Title

The title 'Sciamachy' left me one hundred percent confused because I don't have an actual clue as to what it means. I actually googled it to find out what it means: basically an argument with an imaginary opponent.

The way I'm seeing this is that the character is basically fighting herself, mentally maybe, by questioning the decisions and choices she makes. I have to say the title is creative because I didn't even know what it means. Maybe I'm just not smart enough, but I think it's creative that you've used the word as the title as it shows it's related to the book.

Cover

The book cover is dark, but I'm feeling the mood and liking it already. From the cover itself, I'm sensing mystery, secrets and a whole load of conflict involved. The image used on the book cover is very clear which is good, and it blends with the background as you have grey and black together. It's like the character is trapped somewhere and can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm assuming that because of the way the colours are on the image and how the grey blends into it. Some feedback would be to maybe add just a little hit of more colour onto the image but not too much as I reckon it fits well with the story. The font is very playful but all over the place, a bit like the mind of the character. However, the font isn't very clear, so I'd suggest using a clear font that readers will be able to read against the background of the cover. Apart from that, you've done a good job with the cover.

Blurb

The blurb is short and sweet -- well, not actually sweet, but I mean in the sense of which it's not unbearable to read. You've done well with the blurb as you've introduced the main character, Nova, and told us just a little bit about her. You haven't spoilt anything for the reader, which most writers tend to do, and you haven't given us large chunks of information either which is good.

I feel like your blurb is quite simple but interesting enough to make me want to read the book. I can't really give any feedback on the blurb because, personally, I like it very much, and it does the job of getting my attention.

First Chapter

The first chapter is most likely about the main character. I'm not actually sure but I'm going to assume this. She seems to be trapped in some place, I'm guessing either a psychiatric ward or some other place. You've set the scene really well, showing how the character feels throughout her actions. She's in a panicked state and wants to escape but is forced down. I have a feeling she's not in the place by choice at all.

It's almost as if she's a science experiment. I don't know why I feel that way, but I do. Some feedback would be to maybe include a little dialogue in the first chapter just to keep it interesting and flowing as you don't want the reader to get bored.

Plot / Theme

The plot of this book is something different. You've got so much going on with Nova as she's being experimented on, but it's like she doesn't really know because the people keep messing with her memories. It also focuses on the character's mental health; she tends to get into these states and speaks about her depression as well.

There's also the fact that she's seeing the shadow of a man who keeps vanishing, so I'm guessing she's hallucinating at this time. I find it absolutely sickening the that they did all that experimenting with her memories simply because Nova witnessed the captain kill someone.

Writing

Your writing is fairly standard. However, I do feel like it is quite letting your story down in a way. Your book has potential; the plot is great and so are the characters, but the writing needs improvement, so I'm going to give honest feedback which should help you.

The first bit of feedback is to check your spelling and grammar. Just by reading the first chapter, I immediately noticed that there are a lot of errors, so I'm assuming that the book hasn't been edited. I would suggest you edit the book as this will make it easier for your readers as well. Readers can get put off by too many grammar and spelling mistakes.

The second bit of feedback would be the lack of descriptive language and vocabulary as I noticed that there was barely any throughout the chapters. Descriptive language and a range of vocabulary can really help to improve your work as it helps develop your sentences from being basic to more interesting.

Characters

Nova seems like a strong character who's lost in the dark, not only because of her own problems and mental state, but also because the captain and other people have been messing with her mind. I feel like you've done well with developing your main character as I was able to know how she's feeling throughout her actions. She felt trapped, agitated, and wanted to get out but couldn't because she had no idea what was going on.

I genuinely hate the captain and the police officers for doing what they did to her because they manipulated her mind and memories, and in the end, she went to prison when we all know she didn't really do anything.

Overall Impression

The book has potential due to the developments of the characters and the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your book. The main area of improvement would be to focus on your writing. I feel like your book would be a great short story if it is edited properly and if more description through adjectives, similes, and metaphors were added.

Reviewed by: Pixie