Immortal Becoming

The Enlightened Species #1

by Wendy S. Hales

An alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here.

Shane Einar is a five hundred year old warrior, sworn to duty and honor. His species has inhabited the earth since the beginning of time. The source of vampire, elf and fairy myths, Volaticus are in reality something completely different.

Shane never expected to meet Jess Reed, a female living amongst humanity completely unaware that she is a human/Elven hybrid race of Volaticus, or that she is on the throws of Becoming into her Elven traits. Shane should turn Jess over to the Symbiosis of Species Council, but his attraction to her along with her ability to enrapture him with a smile holds him back, and his suspicion that Jess is his bloodmate doesn't help the matter.

Jess had always been psychic, a painful and confusing fact of her life, but with Shane’s support she learns to control her abilities and discovers the psychically enlightened species that share her world. Together they sacrifice the power of their bloodmating in the battle to save females from the control of an Elven rogue.

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Fae, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural

371 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2012

About the author

During my hectic life of working and raising children the call of a story in my mind was not always welcome. The niggling character or plot that refused to leave my thoughts until I would sit down a write something … a synopsis, character profile, anything to relieve the creative pressure. With my children grown, and my husbands loving support I dove head first into the depths of my passion and lifelong dream … writing. It was like a floodgate opened in my soul.

I look out at the Rocky Mountain from my window in Utah. I have been blessed with an amazing family and wonderful friends. My husband and I own a small local coffee shop. I enjoy boating golfing, reading and spending time with my family.

Reviews

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 3 out of 5]

**mild spoiler**
This book has a ton of great reviews and very few bad ones. I guess I'm in the minority, but I found myself constantly annoyed at with it. The writing was simplistic, but passable. So, that wasn't the issue. It was the characters and some aspects of the plot that made me alternatively scoff, roll my eyes, groan, growl and cringe and almost never laugh, smile, or blush. I just didn't particularly enjoy reading it.

Important things, like the kidnapping of a relatively major character and the fight around it were glossed over quickly while other, less important things (Jorie's low iron level drama, for example) were described in excruciating and never-ending detail.

I'm also fairly sure it's meant to be PNR, not erotica, which means that the focus shouldn't be more heavily centred on the characters' sexual relationship than the rest of the plot. But, as much as I love a steamy sex scene or two (dozen), here the amount of time dedicated to the Jess and Shane's sexual attraction (not necessarily actual sex, but thoughts, actions, words, etc related to their attraction to one another) eclipsed the story.

Plus, it had one of the most ridiculous virginal sex scenes ever. Please! So unrealistic. I don't demand realism in my fantasy, but I do expect not to spend the whole time so distracted by the lack of realistic emotions, actions, reactions, etc. that it ruins the experience. The sex didn't really improve after that, either. As example, at one point Jess gets two swats on the butt and is then said to be 'close to orgasm.' Really two slaps on the bum (15 seconds worth) is all she needs? She then literally orgasmed on entry (another 15 seconds). Ugh.

I was further infuriated by Jess' version of post-coital pillow talk. The cliché sexually molested foster child disclosure...seriously, can authors not think of any other history for female characters? I swear I've read this same scene, or some slight variation of it hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times. I'm so sick of it. Both because of the repetitive nature of encountering it so regularly and because it's often irrelevant to the rest of the plot. I consider it a cheap attempt at character development by giving the girl a tragic past and generally think poorly of most authors who use it. Not always, sometimes it's important. This wasn't one of those times though. It contributed nothing of importance to the story, so why include it?

Plus, Jess chose to disclose this little gem of history right in the middle of an otherwise happy scene with a man she'd known for mere hours. As if this wouldn't be a total downer, or she wouldn't worry about it being too heavy for their infantile relationship, or she wouldn't be embarrassed. As if this was a perfectly natural thing to bring up at that point in time, with that person. It was not! It was ridiculous. Predictable. Unnecessary. It didn't even flow naturally. She wasn't supposed to have been having a flashback or have been reminded of it by the sex. She just blurted it out of nowhere. Again, why?

Shane, predictably, wasn't put off by any of this. He just went on thinking how amazing/strong/etc she was. This was a theme for him. Love will do that to a guy, I guess. But the thing is, for most of the book, I didn't see Jess do anything noteworthy to earn this respect. She cried at the drop of a hat, was too stubborn, and had a tendency to just accept anything put in front of her with little to no critical thought.

As I mentioned, most of the writing is fine. There are some editing issues, but they aren't too distracting. What was though were the thousand-year-old immortals who talked like teenagers. I don't just mean using modern slang. That would be bad enough, but things like referring to another as Mom (even though the point was made elsewhere that due to their long lives they generally call their parents by name). Hearing a 3000+ year old man call, 'The yard is clear, Mom.' was just WRONG on so many fronts.

The book has an interesting idea. If the world-building had been a little more robust it could have been really good. Ms. Hales obviously has done a lot of thinking about the different species, the political system, the biology etc. The outline is there. But it's fairly complex and since not enough time is dedicated to explaining it, the reading is left confused by it. But it would be unfair to not point out that there is a really interesting world being developed here.

I have the rest of the series and I imagine I'll read them at some point, but not right not. According to the blurbs, the heroine in book 2 has been used for a blood/breeding slave for decades (repeatedly raped and impregnated), the heroine in book 2.5 is saved from a gang rape by the hero and in book three we're back to the breeding slaves (rape, rape, rape, anyone else see a theme in here?) Since, as I've mentioned, rape as an easy plot device isn't something I enjoy, I can only take so many books BASED on female victimhood in a row. I guess I'm just odd like that. So, I need a break from the series before I can finish it out. (Though I have to admit the temptation of Gil and Innanna...)

*edited, originally posted Feb. 2014

[Debra Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finished Reading July 7, 2013

1.75 Stars
Book Rejected
Boring. Didn't like it. Repetitive. Bad flow.
Disappointing.

Prch Amz July 7, 2013

[Hbeebti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well well well, I have to say that this book was really good. I had no idea that it was about Elven's. Not elves. I thought for some reason that this was about witches. Its not at all. Jess and Shane pretty much fall in love right away. They hook up right away. In fact their relationship was very fast. But I really didn't care because when Jess meets Shane's family and then her own it was pretty entertaining. I will say that trying to remember and figure out who is who was confusing at times. But by the end I'm pretty sure that I finally got it.

This was sexy, entertaining and fast paced. The bad guy bad but he felt more like a minion. Looking forward to the next book.

[Niina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful new world, unique setting, believable characters and romantic action, this novel was a pleasant surprise! I literally couldn't stop reading this novel until I was done, it's addictive. Hales does a great job in hooking the reader with a fresh paranormal world, new species and twist of all things old a legend - loved it!

Jess and Shane worked so well together, all that yummy tension turned to entertaining reading! Jess was lovely, kind but had a really good attitude at times when she needed it - compliments of juvie and being a foster kid. And I have to give props for her not being a stupid heroine, you know the kind who makes dumb choices under stress... well not Jess, it's nice to see that. Shane was cocky, funny, arrogant and I loved it, he was also sexy as hell in 6 foot 2, dark, handsome and did I mention arrogant and witty... so sexy!

The plot I liked a lot, the decision Shane has to make, the world Jess has to face, aunt Moira, the rogue Elven, the council this book was filled with interesting scene after scene. If you're a fan of paranormal romance then this is a must read for you!

Now what could be improved: the blurb, it's an info load it doesn't have to be, I'd remove words like Volaticus Elven, Hulven and SOSC, and it needs some work to make it clearer, there are changes of tone, and mood. It needs a rewrite to truly draw a reader in ( see below the review ). The cover is gorgeous and the girl reminds me of Kendra ( anyone else? ).

( "Shane Einar is a five hundred year old warrior, sworn to duty and honor. His species has inhabited the earth since the beginning of time. The source of vampire, elf and fairy myths, Volaticus are in reality something complitely different.

Shane never expected to meet Jess Reed, a female living amongst humanity completely unaware that she is a human/Elven hybrid race of Volaticus, or that she is on the throws of Becoming into her Elven traits. Shane should turn Jess over to the Symbiosis of Species Council, but his attraction to her along with her ability to enrapture him with a smile holds him back, and his suspicion that Jess is his bloodmate doesn't help the matter.

Jess had always been psychic, a painful and confusing fact of her life, but with Shane’s support she learns to control her abilities and discovers the psychically enlightened species that share her world. Together they sacrifice the power of their bloodmating in the battle to save Elven females from the control of an Elven rogue." )

[PepperP0t · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5stars actually – great start to a new series

I found this gem lounging in my TBR pile while looking for a book to fulfill some specific requirements. Once again the synopsis made me eager to read and I dove in as quickly as I could and was completely pulled into the storyline.

This quick and easy to read novel has a little different and enjoyable take on elven & human folk (vamps don’t exist in this world) as it introduces us to a great new series. Sweetly shy Jess Reed has been plagued with various biological maladies for since her mom died ten years ago and she met her mysterious Aunt Moira.

Enter ”heartstoppingly” gorgeous Shane Einar ready to assist Jess whenever and however she’s willing to accept it. Through Jess’s eyes and with Shane’s guidance we’re educated in all things Elven; a bit of Jess’s unknown past and some steamy sensuous scenes between the leads. Both of the lead characters and the secondary characters voices were strong enough to provide a well rounded view of what was happening and why while building a coherent world. The plotting and overall storyline were great in addition to the wonderful action pieces which all worked to provide a rainy afternoon of pleasure.

While I felt the mechanics of the story were all on target, I was a bit uneasy that Jess was so accepting with the Elven lifestyle and its impact on her having never heard any of this before. I bought the attraction and the “sacrifice” completely but couldn’t go along with how easily Jess jumped on board. Also, where the villain is personified, the tone of the book seemed to slow down a bit making the pacing a tad choppy. There was also a large gap for me. it didn’t make sense for them to delay their mating when the work was completed and, both of them would have been incapacitated so no one could expect either to work.

All things being said, I was intrigued enough with the characters and the world they created to seek out additional stories for the series.

[Cait Lavender · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wendy S. Hales has done something that’s very hard to do as a writer: Take the classic tale of star crossed lovers and make it new and fresh. I loved the funny interactions between Jess and Shane, got caught up in the lovemaking scenes *fans myself* and couldn’t put it down when the detailed action sequences began.
Jess is a very likeable character. She’s all by herself with powers she doesn’t understand but when it’s revealed to her exactly what she is, she handles it with ladylike poise and aplomb. I always like my characters to be strong and self-reliant, not some shrinking violets that have to be scooped up and saved out of every bad situation. Shane is a tall, dark and sexy with a sharp sense of humor that had me simultaneously swooning and laughing.
The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the beginning. Hales does a lot of telling and not showing and I found myself pulling away from the story from the onslaught of information that would probably have been better explained as the book progressed. Even before the book starts there’s this page that’s almost like a disclaimer, telling you about the characters in the book. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I’d rather not learn about the story of a book that way. It makes me feel like I went all the way on the first date.
Barring that, this is a great cheap ebook and I’d recommend it!

[Valerie Mcqueen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review of Immortal Becoming by Wendy S. Hales
Book One of the Enlightened Species

Rating 5*****

This book was provided free in exchange for honest literary review. The opinions expressed are solely my own. A Book on the Bright Side review.

. Jess has lived most of her life in seclusion. Being psychic sends her into massive sensory overloads around large group of people. at times it has even cause seizures and bleeding from the nose. All of the changes when Shane walked into her life. Shane brought out the best in Jess. He helped take the overload away and helped Jess to live again, but dangerous times are still ahead.
. A crazy man has abducted one of Jess's loved ones. The same mad man who just a few years prior had tormented her own mother. As the secrets unravel it becomes apparent that he must be stopped at all cost. Can Shane and Jess hold it together and rescue those she loves?
. Jess is an awesome leading female. Strong ,yet sensitive even with the world crashing down she remains fearless. Shane is the man of our dreams ....who wouldn't want a man who was especially designed for you in every way. This story provides action ,romance and a fair mix of suspense along the way. Nothing about it dragged or even made me want to put it down even for just a break Editing superb , excellently written and easy to follow. A definite must have!!!!!!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I am about 70% through the book and I am not sure that I can finish it. The H/h were told that if they sacrifice their mating that would result in their destined first born daughter they could save women who are being forced into breeding. They were given less than 5 minutes to make this choice. Both of them were certain that giving up their not yet created daughters life was the way to go. Sure it sounds the honorable thing to do, but what parent sacrifices a child? They quickly decided they could always have other kids. Like having other kids would make up for the one they were so quick to sacrifice. They didn't take a second to try to come up with an alternative option to save the poor captured women and save their future child. The H even said it was an honor to make such a sacrifice. It made me very disappointed in the H/h. I am not sure I can even finish the book. No matter what happens in the rest of the story.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I didn't care for the amount of romance/sex in the book, the world building in this book made up for that. I loved the world Hales created in this series along with the bigger plot in which Jess needed to exercise her new powers.

There were some drawbacks though that prevented me from giving it 5 stars. I do agree with another commenter. The pace, which was super quick, at which Jess accepted her new life made it hard to suspend disbelief. I also feel like her human family was written off as insignificant too easily with only mentions of how she may have been kidnapped because they hadn't heard from her in hours. I think those two things should've been handled a bit smoother.

I'm looking forward to seeing what else will happen in Hales' world she started in Immortal Becoming.

[Deb Julienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immortal Becoming...Where to start? This book was probably one of the best paranormals I've ever read. Now that said, while I love reading them, some of them drive me nuts with their alternate worlds. You never get a good picture of the charaters and how they morph. NOT THIS ONE. It was so well written that when I finished I didn't have a single question except when is Book I going to be released. Shane and Jess were like family when I finished. I want Shane to be my protector and Jess my best friend. Yes, it was that good. The world Wendy created was so believable, it sent me to the history books trying to figure out show she managed to brilliantly pull this off. I don't want to ruin it if you haven't read it but I consider this a must read....ABSOLUTELY!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Immortal Becoming by Wendy S Bales was a good book with characters that were well-developed and an interesting storyline. My favorite part of the story was when the author was telling the story behind the different species. I felt a tug when Bales wrote about Jess and Shane's bonding. The only reason I gave the story a three is because I resented all of the sex scenes that took away from the story. While the descriptions are okay Bales does a much better job describing the emotions between characters and the story would have been fine with out all the sex.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, great book, enjoyed the enlightened characters, and the family trees that deveopled, and the names, well, some of them, but it was a bit confusing when it was like there was 2 generations of "e" names, then a generation of "m" names, and finally a generation of "j" names. Other than that, really good! Hope the cover is added to goodreads soon!

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Immortal Becoming even though around 70% I started to lose interest because I felt like I had information overload. I also felt there was just too much going on at the end. Shane and Jess's romance was really sweet even though I would have enjoyed them together more with Shane teaching her the ways. I'm looking forward to the next book.

[Kyra Dunst · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. The setting and characters are very well done. There were some minor editing problems, such as missed punctuation, but it did not detract from the story. I would give it a five star rating if the editing issues were resolved. I would still recommend this book to lovers of paranormal romances.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely amazing story. It has really specific detail, involving all the senses, which make such a compelling and interesting read. I got totally sucked into the other world created. I loved the main characters personality's, but even the sub characters where really interesting. I really enjoyed it, very much!

[Ruthie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had been sitting in my TBR pile for forever, finally decided to give it a shot. It was an OK book but too confusing. Too many people with weird names. different species, different abilities, who's related to who. Throw in a battle with all these people in the mix and Im completely lost.
I dont think I'll be reading the other books in this series.

[Jacky Faber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story was OK, nothing special. I got tired of all the world building. I don't dislike world building because I've read many such books, but this world didn't interest me for some reason. I ended up scanning a lot of the book.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great first book. I was captivated and read the book in one sitting. Wendy has a way of bringing you into the volaticus world and connecting you deeply with each characters. The love scenes are steamy and leave you wanting more.

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off really good; until about 70% in. I can totally understand world building, but I started getting information overload. I really think some of the parts could have been omitted. Also the glossary probably should have been at the beginning of the book.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The synopsis captures describes the story, however there is so much more. The species in this book are different than any book I have ever encountered. The names can be a bit difficult to follow but hang in there and you'll be fine.

[Allen Castle]

An all around amazing series. Well rounded out characters with unique personalities while still holding to racial expectations. Very interesting interweaving of a variety of species, including how they have become immersed within the human race.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good. Tended to ramble a bit, especially when trying to convey backstory. But I thought that the story and the romance were very well developed, especially compared to most self-pub books.

[Ilse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh the same plot that has been done to death.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[-Edamommie-]

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0074U5FT0/ref... FREE ON AMAZON

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read :)

[Nubia Savino · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stupid

[Lauri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this, from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down.

[Kimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completely different from other books I've read. Loved it!

[Mollie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring to me, not my kind of book apparently.