanne realizes that she has to find out and eliminate the root cause with the help of her unique gift.
          Even after repeated gruesome deaths, this book held my fascination. The paranormal element has been included beautifully in term with the story. The timeline is maintained perfectly and for a story that spans generations, thankfully, this doesn’t jump between time periods easily.
          The streamlined flow is aided by a perfectly crafted story with intricately woven details. I really love the way the story progressed and keeping the best bit (that is the origin of the curse) for the last is a great strategy to not only explain things but also hold the interest. It seems ironic that women of a family suffer over generations for a man’s callous deed.
          Also, special mention to the initial ‘Carter Family Bible’. That was a nice touch. I was never in doubt or confused with the characters or timeline, but even if I had any mild difficulty, I always had the guide of sorts to confirm. I would recommend this book to all paranormal lovers. This is one of a kind.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

          C. Evenfall grew up on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. In many ways, her community was isolated from the outside world, and time simply stood still. The old ways of “doing things” surrounded her, and she was both fascinated by the rich history and influenced by it.

          As with any such place, the area was rich with ghost lore and old tales of “people done wrong.” C. Evenfall, a child seen and not heard, hovered as close as she dared, listening to the old stories when the adults got together talking about old times. She also spent many nights with the sheet pulled over her head in childish fright.

          A paranormal encounter when she was just six years old, experienced by two other people at the same time, convinced her that ghosts really did exist.  C. Evenfall has been seeking answers ever since. Her fascination with the unexplainable, coupled with her love of history and southern culture and the role women play in both, have inspired her to write The Wraith of Carter’s Mill, a series of novellas. Each inspired by tales from her childhood and the family members who passed them down.

          Life has taken her many places, but today, C. Evenfall resides with her husband in the same fishing village where she grew up. Together they enjoy hiking, camping, gardening and the outdoors in general. She forgives his skeptics’ dismissal of things that go bump in the night and loves him dearly in spite of it. They complement one another perfectly.

Social Media Links:
Twitter:@CEvenfall2

BOOK LINKS:


The author is giving away 5 digital copies of The Wraith of Carter’s Mill & a $10 Amazon Gift Card! a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 comment:

  1. Thank you Dhivya, I really loved your review of "The Wraith of Carter's Mill", and I appreciated you hosting the book today as well!
    C. Evenfall

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