Initial Thoughts I have heard great things about this book so I was pretty sure that I would like it and I did. It was kind of scary to think about a vInitial Thoughts I have heard great things about this book so I was pretty sure that I would like it and I did. It was kind of scary to think about a virus wiping out so much of the world. The magic in the story was wonderfully done. I liked the characters and wanted to see good things come their way. Of course, that isn't always what happened. I listened to the audiobook and Julia Whelan did an amaing job wiht this story. Bring on book 2!
When a group of friends on Goodreads decided to read this book, I thought it sounded like a great idea and joined in. This book was an okay rea3 Stars
When a group of friends on Goodreads decided to read this book, I thought it sounded like a great idea and joined in. This book was an okay read for me. It had some really strong moments that I loved. It also had some moments that I thought were more than a little boring. The beginning of the book was absolutely fantastic and I just knew that I was going to love this series. Unfortunately, the book as a whole did not live up to those opening scenes. I have been really torn about how to rate and review this book since the story ended up feeling so hot and cold in the end.
I really liked the unique take on the Auphe or demon-like elves. The fact that the main character, Cal, is half human and half Auphe really pulled me into the story. Cal's older brother, Nikko, is fiercely protective of Cal and will do whatever it takes to keep him safe. This interesting world and the strong relationship between the brothers really set the stage for a exciting novel. Throw in a little sarcastic humor, similar to what is found in the Harry Dresden series and it should have been almost perfect.
Unfortunately, the book had quite a few problems. The excitement of the opening chapters quickly waned and didn't return until the book was almost over. I thought that much of the book was actually boring at time and tedious at others. This book may have fell victim to the first book syndrome found in many Urban Fiction series where the world building overpowers the story and the book suffers as a whole. I also the humor that started out great at the beginning felt overdone by the conclusion of the novel.
I am consider continuing this series but I am not rushing out to buy the second book anytime soon. There were enough good moments and the world is interesting enough that I wouldn't mind seeing where this series could go. I do think that many Urban Fiction fans will enjoy this book....more
This book is cover to cover awesomeness. I actually need to recover from the awesomeness thBuddy read with the wonderful MacHalo Group.
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5 Stars!
This book is cover to cover awesomeness. I actually need to recover from the awesomeness that is this book before I could sit down and actually write a coherent review. Simply put - I fell completely in love with this book. When I first heard about the buddy read planned by one of my Goodreads groups, I almost didn't join in. I am so far behind in my reading that I wasn't sure I had the time not to mention the fact that I had not heard of this series before. At the last minute, I found a copy of this book at my local library and decided to join in on the fun. I am so glad that I made that last minute decision.
When did I become someone worth dying for?
I really love so many things about this book but the main character, Sirantha Jax, really was one of the best female leads that I have come across in a long time. She's in her 30s and she has done a lot in her life so far. I cannot tell you how nice it was to find a main character that is over the age of 25. Jax is tough and she adapts to situations as needed. She is willing to do what needs to be done but still takes the time to think about the people around her.
I'm Sirantha Jax, and I have had enough.
I really like the male lead in the book almost as much as I liked Jax. March is fantastic. He is one of those people who seems to know how to handle almost any situation. He is a natural leader. He is a protector and is more than willing to risk himself for others when necessary. I will admit that I really hoped that romance wouldn't play a part in this book but then something happened and I started falling for March. I understand why Jax was drawn to him because I was under his spell by the end of the book myself.
Call me cynical, but anything that makes March happy cannot be good for me.
It's no secret that I love it when a book is able to make me laugh. I don't need to laugh constantly but a little bit of humor really adds to a story in most cases. This book was funny. It's not a comedy by any stretch of the imagination but the characters just have such a great sense of humor. The way that they talked with each other and their thoughts were just so entertaining. I really must applaud Ann Aguirre for her skill in incorporating such a wonderful sense of humor into these character so flawlessly.
Nodding, I fall in behind March, not because I acknowledge his authority in any fashion but because if by some chance we were wrong, and there's something big and ugly left in these wetlands, I really prefer it eats him first. Give me a chance to run.
The world building in this book was not only solid it didn't bog the story down in any way. One of the reasons that I almost backed out of the buddy read was because sometimes a first novel in a series can get really heavy with information and are often not as exciting as later books. Somehow, this book made me fall in the love not only with the characters but with the world that they live in incredibly fast. I will admit that I was quite confused about how Jax's ability worked at first but I decided to just go with it.
I will always come for you, Jax.
I thought the romance in this story was fantastic. If you had told me that there was a little case of insta-love in this book before I started it, I may have skipped reading it. I am glad that nobody told me. For some reason, the insta-love in this story works for me. March and Jax are real with each other and can see parts of each other that nobody else can see. I really had my own case of insta-love for March happening so I really can't blame Jax for it anyway.
For the first time I grasp that bending doesn't necessarily mean weakness. Defiance doesn't always equate to strength.
I would highly recommend this book to anybody that enjoys urban fantasy. The characters are wonderfully done including all of the secondary characters. The concept is unique. The pacing is fantastic. This book is simply hard to put down. I cannot wait to start reading the next book in this series.
Initial Thoughts I am going to need a moment to recover from the awesomeness that is this book. Cover to cover awesomeness. (view spoiler)[Even Sarah liked it level of awesomeness! (hide spoiler)]...more
When a group of friends on Goodreads decided to read this book together, I knew that I had to join in on the fun. I am a huge fan of Ilona Andrews. I read this book a couple of years ago and enjoyed but but for some reason never picked up the rest of the books in the series. This seemed like a perfect opportunity to refresh my memory of this book and jump into the rest of the series.
As I read this book, I could not help but think about the things that the writing team of Gordon and Ilona Andrews do consistently well so I thought I would touch on these things in this review:
Excellent world building The Edge is something completely different than I have ever read. In this world, there are three main divisions: the Broken, the Weird, and the Edge. The Broken would be our world-full of WalMarts, Burger Kings, and people who don't know about the existence of any other world. The Weird is a magical world with fewer people and less technology. The Edge is the point between the two worlds-magic and few people who self govern themselves.
Tough main characters Rose is no damsel in distress. She doesn't expect anyone to take care of her or her brothers. She does what needs to be done without complaint. She helps out whenever she can despite the fact that others have tried to use her. I love the fact that Rose thinks fast under pressure and is incredibly tough. She doesn't look for a fight but she is not one to back away from one when necessary.
Swoon worthy male leads First things first-Declan is no Curran and he is no Mad Rogan. He is still a very good male lead. He doesn't hesitate to put himself in danger to protect Rose and her family and friends. Declan became more and more likable for me as the story progress and by the end of the story I was sold. Something about Declan early in the book seemed almost a bit cartoonish but the more I learned about him the more real he became.
Excellent banter What would a Ilona Andrews book be without the trademark banter? The interactions between the two main characters is extraordinary. I love how they are able to work some humor into every story usually through the character dialog.
Just the right amount of action This book has no shortage of action. The last part of the book is almost non-stop. There are also the quieter times where we get to really know the characters. By the end of the book, I knew how much the fight meant to everyone involved. The pacing of the book was excellent.
I liked lots of other things in this book. Rose's brothers, Jack and Georgie, were amazing. These two kids were truly unique and amazing characters and ended up being one of the main strengths of the book. I loved that the characters in this book spent time doing such normal things. They went to Burger King and made several trips to WalMart. These are things that most people can relate to although most of us don't start riots because of our attractiveness at any of these locations.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I do think that this book would appeal to fans of paranormal romance. The romance aspect seemed to be a much larger focus than in other Ilona Andrews works. I enjoy romance so that wasn't an issue for me but it may be for other readers. I can't wait to start on the next book in this series....more
I have a feeling that I went into this book with my expectations set way too high. I was rThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life
3 Stars
I have a feeling that I went into this book with my expectations set way too high. I was ready to read a story that was supposed to knock my socks off but this book lacked any kind of "Wow" factor for me. I have had this book in my TBR pile since I picked it up as a freebie in January 2013 and I couldn't wait to read a story about angles. I remember even then how much everyone was raving about this book but I somehow kept skipping over it.
I decided it was time to finally read it when a group of my friends on Goodreads organized a buddy read. With all the 5 star reviews, I just knew that I would love it. I wanted to love it. I wish that I had loved it but I didn't love it. I didn't hate it but I didn't think that it was any better than just okay.
I switched back and forth between reading this book and listening to the audible version. I never fell in the love with the narrator and I did find that I liked the book a bit more when I was actually reading the story instead of listening to it. I think that Caitlin Davis did a good job with the narration and she sounds like I would expect Penryn to sound but for some reason this narration just didn't connect with me.
I thought that the plot was decent. There were enough twists and turns to keep things exciting and it was a unique storyline. There were some really awesome moments in this book and there were a few spots where I found myself rolling my eyes. There were a few times in the book that I wished that things had taken a different direction but it was overall a solid story. I did feel like the book dragged at times and it was always very easy for me to set this book aside to do something else.
I had expected to fall in love with Rafe. Everyone keeps saying how much they love Rafe. I wanted to join in on the love but it wasn't meant to be. I thought Rafe was okay but his character lacked that something extra I had expected. I didn't connect with Penryn in any way either. I didn't dislike her but I didn't find myself loving her either.
I still plan to read the second book in this series, World After. I liked it enough to want to see what the fuss is all about in the second book and heck, I already bought the silly book so I might as well read it. I am definitely in the minority with my rating of the book so I would tell anyone interested to give it a shot since most people seem to love this book....more
Before I started reading this book, I was absolutely positive that I was going to go crThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
3.5 Stars
Before I started reading this book, I was absolutely positive that I was going to go crazy over this series like some kind of deranged teenager. I actually bought the book on sale a couple of years ago and had been waiting for just the right moment to savor it. When a group of friends decided to buddy read this book on Goodreads, I knew that I had discovered the perfect moment to read it. I had a hunch that I would become obsessed with the series and feel the need to binge read every book in the series that I could get my hands on. Unfortunately, my expectations far exceeded my reality and I must admit that I am just a wee bit disappointed about it.
Please don't get me wrong...I liked this book quite a bit but the problem is that I didn't love it. I wanted to love it. I definitely plan to continue reading this series because I still have hopes that I will eventually fall in love with this series. There is a definite possibility that this book may have had a case of first book syndrome. You may be wondering what I mean by first book syndrome. Many readers will back me up that oftentimes the first book in a series, especially any book set in a world that needs to be created, isn't nearly as enjoyable as subsequent books.
This book had some strong points. It is already very apparent that Merit is going to be a little different than the average vampire. She has that something extra that was just starting to develop in this novel. The spark between Ethan and Merit was pretty hot although it was not fully explored...yet. I liked most of the characters. Merit's roommate, her grandfather, Catcher, and Jeff were all pretty awesome.
I enjoyed reading this book but it was always a book that I had no problem setting aside. I found a lot of it to be pretty predictable and I can't remember a single moment in the story when I felt any kind of surprise. In some ways I felt that Merit adjusted to becoming a vampire a little too easily. The only real issue she seemed to have was that she liked to complain about the fact that it wasn't her choice but really what other choice was there?
Obviously, my biggest problem is that I had expectations that were through the roof and they were not met. I would still recommend this book and I do plan to continue to read this series but with a more realistic expectation. This is the first book by Chloe Neill that I have had a chance to read. ...more
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