Reviewed by Dan
This is a Series Review of The Town of Superstition (Books 1 & 2)
AUTHOR: R. G. Thomas
PUBLISHER: Harmony Ink Press
SERIES REVIEW:
I’m not sure how many books are planned for this series. The Midnight Gardener ended in a cliffhanger, which was picked up immediately in The Well of Tears, which also had a cliffhanger ending, so I know there is at least a third one coming at some point.
I’m going to be honest up front and tell you that I didn’t like the cliffhanger endings. It seemed like the story just abruptly cuts to black at the end of both books, and almost feels like it was one book that was rushed to market in two pieces, with more pieces to come. The world building is adequate for the story, but it felt a little flat to me, reading it as an adult. But then again, I’m not the target market for this series. It is, in my opinion a Teen series, and is written for the attention span of teenagers.
That said, I did like these books. They were both good, and kept me interested enough to keep flipping the pages. I’m not sure if I will look for the third book in the series though, as the story just wasn’t able to hold my interest totally.
Continue down the page to see my reviews of the individual books.
SERIES RATING: 
TITLE: The Midnight Gardener
LENGTH: 130 Pages
RELEASE DATE: November 12, 2015
BLURB:
Thaddeus Cane and his father have moved thirty-two times in all of Thaddeus’s fifteen years. Every time his father uproots them without a reason, it leaves Thaddeus friendless once again. Superstition is the town they’ve settled in this time, and despite its name, it seems like every other little town, except for one thing.
From the window of his bedroom, Thaddeus can look into their neighbor’s backyard. And every night, after dark, he sees a guy his own age putter around in the immaculately maintained garden. When Thaddeus visits his neighbor, the crush already blooming underneath surfaces, and Teofil, the midnight gardener, reveals he’s actually a garden gnome. When Thaddeus’s father finds out, more secrets are exposed, and Thaddeus embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.
REVIEW:
We meet the hero of our story, fifteen year old Thaddeus Cane when he and his father have just moved to the town of Superstition. I’m guessing it is supposed to be somewhere in the United States, but that might be me being US centric and it might not be set in the US. It never actually says where Superstition is…all it says is that he and his father have moved thirty-two times during Thaddeus’ fifteen year life! And it doesn’t mention any of the previous locations.
Thaddeus has never had any friends, because they move so darned often. He has no idea why his Dad keeps moving them, but he hopes this time it will last a little while. The town of Superstition seems like a normal small town, but there are some strange things going on. What is the animal looking at Thaddeus from the woods, and who is the strange young gardener next door…who only works at night and hums the whole time. And why are there so many fireflies over there? When Thaddeus sneaks next door, he might find more than he bargained for.
As I said above, the book was good. It kept me flipping pages and I read it in one sitting. Obviously the book was not written with a middle aged gay man in mind for the reader. The book would be perfect for the teen market.
RATING:
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TITLE: The Well of Tears
LENGTH: 129 Pages
RELEASE DATE: June 16, 2016
BLURB:
Thaddeus Cane’s life changed when he learned he is the son of a witch and a wizard, and now he’s undertaken a mission to find his mother, who was cursed not long after Thaddeus was born. He enlists the aid of his father, Nathan; his boyfriend and neighbor, Teofil Rhododendron, a garden gnome; and Teofil’s mother, brother, and sister. As they journey through a world that seems normal on the surface, they meet many magical creatures, some kind and helpful, others evil and dangerous. When Nathan suffers a life-threatening injury, Thaddeus might be forced to abandon the quest to find his mother in order to save his father.
REVIEW:
The Well of Tears picks up immediately after the cliffhanger ending of The Midnight Gardener. I know I keep repeating that cliffhanger part, but the books would have gotten better ratings from me if they hadn’t ended like they did.
In the second installment we are back with the continuing adventures of Thaddeus Cane. He now knows why they moved so many times while he was growing up and he knows some of the family secrets. He now knows his mother was cursed during a wizard’s battle when he was a child. He was rescued by his father, but his mother was placed under a spell and cursed. If this all sounds a little Harry Potter like, well, it is in my opinion. But the overall story isn’t, so don’t worry.
This one had a little more adventure to it than the first installment. The characters are off on a quest to find Thaddeus’ mother before the bad wizards and witches find her first and bend her to their evil ways. But will they get sidetracked by events along the way?
Again, the story was enjoyable. It would again be perfect for the teen market in my opinion.
RATING:
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