Transition

Chimera Hunters #1

by Megan S. Johnston

"The Chimera are a race so old, the humans relegated them as a myth. The Gods
feared the Chimeras’ powers, believing they were a deadly race with physical
abilities beyond belief. So they split their race in half, condemning them to
wander the earth searching for their other half to be complete. Without their sodalis,
each is destined to live life without dreams, without love, without hope. The future
rests on fi nding their one true mate for life.

SHELBY O’NEIL has led a solitary life with her parents. So when she goes to college,
she believes her life has just begun. Now in her second year, the dreams begin. She
dreams with the same man, night after night for months. When her dream world
becomes her reality, and her life becomes a danger zone, she quickly learns to trust the
one man who has thrown her into this new and dangerous world.

DEVELON COLE is Chimera and his race has been on earth as long as humans. His
people are desperate to fi nd their one true mate for life, and Develon has just found
his, in the small college town of Pullman, Washington. His duty is to protect her
against the Chimera hunters and guide her to who she was always meant to be, his
sodalis, his mate."

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2012

About the author

Megan S. Johnston is a freelance writer and entrepreneur living in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to writing fiction, she runs several family-owned and operated businesses, which she started over twenty years ago. She is an avid reader of paranormal romance and a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. She has four children and seven grandchildren and lives with her husband and two dogs in Woodinville, Washington. Transition is her début novel.

Reviews

[Michelle Cornwell-Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Transition(The Chimera series) tells the story of Shelby O Neil, a young college student, that up until she left home to pursue a college education, led a sheltered existence with her parents. As an only child, the two most important people in her life, her parents…were also the ones keeping her for the most part from the world.

But off to school she goes, and the book opens with Shelby already rooted in school, with a best friend and a routine. Although for the past couple of months, Shelby had been dreaming of a beautiful man. The thought of him feels her heart, that nothing or no one in her reality can live up to.

During Christmas break, instead of going home to her parents, she and a friend drives up and stays at another friends cabin. The trip looks promising and the girls settle in for a holiday of lounging by the fire and skiing. But things do not turn out as plan; Shelby and her roommate discover that they are neighbors to a pair of incredibly hot young men, after a freak snow storm destroys their cabin, and almost kills them. Then the surprises continue,when she discovers that one of the young men, is the man of Shelby’s dreams….the ACTUAL man she had been dreaming o,f and there is an undeniable and unexplainable attraction between them both. Shelby is then told by the young man Develon, that he is from a different race…Chimera’s shapeshifters, who have been coexisting under the radar with humans for generations. Also, that Shelby is his Sodalis(Life Mate)…and that Shelby is being hunted by Chimera Hunters! There are also some great twist and surprises at the end!

This was a well written, entertaining read:) It has the flavor of Christine Feehan’s Carpathian novels…Transitions(The Chimera series) with the thread of passion, hot Alpha males, and on the edge adventure, doesn’t disappoint. Ms. Johnston takes the familiar shapeshifting notions(I love shapeshifters:) and place a fresh twist on it with her Chimera’s. She has created a world, with rules, laws, political intrigue and hot guys!… that should keep readers enthralled throughout the series. I look forward to the next book and then the next in this awesome series:)

[Penumbra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given this book to read through Making Connections YA Edition, thank you.

The book blurb does a good job of explaining what this story is about so I won’t go into any detail about it.



I really wanted to like this book because I love shape-shifters and the idea of them finding their mates. But I could only get through half of the book because of the many discrepancies, amongst other things. I’m not sure how to list all the things that didn’t work for me in the story. Here are the things I found:

There is hardly any action, but lots of internal thoughts and feelings talked about. All of this kept me removed from the story and the characters.

I never felt much personality from the female lead, Shelby. The most I got was that she was confused or wanted Develon. The only time we knew she had a spunky personality was a few lines when the secondary characters told us she was spunky. As to Develon, this guy is supposed to be the leader of his people and he seemed pretty weak to me. I expect an ‘alpha’ leader to have a presence and what I got from the author’s writing was that Develon couldn’t stop mooning and waxing poetic over Shelby. It was just too much. Stephen and Jen were more interesting characters and came across as having personalities.

There were odd scenes that didn’t make sense. One is after Shelby and Jen make it to Develon’s and Stephen’s cabin after theirs is crushed by ice and snow. The comment is made to help Shelby with her injured hand, but instead of taking care of it immediately (remember it’s over an inch long gash with glass still stuck in it and Shelby is in pretty bad pain), Develon and Shelby sit down to talk instead for ‘an hour’ and then she and Jen are going to go to bed. Does Shelby even think about removing the glass or asking for help before she goes to bed? No one does? Instead she heads up to bed, then comes back down and goes into Develon’s room looking for him and then and only then does he remember she has glass in her hand. But he doesn’t even use a butterfly clip to hold the edges of her 1 ½ inch gash together or put a bandage on it! This scene is so poorly planned out; I couldn’t stop thinking about it for the length of time I was reading the book.

Odd thing number two was that Shelby notices that Stephen and Develon often communicate mentally to each other. But one time she is out of the room and hears whispers in the other room and Stephen and Develon or talking to each other. Why on earth are they talking out loud if they can use telepathy especially when it’s only the two of them? This doesn’t make sense again.

Another thing that bugged me was that Develon could read Shelby’s thoughts but would act like he couldn’t. Since he could read her thoughts he could get the answers he sought as soon as she thought about them, but he always acted like he couldn’t.

Now I get to the repetitive scenes and dialogue. There was so much in this book I don’t know where to start. Let’s just say that the author would write the same scene over and over again only phrased a different way. Most of these scenes circled around Develon proclaiming Shelby as his ‘sodalis,’ and Shelby proclaiming how attracted she was to him, but she couldn’t be. Also that she didn’t remember him from her dreams, but then at other times saying that she knew it was him. She repeatedly asked what ‘slumbering’ was as if she never heard it before, although Develon repeatedly explained it to her. It’s like the author wrote many different versions of the same scene but forgot to take out all the extra ones. Develon’s favorite words were ‘you’re my sodalis,’ or some variant of this, said in a dreamy and repeated fashion.

I will say the one time there was a bit of excitement was when Shelby took Develon to meet her parents. I couldn’t read much beyond that because all the dreamy, lovey-dovey stuff was getting on my nerves. Most of the first half is pretty much all that without lots of action or dialogue.

There were multiple points of view, and it was confusing. The POV’s would switch back and forth between paragraphs without warning and the only way to find out who was speaking was if I read ‘she’ or ‘he.’

I received a pdf format for my NOOK and the formatting was not good. Often a sentence would stop midway, followed by a blank page, then resume on the second page. Also dialogue between two characters would run together in one paragraph.

So in the end I could only get half way through this book. It’s slow with too much internal dialogue, too much moony eyes and swooning between Develon and Shelby and aggravating POV changes. The MC’s are weak characters with hardly any personality, while the secondary characters have more personality. I think the idea for the story was a good idea, but it’s poorly executed. I can only give this book two stars.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to review Transition with one word-I would use “refreshing.” (But, because I get more than one word, that will be explained later!) Shelby has spent a happy, but sheltered life with her parents, but now she is in college and enjoying her first real friendship with the flirty Jen, who has made it her mission to get Shelby to step outside her comfort zone and live a little. Of course neither of them knew how big of a step it would be when they took off to do some skiing in a remote area at a friend’s cabin. Enter Stephen and Develon, model-hot ”nice” guys who are much more than what they seem! Develon has been the object of Shelby’s rather spicy dreams for several months. So you can imagine Shelby’s shock to come face to face with her fantasy guy who tells her he has been dreaming of her, too! And this isn’t even half the story! Secrets are revealed and life will never be the same for Shelby or her heart!

You’re probably wondering the first thing I noticed about Transition by Megan S. Johnston. There is no major angst, no hand wringing, no majorly damaged personalities to contend with! Hence, this was “refreshing” to read! Don’t get me wrong, I like angst, but I like romantic tension and secrets revealed better and Ms. Johnston has provided both in spades for me. Her ability to put together good dialogue and a cast of characters that have real personalities is phenomenal, and she did that while keeping the story moving at a great pace, varying the action and setting up a new world for her Chimera Hunter Series. Sure, maybe some things weren’t completely revealed, but if she didn’t leave a little mystery and a few questions out there, what would I have to look forward to?

I’d like to thank Megan Johnston for providing me with a review copy of Transition in exchange for my honest review.

Publication Date: May 15, 2012
Publisher: Authorhouse
Series: Chimera Hunters, #1
ISBN: 1468596659
Number of Pages: 259
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Available At: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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[Rachael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: The fact that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review has not affected my rating. This review reflects my honest opinions.

I suppose when I looked at the summary of this book, internally, I was comparing it to Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I was probably expecting more action, more world building... I'm not totally sure. However, honestly I have to say that Transition wasn't the book for me...

For me, the main fault in this book was the lack of substance in the plot. I'm going to be brutally honest here - I was pretty bored when I was reading this book. There was a little action in the beginning, but otherwise, it's mostly sexual tension, explanations of the Chimera World, and some telepathic conversations that I found were equivalent to fluff. There wasn't much world building either - something I probably was expecting in the Chimaera world.

I also wasn't the biggest fan of Develon & Shelby's relationship. Definitely a sign of insta-love. I know that there are some books that I read where there's insta-love, but I see a lot more chemistry between the couple. In this case, there was some sexual tension, although I didn't really feel any chemistry between the two. I get that' Develon's hot and Shelby's beautiful, and sodalis are everything in a Chimaera's world, but to realistically portray "love" in a book, chemistry is a plus, right?

Moving on. The characters were quite bland. The only character I found to have some dimension was Leandro, because of his desperation to find his sodalis and loyalty to the Chimaera. However, I found the main speakers, Develon and Shelby, to be too perfect and void of emotion. Shelby forgives everyone of everything, and I don't think that's realistically possible. There was one instance where Shelby's mother informed Shelby of another problem. Her reaction wasn't anger, fear, worry... it was "Tell me more so I know about the problems I'm dealing with so I can try to deal with them." I admire her optimism, but it made Shelby as a character seem bland and unrealistic.

On the bright side, I found the world of the Chimaera to have potential. I love the idea of connecting your minds, sodalis, and the seven chakra - some ideas that could be wonderful if developed! The Transitions were also pretty intriguing, although I probably wanted a little more of the Chimaera lore...

Overall, I would say to skip this book if you're looking for action and some fantasy. If you're a huge fan of romance, maybe this book is for you - but it isn't for me.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little different than the other shapeshifter books I have read. In Transition, this race is called Chimera, and they have been around forever. They can live hundreds of years. Most of their lives are spent searching and hoping to find the other half of their soul or soulmates, or what they call their sodalis. Shelby is a college student that has no idea why she has been having dreams for a few months with the sexy Develon. Then circumstances over Christmas break bring them together, and starts them on a journey of discovery, mostly for her and finding out what she is.

I adored Develon. At the beginning a tattoo was mentioned on his back that was never brought up again that I wanted to hear more about. Hehehe. He is a great protector for Shelby, and will do anything for her. I am a sucker for soulmate books. I love when they have been sharing dreams and then finally meet. Shelby is a great strong girl, but she seemed kind of indecisive most the book about how she felt about Develon, even though she kept trying to seduce him.

Develon had his best friend, Stephen, that I would love to read about in a future book. I wasn't sure how to feel about Leandro, but after all was done, I hope in a sequel, he will have more of a story too. All he wants is to find his mate he has been searching forever for. I found it funny that these Chimera that were a few hundred years old had never learned how to drive. Too funny.

I did feel the book dragged on a little, and some things were repeated too often. I really didn't want to see the word sodalis again. I will read future books, though, and look forward to seeing what happens in the future, especially with Stephen, Leandro, Gavin, and maybe even her friend Jen.

[Ambyr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the Author for an honest review. The only bias-ness that I give a review in ARR is for some grammar/spelling issues; as I know that they will be fixed (usually). There were no glaring issues of this sort in this book (THANK YOU!!!)

This book review is totally honest.

I will try not to give away any of the story, you can get the description from the Amazon Book Description, you don't need me for that.

I have to admit, I was surprisingly happy with this book. There were many areas where, if the writing wasn't great, the plot would have fallen apart, been too cheesy, or just been... juvenile.
But Johnston has such a way with words, with scenes, and with characters. She has really laid out details about the Chimera race, you can tell she organized herself before writing the book. There were no issues with fact-blurring. Develon and Shelby (and the others, of course) are such deep, well written characters that I found myself enraptured in their story. I couldn't put the book down! The plot moves swiftly, with minimum eyebrow raises from me (You know there are always the spots in a book where you're like "WHY did you do THAT?!?!?!... I only had a very few in this book, and it was always around the girls (Shelby and Jen) putting themselves in positions where they were alone with men they don't know, with no way to call for help should something go sour).

The refreshing thing about this book was that it was sweet, tender, uplifting. It has the elements of magic or otherworldlyness without the etchings of pain and anguish that usually accompanies books in this genre. It was a beautifully crafted book.

Well done, Ms. Johnston!

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Transition” has quite an intriguing premise: Chimeras, a mythical race of beings composed of three animals in combination (in Greek myth; lion, goat, and snake), actually do exist and have for millennia. Divided into opposing segments by the deities, who thought the Chimeras’ abilities too dangerous, the species has hunted ever since to find its “other half,” its “sodalist” or lifetime mate. Shelby, a homeschooled farm girl who now attends Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, has recently had a series of dreams both disturbing and enticing, of a sexy male who communicates with her by seeming telepathy, and who is tattooed broadly with a Siberian white tiger. Friends try to tell her to forget her dream fantasy and date what’s real; but sometimes friends don’t know best, and neither do family. Shelby will have to make her own considered decision.

The friendship with tension between Shelby and Jen are mirrored by similar between the Chimeras Develon and Stephen. All the characters are well-rounded and understandable. The explanations of the seemingly mythical premise of the Chimeras are handled in a way that allows immediate suspension of reality; there is no “huh? That’s not possible” involved because the locale is so detailed and the Chimeras just seem so natural and so plausible that the reader is immediately drawn in.

This novel is not just well-written and enjoyable; it’s addictive. I found myself thinking about the plot, the setting, and the characters, even while reading other books and while trying to sleep. “Transition” is very highly recommended; I can only hope it will be but the first in a very attractive and enjoyable series.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

ransition begins as Develon has found his sodalis, Shelby. He realizes this because they have been sharing dreams together for months. He knows this is what the Chimera do when they find their one true mate. Now, he only has to meet her. Shelby has been dreaming about this incredibly good-looking guy for months. When she attempts to tell her friend about him she tells her she must find a “real” guy. So, the two of them go on a little skiing vacation right before Shelby goes home for Christmas. Here Shelby and her friend meet two very good-looking guys. Those two good-looking guys end up being Chimera and not only that but one of them is Develon. Shelby and Develon finally get to meet and the chemistry is electric. But, some unfortunate accidents and a discovery threaten to shake up the bond that is so strong between these two.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a new take on the shape shifter idea. Also, I loved the idea of the sodalis. That they could find the one half of their soul and feel complete is something most people want. All of the Chimera characters are unbelievably hot and will send many women to Antarctica looking for these men. Shelby and Develon a two very well-developed characters. I enjoyed how their bond did grow and you could actually see and feel it through the story. I know this is the first book in the series, but I am so ready for the next. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Develon Cole, a Chimera Elder, has been dreaming about his sodalis or mate for a very long time now. Shelby O'Neil has been dreaming of a mystery man for over two months now not sure if he's real or not. Develon tells Shelby that they will meet soon but Shelby is not so sure about that. Shelby tells her best friend Jen about her mystery man and Jen encourages Shelby to find a real life man instead of mystery man. Jen asks Shelby to spend part of winter break with her in a cabin near the mountains. Shelby agrees that she needs rest and relaxation for a week before seeing her parents over Christmas. Shelby finally meets Develon after an accident occurs in the cabin Jen and Shelby are staying at. Shelby cannot believe her eyes when she finally sees Develon. Develon is so happy that his sodalis Shelby is unharmed. The cabin falling in was no accident it was caused by Chimera Hunters and Develon wants to know why. Gavin and Leandro are two Chimera Hunters sent by Adin to kill Shelby but are relieved that they didn't succeed. Develon has questions about why Shelby smells human that only her parents can answer. They plan to go to Shelby's house as a surprise. What do Shelby's parents know? Can Shelby trust Develon? Why does Leandro bother Shelby? Your answers await you in Transition.

[Brandy Nacole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very interesting story about the bond between soulmates. I was very intrigued when I first read the details behind this story. I was inticed during the whole story. I enjoyed reading the tale of the lost soul mates and the never ending hunt to find the one that completes you.

When Develon does find his soul mate, Shelby, he was confused because his soul mate shouldn't be human. Then once he talks with Shelby and reveals what they mean to each other, Shelby wants answers. They seek out her family to find that they have been hiding her from the world she belongs to. Now Shelby has to face her Transition, a new world she never knew about, plus accepting her new life with Develon.

Shelby and Develon face some obstacles through the book but with each others help, they make it through. I'm looking forward to the second book although there are some trouble areas that have already been commented on that I will not go over again. Overall the story is good, the pace is okay, and the series will no doubt grow.

[Elli Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew better than to start reading "Transition" in the evening, but I couldn't help myself and ended up staying up till 2am to finish it in one shot. The story is addictive, the background and characters well-defined, and the descriptions are perfect. Ms. Johnston has found a great balance between description and action, with enough sensuality to make it hot while keeping it safely in the teen-zone.

Each character has a unique voice, and the switch from one to the next is done exceptionally well. It's completely believable that Develon is over 200 years old just from listening to his speech patterns, while his younger friend Stephen is more naturally modern. Shelby is the youngest of the characters, and I found myself liking her inner strength more and more as I read.

And the best part... there are more books coming! It's lovely to find a book that can stand on its own, yet still be part of a series.

Note: The author provided an electronic copy of the book to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Morgan Schell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chemistry and love between Develon and Shelby is beautiful. Something that most people hope to experience even a portion of... Myself included! There was too much inner rambling with Shelby for my taste. For example--- She stopped, pulled out a hair band and fixed her hair into a ponytail, and she always kept one with her cause you never know when it might be needed--- honestly, that didn't interest me to read about. Ok, awesome, let's move on. There's a good bit of humor in the story, which I am always a fan of! Stephen is a great character, and someone I would enjoy having as a close friend. There was a nice ending to the story, leaving me with a happy feeling in my heart. :-)

[Cassi Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome! Im on chapter 12 and i camt stop reading. I love romance books and love supernatural books and those combined create an amazing story. Everyone should read this book!

[Ashlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a pretty good book I liked the soulmates idea and the theory that god was afraid of the chimeras' power and had split their race in half causing them to search for their other half.

[Su Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

So glad to read a well done indie novel. The story is compelling and the characters believable. Definitely a book I would recommend. And I love the cover too.

[Kobby Gyampoh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is by Chicklit Pad blog

With two good-looking main characters it's possible they were carved out of a fairy-tale. Johnston starts off the tale by describing the physical attributes of her main characters. A rather old technique, I must say, but she gives out such details (like sexy Siberian tiger tattoos) it's hard not to get hooked (I mean really, really hooked). Andas though all the libido teasing isn'tenough, this description is given out through a sexual fantasy (How is that for incredibly sexy and visually stimulating?).Shelby, a college student juggling between school work, sexual fantasies and keeping in constant contact with her overprotective parents. Raised up in a farm far from her college life in Washington, she has no or little social life. No drink nights with her pals, no meeting new guys, little or no contact with the opposite sex(... well, except in her fantasies.) With a passion for photography and inspiring lanscape, she's the girl who would grab a camera for a night out instead of a clutch. In other words, she isn't your typical college student and you don't ever feel like you have met this particular character in some other literary piece. Later in the novel wefind out she's no ordinary girl with some no ordinary family.In the opening pages of the novel, you'll find out in these fantasies she's been with the same guy and oddly, it's stopped being just a fantasy. To her (and readers) the guy is very real, alive and no product of her imaginative mind asJen, her only girl pal, puts it.The guy is Develon (I agree, the name suggests he is a hunk), he isn't only just flawless, he is Chimera and is in search of his sodalis. It's no surprise the object of his fantasies, Shelby, happen to be that sodalis.Their first ever physical meeting is urged by the decision of Jen and Shelby to plan a week's vacation of skiing at the mountains of.... For Shelby she is excited for the photography as well as more sleeptime(for other* needs). But for Jen it's meeting new boys and starting flings. I wonder what would convince a girl going skiing is a great opportunity to meet up with guys (no offense to women who have 'Must Ski' on their List). They meet Stephen, brother of Develon (not by blood) and neighbor . Stephen is the player and doesn't go by Chimera rules which prevent any form of emotional attachment with humans. It's obvious from the start he wants to get himself entangled in Jen's lace panties.By the action of Chimera hunters, Gavin and Leandro who have the power to control water and air respectively, the holiday ends before it can start with the roof of their 'cabin in the woods' caving in.Deciding on taking up Stephen's offer, Jen suggests they go seek refuge from their neighbors.The two meet and more than sparks fly.If you are thinking the sex in the fantasies are good as the physical, think again. Double the desire, the time spent on foreplay and deduct the annoying interruptions by Shelby's alarm, and there you haveit: mind-blowing lovemaking!But the two have more than great chemistry to protect, with Shelby's discovery of her new-found (not-so) awesome powers, the two have to stay clear of anything that could send any of them (especially Shelby) six-feet under. Or where the hell Chimeras go when they die.Together the two unravel secrets about Shelby's childhood hidden for years by her parents. And explore more desirable* qualities of one another.The release of well-hidden secrets shake the plot of the story... or at least what we all think might happen. Too much twilight comparison would leave you gob-smacked even before you get to the middle so don't go over the same mistakes I commited.The arch-villain, happened to be Leandro (no spoiler here as that is evident from the beginning of the story). Also good-looking in a very aristocratic way, he is also Chimeraand desperate to find his sodalis. He is a delusional sniffing freak who is drawn to and thinks Shelby is rather his mate./But what if two Chimeras are to share one sodalis? I found myself asking most of the time (mostly because the thought was a turn on)But seething as to why Megan never thought of it (another of my twilight comparison let downs). Obviously to Johnston, I was another reader who was inexperienced in Chimera affairs and needed to understand the verytricky course.Enough about me.Though there's a huge anticlimax as one draws closer to the end (another one of Megan's techniques that made me give up thinking ahead), the climax (or end) tends out to be more satisfying than what I had wanted. At this stage of the story, the reason behind the title makes it appropriate.I really enjoyed it, but I wasn't a fanof the mind games Johnston was playing with me. She Really got my head messed up and I learnt a lesson when it comes to reading (her novels): Just flow with the go. You never know what might not happen.I loved, loved this book (and this is coming from someone who pays least attention to things that are unrealistic). I feel really left out because there is a franchise I haven't been keeping up with. If Megan would allow me, I would read all the books in the series andwhat little price I would have to payin writing reviews.My rating is a whooping5/5 stars.Once you pick up this title, besides the thrills, you get to polish up your (inexistent) Latin vocabulary (in ya face those of ya who thought sodalis could be found in the dictionary). And who knows, you might think against the online classes you planned on taking.I am definitely following this series.Transition is available atAuthorHouseBarnes and NoblesandAmazon.If you enjoyed this review, you might want to join the discussion on our Facebookgroupand be partof the growing membership.

For more info about the blog visit http://chicklitpad.blogspot.com

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free eBook copy from the author in return for an honest review.

In Transition , the first book in The Chimera Hunters series, Shelby and her friend Jen, two college students, rent a ski lodge from a friend in the middle of a snowy winter. Shelby has been having strange dreams involving a hot guy we soon learn is none other than the male protagonist, Develon. Develon is a member of a paranormal race called the Chimera, who are gifted with longevity, shapeshifting capabilities and elemental magic. Unbeknownst to Shelby, Develon is her sodalis , the Chimera equivalent of her soul mate. As time progresses, Shelby learns that her connection to this world is much more than simply having found The One.

I was expecting the Chimera to be more similar to the Greek mythological monsters they were named after: part-dragon/snake, part-lion and part-goat. The Chimera in this book undergo up to three transitions: bird of prey, predatory cats, and (for Develon) a wolf. I think "Gryphon" (a part-eagle, part-lion mythical creature) would have been a more appropriate name. The Greek name "Chimera" also did not connect well with the chakra element to the story. The word "chakra" instantly reminds me of East Asian culture. The blend didn't sit well with me. There was no explanation for why these Chimera had no connection to their Greek namesake, although there were tons of explanations about the culture itself (more on that later). A little thing that made my skin itch: "slumbering time" for sleeping. "Slumber" would have worked much better.

This book did a lot of dumping. Whenever a new character was introduced (or a new perspective on an already introduced character), there is a paragraph of physical description. Naturally, Develon and Shelby are described as perfect-looking. There was also info-dumping in the form of explaining the Chimera culture. I wish that Shelby had figured some of it out or experienced it more. A lot of it is repeated. Another reviewer compared this dense information to a textbook, and I have to agree. Sometimes, there were enormous paragraphs of one character explaining the culture to Shelby all at once. Several times. This made a lot of the dialogue slow and dragging. Some of the non-expository dialogue could have been more concise. It also contains comma abuse (commas in wrong places and/or no commas where there should be commas). As mentioned in another review of mine, comma abuse is my #1 grammatical pet peeve.



A lot happens without actually happening . That is to say, Shelby and Develon say and do a lot of things that do not seem to advance the actual plot. The action also happened in isolated spurts, particularly at the end. The "villain" figure seems to come out of nowhere (as do Shelby's dormant powers).

On the romance front, Develon is a sweetie. He's not possessive, but protective. That came off well. He's not violent, but he is not afraid to prevent Shelby from danger. He says all the right words that you'd want to hear from a lover you met in your dreams: "I've been waiting forever just for you. You're beautiful. There's nobody else for me." (Note: not an actual quotation from the book.) I'm not sure if this was meant to targeted as YA or adult romance. If YA, then the age was a bit too old. If adult, then there could have been more passion. For all their sweet words, when they do kiss, it's only vaguely described. I've read YA with more intense kissing and longing.

Also: Shelby makes nice with her kidnapper (not saying who!) way, way too fast. One moment she's kidnapped, and the next, he has morally turned around and so understands that what he did was wrong, etc. . The book does end in a good spot, however. There's no cliffhanger pressure for the sequel, and I was satisfied.

I did enjoy the book, and I would continue on in the series. The world has a lot of potential, but it still needs to be fulfilled. I'm sorry I can't give the book four stars.

[Words Travler · Rating 1 out of 5]

I give this book 1.5 stars.

When I got this copy I was excited. This is the kind of genre I love to read. I really wanted to give this book more stars and a rave review, but I can't.

There are many that have posted in spoilers already what they felt was wrong with the book and I whole heartly agree so I won't repeat what has already been said. But I will add to it. So..
The part where she cuts her hand with the glass after looking for her phone. The cut is pretty deep and is mention a few times yet when she arrives at Develon's house. The cut issuse wasn't even addressed untill later on!! Develon even walks up to her and sniff's her, so clearly they have a great sense of smell. Being an "Alpha male", that has lived so long helped train so many others. Why wasn't he losing his marbles to tend to his mate? Instead he drops the bomb on Shelby, about who and what he really is? And his mate is in pain?. But she doesn't feel it because Develon's news is more important?. He even grabed her hand a few times, and I was thinking, did he grab her bad hand? How could he miss the scarf on her other hand?.

The other thing that bothered me, was Develon didn't even bat an eyelash at his mate being attacked. Someone he's waited (What was it 188 years for?)He see's his mate and her friend walking to his house. Escorts them inside and they tell the story. Even if he has a general idea of his kin attacking the girls, why did he wait so long to even figure out what was going on? He didn't even go and check out Shelby's house to see the damage or even to verify if there story checked out! I don't get it. uh okay. This isn't typical Alpha male behavior. This wasn't even addressed until once again AFTER he droped the bomb on Shelby about who he was. There was much more that was wrong. I just couldn't finish it. I tired I really did. But I just grew frustrated.

Now after all that, I did like the idea's the author put out there. The race, the bonding of mates, the ability to control elements. (And that is where it wins the stars.)It was a new spin to things It was just executed poorly.


I received a copy of this book through my group. I do not know the author. And these are my opinions. :)

[Nina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a free copy of Transition from the author in exchange for an honest review. For the past two months, Shelby has been having strange dreams about a mystery man. She knows it's ridiculous, but she feels attracted to him even though she has never met him. On a fateful weekend, Shelby meets Develon who happens to be the mystery man from her dreams. She has no idea how this can be until he explains to her that he is a Chimera and she is his sodalis. The Chimeras are an old race of beings who have the ability to transform into animals, extreme strength, speed, and communicate with one another telepathically. The Chimera's soul feel incomplete until they find their sodalis, which is their mate. With all of this new information, Shelby must figure out how she fits into this strange world.

Good
- I liked the general idea of the Chimeras

I'm not gonna lie, that's the only thing I liked about this book. It was tough to get through.

Bad
- I felt like a lot of the book was rambling and it bored me to tears. I found myself skimming a lot of the book (which I never do.)
- Love/lust at first sight. I almost always hate this except Prince of Wolves by Quinn Loftis has shown me that it can be done well. However, this book is an example of how unbelievable it is. I didn't feel the connection between Shelby and Develon at all.
- This is a random pet peeve but I swear that the word "giggled" was used 100 times. It was driving me nuts! How much giggling can Shelby and her friend do in a span of two days!?
- The time span that was used in this book shows how drawn out this book was. I remember looking down at Hazel Grace and seeing that I was 40% done and it was still the second day? Nothing really even happened!
- I hated how everything was tied up in a nice little neat package at the end of the book. Those endings bother the hell out of me. I finished reading the book and my first thought was "That was it?!"

When I read the synopsis for this book I was really excited to read it. I think the general idea of the story was great but it just wasn't done well. I'm giving this book 1 star. I really wanted to like it, though.

[The Review Board · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Review Board is posting this review on behalf of "Mr. Controversy." For the full review please visit HERE.

“Transition” is an interesting story written by Megan S. Johnston that revolves around a premise reminiscent of the movies "Hancock" as well as tinges of "Avatar" and the short-lived TV show "Animorphs".

The story examines Shelby, a young lady who hopes for a Happily Ever After with a Mystery Man who keeps her company during her dreams.She and her friend Jen decide to have a girl's outing/vacation, and happened upon a young man (who happens to be a Chimera) named Stephen.

Stephen's Chimera brother, Develon (who is also examined in this tale), is less than pleased dealing with Humans on any scale (In My Honest Opinion). While speaking with Stephen, Develon makes a surprising discovery Shelby. Upon this discovery, his Chimera Instincts are put to the Ultimate Test.

This story (PDF wise) is 256 pages long; a good amount of length for any reader. In this World of quick reads and quicker people, this can be easily overlooked due to the eye-catching abilities of this writing.

The premise is intriguing, and will keep a reader hooked: wondering if Instincts will triumph over Emotions. With vivid descriptions of surroundings, bodies, and characters help me visualize the aforementioned items in the story; helping me be the proverbial fly on the wall and witnessing everything unfold.I can honestly see this story play out on a screen (dependent on Ms. Johnston's vision, it would be a Big or Small screen).

"Transition" is certainly one of those Romantic Dramas that will give a person A LOT to think about in the realm of seeking their Soul Mate, and how to handle the discovery of said Soul Mate. I can see myself reading this book multiple times due to the fact (in my opinion) that it gets more and more interesting as I continue to read.Despite a slow start, "Transition" certainly has warmed up to as well as sped up for me at JUST the right moments.

[The Review Board · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Review Board is posting this review on behalf of "Mr. Controversy." For the full review please visit HERE.

“Transition” is an interesting story written by Megan S. Johnston that revolves around a premise reminiscent of the movies "Hancock" as well as tinges of "Avatar" and the short-lived TV show "Animorphs".

The story examines Shelby, a young lady who hopes for a Happily Ever After with a Mystery Man who keeps her company during her dreams.She and her friend Jen decide to have a girl's outing/vacation, and happened upon a young man (who happens to be a Chimera) named Stephen.

Stephen's Chimera brother, Develon (who is also examined in this tale), is less than pleased dealing with Humans on any scale (In My Honest Opinion). While speaking with Stephen, Develon makes a surprising discovery Shelby. Upon this discovery, his Chimera Instincts are put to the Ultimate Test.

This story (PDF wise) is 256 pages long; a good amount of length for any reader. In this World of quick reads and quicker people, this can be easily overlooked due to the eye-catching abilities of this writing.

The premise is intriguing, and will keep a reader hooked: wondering if Instincts will triumph over Emotions. With vivid descriptions of surroundings, bodies, and characters help me visualize the aforementioned items in the story; helping me be the proverbial fly on the wall and witnessing everything unfold.I can honestly see this story play out on a screen (dependent on Ms. Johnston's vision, it would be a Big or Small screen).

"Transition" is certainly one of those Romantic Dramas that will give a person A LOT to think about in the realm of seeking their Soul Mate, and how to handle the discovery of said Soul Mate. I can see myself reading this book multiple times due to the fact (in my opinion) that it gets more and more interesting as I continue to read.Despite a slow start, "Transition" certainly has warmed up to as well as sped up for me at JUST the right moments.

[Brenda Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chimera have been on Earth as long as humans, searching the Earth for their other half, their Sodalis (soul mate essentially). Without one, they are destined to live life without dreams, without love, and without hope.

Our leading characters are Develon, a Chimera who can turn into different animals and work with elements, and Shelby, a College student on vacation. They are Sodalis, but something is amiss when Develon smells that she is human. She has to be a Chimera to be his Sodalis. So what’s going on? You’re just going to have to read to find out.

From beginning this book had my attention. It has a nice and steady flow giving me a lot of information, but not so much to where I couldn’t keep up. Chimera people can control elements, normally one but sometimes more. They could change into animals. And they lived a heck of a long time. Pretty easy to follow so far. haha

I was really drawn to the romanticism behind finding a soul mate and how Develon will go to any lengths to protect Shelby as they try to figure out what is going on. All the characters are written so well, but Develon is defiantly my favorite. A man who can command so much power and be so kind hearted and loving towards the woman he is to spend the rest of his life with. That is if no one will get in his way.

If you haven’t already added this to your lists of reads, I highly recommend you do. It’s well worth the read.

-Brenda Franklin, author of the Pulse Trilogy and Guardian,A Fated Pairing.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

For starters I'd like to thank the author for allowing us to review this book for free. I think it is a very brave thing to be able to write a novel/book and allow others to see that work and give honest reviews based off of it. With all that being said....here is my review:

I wanted to like this book so bad.... I was so excited to be able to get a copy of it and I jumped right into reading it. When I was reading this book I found myself stopping repeatedly to do something mundane ie cleaning, laundry etc. The fact that I was able to stop reading and just walk away from it and have to FORCE myself to sit back down and continue the story shows how little this book held my interest. The characters did not suck me into their lives, I feel like I barley go to know them. I also still do not fully understand what a Chimera Hunter is, I do not think this was completely explained (or maybe that was just me).

The love story in this book takes off right away, sometimes that can be just what the story needs based off how the author pulls you into the characters lives. However, with this story I felt it was all lacking. I know this review probably isn't so helpful, but to be honest Transition left me bored and day dreaming about the next books I'd be able to start reading.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Transition" My thoughts on the book...well I loved the idea of the Chimera, a mystical race who at puberty "Transition" into a different type of bird. Most Chimera have 2 animals they chance into, rarely they change into 3. In this first installment we get introduced to Shelby and Develon. Shelby a college student that keeps having dreams about the same handsome man every night..Develon a Chimera elder who has been looking for his soulmate for centuries. as the book progress we see the relationship between Shelby and Develon develop. In my opinion the book is missing a certain something like the relationship they share is missing depth. I would have liked a deeper story a fiercer connection between the two. As I said I love the concept of the series but I feel like it just breezed through the characters I didn't feel very connected to them. I feel like its missing more "sigh" moments Stroger emotions I mean after all she was his sodalis.

[Rukhsana Sukhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

See my full review {HERE].