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Soul Quest #1
Soul Quest
Beginning high school is a completely normal, human right of passage but how normal would it be for someone who isn't entirely human?
Let's say you're special, capable of harnessing the Earth's energy to defeat soul sucking monsters and you don't even know it.
You go to school, meet new people and form friendships only to discover that you and your new click are something otherworldly. You're life becomes a comic book cliché. By day you solve algebra problems and by night you rid the world of evil beings.
This is my life. My quest is to protect innocent souls... and pass the ninth grade.
Let's say you're special, capable of harnessing the Earth's energy to defeat soul sucking monsters and you don't even know it.
You go to school, meet new people and form friendships only to discover that you and your new click are something otherworldly. You're life becomes a comic book cliché. By day you solve algebra problems and by night you rid the world of evil beings.
This is my life. My quest is to protect innocent souls... and pass the ninth grade.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2010
2 people are currently reading
432 people want to read
About the author
Amy Maurer Jones
12 books111 followersAmy Maurer Jones has been happily married to her own version of Edward Cullen for sixteen years. She and her soul mate, Kelly, live in Tabor City, North Carolina with their two beautiful children, Olivia and Keaton.
When Amy isn’t reading and writing, she teaches high school theater arts and dance. To say that Amy has a flare for all things creative would be an understatement, just don’t ask her to assemble anything that requires instructions or sadly, you will be out of luck!
If you would like to learn more about Amy and her projects, check out her blog:
http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com
When Amy isn’t reading and writing, she teaches high school theater arts and dance. To say that Amy has a flare for all things creative would be an understatement, just don’t ask her to assemble anything that requires instructions or sadly, you will be out of luck!
If you would like to learn more about Amy and her projects, check out her blog:
http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Want to read
November 14, 2012I just bought this off of smashwords for .99! YIPEEEE!!!!!!!! I can't wait to read it :)
January 3, 2012
Liv never knew she was really different until she went to high-school. She isn't a normal kind of different though.
Meena, Brayan, and Laith are all strangely familiar... this connection isn't something that happens with strangers everyday. It is much deeper. They all have the same purpose- to save the world.
There really isn't much time left, and while nothing drastic has happened since September 11, 2001- it is easy to tell things are not looking good from here on out. And it is all up to a group of teenagers.
My Thoughts: While this book had a slow beginning, by the end I couldn't believe how fast it went. I really just needed to get around 15% in, and once you're that far, there is no turning back. I loved all of the main characters (of course besides the ones you really shouldn't like) aside from Meena. There were a few times I was like, "She is such a know it all!" In the end, I came to the conclusion she really has the best intentions. Overall, great pacing, great story, and an ending that encourages you to read the next book. I enjoy the fact that it is not a mystery on where this story could go.
Meena, Brayan, and Laith are all strangely familiar... this connection isn't something that happens with strangers everyday. It is much deeper. They all have the same purpose- to save the world.
There really isn't much time left, and while nothing drastic has happened since September 11, 2001- it is easy to tell things are not looking good from here on out. And it is all up to a group of teenagers.
My Thoughts: While this book had a slow beginning, by the end I couldn't believe how fast it went. I really just needed to get around 15% in, and once you're that far, there is no turning back. I loved all of the main characters (of course besides the ones you really shouldn't like) aside from Meena. There were a few times I was like, "She is such a know it all!" In the end, I came to the conclusion she really has the best intentions. Overall, great pacing, great story, and an ending that encourages you to read the next book. I enjoy the fact that it is not a mystery on where this story could go.
July 31, 2011
This book is great. The author captures the true young adult voice and creates a teenage atmosphere. The plot is intriguing and novel, the characters fresh and charismatic. The mystery moved the book along quickly with the romance being the added draw-in for the reader. This book wasn't a run-of-the-mill teenage romance, the plot prevents the reader from thinking that. The main character easily endeared herself to the reader, the meddling supporting character provided a good foil for the main character as well as some comic relief. The background of the plot is both exciting and interesting, the reader will not be disappointed. There is a bit of something for everyone: intrigue, romance, action, drama, young adult, mystery, comedy, etc... The ending was a little bit surprising to say the least, but this reader was happy to learn that there would be another book to come! This book is great for young adult readers.
This book was received as an egalley, this in no way influenced my opinion.
This book was received as an egalley, this in no way influenced my opinion.
September 13, 2011
This was a fun read and when Amy pulled me into the plot and action, the story moved fast for me. There is a lot of background info because she’s created a new world with things like Deavas and Aengels. I loved the fantasy aspects of this story. Some of the high school stuff was hard for me to relate to because I was a shy nerd, but it was fun to see the fantasy elements mixed in with something that’s usually so mundane, like running for student body in high school.
This quote from the description of the books sums it up really well I think:
“If you think it's difficult being a teenager, try being a teenager who was born destined to save the world from soul sucking Daevas and their mutant progeny Aengels.”
I really liked the concept of Daevas and Aengels as the villains!
This quote from the description of the books sums it up really well I think:
“If you think it's difficult being a teenager, try being a teenager who was born destined to save the world from soul sucking Daevas and their mutant progeny Aengels.”
I really liked the concept of Daevas and Aengels as the villains!
April 25, 2011
Wow. Liv Glyn has a lot on her plate! It's her first day of high school, she only has one close friend, Jedd, that she wants to be more than friends with, she's running for vice president of the freshman class, and, oh yeah! she's an oracle of earth.
Alright that was really corny but hopefully you understand what I'm getting at.
I've been blessed with having a smart, in control, main character for the past two books I've read. Liv Glyn, your narrator and one of four main characters was very likable. I feel like she's that average girl that everyone could relate to, and that made me like her a lot. I could relate to her stress about being a freshman, and having to juggle so much things at once. (Well, not the human oracle part, but you get what I mean) I really thought her relationship with Gaea, who's the Oracle of Life. I felt like Gaea was kind of a grandmother to Liv and the scenes were Liv who just lay under her shade were adorable.
The other main characters, Laith, Meena, and Brayan, were also enjoyable to read about. They were all unique in their own ways. Laith, being the popular athlete; Meena, the history geek; and Brayan, the technology obsessed brain. My favorite of the four had to be Meena. When things got bad for the kids, Meena was the one who calmed them down, mostly because of her gift of being a planner, always sorting out their problems and being the voice of reason.
All of the kids went to the same school, but were in different cliques, obviously. I liked the way the author got them all together. By doing the freshman elections, the human oracles were able to rely and trust one another, and become acquainted. It was very natural, and not forced at all.
One of the things which I thought was soo cool was the fact that Amy put a dictionary of all the fancy lingo the characters used throughout the book. I didn't have to look at it a lot, since every was pretty self-explanatory, but for those books that go into different worlds and galaxies, maybe you wanna use this tip. It clarifies things a lot when there are series books, and the readers forget.
Here's a little tip to people reading the book: pay attention to the dates!! When I was first reading it, I was thinking, They're doing a second twin towers attempt? Yeah, it shoots back and forth between past and present. Speaking of 9/11, I feel Amy tied in the Daeva's and the terrorist attacks nicely. As said above, it wasn't forced. It was actually very creative.
Since it takes place in 2014, its so crazy to think about what those kids will think of 9/11. They were born in 2001, so they didn't go through it. It truly makes me feel that we are living in history, you know? Like yesturday's happenings could be in tomorrows textbooks.
The book was great, a perfect set-up for the next book in the trilogy. Something else I liked was that the book starts with the characters already having their powers and their goals. I really can't wait for the next book to see what happens next ! :)
"I needed my best friend to know my feelings for him had not changed just because my world has.
'I'm still here, Jedd. I always have been.'"
-Soul Quest, Amy Jones
Alright that was really corny but hopefully you understand what I'm getting at.
I've been blessed with having a smart, in control, main character for the past two books I've read. Liv Glyn, your narrator and one of four main characters was very likable. I feel like she's that average girl that everyone could relate to, and that made me like her a lot. I could relate to her stress about being a freshman, and having to juggle so much things at once. (Well, not the human oracle part, but you get what I mean) I really thought her relationship with Gaea, who's the Oracle of Life. I felt like Gaea was kind of a grandmother to Liv and the scenes were Liv who just lay under her shade were adorable.
The other main characters, Laith, Meena, and Brayan, were also enjoyable to read about. They were all unique in their own ways. Laith, being the popular athlete; Meena, the history geek; and Brayan, the technology obsessed brain. My favorite of the four had to be Meena. When things got bad for the kids, Meena was the one who calmed them down, mostly because of her gift of being a planner, always sorting out their problems and being the voice of reason.
All of the kids went to the same school, but were in different cliques, obviously. I liked the way the author got them all together. By doing the freshman elections, the human oracles were able to rely and trust one another, and become acquainted. It was very natural, and not forced at all.
One of the things which I thought was soo cool was the fact that Amy put a dictionary of all the fancy lingo the characters used throughout the book. I didn't have to look at it a lot, since every was pretty self-explanatory, but for those books that go into different worlds and galaxies, maybe you wanna use this tip. It clarifies things a lot when there are series books, and the readers forget.
Here's a little tip to people reading the book: pay attention to the dates!! When I was first reading it, I was thinking, They're doing a second twin towers attempt? Yeah, it shoots back and forth between past and present. Speaking of 9/11, I feel Amy tied in the Daeva's and the terrorist attacks nicely. As said above, it wasn't forced. It was actually very creative.
Since it takes place in 2014, its so crazy to think about what those kids will think of 9/11. They were born in 2001, so they didn't go through it. It truly makes me feel that we are living in history, you know? Like yesturday's happenings could be in tomorrows textbooks.
The book was great, a perfect set-up for the next book in the trilogy. Something else I liked was that the book starts with the characters already having their powers and their goals. I really can't wait for the next book to see what happens next ! :)
"I needed my best friend to know my feelings for him had not changed just because my world has.
'I'm still here, Jedd. I always have been.'"
-Soul Quest, Amy Jones
March 26, 2011
Soul Quest by Amy Jones totally made my week! Yesterday I ended up staying up till 4 am, just so I could finish it and find out how the first book ends. I just couldn't bring myself to put it down. How could I possibly go to sleep, when this book is so amazing! And you must know that I am a very slow ebook reader, I really don't like spending my time looking at the computer screen (or iPhone screen, depending if I'm currently outside of the house) so this was quite an accomplishment on Amy's part to keep me so captivated. (Thank you Amy, thanks to you I look like a zombie today!)
For the most part of the book the narrative voice belongs to Liv. At first glance you could think she's just an ordinary girl, preoccupied with normal teenager day-to-day problems and dramas, like figuring out whether her feelings for her best friend are anything more than a friendly affection or doing her best to fit in at her new school. Pretty much all the things we all could relate to. But Liv is no ordinary teenager, she is an Oracle of Earth, one of four human-born Oracles, who's duty is to save the Earth from destruction. Her companions of Spirit are: athletic and super handsome Laith (Oracle of Fire), adorable computer geek, Brayan (Oracle of Wind) and knowledgeable and organized Meena (Oracle of Water). Each of them has unique gifts and charms, that will help them fight the evil Aengels and Daevas and try and stop them from stealing human souls.
I absolutely loved the first part of Soul Quest trilogy. I got sucked into the story from the very first pages of the book and I often found myself thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it. It's such a pleasurable read! At first I was a little bit overwhelmed by the magnitude of the world Amy created, but after a while it all come together, every piece fell into the right place. I'm deeply amazed at how much work the author put into creating a whole new mythology for the purpose of the story, it's jaw dropping.
Amy Jones does a superb job of drawing you in. She created an amazing, unique and fascinating world, filled with fantastic, well developed and likable characters. If you liked Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series then I can guarantee you will LOVE Soul Quest!
For the most part of the book the narrative voice belongs to Liv. At first glance you could think she's just an ordinary girl, preoccupied with normal teenager day-to-day problems and dramas, like figuring out whether her feelings for her best friend are anything more than a friendly affection or doing her best to fit in at her new school. Pretty much all the things we all could relate to. But Liv is no ordinary teenager, she is an Oracle of Earth, one of four human-born Oracles, who's duty is to save the Earth from destruction. Her companions of Spirit are: athletic and super handsome Laith (Oracle of Fire), adorable computer geek, Brayan (Oracle of Wind) and knowledgeable and organized Meena (Oracle of Water). Each of them has unique gifts and charms, that will help them fight the evil Aengels and Daevas and try and stop them from stealing human souls.
I absolutely loved the first part of Soul Quest trilogy. I got sucked into the story from the very first pages of the book and I often found myself thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it. It's such a pleasurable read! At first I was a little bit overwhelmed by the magnitude of the world Amy created, but after a while it all come together, every piece fell into the right place. I'm deeply amazed at how much work the author put into creating a whole new mythology for the purpose of the story, it's jaw dropping.
Amy Jones does a superb job of drawing you in. She created an amazing, unique and fascinating world, filled with fantastic, well developed and likable characters. If you liked Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series then I can guarantee you will LOVE Soul Quest!
October 21, 2013
I was given this book in return for an honest review. Poor Liv, she's a high school student with more problems than solutions. She discovers that she is a guardian. There is a whole world she didn't know existed, one filled with Daevas and Aengels (demons and evil angels) Liv and her hodge podge group are the guardians that have to protect the world from the soul sucking evil. Liv meets the rest of the Oracles while they are all running for Freshman class government. They discover together what and who they really are. Liv the Earth Oracle, Brayan the Wind Oracle, Laith the Fire Oracle, and Meena the Water Oracle, will have to band together to save the souls of everyone. They each have their own spirit mentor as well. On top of that Liv's best friend Jedd is becoming a distraction, Jedd knows things that normal humans don't, things he shouldn't know, there are feelings developing between them that weren't there before, and Jedd wants to help her and the Oracles. Liv just wants to protect Jedd. Overwhelming for a high schooler to have to deal with all at once. This book has romance, paranormal, comedy, mystery, action and angst. With an ending that will leave you wanting the next book, all in all not bad. I loved the idea of this story and I liked the characters. The problem I had was that the story is told from different POV's and flashes around too much. I understand the author's need to explain things, but I think keeping it simple would have been easier to follow. I think this book shows a lot of promise and want to read the next book so I can see the author and the story develop. If not for the distraction of the bouncing around and the confusion of various POV's, I would have given this book 4 stars or more.
May 11, 2011
I received this e-book from the author for review. This did not affect my review in any way.
The story starts off in the present with Liv and her best friend Jedd. She wants to tell him that she's a human oracle of earth but not sure how to tell him. Liv also doesn't know that Jedd seems to know things that humans should not know about the spirit world. She also thinks that she wants to be more than friends with him. Then the story jumps to the past and tells of how the guardians came about and how they became Liv, Meena, Brayan, and Laith's guardians. It goes on to tell the story of each human oracle, how they grew up and how they found out that they were oracles and had guardians. Then back in the present where the story really takes off. They know they are soul sucking Aengels and Daevas around they just don't know who they are yet.
All four human oracles are running for positions in the freshman class student government. That is how they meet and find out about one another. Together they seek out the Aengels and Daevas and find out who is behind the murders in the city.
This story drew my in from the first page and when I had time to read I just didn't want to stop. I liked how strong all the characters were on their own and as a group. The relationships between the couples was good, I would like to see Liv and Jedd become a couple, although maybe it will be a love triangle with Beau included. The storyline was well written and it took me back to when I was in high school. I was somewhat shocked of how it ended but looking forward to reading the next two books. This was a really good read and I'm recommending it.
The story starts off in the present with Liv and her best friend Jedd. She wants to tell him that she's a human oracle of earth but not sure how to tell him. Liv also doesn't know that Jedd seems to know things that humans should not know about the spirit world. She also thinks that she wants to be more than friends with him. Then the story jumps to the past and tells of how the guardians came about and how they became Liv, Meena, Brayan, and Laith's guardians. It goes on to tell the story of each human oracle, how they grew up and how they found out that they were oracles and had guardians. Then back in the present where the story really takes off. They know they are soul sucking Aengels and Daevas around they just don't know who they are yet.
All four human oracles are running for positions in the freshman class student government. That is how they meet and find out about one another. Together they seek out the Aengels and Daevas and find out who is behind the murders in the city.
This story drew my in from the first page and when I had time to read I just didn't want to stop. I liked how strong all the characters were on their own and as a group. The relationships between the couples was good, I would like to see Liv and Jedd become a couple, although maybe it will be a love triangle with Beau included. The storyline was well written and it took me back to when I was in high school. I was somewhat shocked of how it ended but looking forward to reading the next two books. This was a really good read and I'm recommending it.
May 8, 2011
Amy Jones' writing is addicting. From the very beginning I was drawn into this book and its complex story. The synopsis doesn't do the plot justice, it's a very in depth book with a lot of plot surprises.
Liv's character was my favorite, and that's something this story is not lacking, good characters. Liv is a down to earth kind of girl, the girl in high school who was friends with everyone is how I'd describe her. But, all of them stand on their own.
I love paranormal, fantasy, and romance books and it has that, but it is much more. These teens aren't normal and that makes it so much fun.
What I Liked
The original story, good versus evil, and all of the elements Amy Jones brings to the table.
Liv
The use of actual events in the fictional story
The layout. Since it's a first person book with various narrators Amy helps the reader by changing narrators each chapter and heading each chapter with information that is useful.
What I Wasn't Crazy About
There are some chapters that show the same occurrence from the various POVs. We learn the same things from the different characters, it got a little old, it could've been done better.
Dialogue was stiff and awkward through a lot of the story, I don't know what it was about it but it didn't feel real.
I wanted it to be more. It began strong but in my opinion it didn't really hold up. It's definitely a starter novel and I think the rest of the series will build nicely on this introduction. I will definitely pick up the next book and continue the journey. There are so many fascinating parts of this book. I liked it and would recommend it to paranormal romance fans.
Liv's character was my favorite, and that's something this story is not lacking, good characters. Liv is a down to earth kind of girl, the girl in high school who was friends with everyone is how I'd describe her. But, all of them stand on their own.
I love paranormal, fantasy, and romance books and it has that, but it is much more. These teens aren't normal and that makes it so much fun.
What I Liked
The original story, good versus evil, and all of the elements Amy Jones brings to the table.
Liv
The use of actual events in the fictional story
The layout. Since it's a first person book with various narrators Amy helps the reader by changing narrators each chapter and heading each chapter with information that is useful.
What I Wasn't Crazy About
There are some chapters that show the same occurrence from the various POVs. We learn the same things from the different characters, it got a little old, it could've been done better.
Dialogue was stiff and awkward through a lot of the story, I don't know what it was about it but it didn't feel real.
I wanted it to be more. It began strong but in my opinion it didn't really hold up. It's definitely a starter novel and I think the rest of the series will build nicely on this introduction. I will definitely pick up the next book and continue the journey. There are so many fascinating parts of this book. I liked it and would recommend it to paranormal romance fans.
May 23, 2011
Ok so I don't remember how I came across this book, but I am so glad I did because it was awesome! There were so many cool aspects in this book, but I can't say more than that because it would spoil the book. There were definitely some interesting paranormal aspects in the story as well. The book is pretty intense in parts and there is a lot of information being thrown at you. I was totally pulled into the book & finished pretty fast. There are so many great characters in the book & it was nice to get multiple perspectives (I know it annoys some people to read in multiple perspectives so be warned). Liv, Meena, Brayan, & Laith are the main characters & I like them all. Jedd, Ray, Drue, & Ashley are great secondary characters & I hope there will be more about them in the next book (assuming there is one). I also wanted to learn more about a bunch of other important characters in the story. There isn't much more I can say without ruining it, so I will say that you should go read it! I really hope there will be a next book because there is definitely a lot more to be explored!
March 29, 2011
This book had a few problems in the beginning, but it smoothed out and the story was different. Angels, demons, guardians and many other mystical things. The repeated chapters to get each persons point of view was long and annoying(that stopped and then the story revolved around one character at a time and no more repeating the same things). A few typos and the font size kept changing(not sure why I read it on a Kindle.) This book is the first one and so more explanations were necessary and so the book seemed a bit long before the main story actually began.
I liked the main guardian taking on the image of a little boy to remember the innocence of children. I think it was a good book, I enjoyed it.
I liked the main guardian taking on the image of a little boy to remember the innocence of children. I think it was a good book, I enjoyed it.
April 25, 2011
This is definitely an action packed book! One of my favorite things about this book was how Amy Jones starts the book off in the present but then goes back to show us how they got to that point. I like how we get to see the different points of view from all the characters in the book. It helps to depict their feelings and reactions toward things. I love all the romantic relationships that Liv and her friends have. I also the relationship between the Guardians and the Human Oracles. This books grips you in the first chapter and makes you want to continue reading so that you can figure out what's going on. I just love the whole storyline of this book and I can't wait for the second book to come out! Overall this was a great read!
September 8, 2012
I do not typically go for the how teenage love story but hey I decided to give this one a chance because of the description. I dove in thinking that I would be bombarded by wishy washy teen puppy love quotes, only to find I was wrong. The plot itself will circumvent the feeling that all you are reading a teen love story. I loved it and will be looking to read the next one in the series in the near future.
Want to read
July 6, 2011[edit: the author just notified me. seems the book is also available as a paperback now, too.]
August 16, 2012
sadly disappointed - good premise
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