What do you think?
Rate this book
The Schattenreich #1
Primary Fault
Book 1 of the Schattenreich
Geophysicist Caitlin Schwarzbach, out of work and weary of small-town Texas, leaves home. For good.
Separated from her beloved brother Gus at age seven when their parents divorced, she moves to Cologne, Germany to be with him.
Instead of meeting her brother upon her arrival, a Gus lookalike attempts to kidnap her by pulling her into a wall of glass. His accomplice: a curvy Nordic beauty dressed in black taffeta and lace and swarmed by ravens. Caitlin believes her experience to be a product of jet lag and disorientation.
Later that evening at a university reception, Caitlin learns her seismologist brother has included her in a research project with Hagen von der Lahn, amateur archeologist, stylish aristocrat, and dangerously attractive.
After Gus is called away by an earthquake, the deranged Gus doppelganger again tries to drag her away. Hagen rescues her and spirits her to his castle near the Rhine.
A novel of supernatural suspense, Primary Fault tells the tale of a woman's quest to save her brother. The mixture of science meets magic pits beings from a Celtic Otherworld against atheistic Druids and will delight fans of a tightly plotted fantasy with richly drawn characters.
Geophysicist Caitlin Schwarzbach, out of work and weary of small-town Texas, leaves home. For good.
Separated from her beloved brother Gus at age seven when their parents divorced, she moves to Cologne, Germany to be with him.
Instead of meeting her brother upon her arrival, a Gus lookalike attempts to kidnap her by pulling her into a wall of glass. His accomplice: a curvy Nordic beauty dressed in black taffeta and lace and swarmed by ravens. Caitlin believes her experience to be a product of jet lag and disorientation.
Later that evening at a university reception, Caitlin learns her seismologist brother has included her in a research project with Hagen von der Lahn, amateur archeologist, stylish aristocrat, and dangerously attractive.
After Gus is called away by an earthquake, the deranged Gus doppelganger again tries to drag her away. Hagen rescues her and spirits her to his castle near the Rhine.
A novel of supernatural suspense, Primary Fault tells the tale of a woman's quest to save her brother. The mixture of science meets magic pits beings from a Celtic Otherworld against atheistic Druids and will delight fans of a tightly plotted fantasy with richly drawn characters.
366 pages, Paperback
First published July 5, 2012
1 person is currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Kae Reamer
20 books12 followersSharon Kae Reamer, expatriate Texan and lover of all things mythological, lives on the outskirts of Cologne where she teaches all things geophysical at the University of Cologne.
Visit her website at www.sharonreamer.com
Visit her website at www.sharonreamer.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 30, 2013
I found a lot of things to like about Primary Fault: The protagonist is over thirty, she has a career in the sciences and she can be decisive and vulnerable at the same time. No weeping ingenue is Caitlin, she has a brain and she's not afraid to use it.
The setting--Germany near Cologne--is also a refreshing change, and while the reader and Caitlin get introduced to the surrounding area, we also get peeks at other worlds, one Caitlin may have played in unknowingly as a child.
There are a few mysteries to be resolved in the next book, which I'm looking forward to. I finished the book knowing certain things were important, but wouldn't be revealed just yet. It's easy to overdo that kind of tension, but Reamer did not.
I'm not sure how I feel about Caitlin's potential love interest, Hagen. He's definitely keeping secrets, and he seems to have his own agenda. This agenda is being thwarted and I wonder if he'll come out of it likable or the true SOB he has the potential to be.
I did find some of the writing a bit uneven--overly descriptive in some places, and not at all in others. I suspect the unknown will be made clear in the next volume.
The setting--Germany near Cologne--is also a refreshing change, and while the reader and Caitlin get introduced to the surrounding area, we also get peeks at other worlds, one Caitlin may have played in unknowingly as a child.
There are a few mysteries to be resolved in the next book, which I'm looking forward to. I finished the book knowing certain things were important, but wouldn't be revealed just yet. It's easy to overdo that kind of tension, but Reamer did not.
I'm not sure how I feel about Caitlin's potential love interest, Hagen. He's definitely keeping secrets, and he seems to have his own agenda. This agenda is being thwarted and I wonder if he'll come out of it likable or the true SOB he has the potential to be.
I did find some of the writing a bit uneven--overly descriptive in some places, and not at all in others. I suspect the unknown will be made clear in the next volume.
August 23, 2013
After a horrible car accident, Caitlin was separated from her brother Gus for years. Only until she moves from Texas to Cologne, Germany is she able to reunite with him and begin life anew. But something isn’t quite right and soon Caitlin realizes that her reality has been turned upside down. She always thought that the childhood game she and her mother played, Journeys to the Otherworld, was just that - a game. But now her mom is dead and Caitlin feels lost. When Gus disappears and he is accused of attacks on women and even murder, Caitlin must turn to new friends and Hagan von der Lahn, a new romantic interest, to help clear her brother’s name.
Unlike most books today, where key plot points of the story are revealed right on the jacket cover, author Sharon Kae Reamer takes her time in Primary Fault: The Schattenreich. What is actually going on is as much a mystery to readers as it is to main characters and that is quite refreshing. Reamer definitely has a way with words. When describing Hagan’s eyes, she writes, “The dim light from the candles made his eyes seem dark, like the marriage of midnight to ocean.” Readers can just visualize the color of his eyes and fall into their depths.
After studying geophysics in college in Texas, Reamer moved to Germany and began a career as a seismologist. Part of the series’ mystery involves Gus’ study of earthquakes and their impact on history and ancient ruins. As of the first book, it is still unclear to the main characters (and readers) exactly why Gus’ archaeoseismology project and research has placed his family and friends in so much danger. Who is the evil blonde, where is Gus and who is the man that looks exactly like him who is running loose around Germany? Are Caitlin’s dizzy spells related to her previous accident or is she tied directly to a long line of Druid mythology?
The book draws to an exciting conclusion on the eve of Halloween as masked guests mingle and the veil between worlds is at its thinnest. Readers don’t need to be worried about the unfinished story because Shaky Ground, the second book in the series, is now available. You’ll want to get it as soon as possible to find out more about the thrilling collision of worlds that Reamer has artistically created.
Unlike most books today, where key plot points of the story are revealed right on the jacket cover, author Sharon Kae Reamer takes her time in Primary Fault: The Schattenreich. What is actually going on is as much a mystery to readers as it is to main characters and that is quite refreshing. Reamer definitely has a way with words. When describing Hagan’s eyes, she writes, “The dim light from the candles made his eyes seem dark, like the marriage of midnight to ocean.” Readers can just visualize the color of his eyes and fall into their depths.
After studying geophysics in college in Texas, Reamer moved to Germany and began a career as a seismologist. Part of the series’ mystery involves Gus’ study of earthquakes and their impact on history and ancient ruins. As of the first book, it is still unclear to the main characters (and readers) exactly why Gus’ archaeoseismology project and research has placed his family and friends in so much danger. Who is the evil blonde, where is Gus and who is the man that looks exactly like him who is running loose around Germany? Are Caitlin’s dizzy spells related to her previous accident or is she tied directly to a long line of Druid mythology?
The book draws to an exciting conclusion on the eve of Halloween as masked guests mingle and the veil between worlds is at its thinnest. Readers don’t need to be worried about the unfinished story because Shaky Ground, the second book in the series, is now available. You’ll want to get it as soon as possible to find out more about the thrilling collision of worlds that Reamer has artistically created.
October 29, 2012
Article first published as Book Review: Primary Fault by Sharon Kae Reamer on Blogcritics.
Family connections are often the only way we have of staving off fear and loneliness. When those closest to us pass away, we often look further into our background to re-assert further connection. The information or result is not always what we expect or even believe.
In Primary Fault by Sharon Kae Reamer, we are taken into the strange and surrealistic world of Caitlin Schwarzbach. Leaving Texas after the death of her mother she arrives in Cologne, Germany to be near her brother. Gus is a seismologist and Caitlin is put quickly on the defense as he disappears. When he is accused of sexual assault, she knows she must find the answers. Throughout her life her brother has been her hero and there when she needed him. She loves him and is indebted to him for saving her during an accident in which she became seriously injured, and struggled to survive. Now it is her turn to return that debt.
As she meets those closest to him in his field, she finds herself drawn to his friend Hagen. Using Hagen’s resources as well as those of Gus’s other connected friends she actually finds more mystery than answers. As visions begin to distract her, and her own life becomes forfeit, a dangerous new game has begun. The dark and pagan background of the area seems to create a thinly veiled parallel world, one where darkness claims rule. Making deals with the deities of this realm seem common place in the visions and dreams that Caitlin is now experiencing.
When Gus is accused of murder and captured by the police, Caitlin realizes that she is now in control of his fate as he was once in control of hers. Can she find the answers to free him, before death finds her?
Making friends with Gus’s erstwhile neighbor as well as a columnist who has fallen for her brother, she begins to find strange and haunting answers to the disarray in which they find themselves. When Hagen disengages almost totally with her on a rudimentary level, he still professes to want to help her clear Gus, who by all accounts is a good friend. Can she set aside her heartbreak from this known rake, in order to clear her brother’s name?
Reamer has created an intricately webbed reality where science and magic dance in a semblance of chaotic order. Belief is suspended and darkness descends, unknown and unseen by those not involved in the geologic community. The telling is fun and exciting, and the unusual passion that runs beneath the scenes is captivating and spellbinding.
Add to this a cast of characters that are extremely likable in some cases, and truly evil and deadly in others, you have the makings of a seriously ingenious work of adventure. The tale is often just a bit overwhelming, and the scenes, especially those of seismic proportions make you look for a chair to sit down before you fall down.
If you enjoy the occult, paranormal adventure, romance, police procedural, suspense, murder and many mixtures of each, this is the work you are looking for. Well-spaced and easy to read, Primary Fault would be a great addition to your library.
This would also be a great novel for a reading and or discussion group, full of interesting and unique events to discuss and argue about.
This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.
Family connections are often the only way we have of staving off fear and loneliness. When those closest to us pass away, we often look further into our background to re-assert further connection. The information or result is not always what we expect or even believe.
In Primary Fault by Sharon Kae Reamer, we are taken into the strange and surrealistic world of Caitlin Schwarzbach. Leaving Texas after the death of her mother she arrives in Cologne, Germany to be near her brother. Gus is a seismologist and Caitlin is put quickly on the defense as he disappears. When he is accused of sexual assault, she knows she must find the answers. Throughout her life her brother has been her hero and there when she needed him. She loves him and is indebted to him for saving her during an accident in which she became seriously injured, and struggled to survive. Now it is her turn to return that debt.
As she meets those closest to him in his field, she finds herself drawn to his friend Hagen. Using Hagen’s resources as well as those of Gus’s other connected friends she actually finds more mystery than answers. As visions begin to distract her, and her own life becomes forfeit, a dangerous new game has begun. The dark and pagan background of the area seems to create a thinly veiled parallel world, one where darkness claims rule. Making deals with the deities of this realm seem common place in the visions and dreams that Caitlin is now experiencing.
When Gus is accused of murder and captured by the police, Caitlin realizes that she is now in control of his fate as he was once in control of hers. Can she find the answers to free him, before death finds her?
Making friends with Gus’s erstwhile neighbor as well as a columnist who has fallen for her brother, she begins to find strange and haunting answers to the disarray in which they find themselves. When Hagen disengages almost totally with her on a rudimentary level, he still professes to want to help her clear Gus, who by all accounts is a good friend. Can she set aside her heartbreak from this known rake, in order to clear her brother’s name?
Reamer has created an intricately webbed reality where science and magic dance in a semblance of chaotic order. Belief is suspended and darkness descends, unknown and unseen by those not involved in the geologic community. The telling is fun and exciting, and the unusual passion that runs beneath the scenes is captivating and spellbinding.
Add to this a cast of characters that are extremely likable in some cases, and truly evil and deadly in others, you have the makings of a seriously ingenious work of adventure. The tale is often just a bit overwhelming, and the scenes, especially those of seismic proportions make you look for a chair to sit down before you fall down.
If you enjoy the occult, paranormal adventure, romance, police procedural, suspense, murder and many mixtures of each, this is the work you are looking for. Well-spaced and easy to read, Primary Fault would be a great addition to your library.
This would also be a great novel for a reading and or discussion group, full of interesting and unique events to discuss and argue about.
This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.
April 9, 2014
Primary Fault is the first novel in the Schattenreich (which translates to “realm of shadows”) series. The author currently has three novels published in this series. It was refreshing to read a tale of intrigue based around science. The author set up a remarkable story about falsified geologic reports, stolen projects, and possible historical discoveries. However, the uniqueness of the plot was overwhelmed by a fantasy arc developing in the Otherworld. Caitlin, the protagonist, moves to Köln, Germany after her mother’s funeral to live with her brother Gus. Within 48 hours of arriving she is almost kidnapped, her brother disappears, her home is broken into, and she meets a cast of characters, all of whose arrival seems to be aptly timed. Action among Caitlin and those in Köln is punctuated with scenes set in the Schattenreich, an Avalon-esque world that runs aside our world and time. Caitlin does everything she can to find her brother, and in doing so misses that she is a part of much larger plot in both worlds.
I really enjoyed the dialogue in this story. It read as actual conversation, especially when the characters were stressed. They were sarcastic and witty, but within reason. The author made use of the native language of the setting and showed that she understands the culture. There were German words and phrases used in the text, but only enough to make the reader feel included in the scene without overwhelming them. These were used in enough context that the reader could glean their meaning, though many times it was translated through the main character’s internal monologue.
I did grow frustrated with the dangling plot points that were not wrapped up or even touched upon once the novel concluded. Perhaps the goal was to pick these up in the second novel. Though if that’s the case a nod to this fact would have been nice. Instead, certain elements that were eluded to be important were never revisited. Even characters introduced and interacted with throughout the novel seemed to only provide data dumps to the main character. The final wrap up scenes were rather anticlimactic and the reason for the kidnapping was rushed.
The lead character, Caitlin, is set up to be a strong female lead. And for the most part, she is. She loves her brother and will do anything to help him as he has helped her. The author makes this and Caitlin’s love/lust for the sexy male lead painstakingly clear throughout the book to the point of redundancy. I enjoyed all three of these characters, but I wish the author had spent less time doubting that the reader would understand how important these relationships were.
The main story (the kidnapping and the reason why Gus was kidnapped) was truly great. The author made geophysics super cool by establishing how much influence Gus and his earthquake research institute had. After learning that Gus has the ability to make or break building plans, it becomes clear that knowledge is power. This would have made a great stand-alone mystery without the fantasy side plot, which just confused me more than interested me. But that could be my bias as I was hoping for more science.
Due to redundancy in character development and the unfinished plot lines, I am giving this novel a 3 rating.
I really enjoyed the dialogue in this story. It read as actual conversation, especially when the characters were stressed. They were sarcastic and witty, but within reason. The author made use of the native language of the setting and showed that she understands the culture. There were German words and phrases used in the text, but only enough to make the reader feel included in the scene without overwhelming them. These were used in enough context that the reader could glean their meaning, though many times it was translated through the main character’s internal monologue.
I did grow frustrated with the dangling plot points that were not wrapped up or even touched upon once the novel concluded. Perhaps the goal was to pick these up in the second novel. Though if that’s the case a nod to this fact would have been nice. Instead, certain elements that were eluded to be important were never revisited. Even characters introduced and interacted with throughout the novel seemed to only provide data dumps to the main character. The final wrap up scenes were rather anticlimactic and the reason for the kidnapping was rushed.
The lead character, Caitlin, is set up to be a strong female lead. And for the most part, she is. She loves her brother and will do anything to help him as he has helped her. The author makes this and Caitlin’s love/lust for the sexy male lead painstakingly clear throughout the book to the point of redundancy. I enjoyed all three of these characters, but I wish the author had spent less time doubting that the reader would understand how important these relationships were.
The main story (the kidnapping and the reason why Gus was kidnapped) was truly great. The author made geophysics super cool by establishing how much influence Gus and his earthquake research institute had. After learning that Gus has the ability to make or break building plans, it becomes clear that knowledge is power. This would have made a great stand-alone mystery without the fantasy side plot, which just confused me more than interested me. But that could be my bias as I was hoping for more science.
Due to redundancy in character development and the unfinished plot lines, I am giving this novel a 3 rating.
September 2, 2014
Absorbing and Original
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this clever and original read which merges mythology and magic with a heady mixture of romance, science and suspense. It is full of mystery and secrets with a complex plot and superbly well drawn characters, which drew me in from the off.
After her life in the USA turns sour following the death of her mother, her own long recovery after a road accident and being dumped by her boyfriend, Caitlin Schwazbach travels to Germany, where she hopes to make a permanent home alongside her brother Gus, a renowned seismologist. Rather than the peace she craves, Caitlin walks into a nightmare scenario: she herself is assaulted by a mysterious man, who bears a striking resemblance to Gus and Gus disappears, suspected of a series of heinous crimes, deeds she knows that the brother she loved would never commit.
Caitlin’s own life is full of danger as she seeks to find Gus and prove his innocence. At the same time she falls for the handsome and mysterious Hagen, a business partner of her brother and a rich and renowned aristocratic playboy, whose actions towards her blow hot and cold. Her problems do not stop there as she experiences strange dizzy spells and visions which seem to be increasing in intensity. She is particularly terrified by the appearance of the figure she refers to as Death. Caitlin must unearth who is out to discredit/destroy her brother whilst protecting both her heart and her sanity.
We are treated to many forays into the Schattenreich, the shadowy ‘otherworld,’ where the author draws on a rich combination of both Celtic and Germanic mythology. I found this aspect of the novel truly fascinating as it added dark and mysterious depths to an already thrilling and suspenseful read.
Caitlin is mature enough to be a confident woman, not afraid to act on her own despite the possible dangers and she also has an air of vulnerability about her. I found that I was rooting for her from the off. I applauded her determination to get to the bottom of finding out who is trying to discredit her brother and why and above all secure his safety. The power struggles at her brother’s institute mask something far darker and dangerous than she can ever begin to understand. Caitlin finds that she has to rely on the help of Hagen, whom she feels is well out of her league. Hagen, a character whom I adored, is a strong, sexy and powerful hero with a mysterious past and a connection to Caitlin which this instalment only hints at. I cannot wait to find out more!
There are many characters in this book aside from the main ones, some who straddle both the human world and the world beyond into which the book increasingly refers. They all have an important role to play in the evolving tale, and a number of different players are pulling different strings for reasons that we only begin to comprehend in this book. In terms of the romance the book ends on a Happy For Now but there are still many unanswered questions and I am impatient to read the next book in the series, Shaky Ground.I recommend this book to readers who like strong heroines and heroes, with lashings of suspense and a plot which draws on myth and magic.A copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this clever and original read which merges mythology and magic with a heady mixture of romance, science and suspense. It is full of mystery and secrets with a complex plot and superbly well drawn characters, which drew me in from the off.
After her life in the USA turns sour following the death of her mother, her own long recovery after a road accident and being dumped by her boyfriend, Caitlin Schwazbach travels to Germany, where she hopes to make a permanent home alongside her brother Gus, a renowned seismologist. Rather than the peace she craves, Caitlin walks into a nightmare scenario: she herself is assaulted by a mysterious man, who bears a striking resemblance to Gus and Gus disappears, suspected of a series of heinous crimes, deeds she knows that the brother she loved would never commit.
Caitlin’s own life is full of danger as she seeks to find Gus and prove his innocence. At the same time she falls for the handsome and mysterious Hagen, a business partner of her brother and a rich and renowned aristocratic playboy, whose actions towards her blow hot and cold. Her problems do not stop there as she experiences strange dizzy spells and visions which seem to be increasing in intensity. She is particularly terrified by the appearance of the figure she refers to as Death. Caitlin must unearth who is out to discredit/destroy her brother whilst protecting both her heart and her sanity.
We are treated to many forays into the Schattenreich, the shadowy ‘otherworld,’ where the author draws on a rich combination of both Celtic and Germanic mythology. I found this aspect of the novel truly fascinating as it added dark and mysterious depths to an already thrilling and suspenseful read.
Caitlin is mature enough to be a confident woman, not afraid to act on her own despite the possible dangers and she also has an air of vulnerability about her. I found that I was rooting for her from the off. I applauded her determination to get to the bottom of finding out who is trying to discredit her brother and why and above all secure his safety. The power struggles at her brother’s institute mask something far darker and dangerous than she can ever begin to understand. Caitlin finds that she has to rely on the help of Hagen, whom she feels is well out of her league. Hagen, a character whom I adored, is a strong, sexy and powerful hero with a mysterious past and a connection to Caitlin which this instalment only hints at. I cannot wait to find out more!
There are many characters in this book aside from the main ones, some who straddle both the human world and the world beyond into which the book increasingly refers. They all have an important role to play in the evolving tale, and a number of different players are pulling different strings for reasons that we only begin to comprehend in this book. In terms of the romance the book ends on a Happy For Now but there are still many unanswered questions and I am impatient to read the next book in the series, Shaky Ground.I recommend this book to readers who like strong heroines and heroes, with lashings of suspense and a plot which draws on myth and magic.A copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.
January 5, 2017
Primary Fault is the first novel in a new fantasy series by Sharon Kae Reamer. Set in Cologne and nearby Bensberg, the novel is a fast-paced, dialogue-driven occult thriller with an unlikely romantic heroine at its heart. Caitlin Schwarzbach is a salty-tongued Texan and a card-carrying jeans and T-shirt girl. Following the death of Caitlin's mother, a shattering car accident and a failed relationship, Caitlin decides to leave her old life behind. She sets her sights on Germany where she has family roots, not least of all her older brother, Gus, who runs a influential seismology institute outside of Cologne.
The author presents a world in which earth science and earthy mysticism jostle shoulder to shoulder in competing visions of reality. The novel begins with Caitlin's arrival at Cologne-Bonn airport and the trouble begins almost immediately. The earth moves, reality shifts and Caitlin is accosted by someone who looks unnervingly like her brother. Before she has a chance to recover, her brother goes missing, and is accused first of assault and then murder -- all in rapid succession. The future siting of a planned technology park hangs in the balance of Gus' unpublished seismology report, which powerful agents would prefer to suppress or at least discredit. Caitlin must act quickly to solve the mystery of her brother's disappearance and salvage the reputation of the research institute that is his life's work.
The absence of Caitlin's beloved brother leaves her disoriented and susceptible to the charms of Gus' friend and associate, Hagen von der Lahn. Hagen may as well come from an alien world as far as Caitlin in concerned. He's an enigmatically handsome, old-world aristocrat and holder of the family estate at Burg Lahn. Further in the background (at least for now) is Hagen's brother, Heinrich, whom we encounter in the Shattenreich, a shadowy threshold between our reality and the so-called Anderwelt, occupied by ancient beings of fearsome power. The von der Lahn's have a deep Celto-Germanic heritage and a two-thousand year history of stewardship of the Shattenreich.
While in Hagen's care at Burg Lahn, Caitlin obtains a talisman that draws her to the Shattenreich and also unwittingly to Heinrich. Unbeknownst to Caitlin, she is also one of "the blood" as was her mother before her. Caitlin's future depends on Hagen and Heinrich von der Lahn; two brothers who never learned to share nicely, and whose actions have far-reaching consequences. Just ask a certain evil blonde…
Although the main action shuttles between Bensberg and Cologne, scenes in Cologne's Altstadt will resonate with anyone familiar with the city. Particularly satisfying are the descriptions of Cologne after dark, when banal grime gives way to gothic spookiness. The city's modernity is just a veneer of the present layered over countless past iterations going back to Roman times and beyond. Cologne's Praetorium is an apt metaphor for the city itself: the past lies right under our feet and a sense of deep history hovers over all like Charlemagne's ghost.
The author presents a world in which earth science and earthy mysticism jostle shoulder to shoulder in competing visions of reality. The novel begins with Caitlin's arrival at Cologne-Bonn airport and the trouble begins almost immediately. The earth moves, reality shifts and Caitlin is accosted by someone who looks unnervingly like her brother. Before she has a chance to recover, her brother goes missing, and is accused first of assault and then murder -- all in rapid succession. The future siting of a planned technology park hangs in the balance of Gus' unpublished seismology report, which powerful agents would prefer to suppress or at least discredit. Caitlin must act quickly to solve the mystery of her brother's disappearance and salvage the reputation of the research institute that is his life's work.
The absence of Caitlin's beloved brother leaves her disoriented and susceptible to the charms of Gus' friend and associate, Hagen von der Lahn. Hagen may as well come from an alien world as far as Caitlin in concerned. He's an enigmatically handsome, old-world aristocrat and holder of the family estate at Burg Lahn. Further in the background (at least for now) is Hagen's brother, Heinrich, whom we encounter in the Shattenreich, a shadowy threshold between our reality and the so-called Anderwelt, occupied by ancient beings of fearsome power. The von der Lahn's have a deep Celto-Germanic heritage and a two-thousand year history of stewardship of the Shattenreich.
While in Hagen's care at Burg Lahn, Caitlin obtains a talisman that draws her to the Shattenreich and also unwittingly to Heinrich. Unbeknownst to Caitlin, she is also one of "the blood" as was her mother before her. Caitlin's future depends on Hagen and Heinrich von der Lahn; two brothers who never learned to share nicely, and whose actions have far-reaching consequences. Just ask a certain evil blonde…
Although the main action shuttles between Bensberg and Cologne, scenes in Cologne's Altstadt will resonate with anyone familiar with the city. Particularly satisfying are the descriptions of Cologne after dark, when banal grime gives way to gothic spookiness. The city's modernity is just a veneer of the present layered over countless past iterations going back to Roman times and beyond. Cologne's Praetorium is an apt metaphor for the city itself: the past lies right under our feet and a sense of deep history hovers over all like Charlemagne's ghost.
September 25, 2012
A lot of fantasy is very similar with the same rehashed characters and plots. Primary Fault is different, a very imaginative ride. The author has blended science, earthquakes, history, mythology, mysticism and adventure into something very unique. It is very well-written and is quite a page-turner, you have to keep reading to find out what happens next.
Most of it is written in the first person, by our heroine Caitlin, and although it's not my favourite point of view, here it works very well because we as readers get to discover things at the same time as her. It has both a down-to-earth feel and a mysterious/otherworldly feel as well and the author has done both very well. Other less, skilled writers might find themselves doing better at the one than the other.
I'm not usually such a fan of urban type fantasy, where the fantasy elements encroach on the real world as it were, but here I didn't mind at all because I was transplanted into the middle of such a good story that it didn't matter what particular genre it was. In this book I loved the blend of fantastic and normal, with Caitlin never quite sure whether or not she was hallucinating. I also adored the fact that Caitlin comes face to face with her brother's Doppelganger in Germany, that just seems so apt to me.
The romance between Caitlin and Hagen von der Lahn could have felt overdone, handsome man, baron with his own medieval castle, but in the context of this book, it just clicked and who hasn't dreamt of being rescued by the knight in shining armour (or in this case a silver limousine) on his white horse at some time? All in all, it was a sweeping, romantic, exciting adventure not to be missed with enough twists and turns to keep even the most jaded thriller fan happy.
Most of it is written in the first person, by our heroine Caitlin, and although it's not my favourite point of view, here it works very well because we as readers get to discover things at the same time as her. It has both a down-to-earth feel and a mysterious/otherworldly feel as well and the author has done both very well. Other less, skilled writers might find themselves doing better at the one than the other.
I'm not usually such a fan of urban type fantasy, where the fantasy elements encroach on the real world as it were, but here I didn't mind at all because I was transplanted into the middle of such a good story that it didn't matter what particular genre it was. In this book I loved the blend of fantastic and normal, with Caitlin never quite sure whether or not she was hallucinating. I also adored the fact that Caitlin comes face to face with her brother's Doppelganger in Germany, that just seems so apt to me.
The romance between Caitlin and Hagen von der Lahn could have felt overdone, handsome man, baron with his own medieval castle, but in the context of this book, it just clicked and who hasn't dreamt of being rescued by the knight in shining armour (or in this case a silver limousine) on his white horse at some time? All in all, it was a sweeping, romantic, exciting adventure not to be missed with enough twists and turns to keep even the most jaded thriller fan happy.
October 14, 2014
An intriguing concept, and early, reminiscent of Stephen King; a pure blend of everyday life and crime lightly seasoned with the other worldly.
Author Sharon Kae Reamer, has, with PRIMARY FAULT, brought to life a secondary reality that's mysterious and omnipresent in the lives of her characters.
For Caitlin, her perception of reality is stretched to the limit, yet remains oddly intact despite her internal self-quakes that take her to places only plausible in fantasy.
Central to proceedings lies a crime that threatens to tear Caitlin and her brother, Gus, in half. Accused of assault and murder of young women, Gus goes missing leaving the authorities to automatically assume his guilt, Caitlin, with a couple of convenient accomplices diligently works to clear his name and prove Gus has a doppelganger, one that is responsible for the crimes.
The deep fantasy aspect was secondary to the plot though an integral part to dictating the characters actions and providing some rationale without fully enveloping the reader in other worldly realm. I thought this balance was good but could've been better served by providing the reader with more background to the fantasy side of the equation.
As an initial book in a series, the scene is well established with revelations promised in further instalments. Unique enough to warrant further reading and mysterious enough to captivate the readers attention.
Review first appeared on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
Author Sharon Kae Reamer, has, with PRIMARY FAULT, brought to life a secondary reality that's mysterious and omnipresent in the lives of her characters.
For Caitlin, her perception of reality is stretched to the limit, yet remains oddly intact despite her internal self-quakes that take her to places only plausible in fantasy.
Central to proceedings lies a crime that threatens to tear Caitlin and her brother, Gus, in half. Accused of assault and murder of young women, Gus goes missing leaving the authorities to automatically assume his guilt, Caitlin, with a couple of convenient accomplices diligently works to clear his name and prove Gus has a doppelganger, one that is responsible for the crimes.
The deep fantasy aspect was secondary to the plot though an integral part to dictating the characters actions and providing some rationale without fully enveloping the reader in other worldly realm. I thought this balance was good but could've been better served by providing the reader with more background to the fantasy side of the equation.
As an initial book in a series, the scene is well established with revelations promised in further instalments. Unique enough to warrant further reading and mysterious enough to captivate the readers attention.
Review first appeared on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
January 23, 2014
I love a good mystery and a bit of conspiracy just increases a story's appeal. I found myself rooting for Caitlin as soon as she’d stepped onto German soil. The action takes place over a short period of time. Caitlin's rushing from place to place and person to person in an attempt to clear her brother reflects the urgency of her task. Add in moments of disorientation, characters resembling others, and the whole situation starts to look very dark.
I really enjoyed reading a story set partly in Cologne, where I live. The use of the occasional German word with the translation fitted neatly into the following dialogue, suggests Caitlyn finding her way back into the language again. A previous reviewer commented on expressions that seemed to be literal translations from German. Exactly! This is just how you'd imagine someone communicating in a foreign language and I thought this was an excellent way of demonstrating Tony's English skills.
Fantasy is not a genre I usually read and although I could envisage characters moving between parallel worlds, I struggled with their transforming into animals and was pleased that it was just a minor element of this novel. Primary Fault is well written and a promising start to Reamer’s Shattenreich series.
I really enjoyed reading a story set partly in Cologne, where I live. The use of the occasional German word with the translation fitted neatly into the following dialogue, suggests Caitlyn finding her way back into the language again. A previous reviewer commented on expressions that seemed to be literal translations from German. Exactly! This is just how you'd imagine someone communicating in a foreign language and I thought this was an excellent way of demonstrating Tony's English skills.
Fantasy is not a genre I usually read and although I could envisage characters moving between parallel worlds, I struggled with their transforming into animals and was pleased that it was just a minor element of this novel. Primary Fault is well written and a promising start to Reamer’s Shattenreich series.
March 10, 2014
Combine physics and geology and you’ve got the hardest of hard sciences, a discipline that surely would produce adherents who would reject out of hand anything inexplicable.
Or maybe not. After all, geophysicists are trained scientists. As such, they have learned to accept repeatable evidence, insert that evidence into their theories. If the theory breaks, they keep the evidence and make a new theory.
Which means that when geophysicist Caitlin Schwarzbach starts seeing ghosts, an otherworldly place and perhaps the very personification of death itself. . . Well, she has no choice but to believe.
Tired of small-town Texas life, Caitlin decides it’s time to pack her bags and start over somewhere new. When she decides to leave, there’s only one choice for her destination: Cologne, Germany. Gus, her seismologist brother, with whom she hasn’t lived since their parents divorced when she was seven, lives and works in Cologne.
... read more at UndergroundBookReviews(dot)com
Or maybe not. After all, geophysicists are trained scientists. As such, they have learned to accept repeatable evidence, insert that evidence into their theories. If the theory breaks, they keep the evidence and make a new theory.
Which means that when geophysicist Caitlin Schwarzbach starts seeing ghosts, an otherworldly place and perhaps the very personification of death itself. . . Well, she has no choice but to believe.
Tired of small-town Texas life, Caitlin decides it’s time to pack her bags and start over somewhere new. When she decides to leave, there’s only one choice for her destination: Cologne, Germany. Gus, her seismologist brother, with whom she hasn’t lived since their parents divorced when she was seven, lives and works in Cologne.
... read more at UndergroundBookReviews(dot)com
August 7, 2013
From the first chapter, we are thrown into a world where reality is hard to determine. Caitlin's adventures in the oh-so-atmospheric Cologne area have a nightmarish quality to them as she tries to clear her brother Gus of criminal charges. As the story is told in the first person, Caitlin's confusion becomes our own, and the occasional asides in the Otherworld only add to the mysteries. Ms. Reamer has crafted a book full of fascinating characters, marvelous locales and a gripping plot. I'm happy to see there is at least one sequel. Although Primary Fault could be a stand alone novel, there are enough loose ends that I wish to read more.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it.
August 11, 2014
The author does a good job of drawing readers into the action and has a way with figures of speech. My only double take was flipping back and forth between the first- and third-person narrative. That can be jarring. I'll see if it works after I've read the entire book. After completing the book, the switch between first and third person pretty much works. This is excellent speculative fiction with s heaping dose of German culture. The large list of characters is confusing at first, but keep reading and it slowly becomes clear who's who, good and not so much.
February 11, 2014
A fantastic read, melding Celtic and German mythology into a dark, insistent narrative that drives you forward night after night.
March 18, 2019
Didn't like that book. The story didn't really start to flow, the geophysical stuff, that was constantly mentioned got on my nerves, but what made me stop at around 30% was the way it was written. The sentences were so, umm, snatchy? And when there were descriptions of a room she entered, it never felt natural, it felt like those descriptions in old text adventures. Just awful. Entry for my list of authors to evade.
June 6, 2014
Reviewed for Readers Favorite.
Primary Fault is the first book in a series called The Schattenreich, which is a realm or another place in the book. The story is set in Germany, where Augustus and his father have always lived. Now that his father has passed away, and his mother also, Caitlin, who lived in American with her mother, has returned to Germany to be with her brother. Augustus is an earthquake researcher, and where they are is along a primary fault line, so there are earthquakes in that area. Augustus is kidnapped and a doppelganger is going around committing crimes that Augustus is being blamed for, Caitlin alone is determined to find the truth. Sharon Reamer brings together other realms, people from those other realms interfering with life here and earthquakes to form a unique story.
As Primary Fault is set to be the first book in the series, it does not really explain the whole Schattenreich idea to you. It is mentioned, and you sort of figure out that it is another realm, and this one family is in charge of guarding the gateway, but that someone has broken through which caused the kidnapping of Augustus. What you never figure out is what is actually is, why they protect the gateway, and who this family is. Maybe that is to come in the later books. Sharon Reamer does a good job in writing a story that you want to read to figure out what is going on, but at the same time you are a bit disappointed in the end that you haven't figured it out. Which is good for a series, but not so good for readers.
Primary Fault is the first book in a series called The Schattenreich, which is a realm or another place in the book. The story is set in Germany, where Augustus and his father have always lived. Now that his father has passed away, and his mother also, Caitlin, who lived in American with her mother, has returned to Germany to be with her brother. Augustus is an earthquake researcher, and where they are is along a primary fault line, so there are earthquakes in that area. Augustus is kidnapped and a doppelganger is going around committing crimes that Augustus is being blamed for, Caitlin alone is determined to find the truth. Sharon Reamer brings together other realms, people from those other realms interfering with life here and earthquakes to form a unique story.
As Primary Fault is set to be the first book in the series, it does not really explain the whole Schattenreich idea to you. It is mentioned, and you sort of figure out that it is another realm, and this one family is in charge of guarding the gateway, but that someone has broken through which caused the kidnapping of Augustus. What you never figure out is what is actually is, why they protect the gateway, and who this family is. Maybe that is to come in the later books. Sharon Reamer does a good job in writing a story that you want to read to figure out what is going on, but at the same time you are a bit disappointed in the end that you haven't figured it out. Which is good for a series, but not so good for readers.
January 12, 2013
Some of the language structure suggests it was written in German and then translated into English. Nothing major just the occasional sentence. For instance: 'I am not from yesterday' a literal translation of 'Ich bin nicht von gestern.' The phrase most commonly used in English would be I wasn't born yesterday. I also chuckled out loud at the translation of the stinky flower, the author has a good sense of humour.
I enjoyed the use of both languages, it reminded me of the way they are used in the Book Thief.
I felt as if the book never actually came to a crescendo. Promises of Otherworld and explanations were always on the brim of being revealed. That's the problem though the story never culminated in a proper explanation of the strange events or what was really going on.
Instead the reader is subjected to hints, mysterious figures, many bouts of nausea and unconsciousness by the main character and glimpses into what could possibly be the past or alternate reality. I don't know because the book ends without clearing even a little bit up. I assume that might happen in a possible sequel, but this as a stand alone novel didn't deliver the huge idea behind it.
I received a free copy of this book for my review.
I enjoyed the use of both languages, it reminded me of the way they are used in the Book Thief.
I felt as if the book never actually came to a crescendo. Promises of Otherworld and explanations were always on the brim of being revealed. That's the problem though the story never culminated in a proper explanation of the strange events or what was really going on.
Instead the reader is subjected to hints, mysterious figures, many bouts of nausea and unconsciousness by the main character and glimpses into what could possibly be the past or alternate reality. I don't know because the book ends without clearing even a little bit up. I assume that might happen in a possible sequel, but this as a stand alone novel didn't deliver the huge idea behind it.
I received a free copy of this book for my review.
October 29, 2016
Sharon Kae Reamer’s Primary Fault, the first in her Schattenreich series, is an intriguing mix of fantasy, suspense and romance set in modern-day Germany. The main character, Caitlin, decides to move to Cologne to join her brother Gus only to experience a strange, disorienting encounter with a Gus look-alike. And that’s just the beginning. Her arrival triggers a series of events: she meets a man who steals her heart, slips in and out of a strange world, and dreams she is an animal. Then her brother is kidnapped.
Excellent characters--flaws and all--draw the reader through this mad, breath-catching ride that leaves the reader with more questions and a desire to read on. All that, plus earthquakes? Who can resist?
Excellent characters--flaws and all--draw the reader through this mad, breath-catching ride that leaves the reader with more questions and a desire to read on. All that, plus earthquakes? Who can resist?
February 8, 2015
I began this book with real interest as it takes place in Germany for a change, but it got into too much weird stuff along with paranormal and although I did manage to finish, I have no plans to read further in the sequels.
September 2, 2014
We are proud to announce that PRIMARY FAULT (THE SCHATTENREICH BOOK 1) by Sharon Kae Reamer is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells a reader that this book is well worth their time and money!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews