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tipshee's review
5.0
The first line is one of the most important things in a book. It sets the tone of the story and is supposed to draw you, as a reader, in. What follows is just as important. In my experience, if the first line and the chapter that follows are dull... then the book will 9 out of 10 times be dull.
If an author has not managed to draw my attention in the first chapter, I'm usually not that intrigued by the book.
This book had no such worry. From the go, I found myself curious about all the characters and the world they were inhabiting. I wanted to know more about each of their actions and choices that led them to their current state. What made them tick.
Ember came off the page ( or kindle screen in this case) as a character you need to get to know. Her whole life is shrouded in mystery. Mace was just as intriguing, if not more so and Kai seemed like a person I would want to befriend. Even Tristin had a story I wanted to know more about. Each character felt tangible in a way that fictional supernatural beings are not and can not be. They had complex thought patterns and relationships.
The writing was another positive expirence for me. A lot of time the story is either drawn out or to rushed. It's a rare treat when you get a hefty read with a cohesive plot line and enough senerey and descriptive sentences to put you right there with the characters and NOT make you feel like you were drowning in a useless see of visual explantions.
The premise of this book was a breathe of fresh air. Not so much in every aspect but the author managed to breathe life into a genre that, while I love, is a series of similar characters and similar places.
If an author has not managed to draw my attention in the first chapter, I'm usually not that intrigued by the book.
This book had no such worry. From the go, I found myself curious about all the characters and the world they were inhabiting. I wanted to know more about each of their actions and choices that led them to their current state. What made them tick.
Ember came off the page ( or kindle screen in this case) as a character you need to get to know. Her whole life is shrouded in mystery. Mace was just as intriguing, if not more so and Kai seemed like a person I would want to befriend. Even Tristin had a story I wanted to know more about. Each character felt tangible in a way that fictional supernatural beings are not and can not be. They had complex thought patterns and relationships.
The writing was another positive expirence for me. A lot of time the story is either drawn out or to rushed. It's a rare treat when you get a hefty read with a cohesive plot line and enough senerey and descriptive sentences to put you right there with the characters and NOT make you feel like you were drowning in a useless see of visual explantions.
The premise of this book was a breathe of fresh air. Not so much in every aspect but the author managed to breathe life into a genre that, while I love, is a series of similar characters and similar places.
luinien's review
4.0
I enjoyed how the book kept me engaged and how I couldn't put it down. As I was telling a friend about this book, it read like a realistic fiction novel with a blend of the occult. It didn't come across as 'just one more novel jumping on the occult bandwagon' because it had a really good grasp on many things including character design, motivation, etc.
The fact that each chapter focused mainly on one character threw me a bit at first when I was still figuring out who was who, but as time went on, it was a great idea to help give the reader insights into what was going on without forcing information in to just make the story progress.
I look forward to seeing how things progress in the second novel of the series!
The fact that each chapter focused mainly on one character threw me a bit at first when I was still figuring out who was who, but as time went on, it was a great idea to help give the reader insights into what was going on without forcing information in to just make the story progress.
I look forward to seeing how things progress in the second novel of the series!
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book was a fantastic introduction to a very dark magical world. I loved all of the paranormal elements to the story – there are shifters, banshees, reapers, witches, demons … this list could go on and on. But McAtee manages to meld it all together well and give us a supernatural world that’s both frightening and fascinating. When Ember is kidnapped by her cousins, she has no idea what’s in store for her – and when she finds out, it’s more than a little overwhelming. Figuring out who to trust when just about everyone would like to use her in some way – or kill her – is nearly impossible. Ember’s discovery of who she truly is and what she is capable of throws her life into chaos in a lot of ways – but it also helps her to make sense of a lot of pain in her life that she previously couldn’t understand.
There are lots of elements of family, friendship and loyalty that are explored, which I loved. There are also a few romances in bloom. I wasn’t completely on board with the relationship that developed between Mace and Ember because I felt like there wasn’t enough substance to it, but I was rooting for Tristin and Quinn. Kai and Rhys were definitely my favorite couple, though – probably because the romance between these two is most developed and takes center stage quite often. (I should note that it’s a M/M romance, but none of the storyline has to do with characters coming to terms with their sexuality or anything like that – which is kind of refreshing.)
Overall, a great book, though the complexity of the worldbuilding and the paranormal elements make for a little slower read. I give it 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received these books from the publisher via YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This book was a fantastic introduction to a very dark magical world. I loved all of the paranormal elements to the story – there are shifters, banshees, reapers, witches, demons … this list could go on and on. But McAtee manages to meld it all together well and give us a supernatural world that’s both frightening and fascinating. When Ember is kidnapped by her cousins, she has no idea what’s in store for her – and when she finds out, it’s more than a little overwhelming. Figuring out who to trust when just about everyone would like to use her in some way – or kill her – is nearly impossible. Ember’s discovery of who she truly is and what she is capable of throws her life into chaos in a lot of ways – but it also helps her to make sense of a lot of pain in her life that she previously couldn’t understand.
There are lots of elements of family, friendship and loyalty that are explored, which I loved. There are also a few romances in bloom. I wasn’t completely on board with the relationship that developed between Mace and Ember because I felt like there wasn’t enough substance to it, but I was rooting for Tristin and Quinn. Kai and Rhys were definitely my favorite couple, though – probably because the romance between these two is most developed and takes center stage quite often. (I should note that it’s a M/M romance, but none of the storyline has to do with characters coming to terms with their sexuality or anything like that – which is kind of refreshing.)
Overall, a great book, though the complexity of the worldbuilding and the paranormal elements make for a little slower read. I give it 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received these books from the publisher via YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
georgilvsbooks's review
5.0
Where do I begin?
This book was just absolutely spectacular.
This is probably the best supernatural, paranormal, fantasy book I have ever read.
From start to finish I was mesmerised in this story.
So many amazing characters, I loved all of them. The family they created for each other was lovely to read.
Many twists that popped up leaving me desperate to continue reading non-stop.
The ending? Ahhhhh, so desperate for book 2, "Dark Dreams And Dead Things " coming in 2016... Can't come quick enough!!!
Thank you Martina for such an amazing book!
If I could rate this 10 stars I would!
This book was just absolutely spectacular.
This is probably the best supernatural, paranormal, fantasy book I have ever read.
From start to finish I was mesmerised in this story.
So many amazing characters, I loved all of them. The family they created for each other was lovely to read.
Many twists that popped up leaving me desperate to continue reading non-stop.
The ending? Ahhhhh, so desperate for book 2, "Dark Dreams And Dead Things " coming in 2016... Can't come quick enough!!!
Thank you Martina for such an amazing book!
If I could rate this 10 stars I would!
duskbladedrow's review against another edition
3.0
This is a tough one. I really wanted to love this book, but it didn't connect with me. I didn't feel the romances (plural), and that kept me from really enjoying the book. I kept skipping pages just so I could see how it ended, not feeling that invested in the characters or their love lives. A lot of people will like this book, especially those who like multiple romances in their books, but this wasn't really my thing. I read back over the synopsis and I can see why I expected a different book than what I read.
hyperashley's review against another edition
5.0
Reapers, Shifters and witches, oh my -also fae, necromancers, banshees, zombies and so much more. This book is freaking amazing and it has so many paranormal elements that it's hard not to love. I'm a huge paranormal fan so to see so many different creatures wrapped up in one big book was beyond incredible, it was addicting as hell. It was basically my book brand of heroin - I'm aware of how weird that sounds but you'll have to read it to understand what I mean.
The book is centered around four peoples POV, Ember, Mace, Kai and Tristen and though that sounds like it would be confusing it's not. It works so well because each character was highly entertaining to read and easy to get invested in. I like how every individual POV blended together so well and ended up coming together at the end with no stone left unturned.The story was fast and so easy to follow and I wasn't kidding when I said addicting. I read over 300 pages in a day because I didn't want to stop reading and the chapters were short, so it was easy to say one more chapter, just one more. I had plenty of question going through this book but I was left with none, almost none. I have only one question after that ending and it is, when is book two coming out? I need it like yesterday!
I'm actually a huge fan of books dealing with reapers, there aren't many out there sadly so I was glad they were in here. Kai was great though it reaper-ness didn't get much of a chance to show in this book but that just makes me excited for book two. To see how the author will take his story and his powers, I think that will be very interesting. This was also the first book that I've read that had a banshee, which was freaking awesome. And come on necromancers are always cool. The entire paranormal world fascinates me and this is no exception though this world may be my favorite now.
When it comes to the characters I think they were all great. They were funny and mixed well together and kind of made me jealous that I don't exist in this world- I personally think I would make a good reaper or shifter or anything really. Mace and Ember were my favorite just how they were together was cute, eventually. Kai and Tristen were funny when they were dealing with each other especially that beginning argument. It was hysterical this book also made me want a twin to argue with. I think what I liked the most about the characters were how real and life like they seemed, the supernatural stuff aside, of course. The way they talked to each other felt like it was real, like it was how I would talk with my own friends and family.
Don't let the size of this book intimidate you, I know it's big but it's so entertaining and fast paced that it'll be worth it. I happen to like big books so I was thrilled but I know some people scare easily, just trust me on this one and give this book a chance. I can't wait for book two so I can see what happens with everyone and how badass these characters are going to become.
The book is centered around four peoples POV, Ember, Mace, Kai and Tristen and though that sounds like it would be confusing it's not. It works so well because each character was highly entertaining to read and easy to get invested in. I like how every individual POV blended together so well and ended up coming together at the end with no stone left unturned.The story was fast and so easy to follow and I wasn't kidding when I said addicting. I read over 300 pages in a day because I didn't want to stop reading and the chapters were short, so it was easy to say one more chapter, just one more. I had plenty of question going through this book but I was left with none, almost none. I have only one question after that ending and it is, when is book two coming out? I need it like yesterday!
I'm actually a huge fan of books dealing with reapers, there aren't many out there sadly so I was glad they were in here. Kai was great though it reaper-ness didn't get much of a chance to show in this book but that just makes me excited for book two. To see how the author will take his story and his powers, I think that will be very interesting. This was also the first book that I've read that had a banshee, which was freaking awesome. And come on necromancers are always cool. The entire paranormal world fascinates me and this is no exception though this world may be my favorite now.
When it comes to the characters I think they were all great. They were funny and mixed well together and kind of made me jealous that I don't exist in this world- I personally think I would make a good reaper or shifter or anything really. Mace and Ember were my favorite just how they were together was cute, eventually. Kai and Tristen were funny when they were dealing with each other especially that beginning argument. It was hysterical this book also made me want a twin to argue with. I think what I liked the most about the characters were how real and life like they seemed, the supernatural stuff aside, of course. The way they talked to each other felt like it was real, like it was how I would talk with my own friends and family.
Don't let the size of this book intimidate you, I know it's big but it's so entertaining and fast paced that it'll be worth it. I happen to like big books so I was thrilled but I know some people scare easily, just trust me on this one and give this book a chance. I can't wait for book two so I can see what happens with everyone and how badass these characters are going to become.
lucy_edgar's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely loved this book and how it switched to different people's pov as this keep me guessing what was going to happen and made me want to read on.
chrissyp's review against another edition
5.0
This was a very consuming story. There was so much going on and so many different characters to keep up with!! The supernatural aspects kept me guessing throughout the whole story....I never knew what to expect, and I was so disappointed every time I had to put the book down. I loved the big reveal, which I won't get into here, but I never would have guessed so many of the revelations that you find at the end. I'm so hooked on this series now, and absolutely can't wait to read the next book. I have to know how Ember, Mace, Tristin and Quinn resolve their situation.
bobbsayshi's review against another edition
3.0
I loved a lot of this book. I grew to love Ember, Kai, and the rest of the pack, but I didn't love them all. The only character I had to begrudgingly sympathize with was Tristin because of her attitude and overall unpleasantness. The best part of the book, by far, was the relationship between Kai and Rhys. It was practically my driving force for completing this monster of a book. However, the book was still very interesting and generally engaging.
aly36's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this book very much. We have soo many characters and sooo many things to follow in this book but I didn't get confused. I enjoyed the characters of Ember and MACE, I think they are my favorite. I loved that the author added so many supernatural elements into this book and so many supernatural character in a super natural town. I am excited I decided to give this book a try and I will read the next in the series hoping this will be a great series to enjoy. So far it is great!