The Pacemaker

The Pacemaker Series Book 1

Fiction - New Adult
262 Pages
Reviewed on 05/16/2020
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by K.J. Simmill for Readers' Favorite

In Imania Margria's The Pacemaker, Minerva had fought tooth and nail through the five years of life she remembered. She had learned she could not trust anyone. To survive was to be alone. But when she was accepted into Calendula University, a prestigious school thought to be the best in the country, her outlook had to change, especially if she didn't want to mess up this opportunity. This university was for prodigies and academic geniuses, but like everything that seemed so perfect on the outside, there were secrets, skeletons in the closet that were spoken about in whispers, just like the curse. Minerva soon learns there may be more to this curse than superstition and coincidence, and if she wants to protect those she finds herself drawn to, she must act. But doing so comes with its own difficulties, like snippets of her forgotten past, a strange power, and the unnerving landscape of Neverworld. Will she survive to discover the truth of the curse and her own haunted past?

The Pacemaker is book one in Imania Margria's Pacemaker series. The cliques and class structure made for a tense atmosphere of snobbery, exclusion, and gossip, while others looked beyond social class and found a good friend in Minerva, one who would risk everything to keep them safe. I enjoyed watching Minerva slowly lowering her guard and starting to trust people while operating in a place far beyond her own comfort. She faces challenges and hardships made more daunting by her life experience, and the air of claustrophobia and suffocation is well portrayed. I enjoyed the atmosphere of this book which was portrayed beautifully through the third-person narrative. Action, heartbreak, suspicion, and doubt drive the plot forward as Minerva seeks answers, finding herself involved in a supernatural world she knew nothing about. Dark themes intertwine with the joy of friendship and finding a place to belong. Anyone enjoying a good plot with strong characters and a supernatural theme should give this book a try.

K.C. Finn

The Pacemaker is a work of fiction in the supernatural, suspense, and interpersonal drama sub-genres and was penned by author Imania Margria. This darkly enchanting novel was penned for new adult audiences and up, and therefore you can expect the presence of explicit language, graphic imagery, and sexual situations. The central character is Minerva Walsh, who cannot remember anything about her life before the day she turned eighteen. When Minerva receives a scholarship to Calendula University, at first she thinks her life has changed. What follows is a terrifying wake-up call to the true darkness of the world, and Minerva's own awakening to both the missing parts of her past and the mysterious future that awaits her.

Author Imania Margria has crafted a highly immersive and sensory novel that will have you experiencing everything right alongside her protagonist with visceral detail. I am always intrigued by the presence of an unreliable narrator, and Minerva is a perfect central figure around whom many different mysteries collide. This is a slow-burning and darkly supernatural tale that offers great rewards for readers who stick with it to its startling conclusion. There's also plenty of room for scope in a continuing series, and the conceptual background and worldbuilding which Margria employs certainly make for an engaging atmosphere that any new adult fan could get lost in. Overall, I would recommend The Pacemaker to fans of supernatural suspense, dark dramatic plots, and new adult mystery series with solid conceptual plots.

Risah Salazar

Minerva Walsh cannot remember anything before her eighteenth birthday and she doesn't know why. All her life, she believes she's been unlucky and miserable until she wins the lottery scholarship at Calendula University -- the best in the city of Amaryllis. She did not expect to receive this good news because she has never even applied. After clearing things up with the headmaster and her student mentor, Hailee, she decides she's going to take this chance and turn her life around. But how can she make the most out of this opportunity when a few days before classes start, she discovers something dark living inside her and gets involved with the most popular guys (princes) in school. What's worse is that these "princes" have a huge obsessive following whose leader is determined to bring her down.

Imania Margria's The Pacemaker is a paranormal mystery with a touch of romance. The characters are written well; their build-up and development reveal how good Margria is with her craft. The mystery is exhilarating, although the romance falls flat. While there is tension between Minerva and the princes, their relationship does not carefully grow from friends to something more. Suddenly, they are attracted to each other and want more. On a more positive note, this is a perfect example of a feminist read where both sexes treat each other equally, get along, and work together to make a better society. The Pacemaker is the first installment in the series and it's a nice start to the rest of the books.