liralen's review against another edition
2.0
In every generation there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against with the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the slayer death oracle.
...not quite so catchy, is it?
I am really deeply puzzled by this book, because it's out with a reputable publisher but reads more like fanfiction than anything I've read since [b:Carry On|32768522|Carry On (Simon Snow, #1)|Rainbow Rowell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1481729252l/32768522._SX50_.jpg|43346673], which is intentionally written to read like fanfiction. I can't figure out what fanverse it would be for—there are elements of Buffy for sure, but if it were Buffy it would be, like...a really weaksauce version of one of Buffy's descendants falls in love with a non-bad-ass, vampire version of Faith. And together they take on Drusilla? I guess? With the questionable support of aWatchers Council Veil that has joined the dark side...
I'm going to have to stick with a Buffy fanfic theory, because I'm not sufficiently up on more recent pop culture to make a more educated guess. It's just—here we have yet another Chosen One character, traumatised by events of her (recent) past. There is angst and agony and a lot of puppy-dog eyes, and then she falls head over heels for vampire-Faith-lite and makes all sorts of stupid decisions like insisting on going to a vampire blood bar to keep vampire-Faith-lite company even though that's a particularly dangerous place for her to be and she'll just get in the way. Later she gets upset that her bestie doesn't let vampire-Faith-lite kill her:
But then, this is a woke girl from a woke town who nevertheless gets more het up about falling for a girl than she does about falling for a vampire: I don't know how I ignored these signs for so long. Jordan will be insufferable when I tell him he's probably right about the whole bisexual thing. (342)
Don't get me started on Claire's tortured 'I am a vampire who is both turned on and disgusted by the thought of drinking blood so I'm going to wait until I'm a risk to everyone around me and my friends beg me, every three pages, to eat something before I collapse'. Or on the way Elise manages to circumvent years of training and leap straight from 'can barely function due to seeing people's deaths' to 'can rewrite people's futures at will'. This is all Mary Sue 101, and now I'm tired.
...not quite so catchy, is it?
I am really deeply puzzled by this book, because it's out with a reputable publisher but reads more like fanfiction than anything I've read since [b:Carry On|32768522|Carry On (Simon Snow, #1)|Rainbow Rowell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1481729252l/32768522._SX50_.jpg|43346673], which is intentionally written to read like fanfiction. I can't figure out what fanverse it would be for—there are elements of Buffy for sure, but if it were Buffy it would be, like...a really weaksauce version of one of Buffy's descendants falls in love with a non-bad-ass, vampire version of Faith. And together they take on Drusilla? I guess? With the questionable support of a
I'm going to have to stick with a Buffy fanfic theory, because I'm not sufficiently up on more recent pop culture to make a more educated guess. It's just—here we have yet another Chosen One character, traumatised by events of her (recent) past. There is angst and agony and a lot of puppy-dog eyes, and then she falls head over heels for vampire-Faith-lite and makes all sorts of stupid decisions like insisting on going to a vampire blood bar to keep vampire-Faith-lite company even though that's a particularly dangerous place for her to be and she'll just get in the way. Later she gets upset that her bestie doesn't let vampire-Faith-lite kill her:
Jordan freezes with the knife poised over the bread. "I...uh...I may have hit her with the stake in the head."
"You what?"
"She wouldn't let go! I couldn't let her kill you!"
I should be upset that he brained the vampire I was trying to save. (303)Y'all. Remember the time Buffy lets Angel drink from her to save his life? She ends up whacking him over the head with something, because she wants to save him but she also has the slightest sense of self-preservation.
But then, this is a woke girl from a woke town who nevertheless gets more het up about falling for a girl than she does about falling for a vampire: I don't know how I ignored these signs for so long. Jordan will be insufferable when I tell him he's probably right about the whole bisexual thing. (342)
Don't get me started on Claire's tortured 'I am a vampire who is both turned on and disgusted by the thought of drinking blood so I'm going to wait until I'm a risk to everyone around me and my friends beg me, every three pages, to eat something before I collapse'. Or on the way Elise manages to circumvent years of training and leap straight from 'can barely function due to seeing people's deaths' to 'can rewrite people's futures at will'. This is all Mary Sue 101, and now I'm tired.
bookishzoe's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/4⭐
I'm not gonna lie, I'm a bit disappointed and let down by this book. I was really excited to read it but it left me quite conflicted.
The plot and the magic system was really interesting and different. The characters were also amazing and I loved how every single of them, from the main to the side characters, was well described.
My main problem is that I feel like nothing happened in the book until the last 20% and I mean both plot wise and romance wise. Like the main character didn't even realize she was bisexual until the last 10% of the book?? That felt such a strange decision to me tbh. But in general the first 80% of the book was mainly training - friendship fights - more deep of the characters, which was cool and what made me appreciate them but still it could've been done with a but of plot moving too. Then the last 20% was just like "everything is starting now, but don't worry it'll be resolved in one page, like nothing happened". I feel like it was wasted honestly, especially because the plot was so good it could've been handled way better with the pacing.
It's still a good and enjoyable book and I would still recommend it
I'm not gonna lie, I'm a bit disappointed and let down by this book. I was really excited to read it but it left me quite conflicted.
The plot and the magic system was really interesting and different. The characters were also amazing and I loved how every single of them, from the main to the side characters, was well described.
My main problem is that I feel like nothing happened in the book until the last 20% and I mean both plot wise and romance wise. Like the main character didn't even realize she was bisexual until the last 10% of the book?? That felt such a strange decision to me tbh. But in general the first 80% of the book was mainly training - friendship fights - more deep of the characters, which was cool and what made me appreciate them but still it could've been done with a but of plot moving too. Then the last 20% was just like "everything is starting now, but don't worry it'll be resolved in one page, like nothing happened". I feel like it was wasted honestly, especially because the plot was so good it could've been handled way better with the pacing.
It's still a good and enjoyable book and I would still recommend it
eniahreads's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It was an entertaining read and I had a good time, but I have to be honest and this story isn't one I'll remember much, it could however make a good mini series on Netflix.
All it says in the blurb actually takes time to arrive, so we spend some time reading and basically waiting for everything we know to happen before diving into things we actually don't know. I liked how Elise and Claire interracted, the way Elise reacted against her powers/curse but also the way she reacted against all revelations about it are really true and humain, and normal, so I liked it. However I didn't find any strong chemistry between them, and I disliked the insta-love from Claire which was a bit weird even if she explained it's her "17 year old teenager brain".
The story surrounding the Death Oracle was really interesting, as well as the Veil. However, I feel like it's not really explored much. I know it's a standalone, but we barely scratched the surface here and it could have gone to a deeper story, and better one. Also I really disliked how everything got sorted out with Elise power at the end, litterally like a finger snap, it was a waay too easy choice by the author and that's always a big no to me.
So yeah, it was entertaining, I mostly liked the sides characters like Wyn and Jordan, the story was interesting, but it had so much more potential that it's a bit of a let down.
All it says in the blurb actually takes time to arrive, so we spend some time reading and basically waiting for everything we know to happen before diving into things we actually don't know. I liked how Elise and Claire interracted, the way Elise reacted against her powers/curse but also the way she reacted against all revelations about it are really true and humain, and normal, so I liked it. However I didn't find any strong chemistry between them, and I disliked the insta-love from Claire which was a bit weird even if she explained it's her "17 year old teenager brain".
The story surrounding the Death Oracle was really interesting, as well as the Veil. However, I feel like it's not really explored much. I know it's a standalone, but we barely scratched the surface here and it could have gone to a deeper story, and better one. Also I really disliked how everything got sorted out with Elise power at the end, litterally like a finger snap, it was a waay too easy choice by the author and that's always a big no to me.
So yeah, it was entertaining, I mostly liked the sides characters like Wyn and Jordan, the story was interesting, but it had so much more potential that it's a bit of a let down.
hannah_reads247's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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? No
4.5
chronicallybookish's review against another edition
4.0
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 13/14+
Over All: 4 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Special thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
I’m loving the up-tick in vampire YA books. And they’re all so good. I thoroughly enjoyed The Coldest Touch, but I honestly thought it was a standalone—it’s not. I’m kind of disappointed by that (I’m a sucker for fantasy standalones) but I’m also excited because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Elise and Claire. If only I didn’t have to wait a year!
The Coldest Touch follows two girls in a delightfully paranormal world.
Elise’s life hasn’t been the same since her brother died in a tragic accident nine months ago and she saw his death before it happened. Now, she can’t touch anyone without seeing their death. Anyone, that is, until she meets Claire.
Claire is 17.
How old are you?
17.
How long have you been 17?
A while.
Annnnyyyyywayyy (I promise this book is so much better than Twilight). Claire is a vampire who has been frozen at 17 since she was turned against her will in the 1930s.
Claire has been sent by a magical organization of supernatural beings to watch over Elise and help her learn how to use her powers, but Elise has no interest in learning. She isn’t even sure she believes in magic.
But Elise’s mind changes when she sees a future murder, and she needs Claire’s help to stop it from happening.
I loved both Claire and Elise. I was expecting more of a traditional mystery aspect, but the book definitely focuses heavily on the magic of it all, and the mystery becomes a subplot, which I actually think ends up being the right choice for the book. It just wasn’t what I was expecting. Claire and Elise have great chemistry from the start—it’s especially well shown from Claire’s POV. The exploration of discovering your sexuality when you thought that wasn’t even an option was well written and nice to see, but I’m also glad that we had Claire who was already comfortable with herself. Seeing POVs from both sides, and having each be accepting of the other’s pace, was great. Often these sorts of scenarios end up with the “out” character pushing the other character who’s still trying to figure things out into defining themselves and coming out before they’re ready, and it’s great to see a storyline where that doesn’t happen.
The vampire and paranormal lore was pretty typical, but it was unique in enough aspects that it didn’t feel overly cliche or trope-y. Isabel Sterling really got to the heart of her characters, giving them fully developed personalities, wants, hopes, and dreams. Many of the vampire novels from the early 2000s (*cough* Twilight and it’s many copy cats *cough*) rely so heavily on the tropes and paranormal aspects, that the characters are just card board cut outs going through the motions. Claire, Elise, and even the minor characters were fully fleshed out and I really like that.
I can’t wait for book 2—seriouslyyyy why is it a whole year awayyyyy—and I think I need to check out These Witches Won’t Burn ASAP.
Age Rating: 13/14+
Over All: 4 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Special thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
I’m loving the up-tick in vampire YA books. And they’re all so good. I thoroughly enjoyed The Coldest Touch, but I honestly thought it was a standalone—it’s not. I’m kind of disappointed by that (I’m a sucker for fantasy standalones) but I’m also excited because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Elise and Claire. If only I didn’t have to wait a year!
The Coldest Touch follows two girls in a delightfully paranormal world.
Elise’s life hasn’t been the same since her brother died in a tragic accident nine months ago and she saw his death before it happened. Now, she can’t touch anyone without seeing their death. Anyone, that is, until she meets Claire.
Claire is 17.
How old are you?
17.
How long have you been 17?
A while.
Annnnyyyyywayyy (I promise this book is so much better than Twilight). Claire is a vampire who has been frozen at 17 since she was turned against her will in the 1930s.
Claire has been sent by a magical organization of supernatural beings to watch over Elise and help her learn how to use her powers, but Elise has no interest in learning. She isn’t even sure she believes in magic.
But Elise’s mind changes when she sees a future murder, and she needs Claire’s help to stop it from happening.
I loved both Claire and Elise. I was expecting more of a traditional mystery aspect, but the book definitely focuses heavily on the magic of it all, and the mystery becomes a subplot, which I actually think ends up being the right choice for the book. It just wasn’t what I was expecting. Claire and Elise have great chemistry from the start—it’s especially well shown from Claire’s POV. The exploration of discovering your sexuality when you thought that wasn’t even an option was well written and nice to see, but I’m also glad that we had Claire who was already comfortable with herself. Seeing POVs from both sides, and having each be accepting of the other’s pace, was great. Often these sorts of scenarios end up with the “out” character pushing the other character who’s still trying to figure things out into defining themselves and coming out before they’re ready, and it’s great to see a storyline where that doesn’t happen.
The vampire and paranormal lore was pretty typical, but it was unique in enough aspects that it didn’t feel overly cliche or trope-y. Isabel Sterling really got to the heart of her characters, giving them fully developed personalities, wants, hopes, and dreams. Many of the vampire novels from the early 2000s (*cough* Twilight and it’s many copy cats *cough*) rely so heavily on the tropes and paranormal aspects, that the characters are just card board cut outs going through the motions. Claire, Elise, and even the minor characters were fully fleshed out and I really like that.
I can’t wait for book 2—seriouslyyyy why is it a whole year awayyyyy—and I think I need to check out These Witches Won’t Burn ASAP.
lunaviolax's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-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
3.75
antiasann13's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3.5 stars
Overall, I thought this was a cute vampire story, but I think the world-building just fell short in a few places and the plot twists were very predictable.
I liked Elise and Claire as characters but I would have liked their relationship to have been developed more throughout the book; towards the middle, it felt as if they didn't have any reason to be together other than just physical attraction. It wasn't until the end of the book that I actually started getting invested in their romance, which was kind of disappointing, considering I did end up liking their relationship a lot.
Despite my mixed feelings about the supernatural/paranormal parts of the book, I would be interested in reading a sequel by the author, featuring the same characters.
Overall, I thought this was a cute vampire story, but I think the world-building just fell short in a few places and the plot twists were very predictable.
Spoiler
There was no explanation for how Elise became the Death Oracle in the first place, which I feel was a huge missed opportunity in the development of her character and the paranormal elements of the book.I liked Elise and Claire as characters but I would have liked their relationship to have been developed more throughout the book; towards the middle, it felt as if they didn't have any reason to be together other than just physical attraction. It wasn't until the end of the book that I actually started getting invested in their romance, which was kind of disappointing, considering I did end up liking their relationship a lot.
Despite my mixed feelings about the supernatural/paranormal parts of the book, I would be interested in reading a sequel by the author, featuring the same characters.
slvernon's review against another edition
3.0
This was a nice YA paranormal read for those looking for representation beyond the typical heterosexual pairings. The characters were likeable and believable as teenagers, and I particularly liked the dynamic of Elise and her ex-boyfriend remaining friends and neither's bisexuality being invalidated by their past relationship with each other. Other than that, unfortunately the plot and world-building of the novel felt a little generic, with predictable plot-beats--this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it was a fine reading experience but I wasn't blown away enough to give it a higher rating.
(Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.)
(Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.)
lisashelves's review against another edition
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
The Coldest Touch is a fantasy novel about Claire and Elise. Claire is a vampire who is hired to recruit Elise, a human girl who has the power to see the death of those she touches.
A vampire story is a story I am always looking for. Even though I’ve always been team Jacob and like shifters/werewolves more, I won’t turn down a book about vampires hihi. Getting this book in my Fairyloot box with a gorgeous cover (hello yellow!) really made me want to read it!
The book was off to a very interesting start and not one I’ve really seen before. The idea that Elise was somehow cursed and Claire was sent to help her control it, is of course very brought, but the details of this story really did it. There isn’t a lot of worldbuilding, but since it is somehow set in our own world that really didn’t feel necessary. Gradually we learned more about the veil and the supernatural as Elise did and it almost made me believe that a veil and the supernatural can truly be found among us. It made the story believable and I really liked that.
The plot was one I enjoyed, as well as how the story played out. I did miss a bit of dept to all of it. Some parts seemed really convenient how it played out, so while the story was really fun and cute, it felt a bit simple because of this.
The girls are both a bit young and it is seen on the pages that they are. They are a bit rash in their actions and decisions and are quick to come to conclusions. While that is to be expected when you are sixteen or seventeen, sometimes I wished they would think a bit more about their actions and wouldn’t be so quick to decide, as it was a bit annoying.
Their dynamic was really interesting to see. Claire and Elise both have demons to deal with, but I loved seeing how they grew from trying to overcome them by themselves to gravitating towards each other and learning to lean on others to help them. I believe that is a good lesson to be learned from this book. Their romance was also really cute to read and it didn’t overshadow the problems they had or the overall plot.
Overall, it was a really simple and cute story. It was lighthearted but eye-opening at the same time and I really enjoyed it.
The Coldest Touch is a fantasy novel about Claire and Elise. Claire is a vampire who is hired to recruit Elise, a human girl who has the power to see the death of those she touches.
A vampire story is a story I am always looking for. Even though I’ve always been team Jacob and like shifters/werewolves more, I won’t turn down a book about vampires hihi. Getting this book in my Fairyloot box with a gorgeous cover (hello yellow!) really made me want to read it!
The book was off to a very interesting start and not one I’ve really seen before. The idea that Elise was somehow cursed and Claire was sent to help her control it, is of course very brought, but the details of this story really did it. There isn’t a lot of worldbuilding, but since it is somehow set in our own world that really didn’t feel necessary. Gradually we learned more about the veil and the supernatural as Elise did and it almost made me believe that a veil and the supernatural can truly be found among us. It made the story believable and I really liked that.
The plot was one I enjoyed, as well as how the story played out. I did miss a bit of dept to all of it. Some parts seemed really convenient how it played out, so while the story was really fun and cute, it felt a bit simple because of this.
The girls are both a bit young and it is seen on the pages that they are. They are a bit rash in their actions and decisions and are quick to come to conclusions. While that is to be expected when you are sixteen or seventeen, sometimes I wished they would think a bit more about their actions and wouldn’t be so quick to decide, as it was a bit annoying.
Their dynamic was really interesting to see. Claire and Elise both have demons to deal with, but I loved seeing how they grew from trying to overcome them by themselves to gravitating towards each other and learning to lean on others to help them. I believe that is a good lesson to be learned from this book. Their romance was also really cute to read and it didn’t overshadow the problems they had or the overall plot.
Overall, it was a really simple and cute story. It was lighthearted but eye-opening at the same time and I really enjoyed it.