quippy's review
5.0
Wow, what a great take on the zombie genre. In a time when we see so many rehashed plots and twists you see a mile away, Anna Kopp really came up with a fun and unpredictable story. The pacing was quick, and I found myself caught up in the story, winding up reading the whole thing in a sitting. The characters were interesting, and I think we're going to see a lot of cool development in the next book.
If you dig stories of the undead, as well as a dystopian future, I highly recommend giving Rise of the Chosen a go.
If you dig stories of the undead, as well as a dystopian future, I highly recommend giving Rise of the Chosen a go.
storieswithsoul's review
5.0
This is my first 'Zombie' novel and I loved it. Although it's not exactly zombies that we see in this book but a version of them. Waking has started. Dead isn't dead any more. Now anyone who dies comes back either as 'Awakened' or 'Chosen'. Awakened are mindless inhumane creatures who kill but Chosen are different they protect the living. The world has changed and things are different now. Coming back as a 'Chosen' is everyone's dream but unfortunately only a few people come back sane.
In this chaotic world of undead, Sam and David are trying to keep people alive. They are part of the 'Watch'. They guard humans and prevent death. This is the only way to minimize number of people 'Awakened'. Sam is a daughter of a legend, a man who fought bravely and died with honour. Sam is special too. She is brave and determined. So it was no surprise that she becomes part of the elite team at the Watch. She just needs to stay alive and keep people alive for as long as possible.
David is her team leader. The 'Chosen' in their team. They all must listen to him, whatever he says goes. Sam has a hard time following orders but soon it will all be irrelevant because the war is coming...
Will they be able to save people? It won't be easy but together may be they get a chance to save lives. One thing is for sure David and Sam are unusual guards and they will do whatever they can to protect the people of the city.
I quite enjoyed reading it. It was an interesting book. I like author's take on Zombies. It's definitely a good book for fans of the Undead.
In this chaotic world of undead, Sam and David are trying to keep people alive. They are part of the 'Watch'. They guard humans and prevent death. This is the only way to minimize number of people 'Awakened'. Sam is a daughter of a legend, a man who fought bravely and died with honour. Sam is special too. She is brave and determined. So it was no surprise that she becomes part of the elite team at the Watch. She just needs to stay alive and keep people alive for as long as possible.
David is her team leader. The 'Chosen' in their team. They all must listen to him, whatever he says goes. Sam has a hard time following orders but soon it will all be irrelevant because the war is coming...
Will they be able to save people? It won't be easy but together may be they get a chance to save lives. One thing is for sure David and Sam are unusual guards and they will do whatever they can to protect the people of the city.
I quite enjoyed reading it. It was an interesting book. I like author's take on Zombies. It's definitely a good book for fans of the Undead.
knallen's review
2.0
I was not a fan of this book. Their idea of zombies is interesting, but over all neither the characters nor the world really grabbed me. The writing wasn't bad, but it wasn't enough to make up for the story. It might appeal to a different person. It's got the right elements to be good, but was not a hit with me (which is why it took me nearly a month to finish it).
hectaizani's review
4.0
Rise of the Chosen is a fresh and absorbing zombie novel. It is book number one in the Lifeblood series, and I was happy to see that there was going to be a continuation of the story line. In Rise of the Chosen there are two types of zombies. The first, The Woken, are typical. Die, come back, kill everyone, the end. The second or The Chosen are similar to vampires in that they are stronger, faster and better than their human counterparts, but they are not bloodsuckers.
Our heroine Samantha’s father died a hero while protecting civilians from Woken bloodlust. While
Samantha is surviving and working towards joining the Watch Guard to follow in his footsteps, her mother has completely fallen apart and is losing the ability to function. Samantha is worried that her mother might commit suicide, which in their world, where the dead routinely rise, is a heinous crime.
I’m trying not to give away the story line, so I won’t go into more detail, but suffice it to say, the circumstances of Samantha’s father’s death weren’t what they seemed. In fact, they play a major role in upcoming events. Samantha herself isn’t what she seems either. Her destiny at this point is uncertain, but it appears that she will play a major role in the upcoming events. As the title tells us, The Chosen aren’t content with the role that society has given them, and times they-are-a-changin’.
One other spot of freshness in this novel, Sam is bisexual and she has a female love interest. I know many readers won’t think this is a big deal, but it is, there aren’t a lot of positive role-model bisexual protagonists out there. I sincerely hope that the author keeps this in mind when writing the future novels in the series, and doesn’t just fall back on the old “oh, she was confused and just hadn’t met the right guy” cop-out.
Since it’s the first in a series there are a lot of loose ends to be tied down in future novels. I’m looking forward to the next book to see if the author can continue to keep it fresh and interesting.
Our heroine Samantha’s father died a hero while protecting civilians from Woken bloodlust. While
Samantha is surviving and working towards joining the Watch Guard to follow in his footsteps, her mother has completely fallen apart and is losing the ability to function. Samantha is worried that her mother might commit suicide, which in their world, where the dead routinely rise, is a heinous crime.
I’m trying not to give away the story line, so I won’t go into more detail, but suffice it to say, the circumstances of Samantha’s father’s death weren’t what they seemed. In fact, they play a major role in upcoming events. Samantha herself isn’t what she seems either. Her destiny at this point is uncertain, but it appears that she will play a major role in the upcoming events. As the title tells us, The Chosen aren’t content with the role that society has given them, and times they-are-a-changin’.
One other spot of freshness in this novel, Sam is bisexual and she has a female love interest. I know many readers won’t think this is a big deal, but it is, there aren’t a lot of positive role-model bisexual protagonists out there. I sincerely hope that the author keeps this in mind when writing the future novels in the series, and doesn’t just fall back on the old “oh, she was confused and just hadn’t met the right guy” cop-out.
Since it’s the first in a series there are a lot of loose ends to be tied down in future novels. I’m looking forward to the next book to see if the author can continue to keep it fresh and interesting.
uma_booksbagsburgers's review
5.0
( I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
BLURB
In Sam's world there are two rules. Rule #1: Nobody dies. Protect the living at all costs. Rule #2: Everybody dies. At least once.
The Waking was a global event in which a force called the Lifeblood invaded all humans who died. The few strong enough to control it came back as powerful immortals. The rest let the bloodlust take over and awoke with one goal - to kill.
Newly appointed Watch Guard Samantha Shields has a legacy to uphold. Her father died a hero defending their city and now she wants to follow in his footsteps. Except for the dying part, of course. Unfortunately, fate has other plans as she discovers deep dark secrets that make her choose between her loyalties and the lives of everyone in her city. Both rules are in play as Sam is forced to make hard decisions that could cost her everything - including the person she cares about most.
CHARACTERS
There are few books where I love every single character.and this was one such book. The good ones, the bad ones ; I love them all because they are such well rounded, three dimensional characters. I could finish the book in one sitting because the characters made me care about them, want to know about them. Sam, David, Lena, Julian..everyone.
Sam is an amazing protagonist. She is determined, grounded and doesn't take shit from anyone. I love how her character develops through the story.
PLOT
The undead plot is pretty common so I love how Anna Kopp gave it an unique twist. Nothing about it was cliched. While most undead plots focuses on the living, this one focuses on the undead. This is a story of how humans can adapt and survive when faced with something new, something dangerous. Also the author knows how to keep readers in suspense, to make them curious and to give such amazing twists that make you jump out of your seat!
WRITING
The writing style was clear and engaging. Throughout the book, i didn't feel the need to take a break even once. I sat and finished it in one sitting. The interesting snippets of information here and there piqued up my curiosity. When you read, this is the kind of book that brings images to your eyes rather than words and I loved that!
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK
-The well rounded characters
-Writing style
-The unique, refreshing take on the undead plot line!
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK
-NOTHING. Nothing at all!
CONCLUSION
One of the best Sci-fi / Fantasy books I've read till time. I was hooked to the book from the beginning. I just cannot wait for the sequel.
BLURB
In Sam's world there are two rules. Rule #1: Nobody dies. Protect the living at all costs. Rule #2: Everybody dies. At least once.
The Waking was a global event in which a force called the Lifeblood invaded all humans who died. The few strong enough to control it came back as powerful immortals. The rest let the bloodlust take over and awoke with one goal - to kill.
Newly appointed Watch Guard Samantha Shields has a legacy to uphold. Her father died a hero defending their city and now she wants to follow in his footsteps. Except for the dying part, of course. Unfortunately, fate has other plans as she discovers deep dark secrets that make her choose between her loyalties and the lives of everyone in her city. Both rules are in play as Sam is forced to make hard decisions that could cost her everything - including the person she cares about most.
CHARACTERS
There are few books where I love every single character.and this was one such book. The good ones, the bad ones ; I love them all because they are such well rounded, three dimensional characters. I could finish the book in one sitting because the characters made me care about them, want to know about them. Sam, David, Lena, Julian..everyone.
Sam is an amazing protagonist. She is determined, grounded and doesn't take shit from anyone. I love how her character develops through the story.
PLOT
The undead plot is pretty common so I love how Anna Kopp gave it an unique twist. Nothing about it was cliched. While most undead plots focuses on the living, this one focuses on the undead. This is a story of how humans can adapt and survive when faced with something new, something dangerous. Also the author knows how to keep readers in suspense, to make them curious and to give such amazing twists that make you jump out of your seat!
WRITING
The writing style was clear and engaging. Throughout the book, i didn't feel the need to take a break even once. I sat and finished it in one sitting. The interesting snippets of information here and there piqued up my curiosity. When you read, this is the kind of book that brings images to your eyes rather than words and I loved that!
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK
-The well rounded characters
-Writing style
-The unique, refreshing take on the undead plot line!
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK
-NOTHING. Nothing at all!
CONCLUSION
One of the best Sci-fi / Fantasy books I've read till time. I was hooked to the book from the beginning. I just cannot wait for the sequel.
hoffnungswolke's review
3.0
Rise of the Chosen!!! First things first: I received this book through NetGalley.
This is the first book in a series(?), it didn't totally wow me but it got me interested and I take that as a win. I also loved that we got all the explanation out of the way before the actual story started. The book has a prologue that explains the different terms and how the world works. So no information drop while you are trying to get into the story.
Summary: In Sam's world there are two rules. Rule #1: Nobody dies. Protect the living at all costs. Rule #2: Everybody dies. At least once. The Waking was a global event in which a force called the Lifeblood invaded all humans who died. The few strong enough to control it came back as powerful immortals. The rest letthe bloodlust take over and awoke with one goal - to kill. Newly appointed Watch Guard Samantha Shields has a legacy to uphold. Her father died a hero defending their city and now she wants to follow in his footsteps. Except for the dying part, of course. Unfortunately, fate has other plans as she discovers deep dark secrets that make her choose between her loyalties and the lives of everyone in her city. Both rules are in play as Sam is forced to make hard decisions that could cost her everything – including the person she cares about most.
I really loved the main character Sam. It didn't take me long before I was really interested in her and wanted all the good things for her. Yay, for very likable main characters. Of course things go as expected, tragic backstory, tragic things happening in the present and she kinda skips a few steps in her career that lands her in the middle of a revolution. Also she's a special kind of undead. Of course it's predictable, but I still enjoyed that a lot.
What I enjoyed even more is the fact that Sam's love interest, Lena, is a girl. Would you look at that? I loved these two, a lot. And I loved that they shared wonderful moments and I loved it even more, that Lena survived the first book. I don't wanna repeat myself but WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT?
So far I don't see a love triangle happening, or maybe that's just wishful thinking, but we'll see.
I really liked the writing. And the characters and the story intrigue me enough to keep going, so I actually can't wait til the next book comes out.
This is the first book in a series(?), it didn't totally wow me but it got me interested and I take that as a win. I also loved that we got all the explanation out of the way before the actual story started. The book has a prologue that explains the different terms and how the world works. So no information drop while you are trying to get into the story.
Summary: In Sam's world there are two rules. Rule #1: Nobody dies. Protect the living at all costs. Rule #2: Everybody dies. At least once. The Waking was a global event in which a force called the Lifeblood invaded all humans who died. The few strong enough to control it came back as powerful immortals. The rest letthe bloodlust take over and awoke with one goal - to kill. Newly appointed Watch Guard Samantha Shields has a legacy to uphold. Her father died a hero defending their city and now she wants to follow in his footsteps. Except for the dying part, of course. Unfortunately, fate has other plans as she discovers deep dark secrets that make her choose between her loyalties and the lives of everyone in her city. Both rules are in play as Sam is forced to make hard decisions that could cost her everything – including the person she cares about most.
I really loved the main character Sam. It didn't take me long before I was really interested in her and wanted all the good things for her. Yay, for very likable main characters. Of course things go as expected, tragic backstory, tragic things happening in the present and she kinda skips a few steps in her career that lands her in the middle of a revolution. Also she's a special kind of undead. Of course it's predictable, but I still enjoyed that a lot.
What I enjoyed even more is the fact that Sam's love interest, Lena, is a girl. Would you look at that? I loved these two, a lot. And I loved that they shared wonderful moments and I loved it even more, that Lena survived the first book. I don't wanna repeat myself but WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT?
So far I don't see a love triangle happening, or maybe that's just wishful thinking, but we'll see.
I really liked the writing. And the characters and the story intrigue me enough to keep going, so I actually can't wait til the next book comes out.
rosienreads's review
5.0
I received a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Summary
A dystopian tale where a mysterious force known as the Lifeblood causes the dead to Wake soon after death. The vast majority become Woken – crazed shells of humans, desperate only to kill. A small minority, however, become Chosen. The Chosen have all the extra strength of the Woken but with the ability to control it. Sam is a human, a member of the Watch – an organisation which monitor the Woken, and her entire world is about to come crashing down around her.
Plot
From the prologue, I was hooked onto this book, devouring it as I read. It’s an interesting twist on the zombie concept, and one which actually works for the better. It allows for different kinds of the zombie-type and also adds a level of suspense whenever death occurs as the dead can come back either as an uncontrollable monster or a super-human being with the mind of their past self.
There are a number of twists in this book which I did not see coming and which added to the story. The largest one occurs about half-way through and the whole story is thrown on a tangent, one which picks up the plot’s pace and builds to a climactic final section. There is a really good balance between action and character-development so there is no point where you feel especially over-whelmed by all that is occurring.
Characters
Sam is a brilliant lead in this book and every aspect of her personality makes her a female protagonist to enjoy. She is also bisexual (and not in an awful, stereotypical way) which was a delight to discover as bisexuality erasure is, unfortunately, very common in all kinds of media. Her determination and stubborn-ness keeps her going as she finds herself in situations which are increasingly out of her depth but is not afraid to show vulnerability or make mistakes.
The other characters were not quite as well formulated. Aside from David and Lena, I often got the others mixed up or I forgot about them until they returned later on. This was not too much of a problem, however, as the three I’ve mentioned are the only ones which are present throughout the novel and are the three which are the most important to the series (at least that’s what I got from reading Rise of the Chosen.
Setting
The setting of this novel feels incredibly well thought out. There are a number of various organisations, although the Watch is the one we see the most of. Its structure feels like something that would have been developed following a zombie apocalypse of this kind and it made sense. I also especially liked how it explained why the novel takes place in America with very little mention of the rest of the world. While this explanation is no more than a few lines long it made the book a lot more realistic and makes what happened feel a lot more catastrophic which, given what the Watch created, might not have felt as devastating otherwise.
Final thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed Rise of the Chosen, more than I thought I would. While the writing could have been slightly better, the rest of the novel more than made up for it. It was easy to read and easy to understand and, rather annoyingly, the ending left me desperate for the next book in the series. I am very much looking forward to where the story is headed from here.
Summary
A dystopian tale where a mysterious force known as the Lifeblood causes the dead to Wake soon after death. The vast majority become Woken – crazed shells of humans, desperate only to kill. A small minority, however, become Chosen. The Chosen have all the extra strength of the Woken but with the ability to control it. Sam is a human, a member of the Watch – an organisation which monitor the Woken, and her entire world is about to come crashing down around her.
Plot
From the prologue, I was hooked onto this book, devouring it as I read. It’s an interesting twist on the zombie concept, and one which actually works for the better. It allows for different kinds of the zombie-type and also adds a level of suspense whenever death occurs as the dead can come back either as an uncontrollable monster or a super-human being with the mind of their past self.
There are a number of twists in this book which I did not see coming and which added to the story. The largest one occurs about half-way through and the whole story is thrown on a tangent, one which picks up the plot’s pace and builds to a climactic final section. There is a really good balance between action and character-development so there is no point where you feel especially over-whelmed by all that is occurring.
Characters
Sam is a brilliant lead in this book and every aspect of her personality makes her a female protagonist to enjoy. She is also bisexual (and not in an awful, stereotypical way) which was a delight to discover as bisexuality erasure is, unfortunately, very common in all kinds of media. Her determination and stubborn-ness keeps her going as she finds herself in situations which are increasingly out of her depth but is not afraid to show vulnerability or make mistakes.
The other characters were not quite as well formulated. Aside from David and Lena, I often got the others mixed up or I forgot about them until they returned later on. This was not too much of a problem, however, as the three I’ve mentioned are the only ones which are present throughout the novel and are the three which are the most important to the series (at least that’s what I got from reading Rise of the Chosen.
Setting
The setting of this novel feels incredibly well thought out. There are a number of various organisations, although the Watch is the one we see the most of. Its structure feels like something that would have been developed following a zombie apocalypse of this kind and it made sense. I also especially liked how it explained why the novel takes place in America with very little mention of the rest of the world. While this explanation is no more than a few lines long it made the book a lot more realistic and makes what happened feel a lot more catastrophic which, given what the Watch created, might not have felt as devastating otherwise.
Final thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed Rise of the Chosen, more than I thought I would. While the writing could have been slightly better, the rest of the novel more than made up for it. It was easy to read and easy to understand and, rather annoyingly, the ending left me desperate for the next book in the series. I am very much looking forward to where the story is headed from here.
ptrhansen's review
2.0
A neat, cool concept on the "zombie" idea where the dead arise as fast zombies "Woken" who attack any living creature then will attack other "woken". The story felt a little fast to me in that there wasn't a lot of extra going on in the world that should have been there. It is like the author was trying to hard to stay on target that the story didn't get to grow some meat. It set up the world pretty well and I am looking forward to where the story goes next as the ideas were really cool.
sof's review
4.0
NetGalley Copy in exchange for an honest review.
What is the Waking? It’s what happens when the dead come back to life. The Watch has the duty to protect the living and battle the Woken, the undead who want to kill everybody, with the help of the Chosen, those who control their urges.
Samantha is a young woman whose father died a hero. She wants to walk in his footsteps and join the Watch.
But life is not just black and white and soon she gets to see what her world is really about.
***
First of all, let me just say that I loved the whole prologue and the “guide” to understand the world. It’s super entertaining, as the rest of the book is, and very easy to understand.
This story is gripping, from the moment you start until you finish (thanks, cliffhanger). The world is wonderfully built, and I loved that the most precious thing in there is Life. It should be protected, at all cost.
I also loved that it was both intriguing and bloody creepy. This new take on apocalypse/zombie world was really well built and written. There is a lot of action, it’s fast-paced and intense, with mystery and you feel the need to keep reading... all of that led by a badass main character.
Samantha is strong, and I loved that Anna Kopp made her bisexual. I found that element very refreshing in our literary landscape. My only wish would have been to explore her character a bit more, but I expect it to happen in the sequel!
I really loved it, and recommend it.
What is the Waking? It’s what happens when the dead come back to life. The Watch has the duty to protect the living and battle the Woken, the undead who want to kill everybody, with the help of the Chosen, those who control their urges.
Samantha is a young woman whose father died a hero. She wants to walk in his footsteps and join the Watch.
But life is not just black and white and soon she gets to see what her world is really about.
***
First of all, let me just say that I loved the whole prologue and the “guide” to understand the world. It’s super entertaining, as the rest of the book is, and very easy to understand.
This story is gripping, from the moment you start until you finish (thanks, cliffhanger). The world is wonderfully built, and I loved that the most precious thing in there is Life. It should be protected, at all cost.
I also loved that it was both intriguing and bloody creepy. This new take on apocalypse/zombie world was really well built and written. There is a lot of action, it’s fast-paced and intense, with mystery and you feel the need to keep reading... all of that led by a badass main character.
Samantha is strong, and I loved that Anna Kopp made her bisexual. I found that element very refreshing in our literary landscape. My only wish would have been to explore her character a bit more, but I expect it to happen in the sequel!
I really loved it, and recommend it.
lilyn_g's review
4.0
Rise of the Chosen was a nice take on the zombie story. In Sam’s world, the dead don’t resurrect and just try to eat everyone. They’re either Chosen or Woken. Chosen means they fought to keep their humanity, that they conquer the disease instead of the disease conquering them. They’re kind of like super-soldiers if they’re Chosen. Never need to sleep or eat. Never get tired, never get emotional. They just do their job. If they’re Woken, though, they come back with a desire for violence. It seems simple and clear-cut. Humanity enacts rules and regulations to protect itself. Woken are put down, and Chosen serve to help keep things under control. They do the best they can without being able to tell who is going to be Chosen or Woken.
Except, as it is with everything else in this world, not everything is as it appears. No sooner does everything seem like it might start going right for Sam before everything starts going horribly wrong. Soon she’s in a situation where there doesn’t seem to be an easy answer, confronting someone from her past, and trying to save the woman she loves.
In a lot of ways, Rise of the Chosen breaks away from many of the traditional tropes that go along with this particular sub-genre. It also does a good job of throwing you one serious red herring too. I admit I was a bit shocked when one particular person died. Totally didn’t see it coming. However, it’s not awesome. The writing isn’t as strong as it could be. I found it hard to sympathize with one of the characters I was obviously supposed to feel something for. When Sam meets the ‘bad guys’, I had trouble believing that things worked out the way they did, as quickly as they did.
Still, overall it was an enjoyable read. One that will stand out in my mind for a while because of the uniqueness of the zombie apocalypse, and for the bisexual main character. It seems like everyone’s willing to go straight or gay, but bisexual is a true rarity. Anna Kopp broke the mold just enough that I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on her in the future. Not a great read, but a very good one.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for review consideration.
Except, as it is with everything else in this world, not everything is as it appears. No sooner does everything seem like it might start going right for Sam before everything starts going horribly wrong. Soon she’s in a situation where there doesn’t seem to be an easy answer, confronting someone from her past, and trying to save the woman she loves.
In a lot of ways, Rise of the Chosen breaks away from many of the traditional tropes that go along with this particular sub-genre. It also does a good job of throwing you one serious red herring too. I admit I was a bit shocked when one particular person died. Totally didn’t see it coming. However, it’s not awesome. The writing isn’t as strong as it could be. I found it hard to sympathize with one of the characters I was obviously supposed to feel something for. When Sam meets the ‘bad guys’, I had trouble believing that things worked out the way they did, as quickly as they did.
Still, overall it was an enjoyable read. One that will stand out in my mind for a while because of the uniqueness of the zombie apocalypse, and for the bisexual main character. It seems like everyone’s willing to go straight or gay, but bisexual is a true rarity. Anna Kopp broke the mold just enough that I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on her in the future. Not a great read, but a very good one.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for review consideration.