Pledged

Soul Wars Saga #1

by Gwynn White

Everyone has a soul mate. But what do you do when your soul mate would rather give his soul to the demons than be with you?

Seventeen-year-old Erin has a problem. Seth has been hers forever, but now an ancient curse is tearing him away. And the demons who invoked it will stop at nothing – even murder – to claim him as their own.

How can she win against a curse so binding that it has damned countless others to this same fate – an eternity alone?

The answer lies in the past. To find it, Erin and Seth must risk all, travelling back in time to a dangerous world where love is forbidden, and life – and death – hang on a pledge.

Follow Erin and Seth as they travel to ancient Shenaya and confront the curse that has plagued their families for millennia. Caught in a war between the Angelic Guardians and the Gefallen, the disembodied dead, they must fight to keep their souls in tact and their love untainted.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Time Travel

503 pages, ebook

First published June 3, 2012

About the author

USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of science fiction and fantasy novels set on distant planets.

All Gwynn White's stories have an adventure at the heart mixed with a liberal sprinkling of romance and intrigue. To confuse things, she also write adventure travel books set firmly on planet Earth.

She lives in Western Australia with her husband, Andrew, my three daughters, a yapping Toy Pomeranian, and a fantastic farm cat called Pixel. When she's not writing, she's reading, traveling, herding kids around, taking dogs for walks, and avoiding all cooking.

Reviews

[Lauren (Northern Plunder)]

This review was first posted on Northern Plunder, if you want to see more reviews please click here.

Pledged follows Seth and Erin as they learn about their lives before they were born and the lives of their ancestors before their very eyes years and years after any of the events had happened, all thanks to one more than your average diamond. What this whole story bottles down to is a thousand year old curse, good vs evil, brother vs brother, its not something that I could actually explain in depth now without giving anything vital away, but also because its so in depth and intricate that it'd probably take me a few days to decide how to explain it cause its a little confusing to begin with but nevertheless it all makes complete sense by the end of the book, of course you do have to keep reading because every small detail you unravel presents you with more questions and wanting to know more and the story does not fail in keeping you hooked or throwing problems in the characters paths that yourself, Erin & Seth just wish they could help them to deal with, but of course as on lookers of the past nothing can be changed. As for the characters, I completely adored Erin to pieces and I was dying to get more development of the relationship between her and Seth but Seth is more of a closed book kind of guy who doesn't really allow that to happen yet so I have high hopes for the next book as the ending left us wanting to read on. As I've mentioned Seth is more of a closed book kind of guy and whilst there are hints or gestures of all these redeeming qualities he's supposed to have I just didn't really connect with him at all or feel much for him as a character, like I felt so much emotion for Caleb and Jared but not so much Seth, I can't quiet place my finger on it. Whilst I enjoyed reading about most of the characters and the storyline I think over all it took a little too long to finally fall into place and if you don't put much thought into what you're reading you could easily get confused, there is a lot of names to remember, luckily this different happen with myself but it does seem like it could be rather overwhelming due to the fact so much happens and you're not always viewing it in the right time sequence which is why I'm not willing to give it a straight 4 star rating, I know I'm difficult ey?
Recommend? Sure thing
3.75 Stars!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Write to Review

Note: I received this book from the author for review.

Seventeen-year-old Erin faces a dire predicament as she watches Seth, who has always been hers, being torn away by an ancient curse. This curse, invoked by malevolent demons, threatens to separate them forever, and these ruthless beings will go to extreme lengths, even resorting to murder, to claim Seth as their own.

To overcome this binding curse, Erin must unravel its secrets, which have ensnared countless others throughout history. The key to their salvation lies in the past, forcing Erin and Seth to embark on a perilous journey back in time to a world where love is forbidden, and life and death hang on a solemn pledge.

Their quest takes them to the ancient realm of Shenaya, where they confront the curse that has haunted their families for centuries. Amidst a conflict between the Angelic Guardians and the Gefallen, the disembodied dead, Erin and Seth must fight to preserve their souls and protect their love from corruption. Their journey unfolds as they battle to defy a destiny of eternal separation.

The first thing that intrigued me about this book was the concept: soul mates!

When I first started reading the book it seemed a little slow in the beginning and I felt it was hard to immerse myself into the stories of the characters. The writing in the beginning seemed to jump from one perspective to the next without a smooth change. This, however, did not last. As I continued to read the characters seemed to jump out and become more real and the changing perspectives relaxed a little. I was then able to get in and try and understand the story more.

Overall, the concept was good but the execution was a little shaky. With that being said I thought the author presented herself well as the book progressed and I am interested to read what else she has in store for the continuation. The story does end up grabbing you in the end (at least it did with me) and the cliffhanger at the end left me wanting more.

[JB · Rating 1 out of 5]

No. Just...no.

What a freakin' mess. Annoying characters, lame central conflict, vomit-inducing instalove, sudden POV changes (ex. Erin thinks this, Seth thinks that - in the same paragraph!)...the list goes on. Don't even get me started on the time-jumping, being able to talk to your own soul like its a separate entity, and (my personal favorite) possessed hyenas.

Let me put it this way. While I was reading Pledged, I had to remove all pens, pencils & other sharp objects from the vicinity, lest I be tempted to stab myself through the eye and put myself out of my misery. That's how bad it was.

DNF @ 50%

*This book was received for review as part of the Shut Up & Read program*

[Rachel (aka Ms4Tune) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to sleep on this one. I thought about giving it a three because I did enjoy some parts of this, I liked Erin and the Guardians, to be honest all the characters were well developed, (But I found Seth annoying) I found the plot had some good twists, and I liked the way the story was put across.

Unfortunately I went with two stars in the end because I did feel completely confused for the first maybe 20% of the book and for a 500 page book that's a lot of reading not understanding! I then found that when I was just starting to connect with the characters a vision or something would happen that I didn't really get and that would put me back to square one. And the ending was such a run up to the next book, leaving me with so many questions.

I just think there was too much going on for me, especially as the main part I wanted to know more about was Erin and how her relationship with Seth would go and that wasn't the focus of this book. This book was really just about the history so you will understand why Erin and Seth are destined for each other! So (if I can psych myself up for it) I will have to read the next one to find out about them!

Overall it was ok just not my cuppa tea.

[Chani · Rating 2 out of 5]

**This review can also be found at http://readinginthewindowseat.blogspo...**


I received this book from a RI&R. The thing that initially caught my attention about this book was the unique story line. It was an interesting concept, the idea of soul mates having to choose whether or not they wanted to be with each other or give themselves away to demons. While this idea was expressed within the book, it wasn't really as fleshed out as I expected. For one, the characters didn't have much depth. One moment Erin doesn't believe in anything and the next she's completely convinced that she lived a past life. Yes, the evidence was pretty extensive, but a skeptic would still hesitate a little. She didn't. Seth wasn't very well rounded either. He seemed flat, and often times a little ridiculous. I kept wanting to see something from him, I'm not sure what, but nothing ever happened. He's loyal to his brother and that's it, and while I get that because of what happened in his life, it would seem less far fetched if that was emphasized. I wanted more of why Seth is willing to disbelieve despite the fact he's in the past, and why he's still willing to hand it over to his brother. All of the scenes kind of just jumped around, and all of the information was thrust upon us at once. Another thing was the flash back to the past. It didn't really seem necessary for us to follow around those other characters. It felt almost like a waste of my time, like it deviated from the story. And the pov jumps were frustrating themselves, because it didn't just happen in Erin and Seth's head but other characters like Sophia. She's another character I didn't fully buy in to. That whole scene all I kept thinking was they don't need to repeat each others names ever single time they open their mouths. It's just not necessary. Or believable. It was also strange having them follow her into this house and then have this conversation with her. It didn't really seem relevant, and afterwards they walked out like everything was normal. Some scenes, like the one with the hyena, were really good. I got to see more personality behind both Seth and Erin. I wish there were more scenes that focused on just the two of them, why they're here and how they feel about it. The author tries to give us information on Erin through the character's dialogue, but that just seems awkward and forced. Erin comes off slightly full of herself because of it. She's constantly dropping information about her life at random times, where it doesn't really fit. Instead, I'd like to know more about her by maybe having Seth ask questions. I want to know more about how she is in her head. I feel like certain things needed to be given more attention, while other scenes needed to be cut down. I still love the idea behind this story, but as far as the execution I didn't feel like I got what the blurb promised. I didn't hate it, and I do really think that there's a great story here. It just needs to be fleshed out more and told in a less disjointed way.

[Vanya D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

NOTE: I was given this book to review by the author, Gwynneth White.

I never thought that this review would be so difficult to write. I don't even know where to begin, or how to rate the novel. I hope I get some insight as the words appear on the screen. At any rate, just please don't think I'm being hateful or anything. I'm just being honest.

Firstly, let me say that I had great expectations about Pledged. So great in fact, that when I started reading it, they came crushing down on me. Not cool, I know, but that's what usually happens when a book doesn't turn out to be what you've thought it would be.

Secondly, the world building and story telling sort of disappointed me. I was expecting a masterpiece, where I'd be enveloped in the book world as if it were my own reality. That I'd feel the wind, the heat of the desert, the pain of the characters. Sadly, It didn't turn out to be that way. The descriptions felt distant to me, and I couldn't get submerged no matter how hard I tried.

Thirdly, the story plot revolved around prophesies and curses that hardly made sense to me. I tried to understand what it was all about, but it just didn't make sense. And no, it wasn't some complicated mystery or something. It just logically didn't make sense.

In fourth place, I thought that the soul mate concept that we were introduced to in the summary, would be developed as a part of a grander scheme. But it wasn't. IT was the grand scheme. And it felt a bit silly to me that generation upon generation of fictional characters would depend on a concept that none of them actually considered important. Trust me, I do believe in love at first sight, but what I read here wasn't it. It was pushed to appear so, but it actually wasn't.

Fifth, the characters did not really impress me. Not even one of them grabbed my attention. They were all sort of the same, as if moulded in the same mould. Their dialogues felt unrealistic, their fears and stubbornness were completely unnecessary, and they never seemed to follow through with their decisions (unless those decisions were very stupid - then they'd stick to them).

And still, with all that said, after the 50-60% of the novel, I sort of liked it. I was even disappointed that it ended where it did. Stupid, stupid trilogies! Anyway, that's all I've got to say.

I'd recommend this book to all those who love a slow read, where there's more telling than showing and more thinking than doing.

[Crystal ✬ Lost in Storyland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story has a great premise. Erin and Seth are soulmates who have recently found each other only to enter an ancient battle for love. Seth's visions bring the two of them together, but a promise keeps him from fully dedicating himself to a cause he agreed to fight for before his birth. It's epic, and it's exciting. Because of this, I really wish that more background information was incorporated into the beginning of the story since I felt lost for much of the story until it all came together. With the past and present timelines being given to us at the same time, it gets a bit confusing, though I did enjoy seeing Erin and Seth's reactions to the past.

Although they are soulmates, Seth and Erin and all of their friends from before they were born (weird, isn't it?) don't fall in love with their respective soulmates immediately. Erin is ready to embrace her destiny, but Seth is conflicted by his life experiences and his sense of honor won't let him choose a girl that he just met (Erin) over his brother (Kyle). Their friends all face their own struggles in love with the constrains of society and the expectations of their family.

The story does run a bit smoothly. When Seth and Erin are about to make a bad decision or when they don't know what to do, one of the Guardians is always there to guide them. I understand that the Guardians exist as a conscious of sorts to help their wards take the right path, but I would have liked to see Seth and Erin figure out more things by themselves instead of being told what to do. The older Guardians do have a bit of a self-righteous feel about them.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to seeing what book two has in store for us!

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.

[Justine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book as a Read to Review book from the author free of charge for my honest review.

At first this book sucked me in talking about archeology and how the two main characters were off to Africa to meet with their siblings who were getting married. The first few chapters lead me to believe that the book was about archeology and diamonds, with a paranormal twist, then it turned into a whole new story.

Our two main characters Seth and Erin meet some dead people and end up going back in time and to me it was like these characters were watching a movie because they could see and hear everything that was going on but were invisible to the other people. I just found it weird and I was very confused throughout most of the book. It was just weird how everyone was related and this curse/ prophecy had been going on for centuries and the characters kept doing the same mistakes and the curse never ended and tow these two characters are expected to break the curse when no others could. I don't know.

The characters were okay. I found Erin to be a know it all, which I think the author wanted but at times it was super annoying. Seth was decent but then he kind of turned, he couldn't decide if he wanted to break the curse or give the stone to his brother. I don't know even it just wasn't a book for me.

[Elizabeth "Liza" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pledge has all the ingredients for a great story: young, good looking people, soul mates, angels, and destiny. I did enjoy it, but not as much as I thought I would.

When I was approached by the author to participate in the blog tour I was really happy about it. I love the promotional materials that were sent directly from Erin and Seth’s POV, they seemed to be great characters and be so much fun. The problem for me is that their character is not reflected in the book. I think I liked Sophia and Jered more than I did Seth or Erin and other of the characters (even the villains see to be better ‘fleshed out’!)

The plot is really good and well thought out. There are a lot of details and we are not left to wander what is going on and I appreciate that. I liked the” time-travel”, but the going back and forth between characters and location was a bit confusing and as a result the story didn’t flow smoothly.

Overall, I did enjoy the premise of Pledge and I plan to follow Erin and Seth’s adventures, especially since the ending was a big cliffhanger :)

About the cover: I really like this cover, the pendant and the diamond have such significance in the story and Erin and Seth are touching it.

[pinK · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from the Read It & Reap program from Shut Up & Read.

I wanted to love this book. Everything I read about it made it sound like it was just up my alley. I stalked the book group to get it for free since I ran out of book money for the month, because I was that excited about this book. Then I started reading it, and the excitement faded away.

I didn't dislike this book, but I didn't like it either. I was fairly neutral. No matter how much I read, I could never really get into the story. I mean, I couldn't even figure out what the heck was going on for the first twenty percent of the book, let alone get into the story.

This story could have been fantastic (to me, of course) if it had followed a simple rule I learned as a kid. Less is More. There was just too much going on. Too many stories to follow. All the extra storylines, just retracted from the story, there was too much. It was more distracting than delicate.

I can definitely see how others could like this story, some people enjoy all the distractions. It just wasn't for me. I prefer a simple story, maybe a distraction here and there, and sideplots are fine, but not nearly as many as in this book.

[Marcus Vinicius Medeiros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone wants to live a love that will last forever. Well, maybe not everyone, I think, but I surely do. And Pladged was written for people like me! Soulmates, everlasting romance and (not too) perfect relationships are the themes of this beautiful novel. Pledged is the first in a series, with fantasy, action and romance for the young adult crowd. Fast paced and always powerful in the character interaction and development, author Gwnneth White delves into guardian angels and lost cities, destiny and free will, honor and responsability, moral questions and surprises everywhere.

The two main characters are Seth and Erin, who have just met and discover the fascinating truth about immortal souls and ancient civilizations. The better part of the novel is how theses two youngsters come to know each other and start deciding how to spend eternity. The dialogue is very good, the plot is complex but not confusing, and there is a good sense of danger for the protagonists. Very original ideas make this a different and totally unexpected fantasy novel. The end lef me wanting more, and that´s no more I could ask.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pledged has a terrific premise-soul mates, time travel, and destiny. The author had a very creative way to introduce the book to us who were participating in the blog tour, and for that reason alone, I knew I had to read it!

The setting for Pledged is terrific. It takes place in South Africa, which I found original and interesting. The way it was described, I felt like I was there.

I loved the characters, Seth and Erin. They were honest and fun. They are soul mates, but Seth doesn't know if he should fight destiny or not. It was interesting to see him make the choices that he makes. I really enjoyed Erin, she was a girl who knew exactly what she wanted and I could respect that!

The story does get a little confusing at times, especially when the author was going back and forth thru time, but I eventually I got the basic idea. Besides that, I did enjoy the writing. The entire story kept my guessing. I never knew what was going to happen next!

I am excited to see where Gwynneth While will take us next in her Soul Wars Saga!

[Renetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

The base of the story is timeless...

good vs. evil

There are angels and demons, but don't expect to read about white feathery wings or horns and scaly skin! This is more... hmmmm... realistic?

There are two main characters Seth and Erin. They are blindly led into the middle of an age old war and it's up to them to break a curse, Reuel's Curse, that has been put on the people of Shenaya.

Gideon had a vision, Gideon's Prophecy, that generations to come would be cursed to fight this war and there is only one way out of it.

In the beginning it was fun reading about Seth and Erin bouncing around in time (with the help of the Seer-stone) having the history of the story revealed layer by layer. There's a relationship between Seth and Erin that gradually grows throughout the story too. Loyalties are questioned and tested between brothers fathers sons strangers lovers....

The book had me from the first page! The end is definitely leaving me wanting more. It's going to be a trilogy and all three will have to be read.

[Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was originally posted at my blog at Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books You will find many experts there and teasers, and a giveaway until Sept 6

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, though it is quite long, its worth it. I really enjoyed the characters, got to really get to know them. I like when an author gives us the time to get to know them, and care, it makes the story that much better.

Seth did get on my nerves to me, seemed somewhat selfish, but as i got into the book more, past the halfway point, then I was able to understand that there was a reason, a very good reason he acted the way he did toward his soul mate Erin. I wont say, I will leave that for your to discover, this will be a spoiler free review. I will have a few teasers, but nothing to give anything away.

I really like the other main charachter Erin, she was strong, and easy to like. I felt really bad for her on how she was at times treated by Seth. But then there were sweet times too.

I liked the time travel that happened in this story, it was very interesting to see how this same curse that has started back in the early 800's AD or so. They get to see first hand, how this Pledged curse had started. This is where they meet Caleb and Talithia, and Jared and Sophia. As well as meet with Gidian, Kate and Stephanie in the Mist of Time, who are Gaurdians, and help them on this journey. They are not able to change anything in the past, but are there to hope to learn something from the friends their souls are friends with (hard to explain that part, so I wont, its explained well in the book) so basically they get to see the mistakes made by their longtime friends. There is action, some violence (not too bad) and it takes you on an emotional rollarcoaster.

It does get off to a slow start, not boring or anything, but much needs explained to understand it all, and its best to read when able to absorb it, its very intriguing, but one of those books you need to pay attention. Its a great story, that is very different than anything I have ever read. But what I didn't like, and this is more me being impaitient, is where it left us hanging at. Major cliffhanger, and I mean Major!! I was like freaking, as it left me wondering about what was to happen! It has a start of the next book, called Sacrificed Book 2 in the Soul Wars Saga., and its due out January 2013 with the next June 2013 (Saved may be title, seems its not concrete in that) I did not read that sneak peak of Sacrificed yet, as I wanted to write this review first, so that would not sway my review at all, or slip something in by mistake.

Here is a sweet teaser for you between Seth and Erin:

Erin closed her mouth over his. She knew exactly how important this first kiss was in her fight for Seth against Kyle. For a split second he hesitated; then, no longer willing to resist, he opened his mouth to hers. As their tongues met, a fountain of fiery sparks surged through Erin’s body, reminding her of the sensation in the prism when her spirit had accepted Custodianship of the diamond. Just like that decision had been right, kissing Seth was right too. More than right. It was the most natural thing in the world to do. Erin slid her hands under his shirt, caressing his back, praying that he felt as at home in her arms as she felt in his. They were both breathless when Seth burst into joyful laughter and pulled away from her.

There were a few sweet moments like that. Not as many as there should have been, but enough considering the story that took place.
This is another cute scene too:

“I’ve been wanting to kiss you ever since Maun. Forget Maun . . . almost since the moment I met you at the airport in Gaborone.”“All that time wasted.” Erin lay back on the bed and pulled him down with her. With her face close to his, she asked, “So why didn’t you?”He sighed. “Sparkles, I thought that was obvious.”“Not to me, it wasn’t.”He traced the outline of her mouth with his finger. “Well, I had just met you in Gaborone. Imagine how you’d have reacted if I’d done the whole Conan the Barbarian thing by throwing you over my shoulder and dragging you off to my cave?”She giggled. “And later?”“You know what happened later. I was so freaked out about it all that I was ready to get on the next plane home. Then we hit the Mists of Time–”“Yes. Where you rejected me.”

I really love how Gweynneth weaves complex characters, Guardians, protectors and soul mates from the beginning of time. Its all mixed up with some murder, intrigue and major plays for power in a fantastical setting of early Botswanna which at that time was called Shenaya. We have prophecies, curses and destined fates, all in Pledged. Its a complex story that spans across time.

The world building in this book is amazing, getting to feel your really in ancient times, in as foreign country.
Everything is centered around this Seer-Stone. Its the one of the most important parts of the story.

If you like adventure with some fantasy, and a little romance, then you will like this bool. I recommend you pick it up.

I received this book for a book tour, and my honest review.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for participation in a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.

This story begins with Seth and Erin meeting for the first time. Seth’s brother Kyle and Erin’s sister married. Seth and Erin meet up at an aiport and start traveling to the camp to meet up with their family. Along the way, they encounter a few problems and somehow find this weird diamond in the dirt. With that, they discover there is much more to their simple quest and encounter spirits and demons and a long legend. They also discover they are each other’s soul mates. They are transported back in time with the help of the Seer Stone diamond. They are told they must work together. They witness events and have to end a curse that has been around for thousands of years.

The story is incredibly descriptive and interesting, but it all happens really quickly. They begin witnessing events unfold and discover more about the curse that has been affecting their families for a long time. They have help from the Guardians, who told them both about the whole thing and frequently pop in and out. The Guardians also help the people in the past by giving them advice in their minds. Seth and Erin struggle to figure out how to break the curse while watching the people in front of them utterly fail to do so themselves. They both just met, barely know each other, yet are told they are soul mates and must work together. Seth has some conflicts regarding the whole thing and doesn’t know who or what he can trust. Through all this, powerful demons are influencing Seth and Erin and also the people in the past.

While I turned the pages of this novel fairly quickly and was engrossed in the story, I didn’t like that Seth and Erin are told at the beginning, after just meeting each other, that they are soul mates. Sometimes, insta-love works for me, but this was just weird and awkward to me. It was also glaringly obvious to me that the solution to the entire curse is choose your true love over anything else, which Seth struggles to do and the characters in the past also fail to do. Granted, there are believable complications that are present, making it harder for any of the characters to do it, but it’s so obvious to the reader. It makes it excruciating watching all of these characters continuously screw up. Of course, the conflict of not knowing who to trust and not wanting to engage in conflict and not really knowing what is right is one that I can definitely understand. I just wish that the reader wasn’t so sure that the Guardians are the good guys and that being strong enough to choose your true love is the answer. Instead of feeling like I’m engaged in the adventure, I felt like a bystander, separated from the story while knowing what the right thing is to do. It’s very difficult for books to be able to do this correctly and I wish that it was written so that the reader is more involved and knows less information.

Despite how interesting the concept was, I felt continually frustrated with Seth and Erin for watching the people of past make the same mistakes they make in the present in regards to believing the Guardians, asking for help, ignoring the temptations of the demons, and trusting love. It isn’t until close to the end that I felt the story really roping me in (in terms of feeling less like a bystander). The end was a giant cliffhanger, which irritated me at first, but I realized it was finally the reaction I was going for and I’m glad that it ended leaving me wanting more.

Overall, this is a very unique concept. It was incredibly descriptive. While I don’t necessarily agree with the way it was executed, it wasn’t executed badly. I wished it was different, but it was still good, if that makes sense. Not necessarily the way I wanted it to be, but enjoyable nonetheless. While it earned 3 stars from me because of my pickiness, I have no doubt it will rank higher for many other people. I will definitely check out the second book in the story and continue to be optimistic that it becomes less of something I’m watching and more of something I’m involved and invested in. From the teaser for book two at the end, I think it will definitely be worth my time.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

READ THE REVIEW ON MY BLOG: http://sarainbooklandblog.blogspot.it...

Seth and Erin have never met before, or at least this is what they've first tought the first time they've seen each other. Due to the marriage between Erin's sister and Seth's brother, Seth is forced to fly to where it used to be Shenaya and where his brother has set an excavation site, to search for an ancient diamond known as the Seer' Stone.But when Seth and Erin will be transported into the diamond itself, in the Mist of Time, they'll know that that was not their first encounter and neither will be the last .Dragged in a world of time travelling, soul mates, Guardians, Gefallens, prophecies and curses Erin and Seth will have to stick together if they want to solve the curse and save their soul-mates friends. But how can this be possible if Seth is not intentioned to betray his brother for his soul mate?

Well I think this is one of the most particular, original but at the same time muddled book I've ever read. Even though I've finished it I'm full of doubts about it, and I really don't know how to feel about it! Let's say that the book has all the ingredients of a good Fantasy book but somehow it didn't really caught me, at least not until the end. For the whole book the story paced really slowly and, in particular, I think that what disturbed me most were the time travels.As soon as I picked up the book I know it was an important point of the book, but I didn't thought the whole story would have revolved around it; I felt like there was so much of the past but nothing of the present. It seemed to me that it was given more time to the protagonists of the past instead to those of the future. Still, as I was saying, the last part of the book was the one who caught me most, maybe because the plot proceeded more speedily, with twists and revelations that where missing in the first part, or maybe because it was given more space to Seth and Erin, the soul-mates' couple of the Present. I just know that as soon as I finished the book, even with all the problems I had with it, I wanted more. Seriously, I can't explain to myself the sensation I felt, but I've not even felt the end coming; so when I read "End of Book One" I was shocked.In a few words I think that Pledged is really a particular read, with some very original elements, that you could like or not, as I did, but in the end is a really captivating book and you found yourself travelling along with Seth and Erin through past, present and future. And whether or not you 'll agree with some of the author's choices, you will definitely want more, and more, book by book. YES, that's EXACTLY how I feel!
Speaking of the characters, the soul-mates I loved most were Jared and Sophia, both strong and ready to sacrifice themselves rather than to pledge to Reuel. I think also Erin was a strong one and I really adored her, that's probably why I was so upset she and Seth had so little space on book one; I loved how she felt "real", with her mood swings, her unexpected attacks of romance and her stubborness. Seth and Caled, instead, they didn't really leave a sign, in my opinion and neither does Talitha. I was a bit disappointed that Talitha practically disappears in book one but I think (and hope) her character will be reintegrated in book two.

There's nothing much to say; I apologize for the twisted review, but it is as twisted as I feel in this moment. Pledged is an original Fantasy book that I recommend for the variety of topic that it deals with and for everyone of you who likes to travel through time.

[Lee (Rally the Readers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

* A copy was provided by the publisher for review.

Also posted on Rally The Readers.

Pledged is a complex tale of love, friendship, war, and betrayal. And there’s time travel, too. If it sounds like this book has a lot going on in it, it does. There’s also a large cast of characters to become acquainted with. I love reading fantasy, and intricate plotlines and a multitude of characters often just go with the territory. While I admire how ambitious Pledged was in both of these areas, it took me a while to get a handle on who was who and what was going on. I think that some plot streamlining and a few less personnel would have made for a smoother reading experience.

At its heart, Pledged chronicles the age-old battle between good and evil. On the side of good are the Guardians, angelic beings whose opposition on the side of evil are demons known as the Gefallen. The Guardians task Seth and Erin with protecting the Seer-Stone, a unique diamond that can not only take them back in time but also serves as their guide in lifting the curse that dooms soul mates to an eternity without each other. Reuel’s Curse (so named after the bad guy of this book) is actually a lot more complicated than that, and there’s a prophecy (from Gideon, one of the Guardian good guys) that goes along with it. There’s quite a lot of exposition here, and although all of it ties together eventually, the wait is a bit long. I do think it’s worth it, though, because I became engrossed in all of the behind-the-scenes scheming for power going on in Shenaya.

Seth and Erin’s mission to learn from the past necessarily means that they spend their time back in Shenaya watching history unfold before them. Just like in real life, they can’t alter the past. While the pair interact with a host of Guardians and are vulnerable to the Gefallen’s influence, they sometimes seem more like commentators than protagonists. Seth’s inner conflict over whether to choose a life with Erin or loyalty to his brother, Kyle, who’s looking for the Seer-Stone, gives his character the most dimension of the two. It’s not that I didn’t like Erin; I just never really felt a connection with her.

Without a doubt, my two favorite characters were Jared, a Shenayan soldier, and Sophia, the very reluctant future bride of Jared’s cousin, and the heir to Shenayan rule, Caleb. Arrogant Jared and fiery Sophia’s personalities clash at first, and their snippy dialogue exchanges are very amusing. Of course the two are soul mates, and of course their path to happiness is loaded with hurdles, like, say, Sophia’s betrothal to Caleb. I love this couple, and I’ll be rooting hard for them to find a way to be together.

Although Pledged started out rather slowly for me, by the end, I found myself quite curious about what was going to happen next to these characters, especially Jared and Sophia. Naturally, there’s a cliffhanger ending just when the action really picks up. It appears that I’ll have to check out the second book in the trilogy, Sacrificed , to find out everyone’s fate.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading White's blog Today in Shenaya for months now where her characters Seth and Erin actually "write" the blog from their POV. They write reviews and interview other YA characters, bicker and explain cool historical and informational things that can be found in Pledged. Honestly, when I began this book I was so excited to finally get to read their story because I felt I knew them personally, and then I quickly fell in love with them right from the beginning. I have seen other authors beginning to do character interviews, many on Today in Shenaya, and I absolutely enjoy this style of marketing. I already feel book characters are real and belong in my life, getting further inside their heads is just too wonderful and enjoyable to pass up.

So this is a quest book. Seth and Erin have to journey together to find something and then make a really big decision to hopefully end an eon-long war. To understand what they are up against and learn from past mistakes they are sent back in time to see other players struggle and fall to the Prophecy and Curse that has ensnared their families back in Shenaya. But, what they learn turns their worlds upside down and they learn how sticky the Curse actually is, and how dirty the players are willing to be to get their way.

Helping and hindering them on their journey are, for lack of a better word, ghosts of the people who have chosen one side or the other of this war. Seth and Erin are helped or tricked and need to choose to believe whoever they want. As they are teenagers, there is a bit of teen angst and emotions run high here and there.

This story is scary, sad and very exciting. The hardest part was that the past cannot be changed and White really made me CARE about some of those characters in the past. However, souls are eternal so I am REALLY hoping that Seth and Erin can eventually break the curse and the people meant to be together can find each other once this is over. But that is just my hope. Who knows what will happen by book three!

These characters are well flushed out and many of the periferal characters are as well. There are some disturbing images, teen angst and serious decisions to be made. Poor Seth, he has a really hard time of things and there were times when I just wanted to have Erin sock him one! Speaking of Erin, she has the roughest scene. Because they time travel, they get to see their souls prior to being born and see themselves pledge to help break the curse AND recognize that they are soul mates. BUT Seth and Erin have only just met in real time and they BARELY know each other. Right after that is a really rough scene that I would have been mortified to experience. Anyway, she is a trooper and I hope she can knock some sense into Seth.

This is the first of a trilogy, and like Lord of the Rings, the action slows but the story is nowhere near over by the end of book one. Book two is supposed to be released in January 2013, so we don't have a long and horrifying wait - thank you powers that be! I give this book 4 stars. If you like YA, adventure, time travel, a smattering of a sweet young romance and delving into the human psyche, check this book out!

[Sarika Patkotwar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Gwynneth White sent us (The Readdicts) a copy of Pledged for an honest review. We thank Gwynneth for the book!

Pledged, for me, was something between historical fiction and young adult. I absolutely liked how the book started with Erin and Seth meeting at the airport. It seemed more contemporary to me, at that time. But obviously, as we move ahead, there's lots of stuff happening.
Erin and Seth have to travel back in time. From there, Pledged was like a journey into the unknown. Firstly, being set in very ancient times, there were so many interesting things to learn and so much of information to keep tab on. At times, I found myself getting a wee bit confused about what was going on.
I have mixed feelings about the two arch rivals, Gideon and Reuel, who each have their own strategies and prophecies that they are both trying to bring into focus.
Erin and Seth both have large families and many friends who they meet in their time travel as well. Basically, the whole story revolves around Erin and Seth breaking a long living curse with the help of the Pledged diamond and all Guardians and Gefallen. There were plenty of side characters in Pledged, and they were all extremely unique in their own way and are well portrayed. As a protagonist, I could easily relate to Erin. She is a nice and really cool girl. She was just great!
As for Seth, I do feel bad for him because of all that he has had to go through and all the secrets that come flying toward him later on. But as a guy, he was practical, though a bit too 'pushing away and no attachment' types. Having said that, I think from Seth's POV, it was totally understandable.
The Erin and Seth scenes were a lot of fun to read.
Pledged is set up in Shenaya, Africa. It was really cool to get to know about it.
Overall, I think Pledged was a good read. Because of the length, I did think that it was dragged, but being a fantasy novel, I guess that's how it's supposed to be. Unlike many readers out there, I'm a huge fan of cliff- hangers, and so I really liked how Pledged ended. At the same time, however, I’m sure it’ll be fascinating to know what happens next.

[Ana Quiambao · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the sudden marriage of his brother and her stepsister, Erin and Seth meet for the first time in the airport off to Botswana. Neither of them know the mysterious journey ahead of them. Here, they would find out that they are soul mates, with the Gefallen and Guardians surrounding them, Erin and Seth is off to an adventure they never expected - in the past where Botswana is once called Shenaya. To meet their souls' friends in the past, and to finally understand the importance of a strawberry-sized diamond called the seer stone and how the past largely links to what is happening in the present.

Erin, determined to guard the seer stone and Kyle, torned between his promise in the past and his promise to Kyle in the present, both couple will fight for the love they are destined to have.


Whew!!! Finally I'm done reading this. With my iPhone, this book contains 3000+ pages, so this is such an achievement. Before going inside the book, let me first praise the cover. The cover is perfect! Yes, it's simple, but direct to the point. In my opinion, this tops the list of books where the cover is really related on the story itself and not the characters. :)

Let's begin with the real review... Honestly speaking, I was quite disappointed. Maybe because I was expecting a different picture in this book after reading the summary in Goodreads. I was looking forward on Seth and Erin's love story. Where the hell is it? Instead, I was presented with Caleb and Talitha's then, Jared and Sophia's. Though there are bits of pieces pertaining to Seth and Erin, the story actually revolved around the other four characters. Good thing, I enjoyed their story epecially Jared. :)

Reading this, is like reading a history book. Fortunately, I was spared from the dates like who died when and who was born when. At least I don't need to memorize some dates as history books often required :p And a bonus! I'm enjoying the love story! This is also the reason why I'm having a mix feeling towards this book. There are parts that I find boring with all the details and I wonder how many pages more before it ends but at some parts, I am really anticipating what would happen next. Also, I did not connect to the characters much nor the emotions the story is giving. The build up of the story is really slow taking it's time, so it ended up kinda flat. But when I started to finally understand the big picture, which in my case happened when Sophia and Jared was introduced, I was hooked up. Finally, I'm getting it! Finally, I'm seeing where this is going to and what's the real purpose of Erin and Seth. :) Throughout these pages then, I was murmuring "oh..that's why," "now I get it." Everything just suddenly clicked into place. What I observed after reading is that there is no twist in this story at all. Te plot is straight to the point, but unplottable. I guess that's a good thing. :D

After reading, I could say this is a good book. Sadly, it's just not my kind of book.

***more of my reviews @ The Bookgineer (http://thebookgineer.blogspot.com/)***

[Margaret Ushman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I give up. I just can't. I read reviews of other people who didn't like the book, and I don't want to put myself through it. I only read about 10 percent and gave up. I had a few problems with the book with just the first 40 pages, which is a record for me. One problem that I had is that the book is not realistic, and yes I do know that it is a fictional book. I read mostly books about vampires, shifters, Fae, angels, etc. and I found this book extremely unrealistic, that's a bit sad.

Another problem I had is one of the character's Erin. Apparently, Erin knows whatever information she needs to know. Yes, this is a stupid reason, but I felt like she was more of a walking and talking laptop than a person. That was not my only problem I had with Erin. She is also very contradictory (at least to me). She kept saying in the beginning of the book about how she only believes in reality, and nothing paranormal/supernatural (basically, she believes in scientific reasoning), than, when she learns about Seth's visions and when she hears people talking to her in her head, she accepts everything with ease and grace. Another problem I have with her is when she and Seth find the man with the camp, she just accepts his help, without questions. I would be freaked out, not that a man is in the isolated place less than an hour away from where my car got stuck, but because he knows a lot about me. He knew how Seth likes his stake cooked (I mean wtf). She's too trust worthy, I would think that the man with the camp is a stalker, than I would think the man is a pedo.

This book was not easy for me to start. I couldn't even keep reading, I also constantly kept trying to find something else to do every few sentences. It was also very hard for me to follow (and I read some effed up books). I like complicated and complex books where I don't know whats going to happen, and where I get to think a lot and put threads together and everything's intertwined, but this book was none of that. The book was just plain confusing. I don't like books that has so many side characters that its hard to remember them and I heard that this one has that. Besides that the two side characters that I read about seem like HUGE stalkers, all the character's seem flat to me. The only character that is the most round is Seth. Seth is the most normal of everyone that I read/heard about, and he's the one with visions. Seth, asked how the two stalkers knew what they knew. He was skeptical (a bit), meaning more normal to me!

Did not like this book at all. Would only recommend to people who like to be confused and people who like their brain hurting from thinking through all the confusion.

[Jilleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pledged is an ambitious story. It is a sweeping multi-generational epic spanning centuries. It is basically the love story of Erin and Seth and their battle to overcome a great evil that has been battling to destroy love and family.

Pros: I was sucked into the story and adored it until Seth and Erin ended up in the first camp in the desert. The first 50 pages were fantastic and I was very excited about the story. It has great themes, was working on a great mystery and had religious elements that really excited me with their unique appearance and mysterious background. I love stories about the battle of good and evil (I'm a lover of Tolkien and Lewis), and I loved that the author wasn't shy about putting in religious themes and allowing what happened on earth to be reflected in heaven in her story.

Cons: Pledged was too ambitious. The premise was great and showed tons of potential. I think the author could, with major revisions, turn this into a blockbuster. The issues were that instead of telling one story, she tried to tell them all in just 300+ pages.

I wanted to follow Seth and Erin. I wanted them to discover what was going on through trial and error, and maybe with some slight inspiration, to fix the issues (they could have a guardian angel, but keep him in the background and unknown). Instead, all the answers were handed to them. Then, they were sent back in time to "witness" what happened with their ancient families and see what went wrong. So instead of having Seth and Erin's story, we have Caleb,Daniel, Jared, Talitha and Sophia's story (plus the story of the angels and demons). And, the bulk of the story is just Seth and Erin following the other characters around and commenting in the background.

The book is swamped with characters and because there are so many, it's hard to find someone to relate too. I would have enjoyed one book for each set of characters and their problems.

I enjoyed the first set of pages so much more when I was discovering the world with the characters (like finding the seer stone, the mysterious shack with the lock, and the mystery woman) that I was severely disappointed when the angels handed out the answers to the mystery.

In short, this was an overly ambitious book. I still enjoyed it, but it has a lot of issues to be fixed. I would recommend it for lovers of religious mystery, and paranormal romance. It would be okay for older YA paranormal romance, but it does contain violence and adult themes.

[Becs · Rating 1 out of 5]

*This review is only of the first 30% of the book. If you do not want to read a review of a book that was unfinished, do not read this review*

Also available at: www.areadersdevotion.blogspot.co.uk

I would like to thank the publisher for inviting me to read and review Pledged but unfortunately it wasn’t for me.

Pledged started off well. It was interesting and I was eager to find out what happens next. The story is based in South Africa, a country in which I am completely unfamiliar, and I couldn’t wait to find out more about it. Erin and Seth seemed really great as characters too as we slowly learned bits and pieces about them and their childhood.

And then we find out about their secret past and the magical goings on. Unfortunately, this is where I stopped enjoying the book.

The main problem I had was that I became confused. After the first few chapters, so much information started to be thrown at me; characters, background and the magic system. It was all dumped on the characters at once and therefore on me. With Erin accepting it straight away, magically realising it is the truth, I didn’t get time to discover it. I also didn’t have time to process it. Next thing I know they are off on their adventure and I still didn’t really understand what was going on. I was entering a state of reading but the words go right over my head.

There were way too many characters introduced all at once. I couldn’t keep up with who was who. I forgot too easily who did what job and who was saying what point. Along with all the background information as well, I became lost. Even the man who was introduced as an antagonist, or who I assume is an antagonist, came into the scene and there was no reaction. Well not a reaction I would expect from a guy, who is their enemy, turning up in the room. Nothing was making any sense.

Even though this is a style of storytelling that I do not like, I can put up with it. But I need to understand everything that is going on in a particularly important scene like that. The adventure continued on leaving me none the wiser. I know that I could go back and try to work it out, but if I did not understand it the first time round I don’t really want to bother. Call it lazy if you will but I am reading a book for fun not as part of my English comprehension homework.

This book in the end of the day wasn’t going to work for me, as I was left confused and, sorry to say, uninterested by about a third of the way through.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review:

Before the author contacted me, I seem to remember receiving some promotional material for this book, and I actually turned it down. Why? It just really didn’t do the book justice – and didn’t explain anything about what the book was about, just that the two main characters seemed to enjoy arguing.

When I received an email directly from the author, and having seen the book in various blogs I follow, I thought I’d give it a go. I’m actually glad I did, because whilst this wasn’t my favourite book of the year, it was certainly enjoyable, and I’m looking forward to the next one in the series to see where this goes.

The plot for this, I think, was fairly ambitious, touching on ancient curses, ancient civilizations, family relations, time travel, and star-crossed lovers, and I think this all actually mixed rather well. It certainly created something different – I’ve not read anything like this before. The only thing was that somewhere near the 30% mark, I did find myself getting a little confused. Because of the time travel aspect, I felt like the story was jumping around everywhere, but I carried on, and thankfully found it was relatively easy to pick up again.

The characters in this book were pretty good. It would have been easy for them to be ridiculously cute and in love, but they weren’t, despite the fact they were supposed to be soul mates. I was glad of that – it made it more realistic, because soul mates or no, I don’t think I know anyone who’d tell someone they love them having only known them weeks! I liked Erin a lot, and whilst I didn’t always understand Seth, he was quite a nice male lead. I have a soft spot for brooding, troubled men in books, so it definitely worked for me! I also liked the backstory of their families, and the fact that despite being American/South African characters, Seth and Erin’s ties to the prophecies were actually well explained, not glossed over.

I really did enjoy this, and it made my train journeys over the weekend go by a lot faster! I’m looking forward to the next one, and I’d like to thank the author very much for contacting me – I’m glad I gave it that second chance!

Overall rating: 3.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Originality: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
My Enjoyment: 3/5

[manda-rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot of fantasy that I wasn't expecting. Soul mates, curses, prophecies, wars, etc. But I wasn't expecting to see a story of the past weaved into the present. It was a very different take to the fantasies I'm used to. And I believe it worked well.

Meet Seth and Erin, soul mates before they were born. I get that they were meant for each other, but it kind of made it difficult for me to see the romance between them since Erin was so accepting of the soul mate idea (can you tell I wouldn't be that accepting?). Anyways, the story starts with an African trip to meet their newlywed siblings. Seth's brother, Kyle, is on a quest to find some diamonds. And lo and behold, Seth and Erin happen to find a diamond. But it plunges them deeper into a fantastical story which is far from what they were expecting.

They find themselves in the middle of a war between the Guardians and the Gefallen, between good and evil. And they're forced to choose a side. I kind of felt for Seth the whole time because I wouldn't want to pick a side either. But they're thrown back in time to watch what happened in the past and how a curse prevents the citizens of Shenaya from truly loving and thinking for themselves. And this will help them choose sides and hopefully break the curse.

Here's what I thought about it: there's a lot of story-telling. I wasn't expecting to see the past through Erin's and Seth's eyes. And I believe this sets up the second book (which I'm hoping is more in the present than the first). Seeing all this prophecy, curses, and folklore was definitely different. Almost like angels-and-demons-feeling without the generic haloes and pitchforks. And I was a little confused with how the diamond plays into the story. I liked it, and I'm rooting for Seth...

This book is for pure fantasy lovers. Those who like the whole premise of good and evil would enjoy it. While it is young adult fiction, I would not recommend it to the young teens out there (there's some more mature themes in the book).

[Renae McKenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A centuries old curse haunts the souls of Erin and Seth. Bound to protect the Seer Stone, they must ward off the Gefallen and their followers, pledged to the Shadow King whose ultimate dream is to enslave all that is. Erin and Seth's souls are put to the test as they go back in time to try to find the key to free them, and all that will follow, from the curse.

It took me a while to get into this novel. The beginning to me was slow and didn't really hold my attention. I think the first few chapter were just a bit too much of an information overload that really didn't seem to have any relevance. Sure, it help cement the face that you are taken away to distant lands in Africa, but I really feel that it wasn't necessary in the long run.

That's about where my bitching ends, as from the moment Seth and Erin are sent back into time, I thoroughly enjoyed Pledged. I have this love for both period set books and time travel, and this book did both wonderfully. I loved the culture shock of it all and the obscure customs of the past. White's writing really had me feeling as though I had travelled to another distant and unknown time.

I feel that Seth and Erin are very strongly built characters. Their attributes stayed solid throughout the novel and their motives felt real rather than superficial - a trait, unfortunately, that is becoming very common in the YA genre. But joyfully, this is not the case with Seth and Erin.Their grow and learn as the story unravels and have enough brains to work things out (there is nothing more annoying than an oblivious character).

I found it interesting White managed to tell two tales at the same time. There, of course, was Seth and Erin's, but their was also that of key players in the time gone past which they observed. At times I found it a bit draining following both the stories, but they overlapped and held relevance that carried through to understanding of the plot line.

Overall, a fairly decent book that has love, betrayal and heart.

[Margaret Chatwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not here to write a book report. I’m here to write a book review, so if you want to know the plot line of Pledged, you’ll have to read it, which, I highly recommend you do. Pledged is your porthole to a world of mystery and intrigue. A place where evil is always at the throat of good. A place where the dead are – well – not so dead, and the living are forced to stand back and watch as if they were the ones in spirit form.
I’ve never read a young adult fantasy before. I personally like my books chuck full of realistic drama. However, I must say, Pledged was the perfect bridge for me to cross over on. I found it comforting that, Seth, and to a lesser extent, Erin, also felt the world they’d been sucked into was new, confusing and strange. It made them relatable to me, which fused me to them instantly. I never felt like I’d been left alone – fighting to figure out what was going on. Seth and Erin were always right there beside me, struggling to find the answers as well. Oh, and what questions this book conjures up. Ones you can hardly wait to find the answers to. You read faster, crazed to discover where you are being led, but nearly as quickly as you feel some resolve and a bit of peace, you are blind-sided by yet another race for the truth.
There were times in this book, more toward the beginning, when I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. Lots of characters, each with important rolls, are introduced and I got a little confused a time or two. Had to double back and reread things. But, as I said, they each played critical parts and it was worth the extra few seconds it took to refresh my memory.
Okay, call me stupid, because I knew going into this, that this book was part of a saga, but, dang, I wasn’t ready for the ending. So many unanswered questions I still have. Pledged was just bait and I took it, hook line and sinker! The second book, Sacrificed, will be released in January 2013 (as if I can wait that long.)
Gwynneth White has done a fantastic job writing this book and I expect the next in the saga will be just as good.

[Ruth B · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Soul mates” is one of those topics we all grow up hearing about and most of us believe could be true. Pledged shows us a world where souls mates are real but they have to fight against an evil force.

Set in South Africa, Pledged introduces us in a paranormal romance full with action, secrets and the discovery of a forgotten city. We find Erin and Seth, who get along since their meeting at the airport, and we travel with them to the past to understand an ancient curse and a war as old as time. Good versus Evil is always a good background for a great story. It’s a tale about accepting our path and about asking ourselves how far we are willing to go for Love.

Pleged is more than just a love story, for me is a story about free will. We might be predetermined to be with someone, our soul mates might be chosen before we are even born but the ultimate choice is ours. We have the power to choose our destination and also we have to be ready for the consequences of that choice.

Seth is an interesting character; he’s one of those people that you love and hate at the same time. Is so easy to be mad at him but deep down he is a great guy and you end up forgiving him everything. Besides being really sexy, (Erin’s words not mine) he is a fun character to read because he is battling internally against himself. While he is discovering secrets about his past we see him facing love. Erin is the female side of the story. Honestly, I didn’t like her at first. She was a bit annoying and most of the times I just wanted to her to shut up. Somewhere in the middle of the book she changes for the better. At the end of the book I like her a lot more and now I’m on her side :)

The whole story is very well written, with good landscaping descriptions and funny dialogues, the story moves very fast and has a great ending. Of course it leaves you waiting for more because is a saga.

(I received an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review).

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

How would I sum up Pledged? A time traveling, angel/demon, soul mate, magic stone adventure story with dark and bloody history. It's a fantasy saga sort of thing and with this book, I know we've only just begun.

Although Seth and Erin are the two main characters in the story there are oodles and gobs of supporting characters. We literally get to know decades of people in this book. Sometimes my mind had a hard time keeping everyone straight but by the end you definitely know who is who because they start leaving a real impression on you. Those bad guys are BAD. Bad, bad, bad. Murdering innocent women and children, back stabbing, soul stealing kind of bad. BAD.

Then you have the good guys. Well, the guys that you hope will be good but they are sure having a hard time coming up with that. That's because the BAD guys are so good at being bad that they have a powerful influence over the almost good guys. Seriously. Those poor almost good guys. They are fighting an uphill battle.

Then you have the guardians/angels. I, personally love the sword wielding female guardians. You go girls.

I will freely admit that this sort of fantasy adventure genre isn't my favorite. I'm not sure why but I've just never been a fan. I'm not going to tell you I'm raving love over this book, but I will tell you that I enjoyed much of it. It started out slow for me because you have to have a huge history lesson before you finally understand and things get going. But, when you finally get to that part where things get moving, boy do they move. There are twists and turns full of action and intrigue. If you are a fan of the fantasy world, you should check this book out for sure.

As far as content, there is frequent mild swearing (including the B word) and a sex scene between an unmarried couple although nothing described in detail. There are some scenes with human sacrifices and dark magic that were a bit graphic.

[Farah Hanani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review on blog: Tumbling In Books

To sum up Pledged in a sentence: Time travel, angels/demons, hystorical fiiction and has a modern twist.

Pledged basically revolve around Reuel's Curse and Gideon's Prophecy. Reuel's Curse makes brothers go against brothers and father against son. Gideon's Prophecy is well... a prophecy. This is my second time travel book. This one jumps time back and front. They don't really follow a timeline. Surprisingly, the book's not confusing at all. You can tell Gwynneth White did her research on this book. I mean, I don't know ANY of the animals(except honey badger:P) that Gwynneth wrote in the book. Makes me feel a little bit like Seth ;)

The main character of this book is Seth and Erin. They're the ones from the future and ones who has to lift the curse. But the book doesn't really revolves around them. They're only sideliners. Watching the past happens but they can't change the past.

Admittedly, I don't read books bout soul mates. They make me want to gag. I mean, aren't you bored staying with only one person that you meet when you're like, teenagers and spend the rest of your days with them? Don't get me wrong, I think it's really sweet, but I think I'm taking about immortal books. THEY DON'T DIE. Don't you get bored? (Oh great, I got sidetracked and am missing the point here). Pledged appeals to me somehow, probably it has to do with the 'Everyone has a soul mate. But what do you do when your soul mate would rather give his soul to the demons than be with you?'.

All in all, I think Pledged was a good read. It might not be my favorite. But Pledged wasn't in danger of me putting it down. If you think 'Time travel, angels/demons, hystorical fiiction and has a modern twist.' is your thing, you might like this book :)