Overall, I am happy about this book. Why? Because it was better than I thought it was going to be. I have been a fan of Nenia since I was about fourteen/fifteen, when I had less critical thinking in the bank and I responded to most stories with an abundance of enthusiasm. Back when I used text speak, and said, "zomg! best story EVAAAA! u chica are amazeballs, with some crackling hoisin sauce on topppp! Pat urself on da back sistaaa!" 
 Nothing can top my excitement to the days of sitting in my school lab, every lunchtime, refreshing the fictionpress update page daily, just to see if a new update had come in, and squealing excitedly when it did. Hey. Cut me some slack. I was a nerdy teen back then (with no access to hotmail.) 
 Nenia's work and me have parted ways for five years now, and I approached it again with trepidation and a former fondness. As of yet, I still refuse to read the IMA trilogy, Fearscape, Horrorscape and Terrorscape because I do not want my former fangirling gushing of it to be corrupted. Which inevitably it would be if I read the edited versions. 
 So, I started with something completely left field - a book I haven't read a previous version of and therefore had limited expectations. The 
 prologue 
 and 
 subsequent chapter 
 sent it crashing to rock bottom. It did Nenia no favours at all. I was cracking open a thesaurus, and trying not to vent frustration about the extreme usage of bad similies/metaphors/adverb and adjective usage. It almost killed the book for me. I almost checked out at chapter one, with a one star - 
 But I didn't. 
 And I'm glad I didn't. 
 With expectations now crashed and burnt, I was pleasantly surprised from chapter two thereon, I actually enjoyed certain scenes and interactions. A major highlight is when Finn accosts Catherine in a gully, by unleashing a magical whirlwind at her, and her barely getting away. The writing flowed better. The use of those similes and all other bad literary technique subsided, and I wasn't consulting the thesaurus as much! (In the opening chapters, sometimes I was just consulting the thesaurus for a distraction - because I already knew the definition beforehand - but I just wanted to know if it was being used in the right context and wondering why the hell she wouldn't use a simpler synonym that is curt, blunt and gets the meaning across. Less is sometimes more, folks!) 
 Then it kind of settled into standard YA fare, without a great deal of plot progression it must be said, but it was quick to read, it wasn't a chore to get through so I was enjoying myself, and I actually will be checking out the sequel. For me "Black Beast" reads like a novel cut into three chunks - and this is merely the first part, with lots of things still to come. 
 {As of now the IMA triology and the Horrorscape trilogy are still off my reading list. Don't want to overthrow any fond, lingering memories! But who knows? It might actually be better than what I remembered! One day, I will take the plunge.}