Genre

FANTASY

Brief

Shade, a young witch, is attacked and kidnapped by King Kerdred and forced to marry him. She runs away with the help of her great grandmother, has twin children, sends the children away where they will be safe, and vows to take revenge on the king. King Hylaw, a rival king, fights alongside political allies and Shade and her great grandmother in order to stop King Kerdred’s takeover of the kingdom. Shade paralyzes King Kerdred and King Hylaw escapes the battle with his life, but Kerdred captures Hylaw’s sister, Princess Ami.

Overall Rating

FAIR

Point of View

THIRD PERSON

Narrative Elements

Authors Writing Style: FAIR

Characterization: GOOD

Commerciality: GOOD

Franchise Potential: GOOD

Pace: FAIR

Premise: GOOD

Structure: FAIR

Theme: GOOD

Accuracy of Book Profile

The first-person style of the logline is misleading, as the book itself is not written with a first person point of view. Describing this book as a young adult novel also feels a bit limiting, as this book could easily by enjoyed by audiences of all ages. There are also a number of major characters omitted on the Book Profile. Including Princess Ami, Rona, and King Hylaw, for example, would make it clear that there are a number of important key players in this story.

Draw of Story

The strong female protagonist immediately drew me to this story. Shade is described in great detail and her character voice comes through clearly from the very first page.

Possible Drawbacks

This story features an overwhelming number of characters at times, and many of them have very similar names. At times, I had a difficult time remembering each individual character and keeping them apart in my mind. Changing some of the similar names would help limit reader confusion. It would also help to make sure each portion of the book features a clear character point of view and character motivation. The ensemble nature of this book is one of its major strengths, but I felt that certain chapters lacked clear focus when it came to character perspective. Establishing the focus and key character or characters of each chapter more clearly in the first few paragraphs could help mitigate that issue.

Use of Special Effects

THE STORY RELIES A LITTLE BIT ON SPECIAL EFFECTS

Primary Hook of Story

The pure depth of Shade's rage and emotional strength would make me want to watch this movie. This movie would rely on its strong characters, and this novel features many of them. Shade is a brilliant standout character though and it's easy to imagine a talented actress portraying her with grace and power. A film adaptation of this book would also surely feature incredible battle scenes. The fight sequences in this book are written in a visually compelling way, and those scenes would attract me from an action standpoint.

Fanbase Potential

If adapted, this film would likely have a large fanbase; it features the kind of strong characters and intricate fantasy storylines that Game of Thrones viewers would appreciate, as well as the young adult slant thanks to its younger characters that would attract younger audiences as well. The violent scenes of battle would attract viewers who enjoy war and action films.

Awards Potential

Because this film would likely be more of a big-budget summer release, it probably wouldn't have much potential during awards season, apart from fan/voter-based awards.

Envisioned Budget

MEDIUM BUDGET

Similar Films/TV Series

GAME OF THRONES, LUNA NERA, THE LAST KINGDOM, BARBARIANS

What’s New About the Story

This story features unique and distinct characters, as well as some cool original creatures, such as Nefkins. The magic in this world feels pretty original as well and trancing is particularly intriguing and unique. The political dealings in this story feel familiar at times though and King Kerdred in particular doesn't feel as original as other characters. His motivations feel fairly surface level. Diving deeper into some of the more stereotypical characters such as Kerdred could help make this story feel more original. Adding more depth and detail to the world overall would help as well. Describing the plant life in the forests or the kinds of food these characters eat that might be unique to their world, for example, could help this story feel more unique overall.

Lead Characters

These characters have unique and vivid ways of seeing the world, which make them stand out. This book does a nice job of diving into its characters' emotional arcs. Shade and Rona are driven by vengeance and the need for independence. Ami stands out because of how desperately she wants to be taken seriously and seen as more than a princess. Aberrling is driven by his own needs and wants. He's clever and crafty in a fun way. He stands out because he's always one step ahead of everyone else. Hylaw stands out because he's surprising, both to other characters in the story and to readers. Lowe stands out because of how cryptic she can be in one moment, and how she becomes a naive child again in the next.

Uniqueness of Story

While this book has many positive qualities, I wouldn't yet describe it as a rare gem. The main female characters are quite strong, but some of the book's supporting characters could benefit from further character development. The world could benefit from more detail, description, and originality as well, and some chapters are in need of clearer character perspectives.

Possible Formats

Film - Studio, Film - Streaming, TV Series - Cable, TV Series - Streaming

Analyst Recommendation

WORK IN PROGRESS

Justification

While this project might attract some interest as is due to its commercial prospects, fun plot twists, and strong main characters, it will stand a far better chance of being adapted with further development to the supporting characters and the world as a whole.

Tips for Improvement

In order for me to recommend or consider this project, the supporting characters would need more general depth and nuance of personality, the world would need to feel more vibrant and original, and the ensemble cast would need to be simplified.