Cover Image: Satan's Offspring

Satan's Offspring

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Member Reviews

Anything about Satan, the occult and revenge and you have me hooked and I adored how Dante portrayed all of this in Satan's Offspring which can me vibes similar to that of Rosemary's baby and the Turncoat's Daughter, so if you liked eithe rof these movies then definitely pick up this book.

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I read some of this title as a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It cannot get more honest than this!

This author is not believable. Most of the description starts out well and then ends in a rush or nearly dictionary definitions of whatever research he did, but does not feel like weaving into the story. This happens at the end of way too many paragraphs. (kind of in a pulp non-fiction sort of lump). I really gave this book a fair try. I liked the plot enough to read way further thanI should have. I have not yet finished this book, and I am still undecided whether I will or not. I have already read 2 other books since putting this one down. It seems as if this author is blinded by what he thinks is his own quality writing....At one point, he even referenced himself as an author who moved away in the book! I am also surprised that someone who spends so much time describing women's physiques cannot think of more than one way to word some of their parts. The conversations are also very unrealistic. I am so disappointed with this book. It sounded so good! I hate to say that the cover writer did a much better job on this one. I only read 31%.

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To borrow an Amazon reviewer's words - "Don't judge a book by its cover. The cover was pretty good."

If I had actually laid out money to read this book (eBook provided free of charge via netgalley.com), I'd be writing to Black Rose Writing publishing and asking for my money back. As it was, I'm grateful to have gotten away with only the four hours I invested in reading it.

When a publisher states on its submissions page "Remember... Always Spellcheck! Nothing insults a publisher more than multiple misspelled words in your query or author bio," one might think the publisher likewise proofreads its manuscripts before publication. In the case of Satan's Offspring, one would be wrong.

Not to be unfair in my assessment that the book was very poorly written (both from a plot standpoint and a technical standpoint), somewhere around Chapter 50 I started taking notes. The text was replete with spelling, punctuation, grammar and tense problems. So much so that I would have thought my 16 year old son wrote it. Had my 16 year old son never actually been taught to read or write.

For instance, Capri frequently bounces back and forth between first person and third person, without the benefit of a quotation, a thought, or a comment. Quotation marks are, in fact, apparently like raindrops to Mr. Dante - showered down in no particular pattern to land where they may throughout the text. Often Capri carried on conversations for multiple quoted lines which resulted in the wrong person having the last word.

Basic grammar skills are clearly beyond the reach of this author, who writes "A attorney," or "earlier timing THEN when he said," or my personal favorite, "I'll try not TOO then." Seriously, Mr. Dante, just take one of those Facebook quizzes that tests your knowledge of the English language. They have hints that could be of great value to you! To continue publishing books in this vein would simply be "unfair to those WOMAN," to borrow your words.

While I'm on the topic of Mr. Dante's writing, I find it more than a little self-serving to have Capri's favorite author be none other than Linc Dante, who apparently lived (and may have even been revered) in the book's small town setting.

Not every author can write a blockbuster plot, but every author ought to have the decency to maintain plot consistency. For instance, if Dr. Silverstine is going to testify, then Dr. Silverstone should probably take a seat. If Lawrence Peterman is defending Gerald, then Gerald Peterman probably shouldn't question the witness. If Jason drove Capri's car to the trial, then Jason wouldn't need to blame the slow progress on his grandmother's driving. If the Coynes' house has been paid off with life insurance money, then the church probably can't repossess it to give to another pastor. And based on the good doctor's log (backed up by the inscrutable phone records), Gerald either called at 8:50 or 8:56. But certainly not both.

With this following note to the publisher, I will end my technical critique: Please, I beg of you, proofread your work!

That being said, I would be an errant reader if I didn't also provide some substantive feedback of this book.

As stated above, the entire manuscript reads like the inner thoughts of a pubescent teenage boy. Surely not every single person the author encounters leads every conversation with an off-color joke or suggestive comment. And yet, these are the only characters Mr. Dante seems able to script. While extensive detail is valuable in drawing a picture for the reader, entire sections read like quotes from Wikipedia. If the author is unfamiliar with the process of testing DNA, or the foundation of the Methodist church, by all means, the author should do some genuine research. The author would then be well advised to craft the results of that research into a voice consistent with the rest of the book, rather than forcing a character to break off into largely technical detail about deoxyribonucleic acid blueprints for precisely one paragraph before telling the other witnesses, "Mostly, I just read the final report." Likewise, if an author is inclined to include a criminal trial in his book, the author might want to be aware that the technical term is "malice aforethought" (not malice of forethought); the prosecution cannot call a defendant to testify (although the prosecution may cross examine if the defendant chooses to take the stand); and sequestration of a jury involves the entire trial, rather than just the deliberations. While I'm willing to accept that Anthony Damico is not the best attorney on the planet, I find it near impossible to believe any bar-admitted lawyer would attempt to argue a defendant is innocent because the state "cannot prove the Bible is fiction," or that said attorney would get away with telling the jury if there was "ANY doubt" they must acquit. Surely the fastidious Judge Montegrasso would correct him with the correct standard of proof: beyond a "reasonable doubt."

Fellow readers drove directly to the heart of this books' failing, and I should have taken heed before embarking down this path. The ending doesn't provide an answer, a mystery, or even a twist. It just...simply...ends. After asking a reader to indulge for 364 pages of atrocities, surely the reader is entitled to more than "I quit." Were pages deleted? Did Mr. Dante fall asleep at the keyboard? Was there a misprint with the distributor? Or (I ask hesitantly), is there a sequel planned?

If you've read this entire review, I thank you, and must now tell you you've already spent more time on this book than necessary. Please be good to yourself, fellow readers, and choose another title.

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