Awakening

The Watchers #1

by Karice Bolton

Alone in snowy, remote Whistler village, Ana tries to build a new life since losing her parents. With a cozy condo, a sweet-faced bulldog and an evening job to leave the days free for the slopes, life slips into a great routine. If only she could shake the guilt for not remembering anything about her parents and banish the night terrors that haunt her every dream.
On a whim, Ana goes out with Athen, a guy she's just met in the Grizzly Pub... The only problem is that she feels like she already knows him.
Within 48 hours of meeting Athen and his family, Ana's world implodes. She falls for Athen quickly and before she knows it, a past life begins to resurface. As thrilling as the revelations appear at first, she fights against the chilling information that Athen is from the underworld. Soon she begins to struggle as her own supernatural gifts are slowly unveiled, and she realizes that the nightmares she's been having might be premonitions and not dreams at all.
It is up to Ana to decipher between fact and fiction before it is too late, and her new love, Athen, follows in her same fate - one that is lost between two worlds.

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Angels, Paranormal Romance, Ebooks

312 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2011

About the author

Karice is the author of over sixty books that span several genres. She loves nothing more than spending time with her family and sneaking away to write in between with a latte in hand.

She received an MFA in Creative Writing from the U of W.

Sign up for Karice's newsletter and new release info at http://www.karicebolton.com/


Titles include:

Cloudberry Inn Series
Imagining You
Remembering You
Leaving You
Loving You

Sunshine Breakfast Club
Dash of Love
Pinch of Love

Beyond Love Series
Beyond Control (Book 1)
Beyond Doubt (Book 2)
Beyond Reason (Book 3)
Beyond Intent (Book 4)
Beyond Chance (Book 5)
Beyond Promise (Book 6)
Beyond the Mistletoe (Book 7)

Island County Series
Finding Love in Forgotten Cove (Book 1)
Love Redone in Hidden Harbor (Book 2)
Tangled Love on Pelican Point (Book 3)
Forever Love on Fireweed Island (Book 4)
Tempting Love on Holly Lane (Book 5)
Chance at Love at Mystic Bay (Book 6)
Irresistible Love at Silver Falls (Book 7)
Lucky in Love on Hound Island(Book 8)
Mistletoe Mischief (Book 9)

Silver Ridge Series
Happy Truth About Love
A Little Secret About Love
A Funny Thing About Love
A Surprising Thing About Love
Christmas at Silver Ridge

V Mafia Series
Blake
Devin
Jaxson

Luke Fletcher Series
Hidden Sins (Book 1)
Buried Sins (Book 2)
Redemption (Book 3)
Mia (Book 4)

Afterworld Serie
RecruitZ
AlibiZ
UprisingZ

The Camp

The Watchers Trilogy
Taken Novella (A Watchers prequel)
Awakening (Book 1)
Legions (Book 2)
Cataclysm(Book 3)

The Witch Avenue Series
Lonely Souls (Book 1)
Altered Souls (Book 2)
Released Souls (Book 3)
Shattered Souls (Book 4)


The Watchers Trilogy: Awakening was a Barnes & Noble January 2012 Staff Pick: Nook Books Under $5

Reviews

[Criss · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review may have some spoilers.



I read a lot of good reviews on this book. This review is not one of those. I stopped reading around page 85 and can't force myself to read any further.

First let's talk about the good thing. The idea is good. Children of good fallen angels watching over human kind. I even liked the idea behind some, I guess u can call it, reincarnating into a normal life to be found again by the families and reintroduced. Not a bad story.

The bad...the writing... The story does not flow well at all and only pulled me in enough to keep asking what the heck and was the main reason behind me not even finishing it. There was absolutely no detail. Those first 80 pages could have been probably 200 if there had been more detail.

The story begins with the girl meeting Athen in the bar she works at and she is supposed to be around 20 but she acts more like an idiotic teenager...not that there's anything wrong with teenagers, we have all been idiotic teenagers before. She meets this guy and instantly falls stupid in love with him. Like literally that instant. Now there is a reason behind it that is explained later but the guy shows up at her place like a few hours later knowing what floor she lives on. What self respecting woman would not have warning bells going off!! She mentions them to him and he tells her all cryptically ,it's not time yet. WHAT!! You act like we have known each other for years and when I start questioning it you give me that line. And instead of insisting upon answers she says okay and goes on...not realistic at all!!! That happens a few times until he decides , it's time!! At this point my eyes hurt from all the eye rolling I had been doing.

Maybe this will appeal to teenagers but as an adult...not for me..... The beginning of this story would have been much more believable if there would have been more character development. Basically you spend the first 80 pages following these two on dates while she internally monologues how much she likes this stranger and how it's weird but doesn't seem to stop her. This should have been the beginning to a book entitled HOW TO GET YOUR ASS KILLED BY A SERIAL KILLER.

[Giselle · Rating 3 out of 5]

EDIT NOTE 2/10/2012: I was told the author edited her books and improved the dialogue / added contractions etc. Take this in consideration when you read my review.
--

Ana has felt lonely her whole life - or what she remembers of it. Living the simple life and working at a local pub, she meets this family who makes her feel very strange and, for some reason, seems very familiar. She soon realizes they are not what they seem, and neither is she.

When I first started Awakening I was really drawn to the story and the intrigue was very enticing. I felt the need to know everything about Ana. Why she has no memory of her past, why these strangers make he feel so overwhelmed - I wanted to know it all. I was a bit thrown back by the dialogue, however. The absence of contractions made the characters sound very stiff and formal. I had the hardest time picturing them realistically because of this. Nonetheless, I did my best to ignore this and found myself still enjoying the story.

The plot in Awakening is very intricate. There is an elaborate backstory and complex Nephilim lore. I found the take on angels really well thought out. It was interesting to find out Ana's past and see her re-enter this world she forgot existed. Although I did find there were a few of the character's actions that I couldn't comprehend: Why did Ana keep her dreams a secret? Why did Athen insist on making her wait for sex? Maybe there was a deeper meaning that I overlooked. As for the romance, it holds a big part of the book. It's sweet and intense - some may find it's fast moving, but since they knew each other from their past it's not really insta-love. The long-lost and reunited aspect is definitely original and quite romantic.

As a whole, the problems I had with it were mostly character related and I was still able to enjoy the story-line. I'm interested in the whole angel lore and it's a good start to the series. This one was mostly an introduction and the pace can be slow at times, but I have a good feeling the action is slowly building up to something great in the next installment.

[Maddi · Rating 1 out of 5]

So the story line is the typical angel story, she's an angel but she doesn't know and then she sees her soulmate and finds out who she really is and discovers her missing family. So here's the problem -

1. the whole book just doesn't seem at all genuine. The whole time Ana is being confronted with these extremely weird facts that would turn her world upside down but she remains completely casual about the whole thing. She should have seemed at least a little bit freaked out when suddenly a gorgeous boy whose name she doesnt even know, but only just met at work, calls her just before midnight saying he's outside and wants her to come out for drinks. Or at least questioned how they got into her house when two days later she returns home to find that they're all having a spontaneous movie night! But no. Not once does she really stop and go - "who the hell are these people?!" even though she thinks they're involved in some sort of criminal activity! Seriously? It just made the book confusing and ungenuine. I couldn't get into the storyline when the whole time I'm thinking why is she SO CALM!?

And 2. nothing really happened. Throughout the whole book it's just character building and Ana discovering her past and her identity. There's no action until about the last chapter. In other words, the story has potential but it's boring and extremely drawn out.

[Melody · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. I can't even tell you how bad this book was. I didn't finish it, and I can count on one hand how many books I haven't read all the way through.

First were all the grammatical errors. Maybe it's because it was on my Kindle or something, but man. Spellings were off, indenting new paragraphs was off, ending sentences with the wrong punctuation... yeah. Not impressed. This girl must not have gotten an editor.

And then there was the main character. She was just so sickeningly sweet it made me want to throw up. She was always just so thankful for everything, and everything was beautiful, and she didn't feel real at all.

The only reason why I gave it 2 stars (1 1/2, really) and not less is because the idea behind the story is actually interesting. I wanted to give up on the story a long time before today, but I wanted to know what was going to happen because there was a LITTLE good to the story. Unfortunately, it just wasn't good enough for me.

[nightlyreadingheather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ana lives a lonely life. She only has one friend and no family to speak of. One night while working in the pub, a group of mysterious strangers turn her world upside down and what she finds is everything she has ever dreamed of, but at what cost?
This book really took me by surprise. I was not sure how much I would like it, but it turned out to be so much better than I had imagined!

The Family

I loved the fact that Ana had finally gotten the family that she deserved. I really enjoyed the times when all four of them were together, but, I would have to say that my favorite would be Arie. She kind of reminded me of Alice from Twilight. The sweet but knowledgable sister type that is everybody's friend. Except the bad guy.

The Romance

The romance was fairly quick to start and then it seemed to come to an abrupt halt. Ana and Athen had met quickly and were in each others arms fairly quickly, but, the romance basically went no further until almost the end of the book. I LOVED IT!!! The anticipation build up was perfect and actually kept me not wanting to put the book down.

Matilda

Okay, so I will admit it. Matilda was the only reason that I was interested in reading this book. Well, the paranormal aspect was good too..LOL I love bulldogs and as many of you know, I have recently lost mine, so, when I saw this book. I just had to read it. Matilda only plays a small role in the story, but it was enough for me to get my bulldog fix.

The Storyline

I enjoy anything paranormal and a story about angels and demons is perfect. The suspense that is given through Ana's dreams really kept me thrown off at wondering what is real and what was simply just a dream. I thought it was an interesting take on angels with Ana's "reawakening" into herself and her new family explaining her old life to her. I very much enjoyed Ana's flashbacks/memories.

Final thoughts

I really enjoyed this book much more than I had expected. I am looking forward to reading the next one in the trilogy, Legions. The ending had me in tears and I am patiently waiting to see what happens next. Keep on the lookout for the review coming soon!

"Why didn't you ask me for my number when I was serving you?" I asked trying to sound incensed but failing miserably.

"You weren't exactly what I would call coherent during our time together earlier if you remember. I really didn't want to see what would happen if I did."

[Annika Paxman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Awakening was certainly intriguing at first, and I still believe that that idea of the story itself has potential. With Ana alone in the world and suddenly being thrown into a world she never remembers and a family she has no recollection of. Unfortunately, the story quickly began to drag for me. Ana's constant musing about how blissfully wonderful her new family is quickly became redundant and tiresome as well as the "too perfect" interactions of the family members.

The most frustrating for me was how little the reader was actually shown what was happening. Too much of the story was written in long paragraphs telling us what happened, but now showing. Ana tells us what she learned from her family members, or what she did with them the previous night, but we weren't present. I want to be present at the dialogue, I want to know their facial expressions. In essence, the reader was merely told the story not a part of it. Because of this I couldn't get to the end fast enough. I will not be reading the second novel.

[Darkfallen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say that this is more of a 3.5 stars. I really wish Goodreads would give in and add the half star option. Lol

Ana has spent her whole life alone. She lost her family so young that she doesn't really remember them or what it's like to have a family period. Always feeling a bit hollow inside and having trouble ever trusting anyone enough to get close to them has left her not really having many friends. In fact since she moved to the quiet ski town of Whistle she has only made one "kinda" friend. Leading a pretty boring and predictable life of work, home, work, repeat. That is until she goes to work one night and everything changes. Turns out she has a family after all...just not a very human one. Will she be able to accept who she really is before it's too late?

Overall I really enjoyed this book. The story is great and I found myself not wanting to put it down. Needing to know what happened next. I will say that it felt a little rushed and crammed most of the time though. Like the author was trying to fit too much information into to few pages. I kinda think with all that was happening in this story that this really could have been separated into two books. Giving the author room to flesh some stuff out a bit and draw a deeper connection to her characters and the story. I think doing that would have caused a deeper emotional connection for me and this book would have easily been 5 stars.

I did feel at times that the main character, Ana, tended to go back in forth with her emotions a lot. One minute she would be mad and the next minute she was happy about the same thing. At times this bothered me a bit. I just wanted her to make up her mind. But still I couldn't help but like her. She's like that best friend that you just have to smack every once and a while. Lol And I LOVED Arie. She reminded me of Alice in every way and who doesn't love her?

In the end I think with a little more re-writing this story would not only be great, but mesmerizing. I say support your indie authors and give this one a shot...You won't be disappointed!

[Cari · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was .99 on the Nook Color, but I'm hesitant to suggest it even for a fun read. The beginning was fine - interesting concept, girl who has no family/connections and meets a strange family. However, the book spiraled down quickly - there were few action scenes, and those that existed were resolved quickly and with little conflict (with the exception of one scene at the end.)

Athen was much too perfect to be realistic. The controlling aspect of his nature (watching her, telling her not to leave the village, etc) as well as his perfectness was highly unrealistic, and I found myself wishing that he would have more flaws. Ana falls in love with him much too easily as well, and almost every aspect of their relationship is perfect - resulting in endless pages of her gushing about him and her new "family." Where is the conflict in the book, if there's nothing to work for in the romance?

At the end, I was just skimming pages, because it was just descriptions of Arie wanting to go shopping, the four of them going out to dinner, or buying houses. While I do love beautiful description, there was so little action and plot in between that it wasn't worth reading the description. Ana had dreams and sighted monsters, but that was about it - not very exciting for me to read. The angel concept, while interesting, didn't seem developed enough for me to really become enthralled in the story.

On the high side, the writing isn't too bad (apart from the description and occasionally too-casual dialogue) and the beginning of the story was fine. Ana gratefully misses being a Mary-Sue, and was actually a realistic character, mostly in the beginning. I never really understood why they were after Ana in particular, but the author did a decent job building a sense of danger.

Overall, this book might be okay for a read if you're bored, but it's by no means a good novel.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: The Awakening
Author: Karice Bolton
Publisher: Purely Persistent
Number of Pages: 320
Date of Release: September 27th, 2011
Summary From Goodreads:

Alone in snowy, remote Whistler village, Ana tries to build a new life since losing her parents. With a cozy condo, a sweet-faced bulldog and an evening job to leave the days free for the slopes, life slips into a great routine. If only she could shake the guilt for not remembering anything about her parents and banish the night terrors that haunt her every dream. On a whim, Ana goes out with Athen, a guy she’s just met in the Grizzly Pub... The only problem is that she feels like she already knows him. Within 48 hours of meeting Athen and his family, Ana’s world implodes. She falls for Athen quickly and before she knows it, a past life begins to resurface. As thrilling as the revelations appear at first, she fights against the chilling information that Athen is from the underworld. Soon she begins to struggle as her own supernatural gifts are slowly unveiled, and she realizes that the nightmares she’s been having might be premonitions and not dreams at all. It is up to Ana to decipher between fact and fiction before it is too late, and her new love, Athen, follows in her same fate - one that is lost between two worlds.

Review: When I first heard of The Awakening, I was seriously intrigued. I mean the summary; I thought would basically be the whole book in a nut shell. It was not, and I am left trying to dissect my love for the characters and the story. The world Karice Bolton has created tore at my heart and I loved every minute of it.

Ana, the main character, is a mystery to the reader until about page fifty. I liked that, because everything about her was raw and pure. As Ana learns more about herself and gains confidence, essentially coming into her own, my loyalty to her grew with every flip of the page. Athen well what can I say is a dream! I mean he has the perfect looks, and miraculously has a personality that is so compassionate and tender yet fierce that he is essentially any girls (or guys if that is your preference, no judgment here) perfect man! Cyril and Arie had intense personalities, and added some comic relief, that had me chuckling at times. I think I need Arie to go shopping with me!!

The four main characters Cyril, Arie, Ana and Athen, all make up a unique family that symbolized the most important thing in life, love. The Awakening focused on a Family that is not a normal human family, and even with the paranormal element, Karice still managed to get the message out to readers not to take your loved ones for granted.

The only slight issue I had, was that I wished there was more dialogue in the book at times. Although I wanted more the description was lovely and made up for it. I really liked that this book wasn’t just boy falls in love with girl, boy saves girl. It was so different from the standard in YA right now that I am shocked to put it lightly. I really didn’t even see the ending coming and that cliffhanger, OH MY GOD!

Fans of Keary Taylor will delight in The Awakening by: Karice Bolton. The novel is definitely a book to be read for any paranormal junkie. I need to get my hands on book two soon!

[Tanecia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5



For starters I received this book from the author Karice Bolton as a read to review. It was really nice of her to take the time out and actually send me the printed copy and to also sign it for me as well which was a real treat! :)

My synopsis: Awakening is the first installment of The Watchers Trilogy. It follows the not so interesting life of Anna, whose daily routine consists of having nightmares of creatures that can only be real in her dreams (so she thinks),bar tendering at The Grizzly Lodge as a day job, hanging-out at her apartment with her English Bull Dog named Matilda, and having a non-exist-ant love life. That's until she meets Athen and his family where things get more interesting and complicated.
From the moment Ana meets Athen and his family things start to change for the good and the bad. Ana falls for Athen quickly and her world is turned upside down when she discovers her own truths behind the horrifying dreams she's been having since she can remember and the new dangers that are after her and her new "family". Athen is a white demon- fallen angels who have chosen the righteous path so-to-speak to stop the demons that wreck havoc upon humans on earth. Can Ana except her new fate by Athen's side or will she never the less go back to her ordinary life?


Pros: I really really liked this book. It was a new take on fallen angels because in this series they are actually called white demons and demons. This was a great start to the series! Ana was easy to relate to being a 21 year old myself. I liked how she carried her self and how loyal she was to everyone around her especially her friend Karen. Ana could be the typically 21 who has an apartment,dog,job and a daily routine so it was believable. I was able to get a visual picture of Whistler(Ana's hometown) because of Bolton's impeccable talent of being a great story teller and being able to capture every detail and scent to where you could almost be transported into Ana's world! I love love loved the romance between Ana and Athen it was so cute and it was like opposites attract but together it works out perfectly! Their relationship kind of reminded me of Bella and Edward- Ana was clumsy and self conscious and Athen was strong,sexy,confident and quick on his toes. I also liked the fact that this story flowed perfectly well. It had a little action with some intense scenes, love scenes that got hot and heated( in good taste),and you didn't get lost with the story line and there wasn't a lot of characters to keep up with and remember!


Cons: Even though I do love to have great detail- there was a few times where it was too overly descriptive. A few parts didn't need it and it just kind of slowed down the process of reading and then after all the description it was a really good part and then I was like "yes"! Also I was really sad that there wasn't a ton of action! Maybe it's just me but i like romance as well as some kick butt action! Their was a few elements of action but they were so good and short that I wanted more!


Recommend to: Twilight,Hush Hush,and City of bones lover's

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, this was only a 2 because the concept is so intriguing. If not for that, this was a solid 1 star book.

First, the good:
-Unique concept (girl with no family finds out she's actually a Fallen Angel/Good Demon)
-The setup for the next in the series was pretty decent, but could have used some work.
-It was free for my Kindle app.

That's all I've got for the good. Now for the not-so-good:
-I know the character is supposed to be young, 20 or there about, but she was more whiney than Bella Swan on her worst day.
-Speaking of Bella, this smacked me as fan fiction that combined Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse. But not the goods elements, the ridiculous or annoying ones.
-Word choice was abysmal. I like the word "awesome" and employ it frequently. This was overkill though. I get that Athen (which I kept wanting to read as Athens or Anthem, BTW) was supposed to be this hot slice of heaven, but could she not think of a different word to describe him and the experience in general? Also, I think the phrases "My family", "My new family", and "I felt so blessed/lucky/special" should be banished going forward. I certainly wouldn't miss never reading them again.
-Again, I read the e-book version of this, so maybe it was different in print (does come as a print edition?) but there were a ton of grammatical errors throughout the story. Sentences didn't always come to a complete thought, sentences had disjointed thoughts, words were missing, those sorts of problems. If a proofreader in a bona fide publishing house isn't available to you, then hire a college English major to proof your manuscript for $150. They'll do it, trust me. Heck, I'D do it for $150. I would just never want to release a story with my name attached to it that wasn't the best it could possibly be, and to me that means having multiple pairs of eyes read it for content, wording, style, punctuation, etc....
-Major editorial revisions were needed with this story. I found myself re-wording sentences, fixing scenes, and changing the action in my mind to make the story flow better. That shouldn't happen.

A large number of readers have rated this, and the other 2 in the series, very highly, and I can't figure out why. The concept was good, and it had potential. Unfortunately, the grammatical mistakes, the stilted conversations, the incorrect character names, the ridiculous, incessant inner monologue of Ana, all of these things make it hard for me to view this with a high rating. Am I missing something here?

I'm torn on trying the other 2 in the series. Perhaps I would give them a try if they were also offered as free downloads for the Kindle or iBooks apps. If not, I doubt I'll finish the trilogy.

[Danielle (Bookwhoreblog) Perez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel follows a woman named Ana on her path of falling in love with what appears to be a stranger named Athen. As Ana gets to know Athen she soon learns they have known each other forever, and have already been in love before. Ana and Athen are children of the fallen angels, and together they must get Ana fully awakened in order to continue saving people from sin. This is book 1 in The Watchers Trilogy and I have to say it is a good opening book, but I am more excited about the follow up book Legions. Awakening does a great job introducing the characters, and explaining exactly what the children of the fallen angels are. The reason I am more excited about book two is because I love my characters to have conflict within the relationship, something that is pulling them apart and they have to fight incredible odds to be together. In Awakening the fight has already happen, but we missed it; this book picks up when Ana and Athen come back together. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the romance between the couple, but I was waiting for that moment something bad was going to happen to this perfect romance. That is why the ending is my favorite part in this story, and it sets up perfectly for book two, but I cannot tell you exactly why because that would spoil the entire story for you. Another thing I really enjoyed about this book is the author’s incredible use of imagery, from the snow on the ground and trees, to the crisp feeling of the cold air. Karice Bolton paints the most perfect holiday picture with words, making this a must read over the holidays.

[Happyreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awakening was a wonderful first intro into the trilogy. I loved the idea of memory loss, long lost loves reuniting, and the quietly building battles erupting here and there throughout the story. I LOVED the sweetness between Athen and Ana. The author wrote with great detail, which is something that I really appreciate in a book. There were a few times that it slowed the story down, but it would pick up again and I would plop back in their world. Learning about Ana’s history and watching the support from Athen, Cryil, and Arie was one of the most fascinating parts of the story. It was very intriguing.

I also liked that Cyril and Arie were there to lighten it up a bit. I am really amazed that this is the author’s first book. It was really well crafted, and I didn’t find myself getting bogged down in problems that often debut novels exhibit. Because I loved this story so much and couldn’t wait to find out what happened – yah, the ending is that good- I immediately downloaded Legions and read it too, so knowing what I know about where the second book takes a person makes me love Awakening that much more! Athen and Ana’s love is out of this world and I really look forward to seeing what continues to develop!

[Melody · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly this book strted out with promise it opened with a great dream sequence that really set some pace for action and mystery then enters the "strangers at the bar" and to be completely honest it went down hill REALLY fast!! How does an intreverted, semi paranoid loaner go to a love sick puppy following this guy and his family EVERYWHERE with no hesitation?? And what gets me the most is she knows hes keeping things from him and shes all good with that even though every thought process she has is about she knows he is hiding things but one look from him makes her melt and yearn to be closer to them all.. WOW thats seemed really shallow. I found myself rolling my eyes at this and the repetitive conversations and interactions. And I really couldn't get over the dialog between the characters it all seemed so forced.. Too much of the story was told to the main character than experienced I like a story that I get to feel like I am a part of not just told second hand what is happening. I think the story had a great concept and the potential to be a great series but with the dialouge and the grammer errors which (I did read in other Copies this had been fixed. I had purchased the ebook version for Nook.) I personally dont see myself picking up the sequel

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Awakening for the very reason I've read that some people don't like it and that is the detail. I've always preferred books where the author takes the time to describe the little things. For instance, when Ana is dogsledding I loved it! I've never been, but I feel like I've done it now. The snow on the ground, icicles on the trees, all things that I think added to the story, were described beautifully. I was completely immersed in the lives of these characters and I think a lot of that had to do with the world that the author built.I wanted to know what Ana was feeling. What was causing her pain and her doubts? Why did she have that pull to Athen? When I found out the reasons I was in a trance. I loved how events were framed up and the love drawn out, and I can't imagine it any other way. Before I read the series, I saw the boring and too much detail comments and wondered how so and then I read it and didn't see that as an issue at all, but again I like books with detail versus bland writing. I guess the book could have started out with fights on the first page, and if that's the kind of book someone's searching for than this definitely wouldn't be it, but I prefer reading a book with beautiful descriptions and character development, which is what this book provided.

[Kate Anders · Rating 4 out of 5]

To read this review and more like it please check out my site www.ufreviews.com

So unfortunately I haven't been able to read nearly as much as a like, so for that reason alone I was excited to get back to reading with this book. And what's more is I always like a tale about fallen angels, there are so many different takes on the concept it's so much fun to try and figure out how the author envisions their characters.

The basic plot of this book centers mainly around Ana and Athen. Ana is a white demon (child of a fallen angel) and she has been separated from her family and has no memory of them. This book is primarily her journey of reawakening and regaining the person she was before she lost her memory. This is a rather slow process because she is not just getting memories back but also getting her special abilities back as well. Athen is the love of her life from before and he is essential in not only awakening her but also in protecting her.

Much of this process is frustrating for Ana, mostly because she doesn't always understand what is going on with her. I often time felt her frustration as well as the story progress. Her family, Arie, Cyril, and Athen sometimes do a truly terrible job at giving her information. In their defense they do seem to be withholding information from her out of concern, but it often leads to confusion, fear, and unpreparedness for Ana.

One of the main issues I had with this book was that I felt it moved to quickly. I really enjoyed the concept of losing a family member and then finding them and bringing them back into the fold, but the execution of the concept gave me some pause. The beginning of the book moved at the perfect pace. I felt connected to Ana and what she was feeling. And then somewhere along the middle events started happening at a much quicker rate, and were lacking in the detail compared to the beginning of the book, ultimately I stopped identifying with Ana as much, as well as sometimes feeling like I didn't have enough information to really understand the plot as it was developing.

That being said the general plot is solid. Like I said I liked the idea of the family and the awakening, and as the book progresses you find out there is something larger at work. It was enjoyable to follow along with trying to unravel the greater evil, as well as figure out how the white demons were going to fight against it.

The characters I did enjoy though for the most part. Ana's emotions all make sense and feel very organic to her as a character, and early on in the book it was very easy to identify with her. Arie is a fun loving character, and you can tell in the scenes with her in her element, that if you were around her in real life it would be hard to be anything but happy. Cyril provides a great balance to Arie, as well as being a rather funny guy himself, there were times in the book I needed a good giggle and Cyril was always the one to provide it. Athen is a good character as well, although out of everyone I felt he was the most annoying. All of his actions are done specifically to try and protect the woman he loves, but often I felt like his over protectiveness was stifling and his complete aversion to being intimate with Ana felt out of place and inorganic for the two characters. That being said he is still a solid character and a good guy.

The book definitely leaves the reader wanting to know what happens next to this family (talk about a cliff hanger), and so while there were elements I didn't always like in the book, the good elements way outweighed those so I am going to give it a "Good" rating. I think this book is a good book for urban fantasy readers, and while it is a love story there is little actual romance, so if you are looking for hot and heavy this might not be the book. Overall solid book.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

My original review was posted at http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.com/20...

All in all, Awakening was a good read and an interesting start of a new trilogy. What made me interested in the story in the first place was its mysteriousness, the fact that Ana (the main character) meets this guy but she feels like she already knows him. I was looking forward to finding out what happened and in this respect, the story didn't disappoint me.

What I like about this book most was the fact that Ana asks the exact same questions the readers are thinking about. One day, soon after meeting this mysterious guy called Athen and his family, she learns that she belongs to them - they are fallen angels whose aim is to protect human beings from making bad decisions or be influenced by the dark demons. Which is a lot to take in all at once. Just imagine that you're working as a bartender in a local pub one day when you meet three people and within two days, it turns out that you've known them for centuries and you are, in fact, a fallen angel. Bolton portrays Ana's confusion very well and she asks questions we're all wondering about.

Another thing I really liked about Awakening was the concept behind the story. The way the author describes the fact that these fallen angels can feel other people's emotions is definitely thought-provoking. It's interesting to think about life like this - that there are greater forces behind all of our decisions in life and there's a constant battle between the good and the evil side.

Even though the concept was great, there were a few things I didn't particularly like about this book. Ana falls in love with this really handsome guy called Athen - we can say it's a love at first sight kind of thing. And then, all she can think or talk about is him. Her obsession with Athen and his family (ie. his sister and her fiancé) put me off, unfortunately. I know the point was that she felt like she's known him for a long time and she felt an instant connection but it made me feel like I was reading the same thing over and over again. How great Athen is, how gorgeous he looks and how much she wants him.

Another thing I didn't really like, or understand rather, is that the story seemed to focus on just four people having fun. Ana meets them, falls in love with Athen and she feels like she belongs to them. Which is all right but then the focus shifts to how much fun they have when they go dog sledding together. Then they go on a road trip to Seattle, they go shopping, they start decorating the Christmas tree... and I'm starting to wonder, where is this story going exactly? I felt like it dragged on a little bit, to be frank. The story ends with a cliffhanger which partly makes up for this lack of action in the first half of the book.

To sum up, although Awakening wasn't as action-filled as I expected it to be, it was a great way to start the series and introduce the characters and the main idea behind the story. The ending definitely made me interesting in what is going to happen in the sequel and it looks like it might be a little bit more fast paced than Awakening was. If you enjoy young adult fiction with a touch of fantasy, this one might be perfect for you.

[Diayll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally Reviewed at: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Author
Reviewer: Heather



Awakening is the first part of The Watcher’s Trilogy where we meet a young woman named Ana. She works as a waitress in a resort town, but has no knowledge of her past accept a handful of newspaper clippings. Ana is frequented with disturbing nightmares that haunt her, no, torment her to no end. She knows not why these dreams occur until Athen enters into her life.

Athen, nor his family, are what they seem to be, and Ana quickly learns that she is a part of their world: the underworld. Athen has been searching for his lost soul-mate, Ana, since the demons erased her memory back in the 40′s. Our main character struggles with this new-found knowledge that shakes her very core, and sends her into the realization that her nightmares are a reality. However, she is surrounded by love, friendship and most of all a family that would die for her. But can Ana learn to be a white demon again before it’s too late? Will the Awakening process work, thus reuniting Athen and Ana again?

I’ll be honest here folks. I wasn’t entirely sure about this book when I realized it was about demons/Fallen Angels, and an intricate force of good versus evil with a race that is supposed to be damned by God. These characters – Ana, Athen and the rest – are the children of Angels that fell in love with human women. As punishment God forbid entry to heaven to the Angels that fell as well as their children, but what made the story unique was that not all the angels or children are evil.

This doesn’t stop the race of white demons from doing good deeds, and helping to guide the human race to live their lives righteously. When the black demons/Nephilim interfere or try to cause turmoil, the white demons are there to do what they can to defeat them. It is just an entirely new side for me in literature; however, it was an incredible story.

Karice Bolton didn’t leave a stone unturned or question unanswered. She backed up every part of her story’s world, crossed the T’s and dotted the I’s. Every part of the story was perfect, engaging and addicting. Once I started I couldn’t put it down, and when I was done reading I found myself purchasing the next book in the series. I’ve only braked to write up this review, and then guess what? I’ll be jumping into the next book.

[Once · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ana is alone in life and lives in a small village with her adorable bulldog Matilda. She has constant night terrors and doesn't know what to do about it. Then while working in a small pub some customers come in that change her life. She finally feels like she belongs somewhere and she is alive in life. Ana meets Athen and family. Let me just say Athen is adorable and I love everything about him, he is slightly secretive, but for the good of Ana. Hes a very chivalrous man, and the way they show it is so romantic and adorable.

Ana has some awakening to do in every sense of the word, she finds out that she might not be who she thought she was and Athen definitely isn't. She is trying to sort out her dreams and find out what is real and what isn't. Or maybe it is all real and she just needs to come with the fact that shes different, and not in a bad way. There is alot i cannot say about this book because then it would give away the whole plot, but I love that this book wasn't your usual Angels and Demons book. There was a twist, and I love the back story for how everything came to be. That was splendidly told. I loved the romance between Athen and Ana, it was fast to start, but slowed down and that was a treat because I though the pace was perfect. I couldn't put this book down to find out what would happen. It was a big build up and the ending, oh goodness the ending had me reeling. How could you do that to me Karice??

But thank goodness the second part of this series Legions is out so I can find out what happens because I NEED to. Ana and Athen, I'm going to be reading about you very soon and I cannot wait.

review link: http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2012...

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly...the two stars was a bit generous. This book was so slow at times, I was completely frustrated with the characters and the lack of antagonism...there is like, barely any conflict in this story, when there is it lasts for two whole seconds and it's gone. The most 'exciting' action in this story happens at the very end and it's one of those "Oh you HAVE to be kidding me!?!" type moments. We don't know anything about Ana, and everything seems to move too perfectly. It is very slow, perhaps that's intended. I do not know. Ms Bolton's writing was well enough to bring me back at LEAST for the second book, JUST to see if it gets better. The story idea is good, but the execution...for me, not so much.
There is scene after scene of the 4 main characters just shopping and celebrating the holidays...in different houses...it's just kind of pointless and living day to day life. Like watching supernatural Big Brother but...nothing supernatural is going on. It started out well but...I had more questions than answers at the end.
I almost gave up halfway in but I was determined to see it through. I was hoping that Ana would remember MORE than she did by the end of the story, by her past life. And now, they have to go through it all over again with another character. For that reason alone--to see what happens to said character--I will come back and give it a shot. But, for the price of $.99 it was worth a try. For me it just didn't do it for me..yet. We will see where the second book takes me but seeing as how there are only THREE books, I don't have very high hopes. But, we will see!

[ILoveBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ana has no memory of her past, but when she meets a certain family, she feels a strong connection. When Ana learns bits and pieces of her past, a whole world opens up for her. The Nephilim is a mystery that the reader will enjoy learning about and creates a backdrop for a unique plot the reader will love getting into. Ana doesn't seem to have a lot of love in her life until Athen. Athen sweeps her off of her feet and doesn't set her back down on Earth. Their romance is cute and sweet, the reader will believe that they truly care for each other.



Ana's character can be a little hard to get to know, but she is a sympathetic character and the reader can slowly warm up to her. Athen is easy to picture as a good looking, strong, loving boyfriend. The reader will be rooting for the two, but sometimes their romance can get a little slow-the reader will want their connection to hurry up! The other characters are interesting, not that easy to get to know, but they round out the books and act as foils for each other.



The general plot of the book is interesting and will draw the reader in. The characters can take some getting to know, but Ana and Athen make the effort worth it. The romance aspect takes up a large part of the book, but seems very genuine. This book is recommended to young adult/adult readers.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm being the first of the series I thought it was more about character building. I think so many words were used to describe the surroundings rather thAn feelings. I found that each scene didn't feel as engaging as it could've been. The love they have for each other I know is great but I didnt feel it.

And there could have been a deeper reason for Athen to make Ana wait for their much awaited love making than just because he wanted it to be later rather than sooner. Maybe he was waiting for some great memory for her to remember first making it RIGHT. I don't know I just over think it I guess. but I also thought that there could have been more to the mystery of it all. So I was disappointed with that.

I don't like Athen calling Ana sweetie or sweetheart. Makes him sound like her father or grandfather. Anyway, that's just me.

I also thought the ending was lackluster. I mean the part that Athen was about to die was good in fact, the only moment I actually felt something. But then, right after that it felt dull. That's it? That's all they did?? Yeah not my fave ending. It could have been more painful, dramatic, hopeful..

The excerpt for Legion starts so much better though.

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was painful to get through. I kept hoping it would get better, but it just let too many things unexplained (like "phasing" of fallen white demons is such a critical part of the story, but it's never really explained, how it works or what the "awakening" process actually is). It was just a really muddled, convoluted story with gaping holes that really require explanation for the reader to understand.

I agree a previous reviewer that the romance was really unbelievable, the chemistry seemed really forced and unnatural... even the whole aspect of Athen's waiting for the "right time" to connsumate their reconstituted romance - like so much of the story - was never explained (uh, what suddenly made it the right time?!)

The lead character is just another weak Bella Swan - clumsy, insecure, feels unworthy of her crush's attentions - NOTHING about this mousy girl allows the reader to believe she's an immortal with tremendous gifts who's basically suffering from amnesia. Really??

The only reason I gave it a second star is because (SPOILER ALERT) the premise of tying it to a really obscure Bible verse as the set-up for this whole "world" was really fascinating to me. Too bad the author couldn't deliver on the hopeful promise of a fascinating read. :(

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not bad, but I was a little disappointed with the lack of action and adventure. I liked that the paranormal aspect was not the current norm (as in this book is not about vampires and werewolves). However, the book bordered on the romance novel line a little too much for me, I wanted to know more about the battle between dark and light and started to get annoyed with the romance.

About half way through the book, I had to push myself to keep reading because the story just didn’t hold my attention. I also found myself a little annoyed with some of the repetitive things, like how much Ana trusts Athen and his family and how the family just kept saying they’d fill her in when the time is right.

This book is definitely meant to be in a series, the plot that begins does not end in this book (which is one of my pet peeves - a book should be able to stand on its own!)the ending of this book is clearly a jumping point to start the next book. However, I will not be reading the next book in this series.

[Kathleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book very slow paced & I have to admit that this is another one that I just didn't have the desire to finish although I made it well past the half way mark. The prose is very repetitive with not really much happening in the story line. The dialogue between the characters sounds very juvenile...the number of times the main character started a sentence with "Huh" really drove me crazy! This was a very disappointing read. The synopsis intrigued me and this could have been a good book if there had been a little more depth to it. I was looking forward to reading this trilogy.....I will pass for now & I'm not sure if I will pick up the book again to finish the last 75 pages or so.....

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I use to not want to admit that I read YA fiction sometimes. It's books like this though that remind me why I like these books so much. It didn't take a long time to read, and it was entertaining. A lot of the time that is exactly what I'm looking for. I didn't want to put this book down.

I did not notice any of the editing problems I saw mentioned in other reviews so either I just wasn't paying good enough attention or the author has done some updating.

As of the date I'm writing this review (3/19/12) the book is still a kindle free download so if the plot sounds interesting to you then you should definitely give it a shot.

[Antoinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author through the goodreads book giveaway. So thank you to the author:) I have to say that for a first book this is really good. I love the idea and the twist she has put on fallen angels. It is different than the typical boy meets girl books which I liked. I look forward to reading the next book. This book could be enjoyed by teenagers and adults.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cover Thoughts-
Perfection! It has the snowy holiday feeling of the book and it shows the white demon (angel) side of the book. Although Awakening never brings up Ana wearing a white dress or having angel wings I can tell its her. It's magical just like the story. <3

First Thought-
Sounds very interesting. :) The summary tells of loss, love, and a supernatural world; my favorite three things in every book.

What I liked-
My favorite scene ever is the ending. That is seriously the climax in the book. My jaw just dropped. You will literally never see it coming. I also like how Awakening isn't all supernatural. It has a comfortable, homey feeling. It's not all love and death and life sucks but I'm an angel so its alright. It's loss, friendship, love, companionship, recovery, and loss again. The setting is basically around the holidays so it diffidently brings the festive feeling. I was wishing it was Christmas and that I had a nice fireplace to read Awakening next too. I also love bull dogs so it was so cute learning that Ana has had a bulldog her entire existence. It makes me wish I could have that. There was a few action scenes and few demons suck moments, but my favorite overall moments were the ones where Ana had visions. She completely underestimates herself and those are her true moments of awesomeness. I am totally looking forward to Legions especially after reading that ending. I really enjoy reading fallen angel stories and hawt guys so Awakening was the perfect book for me.

What I disliked-
Sometimes I felt like for a fallen angel story it was slow. I'm used to lots of adventure and romance. Awakening diffidently had romance but I wasn't seeing the action I was looking for. A few fighting scenes with demons just didn't fill my violent heart. :) It was probably too comfortable. I think maybe Karice should write just a bit more out of her comfort zone one time to see what happens. I am hoping in legions and cataclysm that there is more action and death. I know that sounds depressing but a good angel or human death adds creativeness to the series. It kinda sucks that white demons can die but come back to life every time. :( Also I got confused with the names in the beginning. Arie, Athen, and Ana. I got it all figured out now though!

Overall Readability-
A total top of the to read lister. It gives a different original take on the fallen angel story that you should totally check out. It might be slow or too comfortable but you should relax with a slower supernatural every now and then. If you like killer endings, knock out angels, and ravenous demons I recommend this to you.

My Final Thought-
What? Oh my gawd. Athen? Of all people? Athen? Poor Ana. How will she go on?

4 out of 5 Haunted Roses

[Nereid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why did I wait so long to read this book, not sure really but I am so converted. I read it in one day and immediately bought the other two books. I loved this story and the visual imagery enveloped me,I was wishing I was there experiencing it first hand. Beautiful scenery of pristine snow covered fields and clean fresh mountain air is imprinted on my mind. Ana is an orphan, lost and alone and feeling there is something missing from her life and then she sees Athens across a crowded room (always wanted to use that phrases lol). He makes her feel tongue-tied and it is as if there is a magnetic pull happening and she cannot look away. Going against every instinct she has Ana agrees to a date with a virtual stranger no less and her life is changed forever. Not only does he feel familiar and safe, he is her soul-mate that was lost to her and he is here now to begin the Awakening to reclaim her as his heart and soul. Arie his sister and her partner Cyril are all nephilim or white demons that are on earth to save humans from their baser instincts and desires. Black demons are out there tempting humanity wrecking havoc on the world and Ana is a part of something bigger to prevent evil from taking over. Everything is confusing and overwhelming but her previous nightmares start to make a bit of sense, they are not just dreams per se but premonitions of what is to come and they are haunting her. My only criticism is I did wonder why she never told any of them about her nightmares as they would have been forewarned especially when Athen told her they could be so relevant as it was part of her gift. No training or information was forthcoming on how to defend herself if the situation ever arose so Ana was left feeling insecure and unprepared for the outcome. Karice has now totally ruined any hope of me finding a guy I would be happy with as the standard is so high now after all the romantic stuff Athen does for Ana, I am definitely jealous. I loved the dog sled ride and he is so thoughtful but reading her mind would give him a slight edge.

(View Spoilers)Afraid to tell Arie and Cyril or Athen of what she sees, she keeps it to herself hoping to change the visions by not acknowledging them but disaster strikes all too soon. Torn from the life she has grown to love, she is grief stricken and now has to circumnavigate a world that is foreign to her still though there is some hope to recover what she has lost. Will she be able to fend off the demon hunting Athen or will she be too late?

[P.E. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awakening by Karice Bolton was a book I had many issues with. The book doesn't really feel ready and I had a lot of difficulty reading it.

It took me a really long time to finish Awakening. I honestly couldn't get into it. Some of my issues result from my personal preferences, but others are problems the book had itself.

The first would be the writing. In no way do I claim to be some writing expert, but the writing in this book distracted me from the scene and wasn't fun to read. Although there was nice diction, the dialogue sounded stilted and unnatural with the lack of contractions. There were way too many unnecessary details about random objects in a scene that really bogged down the story, and overall the style of writing wasn't easy to read. A lot of this could be resolved by a few more in depth edits. That's what I noticed and the writing really bothered me at the beginning while near the end I was more relaxed.

Another issue I had was absolutely no connection to any of the characters. None. They felt really one dimensional to me. Some of them were way too perfect with no real visible flaws or insecurities. The main character, Ana, didn't do much for me either. I kinda felt she was robotic and I don't really know much about her character beyond what's said about her.

The plot didn't improve the story. It was much too slow for my tastes. A lot of the story is Ana professing how much she loves Athen and her family while they go on parties and trips and stuff. It's not until the end that you realize there's more to it than that, but by that time I found it too little too late. The biggest issues were believability issues. There were many scenes and events that I couldn't relate with or that I found clichéd. The scene when Ana first sees Athen, Arie, and Cyril first comes to mind. Too much description was put there and I didn't feel any of the apparent emotions Ana was facing.

Overall, I hate to write a review like this, but I had a lot of trouble reading Awakening and I probably would have written it off as a DNF had I not agreed to review it. The book has potential and an interesting mythology, it just needs a lot of work before Awakening will shine. 1 star,

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