Despite the chaos going on, both internally for Meadow and within the city of Thornbridge, Meadow can at least rely on her friends, Parker and Elizabeth, except for the fact that she jealously struggles with the blossoming relationship between the two. At least she has recently met a handsome young man named Leo who seems determined to sweep her off her feet, but while she longs for a meaningful relationship, she battles with her new addiction to a strange fruit called Elsyn, which she first experienced in the cellar. At least she has recently made friends with a strong woman named Ivy, who has come to her aid several times, despite her family connection to Aiden Rose. Before long, Meadow will realize that nothing is as it seems and her battle has only just begun.
Are you confused? That's okay, so am I and that's after reading the entire book. Forgotten Violets by Martin Niewood seems to be the first book in a series, but it's such a muddled mess that I can't recommend going on with future books. In fact, I am reading the second book in the series, The Wilted Flower District, and things aren't getting much better. When I first started reading Forgotten Violets, I thought that Martin Niewood was spinning a compelling yarn, but that he lacked a good editor, someone to clean up the massive number of typos and to catch errors when a word was missing or half missing, or some dialogue simply needed some love. Instead, I now believe that Mr. Niewood has some really interesting ideas for stories and he tried too hard to cram them all into this one book that is not quite 200 pages.
There's very little world-building or character development, things happen very quickly with no backstory, and the characters are completely one-dimensional. The love triangle between Meadow, Parker and Elizabeth felt forced, while the introduction of Leo as an alternative felt incredibly whirlwind and pretty fake. I will admit that I was confused most of the time while reading this book, as sequences take place rapidly and things occur that simply aren't explained. I understand wanting to set up a world for future stories, but that first book needs to strongly establish the setting and this one just didn't do it. Even a hand-drawn map would have helped as far as understanding Thornbridge and the surrounding areas, including the tundra which surrounds it, a nearby city named Fairhaven, and the Shimmering Sands desert, which is not far, but somehow right by a frozen tundra that seems to be impassable. Huh?
I really hate giving negative reviews, especially for a first time author, but I can't recommend that anyone read Forgotten Violets. Personally, it was all I could do not to pull out a red pen and start correcting the profuse number of errors, but aside from that, it's just a confusing experience. I am halfway through the second book and, while I am not as confused, things aren't too much better. If I had bought these books instead of receiving them for review, I'd have put them aside much earlier. My advice to Mr. Niewood would be to get a really good editor on your side to help you hone your concepts. There are some really interesting fantasy ideas here, but they need work.
