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All That We See or Seem
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T.C.A.
10 books1 followerTCA was a name used when Tempest was 15. These books are no longer available.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
April 5, 2013
This was a great story. Tempest has a lot of imagination. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Paranormal, Teen Drama books.
Lily Bryg is a 17 year old teenage girl living in New York that feels like she doesn't belong where she is. Later she discovers she, along with her 3 friends (Ruarc, Brid and Caer) are witches that lived 300 years ago in a realm called Bevain and Lily is their leader. They are called the four: Lily "The Dreamer", Brid "The Stargazer", Caer "The Fortuneteller" and Ruarc "The Warrior". They are aware of Ronan´s (The Dark King) existence because he visits them in their dreams in "The Other" (Our realm, NYC, what we know as our world).. He can´t touch them because they are in different realms but he still can mess with their heads. He is after them because three centuries ago, The Fortuneteller told him Lily "The Dreamer" was his soul mate . So he claimed he loved her and that they were meant for each other and chase her along with her friends. Somehow they died and their souls were sent to The Other.
They all know they had past lives in Bevain but the more they have knowledge about it, the better their memory gets and even though they don´t remember everything, new memories arrive without warning. The Four are part of a prophecy in which they are supposed to go back to Bevain, the realm they came from so she can defeat Ronan and claim the throne. They end up going back to Bevain with Galvin´s (a Shadow/Shade) help because Ronan had send Unseelie fey to kill them in The Other.
When they get to Bevain they wake up alone and with no trace of Galvin´s whereabouts. While trying to get to Blairzeth their former home 300 years ago, they meet Larkin Devlin who´s been following them. While trying to figure out if he is trustworthy or not they get ambushed by Ronan´s soldiers. Lily feels a pull toward Larking but can´t recall why. She knows they met in her former life but can´t remember what happened between them. Larking takes them to Ameliona and old woman who happens to be "The Last Spellcaster". She explains to them the war had begun and they need to get ready to head to Moht where people has been gathered as The Rebellion to defeat King Ronan...
The rest you must read and you won´t regret it. I spent two days reading at work and going to bed until 2-3 in the morning. I was so intrigued with the path this story was taking and I just had to know what was going to happen next. This journey is full of twists and turns, drama, romance, mystery, intrigue, conspiracy fucking EVERYTHING.... I LOVE IT.. - Nothing is what is seems - Or that´s my guess. Maybe that´s why I sympathize with the evil guy. hummmm *wink* *wink* *sigh*
Enough with the angel/human, Vampire/human love series. I must say this is one of the most ORIGINAL Teen Paranormal stories I have read in years YES years and it was FAN-TAS-TIC.
I have some questions though.
I´m definitely intrigued on how is she going to pull off the rest of the story and I might add that I wish I can see more Ronan/Lily interactions. They all speak of him all the time but he´s one of the characters that has less interaction in the whole book with the characters and still left a big impression Lily can say she hates him all she wants but the bickering they have every time he visits her dreams is electric. It´s like she refuses to feel something for him but at the same time her body betrays her LOL. As you have noticed already my favorite character is Ronan The Evil King a.k.a (by me) The evil self confident arrogant mother fucker who I think is H-O-T and want him to win Lily´s love. Larkin is and it´s like Ronan knows her so well he knows the course of her every thought. I just don´t know why am I such a sucker for the evil handsome guys.
At the beginning I had some trouble understanding what was going on because I haven´t read the book before it, in which apparently the life of the four is explained better and I was also confused on who was saying what to whom. I found in this book a couple of editing errors and felt that parts of the story needed more explanation, BUT who am I to judge I am not a writer, I definitely don´t have that imaginative capacity and English is my second language. If this girl finds a good publisher like I don´t know Penguin Group or other and changes the covers and advertise she will definitely increase her book sales and I´m pretty sure she will rise in the book industry.
I´m totally giving this book 5 stars. I think books shouldn't be rated based in bad editing. The writers put all their effort, time and imagination in their books for someone to give them bad rating because of verb use or punctuation ..etc...etc.etc.... She just needs to polish the rough edges and voilà.!!
Thank you Tempest for giving me the ARR of such a great book.
Fav Quote/Moments:
http://lust4books.blogspot.mx/
Lily Bryg is a 17 year old teenage girl living in New York that feels like she doesn't belong where she is. Later she discovers she, along with her 3 friends (Ruarc, Brid and Caer) are witches that lived 300 years ago in a realm called Bevain and Lily is their leader. They are called the four: Lily "The Dreamer", Brid "The Stargazer", Caer "The Fortuneteller" and Ruarc "The Warrior". They are aware of Ronan´s (The Dark King) existence because he visits them in their dreams in "The Other" (Our realm, NYC, what we know as our world).. He can´t touch them because they are in different realms but he still can mess with their heads. He is after them because three centuries ago, The Fortuneteller told him Lily "The Dreamer" was his soul mate . So he claimed he loved her and that they were meant for each other and chase her along with her friends. Somehow they died and their souls were sent to The Other.
They all know they had past lives in Bevain but the more they have knowledge about it, the better their memory gets and even though they don´t remember everything, new memories arrive without warning. The Four are part of a prophecy in which they are supposed to go back to Bevain, the realm they came from so she can defeat Ronan and claim the throne. They end up going back to Bevain with Galvin´s (a Shadow/Shade) help because Ronan had send Unseelie fey to kill them in The Other.
When they get to Bevain they wake up alone and with no trace of Galvin´s whereabouts. While trying to get to Blairzeth their former home 300 years ago, they meet Larkin Devlin who´s been following them. While trying to figure out if he is trustworthy or not they get ambushed by Ronan´s soldiers. Lily feels a pull toward Larking but can´t recall why. She knows they met in her former life but can´t remember what happened between them. Larking takes them to Ameliona and old woman who happens to be "The Last Spellcaster". She explains to them the war had begun and they need to get ready to head to Moht where people has been gathered as The Rebellion to defeat King Ronan...
The rest you must read and you won´t regret it. I spent two days reading at work and going to bed until 2-3 in the morning. I was so intrigued with the path this story was taking and I just had to know what was going to happen next. This journey is full of twists and turns, drama, romance, mystery, intrigue, conspiracy fucking EVERYTHING.... I LOVE IT.. - Nothing is what is seems - Or that´s my guess. Maybe that´s why I sympathize with the evil guy. hummmm *wink* *wink* *sigh*
Enough with the angel/human, Vampire/human love series. I must say this is one of the most ORIGINAL Teen Paranormal stories I have read in years YES years and it was FAN-TAS-TIC.
I have some questions though.
I´m definitely intrigued on how is she going to pull off the rest of the story and I might add that I wish I can see more Ronan/Lily interactions. They all speak of him all the time but he´s one of the characters that has less interaction in the whole book with the characters and still left a big impression Lily can say she hates him all she wants but the bickering they have every time he visits her dreams is electric. It´s like she refuses to feel something for him but at the same time her body betrays her LOL. As you have noticed already my favorite character is Ronan The Evil King a.k.a (by me) The evil self confident arrogant mother fucker who I think is H-O-T and want him to win Lily´s love. Larkin is and it´s like Ronan knows her so well he knows the course of her every thought. I just don´t know why am I such a sucker for the evil handsome guys.
At the beginning I had some trouble understanding what was going on because I haven´t read the book before it, in which apparently the life of the four is explained better and I was also confused on who was saying what to whom. I found in this book a couple of editing errors and felt that parts of the story needed more explanation, BUT who am I to judge I am not a writer, I definitely don´t have that imaginative capacity and English is my second language. If this girl finds a good publisher like I don´t know Penguin Group or other and changes the covers and advertise she will definitely increase her book sales and I´m pretty sure she will rise in the book industry.
I´m totally giving this book 5 stars. I think books shouldn't be rated based in bad editing. The writers put all their effort, time and imagination in their books for someone to give them bad rating because of verb use or punctuation ..etc...etc.etc.... She just needs to polish the rough edges and voilà.!!
Thank you Tempest for giving me the ARR of such a great book.
Fav Quote/Moments:
http://lust4books.blogspot.mx/
September 30, 2012
I received an eBook copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
All That We See Or Seem is a Young Adult Fantasy novel in which a quartet of teenagers collectively known as The Four enter Bevain, another world that exists parallel to their own and is their true home. Each has a special role: Lily is the Dreamer, Brin is the Stargazer, Caer is the Fortuneteller, and Ruarc is the Warrior. The plot mostly follows Lily and her actions (although it shifts occasionally to others with no dominant second character) as she fights Ronan, the self-proclaimed King of the realm who, despite his wickedness, has a sexy charm that she can't permanently shake off. In order to defeat him, the Four must band together and fight their first battle, although that is only the beginning of a thicker plot.
Although I loved the idea and imagination behind the plot and the roles of the characters, the story was not as developed as my expectations had led me to believe. The novel read like a first draft, complete with loose writing, absent and/or irrelevant elements, and overall sloppiness. Some characters, like Brin and Caer, played almost no role in the story. They almost exclusively appeared when they had a POV scene after Lily stepped into a commanding role. I also felt as if I had been dropped into the middle of a story, as too many characters are introduced at once, and I feel disconnected from them. None of them have any idea at all, either, but the way that they learn is jarring and awkward.
My main pet peeve with this novel was the carelessness of the manuscript. I found grammatical errors and overlooked typos that made the manuscript seem as if it had only seen a word-processor's spellcheck. I laughed aloud when I read about some character having to fear “the king's furry” (Page Unknown). Some others, within a short span of pages, included: “...but I new [sic] that he felt it was stupid to mourn” (100), “...as if they had been used to tear the fleash [sic] from something” (102) and “you miss understand [sic]” (107). Other errors, more on the grammatical side, were abundant enough to tell me that it was an absence of knowledge, not just a few oversights, of the difference between “new/knew” and “your/you're,” for example. No matter how awesome a book may be, I can't reward sloppiness with five stars.
And now for the highlights, so I can end this review on a positive and hopefully inspiring note (since I am loathe to give entirely negative reviews unless I feel a story truly deserves it, in which case it would not be getting three stars).
The scenes with Ronan are, in my opinion, the best written. I can picture him and his actions quite well in my mind, and his voice, to me, is drop dead sexy. I'd have said, “Yes. I'll go with you to save the lives of tens of thousands of people” in a heartbeat. . The perceived soul-mate aspect could have been played up a bit more, but his gradually increasingly invasive presence in Lily's life is well done.
The romantic tension between Larkin and Lily (and Ruarc) added more depth to the story. It was a bit on the sidelines at times, but considering what the author chose to do with it, it worked well. I only wonder why Ronan wasn't more jealous and/or better used a threat on Larkin's life as a way to manipulate Lily into joining him. It felt like an idle threat.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, but there wasn't enough there for me to give a four star rating. However, I do see potential for this story and its sequels, as I really want to see more of Ronan (*dreamy stare*). I will be reading Echo Island next (note: not part of the same series), and I hope that it earns at least a four star review from me.
(For those who care, I picture Ronan as Tom Felton. Tee hee!)
All That We See Or Seem is a Young Adult Fantasy novel in which a quartet of teenagers collectively known as The Four enter Bevain, another world that exists parallel to their own and is their true home. Each has a special role: Lily is the Dreamer, Brin is the Stargazer, Caer is the Fortuneteller, and Ruarc is the Warrior. The plot mostly follows Lily and her actions (although it shifts occasionally to others with no dominant second character) as she fights Ronan, the self-proclaimed King of the realm who, despite his wickedness, has a sexy charm that she can't permanently shake off. In order to defeat him, the Four must band together and fight their first battle, although that is only the beginning of a thicker plot.
Although I loved the idea and imagination behind the plot and the roles of the characters, the story was not as developed as my expectations had led me to believe. The novel read like a first draft, complete with loose writing, absent and/or irrelevant elements, and overall sloppiness. Some characters, like Brin and Caer, played almost no role in the story. They almost exclusively appeared when they had a POV scene after Lily stepped into a commanding role. I also felt as if I had been dropped into the middle of a story, as too many characters are introduced at once, and I feel disconnected from them. None of them have any idea at all, either, but the way that they learn is jarring and awkward.
My main pet peeve with this novel was the carelessness of the manuscript. I found grammatical errors and overlooked typos that made the manuscript seem as if it had only seen a word-processor's spellcheck. I laughed aloud when I read about some character having to fear “the king's furry” (Page Unknown). Some others, within a short span of pages, included: “...but I new [sic] that he felt it was stupid to mourn” (100), “...as if they had been used to tear the fleash [sic] from something” (102) and “you miss understand [sic]” (107). Other errors, more on the grammatical side, were abundant enough to tell me that it was an absence of knowledge, not just a few oversights, of the difference between “new/knew” and “your/you're,” for example. No matter how awesome a book may be, I can't reward sloppiness with five stars.
And now for the highlights, so I can end this review on a positive and hopefully inspiring note (since I am loathe to give entirely negative reviews unless I feel a story truly deserves it, in which case it would not be getting three stars).
The scenes with Ronan are, in my opinion, the best written. I can picture him and his actions quite well in my mind, and his voice, to me, is drop dead sexy. I'd have said, “Yes. I'll go with you to save the lives of tens of thousands of people” in a heartbeat. . The perceived soul-mate aspect could have been played up a bit more, but his gradually increasingly invasive presence in Lily's life is well done.
The romantic tension between Larkin and Lily (and Ruarc) added more depth to the story. It was a bit on the sidelines at times, but considering what the author chose to do with it, it worked well. I only wonder why Ronan wasn't more jealous and/or better used a threat on Larkin's life as a way to manipulate Lily into joining him. It felt like an idle threat.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, but there wasn't enough there for me to give a four star rating. However, I do see potential for this story and its sequels, as I really want to see more of Ronan (*dreamy stare*). I will be reading Echo Island next (note: not part of the same series), and I hope that it earns at least a four star review from me.
(For those who care, I picture Ronan as Tom Felton. Tee hee!)
September 25, 2012
Overall I have to say that I greatly enjoyed reading this book. It had an interesting story line once the reader is actually able to figure out what is going on. The beginning is really confusing and there is not a lot of explanation about what is happening or why. Also the author uses a lot of different names for characters that makes it hard to keep them straight when the story is first being read. Another issue I had with the book as a whole was the timeline for things. I understand and think it is an interesting concept that the main character are still trying to get their past life memories back, however, the timeline of events taking place in the past seem to be all jumbled together without some sort of concrete form. The final issue I had is one of a personal opinion and that is with the ages of the characters. Even though they had been reborn and had previously lived a different life in the past the characterization and some of the general attitudes of the characters seem to be well beyond their sixteen years. With all of the issues being said I truly enjoyed reading this and will go on to read the sequels.
Note: I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Note: I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
October 1, 2012
In difficult times of life, that we all know very well, is easy for a girl to imagine being a princess of a lost world, with the perfect love story and triunpf over the forces of evil, just like boys fantasies about super-heroes and slasing monsters.
All That Wee See or Seem is a very different kind of YA story, the concect really catch my attention, but the novel loses force after 100 pages or so. Tempest C. Avery presents the tale of four special teenagers who just happen to be powerful witches in another world, destined to fight an evil king and free all the people, according to an old prophecy. I think the characterization is the strongest part of the novel, with the protagonists discovering their roles in the new world, but missed more and better action.
The beginning was somewaht confusing, but soon gets easy to read and entertaining, with the author really getting the characters. The other world could be better developed, still. There were strange creatures, strong friendship, lost loves and all, being an intersting exploration of these themes. As a lover of the genre, I want to read more.
All That Wee See or Seem is a very different kind of YA story, the concect really catch my attention, but the novel loses force after 100 pages or so. Tempest C. Avery presents the tale of four special teenagers who just happen to be powerful witches in another world, destined to fight an evil king and free all the people, according to an old prophecy. I think the characterization is the strongest part of the novel, with the protagonists discovering their roles in the new world, but missed more and better action.
The beginning was somewaht confusing, but soon gets easy to read and entertaining, with the author really getting the characters. The other world could be better developed, still. There were strange creatures, strong friendship, lost loves and all, being an intersting exploration of these themes. As a lover of the genre, I want to read more.
October 6, 2012
2.5 stars
This book had a really interesting premise but it couldn't work for me. The first few chapters, I was not even sure if I could go through with the book as I couldn't grasp what was going on in there. The storytelling got better as it progressed but it ended up being just an overall okay book.
I would love to reread this book when it has been thoroughly edited. I liked Avery's writing but I think I'd like it even more when there I fewer typos.
This book was given to me by the author through Shut up & Read group's Read it and Reap program in exchange of an honest review
This book had a really interesting premise but it couldn't work for me. The first few chapters, I was not even sure if I could go through with the book as I couldn't grasp what was going on in there. The storytelling got better as it progressed but it ended up being just an overall okay book.
I would love to reread this book when it has been thoroughly edited. I liked Avery's writing but I think I'd like it even more when there I fewer typos.
This book was given to me by the author through Shut up & Read group's Read it and Reap program in exchange of an honest review
November 19, 2013
3 1/2 stars. This is bordering on "really liked it" status, but the ending did not inspire me to immediately delve into the next book of the trilogy.
Please, I beg authors out there and publishers too. If there is a pronunciation key to character and place names it MUST be first in the book not at the end. The names of characters and places are important. Struggling through the novel only to find a pronunciation guide at the end is like eating dry toast and then finding the butter or jelly.
My biggest complaint of this book (and the prequel) is the severe lack of editing. Missing words, wrong words, extra words, misused words, misspelled words, incorrect pronouns, compound words split in two, missing apostrophes where the possessive case should be shown, dangling participles, the list is long. No author is above proofreading nor should they go without a trustworthy group of beta readers who know how to proofread and catch such glitches. As a person with a B.A. in English, I think it is appropriate for me to say that a person with a degree in creative writing should be well versed in the editing process as well as in the workings of the language in which he or she is writing. I am a technical writer by trade and I edit every day. When I read, invariably I find a typo here or there and can let it pass...if I got through three pages of this story without catching something I was lucky.
You might be wondering how I think All That We See Or Seem could be bordering on 4 stars. Well, despite the atrocious editing the story is really, really good. Three separate worlds, magical creatures, fey, evil kings invading dreams, four "witches" that are to conquer the evil king, shapeshifters, jealousy, deceit, battles (very well choreographed), faeries, love triangles or quadrangles, strange looking horses, amnesia, and dragons.
Lily is the leader, the dreamer. She and her three friends died 300 years ago only to be reborn and return to Bevain to fulfill the prophesy and take down the evil king, Ronan. Ronan believes Lily is his soul mate and wants to rule over her. (He reminds me a lot of Jareth in Labyrinth, although with better pants.) She is strong and compassionate and has a good dose of self doubt.
At her side are Brid (the stargazer), Ruarc (the warrior and a guy), and Caer (the fortuneteller). All have unique powers and personalities. I love that one of the four is a male character. He is supportive and a little overprotective, but great. I have concerns about Caer. They always talk about how she is the weakest of the four and how she was the one who really started the problem with Ronan. Why didn't she see that this would happen? Is she stronger than they realize? Will she get tired of being told she is weak and go berserk on her friends?
In fact, there are several characters that have betrayer potential. Some worry me and others do not. What does worry me is that Lily does not see the potential.
This has the potential to be a fabulous quest trilogy. I do want to find out what happens to Lennan, if Caer gets control of her power and is loyal or not, if the four regain their memories, if Lily realizes that Larkin is not the fuzzy guy of her dreams that made her feel whole (from the prequel), if they find out the truth about Galvin's death (if he really is dead), if the four return to Other to say a proper good-bye to their adoptive parents (who are probably going nuts at the disappearance of their children), etc. I just don't know if I can wade through another 600 pages of horrible editing. So 3 1/2 stars it must be.
Please, I beg authors out there and publishers too. If there is a pronunciation key to character and place names it MUST be first in the book not at the end. The names of characters and places are important. Struggling through the novel only to find a pronunciation guide at the end is like eating dry toast and then finding the butter or jelly.
My biggest complaint of this book (and the prequel) is the severe lack of editing. Missing words, wrong words, extra words, misused words, misspelled words, incorrect pronouns, compound words split in two, missing apostrophes where the possessive case should be shown, dangling participles, the list is long. No author is above proofreading nor should they go without a trustworthy group of beta readers who know how to proofread and catch such glitches. As a person with a B.A. in English, I think it is appropriate for me to say that a person with a degree in creative writing should be well versed in the editing process as well as in the workings of the language in which he or she is writing. I am a technical writer by trade and I edit every day. When I read, invariably I find a typo here or there and can let it pass...if I got through three pages of this story without catching something I was lucky.
You might be wondering how I think All That We See Or Seem could be bordering on 4 stars. Well, despite the atrocious editing the story is really, really good. Three separate worlds, magical creatures, fey, evil kings invading dreams, four "witches" that are to conquer the evil king, shapeshifters, jealousy, deceit, battles (very well choreographed), faeries, love triangles or quadrangles, strange looking horses, amnesia, and dragons.
Lily is the leader, the dreamer. She and her three friends died 300 years ago only to be reborn and return to Bevain to fulfill the prophesy and take down the evil king, Ronan. Ronan believes Lily is his soul mate and wants to rule over her. (He reminds me a lot of Jareth in Labyrinth, although with better pants.) She is strong and compassionate and has a good dose of self doubt.
At her side are Brid (the stargazer), Ruarc (the warrior and a guy), and Caer (the fortuneteller). All have unique powers and personalities. I love that one of the four is a male character. He is supportive and a little overprotective, but great. I have concerns about Caer. They always talk about how she is the weakest of the four and how she was the one who really started the problem with Ronan. Why didn't she see that this would happen? Is she stronger than they realize? Will she get tired of being told she is weak and go berserk on her friends?
In fact, there are several characters that have betrayer potential. Some worry me and others do not. What does worry me is that Lily does not see the potential.
This has the potential to be a fabulous quest trilogy. I do want to find out what happens to Lennan, if Caer gets control of her power and is loyal or not, if the four regain their memories, if Lily realizes that Larkin is not the fuzzy guy of her dreams that made her feel whole (from the prequel), if they find out the truth about Galvin's death (if he really is dead), if the four return to Other to say a proper good-bye to their adoptive parents (who are probably going nuts at the disappearance of their children), etc. I just don't know if I can wade through another 600 pages of horrible editing. So 3 1/2 stars it must be.
November 23, 2012
I am normally a person who will stop reading if you do not have me in the first chapter. This book has changed my mind. I now, because of this book, will continue to push forward and give authors the chance they deserve to allow me to experience an original exciting story. I was given this book from Tempest C. Avery to read for an honest review. This book is about a war for saving people from evil. It has dragons, demons, witches, shape shifters, and much more! It is a journey full of surprises and suspense. The first chapter is a little overwhelming getting to know the characters and what is going to be happening in the book. Please do not let that stop you! She has added a reference in the back of the book that helps a lot with pronouncing their names and explaining who they are so you aren't so overwhelmed. But, after I continued to read I began to know them and love them. The story is very original and excellent for all fantasy lovers. I know I would have read it in a day or two if not for problems in my life that did not allow me much time to read. I read every lunch at work and hated when my 30 minutes were over. . I have read reviews about the beginning ( as I admitted also) and regarding some typos....so what...I see typos in magazines, newspapers, all books, and even on advertisement signs lol. That doesn't break a book, it is called being human. And most would glance past them because our brains look at the beginning and end of the words and it seems to be fine until you read very slowly ( edit mode) and can actually catch the misspelling. I guarantee I have many typos in this review too ( lol). I would have given 5 stars if the first chapter was different. But, I just can't imagine how she could have written anymore clear though...read it and you will understand . I highly recommend you read this book. The descriptions of the surroundings, characters , and emotions have you living in a far away land following these four main characters on their journey. Thank you Tempest C Avery for the honor of reading this story. Oh, and her other books rock , too! ;)
October 6, 2012
"All That We See or Seem" centers around a group of teenage witches - the fabled Four - who fled the land of Bevain 300 years ago, were reborn in the human world 16-17 years ago, and have now returned to defeat their old enemy, King Ronan.
ATWSOS has potential, but I think it would have functioned better as a middle book instead of a standalone or series starter. There is a whole lot of back story that is either missing or glossed over, and IMO, the story suffers for it. For example, the Four's human lives. I know they've been friends forever, they were all able to work (limited) magic, and they all experienced flashback-type dreams or memories about their former lives. Great. Now, what else? If I'd been able to spend a little time with them BEFORE they zipped back to Bevain to play hero, gotten to know them a bit, I might have been a little more invested in them as characters. Unfortunately, I wasn't given that opportunity. Instead, I was plunged straight into the Bevain world, with limited to no preparation or warning. Sometimes a book can get away with that, but in this case, it didn't work. At least, not for me. It was damn frustrating. So was being told, over and over, that Lily was the leader. I get it already, you don't have to keep beating me over the head with it.
That brings up another issue - telling versus showing. There was too much of the former and not enough of the latter. There was also a whole host of convenient plot developments. Meet someone new and need to remember them? Poof, here's the memory! Attacked by evil monsters? Poof, here's magically appearing weapons & freaky ninja skills you didn't know you possessed! Want to "check up on" your friend, make sure he's okay? No problem, here's that scrying power you forgot you had! You get the idea.
Last gripe - EDITING. I was astonished by the sheer number of grammatical errors in this book, and I sincerely hope those get fixed. Soon.
ATWSOS has potential, but I think it would have functioned better as a middle book instead of a standalone or series starter. There is a whole lot of back story that is either missing or glossed over, and IMO, the story suffers for it. For example, the Four's human lives. I know they've been friends forever, they were all able to work (limited) magic, and they all experienced flashback-type dreams or memories about their former lives. Great. Now, what else? If I'd been able to spend a little time with them BEFORE they zipped back to Bevain to play hero, gotten to know them a bit, I might have been a little more invested in them as characters. Unfortunately, I wasn't given that opportunity. Instead, I was plunged straight into the Bevain world, with limited to no preparation or warning. Sometimes a book can get away with that, but in this case, it didn't work. At least, not for me. It was damn frustrating. So was being told, over and over, that Lily was the leader. I get it already, you don't have to keep beating me over the head with it.
That brings up another issue - telling versus showing. There was too much of the former and not enough of the latter. There was also a whole host of convenient plot developments. Meet someone new and need to remember them? Poof, here's the memory! Attacked by evil monsters? Poof, here's magically appearing weapons & freaky ninja skills you didn't know you possessed! Want to "check up on" your friend, make sure he's okay? No problem, here's that scrying power you forgot you had! You get the idea.
Last gripe - EDITING. I was astonished by the sheer number of grammatical errors in this book, and I sincerely hope those get fixed. Soon.
September 30, 2012
I have to say when I first started this book, I found it really difficult to grasp what was going on, it pretty much turned me off this novel instantly and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to read it all.
Despite the emphasis towards 'the four' being the main characters in the story I found we didn't really get to know a great deal about them apart from Lily, I thought they could have been developed more. There were also many other characters that just seem to have been thrown in and I found this confusing, not really understanding what role they played within the story.
I also struggled to understand the time frames, were they gone for 300 years, 100 years from Bevain. Did they look as they had originally, were they the same age as they had been.
Parts of the story I loved, particularly the relationship between Larkin and Lily, and I am keen to know what's going to happen next. I am also interested to see what happens with Ruarc's nephew.
Yes I know my grammar and spelling aren't perfect, but I'm not writing novels just reading them. There were some pretty awful, laugh out loud mistakes in this book. Was this book never proof read?? If your serious about writing books then at least get the basics right.
Overall though I applaud Tempest C. Avery's story telling ability, I did enjoy it in places, just feel certain aspects needed more development, and other ideas/themes in the book needed tidying up and clarifying. Not sure I will be delving into the next one though.
Despite the emphasis towards 'the four' being the main characters in the story I found we didn't really get to know a great deal about them apart from Lily, I thought they could have been developed more. There were also many other characters that just seem to have been thrown in and I found this confusing, not really understanding what role they played within the story.
I also struggled to understand the time frames, were they gone for 300 years, 100 years from Bevain. Did they look as they had originally, were they the same age as they had been.
Parts of the story I loved, particularly the relationship between Larkin and Lily, and I am keen to know what's going to happen next. I am also interested to see what happens with Ruarc's nephew.
Yes I know my grammar and spelling aren't perfect, but I'm not writing novels just reading them. There were some pretty awful, laugh out loud mistakes in this book. Was this book never proof read?? If your serious about writing books then at least get the basics right.
Overall though I applaud Tempest C. Avery's story telling ability, I did enjoy it in places, just feel certain aspects needed more development, and other ideas/themes in the book needed tidying up and clarifying. Not sure I will be delving into the next one though.
October 1, 2012
When i first read the blurb for this book I was that excited, that i instantly signed up for my first R2R. As soon as i received the book, i sat eagerly at my computer and waited for the fun to begin. As I scrolled through the first few pages my disappointment grew. The beginning of the story was confusing and the barrage of characters was too much to take in.
The premise of the book is good and has great potential. It just needs stripping back to the basics. I liked the main character but nearly everyone else faded into obscurity and i was forever asking "Who is that one?" "What was she/he doing?" The time lines were also confusing and I would have liked to see more character development throughout. I had to concentrate on making my eyes read the words as they constantly tried to skim over the pages.
The author has a good ability to write and i could see in most places what she wanted me to see, there were just too many flaws for me to get engrossed. I hope the author does try to rework the novel AND get it professionally edited. I would definitely read it again if that happened.
The premise of the book is good and has great potential. It just needs stripping back to the basics. I liked the main character but nearly everyone else faded into obscurity and i was forever asking "Who is that one?" "What was she/he doing?" The time lines were also confusing and I would have liked to see more character development throughout. I had to concentrate on making my eyes read the words as they constantly tried to skim over the pages.
The author has a good ability to write and i could see in most places what she wanted me to see, there were just too many flaws for me to get engrossed. I hope the author does try to rework the novel AND get it professionally edited. I would definitely read it again if that happened.
October 2, 2012
I enjoyed the style in which the book was written. The character names were a bit much, every time I read one I kept thinking how is is suppose to be pronounced? The story line was a really great and fun idea. I feel everything was such a coincidence. Oh you need a weapon and one magically appears. Wondering how we are going to travel and poof you now have knowledge to call a way. The way it was written suggests that they the magic 4 some are much older than a teenager. LOL At least the ones I know. The way the story starts to unfolds I think it needed a little fine tuning. Hard to believe it could happen for me. I just loved the authors writing but couldn't connect with it. I would however read more by this author due to practice makes perfect.
October 6, 2012
Though this book can be read as a stand alone, I do recommend reading the first book, "Where Thy Dark Eye Glances," before starting this one. It will clear up a lot of the background information, and make a few things a little less confusing. Hopefully.
Being as I have not read the first book, it started rather suddenly and with quite a bit of confusion for me. There were a lot of references to people and activities that had happened in the past for Lily and her group which were never really explained well.
I did enjoy this book. It is full of magic, mythical creatures, and mayhem.
I do recommend this book, but only after you have read the first one.
Being as I have not read the first book, it started rather suddenly and with quite a bit of confusion for me. There were a lot of references to people and activities that had happened in the past for Lily and her group which were never really explained well.
I did enjoy this book. It is full of magic, mythical creatures, and mayhem.
I do recommend this book, but only after you have read the first one.
November 7, 2012
This Book Is Amazing. Lily,Ruarc,Brid And Caer Discovered that they are witches from another demention. They are trying to discover who they were in their past life when the man who wants them all dead but lily starts invading their dreams and the only way to stop him is to go back to the demeition they came from and fulfill a prophecy from long ago.
I Love Lily She Is The Dreamer And She Trys To Protect Everyone. This Book Is Filled With Love And Betrayal And Friendship. I Cried A Few Times And Cussed A Few Times Too. This Is One Of The Best Witch Books Ive Read.
I Love Lily She Is The Dreamer And She Trys To Protect Everyone. This Book Is Filled With Love And Betrayal And Friendship. I Cried A Few Times And Cussed A Few Times Too. This Is One Of The Best Witch Books Ive Read.
February 16, 2013
Check out this review at our blog The Window Seat!!! :)
http://readinginthewindowseat.blogspo...
So I was SUPER pumped to begin reading this, having heard Tempest talk about it and also from other readers who raved about it. Additionally as of recent I've been either filling out graduate applications or I've been reading science fiction, so I thought a shift to fantasy would be satisfying. And satisfying it was :)
First and foremost, I loved the conflict of four seventeen year old's coming home, but not to a world they knew, nor did all of them completely align themselves with. I feel like a lot of authors make an assumption that as soon as people are forced back to a world where they're destined to save its people, there's like two seconds of "omg I don't belong here, I'm not a hero!" Then there's one quick pep talk from the one wise person among them and then the hero or heroes go "oh ok...no biggie." Tempest makes our reincarnated heroes' transition to their home realm Bevain excruciating, while also instilling our heroes with a sense of duty that develops over time, until they finally come to grips with the reality that the fate of an entire world rests on them. The coming-of-age cliches are pretty much absent in this text, which is pretty refreshing :)
What I loved most about the text was how Tempest was able to paint a colorful world of faeries, dragons,witches and shape shifters, while also managing a snappy, fast paced, and modernized dialogue. There isn't an overload of "milords," "miladies" or formal dialogue that sometimes comes off as grating and sometimes dulls the characters' personalities. Tempest not only succeeds in constructing dialogue that snaps you attention, but also characters' whose dialogues are uniquely their own.
Also I loved the couples in this book. The juxtaposition of Bran and Brid with Lily and Larkin make the reader adore both couples, while also pitying one and envying the other. And then there's the Dark King Ronan, who's just plain EVIL to everyone, but the moment you see him interact with the conflicted Lily, he softens, and even after being such a COMPLETE jerk sometimes you're like "aawww but look at that he loooves her!" and twenty seconds later you're like "wait, that KNUCNKLEHEAD!" After having to witness this double-sidedness of him consistently throughout this book, I just want to leap into his twisted head and see what else is there. I'm hoping I get to see more of what goes on in those dark, oozing brains of his the second and third books! :)
Simply put, I fell in love with the characters in this book, and though they have no awareness of me screaming at and crying with them while reading this, I feel like I've fought with them in the throes of battle and that i too am roped into the same destiny. Seriously can't wait to pick up the next book!
http://readinginthewindowseat.blogspo...
So I was SUPER pumped to begin reading this, having heard Tempest talk about it and also from other readers who raved about it. Additionally as of recent I've been either filling out graduate applications or I've been reading science fiction, so I thought a shift to fantasy would be satisfying. And satisfying it was :)
First and foremost, I loved the conflict of four seventeen year old's coming home, but not to a world they knew, nor did all of them completely align themselves with. I feel like a lot of authors make an assumption that as soon as people are forced back to a world where they're destined to save its people, there's like two seconds of "omg I don't belong here, I'm not a hero!" Then there's one quick pep talk from the one wise person among them and then the hero or heroes go "oh ok...no biggie." Tempest makes our reincarnated heroes' transition to their home realm Bevain excruciating, while also instilling our heroes with a sense of duty that develops over time, until they finally come to grips with the reality that the fate of an entire world rests on them. The coming-of-age cliches are pretty much absent in this text, which is pretty refreshing :)
What I loved most about the text was how Tempest was able to paint a colorful world of faeries, dragons,witches and shape shifters, while also managing a snappy, fast paced, and modernized dialogue. There isn't an overload of "milords," "miladies" or formal dialogue that sometimes comes off as grating and sometimes dulls the characters' personalities. Tempest not only succeeds in constructing dialogue that snaps you attention, but also characters' whose dialogues are uniquely their own.
Also I loved the couples in this book. The juxtaposition of Bran and Brid with Lily and Larkin make the reader adore both couples, while also pitying one and envying the other. And then there's the Dark King Ronan, who's just plain EVIL to everyone, but the moment you see him interact with the conflicted Lily, he softens, and even after being such a COMPLETE jerk sometimes you're like "aawww but look at that he loooves her!" and twenty seconds later you're like "wait, that KNUCNKLEHEAD!" After having to witness this double-sidedness of him consistently throughout this book, I just want to leap into his twisted head and see what else is there. I'm hoping I get to see more of what goes on in those dark, oozing brains of his the second and third books! :)
Simply put, I fell in love with the characters in this book, and though they have no awareness of me screaming at and crying with them while reading this, I feel like I've fought with them in the throes of battle and that i too am roped into the same destiny. Seriously can't wait to pick up the next book!
January 5, 2013
All That We Seem or Seem by Tempest C. Avery
Description: Lily Bryg is a seventeen year old witch. She doesn't always know what that means, or how to control it, but she does know that to most, it paints a pretty little target over her forehead. If that's not bad enough, Ronan an evil king who believes she's his soul mate has been stalking her in her dreams. Should she fight Ronan and risk everything, or give up her freedom to possibly save her friends?
And what about Larkin, the attractive shape shifter who sparks a strong sense of deja vu within her? He claims they knew each other in her past life, but how could she trust something she can't remember? Dodging witches, demons, faeries, dragons, and much, much more, the Four are just beginning to realize that having power comes with a lot of responsibility. And sacrifice. But one question stands out among the rest, haunting Lily through out the nights and days. Should she fight Ronan and risk everything, or should she give up her freedom to the gorgeous, yet wicked, king in order to possibly save her friends?
Overall: This book was alright. I feel like the plot was good and the characters were mostly well developed. The beginning was a little confusing, but at the end it became clear. There were things that didn't really get explained, but I think they will be in the next book. It was alright. I didn't like the errors in the text though. Many times a the was supposed to be a they and things like that. Other than that, though, this book was good. It was a typical book where the main character is responsible for saving the world, or another world in this case, and falls in love along the way. I'm not saying this is bad in any way though, and the writing style was very good. I loved that it required a lot of imagination. This book takes you to a far away place and leaves you there to discover it along with The Four. The setting was very creative, too!
Characters: I liked The Four. The idea behind them was good. That they all had their own special powers and such. I wish they had gotten more of their memory back, though. It might have helped clear things up. I also liked Larkin. He was very sweet and protective of Lily, which I thought was really cute. Their relationship didn't really grow though. It was like one minute they had their first kiss, and then all of the sudden they are in love? Was it just me that thought this?
Quotes: “Larkin found himself next to her now, his arm wrapped around her shoulders as if to comfort, though why he had no idea, for she seemed as calm as ever. Somehow, deep down, he knew that it was all a charade, a mask that she fitted in place as a means of protection. It wasn't easy for her to trust.”
Recommend?: Yes I highly recommend if you like the whole werewolves fairies and magic type of book. This book had a lot of imagination, which I loved! I give it 4/5 stars.
Lived One Thousand Lives
Description: Lily Bryg is a seventeen year old witch. She doesn't always know what that means, or how to control it, but she does know that to most, it paints a pretty little target over her forehead. If that's not bad enough, Ronan an evil king who believes she's his soul mate has been stalking her in her dreams. Should she fight Ronan and risk everything, or give up her freedom to possibly save her friends?
And what about Larkin, the attractive shape shifter who sparks a strong sense of deja vu within her? He claims they knew each other in her past life, but how could she trust something she can't remember? Dodging witches, demons, faeries, dragons, and much, much more, the Four are just beginning to realize that having power comes with a lot of responsibility. And sacrifice. But one question stands out among the rest, haunting Lily through out the nights and days. Should she fight Ronan and risk everything, or should she give up her freedom to the gorgeous, yet wicked, king in order to possibly save her friends?
Overall: This book was alright. I feel like the plot was good and the characters were mostly well developed. The beginning was a little confusing, but at the end it became clear. There were things that didn't really get explained, but I think they will be in the next book. It was alright. I didn't like the errors in the text though. Many times a the was supposed to be a they and things like that. Other than that, though, this book was good. It was a typical book where the main character is responsible for saving the world, or another world in this case, and falls in love along the way. I'm not saying this is bad in any way though, and the writing style was very good. I loved that it required a lot of imagination. This book takes you to a far away place and leaves you there to discover it along with The Four. The setting was very creative, too!
Characters: I liked The Four. The idea behind them was good. That they all had their own special powers and such. I wish they had gotten more of their memory back, though. It might have helped clear things up. I also liked Larkin. He was very sweet and protective of Lily, which I thought was really cute. Their relationship didn't really grow though. It was like one minute they had their first kiss, and then all of the sudden they are in love? Was it just me that thought this?
Quotes: “Larkin found himself next to her now, his arm wrapped around her shoulders as if to comfort, though why he had no idea, for she seemed as calm as ever. Somehow, deep down, he knew that it was all a charade, a mask that she fitted in place as a means of protection. It wasn't easy for her to trust.”
Recommend?: Yes I highly recommend if you like the whole werewolves fairies and magic type of book. This book had a lot of imagination, which I loved! I give it 4/5 stars.
Lived One Thousand Lives
January 11, 2013
I have given this book 3 star, which I have explained below, though I did really enjoy the story, in fact I can see this book as a film.
The reason why it didn't make it to 5 stars was because of the editing of the book. Some punctuation, verb tenses and adverbs need to be corrected throughout the book. It took me longer to read this book than usual, as I had to re-read sentences and auto correct it in my head for it to flow easy and make sense. Also the prologue could have been explained a little simpler too.
And I feel the pronunciations of Names that are at the end of the book should be at the beginning. As I think this will help readers get a better feel for the characters and story.
This book is full of fantasy and mystery. Its Willow meets Legends meets Narnia in a sort of way.
Four friends ‘Lily (the dreamer), Ruarc (the warrior), Brid (the stargazer) & Caer (the fortune-teller)’ are the key to a prophecy to rid the evil King Ronan who rules over Bevain.
Ronan believes that Lily – the leader of the four and prophesised Queen of Bevain, is his Soul Mate when Caer, 'the fortune-teller' not knowing what Ronan looked like, accidentally tells him its Lily because she wanted her friend to find love and be happy! Now Ronan will not stop until he has Lily and will kill to get her.
Killed by Ronan three hundred years ago, the Four’s souls are reborn in a realm called the ‘Other’ aka Earth. Brought up in present time New York, the four's souls recognise each other and re-connect them and reveal part of their past memories, which help them discover parts of themselves and their magic.
When the four and their friends are attacked by unseelie in New York and their dreams are terrorised by Ronan, a Shadow named Galvin, who was also sent to the 'Other' to help and protect them, helps the four return to Bevain, where a Rebellion (set up when the four died), prepare for their return and for battle against Ronan and for Lily to take her rightful place as Queen.
In Bevain the four meet people who knew them three hundred years ago (as bevainians can live forever, but are not immortal) but whilst their memories are still too weak, it's a learning curve for them all, Knowing who to trust, learning and getting ready to fight and trying to recall memories and magic long forgotten is just some of the challenges for the four, let alone dealing with love, jealousy, loss, pain and hurt.
The story ends with a “to be continued” which you will find in Tempest’s next books; Wanderers of the Night (The Dreamer Trilogy, #2) and Amid the Roar (The Dreamer Trilogy, #3).
The reason why it didn't make it to 5 stars was because of the editing of the book. Some punctuation, verb tenses and adverbs need to be corrected throughout the book. It took me longer to read this book than usual, as I had to re-read sentences and auto correct it in my head for it to flow easy and make sense. Also the prologue could have been explained a little simpler too.
And I feel the pronunciations of Names that are at the end of the book should be at the beginning. As I think this will help readers get a better feel for the characters and story.
This book is full of fantasy and mystery. Its Willow meets Legends meets Narnia in a sort of way.
Four friends ‘Lily (the dreamer), Ruarc (the warrior), Brid (the stargazer) & Caer (the fortune-teller)’ are the key to a prophecy to rid the evil King Ronan who rules over Bevain.
Ronan believes that Lily – the leader of the four and prophesised Queen of Bevain, is his Soul Mate when Caer, 'the fortune-teller' not knowing what Ronan looked like, accidentally tells him its Lily because she wanted her friend to find love and be happy! Now Ronan will not stop until he has Lily and will kill to get her.
Killed by Ronan three hundred years ago, the Four’s souls are reborn in a realm called the ‘Other’ aka Earth. Brought up in present time New York, the four's souls recognise each other and re-connect them and reveal part of their past memories, which help them discover parts of themselves and their magic.
When the four and their friends are attacked by unseelie in New York and their dreams are terrorised by Ronan, a Shadow named Galvin, who was also sent to the 'Other' to help and protect them, helps the four return to Bevain, where a Rebellion (set up when the four died), prepare for their return and for battle against Ronan and for Lily to take her rightful place as Queen.
In Bevain the four meet people who knew them three hundred years ago (as bevainians can live forever, but are not immortal) but whilst their memories are still too weak, it's a learning curve for them all, Knowing who to trust, learning and getting ready to fight and trying to recall memories and magic long forgotten is just some of the challenges for the four, let alone dealing with love, jealousy, loss, pain and hurt.
The story ends with a “to be continued” which you will find in Tempest’s next books; Wanderers of the Night (The Dreamer Trilogy, #2) and Amid the Roar (The Dreamer Trilogy, #3).
October 20, 2012
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The first few pages were so packed with information that it was extremely hard for me as a reader to grasp. There was also a lot of names, etc. I was immediately turned off because of the extended amount of info i was supposed to take in and since then I have found it hard to move on and enjoy the story.
^^^ Okay so that first part of my review I wrote when I was only 25% through the book. I still say that the beginning of this book needs some work and is the main reason I am giving this book 3 stars instead of 4 or higher. It was really hard to get into a book that was so difficult to understand from the get go...
I think this idea of "The Four" is really cool and interesting and the fact that they don't fully remember their former selves is awesome and a lot could be done with that. For example, I would have loved to have the flashbacks to be more creatively done. What I mean by that is something happens and then suddenly we are thrown into a memory... I would like to see the memory explained thoroughly instead of just having the character, like Lily. say "Oh this is so and so I met him in the past..." I'd like to know how she knew him, in fact I'd like a nice picture painted for me on what she was seeing in that memory.
Sometimes I was confused by how the characters reacted to one another, etc.
Also there are some editing issues through out the entire book. But this doesn't really have anything to do with the amount of stars I am giving, just leading Tempest know. They are obvious errors that occur when anyone writes and just needs someone to go through and edit it.
With all of that being said, I did enjoy the story. The more i turned the pages- the more i enjoyed the book. I do want to read the next installment to this series and I am definitely interested in what is still to come! There are so many questions that I have and am looking forward to having them answered in later books.
:)
The first few pages were so packed with information that it was extremely hard for me as a reader to grasp. There was also a lot of names, etc. I was immediately turned off because of the extended amount of info i was supposed to take in and since then I have found it hard to move on and enjoy the story.
^^^ Okay so that first part of my review I wrote when I was only 25% through the book. I still say that the beginning of this book needs some work and is the main reason I am giving this book 3 stars instead of 4 or higher. It was really hard to get into a book that was so difficult to understand from the get go...
I think this idea of "The Four" is really cool and interesting and the fact that they don't fully remember their former selves is awesome and a lot could be done with that. For example, I would have loved to have the flashbacks to be more creatively done. What I mean by that is something happens and then suddenly we are thrown into a memory... I would like to see the memory explained thoroughly instead of just having the character, like Lily. say "Oh this is so and so I met him in the past..." I'd like to know how she knew him, in fact I'd like a nice picture painted for me on what she was seeing in that memory.
Sometimes I was confused by how the characters reacted to one another, etc.
Also there are some editing issues through out the entire book. But this doesn't really have anything to do with the amount of stars I am giving, just leading Tempest know. They are obvious errors that occur when anyone writes and just needs someone to go through and edit it.
With all of that being said, I did enjoy the story. The more i turned the pages- the more i enjoyed the book. I do want to read the next installment to this series and I am definitely interested in what is still to come! There are so many questions that I have and am looking forward to having them answered in later books.
:)
October 7, 2012
I just finished this book. I got it when i answer on request for review on Goodreads.In description book sounded as something that would be fun to read but it show up later that it is not as expected and it is more then typing errors.I find it in other people reviews of this book mentioning typing errors but they are something that is correctable.That what is not so easily correctable is writing style. That is something that requires years of life,writing and reading to achieve.I don't know exact age of writer but i suppose it could be young person.Language demonstrate that the most.Pretty often it is possible to run into some cliches.Weather in words characters are exchanging or in text alone.There are numerous times that i read phrase "she/he licked lips". When people spontaneously lick lips during conversation it is small gesture that shows how person feels. Still,it is used so many times in books till now that it is best to leave it out.I notice use of Celtic(i guess it is Celtic) in book .It look truthful and gives credibility to story. Also,writer is able to write story with many characters and set in another world.Story consisting mythical beings and monsters.But characters are many and their development very scant.They all have purpose but it would be better if there was maybe fewer characters and more time invested in building them.I think we can expect some interesting book by this writer in future but until then there is some time to be spend.Intelligence,talent and confidence are important but simply not enough and every writer knows that from own example.Time is necessary for writer.Time of growing and finding better and better ways to write story.To polish our prose.Commit a lot time looking for better sentence, better expression or word.That is little slow process but it helps in long run.It is better to write just one book but to put our best in it.
November 14, 2012
This is an amazing book! I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review but, I have to say, I would gladly pay for it! The beginning is kind of a whirlwind. The author provides a lot of back-story and it may be a little difficult to keep clear at first. That said, it's totally worth a little possible confusion once you really get into the story!
The main characters are four teenagers who are way too mature for their ages. They were drawn to each other due to their similarities, they thought, and bonded very tightly throughout their reincarnated childhoods. Eventually, they realize that they've lived before but don't remember much of their past lives. As fragments of their past lives began to come to them, they find that they're destined to travel to an alternate world to save their countrymen from an evil king. This king is convinced that one of the teens, Lily, is his soul mate, and he will do anything to get her to agree. Even kill her friends and anyone who helps her try to overthrow him. He visits her in her dreams and, though she is confused by these visits, she vows to save everyone from his tyranny.
Each of the teens is a witch and have a special power and, once they venture to the other world, they learn there is a lot more to their abilities than they first thought. They meet a lot of assorted paranormal-type characters; witches, fairies, werewolves, dragons, demons, and the adventure begins to take a lot of twists and turns. The alternate world that has been created by the author is so vividly portrayed, that you can picture it as a real place. There's also romance, mystery, and some scary stuff. Everything a reader needs to keep them enthralled in a story and, really, isn't that what reading is all about?
The main characters are four teenagers who are way too mature for their ages. They were drawn to each other due to their similarities, they thought, and bonded very tightly throughout their reincarnated childhoods. Eventually, they realize that they've lived before but don't remember much of their past lives. As fragments of their past lives began to come to them, they find that they're destined to travel to an alternate world to save their countrymen from an evil king. This king is convinced that one of the teens, Lily, is his soul mate, and he will do anything to get her to agree. Even kill her friends and anyone who helps her try to overthrow him. He visits her in her dreams and, though she is confused by these visits, she vows to save everyone from his tyranny.
Each of the teens is a witch and have a special power and, once they venture to the other world, they learn there is a lot more to their abilities than they first thought. They meet a lot of assorted paranormal-type characters; witches, fairies, werewolves, dragons, demons, and the adventure begins to take a lot of twists and turns. The alternate world that has been created by the author is so vividly portrayed, that you can picture it as a real place. There's also romance, mystery, and some scary stuff. Everything a reader needs to keep them enthralled in a story and, really, isn't that what reading is all about?
January 25, 2013
This has been sitting in my "to read" pile for a while, and I was honestly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Lily is a witch from another realm who has been sent to earth to be reborn with her 3 best friends. They, who are known collectively as The Four, are the last hope in the rebellion against the evil Dark King of their realm, who has decided that Lily is his soul mate. It has been 17 years since their rebirth on earth, but 300 years since their original deaths in their realm, and it is time to go back. Unfortunately, only a few of their memories from their past lives have resurfaced, and it is a challenge to know who to trust and how to lead a rebellion, when you are only a 17 year-old girl.
Like most self-published books, this one had a few editing errors and instances where I thought some plot points could use more explanation or development. Overall, it was one of the better self-published books I've seen, however. I thought the story line was a refreshing change from the usual teen paranormal we see a lot of today. The characters were interesting and likable, and the love interest was good enough that you were rooting for the character while still being intrigued by the other possibilities.
I think my favorite character was Ronan, the evil king. There is just something so fascinating to me about a bad guy who is in love with the heroine, because if he has that good of taste in women, can he really be all bad? The word building and description of Lily's world was good, and able to convey the "not-earthness" of it. I thought the author did a great job of writing a modern fantasy that did not cross over too much into the sci-fi category. I am definitely looking forward to reading the sequels.
Provided as an ebook by the author via Smashwords.
Like most self-published books, this one had a few editing errors and instances where I thought some plot points could use more explanation or development. Overall, it was one of the better self-published books I've seen, however. I thought the story line was a refreshing change from the usual teen paranormal we see a lot of today. The characters were interesting and likable, and the love interest was good enough that you were rooting for the character while still being intrigued by the other possibilities.
I think my favorite character was Ronan, the evil king. There is just something so fascinating to me about a bad guy who is in love with the heroine, because if he has that good of taste in women, can he really be all bad? The word building and description of Lily's world was good, and able to convey the "not-earthness" of it. I thought the author did a great job of writing a modern fantasy that did not cross over too much into the sci-fi category. I am definitely looking forward to reading the sequels.
Provided as an ebook by the author via Smashwords.
January 8, 2013
Avery is one of those storytellers who can bring an entire world alive with her words. She keeps you captivated throughout the story. I could barely put the book down at all.
The stellar cast of characters in this novel are real teenagers. They talk and act their age while learning that they must fight for more than just themselves. You live with them while they struggle to come to grips with who they are now, who they used to be, and what they must do. You feel excited, nervous, and curious alongside the characters, wanting to know more about what’s happening. The characters became so real to me, that at times they brought tears to my eyes. Of course, other characters were just plain creepy. Very vivid, but creepy.
Avery works in depth descriptions into her story without them getting long or drawn out. She manages to bring her world to life with her words. And what a world she brings to live. The author combines multiple different mythologies into one whole new exciting world.
Despite the Avery’s magnificent world is broken up by a scattering of grammatical errors throughout the novel. Without these, I would have given the book a higher star rating. There are just enough that it can distract you from the story itself.
I will definitely still be following the Dreamer Trilogy through until the end as the story kept me captivated throughout. Avery has a definite way with words and has a knack for storytelling that I am eager to see develop throughout the series.
The stellar cast of characters in this novel are real teenagers. They talk and act their age while learning that they must fight for more than just themselves. You live with them while they struggle to come to grips with who they are now, who they used to be, and what they must do. You feel excited, nervous, and curious alongside the characters, wanting to know more about what’s happening. The characters became so real to me, that at times they brought tears to my eyes. Of course, other characters were just plain creepy. Very vivid, but creepy.
Avery works in depth descriptions into her story without them getting long or drawn out. She manages to bring her world to life with her words. And what a world she brings to live. The author combines multiple different mythologies into one whole new exciting world.
Despite the Avery’s magnificent world is broken up by a scattering of grammatical errors throughout the novel. Without these, I would have given the book a higher star rating. There are just enough that it can distract you from the story itself.
I will definitely still be following the Dreamer Trilogy through until the end as the story kept me captivated throughout. Avery has a definite way with words and has a knack for storytelling that I am eager to see develop throughout the series.
December 7, 2012
I think I got the first edition of this one before the author went back through and corrected some parts and edited it a little more. I think if I were to try the latest edition more of the story would have made sense.
This is the first book in the Dreamer trilogy but I have to say, from the first chapter it is very confusing and I felt more like I had just walked into the middle of an ongoing series instead of one just beginning.
There were too many characters right off to keep in track of and to remember and I felt myself scratching my head on more than one occasion wondering what in the world was going on. We are sort of thrown into the middle of the story without any real background info about where they are and what is going on. I could tell the author had the story in her head and knew where she was going with it but it left the reader feeling more like an outsider looking in trying to decipher and storyline and characters that really looked promising.
I don't believe this is a bad story at all, in fact with a little work and maybe a slightly less confusing beginning (which I am hoping the updated version has) this could really be a fun read with some great characters. I think the author has a lot of talent that is just dying to show through the pages.
For now I am going to leave this one unrated (or maybe a very neutral 3 stars) until I get a hold of a better copy and can read more of the story.
This is the first book in the Dreamer trilogy but I have to say, from the first chapter it is very confusing and I felt more like I had just walked into the middle of an ongoing series instead of one just beginning.
There were too many characters right off to keep in track of and to remember and I felt myself scratching my head on more than one occasion wondering what in the world was going on. We are sort of thrown into the middle of the story without any real background info about where they are and what is going on. I could tell the author had the story in her head and knew where she was going with it but it left the reader feeling more like an outsider looking in trying to decipher and storyline and characters that really looked promising.
I don't believe this is a bad story at all, in fact with a little work and maybe a slightly less confusing beginning (which I am hoping the updated version has) this could really be a fun read with some great characters. I think the author has a lot of talent that is just dying to show through the pages.
For now I am going to leave this one unrated (or maybe a very neutral 3 stars) until I get a hold of a better copy and can read more of the story.
October 18, 2012
I received this book from the author for a honest review.
Four teenagers reside in our world, and keep having nightmares of another life. Theya re brought back to the world after three hundred years in the human world. The friends find out that they have a prophesy to complete when they returned. Did I mention that they have no recollection of this world which makes it difficult when they are the ones prophesied to save it.
I found that the beginning of this book was very confusing because there wasn't really any information of that time, then suddenly they are in this new world. Also there are so many characters that it is hard to follow who is who. And there were not paragraphs to separate when the characters switched from one to the next. Also I found that the beginning was slow, it did pick up in the end, but then the book ended.
I did think the premise was good and I liked some of the characters. I will read the next book just to see where it goes and what happens to the characters that I liked. Also I liked that different types of paranormal a were included such as witches, faeries, shades and shape-shifters.
Also I learned that they is a "first book" called "Where Thy Dark Eye Glances" which would have been nice to know before I read this book. So I feel that if people read the first book, and if this book gets more editing and has less confusion it could be a much better read.
Four teenagers reside in our world, and keep having nightmares of another life. Theya re brought back to the world after three hundred years in the human world. The friends find out that they have a prophesy to complete when they returned. Did I mention that they have no recollection of this world which makes it difficult when they are the ones prophesied to save it.
I found that the beginning of this book was very confusing because there wasn't really any information of that time, then suddenly they are in this new world. Also there are so many characters that it is hard to follow who is who. And there were not paragraphs to separate when the characters switched from one to the next. Also I found that the beginning was slow, it did pick up in the end, but then the book ended.
I did think the premise was good and I liked some of the characters. I will read the next book just to see where it goes and what happens to the characters that I liked. Also I liked that different types of paranormal a were included such as witches, faeries, shades and shape-shifters.
Also I learned that they is a "first book" called "Where Thy Dark Eye Glances" which would have been nice to know before I read this book. So I feel that if people read the first book, and if this book gets more editing and has less confusion it could be a much better read.
November 26, 2012
I meant to give it a 4.5 but obviously it is not possible on goodreads. Anyways, at first, I was really confused with this book because I hadn't read the book before it. Soon after though this book was really good and it sucked me right into it. I loved how the characters slowly remembered the past and everything because it kept me hooked to the book till the very end. It was really good although there were a few mistakes that made me reread the whole paragraph again. I LOVE Bran and Brid the most because they truly supported each other throughout the whole story and even made me close to tears. They weren't as complicated as most of the couples, which made them more enjoyable, know that they treat each other the way a normal, healthy relationship did. I did like Lily and Larkin's relationship although they took a long time to realize that they love and care for each other. What made me dislike their relationship a bit was what they fought and "broke up" about. But because of the break up, it made me really want to read the second book ASAP.
My favourite characters overall were Bran and Conall (still are!) because they lighten up the mood and are pretty well developed even though they weren't mentioned much in the story. I am glad that I got a chance to read this and I am very well on the second book of this, hoping to find a little more "something" in Larkin's and Lily's relationship. (Same with Bran and Brid!)
My favourite characters overall were Bran and Conall (still are!) because they lighten up the mood and are pretty well developed even though they weren't mentioned much in the story. I am glad that I got a chance to read this and I am very well on the second book of this, hoping to find a little more "something" in Larkin's and Lily's relationship. (Same with Bran and Brid!)
November 2, 2012
I must admit that I was drawn in pretty quickly to the story that unfolded in “All That We See or Seem”. But first things first: I was given a copy of this novel free from the author through my Goodreads book club, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. All thoughts and conclusions are my own.
In the beginning we are introduced to the main characters Lily (Dreamer), Ruarc (Warrior), Bridgett (Stargazer), and Caer (Fortuneteller). Due to the complexity of their dual names/powers/signs/etc., it is a little difficult to follow them all and keep them straight (I had to write them all down!) – but totally worth it once you get it figured out. These characters all feel very strong connections with one another, as well as a connection to a fragmented shared past. This bond carries through the many lifetimes they’ve shared with one another, and it is their strongest asset.
In a world filled with witches, fairies, kings and queens, goblins and the like, author Tempest C. Avery takes these characters on a journey to discover that life is bigger than they are, and “the Four” are strongest when they stay together.
The worlds were very vividly drawn and the excitement was gritty – those factors made this a book that I was able to quickly get lost in. Although this book does contain violence in the battle scenes, it is not excessive -- I would recommend this book to anyone 15+.
In the beginning we are introduced to the main characters Lily (Dreamer), Ruarc (Warrior), Bridgett (Stargazer), and Caer (Fortuneteller). Due to the complexity of their dual names/powers/signs/etc., it is a little difficult to follow them all and keep them straight (I had to write them all down!) – but totally worth it once you get it figured out. These characters all feel very strong connections with one another, as well as a connection to a fragmented shared past. This bond carries through the many lifetimes they’ve shared with one another, and it is their strongest asset.
In a world filled with witches, fairies, kings and queens, goblins and the like, author Tempest C. Avery takes these characters on a journey to discover that life is bigger than they are, and “the Four” are strongest when they stay together.
The worlds were very vividly drawn and the excitement was gritty – those factors made this a book that I was able to quickly get lost in. Although this book does contain violence in the battle scenes, it is not excessive -- I would recommend this book to anyone 15+.
October 13, 2012
I would like to thank the author for giving me this book for an honest review. I think this story was an interesting fantasy.
Lily, Caer, Ruarc, and Brid are the chosen four in another world. After more than 300 years they are all brought back to this world through a portal, so that they can fulfill a prophesy and be the Leaders of the Rebellion's army against the King's. Ronan has been after Lily ever since he was told she was his soulmate. He visits her often her her dreams, which is where her powers lie and she sees visions. Now they all must decide what to do, and if they can win with the help of the rebellion. There is some romance along the way, and I especially loved Larkin with his gorgeous ocean blue eyes. The book did not end, and I'll have to read the next one to see where any romance leads, and what happens with protective Ruarc.
I found this book very confusing at the beginning. I really wish the author would have made it simpler to understand. She did very well with descriptive writing, though. With so many new characters being introduced I found it hard to remember who was who, and connecting to them. I think this could definitely use a good editing. Good book for lovers of fantasy.
Lily, Caer, Ruarc, and Brid are the chosen four in another world. After more than 300 years they are all brought back to this world through a portal, so that they can fulfill a prophesy and be the Leaders of the Rebellion's army against the King's. Ronan has been after Lily ever since he was told she was his soulmate. He visits her often her her dreams, which is where her powers lie and she sees visions. Now they all must decide what to do, and if they can win with the help of the rebellion. There is some romance along the way, and I especially loved Larkin with his gorgeous ocean blue eyes. The book did not end, and I'll have to read the next one to see where any romance leads, and what happens with protective Ruarc.
I found this book very confusing at the beginning. I really wish the author would have made it simpler to understand. She did very well with descriptive writing, though. With so many new characters being introduced I found it hard to remember who was who, and connecting to them. I think this could definitely use a good editing. Good book for lovers of fantasy.
October 4, 2012
I picked this up through Read It & Reap - thank you!
Interesting beginning to a story. Some great elements, but I think this book was only run through spellcheck and left riddled with typos or the wrong word. Some of the language was clunky too. After a battle scene they were counting the diseased and I had to stop reading to figure out who was sick! It should have been deceased.
Anyway, it was hard to read because of that. Forget their vs there and too vs to, titled vs tilted, everyone's heads were titled when they looked lovingly at someone. Miss understood was in there somewhere too.
I really hope that someone takes a critical eye to this book because the bones are good, there are the four, reborn to lead a rebellion against an evil king. These four need to remember their past lives, their magic, their past loves and struggle to bring about a prophesy. Good stuff, once it is cleaned up.
Interesting beginning to a story. Some great elements, but I think this book was only run through spellcheck and left riddled with typos or the wrong word. Some of the language was clunky too. After a battle scene they were counting the diseased and I had to stop reading to figure out who was sick! It should have been deceased.
Anyway, it was hard to read because of that. Forget their vs there and too vs to, titled vs tilted, everyone's heads were titled when they looked lovingly at someone. Miss understood was in there somewhere too.
I really hope that someone takes a critical eye to this book because the bones are good, there are the four, reborn to lead a rebellion against an evil king. These four need to remember their past lives, their magic, their past loves and struggle to bring about a prophesy. Good stuff, once it is cleaned up.
November 29, 2012
Lily Bryg was from another world. She didn’t have green skin, or horns, but the fact didn’t change that while she looked like a normal human being on the outside, on the inside she was something else entirely. Witches tended to appear that way.
Well, this book didn't turn out as I expected. I turned out better. I had my doubts about it, but it had me from the start. It was cool, fun and quick to read! That's why I give it 3.5 stars. =)
This is a short one, but what more can I say? Read the book!
I have to mention that I saw a few spelling errors, but that could've been the copy I had. :P
Lily Bryg was the big three S's. Seventeen and scared shitless.
I just had to put that line in the review, lol.
A copy of this book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Well, this book didn't turn out as I expected. I turned out better. I had my doubts about it, but it had me from the start. It was cool, fun and quick to read! That's why I give it 3.5 stars. =)
This is a short one, but what more can I say? Read the book!
I have to mention that I saw a few spelling errors, but that could've been the copy I had. :P
Lily Bryg was the big three S's. Seventeen and scared shitless.
I just had to put that line in the review, lol.
A copy of this book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
October 2, 2012
I didn't give this book a four star review even though I believe the plot and overall storytelling does deserve it... It's just that I think Tempest C Avery needs / needed to have the book edited more thoroughly before publishing... The grammar and spelling mistakes were a little distracting but not so much that I couldn't enjoy the book...
In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed it... It reminded me a little bit of Chronicles of Narnia in some parts but the faeries, Shades, shape-shifters and the like kept me enthralled. The story's packed with romance, adventure and suspense!
Tempest C Avery is a talented young storyteller. I was surprised by her age and then grew really proud of her for having the guts to publish her stuff...
Can't wait to read the next instalment in this series
In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed it... It reminded me a little bit of Chronicles of Narnia in some parts but the faeries, Shades, shape-shifters and the like kept me enthralled. The story's packed with romance, adventure and suspense!
Tempest C Avery is a talented young storyteller. I was surprised by her age and then grew really proud of her for having the guts to publish her stuff...
Can't wait to read the next instalment in this series
November 11, 2012
All in all I enjoyed this book. A good concept but was confusing at times. Some things could have been explained better. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Fantasy / YA if you can get past the spelling and grammar.
Which brings me on to my next point.
The spelling and grammar mistakes in this book are numerous and at times distracted from the story. I don't mind people self publishing, I'm all for it but at least get your work proof read before putting it out there. I did laugh out loud at one point in the book regarding this matter and anyone that has read it will know which point I'm referring to.
Will be reading the next book in the series as I want to know what happens next.
Which brings me on to my next point.
The spelling and grammar mistakes in this book are numerous and at times distracted from the story. I don't mind people self publishing, I'm all for it but at least get your work proof read before putting it out there. I did laugh out loud at one point in the book regarding this matter and anyone that has read it will know which point I'm referring to.
Will be reading the next book in the series as I want to know what happens next.
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