Book Review: Never Ceese by Sue Dent
Wednesday, March 28th, 2007After a 3-day late night gloom, 
I finally finished reading Suzanne Dent’s debut novel, Never Ceese and
as with any good book, it was sad to reach the end of it. Not being a
fan of the genre, I initially digressed the idea of reading it. First,
because the cover looked like my nemesis, warped in certain angles 
. Second, because it looked like a saga-type novel and I’m a short-span reader 
.
Third, because it seemed a stereotypical story of vampires and
werewolves up in arms. But I decided to peruse it anyway just to see if
it actually offers anything new. I’m not sure what it was that sucked
me in but I was immediately hooked! 
It was one of those rare fantasy books that explores faith and gets at
deeper truths in life without trying too much and still leaves you
breathless and wanting for more. Now, I could hardly wait for the
second installment of this series (Is it done yet Sue?). How fun is it
to find a new author to love?
BLURB
A determined werewolf, acting on her long-held wish to free herself of her curse, 
teams up with a skeptical vampire who can no longer admit that having his curse removed is something he wants.
Will
Cassie Felts be able to help them as her grandmother implored her to do
or will they suffer at the hands of a radical and evil stem cell
researcher who want the fame and immortality he believes their blood
will give him?
MY REVIEW
Never
Ceese breathes some new life into the classic urban fantasy
werewolf/vampire genre, synthesizing paranormal and Christian fiction
to create a YA-spiritual fantasy that does not only entertain and
delight but also mystify the mind and stir the soul.
Sue Dent has brought Christian fantasy to a whole new level in her debut novel, Never Ceese.
Humorous, but refreshingly defiant, the story is elaborately played out
through flashbacks and narratives with excellent dialogue that almost
feels like a movie on its own. With an intriguing and well-researched
historical/scientific extrapolation, the story explores spiritual concepts without
bogging the reader down in endless detail. One-dimensional folkloric
beings are skillfully recreated into realistic three-dimensional
characters that the reader cannot help but sympathize with. The plot
line, on the other hand, twists and turns, with evil plans, double
crosses and plenty of back stabbing between humans, vampires and
werewolves.
From the character interactions, to the adventure
and plot line, to the emotional roller coaster of Richard, Ceese,
Penelope, and Cassie, Never Ceese is a sure winner! If you
haven’t read a horror vampire/werewolf story, this is a great book to
start with and if you’ve read plenty in this genre, this would
definitely make it to your keeper shelf.
NITPICKS
This
first foray into Sue Dent’s series is truly a work of literary art. My
only significant disappointment with it is the cover. (or maybe it’s
just me) 
The
image looked undersampled and the title’s font style has no immediate
appeal in a somewhat similar manner as items near the checkout that
trigger impulse buying. Apart from that, it’s a great book worth
spending bucks on! 
Die-hard romantics might want to give this one a miss though; it’s
really not a romance but vampire/werewolf junkies will love this one
immensely! 
RATING
I’m
not really the type to shower stars like confetti but I’m giving this
fast paced, exciting and enjoyable read my highest rating, 5 STARS! 
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