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The XII Saga #1
Genesis
A century after the world was predicted to end, it was indeed reborn. Under the leadership of the Overseer of New Earth, minds were united, diseases were cured, and the Earth was healed when population centers minimized mankind’s footprint, and the remainder of the planet was turned over to the will of nature. War was eradicated, the world embraced one religion, and the New Era began.
But darkness rises now, mistaken for a mere shadow cast by the bright light of human progress. It is the time of which the ancients foretold. It is the time when all things must end. It is the time of The Twelve.
Six men and six women representing all creeds and colors are supernaturally gifted, but the unlikeliest of heroes. They are barely adults by the world’s standards, but still they are called.
Only they can stand against the growing darkness – but will they stand together?
XII: Genesis is the first installment of an eight-book series in the Young Adult / New Adult genres. If action excites you, if the supernatural intrigues you, and if love compels you - then you are invited to join The Twelve in their fight against the growing darkness that threatens New Earth!
But darkness rises now, mistaken for a mere shadow cast by the bright light of human progress. It is the time of which the ancients foretold. It is the time when all things must end. It is the time of The Twelve.
Six men and six women representing all creeds and colors are supernaturally gifted, but the unlikeliest of heroes. They are barely adults by the world’s standards, but still they are called.
Only they can stand against the growing darkness – but will they stand together?
XII: Genesis is the first installment of an eight-book series in the Young Adult / New Adult genres. If action excites you, if the supernatural intrigues you, and if love compels you - then you are invited to join The Twelve in their fight against the growing darkness that threatens New Earth!
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 8, 2013
5 HUGE STARS!
It has been too long since I read something as epic as this.
At the time this novel came about, I was dying for something new and original to read, that would grip me from page one and have me begging for more when I finished.
Genesis completely delivered. It had everything I like within a novel. Fantasy, action, a complex plot, new settings, loads of character development, a little romance, heartache, shocking twists and written in 3rd person! We all know how much I love and appreciate a novel written in 3rd person, although it did have some 1st person, which only added to the novel, so all is good.
Set 100 years in the future, it would appear that life is perfect now in ‘New Earth’, with all diseases cured and nobody dying prematurely, living in equality and balance with the world’s environment and inhabitants. However, from the word go, there was something clearly going wrong behind this image.
New Earth - from Genesis XII's official website.
After being introduced to Gabrielle, Joshua, Mikhail and Darien, we are immediately thrown into the world of ‘New Earth’. Now ‘New Earth’ is totally different from our civilisation. For example, people are having some sort of ‘Wickerman’ ritual of burning an effigy of a man on a cross. Right in the middle of NYC which is referred to as PC-NY. Some nasty stuff going on in the streets in front of people and kiddies. From this point onwards, I was 100% hooked. Not giving away any spoilers, it was clear there was major corruption in New Earth.
Onwards to the characters. At first I was like ’12? I can’t even remember the names of 12 of my friends!’ However, it didn’t seem to matter, as I felt myself focusing on a key few of this 12, maybe cause they were just my favourites so I cared about them the most. Stone; the groups unspokenly chosen leader, Tavis; my personal faveourite character, who I had a huge soft spot for cause of his ‘I’m a tough guy’ exterior when really he’s a big softy, Jin; the tiny girl full of huge power and Andrea; the heart-warming tender caring girl. The others are Pizi, Juan (the humble lovely man), Thaddine (a tough Aussie chick), Mateo (who has some interesting past he tries to hide with being a bit of a twat), Bart (really strong guy, with a big heart, aw), Jamilla (head of the girl group, yeah girl power!), Palesa (African lady), and lastly Simra (always unsure of herself, but I real liked her). Now I probably didn’t need to list them all but it’s good to revise their names. My memory sucks sometimes. Got it? Good.
The relations between this 12 were at times complex, tense and uncertain. At others, clear bonds were formed and some with stronger feelings than others – bit of romance, yay! They all have individual qualities and special abilities that bring something much needed to the group.
The most important person in this group was Stone, who through no vote, was deemed the leader of the group. At times, I must admit I doubted him, unsure whether he’d really live up to the job.
My favourite character was definitely Tavis.
I loved the mother/father relationship that developed between Andrea and Tavis through Poe. Haaaaaaaa, Poe was the beginning of Tavis REALLY showing his softer side, when he rescues a baby bird. I gotta admit, I thought Tavis was gonna squish it and I was gonna have to squint whilst reading that part, but he doesn’t. Cause he’s awesome. I also found the way he spoke to be really realistic and just made him all the more believable and loveable. If I’m being honest, he reminded me of a character from a show called Skins (the UK version) who I just adored, so I immediately loved the guy. I don’t know if I was supposed to, but I did.
MOVING ON. God, need to stop rambling about Tavis.
LUXURIA . In red. See my anger. That is all.
I’m trying to keep this short now as this is so long, but there’s just so much to say. Just read it, and you’ll see what I mean.
There is some truly chilling moments in this book that shook me to my core, and still haunt me now. I.e. about 65% through the book, when a young boy is murdered. These moments in the novel just made me enjoy it 10000x times more for some reason, because I found they really affected me.
And you know what else is great? 1 of many books. I think 8? 1 OF 8.
The ending was sooooooooooooooooooo action packed!
I couldn't keep up! Beyond epic. The ending gets 5 stars all to itself.
Every page I was just like 'whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-'.
This book would lose a star because I had to read it as a kindle. And this sort of book is best read as a beautiful big hard cover book. Buuut that'd be unfair. I await patiently for the publication of a physical copy of this book. And also, for Forsaken.
I read this listening to Thomas Newman and M83. Give it a go, it was amazing.
It has been too long since I read something as epic as this.
At the time this novel came about, I was dying for something new and original to read, that would grip me from page one and have me begging for more when I finished.
Genesis completely delivered. It had everything I like within a novel. Fantasy, action, a complex plot, new settings, loads of character development, a little romance, heartache, shocking twists and written in 3rd person! We all know how much I love and appreciate a novel written in 3rd person, although it did have some 1st person, which only added to the novel, so all is good.
Set 100 years in the future, it would appear that life is perfect now in ‘New Earth’, with all diseases cured and nobody dying prematurely, living in equality and balance with the world’s environment and inhabitants. However, from the word go, there was something clearly going wrong behind this image.
New Earth - from Genesis XII's official website.
After being introduced to Gabrielle, Joshua, Mikhail and Darien, we are immediately thrown into the world of ‘New Earth’. Now ‘New Earth’ is totally different from our civilisation. For example, people are having some sort of ‘Wickerman’ ritual of burning an effigy of a man on a cross. Right in the middle of NYC which is referred to as PC-NY. Some nasty stuff going on in the streets in front of people and kiddies. From this point onwards, I was 100% hooked. Not giving away any spoilers, it was clear there was major corruption in New Earth.
Onwards to the characters. At first I was like ’12? I can’t even remember the names of 12 of my friends!’ However, it didn’t seem to matter, as I felt myself focusing on a key few of this 12, maybe cause they were just my favourites so I cared about them the most. Stone; the groups unspokenly chosen leader, Tavis; my personal faveourite character, who I had a huge soft spot for cause of his ‘I’m a tough guy’ exterior when really he’s a big softy, Jin; the tiny girl full of huge power and Andrea; the heart-warming tender caring girl. The others are Pizi, Juan (the humble lovely man), Thaddine (a tough Aussie chick), Mateo (who has some interesting past he tries to hide with being a bit of a twat), Bart (really strong guy, with a big heart, aw), Jamilla (head of the girl group, yeah girl power!), Palesa (African lady), and lastly Simra (always unsure of herself, but I real liked her). Now I probably didn’t need to list them all but it’s good to revise their names. My memory sucks sometimes. Got it? Good.
The relations between this 12 were at times complex, tense and uncertain. At others, clear bonds were formed and some with stronger feelings than others – bit of romance, yay! They all have individual qualities and special abilities that bring something much needed to the group.
The most important person in this group was Stone, who through no vote, was deemed the leader of the group. At times, I must admit I doubted him, unsure whether he’d really live up to the job.
My favourite character was definitely Tavis.
I loved the mother/father relationship that developed between Andrea and Tavis through Poe. Haaaaaaaa, Poe was the beginning of Tavis REALLY showing his softer side, when he rescues a baby bird. I gotta admit, I thought Tavis was gonna squish it and I was gonna have to squint whilst reading that part, but he doesn’t. Cause he’s awesome. I also found the way he spoke to be really realistic and just made him all the more believable and loveable. If I’m being honest, he reminded me of a character from a show called Skins (the UK version) who I just adored, so I immediately loved the guy. I don’t know if I was supposed to, but I did.
MOVING ON. God, need to stop rambling about Tavis.
LUXURIA . In red. See my anger. That is all.
I’m trying to keep this short now as this is so long, but there’s just so much to say. Just read it, and you’ll see what I mean.
There is some truly chilling moments in this book that shook me to my core, and still haunt me now. I.e. about 65% through the book, when a young boy is murdered. These moments in the novel just made me enjoy it 10000x times more for some reason, because I found they really affected me.
And you know what else is great? 1 of many books. I think 8? 1 OF 8.
The ending was sooooooooooooooooooo action packed!
I couldn't keep up! Beyond epic. The ending gets 5 stars all to itself.
Every page I was just like 'whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-'.
This book would lose a star because I had to read it as a kindle. And this sort of book is best read as a beautiful big hard cover book. Buuut that'd be unfair. I await patiently for the publication of a physical copy of this book. And also, for Forsaken.
I read this listening to Thomas Newman and M83. Give it a go, it was amazing.
May 3, 2013
Overall Rating: 3.5
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Spoilers are all indicated with spoiler tags, so don't click on those if you haven't read yet, they do contain real spoilers.
Also, I highly recommend taking a look at the Genesis Website for some awesome background information before reading.
The Good
What first drew me to this book was definitely it's interesting synopsis, and I'm glad to say that the synopsis did not disappoint. The book was everything it was described to be, and I always like when books are up front about what they are. One of the best parts of this book was the plot. The way the plot was revealed, in some parts of the book, was stunning. The opening of the book was one of these parts, and I just wished that it had been able to stay that way throughout the whole thing. However, there were pockets of gorgeously plotted passages scattered throughout the book that made them an absolute joy to find as I was reading.
The world building was unique and interesting. There were some holes in it thought, and I would have loved to hear more about the causes of this world. Otherwise, it was fine to overlook the holes as the world is quite awe inspiring. (Be sure to also check out the pictures on the website - beautiful!) I enjoyed how they tied in symbols and places that we know of today with their altered forms in the book, which made for a very relatable and interesting read. The way the scenes were described was magnificent. It provided just enough detail for the scenery to be appreciated, but not too much that I started to skim. Descriptions of their surrounding, which I find important in any dystopian novel as that basically sets up everything else, were impeccable.
And let's just say the last third of the book is where it starts to get real good.
The Bad
I was so excited to read about the characters, and that list of characters at the start of the book that hyped me up all the more. I have to say that I was disappointed in some aspects of how they were handled, which is my main disgruntlement with the book and the reason why it only received 3.5 stars.
The book is told in third person omniscient, so we're kind of able to get into the mind of all the characters, while some sections focus solely on the thoughts of one. I felt that because of the third person, the character's weren't able to be fleshed out. As a result of this, I never feel like any of them are developed with a lot of depth, and any problems that they had were either mentioned and then never mentioned again until later on in the book, or randomly brought up and dealt with on the spot.
Something that contributes towards this lack of connection with the character would be that many of the times their progress, actions, thoughts are all told to us instead of shown to us. I think this may be a by product of the third person perspective, but I always feel disconnected with them as their actions are described to me as if through a report instead of logic stemming from the understanding of their characters. Due to this, I never really connected with the characters and I felt like their interactions were always slightly contrived or awkward.
However, some stand out characters would be Tavis, actually quite hilarious, Jin, loved her to bits, and Luxuria, actually one of the characters that I felt were more realistically portrayed (though not without times of villainous cliche). These three would be worth reading for, and eh, Stone isn't too bad either.
I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the action in I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore, as there are slight similarities between the two books. Also, for anyone looking for a different dystopian read, I would give this one a try.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Spoilers are all indicated with spoiler tags, so don't click on those if you haven't read yet, they do contain real spoilers.
Also, I highly recommend taking a look at the Genesis Website for some awesome background information before reading.
The Good
What first drew me to this book was definitely it's interesting synopsis, and I'm glad to say that the synopsis did not disappoint. The book was everything it was described to be, and I always like when books are up front about what they are. One of the best parts of this book was the plot. The way the plot was revealed, in some parts of the book, was stunning. The opening of the book was one of these parts, and I just wished that it had been able to stay that way throughout the whole thing. However, there were pockets of gorgeously plotted passages scattered throughout the book that made them an absolute joy to find as I was reading.
The world building was unique and interesting. There were some holes in it thought, and I would have loved to hear more about the causes of this world. Otherwise, it was fine to overlook the holes as the world is quite awe inspiring. (Be sure to also check out the pictures on the website - beautiful!) I enjoyed how they tied in symbols and places that we know of today with their altered forms in the book, which made for a very relatable and interesting read. The way the scenes were described was magnificent. It provided just enough detail for the scenery to be appreciated, but not too much that I started to skim. Descriptions of their surrounding, which I find important in any dystopian novel as that basically sets up everything else, were impeccable.
And let's just say the last third of the book is where it starts to get real good.
The Bad
I was so excited to read about the characters, and that list of characters at the start of the book that hyped me up all the more. I have to say that I was disappointed in some aspects of how they were handled, which is my main disgruntlement with the book and the reason why it only received 3.5 stars.
The book is told in third person omniscient, so we're kind of able to get into the mind of all the characters, while some sections focus solely on the thoughts of one. I felt that because of the third person, the character's weren't able to be fleshed out. As a result of this, I never feel like any of them are developed with a lot of depth, and any problems that they had were either mentioned and then never mentioned again until later on in the book, or randomly brought up and dealt with on the spot.
Something that contributes towards this lack of connection with the character would be that many of the times their progress, actions, thoughts are all told to us instead of shown to us. I think this may be a by product of the third person perspective, but I always feel disconnected with them as their actions are described to me as if through a report instead of logic stemming from the understanding of their characters. Due to this, I never really connected with the characters and I felt like their interactions were always slightly contrived or awkward.
However, some stand out characters would be Tavis, actually quite hilarious, Jin, loved her to bits, and Luxuria, actually one of the characters that I felt were more realistically portrayed (though not without times of villainous cliche). These three would be worth reading for, and eh, Stone isn't too bad either.
I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the action in I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore, as there are slight similarities between the two books. Also, for anyone looking for a different dystopian read, I would give this one a try.
May 6, 2013
I can understand why so many are giving higher ratings for Genesis. It does have that element of adventure, the good vs. evil set-up where you want race through the pages to make sure that the good does triumph. It also has a supernatural aspect where we see truly cool powers and abilities develop among the protagonists. Finally, the book has a dystopian setting which is quite popular right now—cue in Hunger Games.
It was a slow read for me though, and the first half of the book took me a week to go through. This is the main reason why I’m giving it a three. I only started to truly enjoy it from around 45%. There are so many main characters, and you can see the effort put in to make readers empathize with them. My problem is, just when I’m starting to be really curious about a character, the story would jump to another setting and another set of new characters. I wasn’t given the chance to really care for the characters early on in the book. It was only in the 62% mark that I began to get affected. Unfortunately my sentiments weren’t even directed towards the 12 but for a secondary character.
I do have my favorite characters though. First is Travis. He was funny and lovable, trying to hide his kinder side in an effort to be “the guy”. I liked Andrea thanks to her interactions with Travis and Poe. Now Poe is the true star for me! LOL He’s a quirky little bird Travis saved, and majority of the scenes involving the little guy is truly funny. I always perked up when these three or Travis and Poe were together on page.
There’s a bit of a romance element here of course. With so many characters, you’re bound to have several couples getting together.
There are several brutal events too that I wish never took place! I’m the type of reader who gets so heartsick when something happens to a book character. I was honestly annoyed that I was made to care for secondary characters only to see them die in the next two pages or so. But that’s actually a credit to the authors’ skills, I think. They were able to make me care a lot for those characters in just a few paragraphs. I wish the same treatment was done for the 12 main characters though.
I think the book ended on a high note. There was one last significant event in the last fight scene that made me want to throw my kindle (and I kept yelling STUPID!!! in my head, hahaha!), but I won’t go into further detail anymore. It’s best to experience the annoyance yourself!
Since the primary adversary for this book wasn't defeated (and there are so many of them left) there’s definitely more that the series can offer. I expect in the second book we can dive right away into the story now that the groundwork for the setting and character introductions have all been laid. I'd love to learn more about Mateo, Jamila and Thaddine! :) I'd recommend this to readers who love dystopian, futuristic, supernatural, adventure books.
It was a slow read for me though, and the first half of the book took me a week to go through. This is the main reason why I’m giving it a three. I only started to truly enjoy it from around 45%. There are so many main characters, and you can see the effort put in to make readers empathize with them. My problem is, just when I’m starting to be really curious about a character, the story would jump to another setting and another set of new characters. I wasn’t given the chance to really care for the characters early on in the book. It was only in the 62% mark that I began to get affected. Unfortunately my sentiments weren’t even directed towards the 12 but for a secondary character.
I do have my favorite characters though. First is Travis. He was funny and lovable, trying to hide his kinder side in an effort to be “the guy”. I liked Andrea thanks to her interactions with Travis and Poe. Now Poe is the true star for me! LOL He’s a quirky little bird Travis saved, and majority of the scenes involving the little guy is truly funny. I always perked up when these three or Travis and Poe were together on page.
There’s a bit of a romance element here of course. With so many characters, you’re bound to have several couples getting together.
There are several brutal events too that I wish never took place! I’m the type of reader who gets so heartsick when something happens to a book character. I was honestly annoyed that I was made to care for secondary characters only to see them die in the next two pages or so. But that’s actually a credit to the authors’ skills, I think. They were able to make me care a lot for those characters in just a few paragraphs. I wish the same treatment was done for the 12 main characters though.
I think the book ended on a high note. There was one last significant event in the last fight scene that made me want to throw my kindle (and I kept yelling STUPID!!! in my head, hahaha!), but I won’t go into further detail anymore. It’s best to experience the annoyance yourself!
Since the primary adversary for this book wasn't defeated (and there are so many of them left) there’s definitely more that the series can offer. I expect in the second book we can dive right away into the story now that the groundwork for the setting and character introductions have all been laid. I'd love to learn more about Mateo, Jamila and Thaddine! :) I'd recommend this to readers who love dystopian, futuristic, supernatural, adventure books.
May 8, 2013
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
Genesis by Jason Rowe and Brian Palmer is the first book of what will be an eight book series. The story is set in the future, and in my opinion, has the feeling of being set during the Seven Year Tribulation. The first part of the story lays the groundwork for showing us how the world we currently know has changed. There is a one-world government which is supposed to keep everyone safe, but we see that this isn't truly the case. We are soon introduced to twelve people who are brought together and taken to a different place to be trained for what will likely be the battle to bring down the government and the evil that is ruling the world.
It was pretty difficult to keep the twelve characters clear in my mind, especially with some of the names being somewhat similar. I kept getting Jamila and Palesa, Juan and Jin, and Palesa and Pizi confused at different times. There is a list at the beginning of the book which describes the characters, but I am too lazy to continuously go back and forth. I got it mostly figured out towards the end.
I really liked and connected with some characters much easier than others (which may be due to the fact that I was getting some of them confused). My favorite character was Tavis. I loved that he was a tough guy, a fighter with a sensitive side that he didn't want anyone to see. I liked Stone and the fact that even though he ends up being the leader of the group, he isn't all of a sudden perfect. He has his struggles and things he has to work through, and I really like that he almost doesn't care if he gets everything right/fixed with himself. I REALLY identify with that side of him. He has feelings for Gabrielle, although he can't feel too strongly since they haven't had enough interaction to know each other very well, IMO. I think Stone knows he and Gabrielle aren't meant for each other (at least at this time), but towards the end, I felt like he didn't really care...he liked her and wasn't going to try to hide it from her anymore...being true to himself instead of pretending. I also enjoyed Andrea and Tavis with Poe as well as Bart and Simra.
This story has the potential to go so many different places with seven more books to come. There are plenty of characters to get to know a lot better as well as the main storyline. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I do hope that the authors put a short synopsis of important details from past books at the beginning of each new book. I typically won't start a series until all the books are published. If I do start before they are all published, I re-read all the books when a new book is published. However, I really do not want to re-read seven books when the last one comes out, and my memory is too horrible not to have a refresher.
Finally, please note that the authors are donating a portion of the money from this series to helping free women and young girls from the sex trafficking trade in Mumbai. You can read more about it on the Goodreads page for the book here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1.... That, in itself is worth supporting by purchasing the books in the series. So, give this book a try. You get to support a worthy cause as well as enjoy a really good story!!
Genesis by Jason Rowe and Brian Palmer is the first book of what will be an eight book series. The story is set in the future, and in my opinion, has the feeling of being set during the Seven Year Tribulation. The first part of the story lays the groundwork for showing us how the world we currently know has changed. There is a one-world government which is supposed to keep everyone safe, but we see that this isn't truly the case. We are soon introduced to twelve people who are brought together and taken to a different place to be trained for what will likely be the battle to bring down the government and the evil that is ruling the world.
It was pretty difficult to keep the twelve characters clear in my mind, especially with some of the names being somewhat similar. I kept getting Jamila and Palesa, Juan and Jin, and Palesa and Pizi confused at different times. There is a list at the beginning of the book which describes the characters, but I am too lazy to continuously go back and forth. I got it mostly figured out towards the end.
I really liked and connected with some characters much easier than others (which may be due to the fact that I was getting some of them confused). My favorite character was Tavis. I loved that he was a tough guy, a fighter with a sensitive side that he didn't want anyone to see. I liked Stone and the fact that even though he ends up being the leader of the group, he isn't all of a sudden perfect. He has his struggles and things he has to work through, and I really like that he almost doesn't care if he gets everything right/fixed with himself. I REALLY identify with that side of him. He has feelings for Gabrielle, although he can't feel too strongly since they haven't had enough interaction to know each other very well, IMO. I think Stone knows he and Gabrielle aren't meant for each other (at least at this time), but towards the end, I felt like he didn't really care...he liked her and wasn't going to try to hide it from her anymore...being true to himself instead of pretending. I also enjoyed Andrea and Tavis with Poe as well as Bart and Simra.
This story has the potential to go so many different places with seven more books to come. There are plenty of characters to get to know a lot better as well as the main storyline. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I do hope that the authors put a short synopsis of important details from past books at the beginning of each new book. I typically won't start a series until all the books are published. If I do start before they are all published, I re-read all the books when a new book is published. However, I really do not want to re-read seven books when the last one comes out, and my memory is too horrible not to have a refresher.
Finally, please note that the authors are donating a portion of the money from this series to helping free women and young girls from the sex trafficking trade in Mumbai. You can read more about it on the Goodreads page for the book here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1.... That, in itself is worth supporting by purchasing the books in the series. So, give this book a try. You get to support a worthy cause as well as enjoy a really good story!!
January 28, 2015
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I really didn't know what to expect from this book, and when I started it, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. The beginning was slow and detailed but I struggled to get into it.
However, for me, the introduction of Stone changed the book completely. I loved his character, and seeing the Twelve brought together kick-started what was a great, well written story.
I loved the part when .
I did struggle to keep up with all the characters. Although I loved Stone, Bart, Tavis, Andrea (and Poe of course!), I did sometimes forget about characters like Juan and Mateo. But I think it would be unrealistic to keep up with twelve main characters in a book, and towards the end I felt the little I knew about characters like Mateo actually made me look forward to the next installment more.
I really enjoyed this book, and will definitely read the next installment. That the two authors could make me read a book completely different to anything I've ever read before yet make me know for sure I will read the next seven in the series proves to me that they're onto good things.
4/5.
I really didn't know what to expect from this book, and when I started it, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. The beginning was slow and detailed but I struggled to get into it.
However, for me, the introduction of Stone changed the book completely. I loved his character, and seeing the Twelve brought together kick-started what was a great, well written story.
I loved the part when .
I did struggle to keep up with all the characters. Although I loved Stone, Bart, Tavis, Andrea (and Poe of course!), I did sometimes forget about characters like Juan and Mateo. But I think it would be unrealistic to keep up with twelve main characters in a book, and towards the end I felt the little I knew about characters like Mateo actually made me look forward to the next installment more.
I really enjoyed this book, and will definitely read the next installment. That the two authors could make me read a book completely different to anything I've ever read before yet make me know for sure I will read the next seven in the series proves to me that they're onto good things.
4/5.
January 8, 2013
In a nutshell is is an action-packed, page turner! This isn't even my genre of choice, but I was captivated pretty much from the start. Probably what I enjoyed most of all was the light humor (often in the midst of the heat of battle and other nail-biting events) as well as the development of human relationships among the 12 main "hero" characters throughout the story...which is only the start of many more adventures to come!
Highly recommend this one. You'll be ready, as I am, for the next installment of the "Saga."
Highly recommend this one. You'll be ready, as I am, for the next installment of the "Saga."
April 20, 2013
I co-wrote this novel and am proud to have my name attached to this series.
May 10, 2013
This book was a considerable change of pace for me as I seem to be reading a lot of 1st person character driven romances at the moment, interlaced with a good few paranormal romances. Now and again I do get tempted by an epic fantasy though, as in this case. I'm really glad I read this book and although I felt I could only rate it 3 stars I have every expectation that I will rate book 2 higher. This is because my chief difficulty in this book was the necessary groundwork needed to introduce us readers to the world.
This series is admirably ambitious and a very interesting commentary on society through the guise of a dystopian Earth. I am always fascinated by visions of a future world but think it must be incredibly difficult to write. The world needs to be reconcilable with the current one, we need to understand how we got from here to there and why, there needs to be a good balance of the recognisable and the unfamiliar. I feel the authors did a very good job in that respect. I am intrigued by the new world government, by the split in the general population between those that see them as saviours and those on the fringes. I am left with a lot of questions as to how we got there but knowing that this is an 8 book series helps me relax in the expectation that everything will resolve itself in the end.
As for the characters, I found that this is where I struggled. 12 heros and the host and the bad guys. It was just all too much for me to follow! It took me a long while to get them straight in my head and at the end of it I only feel 'connected' to a handful of them. It didn't help that I'm used to 1st person, to being inside someone's head. It took a while for me to adjust to the omniscient 3rd person. I loved Simra and Bart all the way through as they're both such gentle characters. I also loved Tavis, Andrea and Poe - they had such a cute family vibe going on with the unconditional love you only get between parents and their 'children'.
I do appreciate that with so many characters it is difficult to know and love them all straight away, but I did feel like I had to persevere through the first 50% to get to the stage where I believed I would love them at some point. If you asked me now who has what particular gift or history I think I'd only know maybe 6-8 of them. But I like what I did see and believe it will get better. I'm sure that by the end I will love them all.
I have a similar feeling about the plot. I loved how well detailed the descriptions were throughout the whole book, and I appreciated the backgrounds were explored and teh training and had to be given a good amount of time. But, for me I felt this made the first half of the book seem rather rudderless. I had no idea where it was going, the pace was slow and the necesary relationship building lead to several diversions. So I didn't feel carried along with the pace until the action really got started. When it did I really enjoyed it and the character interactions whilst in battle were the most effective of all in building the relationships and getting to know each of their personalities. I did occasionally feel that conversations were a little out of place given what was going on though.
The final epic battle was wonderful, I was on the edge of my seat (metaphorically speaking) the whole time. It was creepy, dramatic, full of tension and danger, and with a truly evil baddy I loved to hate. There was a sense of scale, of pain, of fear, of grief and of determination. Really great, I just wish I understood the context of the battle a bit more and feel I need more information on the power struggle and Joshua's plan.
Ok, I think I've gone on long enough!
To summarise, I enjoyed this epic fantasy although I felt it required some perseverence to get into it and appreciate it. Maybe readers more used to this genre than me would be expecting this necessary world building though and not struggle as I did at first. I have great hopes for the series based on this start though and look forward to reading book 2.
This series is admirably ambitious and a very interesting commentary on society through the guise of a dystopian Earth. I am always fascinated by visions of a future world but think it must be incredibly difficult to write. The world needs to be reconcilable with the current one, we need to understand how we got from here to there and why, there needs to be a good balance of the recognisable and the unfamiliar. I feel the authors did a very good job in that respect. I am intrigued by the new world government, by the split in the general population between those that see them as saviours and those on the fringes. I am left with a lot of questions as to how we got there but knowing that this is an 8 book series helps me relax in the expectation that everything will resolve itself in the end.
As for the characters, I found that this is where I struggled. 12 heros and the host and the bad guys. It was just all too much for me to follow! It took me a long while to get them straight in my head and at the end of it I only feel 'connected' to a handful of them. It didn't help that I'm used to 1st person, to being inside someone's head. It took a while for me to adjust to the omniscient 3rd person. I loved Simra and Bart all the way through as they're both such gentle characters. I also loved Tavis, Andrea and Poe - they had such a cute family vibe going on with the unconditional love you only get between parents and their 'children'.
I do appreciate that with so many characters it is difficult to know and love them all straight away, but I did feel like I had to persevere through the first 50% to get to the stage where I believed I would love them at some point. If you asked me now who has what particular gift or history I think I'd only know maybe 6-8 of them. But I like what I did see and believe it will get better. I'm sure that by the end I will love them all.
I have a similar feeling about the plot. I loved how well detailed the descriptions were throughout the whole book, and I appreciated the backgrounds were explored and teh training and had to be given a good amount of time. But, for me I felt this made the first half of the book seem rather rudderless. I had no idea where it was going, the pace was slow and the necesary relationship building lead to several diversions. So I didn't feel carried along with the pace until the action really got started. When it did I really enjoyed it and the character interactions whilst in battle were the most effective of all in building the relationships and getting to know each of their personalities. I did occasionally feel that conversations were a little out of place given what was going on though.
The final epic battle was wonderful, I was on the edge of my seat (metaphorically speaking) the whole time. It was creepy, dramatic, full of tension and danger, and with a truly evil baddy I loved to hate. There was a sense of scale, of pain, of fear, of grief and of determination. Really great, I just wish I understood the context of the battle a bit more and feel I need more information on the power struggle and Joshua's plan.
Ok, I think I've gone on long enough!
To summarise, I enjoyed this epic fantasy although I felt it required some perseverence to get into it and appreciate it. Maybe readers more used to this genre than me would be expecting this necessary world building though and not struggle as I did at first. I have great hopes for the series based on this start though and look forward to reading book 2.
July 12, 2013
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Earth is under a new regime that cures disease, ends wars, unites people under one religion and rule. For those in the population centres life is controlled and ordered. For those outside or who want more freedom, life is tough and brutal. Now a dark force rises and only The Twelve can stop it. Six men, six women of all creeds and colours with supernaturally gifts that they must learn to control if they want to save the world.
This was a really great dystopian paranormal fantasy kind of book with the best bits of X-Men thrown in! A group of humans living on the edge of the new society are recruited as a team to fight this evil. The characters are all different and at first there were some I liked and two I didn't, but you learn to love them all as the book progresses and you see them become a team and uncover each others gifts, fears and secrets. My favourite has to be the Irish anti-hero Tavis. Maybe it's because I'm Scottish that I relate so well to him, and I certainly know people very like him(but without the superpowers)! My favourite overall character is Poe. I love that little guy! Despite their powers, you see these characters as real human beings so you can relate to them which is very important. They make mistakes, they have doubts. They have superpowers but they aren't perfect.
Usually I don't like books that are more slow building towards a big finale than all out action throughout, but this book was different. It was necessary to fully introduce The Twelve and their mentors so you could bond with them and care for them. And the story of how they are tested to find their power sweeps you along so fast that the lack of action doesn't matter. The descriptive work and worldbuilding has the perfect balance of fully informing you, without drowning you in detail. The book is extremely well written and I found it difficult to put down which is a joy in a book. The action sequences when they come are exciting, tension filled and you really want to know what will happen next.
Dislikes? Nothing. I really enjoyed the story, the way it was presented and the characters within it. When you have such a big main cast it can be difficult to engage the reader with each one but the authors here do it perfectly. I am certainly going to be looking out for book 2 in the series and beyond. I recommend this to those who enjoy a good v evil dystopian read, and those who enjoy the paranormal and fantasy genres. Young Adult and Adult alike will enjoy this book though be prepared for colourful language from Tavis!
Excellent read!
ETA I've upgraded my review to 5 stars
Earth is under a new regime that cures disease, ends wars, unites people under one religion and rule. For those in the population centres life is controlled and ordered. For those outside or who want more freedom, life is tough and brutal. Now a dark force rises and only The Twelve can stop it. Six men, six women of all creeds and colours with supernaturally gifts that they must learn to control if they want to save the world.
This was a really great dystopian paranormal fantasy kind of book with the best bits of X-Men thrown in! A group of humans living on the edge of the new society are recruited as a team to fight this evil. The characters are all different and at first there were some I liked and two I didn't, but you learn to love them all as the book progresses and you see them become a team and uncover each others gifts, fears and secrets. My favourite has to be the Irish anti-hero Tavis. Maybe it's because I'm Scottish that I relate so well to him, and I certainly know people very like him(but without the superpowers)! My favourite overall character is Poe. I love that little guy! Despite their powers, you see these characters as real human beings so you can relate to them which is very important. They make mistakes, they have doubts. They have superpowers but they aren't perfect.
Usually I don't like books that are more slow building towards a big finale than all out action throughout, but this book was different. It was necessary to fully introduce The Twelve and their mentors so you could bond with them and care for them. And the story of how they are tested to find their power sweeps you along so fast that the lack of action doesn't matter. The descriptive work and worldbuilding has the perfect balance of fully informing you, without drowning you in detail. The book is extremely well written and I found it difficult to put down which is a joy in a book. The action sequences when they come are exciting, tension filled and you really want to know what will happen next.
Dislikes? Nothing. I really enjoyed the story, the way it was presented and the characters within it. When you have such a big main cast it can be difficult to engage the reader with each one but the authors here do it perfectly. I am certainly going to be looking out for book 2 in the series and beyond. I recommend this to those who enjoy a good v evil dystopian read, and those who enjoy the paranormal and fantasy genres. Young Adult and Adult alike will enjoy this book though be prepared for colourful language from Tavis!
Excellent read!
ETA I've upgraded my review to 5 stars
April 20, 2013
As soon as I read the synopsis, I was instantly intrigued by this novel. I love the dystopian trend - even though it has been done so many times before - so I was looking forward to reading XII: Genesis. The premise sounds very unique and I love the idea of the New World. Within the first few pages, I was hooked. Lots of questions filled my mind so I couldn't help but turn the pages.
A century after the world was destined to end, the world was reborn. Diseases were cured, war was put to an end, and the population of the New Era was restored. However, this is no utopia. A dark power has risen and six men and six women, each containing supernatural powers, are the only ones who can destroy it. As their adventure begins, the story tells the tale of the terrifying and heart-stopping quest.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Genesis, and am looking forward to the next instalment. It is an original book that has a bit of everything - action, romance, supernatural, fantasy. When I began to read the first few pages, I couldn't put it down. Why was the New World deemed perfect? Why were people still suffering? Why were news reporters filming murders/rapes, and not bothering to do anything about it? Who were The Twelve?
Palmer and Rowe are able to write a complicated plot without allowing the reader to be confused at all. The New World has lots of detail and has clearly been planned and thought out. The description was simply beautiful - so much detail!
However, I have one small complaint about the characters. As there were Twelve supernaturally gifted humans, and a few additional characters, it was quite hard to connect with them. As the book is told in third person, the emotions of the characters couldn't be felt. Although first person wouldn't have worked due to certain reasons, I feel that there could have been more realistic portrayal of the characters. Travis was my favourite character in the book - he's hilarious - but I think the other characters could have been adapted more.
Overall, I strongly recommend this book if you enjoy dystopia or anything related to supernatural. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.
A century after the world was destined to end, the world was reborn. Diseases were cured, war was put to an end, and the population of the New Era was restored. However, this is no utopia. A dark power has risen and six men and six women, each containing supernatural powers, are the only ones who can destroy it. As their adventure begins, the story tells the tale of the terrifying and heart-stopping quest.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Genesis, and am looking forward to the next instalment. It is an original book that has a bit of everything - action, romance, supernatural, fantasy. When I began to read the first few pages, I couldn't put it down. Why was the New World deemed perfect? Why were people still suffering? Why were news reporters filming murders/rapes, and not bothering to do anything about it? Who were The Twelve?
Palmer and Rowe are able to write a complicated plot without allowing the reader to be confused at all. The New World has lots of detail and has clearly been planned and thought out. The description was simply beautiful - so much detail!
However, I have one small complaint about the characters. As there were Twelve supernaturally gifted humans, and a few additional characters, it was quite hard to connect with them. As the book is told in third person, the emotions of the characters couldn't be felt. Although first person wouldn't have worked due to certain reasons, I feel that there could have been more realistic portrayal of the characters. Travis was my favourite character in the book - he's hilarious - but I think the other characters could have been adapted more.
Overall, I strongly recommend this book if you enjoy dystopia or anything related to supernatural. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.
August 25, 2013
It took me quite some time to read this book. Not because it wasn't a gripping, enthralling novel, simply because life got in the way of my reading time. That being said, as promised, here is my review!
I got sucked into the book very quickly. It was very different than what I'd been reading but I had been looking for something different. The character development was also a bit different than what I was used to. While typically, the books I'd been reading focus on 1-3 characters (usually 1) and develop them over the course of the book/series, this one had 12 main characters to develop and then supporting characters on top of that. I will admit that at first, I found it difficult to relate to the characters. I mean, there are 12 and each time we got to know one a little bit more indepthly, the book would move on to the next one. I didn't get frustrated but it may have initially contributed to the length of time I spent on this book. But once I had time I was able to sit and just simply read, I got hooked even deeper into who these people were becoming.
The setting is fantastic, the description vivid, and the characters full of depth. I am interested to see where it goes after this first installment of the series. So Jason and Brian... please hurry!!!!
It seemed once I got accustomed to the swapping of perspectives, the dialogue and storylines were easier to handle. I might make a cheat sheet for the second book, though just to be sure I have all the characters, backgrounds and abilities straight (or make a suggestion to add it to future installments of the series) prior to continuing the series.
I will say, I got this book via a Kindle transfer and the format was a little off, making it difficult to read, but not so difficult that I became lost. Just something to consider or check on. It may have been a stand-alone delivery error to my Kindle.
Overall, I loved this book and look forward to even reading it again prior to the second book's release! Well done!!
I got sucked into the book very quickly. It was very different than what I'd been reading but I had been looking for something different. The character development was also a bit different than what I was used to. While typically, the books I'd been reading focus on 1-3 characters (usually 1) and develop them over the course of the book/series, this one had 12 main characters to develop and then supporting characters on top of that. I will admit that at first, I found it difficult to relate to the characters. I mean, there are 12 and each time we got to know one a little bit more indepthly, the book would move on to the next one. I didn't get frustrated but it may have initially contributed to the length of time I spent on this book. But once I had time I was able to sit and just simply read, I got hooked even deeper into who these people were becoming.
The setting is fantastic, the description vivid, and the characters full of depth. I am interested to see where it goes after this first installment of the series. So Jason and Brian... please hurry!!!!
It seemed once I got accustomed to the swapping of perspectives, the dialogue and storylines were easier to handle. I might make a cheat sheet for the second book, though just to be sure I have all the characters, backgrounds and abilities straight (or make a suggestion to add it to future installments of the series) prior to continuing the series.
I will say, I got this book via a Kindle transfer and the format was a little off, making it difficult to read, but not so difficult that I became lost. Just something to consider or check on. It may have been a stand-alone delivery error to my Kindle.
Overall, I loved this book and look forward to even reading it again prior to the second book's release! Well done!!
May 25, 2013
3.5 Stars!
Right from the beginning I could tell this was going to be a truly unique look into a world very well created. The writing was smooth and drew you right into the story.
I do need to say, right off the bat, that high fantasy really isn't my thing and I honestly had no idea going into this one that it would have as much fantasy as it did, maybe stupid on my part but, there you have it either way.
Having said that though, even though this wasn't really my thing per se, I still could tell this story really was very well done. The authors have to be commended for that and I truly think those that love fantasy and want something completely different and original, will really love this read.
There were quite a few twists in this one I didn't see coming and parts were a little, creepy if not horrific. The darkness was truly something to be feared and to fight against and I can't even begin to think how creative the authors must be to even dream up some of the things that they did.
And although this was fantasy there are other elements that I think would appeal to other readers as well, a little mystery, a little romance and some pretty dang tough supernatural kids as well. Really there is a whole cast of fun characters (and some slightly disturbed ones as well) in this that I think will appeal to a lot of people, both male and female, fantasy lovers or not.
This is only part one of an eight part series and I can't even fathom where the authors will take this from here. I am sure whatever it may be, it will be quite the adventure.
Right from the beginning I could tell this was going to be a truly unique look into a world very well created. The writing was smooth and drew you right into the story.
I do need to say, right off the bat, that high fantasy really isn't my thing and I honestly had no idea going into this one that it would have as much fantasy as it did, maybe stupid on my part but, there you have it either way.
Having said that though, even though this wasn't really my thing per se, I still could tell this story really was very well done. The authors have to be commended for that and I truly think those that love fantasy and want something completely different and original, will really love this read.
There were quite a few twists in this one I didn't see coming and parts were a little, creepy if not horrific. The darkness was truly something to be feared and to fight against and I can't even begin to think how creative the authors must be to even dream up some of the things that they did.
And although this was fantasy there are other elements that I think would appeal to other readers as well, a little mystery, a little romance and some pretty dang tough supernatural kids as well. Really there is a whole cast of fun characters (and some slightly disturbed ones as well) in this that I think will appeal to a lot of people, both male and female, fantasy lovers or not.
This is only part one of an eight part series and I can't even fathom where the authors will take this from here. I am sure whatever it may be, it will be quite the adventure.
November 3, 2013
(Received free copy in exchange for review)
3.5/5
I rated it 3 instead of 4 because it was just so hard to fully delve into the world and the characters and get a lot out of the story.
I wanted to love this story. It was well written, and the plot line was interesting, but there were things that just made it hard for me to really get into the story.
Mainly what bothered me throughout was the characters. They didn't feel to have much depth to me until towards the end. I would have much preferred to have the story from a first person point of view through only one character, versus third person where you are floating around different characters. It was also very hard to keep up, especially when the back-stories came intermittently. Perhaps in future books, the things we learned and saw in this book will come together a little more.
I also wish I knew a little more about what was happening and about the setting. There was a lot to think about with so many characters and then trying to figure out what exactly was happening in the world. It was hard to just dive into.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. It got better as it progressed, and I feel like the series will get better in the next books as well.
3.5/5
I rated it 3 instead of 4 because it was just so hard to fully delve into the world and the characters and get a lot out of the story.
I wanted to love this story. It was well written, and the plot line was interesting, but there were things that just made it hard for me to really get into the story.
Mainly what bothered me throughout was the characters. They didn't feel to have much depth to me until towards the end. I would have much preferred to have the story from a first person point of view through only one character, versus third person where you are floating around different characters. It was also very hard to keep up, especially when the back-stories came intermittently. Perhaps in future books, the things we learned and saw in this book will come together a little more.
I also wish I knew a little more about what was happening and about the setting. There was a lot to think about with so many characters and then trying to figure out what exactly was happening in the world. It was hard to just dive into.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. It got better as it progressed, and I feel like the series will get better in the next books as well.
May 3, 2013
I am not entirely sure how to review this book. I liked it, but I didn't love it. Things were a bit confusing for the first half. I wish the book explained more about the prophecy of the twelve, and a little more on how the New Era came to be. The second half was more action packed, and we were more used to the characters at that point. It is hard to keep track of the twelve at first, I'm glad the authors listed them, along with their traits, in the beginning of the book. :) It was a well written book, and since this is only the first installment of an eight-book series, I am pretty sure we'll get better answers to some of our questions on the upcoming ones. I will definitely check out the next book and see what happens to these characters.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
May 17, 2013
This is the cornerstone of a series of books, and as such lays the groundwork for the characters, the history and the purpose of the characters. For that reason, it may seem a bit slow the first part of the book, but then I have read Michner and Follet, and they are both the champions of nitty gritty rhetoric. No rhetoric here.. the characters must be developed, and so they are. There are 12, so it would be lovely to have notes in the front about each character. My only suggestion would be to give the first person talker more oomph, rev her up a bit, because it is easy to lose her in the complexity of the 12 and the over seers. My favorite character is Stone! Love the complexity of this man, who becomes hopelessly enamored.. but then, let's not give away the plot! Love the synopsis. Loved the book. Can't wait for the next book. Great Job Rowe & Palmer♥
May 26, 2013
4.5 I really, really liked this! It's not a genre I typically read, but from the very beginning it was interesting and engaging and I wanted to know more. I liked the way it unfolded with the reader being able to get a glimpse into different character's situations, not a single perspective. The characters were different and interesting, and I loved the 12, though there are a few of them that we didn't get that much of this time around. This is an original story, and though elements of it have existed in other stories, I feel this came together as something new, not reminiscent of anything else. There is a good mixture of personal connection, character development, action and plot--there was even a little romance! I'm excited to read the next one and see where this all goes!
November 14, 2013
This story is set in a New World era where a whole new set of rules have been established. Twelve people have been selected from all over the world- 6 men and 6 women who all have special abilities that they are not fully aware of. They are taken and trained to improve on their abilities and to fight an epic battle.
The beginning of this story really got me hooked in and made me curious as to what was going to happen. It kinda gave me a feeling of Hunger Games with shape-shifters and super-humans. Lots of action, but what hooked me in the beginning of the book, lost me midway. This is part of a series of books and I'd be curious to see how the other books play out to this one.
The beginning of this story really got me hooked in and made me curious as to what was going to happen. It kinda gave me a feeling of Hunger Games with shape-shifters and super-humans. Lots of action, but what hooked me in the beginning of the book, lost me midway. This is part of a series of books and I'd be curious to see how the other books play out to this one.
July 6, 2013
This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review
At first I was kinda lost of what was happening because it's not the kind of story I usually read.
Though the story was really good. No doubt about that. But there were parts that were unclear to me like the beginning. It confuses me, like how the characters were introduced, i just hope that they were given a little more background.
But what I really liked about the book was, how it challenges me to imagine. I felt that I was a part of them. And that's what makes me happy whenever I read a book :)And this book is one of them :D
At first I was kinda lost of what was happening because it's not the kind of story I usually read.
Though the story was really good. No doubt about that. But there were parts that were unclear to me like the beginning. It confuses me, like how the characters were introduced, i just hope that they were given a little more background.
But what I really liked about the book was, how it challenges me to imagine. I felt that I was a part of them. And that's what makes me happy whenever I read a book :)And this book is one of them :D
May 20, 2013
I received this book for my honest review.
I enjoyed the book overall, it had a good story line and I enjoyed the characters. The only problem that I had with this story was that it kept jumping from one person to the next. I'm glad to see that this is part of a series and I know that the rest of the books will interesting and I will learn more
I enjoyed the book overall, it had a good story line and I enjoyed the characters. The only problem that I had with this story was that it kept jumping from one person to the next. I'm glad to see that this is part of a series and I know that the rest of the books will interesting and I will learn more
July 17, 2013
It took me a few chapters to really get into this book. But once I did the story did not disappoint. The genre is one that I enjoy reading and this book has adequately fed my obsession with these types of books, well done Jason & Brian. It was a great read and I look forward to reading the next instalment.
May 15, 2013
I thought the book was good. Very well written. There is a lot more to this story that still needs to be told and my rating could go up based on how the rest of the books evolve the storyline. So far so good.
Read
January 28, 2013Full review to follow
August 10, 2013
This book is written like a movie script, and in fact would have been better off written as such as opposed to a novel. The first few chapters were disorienting, and it was not until a third way through the book where things started to come together. One of my biggest pet peeve's occurred in this book, and that was the constant jumping between characters point of views. There are 12 heroes in this story, and they all start of uniquely individual and towards the end becomes a unit. However, on a single page one could end up reading from 3 to 4 different POV's, giving me whiplash as I didn't know who to focus on. After reading the book, I still can't tell you the names of all 12 heroes, nor what their back grounds are, or their skills and why I should even care about them. I recognize the intent that the authors wanted them to feel like a unit towards the end, but in my opinion the effort fell flat on its face. Also, the content of this book is not for the faint of heart. If you are easily offended by someone imagining and interpreting what the end times would look like, as it relates specifically to Christianity, then I would not recommend you reading this book. However, if you take it at face value as someone imagining what the end times could be like, with a grain of salt then you'll probably enjoy the story. All though I slugged through this book, there were a hand full of endearing moments, and the final message of you can't do everything by yourself and so you must be willing to ask for help from above, is an endearing lesson. As for family friendliness, I would probably not allow younger children to read this, who are stilling learning about faith and the truth, but it may make some great discussion points for young adults. Regardless, this is one of those books that I would encourage parents to read themselves before allowing their child to read.
August 19, 2013
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.
I don't mean to be repetitive, but I find myself thinking the same thing as many of the other reviews have stated. While the plot and the writing were undoubtably fantastic, I felt a lack of connection with the characters.
Often times in books that deal with too many main characters and try to give them all equal "screen time" or exposure, I find myself lacking a connection to any of them. I'm the kind of person that likes to be fully invested in one or two people, because once you get too many personalities (all trying to be completely different) it turns into a confused mess.
Maybe that's not exactly the right terms to put it in, because this book was not a confused mess. I'm just saying that I would have enjoyed it more had it been told maybe in first-person and had chosen a handful of the main characters to focus on.
The world building was absolutely fantastic–and it is not in a lot of YA dystopian novels these days (by the way they have some great pictures on the website that really help you visualize their world.) The plot was original and complex enough to keep me guessing. I truly did enjoy this book, but the few things that I disliked about it were enough to knock it down two stars and prevent it from landing a spot on my "Favorites" bookshelf.
I am interested to see if the authors will write novellas possibly in first person from the character's points of view, I would definitely be interested in reading those.
With an original storyline and fun characters, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who calls themselves a dystopian fan!
Yours Truly,
Cami <3
I don't mean to be repetitive, but I find myself thinking the same thing as many of the other reviews have stated. While the plot and the writing were undoubtably fantastic, I felt a lack of connection with the characters.
Often times in books that deal with too many main characters and try to give them all equal "screen time" or exposure, I find myself lacking a connection to any of them. I'm the kind of person that likes to be fully invested in one or two people, because once you get too many personalities (all trying to be completely different) it turns into a confused mess.
Maybe that's not exactly the right terms to put it in, because this book was not a confused mess. I'm just saying that I would have enjoyed it more had it been told maybe in first-person and had chosen a handful of the main characters to focus on.
The world building was absolutely fantastic–and it is not in a lot of YA dystopian novels these days (by the way they have some great pictures on the website that really help you visualize their world.) The plot was original and complex enough to keep me guessing. I truly did enjoy this book, but the few things that I disliked about it were enough to knock it down two stars and prevent it from landing a spot on my "Favorites" bookshelf.
I am interested to see if the authors will write novellas possibly in first person from the character's points of view, I would definitely be interested in reading those.
With an original storyline and fun characters, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who calls themselves a dystopian fan!
Yours Truly,
Cami <3
July 24, 2013
This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
I did not enjoy this book very much. The main thing that I did not like about this book was the writing style. There was not enough action in this book. Most of the book was very drawn out and boring. That being said, the writing style when giving descriptions of new locations that were mentioned in the book was very intriguing. I believe that there authors need to work on being more concise in their story. I also did not see many new and original ideas. It seemed to be a compilation of ideas that other Dystopian writers have had before.
Also, there were two many main characters in the book for me to keep up. Each character had a specific talent and it was difficult to keep up with which character had each talent. The same goes for keeping up with the personalities of each character.
There were a good number of sexual references. Usually these references pertained to those that were considered evil in the book, but nonetheless I still did not like that it was mentioned. There was also a bit of cussing in the book.
I believe that this was a decent book, but I think the authors need to work on their writing style a bit more.
I did not enjoy this book very much. The main thing that I did not like about this book was the writing style. There was not enough action in this book. Most of the book was very drawn out and boring. That being said, the writing style when giving descriptions of new locations that were mentioned in the book was very intriguing. I believe that there authors need to work on being more concise in their story. I also did not see many new and original ideas. It seemed to be a compilation of ideas that other Dystopian writers have had before.
Also, there were two many main characters in the book for me to keep up. Each character had a specific talent and it was difficult to keep up with which character had each talent. The same goes for keeping up with the personalities of each character.
There were a good number of sexual references. Usually these references pertained to those that were considered evil in the book, but nonetheless I still did not like that it was mentioned. There was also a bit of cussing in the book.
I believe that this was a decent book, but I think the authors need to work on their writing style a bit more.
December 17, 2013
I had a lot of problems with this story, both with the writing and plot and with the actual presentation.
First complaint: this read way more like a screenplay than a novel. "A dark figure stands in the alley. A woman approaches." The chapters are broken up into tiny, tiny flashes. You've barely got a feeling for a character's voice and then you're thrown abruptly into another POV. Plus, there are so many characters that I didn't have a good feel for any of their personalities or feelings. 6 men and 6 women, plus the archangels (I think they're supposed to be archangels and Jesus?), plus the villains. That's too much. It's too ambitious to say you're writing an 8 book series and then introduce us to every. single. character.
Second, the plot itself was all over the place. Nothing really seemed to happen except that these people are being tested and have some kind of powers, but how did the world get to this point? Is this a post-Rapture story? Is it a new world order story? Is it supposed to be present day? For a story so obviously grounded in Biblical origins, it was surprisingly hard to figure out what the authors were trying to DO. What's more, I don't CARE.
First complaint: this read way more like a screenplay than a novel. "A dark figure stands in the alley. A woman approaches." The chapters are broken up into tiny, tiny flashes. You've barely got a feeling for a character's voice and then you're thrown abruptly into another POV. Plus, there are so many characters that I didn't have a good feel for any of their personalities or feelings. 6 men and 6 women, plus the archangels (I think they're supposed to be archangels and Jesus?), plus the villains. That's too much. It's too ambitious to say you're writing an 8 book series and then introduce us to every. single. character.
Second, the plot itself was all over the place. Nothing really seemed to happen except that these people are being tested and have some kind of powers, but how did the world get to this point? Is this a post-Rapture story? Is it a new world order story? Is it supposed to be present day? For a story so obviously grounded in Biblical origins, it was surprisingly hard to figure out what the authors were trying to DO. What's more, I don't CARE.
September 14, 2013
* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
I have so much to say about this story, but I'm going to limit it to two categories;
1) The positive (it's nice to start with the good). The general story line, plot, is pretty much the only good thing the story got going. I enjoyed some of the characters' sass as well. One major plus is the hint of foreshadowing that we see throughout the book. I am a very big fan of foreshadowing.
2) The negative (worst for last). Having 10+ perspectives in one book is a major no no for me. It was confusing to flash from one setting to another with no explanation. I Had to flip back and forth more than 20 times to see who's voice I was reading and their relation to the other 10+ perspectives. There was too much mystery going on. It wasn't the fun-I-need-to-know-what's-going-to-happen- type of mystery at all! It was the OMG-what-is-going-on-this-is-so-confusing kind of mystery which is no fun to read.
Over all, I truly wished that there was more thought put into the 10+ perspectives in the story.
I have so much to say about this story, but I'm going to limit it to two categories;
1) The positive (it's nice to start with the good). The general story line, plot, is pretty much the only good thing the story got going. I enjoyed some of the characters' sass as well. One major plus is the hint of foreshadowing that we see throughout the book. I am a very big fan of foreshadowing.
2) The negative (worst for last). Having 10+ perspectives in one book is a major no no for me. It was confusing to flash from one setting to another with no explanation. I Had to flip back and forth more than 20 times to see who's voice I was reading and their relation to the other 10+ perspectives. There was too much mystery going on. It wasn't the fun-I-need-to-know-what's-going-to-happen- type of mystery at all! It was the OMG-what-is-going-on-this-is-so-confusing kind of mystery which is no fun to read.
Over all, I truly wished that there was more thought put into the 10+ perspectives in the story.
June 25, 2013
I received a copy of this book for my honest review.
I was really excited to read this book! I like dystopian books. I liked the idea the various heroes. However I just thought there were too many points of views and at times got confused on who was narrating at times. Although I felt like there were too many points of views I would still buy the other books just to continue with the story because I need to know what happens next!!
I was really excited to read this book! I like dystopian books. I liked the idea the various heroes. However I just thought there were too many points of views and at times got confused on who was narrating at times. Although I felt like there were too many points of views I would still buy the other books just to continue with the story because I need to know what happens next!!
July 9, 2014
Review coming soooon!
June 7, 2015
One of the worst books I've ever read. Luckily, I got it for free.
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