Altered

Setenid Blight #1

by Adley Maddox

Deep in the Sierra Nevada mountains there lies a cave that has been the source of local legends for centuries. Purported to be the home of an ancient deranged and vicious animal, many have gone in seek of it, but what lies within is far more dangerous than a mere creature.17 year-old Piper “Evie” Kenley’s life has been anything but calm, however, the turmoil of losing almost her entire family is nothing compared to the difficulties she is about to face.Robbed of all other alternatives, she moves in with her boyfriend of seven years and his family only to find that she has an intensely electric connection with the handsome and popular Devlin Vaughn- Captain of the football team. Try as she might, she cannot avoid this connection they share leaving her with a choice to make. But just as she begins to feel her life is in order, one camping trip and a testosterone-driven dare involving a cave with a deadly and contagious secret will send her entire world into complete chaos.

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Science Fiction, Ebooks

297 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2011

About the author

Adley Maddox has lived all over the United States with her husband and two daughters. She loves spending time with her family, snuggling her little pups, and consuming books voraciously. When she isn’t working and trying to give her girls all the time and attention they demand, she continues to write her character’s stories in the hopes of sharing them with her readers.

Reviews

[Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Move aside all book boys I have deemed swoon-worthy in the past! Dev may seriously be the most swoon-worthy boy I have ever read of before (save for Jace Lightwood, but he is another story as he is in a category all of his own). I think that Dev possess all of the best characteristics of all of my favourite book boys- Jay Heaton's super caring nature (from Kimberly Derting's "The Body Finder" series), Marc Ramos' over-protectiveness (from Rachel Vincent's "Shifters" series), and Jace Lightwood's arrogance/ cockiness (from Cassie Clare's "Mortal Instruments" series).

Aside from Dev, the other characters were all really great and loveable too! Even the parents! I feel that a lot of the time in YA the parents of the kids never really get mentioned (they just kinda randomly show up and say something like, "Oooohhhh, your boyfriend is a vampire? That's cool!", never to be seen again). Gabriel and Evelyn? Yeah, Sonya and Evie were extremely lucky to have them. My only complaint about the characters was Harm (Evie's older brother), she mentioned him so many times throughout the book and while I got a sense of who he was, I just would have liked to have actually seen him in the flesh (well as 'in the flesh' as you can get while reading a book), rather than just hearing about him.

I think that if Kimerbly Derting's aforementioned "The Body Finder" series and the recent film "The Crazies" were to have a baby (and maybe throw in a bit of Julia Karr's "XVI" or Lauren Oliver's "Delirium"), this book would be the result. On the one hand there is such a cute and totally SQUEE worthy romance aspect to it, but on the other hand there is an apocalyptic/ 'end of the world because the zombies are going to eat your brain' feel to it. That being said however, sometimes I felt that there was a disconnect between the two genres- it was so easy to get swept up in the romance, forgetting all about the sci-fi element and when the sci-fi element was once again introduced you couldn't help but be kinda grumpy because at that point you didn't care about it, all you cared about was seeing Evie and Dev's relationship continue to grow and develop.

All in all, I think that Beth Revis' description of her book "Across the Universe", "A sci fi for teens who don't like sci fi", fits this book perfectly! There is a nice medium between the genres, keeping the romance junkies like myself happy, and the hardcore sci-fi readers entertained as well! I cannot wait to see what Kimberly has in store for us in the next installment of her series, the "Setenid Blight" series!

[Ahana M Rao (Heart’s Content) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*bangs head on the table*
Why *bang* do I *bang* do this *bang* to myself *bang*.
Tortuuuureeee!
Amazing, heart-wrenching, gut-clenching, eyes-tearing, nose-sniffling story.
God. Sometimes I wonder WHY I do this to myself?!
Then, I realize, because I want to know about true love as it goes against suffering and pain, and yet how the love continues against all odds.
Happy endings.
Fairy-tale love.
Sibling-love.
Sacrifice made for loved ones.
Loss of life of ones you trust with all your heart.
*bangs head*
That was an AMAZING book!
HIGHLY recommend it.
Kick-ass heroine (who's NOT confused about who she's in love with and who she just loves).
Sexy hero (who loves those around him more than he loves himself, unlike many).
Amazing supportive friends-Sonya and Gary (with their own little love story).
Unpredictable Ex-boyfriend-Jay (I feel bad for him).
And other supportive characters-Sonya's parents, Jay's parents.
AMAZING big brother-Harm (who'd harm ANYONE who came anywhere near hurting distance of Piper 'Evie')
And Evie's cute and loyal German Shepherd!
Five stars!
And the cover!
*looks to cover designer* I get it! I SOOO get it! Great idea!

[Beckie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rated this book 3.5 - Review can also be found here: http://syco4twilight.blogspot.com/

I am very impressed by Kimberly Montague's first book in the Setenid Blight series, Altered. The plot of the book is a very fun read full of Romance, suspense, and difficult choices. A classic love story with a twist. Altered starts out with the reader's learning about a few of the main characters, Evie, her brother Harm and Evie's boyfriend of seven years, Jay. Evie and her brother Harm recently lost there Mother and Father and are dealing with being alone and having to take care of each other. When Harm decides he wants to join the special forces, he leaves Evie in Jay hands where they end up going back to a town they once lived in before. Evie is to live with her boyfriend's family for the time being and start school once she is settled in. On the first day back to school with Jay by her side she ends up meeting a guy that she feels a intensely electric connection with, Delvin. He is handsome, popular and Evie feels drawn to Devlin even before she meets him. With more and more encounters with Devlin, Evie is starting to fall in love with him even know she knows in her heart she is with Jay... Evie finds herself falling more and more for Devlin and less attracted to Jay. When her decisions lead to more that what she bargained for, Evie and Devlin now have there love put to the test. Something weird is going around and people including Jay are not acting like themselves, but rather something very evil. Evie and Devlin along with there friends now will fight there way to find safety and stay together in a town that has gone mad, but why?

I loved the style of writing that Kimberly Montague uses. It was a beautifully written book with wonderful descriptions of the people and events that take place during the book. I really enjoyed the heartfelt romance in Altered. A True love story with a twist in the end. I kept wanting for everything to be okay in the end but was left with a cliff hanger. Altered will never leave the reader disappointed It is fast and fun read with plenty of mystery and romance. The only reason I ended up giving it 3.5 stars and not more is because I felt during the middle of the book was all about the romance between Evie and Devlin and I wanted more of the mystery of what was going on in the town. In the beginning of Alter you learn about these weird things happening but the book does not go into it until much later. Other than this I really enjoyed reading Altered and would recommend the book to anyone over the age of 15.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread for the fifteenth time.

This is one of my all time favourite series. And it’s not like ones of those books I like, then go to reread and everything is a bit bland. I love this book more and more every time I read it.
It starts as a friendly little YA romance. Piper’s parents died six months ago and her older brother has been raising her but he has to go back to the Special Forces because he’s used up all his leave, so Piper moves across the country to the town she grew up in to live with family friends and her long distance boyfriend.
Then we get a bit of a love triangle thing happening. Because is she in love with Jay, or does she just love him like a close friend? High school dating drama ensues.
Then bam! End of the world zombie apocalypse. Okay, no zombies, but it seriously just becomes this fully fledged survival story with mutants and infected and it is the freaking best thing ever. It’s right near the end too, so you always get sucked into book two. And every time I reread I notice more details that weren’t super obvious the first time around, and I can never remember exactly how far I have to be into this before it turns all thriller/survivalist story.
This is such an underrated series and I’m still as obsessed and in love with it as I was when I first read it a decade ago.

[Teigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Went from high school romance to intense thriller real quick. I enjoyed the style of writing-- the internal dialogue was eloquently done while still relatable-- but the romance climaxed too fast and took up a significant portion of the story.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't like how she handled the beginning, how she held on for so long because of fear. Other than that, a good story with interesting twists. I went into it not knowing what to expect and was surprised by the turn of events.

[Dayna McCall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely was not expecting that... maybe it’s because I’m extremely sick but I did not see that coming and I’m so happy I picked this book up! So worth it! It was epic!! Read it!

[Natalie Holm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its a, bit different from my normal reads but worth a good read diamond in the ruff

[Book Snobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your typical YA paranormal romance! The Setenid Blight books are a tale of almost too real apocalyptic proportions. I read the first book in the series, Altered many months ago. It stole my heart from the very beginning. Many months later, I was contacted with an e-mail letting my know that Divided, book 2 was (finally) available. I can honestly tell you that my fascination with YA paranormal romances got it's beginning right here! However, I no longer really see that this series truly fits into that category. You see, we're not talking about the over-done, but always fun vampires, witches, werewolves, etc.

The Setenid Blight Series covers a near adult girl who's going through hell. Literally. When her town suddenly becomes swept with a mysterious infection which turns its victims into murderous psychopaths, all hell breaks loose! Evie (Piper) first must deal with the loss of her parents, the separation from her big brother, Harm... falling for another while actively in a relationship with Jay, who has been - up to this point the love of her life. She finds her soulmate in Devlin, but all hope of happiness is ripped away when she is then forced not to only deal with all of this, but SURVIVE as well! This mysterious infection really hits home for her and she becomes a target early on. The infected lose all sense of humanity, develop the tell-tale unnatural green eyes, and serve one purpose and one purpose alone - to kill and destroy! I know, that sounds a little zombie-like but it's NOT! The infected victims are not brain-less killing machines. They are still the people they were. Just instead of protecting and nurturing those you love, you become hell bent on violently destroying them. It's a pretty scary concept if you think about it. Your brother, sister, friend, husband, parent, CHILD now lives only to kill you with their bare hands and their determination and inhuman strength means that there is next to nothing you can do to stop it.


What makes that even more scary? When the government gets involved! Take every movie you've ever watched about an epidemic illness that sweeps the country, killing hundreds of thousands... how does the gov't react? They down-play it first and foremost. Cover it up even. Then, they try to use it to their benefit. Finally, they cut their losses. Abandon it's citizens, its towns. Quarantine the innocent and healthy, leaving them no hope for survival.




This is what you get in The Setenid Blight Series. AND... MORE! You also get love, perseverance, hope, romance, drama and oh! so many chills. This story literally gives me chills as the insanely talented author, Kimberly Montague lays it all out in a way that you can REALLY picture it all happening to a town near you, to a friend, to YOU! I've recently finished book two and **lucky me** got an advance-reader copy of book three, Manipulated which is due out August 19! I am a crazy busy woman right now, but if even three minutes can be spared, my nose is in this series!

Please, I BEG you, do not hesitate to dive into this so-close-to-reality-it's-scary piece of 'fiction'. I'm going to take it as a personal insult from anybody who doesn't follow this awesome piece of advice!

Follow this amazing, talented author on all of her outlets, and look for her in the future. I really think this is a name you can expect to hear BIG things about in the future!


**If you've enjoyed my review and take on this ah-mazing story, look for more on my blog! www.book-snobs.blogspot.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in a while a book hits your radar out of the blue and it blows you away. This book did exactly that. From the first page I was enthralled. I even reached a point where I knew something bad was about to happen and I had to put the book down because I didn't want all the goodness that Evie was just beginning to experience to be taken away from her. That, my friends, is some good writing.

We start up with some slow, sweet interactions that let us meet Evie (or Piper, if you choose to call her that) and fall into her life. She was someone I could easily relate to. She's content with her life, she doesn't want to cause anyone any undue pain or hardship, she's just a sweet, unassuming girl. Yet, from the moment she meets Dev she's drawn to him. And might I just say that Dev is incredibly swoon worthy. He's gorgeous, sweet and he goes out of his way to seek Evie out. As their relationship begins to blossom, Evie has to make the decision to stick with the guy she's been with for years but who she feels little more than friendship for or follow her heart and go for the guy she can't get out of her head. *swoon* *sigh* *swoon*

Oh, and then there's this little, teeny, tiny side plot about a contagion that turns people it infects into bloodthirsty killers. I'm just kidding, guys. That part of the plot isn't tiny at all. In fact, it's pretty darn awesome in itself.

I make no bones about how much I love books. I also know that I love a lot of the books I read. This shouldn't be a secret to anyone since I tend to gush like a love-struck teenager whenever I find something that captures my attention. That said, this book really resonated with me. I thought it was very well-written and captivating. I adored the characters and the way they thought their way out of situations. Plus, for having little more than kissing it was surprisingly steamy. Considering the other types of books I read, that's saying a lot.

According to Kimberly Montague, book 2 is being written now. I seriously can't wait!

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Cecilia (rather barefoot than bookless) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing, I loved it from the first page. The author really knows how to write with passion.  The story is really intriguing and and just wonderful! I was completely captivated by this story!

The main part of this book is focused on the love story between Evie and Devlin. And wow it is a love story I will not soon forget. The way Montague describes their feelings for each other is wonderful! I could almost see the sparks between them fly of the pages of the book. It was loaded with emotion from almost the second they meet and until the book ended! It´s not that often you read a book where the author is so good at describing the connection and the feelings between two people. Montague is amazing at it!

But this is not only a love story it is also a story about a horrible virus that turns people crazy and will turn the world up side down. This book is so exiting you just have to keep reading because you want to know what will happen to these to amazing people!

Evie is such a wonderful person and I really liked her. She is down to earth and she has such a big heart. She wants everyone to be happy but she keeps to forget about her own happiness.
Devlin is... Well if you want to read about a swoon worthy guy you have to read this book! He is so good to Evie and is completely captivated by her from the moment they met. And he is dreamy!

I was so hooked by this story and it was so intriguing that I was unable to put it down! I laughed, I cried, I sighed and it was often so thrilling I was up reading most of the night.

You need to read this, you wont be sorry I promise!

[Tee Loves Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I'll ever be able to walk into a cave without having a panic attack after reading this book. The sickening, creepy, violent plot was so understated for most of this book, that when it finally comes full-throttle into the storyline it's a shock to your system! There was teen drama and love triangle heartache at every turn, but I was not prepared for the "I Am Legend"-style creatures that made my stomach turn over! Definitely a fascinating twist on the "zombie" apocalypse plot, and I was captivated by the terrifying world Montague created.

I think my only gripe with this story would be how naive Piper was. As a lead, she makes a pretty likable heroine and I definitely loved her with Dev. But she just seemed rather clueless about stuff that should have been obvious to her (i.e. when events exactly parallel a breakout in another area, but she doesn't put two and two together until the very last minute). Despite my irritation with Piper on occasion, I still really enjoyed the suspense-filled plot and the romance that was blossoming. I really hate love triangles, but the way it played out here left the reader little time to dwell on heartbreak before all hell broke loose. The horrific events that took place were crushing as it was, and that ending...ugh, just throws your heart over a cliff making you desperate for the sequel!! I'll definitely be picking up book two so I can put myself out of my misery!!

[Cogito_ergo_sum · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of the book, like the first 70 pages dragged. The whole time I kept waiting for the action to start. From the blurb we already know there's something up with the cave, and the cover on the book gives us a pretty big clue.

After the inciting incident that started the action with the MC, it took a while to wait for the MC to solve the 'what' mystery. That was a little annoying.

Other than that, the plot was okay. I really only liked the book when the actual action started. Then it became exciting.

I think that if the book was re-edited, removing the really slow paced scenes, and rewriting some things altogether, it might have improved the book. The beginning is missing some fast paced scenes full of action. It's not moving fast enough. For example, was it really necessary to have the MC move in with her boyfriend? She could have moved in with her best friend from the start and write out the reasons why her best friend couldn't have taken her in. This didn't really seem too relevant. It made the plot longer and not in a good way.

As for the writing, I liked the dialogue, but there could have been improvement in description and opening scenes for each chapter. Sometimes, there was too much exposition (especially in the first ~30 pages, and in some cases, regarding action, there was too much 'tell' instead of 'show'.

With more editing, this story could have been improved. I did like the story though. I will read book 2.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a peculiarly different read...the reason i say this is because a mixture of genres was used in the production of this book, namely sci-fi and romance, both of which are brilliant in their own rights but bizzare when combined.
In this case, the author complemented each genre brilliantly in this book however i found a certain welding of both aspects lacking. You'd concentrate either on the romance or the sci-fi at each given time and none particularly crossed at any point which made me feel as if i were reading two separate books at the same time.
The female lead, i felt was a strong character and the male 'Dev' was not my normal cup of tea (he's no Jace Wayland :D) yet he was nevertheless endearing in his own way.
The point is, if you've read books like 'Ashes' and found it lacking and watched series like 'The walking dead' and found it too gory, well this would be perfect for you, as a sort of inbetweener.

[Luna Chulhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book deserves more than three stars but I have strict standards on reviewing. the only reason why I did not give it 4 stars is cause I have to push my self to read through the first chapter, there was not much of a hook but I digress on to the book!!

So I really felt of Piper/Evie, being stuck between a rock and a hard place, living with her boyfriend and wanting another. It's a tough place to be and you have to be really brave to persue something like that when you have some much to loose.

Its really a good book and you will enjoy it especially the lingering questions

is this a genetically engineered weapon that got loose?
Will Devlin and Evie see eachother again?
What is Harms part in this?
when is the next book coming out .... its past late 2011

I am awaiting Divided

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only have one question....when is the next book coming out?

This book is probably one of the easiest and most unique books I have read lately. The relationships between Jay, Piper, and Devlin are well written and completely believable (although the relationship between Devlin and Piper at times seems to move really fast). I read this book in one sitting and when I got to the end was sad to have to leave this world for awhile. I cannot wait for the next book. The plot line has a slow start as the characters and relationships are built. However, when I say slow start, that isn't in a bad way. The author took time to develop the characters and really show you Piper and who she is and explain the relationships.

I am excited for the next one.

[Taylor Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love, LOVED this book!! When I finished it I was so sad because I wanted to read more! Dev is officially my favorite love interest! He's cocky, witty, and super sweet. He just seemed more real than most. I think too often authors make the male love interest too mellow, too perfect, and they forget the flaws that make them real people. And frankly that gets old. But Kimberly Montague made both love interests: Dev and Jay real and flawed, but still extremely lovable.

But beyond the romance, the story itself was unique and exciting. Finally a story without Vampires!! You should absolutely read it if you haven't and you won't be disappointed :)

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book I absolutely LOVED. At some points I forgot I was reading a paranormal thriller because I was so enthralled in the romance between Evie & Dev. Then at another point I forgot all about their romance because of the insane paranormal events going on in the book.

This has definitely moved up to one of my favorite books and I cannot wait until she releases the second book at the end of this year. When I closed this book I was literally sad to leave these characters and their world behind.

Might I also add that Devlyn has replaced any fictional crush I may have had prior to this point :)

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy! Devlin is the newest inducted in my YA Crush Club! There are books that draw you in and won't let you go, this is one of those books. I was hooked right from the beginning.

Evie has been through a lot already having just lost her parents, saying goodbye to her brother, moving in with her boyfriends family and back to the town of her childhood. But what she faces next will be more difficult and dangerous then even she could imagine.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I only bought this book the other day thinking it might be a mildly interesting novel and it was fairly cheap for a ebook. But, I have to day this book was wonderful. The story is completely gripping it had me laughing and crying. My only complaint is there are a lot of questions but hopefully they will be answered in the sequel. I recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy/paranormal books.

[Deanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, wow!!! This book was so amazing that I'm literally speechless. This is definitely my favorite book!!! I laughed, bawled my head off, and was swept off my feet. Know wonder Altered has such high ratings!!! Sooooo can't wait to read more. This is one of those books you could read over and over and never get tired of it!!! Happy reading everybody;)

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow and wow. I was asked to review this book by its author. I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. It was a wonderful mix of romance, mystery, and the paranormal. The second half of the book is so full of action I couldn't put it down and stayed up till 3 am last night to finish it. I highly reccomend this book and look forward to reading more from this author!

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must admit that while Dev is no Daemon Black (Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout) or Tristan (Anew by Chelsea Fine), he is definately an adorable, male lead. You will find yourself rooting for Dev and Evie throughout the entire story. I will definately be reading this one again....can't wait for the sequel "divided".

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking forward to reading the next book in the series, interested to see where it is going next. Kinda gave me the shivers reading this,because there is a new drug in our area, that makes people act like this LOL. Just came out in the news when I started reading it lol.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Think Altered Was The Perfect Combination Of Mystery, Love, And Suspense. I Absolutely Love This Book Along With The Other Two Currently Published. I Cannot WAIT To Read The Second One. :)

You're Such A great Author, I Hope My Books Turn Out As Good As Yours.

-Miranda Edwards<3

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stayed up till nearly 4am to finish this book! With my husband growling at me every so often to "put the damn kindle down!", I just couldn't do such a thing! Awesome read!! As some have asked, when is book 2 coming out??!

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

WoW I loved this book. Yes it starts of a bit slow, don't stop reading thinking oh no this is going to be another love triangle cause it's not. keep going and you'll get hooked like I did. Can't wait for book 2.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Totally thought I was in for another paranormal romance, but then wha-bam! Not so! Totally loved the twist in this story of who the real monsters were and can't wait for the next book. Something different.

[Revati Ragini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't wait to read the second part. It didn't live up to everything I'd hoped, but it was an extremely enjoyable read nonetheless.

[Tiffani · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5