mel_karibian's review
5.0
I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and I honestly will be purchasing a copy because it was THAT good!
Science Fiction isn't my go to genre, and yet I was immediately teleported into this vast, diverse world with only a few turns of pages. The main character, Evren, became a quick favorite. Her voice in narration was genuine and grounded, and I felt like I could easily relate to her. The build up of suspense throughout the book kept me on my toes, wanting to push off things I had to do just to read one more chapter.
I also grew fond of all the other characters, the Paladins, that are the "chosen ones", but at the end of the day, still teenagers trying to find their way in the world. With badass fight scenes, funny dialogue, major twists and turns, what's not to love?
I cannot wait for future books to come by T.L Coughlin and will be looking forward to adding them to my shelves!
Science Fiction isn't my go to genre, and yet I was immediately teleported into this vast, diverse world with only a few turns of pages. The main character, Evren, became a quick favorite. Her voice in narration was genuine and grounded, and I felt like I could easily relate to her. The build up of suspense throughout the book kept me on my toes, wanting to push off things I had to do just to read one more chapter.
I also grew fond of all the other characters, the Paladins, that are the "chosen ones", but at the end of the day, still teenagers trying to find their way in the world. With badass fight scenes, funny dialogue, major twists and turns, what's not to love?
I cannot wait for future books to come by T.L Coughlin and will be looking forward to adding them to my shelves!
kossara's review
5.0
I loved this book!
The world building was really well done, I was hooked. I liked how this takes place in a world where dragons are the most important creatures of all. It was incredibly interesting to read about them, the culture and how everything about the story revolves around them in some way.
I liked Evren, the main character, as well. She is really likeable and I enjoyed seeing her become more confident in herself throughout the story. In the beginning of the story she feels like an outsider and just wants to be accepted somewhere. In the end of the story she is incredibly grateful for her friends and is willing to do anything for them to help them out.
And the ending was a complete surprise!
I look forward to the sequel
The world building was really well done, I was hooked. I liked how this takes place in a world where dragons are the most important creatures of all. It was incredibly interesting to read about them, the culture and how everything about the story revolves around them in some way.
I liked Evren, the main character, as well. She is really likeable and I enjoyed seeing her become more confident in herself throughout the story. In the beginning of the story she feels like an outsider and just wants to be accepted somewhere. In the end of the story she is incredibly grateful for her friends and is willing to do anything for them to help them out.
And the ending was a complete surprise!
I look forward to the sequel
kelseyjosund's review
5.0
Dragons and prophecies are both usually a hard sell for me, but the way TL imagines them here is fresh and interesting and fun. I love the broad inspiration from global dragon lore. The groundedness she conjures by centering an epic story on a few characters really makes the book work. It’s YA through and through, with a lot of the classic teen scenes you’d expect in the genre, but still manages to be unlike anything else I’ve read.
The writing is accessible and the plot somehow both straightforward and unexpected—a great combination to keep you reading! I kept almost thinking I knew what would happen next, but I kept being wrong.
The characters really felt like teenagers, which is a major strength. So often YA really feels like it was aged down to fit the market, with five years chopped off a character’s age but no change made to their behavior. Not so here: these are kids, as they should be. They grapple with difficult issues and complicated scenarios, but the author gave them space to also be young.
And what a cover!! Absolutely gorgeous.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The writing is accessible and the plot somehow both straightforward and unexpected—a great combination to keep you reading! I kept almost thinking I knew what would happen next, but I kept being wrong.
The characters really felt like teenagers, which is a major strength. So often YA really feels like it was aged down to fit the market, with five years chopped off a character’s age but no change made to their behavior. Not so here: these are kids, as they should be. They grapple with difficult issues and complicated scenarios, but the author gave them space to also be young.
And what a cover!! Absolutely gorgeous.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
king_slade's review
4.0
I judged a book by its cover and was absolutely rewarded!
**Spoiler-Free review**
OU&T was one of those books I got on a whim to get a change of pace from what I had been reading-
It's refreshing twist on destiny and subtle moments of finding joy in unlikely places aside- the book really shines with it's fresh world-building.
I can't say I've really ever read a story with a "universe" like this- and I'm richer now for having experienced it.
**Spoiler-Free review**
OU&T was one of those books I got on a whim to get a change of pace from what I had been reading-
It's refreshing twist on destiny and subtle moments of finding joy in unlikely places aside- the book really shines with it's fresh world-building.
I can't say I've really ever read a story with a "universe" like this- and I'm richer now for having experienced it.
fleurdefryc's review
5.0
Love this story so much! Cannot wait until the next book! ❤️ a secret organization, mysterious dragon lore, and then a murder mystery too! Loved that there were descriptions of so much history about dragons from around the world with diverse characters. Wonderful story!
madisone's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Death, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse
a_court_of_words_and_phrases's review
4.0
This was a good first installment in this new YA series. I loved the mystery plot of the book, even if the final reveal felt a little bit too predictable. I think the main character, Evren, is well done. She’s definitely a teen, and naïve from a lack of exposure to the world, but is still easy to root for. I wasn’t all that invested in her relationships – both her friendship with the girls, or the romantic interest – I could have used a little bit more building here. The pacing is mostly well done, with not too much info dumping for a first in series. I will say I’m not totally understanding the world or the magic, so hopefully that’ll be a little clearer as the series progresses. It also ends with a big cliffhanger, so beware! Overall a fun read – 4 stars.
readwithethel's review
4.0
Good world building and brave characters
Key words: young adult, science fiction, mystery, murder
I got this book because I thought the blurb was really interesting, and indeed, the story was. For the first third of the book, we follow Evren train with her mother in order to mature and become one of the twelve Paladins. It was interesting to see the relationship between the two. I could feel that there were a lot of secrets the mother was not sharing with Evren. Once she matured, the other Paladins are introduced as well as some other crucial characters. This was a lot of names to remember and, as I took a break in the middle of the book, it was a bit difficult to go back in it.
The last third of the book was the most interesting part because there is a murder mystery going on and it becomes quite intense. I also became attached to some of the characters such as Evren or Ryu. The ending really makes me want to read the next book. I wish it was out already. I can’t wait to know more about our characters and follow them on their journey.
I recommend this book to scifi fans.
4/5
Thank you to T.L. Coughlin for this eArc in exchange of my honest opinion
Key words: young adult, science fiction, mystery, murder
I got this book because I thought the blurb was really interesting, and indeed, the story was. For the first third of the book, we follow Evren train with her mother in order to mature and become one of the twelve Paladins. It was interesting to see the relationship between the two. I could feel that there were a lot of secrets the mother was not sharing with Evren. Once she matured, the other Paladins are introduced as well as some other crucial characters. This was a lot of names to remember and, as I took a break in the middle of the book, it was a bit difficult to go back in it.
The last third of the book was the most interesting part because there is a murder mystery going on and it becomes quite intense. I also became attached to some of the characters such as Evren or Ryu. The ending really makes me want to read the next book. I wish it was out already. I can’t wait to know more about our characters and follow them on their journey.
I recommend this book to scifi fans.
4/5
Thank you to T.L. Coughlin for this eArc in exchange of my honest opinion
ozshark's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Love the concept behind this one, dragons are actually aliens that have been secretly living on Earth for centuries. 12 Chosen Ones must use their power to help the aliens, but our heroine isn't able to come into her power make this happen. Dragon lore is fascinating and I think Coughlin makes good use of the universality of these legends to form the basis for her story.
Love the concept, but I found the first few chapters very confusing. Evren talked in circles to herself and I have no clue what it was that happened to her in the water in the early chapters. However, I liked the description of her relationship with her mother, and the tension between achieving the mission and the love Evren so obviously craved.
Once we got to Nexum, I would have liked to find out more about the other Paladins and about the world in general. We get told the world is in a bad state, one of the reasons the people of Nexum believe that the Leviathans returning are humanity's only chance. However, there is little detail and I felt left to wonder whether it was describing the state of our current world, or if things had gotten much, much worse.
The cast of characters is very diverse, which possibly feels a little too calculated. I think the relationships between these characters could have been developed further, some of them were just blank holding spaces.
Unfortunately, this ends on a complete cliffhanger. While I understand this is the first volume in a planned series, I do like some resolution in each volume.
Overall, this was very enjoyable and I am keen to read the next part of the story. Thank you to the author and Book Sirens for the advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Love the concept, but I found the first few chapters very confusing. Evren talked in circles to herself and I have no clue what it was that happened to her in the water in the early chapters. However, I liked the description of her relationship with her mother, and the tension between achieving the mission and the love Evren so obviously craved.
Once we got to Nexum, I would have liked to find out more about the other Paladins and about the world in general. We get told the world is in a bad state, one of the reasons the people of Nexum believe that the Leviathans returning are humanity's only chance. However, there is little detail and I felt left to wonder whether it was describing the state of our current world, or if things had gotten much, much worse.
The cast of characters is very diverse, which possibly feels a little too calculated. I think the relationships between these characters could have been developed further, some of them were just blank holding spaces.
Unfortunately, this ends on a complete cliffhanger. While I understand this is the first volume in a planned series, I do like some resolution in each volume.
Overall, this was very enjoyable and I am keen to read the next part of the story. Thank you to the author and Book Sirens for the advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Minor: Child abuse
viasreads's review
3.5
3.5/5
Many thanks to the author for providing me a free review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Of Us and Them is a dystopian/futuristic novel that explores dragon mythology as part of its universe. In the future, when the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, these creatures (termed Leviathans in this world) will return to rescue the Earth and its people. Their history and lore have been preserved and passed down through generations until the present day, when a society called the Nexum work to gather the Paladins, a group of warriors who will aid the Leviathans in their great mission.
This story has such an interesting premise that is supported by some great world-building. Dragon mythology from all around the globe is an important part of the history in this world, and it was super interesting the way that the descriptions varied depending on the settings and cultures. The author did a wonderful job creating a diverse set of cast in this book and giving the reader relatable characters for whom to root.
The protagonist, Evren, is well fleshed out and read realistically as the teenager her character is meant to be. She is impatient, confused, and curious to learn about the world outside of the lifestyle in which she has been confined. I liked that she was portrayed as temperamental and naive, and as the reader we got to learn about the realities of this world through her perspective. The settings were rich and detailed, and the central plot was clear cut and easy to follow.
Personally, I found the pacing of this novel to be an issue. While I appreciated the solid world building and foundations laid out to introduce its universe, the first 40 percent of the book moved at a less than stellar pace. At times, I started to lose interest in the story from the amount of exposition and internalizations that were happening. The plot really only gained momentum after the halfway point in which some mystery and suspense were finally thrown in. There were several twists and red herrings that drew my attention, though if one pays heed I don’t believe it should be too difficult to piece together the true villains (as well as their motivations) of the story.
That’s not to say that the plot is uninteresting; the prose is well written and I liked the writing style of the author. There are many intriguing themes covered, including betrayals, political conspiracies, and murder mysteries left unsolved. In my opinion, a little less exposition and a little more action thrown in during the first half would have elevated the pacing of the story as well as the stakes of the central conflict.
Overall I thought this was a fairly solid debut work. This is only the beginning in a series from this up-and-coming author, so I’m optimistic about the direction that this story may take. I do have to note that the final chapter has a very abrupt cliffhanger ending to this first book, so here’s hoping the author will be able to give us the continuation to the story soon enough.
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