The Unseen

Our Review

THE UNSEEN clearly states it’s a novella that ends on a cliffhanger. I had no problem with that, and I appreciated the author being so upfront about this. The story is centered on Dragos and Pia as they move to Rhyacia, a magical Other land, where they intend to start a new place for the Wyr to live. (This is a book for those who already know the author’s The Elder Races’ world and characters and not a place for new readers to jump in.)

I’m a huge fan of Thea Harrison’s writing, and her prose is still exceptional. But I was disappointed with the story. Even for a novella, the pacing is off. Much of the story is Pia getting ready to move, deciding what to take with her, getting her and her friends and family moving, heading to Rhyacia and looking at her new house… This takes a good two-thirds of the story before mention of the Unseen–terrific name–and the mystery unfold, ending with something terrible happening.

Perhaps it’s the jolt between domesticity and intrigue that made this book feel disjointed. Or that entirely too much time is taken on the move on not what is really happening.

The characters are still spot-on, and the world-building continues to be entertaining. But perhaps the author could have tightened up the novella or just waited to release them all together for a more cohesive story. I’m still a huge fan and can’t wait to read more, but THE UNSEEN just doesn’t have what her other marvelous Elder Races books have.