laurenraithel's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
secretnessie's review
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
katheryn13's review
5.0
i loved this. So captivating and really enjoyable. the last quarter really got me hooked and i sure can't wait for book 3.
_bookishbella's review
4.0
I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Forsaken, and the second book, Forbidden, is nearly as good.
Riley Blackthorne is the daughter of one of Atlanta's greatest demon trappers, who sadly died, but has now been stolen and raised by a necromancer. She's having problems - many of the guild of Atlanta trappers are blaming her for the invasion of the demons and even her boyfriend is turning on her. To make it worse, a Grade Five demon, a Geo-Fiend, is after her, and it won't stop until Riley gives it her soul.
Forbidden picks up the day after the first book ended, after the guild was invaded and she made a deal with an angel to keep her boyfriend alive. Riley is dealing with the aftermath - being blamed for the failure of the Holy Water, and is also trying to figure out what she's going to do next. She's still kick ass and determined, like she was in the first book, but she also lets us see a different side of her, the side of her that is vulnerable and can be hurt. I felt sorry for her at times, and at others I was happy and excited. She was an awesome character to read about and I can't wait to see where the next book takes her.
And Beck, he was just as yummy as he was in the first book... But, like with Riley, we get to see a different side of him in Forbidden. In the first book he comes across as quite hard and cold, and he's not very sensitive, but in this book, at times he's still like that, but there are other times when he lets his feelings for Riley show and it's the sweetest thing ever... He's so cute! And I never EVER thought I'd say that about Denver Beck ;)
The reason I only gave the book four stars out of five though, was because the beginning was extremely slow for me. I have no idea why - maybe it was because I'd just got back from an action packed holiday, but I just couldn't read it for very long. I had no desire to sit and read for hours, I just couldn't concentrate on it. It wasn't, bad, necessarily, but it wasn't what I had expected from the second book in this series, if you know what I mean.
However, about a third of the way in, the plot picks up and so does the pace, and even though I still read it slowly, I was completely and utterly hooked. So much happens in a short space of time, I wonder how the characters keep going...
I think Forbidden is a really good sequel to Forsaken and it ends on a nice big cliffhanger that's got me needing the last book in the trilogy. If you've started it and you're finding the beginning a little slow, stick with it because it does get better! Now I'm off to (im)patiently wait for Forgiven, the final book in the trilogy... ;)
Riley Blackthorne is the daughter of one of Atlanta's greatest demon trappers, who sadly died, but has now been stolen and raised by a necromancer. She's having problems - many of the guild of Atlanta trappers are blaming her for the invasion of the demons and even her boyfriend is turning on her. To make it worse, a Grade Five demon, a Geo-Fiend, is after her, and it won't stop until Riley gives it her soul.
Forbidden picks up the day after the first book ended, after the guild was invaded and she made a deal with an angel to keep her boyfriend alive. Riley is dealing with the aftermath - being blamed for the failure of the Holy Water, and is also trying to figure out what she's going to do next. She's still kick ass and determined, like she was in the first book, but she also lets us see a different side of her, the side of her that is vulnerable and can be hurt. I felt sorry for her at times, and at others I was happy and excited. She was an awesome character to read about and I can't wait to see where the next book takes her.
And Beck, he was just as yummy as he was in the first book... But, like with Riley, we get to see a different side of him in Forbidden. In the first book he comes across as quite hard and cold, and he's not very sensitive, but in this book, at times he's still like that, but there are other times when he lets his feelings for Riley show and it's the sweetest thing ever... He's so cute! And I never EVER thought I'd say that about Denver Beck ;)
The reason I only gave the book four stars out of five though, was because the beginning was extremely slow for me. I have no idea why - maybe it was because I'd just got back from an action packed holiday, but I just couldn't read it for very long. I had no desire to sit and read for hours, I just couldn't concentrate on it. It wasn't, bad, necessarily, but it wasn't what I had expected from the second book in this series, if you know what I mean.
However, about a third of the way in, the plot picks up and so does the pace, and even though I still read it slowly, I was completely and utterly hooked. So much happens in a short space of time, I wonder how the characters keep going...
I think Forbidden is a really good sequel to Forsaken and it ends on a nice big cliffhanger that's got me needing the last book in the trilogy. If you've started it and you're finding the beginning a little slow, stick with it because it does get better! Now I'm off to (im)patiently wait for Forgiven, the final book in the trilogy... ;)
fitzsbeloved's review
4.0
I like this series, I really do, but why is the font so tiny?!
Review to come.
4.5/5 Stars
Riley is back, and has more problems than ever: her deal with Heaven, boys...Oh, and her father was ilegally reanimated by an unknown necro.
When we left off in The Demon Trapper's Daughter, Simon was gravely hurt, and Riley made a deal with Heaven so he will survive. Of course, this comes with a price.
Simon has changed, and not for the better. Who was once the kind, religeousfreak boy, is now the self-righteous ass. He has it in his head that Riley and her father are in-line with Hell.
Even Harper thinks he's nuts.
Now, I wasn't a fan of Simon, even in the first book, so I'm happy this happened. Actually, his change made him more interesting to read about, and I was looking foward to his and Riley's encounters.
What I did't like was the new addition: Ori. Now, in the end, he is essential to the plot, but before then, I just found him to be just an add-on. A filler, if you will, until Riley ends up with who she's supposed to be with.
Ori was supposed to be drop-dead gorgeous, but I didn't see it. To me, he was just a stalker. Wherever Riley was, he'd show up. I dreaded every chapter with Ori.
We all know Beck is my favorite in this series. This may be because we get to get inside his head, like we do Riley.
In the first book, he was kick-ass. In the second, well, he's still kick-ass, but we also get to see some of his imperfections. Those imperfections make him even more charming and likeable (Did I just call Backwoods Boy charming?...Huh).
Again, my main problem with this was the font. It's tiny. I had no will to read it because of this. If it were bigger, I'd be more willing to fly through it.
Review to come.
4.5/5 Stars
Riley is back, and has more problems than ever: her deal with Heaven, boys...Oh, and her father was ilegally reanimated by an unknown necro.
When we left off in The Demon Trapper's Daughter, Simon was gravely hurt, and Riley made a deal with Heaven so he will survive. Of course, this comes with a price.
Simon has changed, and not for the better. Who was once the kind, religeous
Even Harper thinks he's nuts.
Now, I wasn't a fan of Simon, even in the first book, so I'm happy this happened. Actually, his change made him more interesting to read about, and I was looking foward to his and Riley's encounters.
What I did't like was the new addition: Ori. Now, in the end, he is essential to the plot, but before then, I just found him to be just an add-on. A filler, if you will, until Riley ends up with who she's supposed to be with.
Ori was supposed to be drop-dead gorgeous, but I didn't see it. To me, he was just a stalker. Wherever Riley was, he'd show up. I dreaded every chapter with Ori.
We all know Beck is my favorite in this series. This may be because we get to get inside his head, like we do Riley.
In the first book, he was kick-ass. In the second, well, he's still kick-ass, but we also get to see some of his imperfections. Those imperfections make him even more charming and likeable (Did I just call Backwoods Boy charming?...Huh).
Again, my main problem with this was the font. It's tiny. I had no will to read it because of this. If it were bigger, I'd be more willing to fly through it.
sammeehicks's review
4.0
4.5 Stars
I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I was looking forward to this one. And more Beck? Yes, please:D
The story picks up right where we left it in Forsaken. Everyone want to know how the demons got through the wards put in place to protect them, Riley's father is out there somewhere and she is desperate to find him and Simon is not the same person he was in Forsaken! Add to this a truck load of demon hunters and things have just got interesting...
I really do love the world Jana Oliver has created - it's intelligent, believable and just slightly terrifying! The story is so unpredictable - I just have no idea what direction the author is planning on taking it and that is brilliant!
I also love the characters. Riley is just plain awesome - so determined and head strong. She's good at standing up for herself when she needs to but there is enough vulnerability about her to ground her and make her someone easy to relate to. Of course, I love Beck. I think that goes without saying! As for Simon ... well I thought he needed a good slap. But I think it fits in with the story that what he went through might cause a crisis of faith. Still, I think Riley deserves better. And Ori is as intriguing as ever - and that's all I'm going to say about that!
I can't wait to read the next book in the series - if you haven't read it yet please do. It is seriously good!
I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I was looking forward to this one. And more Beck? Yes, please:D
The story picks up right where we left it in Forsaken. Everyone want to know how the demons got through the wards put in place to protect them, Riley's father is out there somewhere and she is desperate to find him and Simon is not the same person he was in Forsaken! Add to this a truck load of demon hunters and things have just got interesting...
I really do love the world Jana Oliver has created - it's intelligent, believable and just slightly terrifying! The story is so unpredictable - I just have no idea what direction the author is planning on taking it and that is brilliant!
I also love the characters. Riley is just plain awesome - so determined and head strong. She's good at standing up for herself when she needs to but there is enough vulnerability about her to ground her and make her someone easy to relate to. Of course, I love Beck. I think that goes without saying! As for Simon ... well I thought he needed a good slap. But I think it fits in with the story that what he went through might cause a crisis of faith. Still, I think Riley deserves better. And Ori is as intriguing as ever - and that's all I'm going to say about that!
I can't wait to read the next book in the series - if you haven't read it yet please do. It is seriously good!
glennisleblanc's review
3.0
The second book has been out for a while but of course I read it only as the third book hits the shelves. It picks up right at the end of book 1 and most of it has Riley trying to keep her head above water dealing with everything from the previous book and trying to find out more about who took her father's body. Both Riley and Beck make choices this book that will certainly have ramifications in the future books.