⋙ Download Free Severed A Tale of Sleepy Hollow Dax Varley 9781492253600 Books

Severed A Tale of Sleepy Hollow Dax Varley 9781492253600 Books

Download As PDF : Severed A Tale of Sleepy Hollow Dax Varley 9781492253600 Books

Severed A Tale of Sleepy Hollow Dax Varley 9781492253600 Books

For about the first third or so of this book, I wasn't quite sure what to think. I wasn't certain if the author was simply retelling the story of the original Sleepy Hollow or if it was going to be a years later kind of scenario. It all begins to make sense later on, and I was thrilled with this story by the half-way mark.

One thing that impressed me with this telling, is that the author managed to retain the spooky feeling of the original story, but veer it off the expected path and make you solve a mystery during the course of her tale.

The dialogue was good and appropriate for the time period the book was set in. I though Katrina's voice (the narrator) managed to reveal her innocence and curiosity while still allowing her to display her determination to make things right and stop the horror her village was experiencing.

The love story is not entirely unpredictable, but the cause of tension between the characters was unique. I enjoyed watching this story unfold and learning more about the setting, the characters and the events the author described. In the end, there were still surprises to be had.

I did find a few mistakes, including a wrong word form, but I am going to assume these things have been fixed since I was reading a galley copy.

Overall, this was a quickly paced book with a lot happening in it and an exciting ending. I would recommend this to those who enjoyed the original book and those who like a bit of mystery.

This review is based on a digital ARC from Netgalley and the publisher.


Tags : Severed: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow [Dax Varley] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <blockquote>Katrina is still haunted by her encounter with the Headless Horseman - the night he beckoned to her. Now he has risen again,Dax Varley,Severed: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow,CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform,149225360X,FICTION Horror,Fiction,Fiction - Horror,Horror,Horror - General

Severed A Tale of Sleepy Hollow Dax Varley 9781492253600 Books Reviews

Chills Crept Along My Spine And I Gripped My Tight Reading This Oh So Deliciously Spooky Tale Of Terror And Suspense! Oh Yes, And I Stayed Up Til The Wee Hours Devouring The Very Last Sentence Because I Could Not Put It Down. This Is A New And Wickedly Darker Twist On The Tale Of The Katrina Van Tassel, Ichabod Crane And Brom Bones As Events Stir Up And They Encounter The Ghost Of The Headless Hessian Hell Bound On Bloody Revenge. The Old Schoolteacher Has Fallen Victim To The Horseman's Scythe, And Now The New Schoolteacher, Ichabod Crane, Has Stolen Katrina's Heart. They Must Hide Their Romance Because The Horseman Is Loose And The Hollow Is Not Safe. But There Are More Secrets Than This Being Kept, And Heads Are Being Taken. Is This Really A Ghost Or Is Someone Controlling The Horseman? Is It The Work Of A Witch? And What's This....? The Tale Continues In Book Two....? Well, I Will Definitely Be Downloading That Second Book Just As Soon As I Have Finished Telling You That You Should Read This Book!
In this tale set within memory of the Revolutionary War, Dax Varley took elements of Washington Irving's original version and--maybe with some inspiration from the Tim Burton movie--created her own story of malevolent ghosts, madness, witchcraft and YA romance. Ichabod Crane is now hot, more of the Johnny Depp movie character than the comically awkward one Irving imagined.

In preparation for reading Varley's book I reread Irving's story, which is wonderful, witty and entertaining, and it was then great fun to re-meet all the characters now in recognizable but altered form in Severed. Katrina, the teenage daughter of a wealthy farmer, has a small though important role in the original but she is the main character in Severed and the story is told through her. In Irving's tale you are led to believe that the Headless Horseman may not actually exist outside the ramped up imaginations of the local people, but in Severed he is very real and has been terrorizing the town, most recently by beheading the school teacher. The replacement teacher is Ichabod Crane, and in this handsome incarnation he has all the young women swooning, including Katrina. But the distraction of a cute new guy in town doesn't last long because soon the Headless Horseman is threatening Katrina's friends, driving one towards madness, and then Ichabod himself is targeted.

Katrina is brave, headstrong and resourceful, and while for the most part characters in Severed don't expand beyond one dimension the story itself is dark, thrilling and suspenseful.
•••I listened to the Audible Audio Edition of this book•••

I was a bit annoyed at her mispronunciation of a few words that were used regularly (ie scythe) but overall Sofia Willingham's performance was pretty good. Her portayals of the characters were very interesting and lent a depth of emotion I am sure I would have missed had I just read the book. The terror she conveyed was palpable as was the menace from certain characters.

×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

This series must be listened to (or read) in order. This is the first book. I can't wait to listen to the next one!

Sleepy Hollow is a town unlike any other. It is plagued with hauntings of all kinds. There is the legendary Headless Horseman as well as many other more mundane ones. The wailing woman in white they resolved but many others they have not. Why is Sleepy Hollow so haunted? Who hurried the Hessian? Will they ever be able to banish him for good? Or will the Headless Horseman forever stalk the town and its residents?

The first victim of the Headless Horseman (this time around) was the schoolteacher Nicholas. Whatever his past, he was a kind man and a good teacher. Noone knows why he was targeted or the nature of his offense. Who will be the next target? What is the Horseman's connection to Katrina? Is anyone safe?

***This series is suitable for young adult through adult listeners (or readers) who enjoy reimagined classic supernatural horror stories with new unique twists and a dash of romance )
For about the first third or so of this book, I wasn't quite sure what to think. I wasn't certain if the author was simply retelling the story of the original Sleepy Hollow or if it was going to be a years later kind of scenario. It all begins to make sense later on, and I was thrilled with this story by the half-way mark.

One thing that impressed me with this telling, is that the author managed to retain the spooky feeling of the original story, but veer it off the expected path and make you solve a mystery during the course of her tale.

The dialogue was good and appropriate for the time period the book was set in. I though Katrina's voice (the narrator) managed to reveal her innocence and curiosity while still allowing her to display her determination to make things right and stop the horror her village was experiencing.

The love story is not entirely unpredictable, but the cause of tension between the characters was unique. I enjoyed watching this story unfold and learning more about the setting, the characters and the events the author described. In the end, there were still surprises to be had.

I did find a few mistakes, including a wrong word form, but I am going to assume these things have been fixed since I was reading a galley copy.

Overall, this was a quickly paced book with a lot happening in it and an exciting ending. I would recommend this to those who enjoyed the original book and those who like a bit of mystery.

This review is based on a digital ARC from Netgalley and the publisher.