What do you think?
Rate this book
Lifethread #1
Lifethread
Stuck in her senior year of high school until she earns her humanity, McKenna Fin is responsible for cutting the lifethread of demons, and protecting teens from being possessed. To celebrate her fiftieth year of apprenticeship to the Fate Atropos, McKenna is given a new responsibility, and possibly a quick way to earn her humanity: severing the lifethread of deserving humans. Her first assignmentNathan Quinn.
When Nathan becomes a primary demon target and gets sucked into Tartania, McKennas duty as a Fated priestess demands she follow. McKenna can rescue him, no problem, but then shed have to cut his lifethread. And hes the one and only guy shes been attracted to since forever.
The demons consider Nathan one of their own and fight to keep him. The time limit on Nathan's life is about to run out, and McKenna has to make the decision: sever his lifethread, or battle demons, defy the Fates, and keep him for her own.
When Nathan becomes a primary demon target and gets sucked into Tartania, McKennas duty as a Fated priestess demands she follow. McKenna can rescue him, no problem, but then shed have to cut his lifethread. And hes the one and only guy shes been attracted to since forever.
The demons consider Nathan one of their own and fight to keep him. The time limit on Nathan's life is about to run out, and McKenna has to make the decision: sever his lifethread, or battle demons, defy the Fates, and keep him for her own.
Nook
First published March 18, 2011
2 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 19, 2011
McKenna Fin is not human. She is a Moirai Priestess apprenticed to the oldest Fate, Atropos. Her job is to protect humans from demons. Since seventeen-year-olds are the most vulnerable to demon attack, she and her sister priestesses are perpetual high school seniors.
An error caused Nathan Quinn to be different from other humans. He can actually see demons and hear their emotions. Nathan has watched McKenna dispatch them by severing their lifethreads. When he is captured by some unusually nasty specimens, McKenna leads the rescue mission.
The three Fates, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, respectively, spin, measure, and determine the end of human life. Fathered by Zeus, each is served by a Moirai Priestess. Since he is an imperfect creation, McKenna has been ordered to cut Nathan’s Lifethread. However, unexpected events intervene, Nathan and she develop a special friendship, and McKenna risks everything, including the Fates’s wrath, when the balance in the universe is threatened.
This enjoyable story weaves myth and supernatural horror together. McKenna has been a high school senior for fifty years. At the whim of the Fates, she and her sister priestesses must move each year to a new school, where the local demon infestation requires their unique skills. Personally, I would have preferred the language to have been more mature. The priestesses, though they looked seventeen, were all at least several decades older than that, after all. However, this is a young adult novel, so I imagine the language will appeal especially to younger readers. Mackenzie is a likable heroine with a strong ethical code who is loyal and compassionate. It is also worth mentioning that this self-published book is particularly well-edited and polished. At one point, the word “shutter” is used when the context implies “shudder” but, other than that single occurrence, I noticed no other problems. Overall, I found it to be a fun, engaging read that is filled with plenty of action.
Laurie
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
An error caused Nathan Quinn to be different from other humans. He can actually see demons and hear their emotions. Nathan has watched McKenna dispatch them by severing their lifethreads. When he is captured by some unusually nasty specimens, McKenna leads the rescue mission.
The three Fates, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, respectively, spin, measure, and determine the end of human life. Fathered by Zeus, each is served by a Moirai Priestess. Since he is an imperfect creation, McKenna has been ordered to cut Nathan’s Lifethread. However, unexpected events intervene, Nathan and she develop a special friendship, and McKenna risks everything, including the Fates’s wrath, when the balance in the universe is threatened.
This enjoyable story weaves myth and supernatural horror together. McKenna has been a high school senior for fifty years. At the whim of the Fates, she and her sister priestesses must move each year to a new school, where the local demon infestation requires their unique skills. Personally, I would have preferred the language to have been more mature. The priestesses, though they looked seventeen, were all at least several decades older than that, after all. However, this is a young adult novel, so I imagine the language will appeal especially to younger readers. Mackenzie is a likable heroine with a strong ethical code who is loyal and compassionate. It is also worth mentioning that this self-published book is particularly well-edited and polished. At one point, the word “shutter” is used when the context implies “shudder” but, other than that single occurrence, I noticed no other problems. Overall, I found it to be a fun, engaging read that is filled with plenty of action.
Laurie
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
May 3, 2011
an't wait for the next in the series...Having never read anything from from LJ Charles before I wasn't sure what to expect and I was very happy with this book.. I found it engaging, exciting, suspenseful and thrilling..with just enough romance to remind me how great young love can be.
I really look forward to the next adventure of Fates... Shea, Merritt and McKenna (my personal favorite) have great energy and their characters have just the right balance of teenage and ancient wisdom.
Check this book out .. you won't be disappointed!
I really look forward to the next adventure of Fates... Shea, Merritt and McKenna (my personal favorite) have great energy and their characters have just the right balance of teenage and ancient wisdom.
Check this book out .. you won't be disappointed!
June 29, 2011
Lifethread is a really fun, fast-paced YA with some really cute characters and a unique plot. I have to say, I really enjoyed this one. The attitude of the main character is super cute and dialogue is really witty and funny. The book takes place in both our world and the demon world, which was an interesting part of the story. It's always fun to have characters go through a portal and visit a different world.
A well written, well-edited and professional Indie read. Highly recommended.
A well written, well-edited and professional Indie read. Highly recommended.
May 1, 2011
A fun, adventurous YA with demons and fates and three spunky heroines.
*Just a note: the author is my CP, which means I saw the story in its rough draft as well as through its evolution to a finished piece. And I enjoyed the read everytime.
*Just a note: the author is my CP, which means I saw the story in its rough draft as well as through its evolution to a finished piece. And I enjoyed the read everytime.
June 13, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. I thought the world building was great and completely got sucked into it. I also liked the heroines spunk. A really fun read.
December 29, 2011
McKenna Finn is a Moirai priestess connected to the Fate Atropos, as such she is charged with cutting the lifethread of demons and protecting teenagers from demon possession. Destined to relive her senior year in high school until she earns her humanity, McKenna has been on the job for over 50 years and is getting tired of being a teenager and ready to move on with her life. When she is given a new responsibility of severing the lifethread of humans, with the possibility of getting on the fast track of earning her humanity, she is thrilled. That is, right up until the moment she learns her first assignment is none other than the only guy she has had any interest in, hunky senior Nathan Quinn.
Soon McKenna learns Nathan is the primary target of demons and in an effort to protect him, she and her fellow priestesses must travel to Tartania, where Demons have taken Nathan. Can McKenna complete her first task toward gaining her humanity or will her feelings for Nathan get in the way? Why do the demons want Nathan so badly, will he turn away from McKenna when he learns who and what she is? What’s up with the other two priestess’s powers and how does one live at a teenager and kill demons at the same time? Sit back, settle in and enjoy the journey as you learn the answers to these questions and many more.
Written from McKenna’s point of view, we are drawn into the story from the very first paragraph and the action doesn’t slow down until the last page. Despite being one kick butt demon slayer, McKenna is just your typical senior in high school. She does have a few advantages over her fellow classmates, since she has been a senior for 50 years, studying isn’t really a priority for her. At the end of their senior year, she and her fellow priestesses are moved by the fates to a new town, given a home and a small subsistence and start all over again. They retain their memories, never age past their creation age and maintain the mentality of the age they started with. McKenna is a strange mix of adult and teenager, aware of her responsibilities she vacillates between being a kid and an adult. I loved her snarky sense of humor and the way she stood up for her friends. She is joined by fellow priestesses Shea and Merritt, both with powers of their own and funny, quirky little habits. Nathan is your typical teenage boy at first, cute and shy at times, strong and stable at others. He is confused by what is happening to him, but takes it into stride pretty well, it helps that he is as attracted to McKenna and she is to him. We also get to meet Arlie, a former priestess stuck in Tartainia.
I enjoyed this book, there was never a dull moment and I read it pretty fast. I did have some confusion about how McKenna and company could remember their previous senior years and still retain the same mentality. It just struck me that living that year over and over again would mature you, but it worked well enough.
Nathan’s acceptance of the situation seemed a little fast as well, call me silly but if I see someone killing a demon I might run away. There are some yucky moments, demon killing isn’t pretty after all and some PG rated boy/girl scenes but nothing that should make anyone uncomfortable. We get a short story at the end introducing us to Arlie and explaining a little more about her, which was fun. Obviously, there will be at least two more books, about Merritt and Shea, which hopefully will be just as fun as this one was. I recommend this book to young adults and not so young adults alike, who enjoy a little light romance, a little suspense and a good fashion show.
Reviewed as a Member of the Paranormal Romance Guilds Review Team
Soon McKenna learns Nathan is the primary target of demons and in an effort to protect him, she and her fellow priestesses must travel to Tartania, where Demons have taken Nathan. Can McKenna complete her first task toward gaining her humanity or will her feelings for Nathan get in the way? Why do the demons want Nathan so badly, will he turn away from McKenna when he learns who and what she is? What’s up with the other two priestess’s powers and how does one live at a teenager and kill demons at the same time? Sit back, settle in and enjoy the journey as you learn the answers to these questions and many more.
Written from McKenna’s point of view, we are drawn into the story from the very first paragraph and the action doesn’t slow down until the last page. Despite being one kick butt demon slayer, McKenna is just your typical senior in high school. She does have a few advantages over her fellow classmates, since she has been a senior for 50 years, studying isn’t really a priority for her. At the end of their senior year, she and her fellow priestesses are moved by the fates to a new town, given a home and a small subsistence and start all over again. They retain their memories, never age past their creation age and maintain the mentality of the age they started with. McKenna is a strange mix of adult and teenager, aware of her responsibilities she vacillates between being a kid and an adult. I loved her snarky sense of humor and the way she stood up for her friends. She is joined by fellow priestesses Shea and Merritt, both with powers of their own and funny, quirky little habits. Nathan is your typical teenage boy at first, cute and shy at times, strong and stable at others. He is confused by what is happening to him, but takes it into stride pretty well, it helps that he is as attracted to McKenna and she is to him. We also get to meet Arlie, a former priestess stuck in Tartainia.
I enjoyed this book, there was never a dull moment and I read it pretty fast. I did have some confusion about how McKenna and company could remember their previous senior years and still retain the same mentality. It just struck me that living that year over and over again would mature you, but it worked well enough.
Nathan’s acceptance of the situation seemed a little fast as well, call me silly but if I see someone killing a demon I might run away. There are some yucky moments, demon killing isn’t pretty after all and some PG rated boy/girl scenes but nothing that should make anyone uncomfortable. We get a short story at the end introducing us to Arlie and explaining a little more about her, which was fun. Obviously, there will be at least two more books, about Merritt and Shea, which hopefully will be just as fun as this one was. I recommend this book to young adults and not so young adults alike, who enjoy a little light romance, a little suspense and a good fashion show.
Reviewed as a Member of the Paranormal Romance Guilds Review Team
August 7, 2011
This was a Goodreads win. Thank you. Not a book I would normally read, if I had not won it. None the less it was well written, and I actually liked the characters. This book would appeal to Buffy fans and also folks who follow the T.V. show Angel. Good verses Evil, or is it? Demons, underworld, and teenagers in love all mixed into story.
June 1, 2011
I was excited to read this book, the story line is so different then most books, so I couldn’t wait to get into it. Unfortunately, the book only had a few good moments and I kept finding myself losing interest in it as the story went along. I’m sad to say my high hopes for this book were not met.
September 24, 2014
I enjoyed the quick thinking and active participation of the characters. The magical realism world building, portal travel details and romantic elements captivated me page after page. I couldn't stop reading.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews