It always started like this, a pulse inside me, like a warning before the tide surged, roared… and froze everything. Twenty-year old Emma just landed in Rome, to find the father who walked out of her life more than a decade ago and was too busy eating pizza to call. Traveling with her is a secret she’s carried alone since childhood: sometimes, around her, time stops. People and cars freeze, rain … time stops. People and cars freeze, rain hangs still in the air and there’s only her left in the silence.
To make things worse, instead of her dad, Em runs into a past she’d rather forget in the person of Lily, her estranged step-sis. As the two of them reconnect, Em starts to pick up some creepy vibes from Katharos, the mysterious archaeological foundation Lily works for—and more specifically the ancient stone table they’re digging up near the coliseum…
Faust, the blind hobo Em keeps running into, might be the key to piercing Katharos’s secrets. Actually, he might even have something to do with that pesky time-freezing thing…
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So, after the amazing Spotless-series I was really curious as to what Camilla Monk would come up with next. And wow, I really love it!
Emma is 20 years old and travels to Rome to finally see her dad again after he ghosted her 13 years ago. When she bumps into her stepsister Lily on the first day, she is not happy. Emma’s family story is quite sad and I felt so sorry for her and understood why she lashed out at everyone and everything. Part of her difficult childhood is the fact that Emma sometimes feels time stopping. She has no control over it and soon learned to keep this fact to herself.
I won’t tell more of the story as it is quite complicated (original!) but also amazing. Who would think a blind bum of the street named Faust would be one of my fave heroes! He is also a cat lover!
I must admit I had some trouble the first chapters to get into the story, and was a bit overwhelmed with all the facts thrown about. But when the story took off, it really took OFF. I am always amused at the crazy and funny things this author offers. And no, the story does not end on a cliffhanger, but it screams for the next! (2018)
Warning: If you are here in the hopes of finding more Spotless, you’ll probably be disappointed.
BUT if you are here for…
… Camilla Monk’s writing (including a healthy dose of snark),
… her ability to create a magical world weaving ancient history, legends and mythology into today’s Rome,
… her troubled, less-than-perfect but absolutely rooting-for-worthy characters that will worm their way into your heart, stinky feet and all…
… and if you don’t mind a bit of Urban Fantasy and paranormal-ish shenanigans including gods, titans and immortal hobos (okay, *one* immortal hobo)…
… then you have come to the right place.
Grab a bowl of Faxkrispies and enjoy (the book!).
I am very much looking forward to reading more books in this series (there’s a teaser for a sequel, so the only question is hopefully only WHEN we’ll get to read it?).
I love the way Camilla writes. She has a quirky imagination and somehow manages to express it in words. “Still” managed to draw me in, though it was a bit slow for the action to get started. I didn’t mind though, since the world being created was interesting. I must admit that I got bogged down a bit with all the backstory of the gods and goddesses and their myths. I’m sure a good deal of that comes from my own ignorance of the subject, but it did feel a bit confusing to me all the same. There were some elements of the main character’s “abilities” that were confusing as well. I don’t want to reveal any spoilers, though. I enjoyed the story, and hoped (in vain, as any reader of Ms. Monk should know) for a little more romance. The only thing that truly frustrated me was not having everything resolved. Waiting for sequels can be a real b*tch. 🙂
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
At 10% of the book… I knew.
I knew that I was going to rate this 5 stars.
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
If you loved Spotless, you’ll love reading Still. The stories are definitely different, but they have similar amounts of humor and cheesiness that only Camilla Monk can deliver. I laughed. I cried. And now I can’t stop thinking about book 2.
All the characters are interesting and bizarre. For example, Emma’s ally in Rome is a sexy blind hobo….
Just read the book…