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Stained #2
Stolen
With Cayne's fate in the hands of his enemies and Julia spirited away to the covert Stained compound, the two are separated by impenetrable walls and a gulf of unanswered questions. Soon Julia learns the truth about the Stained and the plans they have for her, the compound is attacked, and a new group is running from an unwanted destiny, searching the globe in pursuit of the knowledge that just might save them all.
131 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
52 people are currently reading
1944 people want to read
About the author
Ella James
75 books5,801 followersElla James is the USA Today + Amazon Top 10 bestselling author of more than twenty books. Ella lives in Colorado with her husband and three kids. When she's not writing, you can find her in the foothills.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
August 4, 2012
I think I love Ella James.
I started reading this book almost as soon as I finished writing my review for the first installment! I was hooked from the beginning, and this sequel did not disappoint.
This time, Julia and Cayne are not just two (very unusual) people against the world. This time, Julia is separated from Cayne, the one person she feels she can trust, and surrounded by "Chosen" the kind of people she didn't even know existed. Her kind.
Now i'm just gonna gush over Cayne for a little while. You might want to get comfortable, because this could take awhile. He is my new fiction boyfriend. Seriously. And what I love about him most is that despite the fact he is a mythical creature that doesn't exist in the real world (soo sad), he is so real. He has flaws. He's done awful deeds. He's not not this perfect, too-good-for-the-heroine being. But despite it all, he will do anything for Julia.And he's kinda sarcastic, which I just love. He really only was in the story the last half, but I was worrying abbout him the whole way through, even when Julia wasn't.
The whole rest of the cast was so diverse and interesting, and thoroughly enjoyed meeting all of them. Even stuck up Nathan and oddball Dizzy. Meredith was such a cool gal pal character, who I would be totally okay with meeting in real life.
To the Kindle store for the next book! *raises fist in air and goes to amazon.com with a purpose*
I started reading this book almost as soon as I finished writing my review for the first installment! I was hooked from the beginning, and this sequel did not disappoint.
This time, Julia and Cayne are not just two (very unusual) people against the world. This time, Julia is separated from Cayne, the one person she feels she can trust, and surrounded by "Chosen" the kind of people she didn't even know existed. Her kind.
Now i'm just gonna gush over Cayne for a little while. You might want to get comfortable, because this could take awhile. He is my new fiction boyfriend. Seriously. And what I love about him most is that despite the fact he is a mythical creature that doesn't exist in the real world (soo sad), he is so real. He has flaws. He's done awful deeds. He's not not this perfect, too-good-for-the-heroine being. But despite it all, he will do anything for Julia.And he's kinda sarcastic, which I just love. He really only was in the story the last half, but I was worrying abbout him the whole way through, even when Julia wasn't.
The whole rest of the cast was so diverse and interesting, and thoroughly enjoyed meeting all of them. Even stuck up Nathan and oddball Dizzy. Meredith was such a cool gal pal character, who I would be totally okay with meeting in real life.
To the Kindle store for the next book! *raises fist in air and goes to amazon.com with a purpose*
April 20, 2012
I received stolen the sequel to Stained on Tuesday started it today and finished it in a bit more than an hour. The reason for this. Simple, it was that good. The story of Julia and Cayne makes Romeo and Juliet fade in comparison. Their love, their lives are doomed based on the nature of their existance. But they wont give up. Besides, to many questions remained unanswered in Stained, questions which were to a degree answered in Stolen but by its very nature, Stolen stole the scene and with it more questions than ever is raised. Is Cayne what he was told. Is Julia the ONE? By the time I reached the end of the book I knew one thing, nope two things. I love this story and that whatever the questions, love will be the answer. I adore the fast paced, easy ease with which Ella writes her stories. She introduces a host of new characters, some of them more formed than others, most of them essential and all of them entertaining. For now my one and only regret is this . . . I do not have the next story. I need to know more.
I give this book a 8 ******** star review. Ella, hurry up……..
I give this book a 8 ******** star review. Ella, hurry up……..
June 13, 2012
The first book in this series, Stained, is very short, so I decided to throw these two together for one review. I was approached by author Ella James not too long ago, and she generously gifted me the first two books in her Stained trilogy, in exchange for an honest review. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read this wonderful story! I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait for the last installment in the series.
It begins with a young girl named Julia. She has lived most of her life with a foster family, and because of her, they are destroyed, along with their home. The fire is started by a half-demon who is hunting her; trying to kill her. She flees the scene, only to find herself homeless, and alone.
Julia has special powers. She can see peoples auras, and she can heal. This is how she meets Cayne, another half-demon. He is sexy, and mysterious, with wings the color of charcoal. She heals him after a brutal fight, with the very demon that tried to murder her.
Joined together by a single goal, they begin a trek across the country, hunting down this monster that has hurt them both very deeply. Julia wants answers and she thinks Cayne seems to have them.
As they travel, we learn more about them. We learn that Julia is marked, or Stained, and their are others like her. She needs answers and he can lead her to them. Also, that Cayne has lost his memory, but he knows that the demon part of him is dark, and that he has done terrible things.
I love the romance in this story. It is not instant, and they are not "meant to be" or drawn to each other from first sight. At times, they even dislike each other! They are brought together by their journey, and a natural caring and love for each other begins to form.
Eventually, they are captured by the very ones they are searching for, and become separated. They are both taken to a facility where the Stained, or as they call themselves, Chosen, live and train. Cayne is taken to a holding cell, but Julia is thrown into a military type school. The Chosen hate Cayne, for he is their enemy. The demons and Chosen have been at war for years, and Julia, is causing quite the stir for being with him.
Many others just like her have been brought to this place, but they all seem to have questions that need to be answered. The only good thing about this situation is that Julia meets others that are like her, and she makes some friends.
This part of the book is mostly from Stolen, the second book in the trilogy. I liked this one much better, because of the action and fighting scenes, along with meeting other Stained and learned about their abilities.
Overall, this paranormal romance was exciting, and thrilling, and a story that I enjoyed very much. Cayne was hot and sexy, and I loved watching the romance build between him and Julia. I thought the idea of the Stained was creative, believable, and the characters were likable. I highly recommend this series!
It begins with a young girl named Julia. She has lived most of her life with a foster family, and because of her, they are destroyed, along with their home. The fire is started by a half-demon who is hunting her; trying to kill her. She flees the scene, only to find herself homeless, and alone.
Julia has special powers. She can see peoples auras, and she can heal. This is how she meets Cayne, another half-demon. He is sexy, and mysterious, with wings the color of charcoal. She heals him after a brutal fight, with the very demon that tried to murder her.
Joined together by a single goal, they begin a trek across the country, hunting down this monster that has hurt them both very deeply. Julia wants answers and she thinks Cayne seems to have them.
As they travel, we learn more about them. We learn that Julia is marked, or Stained, and their are others like her. She needs answers and he can lead her to them. Also, that Cayne has lost his memory, but he knows that the demon part of him is dark, and that he has done terrible things.
I love the romance in this story. It is not instant, and they are not "meant to be" or drawn to each other from first sight. At times, they even dislike each other! They are brought together by their journey, and a natural caring and love for each other begins to form.
Eventually, they are captured by the very ones they are searching for, and become separated. They are both taken to a facility where the Stained, or as they call themselves, Chosen, live and train. Cayne is taken to a holding cell, but Julia is thrown into a military type school. The Chosen hate Cayne, for he is their enemy. The demons and Chosen have been at war for years, and Julia, is causing quite the stir for being with him.
Many others just like her have been brought to this place, but they all seem to have questions that need to be answered. The only good thing about this situation is that Julia meets others that are like her, and she makes some friends.
This part of the book is mostly from Stolen, the second book in the trilogy. I liked this one much better, because of the action and fighting scenes, along with meeting other Stained and learned about their abilities.
Overall, this paranormal romance was exciting, and thrilling, and a story that I enjoyed very much. Cayne was hot and sexy, and I loved watching the romance build between him and Julia. I thought the idea of the Stained was creative, believable, and the characters were likable. I highly recommend this series!
October 22, 2012
First, let me say that I am enjoying the story. The characters and their varied pasts and abilities make for an interesting read. However, the telling of the story needs some work for it to truly meet its potential. Coming from an indie author, such is expected and understandable. One of the things I love about indie authors, they're like diamonds in the rough. I thoroughly enjoy watching them develop their craft.
Aside from occasional grammatical and proofreading errors which are pretty typical with indie books, there were only two issues that detracted from the story. At times, the writing is a little confusing and it's hard to decipher what is happening in a scene. This matter is nothing major really, it can just be a little disorienting. Generally, I found that if I just kept reading, it made a bit more sense as I went, but sometimes, that was not the case. I believe that as the author continues to write and hone her craft, this problem should resolve itself in future books.
My only real complaint about the series came in the form of a glaringly obvious inconsistency that carried throughout the second book. At first, I chalked it up to a slip. However, as I continued to read, the issue continued to rear its ugly head.
There is a scene about half way through the first book where Kayne removes Julia's cast with his blood dagger so that Rosa can heal it. Rosa makes a comment that Julia heals fast and will only need to keep her arm in a sling for a couple days. It seemed like a fairly prominent scene as it seemed to build trust and credibility in this newly introduced character, Rosa. The book ended without another reference to her arm or cast being an issue.
At multiple points throughout the second book, there are references to Julia still having her cast on. Other times, she is doing things that would seem difficult to accomplish if she still had a cast on (like putting rubber gloves on and washing dishes), but the cast isn't brought up. It wouldn't be such a big deal except that in some scenes, it's as if the cast is a means of making a point. Then, other scenes, it's like it's not even there.It's a really a minor detail, but one that has become so glaringly inconsistent between the three books thus far.
Upon searching the third book (via Kindle Android app) for the word 'cast,' I discovered that there is no mention of it at all. It appears the author chose to resolve the issue by ignoring it ever happened. I'm not sure if I would have preferred the author addressed the issue more head on by writing a resolution into the third book, or in the manner that she chose. Either way, this is a good start to a great story. I look forward to finishing the third book in the coming days.
Aside from occasional grammatical and proofreading errors which are pretty typical with indie books, there were only two issues that detracted from the story. At times, the writing is a little confusing and it's hard to decipher what is happening in a scene. This matter is nothing major really, it can just be a little disorienting. Generally, I found that if I just kept reading, it made a bit more sense as I went, but sometimes, that was not the case. I believe that as the author continues to write and hone her craft, this problem should resolve itself in future books.
My only real complaint about the series came in the form of a glaringly obvious inconsistency that carried throughout the second book. At first, I chalked it up to a slip. However, as I continued to read, the issue continued to rear its ugly head.
There is a scene about half way through the first book where Kayne removes Julia's cast with his blood dagger so that Rosa can heal it. Rosa makes a comment that Julia heals fast and will only need to keep her arm in a sling for a couple days. It seemed like a fairly prominent scene as it seemed to build trust and credibility in this newly introduced character, Rosa. The book ended without another reference to her arm or cast being an issue.
At multiple points throughout the second book, there are references to Julia still having her cast on. Other times, she is doing things that would seem difficult to accomplish if she still had a cast on (like putting rubber gloves on and washing dishes), but the cast isn't brought up. It wouldn't be such a big deal except that in some scenes, it's as if the cast is a means of making a point. Then, other scenes, it's like it's not even there.It's a really a minor detail, but one that has become so glaringly inconsistent between the three books thus far.
Upon searching the third book (via Kindle Android app) for the word 'cast,' I discovered that there is no mention of it at all. It appears the author chose to resolve the issue by ignoring it ever happened. I'm not sure if I would have preferred the author addressed the issue more head on by writing a resolution into the third book, or in the manner that she chose. Either way, this is a good start to a great story. I look forward to finishing the third book in the coming days.
February 6, 2013
Originally posted on my blog! :)
This second book in the Stained series definitely does not disappoint! Julia goes through so much and I really felt for her. I mean who do you trust? She finds others like her. But...they kidnapped her. Brought her to a compound that she's not allowed to leave. They won't answer many questions because information is on a "need to know" basis and has all the makings of some crazy cult. And then there's Cayne. Whom she loves very much, yet he spent nearly 200 years killing those of her kind. But it's what he was taught, what he was told he was born to do. She wages a heartbreaking inner battle about her feelings for Cayne now that she knows the full truth about his murderous past.
Some new and fun characters were introduced. Meredith I adore. She's quirky and very entertaining. One of those people that you wish you had a friend like them! Drew is great too. I was so glad he was by Julia's side. And then there's Nathan...I'm not sure how I feel about him. I really want to like him and trust him and I feel like maybe he could be one of those people you hear about who grow up in a cult and so it's all they know and he's trying so hard to be what they expect of him. I'm hoping that deep down there's more to him and he'll know he's wrong...I guess he's just one of those people I see there's a glimmer of good in and hope that I turn out right. We'll see!
Cliffhangers! Oh man Ms. James is seriously the master of a good cliffhanger. When you get to the very last line of this book, you're gonna be thinking "WHAT?!?!" At least that's how I was lol! Thankfully I have the last 2 books so I can now go jump in and find out what happens next. Excellent series so far!
This second book in the Stained series definitely does not disappoint! Julia goes through so much and I really felt for her. I mean who do you trust? She finds others like her. But...they kidnapped her. Brought her to a compound that she's not allowed to leave. They won't answer many questions because information is on a "need to know" basis and has all the makings of some crazy cult. And then there's Cayne. Whom she loves very much, yet he spent nearly 200 years killing those of her kind. But it's what he was taught, what he was told he was born to do. She wages a heartbreaking inner battle about her feelings for Cayne now that she knows the full truth about his murderous past.
Some new and fun characters were introduced. Meredith I adore. She's quirky and very entertaining. One of those people that you wish you had a friend like them! Drew is great too. I was so glad he was by Julia's side. And then there's Nathan...I'm not sure how I feel about him. I really want to like him and trust him and I feel like maybe he could be one of those people you hear about who grow up in a cult and so it's all they know and he's trying so hard to be what they expect of him. I'm hoping that deep down there's more to him and he'll know he's wrong...I guess he's just one of those people I see there's a glimmer of good in and hope that I turn out right. We'll see!
Cliffhangers! Oh man Ms. James is seriously the master of a good cliffhanger. When you get to the very last line of this book, you're gonna be thinking "WHAT?!?!" At least that's how I was lol! Thankfully I have the last 2 books so I can now go jump in and find out what happens next. Excellent series so far!
April 30, 2013
Ella James has potential.
I always start my reviews with the bad and end with the good. The bad? The writing. Ella darling, please don't rely on your husband anymore for editing and spend a little extra to hire an editor. There's only so much sympathy an indie writer can get. Yes, your commas are all in the right place, but your sentence structure needs work! At times I became lost because I just couldn't follow what was being written. Since this is written in third person I didn't understand that childish narrative. Yes, it's a YA - but it was written more like first person pre-teen. Please give your YA readers more credit on language and sophistication, they seek it! We seek it!
Julia was endearing in Stained but I completely lost her in Stolen. She becomes whiny, indecisive, and just an annoying brat. I don't like the Harry Potter reference, because as another reviewer says, it seems like cheating on description. The story was FAR too short and should've been tacked on to Stained instead since that one was short as well. This would have made a nice size book. Stolen seems rushed and not well thought out. There were too many disconnections throughout where things didn't add up.
For the good. The storyline is fantastic and original. I love nephilim stories and really wished we got more from this one. I feel like the story itself has a ton of potential and I'll be keeping an eye out on James writing career. I really do hope this series gets picked up by a traditional publisher that can do it some service that it deserves. If it gets rewritten and cleaned up it'll be a hit all the way across. James has conquered the hardest part of writing and that's finding a story that we want to get lost in and this is that story.
I always start my reviews with the bad and end with the good. The bad? The writing. Ella darling, please don't rely on your husband anymore for editing and spend a little extra to hire an editor. There's only so much sympathy an indie writer can get. Yes, your commas are all in the right place, but your sentence structure needs work! At times I became lost because I just couldn't follow what was being written. Since this is written in third person I didn't understand that childish narrative. Yes, it's a YA - but it was written more like first person pre-teen. Please give your YA readers more credit on language and sophistication, they seek it! We seek it!
Julia was endearing in Stained but I completely lost her in Stolen. She becomes whiny, indecisive, and just an annoying brat. I don't like the Harry Potter reference, because as another reviewer says, it seems like cheating on description. The story was FAR too short and should've been tacked on to Stained instead since that one was short as well. This would have made a nice size book. Stolen seems rushed and not well thought out. There were too many disconnections throughout where things didn't add up.
For the good. The storyline is fantastic and original. I love nephilim stories and really wished we got more from this one. I feel like the story itself has a ton of potential and I'll be keeping an eye out on James writing career. I really do hope this series gets picked up by a traditional publisher that can do it some service that it deserves. If it gets rewritten and cleaned up it'll be a hit all the way across. James has conquered the hardest part of writing and that's finding a story that we want to get lost in and this is that story.
November 28, 2012
This book starts where the other left off and there was more background in this book which was satisfying. Julia and Cayne's relationship progresses but they do have their moments and I just did not become invested in them as a couple. No earth-shattering secrets are revealed and Julia finds out that belonging is sometimes over rated when she is amongst those of her kind. Cayne is your knight in shining armour so to speak and a few new characters surface but little is divulged about them. I think if more was revealed about their background or history then I could understand them more but I felt they lacked dimension like Dizzy for instance. What were her motivations, was she evil or misguided and even Nathan who was one of the main characters I felt he needed more depth which is just my own thoughts really. Overall it held my interest but not a book that would keep me thinking about it long after I had finished reading it.
September 19, 2016
AHHH! So much to say. Ok, I'll start with the tension, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen. Then the frustration set in. I'm not much for indecisiveness so the whole thing with Julia at the end really irritated me. So much so, I was tempted to take away a star for it, but overall I still liked the book so much I couldn't bring myself to do it. Already downloaded book 3. Cant get enough.
April 17, 2013
While I am actually enjoying the storyline/plot... the writing is atrocious, annoying, repetitive, etc. I cannot get over Julia's whiney-ness and how she says the same thing over and over. I understand she is supposed to be a 17 year old girl, BUT COME ON! Either she likes him or she doesnt... either she can forgive him or not. Holy crap child.
July 19, 2012
I whipped through this one without even realizing it, grrrr. Luckily I only have week until the next one comes out. This series is definitely up their in my top five!!!
December 31, 2014
She let her hands hang at her sides and Julia just... watched.
Other Stained.
These were other Stained.
Not that prick Nathan or his lieutenant, Andrew. Just... Stained. Other Stained, maybe like her. p. 42
First off: before I begin, lemme just say that this will be my first time in a long time (if not ever) reviewing a book after a significant amount of time has passed between finishing and writin' the review. I may have difficulty gettin' anything I wanna say straight.
But fuck it.
It's actually because the ending snuck up on me, and that would be because this book is entirely too short considering what it has goin' on in it and the MASSIVE cliffhangery hell that was the end of Stained.
In Stolen, Julia has been more or less kidnapped by other Stained--they call themselves Chosen--and she learned a little bit about what it means to be such a thing while at the same time planning how to rescue Cayne from captivity and maneuvering her way around the underground compound the Chosen stay in.
Meredith, a Chosen who can "sense things," befriends Julia immediately, and while Julia distrusts her at first--she distrusts all Chosen--they eventually warm up. There's a whole host of useless other almost-friends that are more meaningless than worth mentioning, and this one guy named Edan who is "seriously hot" or somethin'.
So, Stolen wasn't bad. A little meandering, but not bad. What made it bad for me was, aside from the atrociously preteenish writing (Julia seems to have regressed in age to an 11-year-old as she narrates), Julia's constant back-and-forth between wanting to rescue Cayne and wanting to abandon him at the mercy of several terrible situations merely for not getting around to telling her something.
The thing is--Cayne already had told her. Time and time again in Stained, Cayne told Julia he was bad, he had murdered, he was a Hunter, and they shouldn't feel any kind of way towards each other because of those things. But, when in Stolen Julia finds out all this again (except GASP turns out he's killed a few Chosen--Stained--in his time SURPRISE!!!), she instantly turns her back on thoughts of their being together because all of a sudden this tiny sliver of new information (it's really not new; he TOLD her before...) transforms him into some kind of unlovable thing now.
He shrugged and glanced at Julia, and she could sense his aloneness within the group; she looked down at her shoes, unwilling to bring him into the fold. Even if she felt totally A-okay with the Chosen-killer thing (which, of course, she never would), he'd still betrayed her. Lied by omission.
Yeah, but he also held you while you cried.
And still, she didn't know... p. 299
Meaning, naturally, her feelings towards him. Like... what?! Cayne moves heaven and earth for this girl time and time again (even going so far as to save like 5 of her "friends" in the middle of a gigantic fight when they all cower and snarl at the mere mention of him), and because someone she doesn't even like says one little thing about him that shouldn't even matter, she spends the ENTIRE BOOK ignoring Cayne, letting him feel less than he is, sometimes even making him feel worse, hurting him... I found her behavior despicable.
Especially when--this is the best part--all her THOUGHTS were geared toward her shying away from the idea of them being together anymore, all her WORDS were geared towards rescuing him from the Chosen compound, demanding to see him when he was in captivity, defending his honor when others bad-mouth him... but only when he's not there. As soon as he is at her side again, she switches to a totally different girl intent on being as two-faced as humanly possible.
Cayne looked away, like being talked about was embarrassing him, and despite her lingering Cayne ambivalence, Julia wanted to kiss Meredith for taking up for him. p. 300
I don't know if this has anything to do with my recent completion of Broken by C. K. Bryant (fun fact: I also read Bound by C. K. Bryant and Stained closely together same as I've read their sequels almost back to back), but the SAME THING happened there: Octavion loved the daylights out of Kira, and all it took was a simple misunderstanding, a single second in time, to reverse all his hard work in showing her--showing, not just telling--that very truth.
It drove me insane with Cayne and Julia because in Stained, they were seriously perfect in a you're-not-perfect-but-you're-perfect-for-me kind of way. I know it's still in there somewhere because Julia thinks about him all the time, whether it's in a negative "he's a Chosen-killer!!!1" light or a positive light.
Her captor roared, and then he stopped flying. Julia shrieked as gravity tugged them, but a moment later a new set of arms had her.
She knew him by feel: hard and comforting. p. 253
AND CAYNE (even more so than Octavion) IS THE SWEETEST THING EVER. He just sits there and takes the emotional abuse from Julia, thinking he DESERVES it, and being the ultimate sweetheart even when she will barely look at him much less speak to him.
Moving slowly, so slowly and carefully, maybe so she wouldn't fear him, Cayne laced his bruised fingers through hers. Looking into her eyes, seeking her permission even as he moved, he rose on his knees and kissed her knuckles. Releasing her hands after a little squeeze, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her lap. p. 275
Just... like... why do all the hardasses-turned-sweethearts have to get shit on so bad all the time?! I'd write a book to rectify that only I don't do sweet characters so well. :\ Maybe I should try anyway! For the Caynes and Octavions of modern literature!
Obviously, if that's all I can think about after givin' it a few days to stew, then I had nothing else of import to say that left an impression. Goodness.
Other Stained.
These were other Stained.
Not that prick Nathan or his lieutenant, Andrew. Just... Stained. Other Stained, maybe like her. p. 42
First off: before I begin, lemme just say that this will be my first time in a long time (if not ever) reviewing a book after a significant amount of time has passed between finishing and writin' the review. I may have difficulty gettin' anything I wanna say straight.
But fuck it.
It's actually because the ending snuck up on me, and that would be because this book is entirely too short considering what it has goin' on in it and the MASSIVE cliffhangery hell that was the end of Stained.
In Stolen, Julia has been more or less kidnapped by other Stained--they call themselves Chosen--and she learned a little bit about what it means to be such a thing while at the same time planning how to rescue Cayne from captivity and maneuvering her way around the underground compound the Chosen stay in.
Meredith, a Chosen who can "sense things," befriends Julia immediately, and while Julia distrusts her at first--she distrusts all Chosen--they eventually warm up. There's a whole host of useless other almost-friends that are more meaningless than worth mentioning, and this one guy named Edan who is "seriously hot" or somethin'.
So, Stolen wasn't bad. A little meandering, but not bad. What made it bad for me was, aside from the atrociously preteenish writing (Julia seems to have regressed in age to an 11-year-old as she narrates), Julia's constant back-and-forth between wanting to rescue Cayne and wanting to abandon him at the mercy of several terrible situations merely for not getting around to telling her something.
The thing is--Cayne already had told her. Time and time again in Stained, Cayne told Julia he was bad, he had murdered, he was a Hunter, and they shouldn't feel any kind of way towards each other because of those things. But, when in Stolen Julia finds out all this again (except GASP turns out he's killed a few Chosen--Stained--in his time SURPRISE!!!), she instantly turns her back on thoughts of their being together because all of a sudden this tiny sliver of new information (it's really not new; he TOLD her before...) transforms him into some kind of unlovable thing now.
He shrugged and glanced at Julia, and she could sense his aloneness within the group; she looked down at her shoes, unwilling to bring him into the fold. Even if she felt totally A-okay with the Chosen-killer thing (which, of course, she never would), he'd still betrayed her. Lied by omission.
Yeah, but he also held you while you cried.
And still, she didn't know... p. 299
Meaning, naturally, her feelings towards him. Like... what?! Cayne moves heaven and earth for this girl time and time again (even going so far as to save like 5 of her "friends" in the middle of a gigantic fight when they all cower and snarl at the mere mention of him), and because someone she doesn't even like says one little thing about him that shouldn't even matter, she spends the ENTIRE BOOK ignoring Cayne, letting him feel less than he is, sometimes even making him feel worse, hurting him... I found her behavior despicable.
Especially when--this is the best part--all her THOUGHTS were geared toward her shying away from the idea of them being together anymore, all her WORDS were geared towards rescuing him from the Chosen compound, demanding to see him when he was in captivity, defending his honor when others bad-mouth him... but only when he's not there. As soon as he is at her side again, she switches to a totally different girl intent on being as two-faced as humanly possible.
Cayne looked away, like being talked about was embarrassing him, and despite her lingering Cayne ambivalence, Julia wanted to kiss Meredith for taking up for him. p. 300
I don't know if this has anything to do with my recent completion of Broken by C. K. Bryant (fun fact: I also read Bound by C. K. Bryant and Stained closely together same as I've read their sequels almost back to back), but the SAME THING happened there: Octavion loved the daylights out of Kira, and all it took was a simple misunderstanding, a single second in time, to reverse all his hard work in showing her--showing, not just telling--that very truth.
It drove me insane with Cayne and Julia because in Stained, they were seriously perfect in a you're-not-perfect-but-you're-perfect-for-me kind of way. I know it's still in there somewhere because Julia thinks about him all the time, whether it's in a negative "he's a Chosen-killer!!!1" light or a positive light.
Her captor roared, and then he stopped flying. Julia shrieked as gravity tugged them, but a moment later a new set of arms had her.
She knew him by feel: hard and comforting. p. 253
AND CAYNE (even more so than Octavion) IS THE SWEETEST THING EVER. He just sits there and takes the emotional abuse from Julia, thinking he DESERVES it, and being the ultimate sweetheart even when she will barely look at him much less speak to him.
Moving slowly, so slowly and carefully, maybe so she wouldn't fear him, Cayne laced his bruised fingers through hers. Looking into her eyes, seeking her permission even as he moved, he rose on his knees and kissed her knuckles. Releasing her hands after a little squeeze, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her lap. p. 275
Just... like... why do all the hardasses-turned-sweethearts have to get shit on so bad all the time?! I'd write a book to rectify that only I don't do sweet characters so well. :\ Maybe I should try anyway! For the Caynes and Octavions of modern literature!
Obviously, if that's all I can think about after givin' it a few days to stew, then I had nothing else of import to say that left an impression. Goodness.
October 25, 2018
Really good book! Super fast read, very short, lots of action. But what makes this book really good is you learn a little bit more about Julia and Cayne, their supernatural past. Plus this book adds more lovable characters that help enrich the story. I will say the back and forth for Julia with whether she still wants Cayne or not did get a bit old, but it does resolve.
September 11, 2020
More questions
Some questions are answered, more questions pop up. Where’s Cayne? Who are these Chosen? What do they want? Who are The Three? What do they want with Julia? Will Julia find Cayne and leave the Chosen? And who is Edan, really? Hopefully some of the answers will be in the next book.
Some questions are answered, more questions pop up. Where’s Cayne? Who are these Chosen? What do they want? Who are The Three? What do they want with Julia? Will Julia find Cayne and leave the Chosen? And who is Edan, really? Hopefully some of the answers will be in the next book.
November 26, 2017
Okay
The first book was pretty good however this second book was boring and Julia was very annoying. This book is over priced for 153pages and should be combined with book 3. Just another money spinner if you ask me. Shame
The first book was pretty good however this second book was boring and Julia was very annoying. This book is over priced for 153pages and should be combined with book 3. Just another money spinner if you ask me. Shame
November 26, 2020
Interesting story
I seem to have come into this story in the middle, but even so, I enjoyed reading it. I will be following it to see what becomes of Julia and Cayne and friends. I need to find out who The Three are, the story of The One, and discover Cayne’s origins.
I seem to have come into this story in the middle, but even so, I enjoyed reading it. I will be following it to see what becomes of Julia and Cayne and friends. I need to find out who The Three are, the story of The One, and discover Cayne’s origins.
May 24, 2018
Soooo good. Will definitely have to see if she's written anything else. This series so far has been great.
January 2, 2023
Soooo good. Will definitely have to see if she's written anything else. This series so far has been great.
January 13, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up to 4. The second book in this series moves at a much quicker pace. It is a little predictable and I feel like I know how the story is going to end.
We will see...
We will see...
April 10, 2024
interesting
Definitely a good read. I’m not sure if I’ll buy the others though. I already pay for unlimited so I don’t have to pay for individual books.
Definitely a good read. I’m not sure if I’ll buy the others though. I already pay for unlimited so I don’t have to pay for individual books.
October 17, 2022
This book is really fantastic.
July 2, 2013
This review and more at my blog, Into the Worm's Hole
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Series book: Yes
Will I read the Next: Yes
Why do these books always half to end in some potentially life threatening situation? It's just all "la-de-da, we're safe for now.." Then bam! The last sentence is just like *death is imminent.* I enjoyed this book pretty much the same amount I enjoyed the first. I didn't regret picking it up, but I wasn't jumping up and down in excitement while reading it either.
There were alot of semi-pop culture references in this book. I say semi-pop culture because the targeted age group for this series might miss alot of them. Don't get me wrong, I personally love a good pop-culture reference. But just make sure they're still pop culture when you make said reference. I also think the writing style was just completely different from the first book. It's way more laid back and teen like. I can't say it's a huge improvement, but it's not exactly bad either.
The plot was super fast. I guess it had to be because the book was less than 150 pages. So it went so fast you could barely see it. For the most part it was pretty enjoyable, even though there were more questions than answers by the end. Sometimes I felt like the solutions were too easy. Like the answers to their problems just popped up and the storyline didn't really connect sometimes.
I really like how there were more characters in this book. There wasn't much time to really get to know them, kindof making them seem really paper thin. I think my favorite character was Nathan (partly because he reminds me of someone I know by the same name{You know, because for the most part he's a major jerk}) mostly because he had the most substance in the book. He acted all stiff and cold, but he could be nice and thoughtful. I really hope there will be more chances to get to know the other characters in the next books.
I was soooo disappointed with the romance. It had just started to get all romancy..and then everything goes wrong. Damnit. Julia's all like "I forgive you but I don't know if I can trust you." Right. Stop now. That's not how it works. She waits till the very end to forgive him when she's semi-drunk. All that time that could have been spent romantically whispering sweet nothings... WASTED. I get that you distrust him a little after what you found out..But she played hot and cold through the whole book. That's annoying. So so annoying.
SUMMARY OF REVIEW(In case you don't actually feel like reading the review):
Writing: 4 out of 5
Plot: 4 out of 5
characters: 4 out of 5
Romance: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.5 out of 5
PG-13 Kissing and gruesome violence
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Series book: Yes
Will I read the Next: Yes
Why do these books always half to end in some potentially life threatening situation? It's just all "la-de-da, we're safe for now.." Then bam! The last sentence is just like *death is imminent.* I enjoyed this book pretty much the same amount I enjoyed the first. I didn't regret picking it up, but I wasn't jumping up and down in excitement while reading it either.
There were alot of semi-pop culture references in this book. I say semi-pop culture because the targeted age group for this series might miss alot of them. Don't get me wrong, I personally love a good pop-culture reference. But just make sure they're still pop culture when you make said reference. I also think the writing style was just completely different from the first book. It's way more laid back and teen like. I can't say it's a huge improvement, but it's not exactly bad either.
The plot was super fast. I guess it had to be because the book was less than 150 pages. So it went so fast you could barely see it. For the most part it was pretty enjoyable, even though there were more questions than answers by the end. Sometimes I felt like the solutions were too easy. Like the answers to their problems just popped up and the storyline didn't really connect sometimes.
I really like how there were more characters in this book. There wasn't much time to really get to know them, kindof making them seem really paper thin. I think my favorite character was Nathan (partly because he reminds me of someone I know by the same name{You know, because for the most part he's a major jerk}) mostly because he had the most substance in the book. He acted all stiff and cold, but he could be nice and thoughtful. I really hope there will be more chances to get to know the other characters in the next books.
I was soooo disappointed with the romance. It had just started to get all romancy..and then everything goes wrong. Damnit. Julia's all like "I forgive you but I don't know if I can trust you." Right. Stop now. That's not how it works. She waits till the very end to forgive him when she's semi-drunk. All that time that could have been spent romantically whispering sweet nothings... WASTED. I get that you distrust him a little after what you found out..But she played hot and cold through the whole book. That's annoying. So so annoying.
SUMMARY OF REVIEW(In case you don't actually feel like reading the review):
Writing: 4 out of 5
Plot: 4 out of 5
characters: 4 out of 5
Romance: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.5 out of 5
PG-13 Kissing and gruesome violence
September 8, 2012
Totally enjoyed this 2nd book! Great sequel to continue the story of Julia and Cayne, right from the last chapter of STAINED. Both have been kidnapped by and take to the ‘Chosen’ compound/headquarters; though Cayne is being held prisoners in one of their cells, and is to be put to death…unless Julia can save him somehow.
Julia is introduced to other ‘Chosen’ who are around her age, and others are younger or older. It’s not really a school-type environment, but they do have their routines, like group ‘meditation’; where all those ‘chosen’ get together in a group and this is supposed to re-energize their abilities. ‘The Chosen’ seem like a cult to Julia, as they all seem to be in sync with each other somehow; everyone has some kind of “gift”, and are ‘candidates’ to be “The One” – for what, she’s not sure. She learns a cool neat trick: walking or passing through walls. While in the facility, The Chosen keep telling her Cayne is bad and cannot be trusted, yet she can’t help feeling that she DOES know him, and he’d never do the things they tell her he’s done. They let her visit Cayne in the prison cell & she confronts him on the allegations. What she finds is difficult to bear for her. She feels a bit betrayed that what she was told is correct about him; but another part of her still has strong feelings for him, the Cayne she got to know before they were taken and brought to the compound.
While Julia has tried to think of ways to get Cayne out of the prison cell (even though she does feel hurt by what she learned of him), some luck goes her way. A break-in ensues and Nephilim begin fighting Chosen, and Chosen fighting Nephilim; it turns into complete chaos, and while trying to flee out of the compound, Cayne snatches her and flies her out of there! Yay! They do escape, though not easy. Julia can’t believe they are now ‘running from’ her own kind - those who told her they’d keep her safe and were supposed to protect her. So… now on to the third book!!
Julia is introduced to other ‘Chosen’ who are around her age, and others are younger or older. It’s not really a school-type environment, but they do have their routines, like group ‘meditation’; where all those ‘chosen’ get together in a group and this is supposed to re-energize their abilities. ‘The Chosen’ seem like a cult to Julia, as they all seem to be in sync with each other somehow; everyone has some kind of “gift”, and are ‘candidates’ to be “The One” – for what, she’s not sure. She learns a cool neat trick: walking or passing through walls. While in the facility, The Chosen keep telling her Cayne is bad and cannot be trusted, yet she can’t help feeling that she DOES know him, and he’d never do the things they tell her he’s done. They let her visit Cayne in the prison cell & she confronts him on the allegations. What she finds is difficult to bear for her. She feels a bit betrayed that what she was told is correct about him; but another part of her still has strong feelings for him, the Cayne she got to know before they were taken and brought to the compound.
While Julia has tried to think of ways to get Cayne out of the prison cell (even though she does feel hurt by what she learned of him), some luck goes her way. A break-in ensues and Nephilim begin fighting Chosen, and Chosen fighting Nephilim; it turns into complete chaos, and while trying to flee out of the compound, Cayne snatches her and flies her out of there! Yay! They do escape, though not easy. Julia can’t believe they are now ‘running from’ her own kind - those who told her they’d keep her safe and were supposed to protect her. So… now on to the third book!!
April 21, 2012
Cayne's fate is in the hands of his enemy, and Julia has been taken away to the covert Stained compound. They have been separated by walls and a gulf of unanswered questions.
Julia soon learns the truth about the Stained and the plans they have for her. The compound is attacked and a group of Stained, including Julia and Cayne, are running from an unwanted destiny. Will they find the knowledge that might just save them all?
This book takes up where it left off at the end of Stained. I loved it! The cover is beautiful too!
Julia and Cayne have been taken to the Chosen compound - Cayne to the prison, and Julia to be trained as a candidate. Whilst trying to find a way to get to Cayne and escape, Julia learns that all is not what it seems. She also finds out things about Cayne and his past, and it makes her mistrust him. However, she still cares about him. When the compound is attacked by Samyaza, they make their escape with a few of the Chosen that Julia had met.
Ella James has done it again! She has written a fantastic novel that was fast paced, and kept me on the edge of my seat. My heart was pounding like crazy during the attack on the compound! The extra characters added a new twist and I love their inclusion. Some of them crept me out, especially Dizzy! Meredith seems to be honest in her friendship, and I hope it remains so. The ending was pure evil genius! Ella has created another fantastic cliffhanger that had me begging for more! I highly recommend this YA book, if you love a good action novel with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to wait (impatiently) until June to find out if Julia is "The One", when Chosen is released!
Julia soon learns the truth about the Stained and the plans they have for her. The compound is attacked and a group of Stained, including Julia and Cayne, are running from an unwanted destiny. Will they find the knowledge that might just save them all?
This book takes up where it left off at the end of Stained. I loved it! The cover is beautiful too!
Julia and Cayne have been taken to the Chosen compound - Cayne to the prison, and Julia to be trained as a candidate. Whilst trying to find a way to get to Cayne and escape, Julia learns that all is not what it seems. She also finds out things about Cayne and his past, and it makes her mistrust him. However, she still cares about him. When the compound is attacked by Samyaza, they make their escape with a few of the Chosen that Julia had met.
Ella James has done it again! She has written a fantastic novel that was fast paced, and kept me on the edge of my seat. My heart was pounding like crazy during the attack on the compound! The extra characters added a new twist and I love their inclusion. Some of them crept me out, especially Dizzy! Meredith seems to be honest in her friendship, and I hope it remains so. The ending was pure evil genius! Ella has created another fantastic cliffhanger that had me begging for more! I highly recommend this YA book, if you love a good action novel with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to wait (impatiently) until June to find out if Julia is "The One", when Chosen is released!
January 10, 2013
Originally posted on my blog, Give it to Cupcake.
http://giveittocupcake.blogspot.com/2...
Cayne and Julia's story continues! We find them both at the Chosen compound, painfully separated from one another. I was very intrigued by this compound and all the new characters that we get introduced to. It was eerie and awesome all rolled up into one big unknown sandwich. I mean come on, they can float through walls! And bam! There's the giant, creepy illuminated pyramid we saw in the cover(and in Julia's dreams) in the previous book.
I enjoyed all the time it took to learn about The Chosen and their "rank" structure and beliefs. I felt like it was going to be really important since we follow Julia through the group meditations and learned all about being a candidate. I think that's my only disappointment with this book - I felt this huge chunk of the book was kind of lost after the big break out. I'm really holding out hope it will all come together in the next book!
Cayne kind of is put on the back burner while Julia discovers her place in the Chosen world. I'm a hopeless romantic, so I secretly wanted everything to magically be alright in their world. But I'm glad it wasn't. I'm glad Julia didn't cave and forgive him right away! Hold your ground girl!
Cayne is also changing as well. His visit towards the end of the book really pus things in perspective for him about what Julia is to him. And it also opens up a whole new can of worms of unanswered questions! What happened in Scotland? What's going to happen with the leash? And I still don't know what's up with the freaky, giant pyramid!
http://giveittocupcake.blogspot.com/2...
Cayne and Julia's story continues! We find them both at the Chosen compound, painfully separated from one another. I was very intrigued by this compound and all the new characters that we get introduced to. It was eerie and awesome all rolled up into one big unknown sandwich. I mean come on, they can float through walls! And bam! There's the giant, creepy illuminated pyramid we saw in the cover(and in Julia's dreams) in the previous book.
I enjoyed all the time it took to learn about The Chosen and their "rank" structure and beliefs. I felt like it was going to be really important since we follow Julia through the group meditations and learned all about being a candidate. I think that's my only disappointment with this book - I felt this huge chunk of the book was kind of lost after the big break out. I'm really holding out hope it will all come together in the next book!
Cayne kind of is put on the back burner while Julia discovers her place in the Chosen world. I'm a hopeless romantic, so I secretly wanted everything to magically be alright in their world. But I'm glad it wasn't. I'm glad Julia didn't cave and forgive him right away! Hold your ground girl!
Cayne is also changing as well. His visit towards the end of the book really pus things in perspective for him about what Julia is to him. And it also opens up a whole new can of worms of unanswered questions! What happened in Scotland? What's going to happen with the leash? And I still don't know what's up with the freaky, giant pyramid!
January 1, 2015
A good sequel to Stained. This book picked up right where the first one left off. It follows Julia as she is kidnapped by the Stained and swept up into their militant style cult while Cayne is held prisoner for crimes in his past. This book gave some answers about the Stained and what is going on but hasn't really cleared up why they are at war with the Nephilim or what the leaders of the Stained, The Three, want with Julia. For most of the book, things between Julia and Cayne were strained by their separation and also by Julia's feelings of betrayal that Cayne kept secrets from her. I was a bit frustrated by this because none of their feeling have changed and it took until the very end of the book for Julia to accept this. I'm also a bit frustrated at the sudden introduction of Julia's 'Chosen' friends. I found it silly that she was ready to trust them all so easily after a few days and yet held on to her feelings of mistrust with Cayne when he had done nothing but protect her from day one. I can only hope that is all resolved now and that things will move to focus more on the central conflict in the story rather than all the group drama. I'm eager to find out what will happen next and what Julia and Cayne's parts will be but at the same time I'm apprehensive. I've been finding all the drama and the chaotic thoughts in Julia's head nerve-wracking and feel like I need to take a break before I dive into the next book. Don't get me wrong, this is still a really good series and I recommend picking it up if you're looking for some new and exciting paranormal romance material - it's just a bit much for me at the moment.
August 10, 2012
I enjoyed this book just as much as the first. I liked the new characters that were interested and I flew through it. I did find the main character to be a bit inconsistent, but that might be her age.
This is what annoyed me about her and yes, it is a spoiler so don't read if you haven't already read the book.
Overall though, this is a great follow-up to Stained and I can't wait to read the 3rd installment.
This is what annoyed me about her and yes, it is a spoiler so don't read if you haven't already read the book.
Overall though, this is a great follow-up to Stained and I can't wait to read the 3rd installment.
June 30, 2012
"Stolen" takes up where "Stained" left off. Julia and Cayne have been taken to the "Chosen" compound where they are forced to separate. Julia is now living as a candidate in the compound while Cayne is a prisoner and hidden somewhere within the compound where Julia now resides . Julia learns the truth of Cayne's past and she has to decide whether their feelings were real or something a Nephilim used to trick her into following him.
This sequel to "Stained" was awesome! I loved the battle sequences and the character development within the compound. The way that Ms. James came up with for them to get around the compound was awesome! Also, the dialogue was laugh out loud funny at times. I found the characters to be very likable even though there were a few people that I strongly disliked!! I like how Ms. James left clues throughout the entire book right down to the last twist that she threw in. The end of the book left me thinking, " wait, what?!" I cannot wait for the third book and I strongly encourage all young adult lovers to give this series a read! You won't regret it!
This sequel to "Stained" was awesome! I loved the battle sequences and the character development within the compound. The way that Ms. James came up with for them to get around the compound was awesome! Also, the dialogue was laugh out loud funny at times. I found the characters to be very likable even though there were a few people that I strongly disliked!! I like how Ms. James left clues throughout the entire book right down to the last twist that she threw in. The end of the book left me thinking, " wait, what?!" I cannot wait for the third book and I strongly encourage all young adult lovers to give this series a read! You won't regret it!
July 31, 2012
Cliffhangers. I hate them. I know the third book in this series has already been published, so my irritation is smaller, but had I been waiting for these books to be published, I would have been almost annoyed enough to have stopped reading after the first one.
I realize that the suspense of a cliffhanger leaves one thinking, "Oh no! What happens next? I have to read more!" But I honestly believe there is a way to leave a reader wanting more without simply chopping the story off without any kind of resolution (even a small one). I believe the Harry Potter series is an excellent example of how to end a book in a continuing series and still have readers picking up the next installment.
My mini-rant is finished. I still love the characters, and I love the additions of new characters in this novel. They're energetic, multi-dimensional, and engaging. The plot still moves along nicely, and I will finish out the series. I would recommend this book to others, but I would warm them to make sure they have all of the books in the series due to the unfortunate cliffhangers.
I realize that the suspense of a cliffhanger leaves one thinking, "Oh no! What happens next? I have to read more!" But I honestly believe there is a way to leave a reader wanting more without simply chopping the story off without any kind of resolution (even a small one). I believe the Harry Potter series is an excellent example of how to end a book in a continuing series and still have readers picking up the next installment.
My mini-rant is finished. I still love the characters, and I love the additions of new characters in this novel. They're energetic, multi-dimensional, and engaging. The plot still moves along nicely, and I will finish out the series. I would recommend this book to others, but I would warm them to make sure they have all of the books in the series due to the unfortunate cliffhangers.
January 6, 2016
This book takes place where the last one left off, they are both at the compound now, Cayne is a prisoner and Julia is a candidate, we get to learn more about what this means later. At first I really love how Julia is fighting for Cayne, how she doesn't stop trying to find a way to see him but then she is told some parts of his past and she turns her back on him, he already told her that he did terrible things, that he did not know differently and she acted like it did not matter but her tune quickly turned which angered me. I love Cayne and continued to fall for him in this book even though we did not get to read alot about him this time. I was confused about Nathan, I thought he liked Julia but here he actually likes another but he is a true believer and does not want to hear anything against this. We got to meet many other characters, some I really liked but some I did not like at all. We get to learn alot about Cayne in this book which leaves us with alot more questions and quite the action to come. I am excited to see what happens next.
February 11, 2014
I liked this second book in the series a lot. Man, the Chosen compound was strange....I agreed with her insights immediately, very cultish. Anyhow, the main issue I had with Julia was her assumptions about Cayne. Obviously she doesn't know him that well...she just met the guy, to presume she knew his past and his prior deeds was really naive and stupid. It irritated me when she was waffling and whining about him. I just can't support that behavior. Either you accept someone or you don't. Ugh. Anyhow, all of the insight into the Stained/Chosen was very interesting. Didn't like Dizzy at all. Don't trust most people in that compound. And clearly something is wrong if they are just gathering everyone up to keep them in a compound and do basically nothing else. It's weird and shady. So many crazy things happening kept the story moving once the setting changed from the compound. I am not sure about that Edan though. Just don't think they should be so trusting of him. Sad how many people died though. So excited to see where this goes!
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