Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Haze #1

The Haze

Rate this book
The legend of the most powerful coven of vampires began in a very unconventional way. Fifteen hundred years ago, a holy man living in Rome was viciously turned inhuman by a blood thirsty vampire. Lucius’ purity was ripped from him and he was left to struggle with his lamentable misfortune, although unknown to him or the evil powers that turned him, fate played a great hand in Lucius’ new found reality.
We all have a purpose in this world and Lucius’ was significant, yet he fought against his fate, against his hunger for human blood, and against the predator that now festered within him.
The fates stepped in again and offered him a skillful advocate. They sent him Sulla, a two thousand year old mystical vampire, who had foreseen Lucius’ purpose in a vision and was determined to help him accept his fate as a gift, not a curse. With her help, Lucius recognized his task, and it wasn’t to be a predator but a guardian. He was to change the ways in which vampire’s treated humans. His intuitive mind and holy beliefs pushed him to create a new form of vampire that wouldn’t compromise compassion for lust. He set out and succeeded in creating a powerful new coven of highly gifted vampires he named Elite. The Elite were conceived to follow his beliefs and fight for a new purpose, yet with great misfortune Lucius reached his final death before his vision was completed. The Elite continued to follow his laws, but foolishly believed their purpose died with him, and accomplished little in fulfilling his destiny.
Now, fifteen hundred years later, his great granddaughter, Natalia, struggles to keep the balance between her vast gifts, her understanding of her inherited purpose, the return of a highly skilled warrior she’s always desired, the consuming distraction of her sexual awakening, and a fascinating connection to a gifted human which can destroy everything.

283 pages, ebook

First published February 29, 2012

8 people are currently reading
329 people want to read

About the author

Janine Olsson

5 books54 followers
I love to read and write stories where the male lead cares more for the leading lady's happiness than his own pride.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
36 (34%)
4 stars
44 (42%)
3 stars
10 (9%)
2 stars
10 (9%)
1 star
4 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Profile Image for Janine.
Author 5 books54 followers
Read
July 5, 2016
Hi everyone, I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself, my name is Janine and I am the writer of The Haze. I am new to the writing world and this is my first release, so I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate your reviews and ratings. And to the readers that have The Haze on their ‘to be read list’ I just want to say, thank you for your interest and I hope you enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I found my true passion in life when I started writing The Haze. Creating a world and telling a tale was always a dream of mine, but one I never followed until this story consumed my every thought. I am in love with all my characters and feel the most alive when I am writing them. Yep, I am in love…simple as that!
Thank you for your time. Dream big! ~Janine
Profile Image for Megan.
283 reviews166 followers
October 18, 2012
For more reviews like this, check out The Book Asylum.

4.5 stars

I am so glad that I stumbled upon 'The Haze'. This was a wonderful first installment in what promises to be an amazing series. Janine Olsson has a refreshing, great new take on vampires and the supernatural. Her world building and introduction to the story were easily understood and very well developed. In a few other reviews people complained of the first few chapters being slow - I didn't find that at all. I think Olsson took her time being thorough with background and history which is essential to the plot in this book and others to follow. I loved the idea of Hemlee, Tenya, Lucius' work, the Elite, and if I may say so, 'flashing' was my particular favorite skill.

The characters are awesome! Natalia, our narrator, is a strong, compassionate leading lady struggling to find and come to terms with her purpose in life... and it's a doozy. She has a sexy hulk of a twin brother, Maddox, who she's able to communicate with telepathically. Finn is a bad-ass warrior who pops into the story and is so hot it's almost unbearable. Oh yeah, and there's also True who is equally as drool-worthy, though I didn't see as much of him as I would've liked in this book. The cast is just so wonderful and as you read, more and more exciting characters help expand the world and move the story along.

Aside from the wonderful characters, I really appreciated that there were so many layers to 'The Haze'. It wasn't just a supernatural romance with a killer love triangle (yes, it definitely has that)... it was so much more. It's about love, betrayal, family, destiny, control - or the illusion of it - and personal choice. The book ends with a cliff hanger and I am dying to read the next installment. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long for it!

Finally, the reason I couldn't give a full five stars is due to editing. Normally, it wouldn't bother me too much but there were spelling and grammatical mistakes all over the place that really should be fixed (i.e. then vs. than, there, their, they're, to, too). This should not in any way stop you from reading 'The Haze'... believe me, you'd be missing out! If you're a person who loves supernatural literature and is looking for an updated twist on the magical world of vampires, weres, and shifters do yourself a favor and read 'The Haze'.
Profile Image for S.L. Jennings.
Author 26 books4,612 followers
December 15, 2012
A great read & a new spin on vampires! I love the characters and I especially appreciate the hottie vamp warriors! Finn is sizzling and even True has me going ga-ga! If you like vampire romance along with action & suspense, read The Haze!
Profile Image for  ~*~Princess Nya Vasiliev~*~.
1,176 reviews7 followers
October 13, 2013
Solid 4.5 Stars

I love this book. It's sexy, intriguing, mysterious, dark, exciting, romantic, & action packed. What more could you ask for while reading?

In it's simplicity, there is a very decadent undertone to it. Under that, you find this book to be what I like to call, a great "Onion" of the fiction world. There are plenty of layers to this story that will leave you hopeful, heart broken, surprised, astounded & utterly swept away.

I don't want to say more for fear of ruining it. But this book is a great introduction to this series and I highly recommend that you read it.

I'm off to begin book 2.

Profile Image for Cristina .
458 reviews61 followers
January 27, 2013
I had been dying to read The Haze by Janine Olsson but I was urged to wait until re-edits were done. The wait felt like torture as I’d been hearing other bloggers talk about it. Finally a few days ago I had the opportunity to dive in and get lost in this mystical story!

This isn’t your average vampire book and you’ll find that you get sucked into the story from the first page. It’s unique in the sense that there are so many different angles to the story. While it is about romance, it does tackle family issues, loyalty/betrayal and the suspense is almost unbearable. There was also the love triangle that I absolutely loved!

I loved ALL the characters in this book!! I even loved the ones I hated!

Natalia is the heroine every book should have because she’s outspoken, feisty, on a quest for her purpose and above all, she wants to do the right thing by her people and humanity. I absolutely loved the relationship she has with her brother Maddox and the way they look out for each other by listening to each other’s thoughts. Obviously that has its pros and cons. But I didn’t just love the relationship she has with her brother but it’s everyone she’s close to that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Finn is the Warrior Vampire that has been in love with Natalia for the longest time and you can’t help but love him with all his sexiness! He has secrets which made me doubt if he was good or not but as the story unfolds you realize he IS good and is simply looking out for Natalia. But there is another side to Finn, the vulnerable side, the side that is afraid to get hurt by Natalia if his affections aren’t returned. To complicate matters,there is True, beautiful True that was spared from being turned into a vampire. Fate had a different plan for him and it wasn’t becoming a vampire but instead,a Were. Who knew a Lion could be sexy!?! There is an automatic attraction between True and Natalia and it’s not until their paths cross later that we realize how strong that attraction is.

I wanted to see more of the love triangle; Finn wasn’t challenged enough and I don’t think we really got a chance to know True. With that being said, Finn and Natalia got together way to quick with very little push and pull. I wanted the tension to be so thick with want that I should’ve felt compelled to throw my kindle across the room. That was the only concern I had, the rest was pure reading magic.

Janine’s writing is fluid and the imagery she created throughout this story is absolutely fantastic. Every character is rich and filled with a mystical quality. This is the kind of book that will whisk you away to place where anything is possible, it stretches the imagination and if you can suspend your disbelief, you will absolutely enjoy this ride.

My final two cents: Take a chance on this book because you will be pleasantly surprised!
5 reviews3 followers
August 7, 2012
The Haze
By Janine Olsson
Review by Jeanette Hanson
This book, The Haze by Janine Olsson Is a must read! The genre of the book is paranormal/romance, but if you enjoy fiction, give it a try! It is 99 cents on Nook and Kindle!

The Haze takes you on a journey from the very first sentence, "The island of Hemlee is located in the North Atlantic", and the journey begins. Janine does a great job of introducing the characters and creating the world that they live in, which is essential in paranormal books. This book flowed. Every different scene, relationship and event rolled into the next effortlessly, yet I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!

As I read The Haze I fell in love with the characters and not only with the main characters, but the whole cast of characters! The heroine of the story is Natalia and we are on her journey from everyday life as a virgin vampire warrior in Hemlee, a sheltered island where her coven lives, to a more experienced vampire warrior who is being introduced to new places (England, Scotland and Ireland to name a few) and situations (kidnappings, long lost relatives and sex) and discovering her purpose in life. The story is chock full of beautiful warrior vampires, blue eyed shifters and hunky weres. I especially loved the vampire warrior Finn, he is, "yummy"! No spoilers here! :)

The Haze is awesome! It is an easy, fun, exciting and captivating read. It will take you away to other lands. You will escape the mundane reality of everyday life here in the human world and experience a world full of vampires, weres and shifters. A world where males and females "bond" and drink blood to live. Where a blood bond can be erotic and has lasting effects. Where spells can make you fall in love or take away the love of your life. You will be anxiously awaiting the release of "The Depths of Hell", the second book in the series...I am!!!
5,704 reviews39 followers
April 3, 2013
This book was amazing...in the beginning I wasn't so sure because it was slower moving but my friend Jennifer Swiger told me it was worth it and I trust her judgement. I kept going and sure enough by chapter three I was sucked into it. The take on vampires is amazing..I am in love with true...and not as found of the vamp dude lol..I forgot his name sorry. The book is amazing and has so many different characters and plots going on that it keeps you wanting to know what will happen. Now I need to find out when the next book is coming out because I can't wait. She is an amazing writer and I look forward to more from her. I totally recommend this book to others.
Profile Image for Kim.
434 reviews9 followers
July 23, 2012
I found this book through other authors on Facebook and I am really glad that I did. I had a little trouble getting into it in the first few chapters but then I was hooked. The middle of the book was exciting and a definite page turner sure to keep anyone enthralled! The ending of the book started to lag a bit but it was necessary and you find this sometimes in series. The end sets up the beginning of the next book and boy does this one! I am looking forward to the next book in the series!
Profile Image for Paula Mccue.
120 reviews2 followers
August 6, 2012
I loved, loved, loved this book, it kept me captivated, I could not put it down, I love vampire books and I find all these new concepts of what a vampire can be and I love it, this book was really different and didn't just contain vampires ( don't want to give anything away), Janine does a great job of holding you in her world of "the haze", I will be looking out for more from this author, im away to investigate what other books she might have lol, READ IT!!!!! you wont regret it.
Profile Image for Erika Perez.
5 reviews
March 6, 2013
I started this book not knowing it was a vampire story...yea i kno :-/ i didnt read the summary....once i got into the book i could not put it down!! Im torn between finn and true....both are such hunks! Loooved the book cant wait for more.
Profile Image for Lisa.
803 reviews41 followers
January 9, 2013
Do your self a huge favor and read this book!! I loved this story and the ending made me want to scream cause I have to wait for the next one. Good characters, good world building and excellent mythology. Watch this author cause she should be huge!!!!
Profile Image for Jess.
320 reviews50 followers
October 19, 2013
I really liked this book its different to the usual vamp stories, its original and had twists I didnt see coming at all. It has very strong, manly, alpha, jealous males who are sweeter than a bowl full of sugar.

This story is about Natalia she is a born vampire, granddaughter to the king of her coven. The book is all from her POV. There's so much to this story i'm not going to say too much about Natalia as the "what's going to happen next" is what I loved most about this book.

The plot is nothing i've read before, yes some vamps are trying to be good but its realistic they know what they are and don't apologize for it and realize they need to do certain things that are deemed wrong for them to survive.

Alot happens in this book lots of twists and drama. I found at first I couldnt put this down then I struggled to understand where the story was going but it wasnt long before I couldn't put it down again.

For me this book had a strong heroine, hot alpha men, love, lust, jealousy, suspense, secrets, answers, family, lots of SEX, unique story, anger, fights, fear, sadness.

This is a 3 book series and this book does finish on a really bad cliffhanger, book 2 is out already but book 3 isnt yet. I usually wait for a series to be finished before starting because I hate cliffys but this book had such great reviews I just couldn't wait to start.

Im starting book 2 straight away and just pray it doesnt have a cliffhanger!
33 reviews
July 14, 2012
I have no idea how I came across this book, however I am ever so glad I did! Once I started reading it I did not want to put it down. The Haze by Janine Olsson takes you on a whole new journey of Vampires and Shape-shifters. We see a lot of the whole good vamp bad vamp in stories but in this story we discover Elites, vampires born, not created and because they are born possessing special powers or gifts. It's an refreshing twist in this paranormal genre and will keep you wanting to read, telling your husband and kids to shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......over and over again. I stayed up till 3 A.M just so I could finish!
Wow, and is it STEAAAAMMMMYYYY! There are some oh, oh....can I have one of those men scenes! Janine has either a very wonderful imagination or a really good man at home to come up with these! LOL!
Take my word for it and check out this first book my author Janine Olsson! It's only $0.99 and worth every penny if not more!
Profile Image for Ash Tull-Cochrane.
265 reviews34 followers
May 10, 2013
I really liked this book, it was different from any other vampire books I have read before.

Loved me some Finn and Ty and all the other fine lads. I'm ready for Natalia (what a gorgeous name by the way) especially when Finn says it ;) to become what she is destined to be. I look forward to see how she does.

My only complaint is at times the writing seemed choppy when they were arguing or being romantic. I can't quite explain it. I wasnt able to fully charge into the argument because something was off to me or when they were being sweet with eahc other. I can usually flow right through those reading along but I was being thrown off at times. Now this could totally just be me but regardless it was a great first book with a great story!

Looking forward to the next.

Fabulous cover BTW :)
Profile Image for Keelie Howard.
64 reviews9 followers
July 16, 2012
I really enjoyed this book after I got into it. It was really slow the first 2 1/2 chp but after that the action really picked up and pulled me in and kept me there. I loved the way that the story evolved and I felt like it ended well. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes vampires, weres, and shifters.
Profile Image for Cj Loves Books.
227 reviews31 followers
May 22, 2013
I enjoyed this book immensely. I was intrigued by the storyline, and pleasantly surprised as I read to discover that it is not the stereotypical vampire story. I love the incorporation of the Weres and shifters into the story. Olsson does these characters justice with her gift of writing. the sequel to The Haze cannot come soon enough!
6 reviews
September 2, 2012
Definately a solid 4.5 stars. The first few chapters i had to push through, i wasnt really drawn in at that point. i am so glad i continued on. this book was amazing and cant wait for book two!
Profile Image for Jeanie.
389 reviews6 followers
March 16, 2013
Interesting. Different. I don't care much for books written in first person narrative. This was no exception. The story, while a bit slow at times, was interesting enough to keep me reading, though. I will likely read the next as it ended on a huge cliffhanger and left me with a lot of questions.

I never really felt a strong connection to Natalia. This is one reason why the first person pov made it such a difficult read for me. It is hard to keep reading what "I" did when I can't put myself in the character's position. I can't help but feel I would have given 3 stars were the story told from third person pov.

It truly is an interesting story with plenty of twist and intrigue in the plot. The other characters have good depth. I really look forward to seeing what will happen with Sarah in the future especially. I love Finn, and Julius is a hoot.

My other main concern is the serious need for an editor. The book is riddled with spelling and basic grammar errors. Had the book been edited and written in 3rd person, I could easily give it 4 stars. Please find a decent editor to assist you in the future Ms. Olsson. You're very talented and deserve better ratings than this.
Profile Image for Saylaveev.
199 reviews1 follower
January 17, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. At the start I did feel the author was having a hard time finding the right flow and there were a few other spots it happened but I was able to read over it easily enough. I did get tired of the repeated use of the word "love". I enjoyed that there seemed to be a good balance between male and female characters, it wasn't one sex saving the other. I am looking forward to the next story.
Profile Image for Monica.
123 reviews1 follower
Read
August 7, 2012
I will not rate this book yet, I didn't manage to get past the 3rd chapter, the story just didn't pull me in and after chapter 3 I just left it.
I will go back to it in a few weeks time and will read the whole book, and hopefully have something positive to say.
Profile Image for Karla Bostic.
49 reviews9 followers
September 20, 2012
This book started out really slow. The middle was awesome then the ending was so predictable. I wanted this one to be amazing as I heard from friends on my book group that it was great. Sorry I can't follow the crowd on this one. Just was dull to me.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.