Valor

Greystone #1

by Taylor Longford

Think you know about gargoyles? The beautiful winged race disappeared eight hundred years ago. Their greatest enemies were the brutal harpies that people today mistake for gargoyles.

Like all gargoyles, Valor is protective by nature. When he wakes to find a human girl in trouble, his first impulse is to help her. But the greatest risk to MacKenzie’s safety is himself. One scratch from the poisonous barbs on his knuckes and she’ll be lost to him forever.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

219 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 12, 2011

About the author

1. The books in the Greystone Series are teenage romances written for younger readers.

2. You can read snippets from the Greystone Series in the section below titled "Taylor's Writing".

3. I'm an indie author; I work overtime at a demanding day job and write on weekends. My small clan of supportive readers has been the driving force that has kept me working on the series for the last three and a half years. My heartfelt thanks go out to every single one of them!

Reviews

[Melissa Pearl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I really did. Taylor Longford's unique idea of gargoyles being these stunning statues that could transform into humans hooked me straight away. The concept is original and so entertaining. I fell for each gargoyle as I was introduced to them. They are a fantastic family of guys and I hope Longford writes a book about each and everyone of them.

The main character, MacKenzie, was great. She had flair and style, yet was really compassionate and sweet as well. I really enjoyed her relationship with Valor. Although a little insta-love, I still found myself rooting for them right from the start.

The history of the gargoyles was really creative and I liked the idea of the harpies and the gargoyles battling it out. I can see real potential as the series progresses.

As I said above, the biggest draw card for me was the endearing nature of the gargoyles. Although tough, strong and basically indestructible, they are really sweet guys and super protective. You've just gotta love that!

I have already bought a copy of Dare and look forward to reading more books about these amazing creatures.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced, romantic read with some very loveable characters.

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good freaking golly gosh! Please someone tell me the sequel to this book is coming out tomorrow!
This might be the best book I have read lately, which is saying something because I've read some pretty good books lately!
It was so cool. Honestly the whole gargoyle thing sounded a little strange but very fascinating too! I was really interested to see how the author would do it and jeez louise I was totally blown away!
It was epic, fantastic, spectacular! I don't even. Know how to adequately describe it to you! You have to go buy it and experience t for yourself!!!
A favorite aspect of mine was that the book is clean! Aside from some minor swearing the author is really super tasteful (read awesome) and has created a real winner with this book!
Mackenzie was an awesome heroine! Really truly awesome! I knew I loved her right in the beginning when she's suddenly surrounded by all these hot gargoyles and totally appreciates it without turning into a sap. Seriously, she thinks they're attractive and still retains her wits about her! Plus she just has a good head on her shoulders. She's funny, and loyal, and caring, and sweet, and really just an awesome all around heroine.
As far as the guys go...oh my gosh! They were so fantastic! This review is proof because it's one of those really gushy reviews where I just read the last page and am all psyched and hyper from the awesomeness!
This book is amazing, from the characters, to the plot, to the execution, action, idea, dialogue, and well...pretty much everything! I'm in love with this book and absolutely CANNOT wait to read the next book in this amazing series and anything else this author writes!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, the test of a really good book is this: when I'm not reading it, do I wish I was reading it? As far as Valor goes, the answer was a definite YES. I read this book in two days, and when I wasn't reading it the characters kept popping into my mind. I will admit, when I saw that this book was about gargoyles, I wasn't sure what to expect. I pictured the winged lions that you see on the sides of buildings. How on earth were they going to be part of a young adult paranormal romance? Boy was I wrong. These gargoyles are a pack of extremely good looking, romantic, and tough, young men. Mix Jacob's wolf pack with Edward's vampire family, throw in a pinch of boy band, and you have an idea of the gargoyles. LOVED IT. The storyline grabbed me right from the beginning and not once did it drag or feel forced. Longford writes with a great sense of humor and a talent that can easily match that of Amanda Hocking or any other self-published sensation. I highly recommend this book and look forward to seeing more in this series.

[Daisy Delfin · Rating 4 out of 5]

108 Valor
Date: 11.06.2020 - 12.06.2020
Shelves:
Pages: 210
My rating: 4
Read other books by this author in the future: yes
MC: Mackenzy, Valor


I like this book. It is a clean young adult book. Mackenzy’s stepdad ships gargoyles illegally to Colorado. And by chance Mackenzy discovers that the gargoyles can shift between a stone form and a living form. So she helps them and falls in love with one of them.

It was a nice and amusing read and I enjoyed it, especially in such depressing corona times.
And I read somewhere that Taylor wasn't going to write other books after she finished the Graystone series and I can only say, that she really should write some more!

[Radiant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok who would think Gargoyles are hot,handsome protecters?
I loved the total new concept of gargoyles and their enemies - harpies..
And Valor and mac..i loved them!
Mac is sure a sweetheart to accept a pack of gargoyles and falling in love with one of them..i enjoyed Valor's story!
Looking forward for Dare's...will there be a book for each brother/cousin?I would like that :)
Sri.

[Allyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most amazing, romantic, action-packed book ever! I gobbled it up! I can't wait for more! One of my new favs! ;)

[Penumbra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given this book through the Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Fanatics R2R group for an honest review, thank you.



Valor wasn’t a very long book, but it felt long. I think that’s because the action was slow to begin with and didn’t really start until a third of the way through the story. Plus the style in which the story was told made it seem longer, which I’ll explain in the next paragraph.

The one thing I dislike about stories in first person is that more often than not, the MC comes across as flat with no personality and ‘tells’ the story instead of describing the scenes with emotion and sensation. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened in Valor. I never feel drawn to MacKenzie because it’s like I’m reading a technical paper when she describes everything, including describing any action taking place. It’s always ‘I did this, and then this happened.’ I’m going to give a paragraph example from the book of what I mean when I say the author conveys no ‘feelings’ during what are important scenes. This isn’t really a spoiler since it’s very short, but it’s necessary to tell you what I mean. This action happens to MacKenzie and she describes it to the readers as a heavy tool chest falls on her:

Unfortunately, as I reached for the heavy bar of metal, the tool chest tilted toward me. Too late, I realized I shouldn’t have pulled out all the drawers; the chest had overbalanced. I tried to back peddle out of harm’s way but wasn’t fast enough. The chest crashed down on me, taking me to the floor. My head hit the concrete so hard I’m surprised I didn’t crack my skull.

That example is what I mean by ‘telling, flat, and bland.’ The author’s writing style doesn’t draw me in. I don’t feel MacKenzie’s surprise or pain. Instead I would like to read something like this: “Scrambling backwards, I tried to get out of the way, but the chest crashed down on me and I yelped as I was thrown to the floor. My head snapped back, cracking against the concrete and sending shooting pains ricocheting through my skull. I lay there taking slow deep breaths and blinked several times to clear the stars swimming before my eyes.”

I realize many people don't care if a story is written in a telling, monotone manner. But bland, flat writing is a big peeve of mine. If it happens once and awhile in a story, it's not so bad, but throughout the whole book, and I mean the whole book, not just sometimes, it's really unacceptable, I don't care how good the plot idea is. Show; don't tell us readers the story.

Continuing on with the lack of descriptors, there's no `emotion' whenever the author has MacKenzie go into internal dialogue,and boy is there an overwhelmingly large amount of internal chatter going on with MacKenzie. It felt like a teenager talking or texting non-stop. It's not just because MacKenzie is emotionally 'detached,' which is OK for a character, it's the way the author does not convey feelings or sensations through MacKenzie's thoughts and speech. The author again tells instead of shows us MacKenzie, that is not a 'detached' character, that is poor writing. The dialogue scenes are few and the action scenes aren't described in a way that makes me feel a part of them.

I can’t really tell you much about MacKenzie other than she’s got red hair, the gargoyles consider her a witch, and that she does the usual teenage girl angst over Valor. ‘Does he like me? Or doesn’t he?’ MacKenzie’s angst moments came across as artificial; it was as if I could see the author thinking where more drama could be inserted into the plot. The whole situation between MacKenzie and Valor was a typical romance formula.

The gargoyles on the other hand were a great idea. I loved their background history and the harpies, also the names of all the gargoyles. It was fun to read about the pack’s reactions and adaptation to their new world.

The author had a bad habit of jumping days and time in the story without notice so it sometimes took a while to figure out where the story is in the timeline. The story could jump forward or back without any warning ignoring the use of any chapter or paragraph separators to help the reader figure out where we are in time. At one point the story switched forward in time, then backward, then back to the present and then into the future all within four paragraphs. It was very confusing.

The formatting had some problems. Dialogue between two different people often ran together in one paragraph, making it difficult to tell who was talking. Pages where not completely filled with text, sometimes only filled with a couple short paragraphs leaving the rest of the page empty, but continuing on the following page.

The author had a good idea when creating Valor, with the history of the gargoyles and the names. I think this story would have been much more interesting if the author had concentrated on developing the plot about the gargoyles, the harpies and possibly the nefarious activities of her step-father. Instead the author focused on the teenage angst of MacKenzie and this story turned into a simplistic teenage romance when it could have been so much more. If you’re interested in teenage romance stories and don’t care how simple the writing is, than you’ll probably like Valor. The story unfortunately, doesn’t have much action and the writing style is too flat and dull. This was the most disappointing, and glaring flaw with this story, the telling rather than the showing.

The flaws outweigh the good idea the author had about gargoyles and harpies. I can only give Valor 2 stars

[Karen Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read with gargoyles as the main characters. But, I wasn't hesitant. I thought it sounded like a great idea. And it was.

Valor follows a tried-and-true formula of attraction, danger, and mystery. But don't let tried-and-true make you think it's typical. It's not. You'll meet some amazing characters, human and otherwise, and a pretty awesome dog - I love books with canine influences. The gargoyles are vividly brought to life in the descriptions and dialogue as the story reveals some (but not all) of their past, and some (but not all) of their current story. Oh, how my appetite for gargoyles has been piqued.

This edition (it's titled "book one") is heavy on the introduction to the characters and light on those catastrophic happenstances that make books sometimes so involved you have a hard time getting to know and care about the people in them. Action driven it isn't, but character driven it is. And in such a good way. I'm way past sixteen, but could totally see myself in MacKenzie's shoes. Not just see, but wish. And the boys (gargoyles) are each unique and intriguing making you wish you could talk with them for hours over lattes. I want to meet them all and have them stay at my house.

I so very thoroughly enjoyed this book. Do yourself (and your teenage daughter) a favor, and grab this one right away.

[DeeDee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a nice surprise! YA Paranormal Romance - a teenage girl with absent parents meets a group of beautiful gargoyles who’ve just woken up after 800 years in stone form and falls in love. The gargoyles have sexy names like Valor, Dare, Havoc, Defiance, etc. They’re all beautiful and there are no gargoyle women, just men. How convenient is that? They say funny things like “Jolly awesome.” You can’t help but love them! The villains are the harpies who want to kidnap them and steal their venom. This is YA so the romance is PG. I was drawn in from the beginning and read through it in 2 days. I almost didn’t read this because the cover looks like it was taken from a 1970’s Summer’s Eve ad, but I’m really glad I did and will be starting the next book in the series ASAP. The second book is called Dare, so I’m guessing/hoping there will be a book for each gargoyle. Let’s get some better covers though - maybe pics of hot guys with wings - that will sell books, not the six million dollar man and a girl who may not feel fresh!

[Kelly Oram · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was kind of fun. I had to get over the fact that they were Gargoyles. But eventually I did and enjoyed the read. I'll keep an eye out for the sequels. I was a little disappointed though that it was told from the girl's perspective. From the books summary (told from the guy) and the Prologue (also told from the guy) I thought that's what I was getting. But I quickly got over that too.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who ever thought that gargoyles could come to life except for the disney movie? Who would have ever thought that a lovestory between a gargoyle and a human could be interesting? Well I think that Taylor Longford was the only person that I think would actually think of that. Because it is so different, it's interesting. I would recommend that you read this.

[Jess O. (From Jess to You) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my review and two teasers here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2012/05/idolizing-in-greystone-series-book-1.html

[Kaye620 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of YA paranormal but this one caught my eye because the subject matter was so different. I'm so glad I gave it a try.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

So um yes do read this. I was super excited when i found this little treasure why you ask? well first and foremost its free! and honestly i would have paid for this! paid and kept it! i loved loved loved it! okay so it was super amazing and now that i had my few moments of gushing let me tell you why it is such a good reason to grab this up and read it right away! and then tell all your friends about it!

The plot! OMGOSH THE PLOT! it was new - at least for me, the only other gargoyles book that i have come across was Redemption (Hearts of Stone Series) and i have yet to read that. But let me tell you, i think that i am very pleased that i read this one first. I love LOVE Gargoyles why you may ask? yes it is because of the 90s cartoon and i have been waiting for the perfect gargoyle novel to float my way since i found Redemption and i think this was the clear winner! Okay so going back to the plot it was original and new and refreshing! i enjoyed it a ton, there were interesting twist and though some things i saw coming i was still interested in reading it and loved it all the way through.

The characters!

So there were quite a few so i think the two main kids i will give super long ones and shorter ones the others.

So Mackenzie is our leading lady and she is interesting. I like her so much because she feels real to me she isn't completely one sided either. A lot of times either it seems we get one extreme or another, a heroine who is totally kickass and won't let anything touch them or the other extreme they are timid and need to be babied... welll Mac is thrown a whole lot and she takes it well, she rolls with the punches and you know what the girl can cry like most people do, so thank you very much for making the character more human Taylor Longford. and i am being completely serious. i liked Mac and i think that this book had a nice lighthearted edge to it that a lot of times we don't see in books, it is nice to read books like that.

Valor is our main man, and yes love interest! He is omgosh hot, and totally sweet. He seems to step into position of leader when he isn't but his personality was very commanding. He is protective and who doesn't love a protective man? he is a little hot and cold at the beginning but its not hard to tell how he feels, and though he seems stoic at some points but he again just wants to protect his pack and his Mac.

Dare who is brothers with Valor, Dare is different....I don't want to give away any spoilers so i will only talk personalities. He is quiet and reversed but he cares about his family and his pack and you can tell that he does. He and Mac become good friends and honestly i think they are the closest - friendship wise - and i am very eager to read the next one because i believe its about Dare! YAYNESS!

Reason is blonde, sarcastic, a bit of an ass but thats okay we all need one of those kiddie cats but i do really like him. he does have a change of heart and he is actually a bit of a surprise himself and thats all i can say about Reason who is a cousin of Valor's.

Havoc is the other and last brother of Dare and Valor's. He is a dread-head hottie who loves to cook and has a great personality he got a bit pushed into the background half way through the book but i am not really upset about this because there were quite a few characters and he did have a shining different personality

Victor who is the actual leader of the pack because he is the oldest. He is suppose to be the hottest and at first i can see that he is a bit of a flirt but when learning he was leader his character shifted drastically he suddenly became a bit more wise and serious

Defiance was the last gargoyle that we met in this book um the only label i can give him is bad boy? again he was pushed into the background and hopefully we will get more of him in the next book or two.

So the end of the book cliffhanger? not really but there are unanswered questions that i am dying to know the answer too and i really REALLY liked this book so i cannot wait to get started on the next ones. so my last and final advice go read it! Read it Read it Read it!

So now here comes the part that beg and plead for you to go check out my blog because i just started it a month or so again and oh how i wish people took in account my thoughts! oh the woes of me! anyways so here the linky link check me and my friend out we might point you into your next read or find you the next fictional boy of your dreams: http://theviolethourbookreviews.wordp...

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when a book can rock my world, and this one really did.

MacKenzie is just your average 16 year old girl, or at least that is what she thought. Her world gets turned on its head the day her step-father ships a mysterious crate to the house and she is there to sign for it. Curiosity getting the better of her she opens it up and finds a beautiful sculpture inside, but the sculpture is so much more then she could even imagine.

I was pretty excited about reading this book. I mean gargoyles, come on I have never read anything like it. I went in with high hopes and the book was better then what I thought it would be. I loved the way the gargoyles were explained. It make sense to me, and was something I wouldn't have expected.

I liked how each gargoyle had a different personality, and how they all looked out for each other. With so many character I thought it was going to get confusing trying to keep who was who straight, but it was surprisingly easy to keep track of everyone. The only problem I had was with Victor and Valor. I kept mixing up their names, probably only because they both start with a V, I tend to do that sometimes, but I eventually got it worked out with myself. I also liked how MacKenzie's red hair made her more special then she could have even thought she was, and how she handled this little surprise. Though it really shouldn't have been such a leap after believing in gargoyles and harpies.

Though nothing really exciting happened until the end of the book it was still a good read. Learning about the gargoyles and getting the feel for each different one interesting enough in its own. I liked how the story wasn't bogged down by the time MacKenzie spent in school, especially because the gargoyles didn't have anything to do with it. I liked MacKenzies personality a lot, she knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to go after it. She wasn't a damsel in distress, and stood up for herself.

I can say the only thing I didn't like was how fast the relationship developed. It is something that always kinda bothers me when I read YA books, but I've come to expect it so it didn't distract from the story to much for me. I had a minor freak out when I thought there was going to be a love triangle, there is nothing more I hate then a love triangle and it would have really killed the story for me. So thank goodness it never happened, and MacKenzie stuck to her guns.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I've already check to see if the next book was released and I'm going to get it as soon as I'm done with this review.

http://zephyrbookreviews.blogspot.com/

[Veronica Morfi · Rating 4 out of 5]

MacKenzie, a 16-year-old girl, is about to discover that Gargoyles are real and are nothing like the uglie stone creatures we thought. After a shipment from her step-father arrives at her garage, MacKezie opens the big crate with no idea that this action will change her life forever. Inside the crate is the most beutiful winged stone sculpture she's ever seen and soon afterwards the sculpture comes to life only to save hers.

Valor is a gargoyle. He has spent the last 800 years of his life waiting for a ray of light to bring him back to his flesh and bone form. When he saves MacKenzie he becomes attached to the little red-headed girl all the while his brothers showing up at her garage too. All of them together will discover how the world has changed in the last 8 centuries and all the old enemies, the reason they lost so many years, that had remained unchanged.

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book. I mean Gargoyles? Who would want to read about them? But after reading the first couple of chapters I started falling in love with each and every gargoyle. I got sucked into the story and wished I could have been the one to find the six gargoyles at my front door.

As I said before I loved the gargoyles, Valor, Dare, Havoc, Reason, Victor, Defiance. Great names! Each of them has one main characteristic and his whole attitude will resolve around it. That made them very unique in my mind and whenever they were together it felt like the were one perfect complete person. The one character that I didn't loved that much was MacKenzie. Yes we get to see the story from her POV but it felt like we got to know more about the gargoyles seeing them through her eyes than we learned about her. She felt a little simple to me. That is the only word that can describe her in my mind. She was good-natured and caring but still she missed something.

The story was mostly about Valor and MacKenzie, since this is the story of Valor, and even though I really enjoyed their alone time, I loved all the moments when other gargoyles were around. It was really fun to see how they acted with each other. I especially enjoyed reading about Havoc, who is my fav gargoyle so far, you can see by the name that his scenes were pretty fun. There was a little bit of action at the end which was good placed in my mind. Meaning that, since this is the first book in a series I prefer to learn a few things about the main cahracters, get the settings all in my mind and then have all the action. I believe that there will be more fights in the next few books.

[Melinda Howard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in this book. The characters had little depth and their personalities weren't explored well. Many times I had to put the book down to take a break it was that bad.




On top of this there was insta-love. Ugh. And that wasn't even the worst of it. Oh no. Valor and Mackenzie commit to each other FOREVER after only knowing each other for a few weeks. Does that strike anyone else as strange!




The Gargoyles and harpies were briefly explored but more could have been told to help the story flow. The romance was short and instantaneous as well as disappointing. The ending was short and abrupt compared to the rest of the book.

Overall a disappointing book that I had high hopes for but which were quickly dashed.



BUT..............

[♥ Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0-4.3 STARS

**Free on amazon!http://www.amazon.com/Valor-Greystone...

This was my first gargoyle book, but it won’t be my last. I was extremely pleased to realize that gargoyles aren’t as ugly as I’d imagined. Those hideous creatures are actually called, Harpies.

First, I liked that the whole book wasn’t too focused on world-building. But when it did, it was very subtle, effective, and natural. The whole ‘gargoyle’ thing wasn’t shoved down my throat, but at the same time, all my questions were answered. The whole thing was very well-written.

Second, obviously I liked the romance between Valor & Mackenzie. Even though, it was kind of predictable, and it almost seemed like any other pnr (just switch the were/vamp/fae with a gargoyle). Still, the little details (the poison, runes, witches, etc.) gave it a unique twist – which I appreciated & enjoyed.

Basically, these ‘pack’ of gargoyles were trapped in their stone state for over 800 years, while on the run from Harpies. So Mackenzie freaks when the huge shipment that arrives at her home in Colorado, comes alive, and to her rescue. But it’s even more shocking when he tells her that she’s the one who woke him up!

All in all, I enjoyed the family dynamic of the gargoyles, and the whole culture/time shock cracked me up. I still can’t believe I got this for free, because the quality was just so great. I’m going to buy all the other ones in the series; can’t wait for Dare’s story! But I think no matter what, Valor will be my favorite. He has a special place in my heart for being the first one.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my friends read this and loved it, which naturally got me all excited to read it (especially when it became free on amazon) and...it didn't let me down!!! I really liked it!!!

Never in a million years did I think I would ever read a gargoyle book. But you know what they say about never. I'm so glad Evie recommended this book to me! I would have been missing out on a lot.

The plot was very interesting. It kept me reading late into the night wanting to see how everything was going to work out. And I'm still waiting. How can you end a book like that?! I kept trying to make my kindle show me more pages even though it said I was 100% done. Needless to say it leaves you wanting the next book!

I loved the characters! Mim was the best friend that I would always want to have. Valor was so sweet and amazing to MacKenzie. I find myself being very jealous of her being surrounded by so many incredible men. But I was especially drawn to Dare! I cannot wait to read his story it just makes me squeal just thinking about reading it!!!!

The only thing that really bothered me was I thought the romance between MacKenzie and Valor's raltionship moved a little too quickly to be completely believable. But I don't think I'll run into that problem with Dare's story (fingers crossed). I'm so excited to see all the characters again. And especially excited to see what happens with Dare and Mim!!!!!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you e-mail the author, Taylor Longford, and ask for this book she will gift it to you through your Amazon Kindle e-mail. Her e-mail is taylor@taylorlongford.com. I just got mine!! Hurry, though, she is only gifting away ten, but I just got one so now there is less than that! This book is about gargoyles and looks like it takes an unique spin on them. For more detail about them just read the clip by the book! lol. If you miss getting the gift, Amazon is selling if for 99 cents. :)

I just wanted to add a REAL review about how the book was. I've been so busy and have not been able to write what I thought about Valor. So here it goes lol! I really loved this story. It was so unique and different that it was a really refreshing read. I loved the love story and I read it in one sitting. :) I also really liked the many different personalities that the brothers had. They really made the story fun! The only thing I wish is that the story was longer because it felt like most of the story was to tell the history of the gargoyles and the brothers past. However, I did think that it was neccessary to have all that information. I know that there will be other stories about the other brothers and hopefully there will a little less backstory and maybe more time spent on the romance and action of the story. I can't wait until the next one!! :D (4.5 stars)

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very quick and easy to get into read. I liked MacKenzie and Valor, and found their relationship both age-appropriate and yet mature. The different personalities of the gargoyles add interest and fun to the proceedings, as does their eagerness to experience modern culture. There are hints of future relationships between the supporting characters, which should be interesting as there will have to be some serious reveals as some point. And the book ends with some major mysteries that clearly will play out in future books. I believe the second book in the series has already been published, and it deals with Dare finding his place, for which I'm glad. I liked the scenes with him. Of course, Valor is quite a sweetheart, just a little slow to accept what must be done.

I would have liked this book more if serious consequences weren't glossed over. For instance, the initial plan for a disappearance and what that would mean for MacKenzie. She would have been left making explanations that would have put her in a really bad spot. Plus, I don't think it is quite that easy to learn to drive. Overall, I am tempted to pick up the next book about Dare right away, just to see what happens next.

I received a free electronic copy of this book for read-2-review.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough!

Longford's interpretation of gargoyles and harpies was a new and interesting one. I didn't really know what to expect when I started it, and was surprised at how much of this particular gargoyle mythology we got, especially considering how short it was. Gargoyles in packs, being able to turn human when the sun hits them, being basically indestructible when in stone form, those are fairly expected, I think. But we also got quite a bit of info on how the pack actually works, who leads, how they make decisions, etc. It was anthropologically interesting.

MacKenzie was an interesting heroine. She is very matter-of-fact (to the point where she seems emotionally detached at times) and obviously tries to be a good person. Her relationship with Valor seemed very realistic (except becoming bonded so quickly - that was a little surprising).

There were a few times where the author falls into telling instead of showing, which was a little annoying as a reader, but for the most part, it didn't really bother me. I definitely want to read the next one. And hopefully, the series will extend to each of the gargoyles in the pack.

[Suzelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, so my daughter read this book and said," i have a book for you to read,mom." I'm so glad she did!
What a cool and original idea! I loved this book. It is a great mixture of wit,romance, and a really good plot. It's not your run-of-the-mill, girl swoons for guy, can think of nothing but the guy, and causes all sorts of life altering mishaps for everyone along the way. The author created such good strong characters that I can't wait to see how each of them turns out. There were a couple of minor swear words but as a whole, I really appreciate it being very clean since my teenage daughters are reading it as well.
Read this book! You won't be disappointed!
Thanks, Taylor, for taking the time to entertain us with your great imagination!

[Nasne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read this book, so this review will not be the biggest or most accurate review you'll ever read. Anyway, I loved this book. Was it completely ridiculous? Yes! Was te romance crazy fast and a little weird? (By weird I mean really weird. I mean, if I guy told me that he was leaking blue poison from his fingers because he likes you so much, I would probably back away slowly, not breaking eyecontact and when reaching the door, run as fast and far away as I can. Oh that pesky selfpreservation.) Did they fall in love ridiculously fast? Of course they did, its a 280 page teen romance, what do you expect? But did I love it! Oh I did.

[Jyoti Arora · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a sweet and happy book, a very simple love story, simply told. Much like the stories mothers tell their kids to make them go to sleep smiling and have happy dreams. As for characters, I quite fell in love with them and actually found myself missing them when the book was over.

If you are looking for rib-tickling humour, or college fun and romance typical of YA fiction, then this book is probably not for you. But if you are in mood of something sweet, highly romantic and dreamy, do give it a try.

[Jeeviebaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very original story. I loved the names of the characters as well as their descriptions. I like the fact that I didn't want to beat the heroine for being weak and stupid. It's very sweet and romantic without the usual "omg we can't have sex because of __insert obstacle__". There was a little of that, but it doesn't dominate the whole book. I also liked the whole take on the witches. I can't wait to read more from this author!

[Crissy Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The general problem I have with YA lit is the overly easy acceptance of supernatural creatures and the insta-love storylines, which is why I can't give this book 5 stars. That being said, all the books in this series sucked me in and I couldn't wait to find time to read more. Also, I really like how each book focuses on a different gargoyle, so while there are continuing plots, there is also a different perspective and a separate story in each book.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this novel! I came by this story by chance, through a friendship here on Goodreads, and it could not have ended up better!

This story is so refreshing in the vampire/werewolf/witch flooded market that is Young Adult literature. Valor takes an image that has been overseen (gargoyles) and expands it so far as to create an entire world that invites you in.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughly enjoyed this take on gargoyles. Characters were well built, the love scenario didn't span the entire length of the book. The ending was rather abrupt, I think a little more could of went into it but I will continue to read more in this series should there be more.

[Abeer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sooo damn good :) ♥

4.5 stars