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Age of Eve: Return of the Nephilim
Eve Dowling, a talented writer for a successful magazine that covers New Orleans society events, is leading an exciting life filled with friends, family and work–until it is turned upside down by a fateful encounter with a stunningly handsome mystery man who ignites her most sensual fantasies.
When Eve awakes naked, sexually ravaged and alone in the garden of one of New Orleans’ most historic homes, she begins her search to uncover who this mystery man really is. She tracks him through the dark side of Old Algiers with the aid of one of its most famous Voodoo priestesses to an abandoned sanitarium in the heart of the swamplands surrounding New Orleans. It is there she first confronts two creatures, first described in ancient Hebrew and Christian texts as the Nephilim or “fallen sons of God,” who vye to posess her body and soul and keep her from true love with her mystery man.
Is Eve’s battle with the Nephilim to save her mystery lover–and her own life–real or imagined? Does Eve really hold a key to saving humanity from a loveless existence? Or is it all simply a nightmare dream? Read the first book in this series and decide for yourself.
When Eve awakes naked, sexually ravaged and alone in the garden of one of New Orleans’ most historic homes, she begins her search to uncover who this mystery man really is. She tracks him through the dark side of Old Algiers with the aid of one of its most famous Voodoo priestesses to an abandoned sanitarium in the heart of the swamplands surrounding New Orleans. It is there she first confronts two creatures, first described in ancient Hebrew and Christian texts as the Nephilim or “fallen sons of God,” who vye to posess her body and soul and keep her from true love with her mystery man.
Is Eve’s battle with the Nephilim to save her mystery lover–and her own life–real or imagined? Does Eve really hold a key to saving humanity from a loveless existence? Or is it all simply a nightmare dream? Read the first book in this series and decide for yourself.
300 pages, ebook
First published February 26, 2013
1 person is currently reading
405 people want to read
About the author
D.M. Pratt
5 books15 followersDeborah M. Pratt is a significant force in Hollywood. She’s an American Director, Writer, Producer and Actress. After graduating from Webster University with a degree in Psychology and Theatre, she became Executive Producer of “The Net” for USA network, co-creator, Executive Producer, and head writer on the iconic series Quantum Leap for NBC, and now Executive Producer of the new Quantum Leap sequel. She Executive produced the NET for USA and Tequila and Bonetti for CBS. She also wrote for multiple television series, including Magnum, P.I., The Pretender, and Airwolf. She is an award-winning graduate of the American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop for Women. Ms. Pratt then went on to make her directorial debut with Cora Unashamed for the BBC, PBS, and Masterpiece Theatre's The American Collection. She has directed for Greys Anatomy and Quantum Leap.
Ms. Pratt is a five-time Emmy nominee, a Golden Globe nominee, and recipient of The Lillian Gish Award from Women in Film, The Angel Award, The Golden Block Award, and Six B.E.N. Awards.
She has written feature films for Warner Brothers and Sony Pictures and has also completed the stageplay for her epic historical love story “Joseph Bologne”.
Most recently, Deborah is focused on putting together her feature film Heartswear, the story of Chicago attorney Mattie Tatum, who returns to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to defend her childhood best friend Nadine Palmer for the murder of her abusive husband.
Deborah is a published novelist; she breaks the mold of science fiction and creates a genre of science-fantasy, giving each novel the soul of a new earth and the key to human empowerment. There is a thread of HOPE that runs through all her writing. Each of her books is intricately layered with scientific facts and imaginative fantasy. "The Vision Quest" novel series is an exhilarating YA journey into the future of our planet. "Mirrors" and the "Legend of Soul" take fantasy to a new level. A new adventure into her Vision Quest universe is her graphic novel, "Warrior One." Her erotic mysteries, "Age of Eve; Return of the Nephilim," and “The Tempting; Seducing the Nephilim” are a turn away from her YA and NA.Ms. Pratt is a pioneer in trans-media entertainment and is developing the world she’s created in her books across multiple platforms.
Deborah currently travels between Los Angeles and Chicago and has two children.
Ms. Pratt is a five-time Emmy nominee, a Golden Globe nominee, and recipient of The Lillian Gish Award from Women in Film, The Angel Award, The Golden Block Award, and Six B.E.N. Awards.
She has written feature films for Warner Brothers and Sony Pictures and has also completed the stageplay for her epic historical love story “Joseph Bologne”.
Most recently, Deborah is focused on putting together her feature film Heartswear, the story of Chicago attorney Mattie Tatum, who returns to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to defend her childhood best friend Nadine Palmer for the murder of her abusive husband.
Deborah is a published novelist; she breaks the mold of science fiction and creates a genre of science-fantasy, giving each novel the soul of a new earth and the key to human empowerment. There is a thread of HOPE that runs through all her writing. Each of her books is intricately layered with scientific facts and imaginative fantasy. "The Vision Quest" novel series is an exhilarating YA journey into the future of our planet. "Mirrors" and the "Legend of Soul" take fantasy to a new level. A new adventure into her Vision Quest universe is her graphic novel, "Warrior One." Her erotic mysteries, "Age of Eve; Return of the Nephilim," and “The Tempting; Seducing the Nephilim” are a turn away from her YA and NA.Ms. Pratt is a pioneer in trans-media entertainment and is developing the world she’s created in her books across multiple platforms.
Deborah currently travels between Los Angeles and Chicago and has two children.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 13, 2013
By no means am I calling this the Bible, but if you find some of the stories in the Bible fascinating, you’ll be riveted by this book’s choice of other-worldly beings. The Nephilim, according to the book of Genesis, were the offspring of the “sons of God” and “daughters of men.” I remember reading that a long time ago, but didn’t know what it meant. Now I do—these creatures have been around since the dawn of time, and their influence on humanity is all-encompassing. Somehow, Age of Eve is able to take that complicated idea and use it as a centerpiece for a riveting romantic thriller. This may be a work of fiction, but a lot of it felt all too real.
January 28, 2013
Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to get this as an advanced copy. After reading the synopsis, I was pretty excited to start reading the story of Eve. But now, let me just say, I think I'd rather have spent the last few hours gouging my eyeballs out with a spoon. I am more than disappointed in this story...I was bored to tears, found my mind wandering, and completely dazed and confused - and not in a good way.
The premise of the story seemed pretty good. Eve works for a Southern magazine and attends a charity ball where she meets a really hot, really mysterious guy and BAM! Has sex with him, but wakes up the next morning without any memory of it. Fortunately for her, she's assigned to cover the Governor's Ball and who should be there? You guessed it...Mr. Tall, Dark and Oh I forgot to ask you your name before I let you ravage me, and again, bow chicka bow wow takes place, but this time, she hits her head so hard she end up in the hospital with a concussion. Damn this dude is either amazing or she's an serious clutz.
So by this time, feeling like the complete and total ho-bag that she apparently is, she figures it's time to either figure out who this guy is or find out if she's losing her mind, since nobody else seems to know who he is or what she's talking about. But some pretty dangerous and scary things begin happening as she goes on her personal crusade to find this mysterious guy, who, oh yea, she's all of a sudden head over heels in love with. Like I said, this guy must have been amazing.
OK so like I said, it sounded pretty good. It involves Nephilim and I love stories about angels/demons/other worldly creatures, and it has a hot, sexy love interest. So I'm all ready to hunker down for what promises to be a hot, steamy story. But I should have quit reading after page 1. The nicest thing I can say is:
Maybe I'm being too critical, but this author's writing made me want to throw my iPad through the wall. Seriously? An entire paragraph devoted to describing a burlap sack? Come on!!! I get how crucial to a story it is to set a scene and the written word can bring the author's world to life, but 5 different ways to refer to a man's "manhood", all in the same paragraph, is a bit over the top. I swear, if I had to read about the moss hanging from a tree, or have descriptions of the moon's light dripping through the magnolia trees thrown at me one more time I was going to vomit. (ok a bit harsh, but true). It got so bad I began skimming and skipping entire paragraphs because all they contained was descriptive text of the wind.
So this lends to the next thing I hated about this book. Thanks to all the over-the-top description, the story itself started to get so confusing. I started getting so lost with what was happening that I had to go back and reread paragraphs multiple times to understand what was happening - and trust me, reading a second or third time did not make the story any better.
And finally, the main character is such a ho I couldn't stand it. I mean over the course of one chapter, (probably an hour in book time), she has sex with 3 different guys - granted 2 of which are other worldly creatures, but wow! Really? OK, I get it, it has to do with the whole Nephilim/Incubus story line, but damn...that's a lot of "release" for one woman - slap a letter "S" on her chest and give this chick a cape.
In my opinion, this book has absolutely no redeeming qualities at all. Very little character development, terrible story development, awful explanations to story lines (this chick has some amazing clarity moments where all of a sudden she goes from confused to oh sure I get it now), and entirely too much description.
I was able to take away a few things from reading "Age of Eve":
Never have sex with a hot stranger you just met at a New Orleans charity ball without visiting a VooDoo Queen first and acquiring a really good talisman;
If you can't remember having sex with a really hot guy, then he either spiked your drink or he's from another world and put some kind of mojo on you;
Everything in New Orleans must smell like sugar, whiskey, peaches, magnolias, honeysuckle, jasmine, and jambalaya and everything must be covered in moss, rust, algae and moonlight.
Definitely DO NOT RECOMMEND and will not be reading the next installment. Can I give negative stars to this one? So there's only one last thing to say:
The premise of the story seemed pretty good. Eve works for a Southern magazine and attends a charity ball where she meets a really hot, really mysterious guy and BAM! Has sex with him, but wakes up the next morning without any memory of it. Fortunately for her, she's assigned to cover the Governor's Ball and who should be there? You guessed it...Mr. Tall, Dark and Oh I forgot to ask you your name before I let you ravage me, and again, bow chicka bow wow takes place, but this time, she hits her head so hard she end up in the hospital with a concussion. Damn this dude is either amazing or she's an serious clutz.
So by this time, feeling like the complete and total ho-bag that she apparently is, she figures it's time to either figure out who this guy is or find out if she's losing her mind, since nobody else seems to know who he is or what she's talking about. But some pretty dangerous and scary things begin happening as she goes on her personal crusade to find this mysterious guy, who, oh yea, she's all of a sudden head over heels in love with. Like I said, this guy must have been amazing.
OK so like I said, it sounded pretty good. It involves Nephilim and I love stories about angels/demons/other worldly creatures, and it has a hot, sexy love interest. So I'm all ready to hunker down for what promises to be a hot, steamy story. But I should have quit reading after page 1. The nicest thing I can say is:
Maybe I'm being too critical, but this author's writing made me want to throw my iPad through the wall. Seriously? An entire paragraph devoted to describing a burlap sack? Come on!!! I get how crucial to a story it is to set a scene and the written word can bring the author's world to life, but 5 different ways to refer to a man's "manhood", all in the same paragraph, is a bit over the top. I swear, if I had to read about the moss hanging from a tree, or have descriptions of the moon's light dripping through the magnolia trees thrown at me one more time I was going to vomit. (ok a bit harsh, but true). It got so bad I began skimming and skipping entire paragraphs because all they contained was descriptive text of the wind.
So this lends to the next thing I hated about this book. Thanks to all the over-the-top description, the story itself started to get so confusing. I started getting so lost with what was happening that I had to go back and reread paragraphs multiple times to understand what was happening - and trust me, reading a second or third time did not make the story any better.
And finally, the main character is such a ho I couldn't stand it. I mean over the course of one chapter, (probably an hour in book time), she has sex with 3 different guys - granted 2 of which are other worldly creatures, but wow! Really? OK, I get it, it has to do with the whole Nephilim/Incubus story line, but damn...that's a lot of "release" for one woman - slap a letter "S" on her chest and give this chick a cape.
In my opinion, this book has absolutely no redeeming qualities at all. Very little character development, terrible story development, awful explanations to story lines (this chick has some amazing clarity moments where all of a sudden she goes from confused to oh sure I get it now), and entirely too much description.
I was able to take away a few things from reading "Age of Eve":
Never have sex with a hot stranger you just met at a New Orleans charity ball without visiting a VooDoo Queen first and acquiring a really good talisman;
If you can't remember having sex with a really hot guy, then he either spiked your drink or he's from another world and put some kind of mojo on you;
Everything in New Orleans must smell like sugar, whiskey, peaches, magnolias, honeysuckle, jasmine, and jambalaya and everything must be covered in moss, rust, algae and moonlight.
Definitely DO NOT RECOMMEND and will not be reading the next installment. Can I give negative stars to this one? So there's only one last thing to say:
March 14, 2013
I was unsatisfied with the story from the very beginning but decided to give it a fair chance as i received this ARC for a honest review and felt it wouldn't be right to give up.
But some things just aren't worth it so finally gave up after 20%.
Considering that a great pile of books are w8ing for me to read i decided this was just not worth my time - as i obviously didn't enjoy reading it.
There are many things wrong in this story,starting with the writing,the plot,the characters...
The story is shallow,flat and slow ,the characters boring and not true to there self, and you can find here so much cliche it almost hurts..
To bad,because i really liked the cover...
I received the book from Broadthink publisher in exchange for a honest review.
The review is posted on my blog Una dressed in Books and on http://www.amazon.com
But some things just aren't worth it so finally gave up after 20%.
Considering that a great pile of books are w8ing for me to read i decided this was just not worth my time - as i obviously didn't enjoy reading it.
There are many things wrong in this story,starting with the writing,the plot,the characters...
The story is shallow,flat and slow ,the characters boring and not true to there self, and you can find here so much cliche it almost hurts..
To bad,because i really liked the cover...
I received the book from Broadthink publisher in exchange for a honest review.
The review is posted on my blog Una dressed in Books and on http://www.amazon.com
February 5, 2013
Way too many descriptors, that were clunky. The sentence structure is crap. Pratt seems to think that every tree needs a poetic turn of words, that every sunny day should be populated my winsome clouds and flocks of snowy egrets.
I could not finish this book, as the writing is abysmal.
I could not finish this book, as the writing is abysmal.
March 12, 2013
Age of Eve Return of the Nephilim
D.M Pratt
Broadthink
Pub Date Jan 16 2013
Set in New Orleans, Age of Eve is an emotional story of love threatened by the return of creatures first described in ancient Hebrew and Christian texts as the Nephilim or “fallen Sons of God.”
Eve Dowling, a talented writer for a successful magazine that covers New Orleans society events, is leading an exciting life filled with friends, family and work–until it is turned upside down by a fateful encounter with a stunningly handsome mystery man who ignites her most sensual fantasies.
When Eve awakes naked, sexually ravaged and alone in the garden of one of New Orleans’most historic homes, she begins her search to uncover who this mystery man really is. She tracks him through the dark side of Old Algiers with the aid of one of its most famous Voodoo priestesses to an abandoned sanitarium in the heart of the swamplands surrounding New Orleans. It is there she first confronts two creatures, first described in ancient Hebrew and Christian texts as the Nephilim or “fallen sons of God,” who vye to posess her body and soul and keep her from true love with her mystery man.
Is Eve’s battle with the Nephilim to save her mystery lover–and her own life–real or imagined? Does Eve really hold a key to saving humanity from a loveless existence? Or is it all simply a nightmare dream? Read the first book in this series and decide for yourself.
Oh my gosh. What the actual hell was this. And I mean this in a good way, i’m sitting here completely shocked and amazed at just how much i grew to enjoy this story, the plot twists, the history, the everything.
First to the Characters
The characters themselves weren’t as memorable but every single one of them was relevant to the plot. Eve was a strong, smart, brave and realistically so too, her reactions to everything that happened is what you’d expect from everything around her. She was a great main character but at times I felt like she was the only character to be honest. Sure they were others there but most of the time the things she did she was Alone in facing them. Cora was a great best friend, she stuck by her through thick and thin. Mac the police officer was enjoyable Male character but again I thought his presence was little felt. My favorite character was Aria, she was such a creepy kid ! I’m curious about her and her mother. This is a first book in a series? I want to say but not sure but there’s more to come and that’s what gives me hope.
About the Plot
I’d never read a book about Succubi or Inccubi before which means exactly what it says. It has some hard core sex scenes in this book, that actually advance the plot! This hasn’t been seen for me before, where a sex scene actually was relevant and how it developed the situation. I wish the magic aspect of it was increased a bit more other than that it was great! I got confused alot but i’m sure it’ll clear up with a reread. I can’t wait for the next book since the ending was absolutely crazy!
About the Writing Style
The writing style reminded me of Night circus’s writing. Really beautifully descriptive but at times it can be both beautiful and an annoyance. I found myself unable to really picture some of the scenes in my mind while others were a beautiful creation in my mind. I did enjoy it i think that’s why I enjoyed the book so much. It was an excellent style but even so sometimes it took me out of the story.
Final Thoughts
This book, just like Night Circus isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. There’s lots of elements that can anger or cause a person to stop mid way but should you stick with it to the end It would just absolutely blow your mind.
I give this book 4/5 Stars
D.M Pratt
Broadthink
Pub Date Jan 16 2013
Set in New Orleans, Age of Eve is an emotional story of love threatened by the return of creatures first described in ancient Hebrew and Christian texts as the Nephilim or “fallen Sons of God.”
Eve Dowling, a talented writer for a successful magazine that covers New Orleans society events, is leading an exciting life filled with friends, family and work–until it is turned upside down by a fateful encounter with a stunningly handsome mystery man who ignites her most sensual fantasies.
When Eve awakes naked, sexually ravaged and alone in the garden of one of New Orleans’most historic homes, she begins her search to uncover who this mystery man really is. She tracks him through the dark side of Old Algiers with the aid of one of its most famous Voodoo priestesses to an abandoned sanitarium in the heart of the swamplands surrounding New Orleans. It is there she first confronts two creatures, first described in ancient Hebrew and Christian texts as the Nephilim or “fallen sons of God,” who vye to posess her body and soul and keep her from true love with her mystery man.
Is Eve’s battle with the Nephilim to save her mystery lover–and her own life–real or imagined? Does Eve really hold a key to saving humanity from a loveless existence? Or is it all simply a nightmare dream? Read the first book in this series and decide for yourself.
Oh my gosh. What the actual hell was this. And I mean this in a good way, i’m sitting here completely shocked and amazed at just how much i grew to enjoy this story, the plot twists, the history, the everything.
First to the Characters
The characters themselves weren’t as memorable but every single one of them was relevant to the plot. Eve was a strong, smart, brave and realistically so too, her reactions to everything that happened is what you’d expect from everything around her. She was a great main character but at times I felt like she was the only character to be honest. Sure they were others there but most of the time the things she did she was Alone in facing them. Cora was a great best friend, she stuck by her through thick and thin. Mac the police officer was enjoyable Male character but again I thought his presence was little felt. My favorite character was Aria, she was such a creepy kid ! I’m curious about her and her mother. This is a first book in a series? I want to say but not sure but there’s more to come and that’s what gives me hope.
About the Plot
I’d never read a book about Succubi or Inccubi before which means exactly what it says. It has some hard core sex scenes in this book, that actually advance the plot! This hasn’t been seen for me before, where a sex scene actually was relevant and how it developed the situation. I wish the magic aspect of it was increased a bit more other than that it was great! I got confused alot but i’m sure it’ll clear up with a reread. I can’t wait for the next book since the ending was absolutely crazy!
About the Writing Style
The writing style reminded me of Night circus’s writing. Really beautifully descriptive but at times it can be both beautiful and an annoyance. I found myself unable to really picture some of the scenes in my mind while others were a beautiful creation in my mind. I did enjoy it i think that’s why I enjoyed the book so much. It was an excellent style but even so sometimes it took me out of the story.
Final Thoughts
This book, just like Night Circus isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. There’s lots of elements that can anger or cause a person to stop mid way but should you stick with it to the end It would just absolutely blow your mind.
I give this book 4/5 Stars
April 6, 2013
I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
One thing I can’t stand is not finishing a book, and to be honest my OCD will probably catch up and I will try finishing it again at a later date. I really wanted to enjoy this book, it held a lot of promise with being an erotic paranormal romance about nephilim. There are a lot of good reviews for this story as well as a lot that has held the same opinion as me, so I always encourage a reader to try a book for themselves because not everything is suited to everyone.
I read just over 20% of this e-book before I gave up, which is why this isn’t a review I don’t believe in reviewing a book when you haven't read it. I just could not get into the story, my mind kept wondering and i would read a few pages when I would realise that I wasn't paying attention. I need a story to grab me and keep me interested, I have a busy life, I have two children under six with mild autism. As well as working full-time. I can’t justify forcing myself to stick to a book that doesn’t interest me. (even though it greatly bothers me to do so.)
I would like to thank netgalley and Broadthink in giving me the chance to read and review this story but unfortunately will not be able to finish it. If I do later on I will be happy to leave a review in the usual places.
One thing I can’t stand is not finishing a book, and to be honest my OCD will probably catch up and I will try finishing it again at a later date. I really wanted to enjoy this book, it held a lot of promise with being an erotic paranormal romance about nephilim. There are a lot of good reviews for this story as well as a lot that has held the same opinion as me, so I always encourage a reader to try a book for themselves because not everything is suited to everyone.
I read just over 20% of this e-book before I gave up, which is why this isn’t a review I don’t believe in reviewing a book when you haven't read it. I just could not get into the story, my mind kept wondering and i would read a few pages when I would realise that I wasn't paying attention. I need a story to grab me and keep me interested, I have a busy life, I have two children under six with mild autism. As well as working full-time. I can’t justify forcing myself to stick to a book that doesn’t interest me. (even though it greatly bothers me to do so.)
I would like to thank netgalley and Broadthink in giving me the chance to read and review this story but unfortunately will not be able to finish it. If I do later on I will be happy to leave a review in the usual places.
February 9, 2013
Overall I liked the book although it was slow in parts. I'm curious to see what happens in the next book.
February 4, 2013
Got this on Net Galley. I love the combination of sci fi and romance. I had heard the word Nephilim but didn't remember exactly what they were.... she's created an interesting world.
June 12, 2013
Age of Eve Return of the Nephilim D.M Pratt.
ARC supplied by netgalley
I love books that have a mix of romance and the supernatural/paranormal so this book sounded one I'd enjoy. I was expecting something like the wonderful and mysterious Fairwick Chronicles – Carol Goodman, or the All Souls Trilogy – Deborah Harkness.
It seemed really slow to start though :( Its beautifully written, incredibly descriptive about the area and surroundings, and lots of historical facts about the people and region the book was set in. Sadly none of this, detailed and poetic as it was, really helped me. I didn't find the characters easy to warm to – I felt like an onlooker rather than part of the book, and really couldn't get immersed in the danger because I wasn't engaging with Eve the main character, not her best friend Cora. I'm not sure if it was because of the lack of detail about them or just the way their characters were portrayed but somehow the book dragged for me. I was eager to find out who the Mystery Man was but even that dragged through several misleading turns before we learned more.
The whole Voodoo premise, Demons, Nephilm and magic just didn't work for me. Its a shame because it sounded so engaging and I love books that are a bit more than just a sweet romance, something heavier and more absorbing, and I really wanted to like this book. Sadly I couldn't. I ended up skimming vast sections of descriptive prose, because beautifully written though it was it didn't add anything to the book for me. I found I was skipping whole sections to find out what would happen to the characters, rather than being engrossed in their journey as I usually am, and even when I got to the end I was left feeling “eh? What?” about the whole novel. I love dialogue in books, that's what really brings the characters alive but here it all seemed so ...stilted somehow. The sex scenes, some were very sensual and incredibly erotic but some were just Eurghh....sad because I love spice in a novel, and clearly Deborah can write scenes that appeal and resonate with me.
It needs to be made clear though that this is just MY opinion, and we all read different things thankfully, so as others have given this high ratings then read the sample and judge for yourself how you'll feel. If we share taste in books then you may well feel as I do, but if we don't perhaps you'll be entranced by this book. Its decent value at £4.11 for 322 pages if its a book you like of course, and as the first in a series would def have the re read factor for those who enjoy this work.
Stars: The good sections of this book weren't enough to lift it from an indifferent novel to a good one. I didn't hate it – I wasn't involved enough in the whole book to feel that strongly, but I couldn't really say it was OK either :( so sadly just two and half stars from me.
ARC supplied by netgalley
I love books that have a mix of romance and the supernatural/paranormal so this book sounded one I'd enjoy. I was expecting something like the wonderful and mysterious Fairwick Chronicles – Carol Goodman, or the All Souls Trilogy – Deborah Harkness.
It seemed really slow to start though :( Its beautifully written, incredibly descriptive about the area and surroundings, and lots of historical facts about the people and region the book was set in. Sadly none of this, detailed and poetic as it was, really helped me. I didn't find the characters easy to warm to – I felt like an onlooker rather than part of the book, and really couldn't get immersed in the danger because I wasn't engaging with Eve the main character, not her best friend Cora. I'm not sure if it was because of the lack of detail about them or just the way their characters were portrayed but somehow the book dragged for me. I was eager to find out who the Mystery Man was but even that dragged through several misleading turns before we learned more.
The whole Voodoo premise, Demons, Nephilm and magic just didn't work for me. Its a shame because it sounded so engaging and I love books that are a bit more than just a sweet romance, something heavier and more absorbing, and I really wanted to like this book. Sadly I couldn't. I ended up skimming vast sections of descriptive prose, because beautifully written though it was it didn't add anything to the book for me. I found I was skipping whole sections to find out what would happen to the characters, rather than being engrossed in their journey as I usually am, and even when I got to the end I was left feeling “eh? What?” about the whole novel. I love dialogue in books, that's what really brings the characters alive but here it all seemed so ...stilted somehow. The sex scenes, some were very sensual and incredibly erotic but some were just Eurghh....sad because I love spice in a novel, and clearly Deborah can write scenes that appeal and resonate with me.
It needs to be made clear though that this is just MY opinion, and we all read different things thankfully, so as others have given this high ratings then read the sample and judge for yourself how you'll feel. If we share taste in books then you may well feel as I do, but if we don't perhaps you'll be entranced by this book. Its decent value at £4.11 for 322 pages if its a book you like of course, and as the first in a series would def have the re read factor for those who enjoy this work.
Stars: The good sections of this book weren't enough to lift it from an indifferent novel to a good one. I didn't hate it – I wasn't involved enough in the whole book to feel that strongly, but I couldn't really say it was OK either :( so sadly just two and half stars from me.
May 28, 2013
All reviews are located on Slave to Books
I don't even know where to begin with this book. I am going to state right now I couldn't finish this book. It was ridiculous and not in a good way. I love ridiculousness usually. However, I just was constantly going "What the hell?" throughout this book.
The book definitely was in need of a different/better editor. I can promise you if you cut most of the UNNECESSARY detail you would lost at least 50-75 if not more pages. I'm sorry but I don't care about the breeze, or the snowy egret. It's unnecessary. Everything in your book should be completely necessary. If it doesn't move the story forward or involve an action...CUT IT! I don't know what the editor was thinking. According to the background information she won things for her short films. I think that was an issue here. She was literally setting the scene as if it were a movie. You don't need to do that in a novel...you really don't. Trust your reader enough to use their imagination to create the scene and fill in the blanks.
The other aspect I couldn't connect to is the fact that the main chick was dancing and then wakes up the next day naked on the grass with no memory of the night before. Okay, what would any normal female do? Freak the EFF out and go to the cops demanding a rape kit? Yea. I sure as hell would. However, what does this chick do? Hunt the guy down and try to have another go? What the hell? I seriously was disgusted. She wasn't strong to me. I couldn't connect to her and just felt the need to slap her repeatedly and then possibly kick her in her ladycake.
Outside of that the story itself just had too much description and was over the top. It was often confusing and left me scratching my head wondering what the hell just happened. I picked it up and put it down several times before stopping. I was really disappointed because this could have been great. There are not enough stories about angels or nephilim. But, I would highly recommend Pratt to have an editor that understands the words: "No, stop, cut, and Enough is ENOUGH."
If the story had a strong editor I think it would have done a lot better.
Rating: DNF
I don't even know where to begin with this book. I am going to state right now I couldn't finish this book. It was ridiculous and not in a good way. I love ridiculousness usually. However, I just was constantly going "What the hell?" throughout this book.
The book definitely was in need of a different/better editor. I can promise you if you cut most of the UNNECESSARY detail you would lost at least 50-75 if not more pages. I'm sorry but I don't care about the breeze, or the snowy egret. It's unnecessary. Everything in your book should be completely necessary. If it doesn't move the story forward or involve an action...CUT IT! I don't know what the editor was thinking. According to the background information she won things for her short films. I think that was an issue here. She was literally setting the scene as if it were a movie. You don't need to do that in a novel...you really don't. Trust your reader enough to use their imagination to create the scene and fill in the blanks.
The other aspect I couldn't connect to is the fact that the main chick was dancing and then wakes up the next day naked on the grass with no memory of the night before. Okay, what would any normal female do? Freak the EFF out and go to the cops demanding a rape kit? Yea. I sure as hell would. However, what does this chick do? Hunt the guy down and try to have another go? What the hell? I seriously was disgusted. She wasn't strong to me. I couldn't connect to her and just felt the need to slap her repeatedly and then possibly kick her in her ladycake.
Outside of that the story itself just had too much description and was over the top. It was often confusing and left me scratching my head wondering what the hell just happened. I picked it up and put it down several times before stopping. I was really disappointed because this could have been great. There are not enough stories about angels or nephilim. But, I would highly recommend Pratt to have an editor that understands the words: "No, stop, cut, and Enough is ENOUGH."
If the story had a strong editor I think it would have done a lot better.
Rating: DNF
July 19, 2013
The premise for this book was unlike any I had encountered before, so I was excited to be offered the title through NetGalley. Set in New Orleans, the beautifully descriptive prose does manage to bring the city to light, and there are several passages that are extremely well written and loaded with detail. Unfortunately, the story also is bogged down by this same descriptive prose, several passages are overly wordy and serve only to distract from the plot and story arc. Which is really a sad moment for me because it also caused a great disconnect with the characters and provided too many distractions from the promised battles of good and evil.
Yes, the erotic scenes are spectacularly written and are beautifully descriptive, but the lack of connection with the characters particularly with Eve: make it more an exercise in voyeurism than an actual woman you can empathize with and care about. D.M. Pratt writes a beautiful sentence, and I think that the book would have been greatly improved with a stern editing hand to remove the superfluous passages, of which there were many. In fact, for me, the story took a backseat to adjectives and flourishes used for description, and at about 70% in I didn’t care where the plot went –only that there was an end. And for a reader, that is most discouraging and disheartening.
Pratt can write, there is no doubting that, and I would be curious to read more by this author to see if an editor has taken the over-eager use of descriptive adjectives in hand and consolidated the prose to a manageable and readable level. I did finish the book, and found many good sentences and description that were beautiful, if overlong. This was the sole reasoning behind my rating of 3 stars – were I unable to finish this book, it would have been lower.
I received an eBook from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Yes, the erotic scenes are spectacularly written and are beautifully descriptive, but the lack of connection with the characters particularly with Eve: make it more an exercise in voyeurism than an actual woman you can empathize with and care about. D.M. Pratt writes a beautiful sentence, and I think that the book would have been greatly improved with a stern editing hand to remove the superfluous passages, of which there were many. In fact, for me, the story took a backseat to adjectives and flourishes used for description, and at about 70% in I didn’t care where the plot went –only that there was an end. And for a reader, that is most discouraging and disheartening.
Pratt can write, there is no doubting that, and I would be curious to read more by this author to see if an editor has taken the over-eager use of descriptive adjectives in hand and consolidated the prose to a manageable and readable level. I did finish the book, and found many good sentences and description that were beautiful, if overlong. This was the sole reasoning behind my rating of 3 stars – were I unable to finish this book, it would have been lower.
I received an eBook from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
July 6, 2013
Eve Dowling, a talented writer for a successful magazine that covers New Orleans society events, is leading an exciting life filled with friends, family and work–until it is turned upside down by a fateful encounter with a stunningly handsome mystery man who ignites her most sensual fantasies. Overall i really liked this book, but...some parts of the story didn't make much sense to me. For instance, what woman wakes up naked in a garden with no memory of what happened to her, and immediatly goes in search of the man that may or may not have done things to her. (This was the part that left me in awe) and not in a good way. I did enjoy learning about nephilim and what they actually were, and the myths and stories behind them .The book was very descriptive and engaging at times, which i enjoyed to a certain point,but less is more sometimes and you get the same effect. Too much unnessasary detail ruins a great book for me and makes me want to quit reading it. I GAVE THIS BOOK 4 STARS
May 14, 2013
Disclosure: This ebook was provided to me free of charge through NetGalley for the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments, and ratings are my own.
Really interesting tale that had my attention the whole time. The pace was wonderful and the characters engaging. Great dynamic in the relationship that made it very believable. Beautiful storytelling that entertained the whole time!
It had really great flow and did the job of making me think at times. I love a book that taps into my emotions. I am a real sucker for a sexy romance!! I laugh, I cry and I wish the hero were real so he could be mine! LOL
I would love to see more from this author! Definitely one to watch in the future.
Really interesting tale that had my attention the whole time. The pace was wonderful and the characters engaging. Great dynamic in the relationship that made it very believable. Beautiful storytelling that entertained the whole time!
It had really great flow and did the job of making me think at times. I love a book that taps into my emotions. I am a real sucker for a sexy romance!! I laugh, I cry and I wish the hero were real so he could be mine! LOL
I would love to see more from this author! Definitely one to watch in the future.
July 16, 2013
Overall I really liked this book, but...some parts of the story didn't make much sense to me. For instance, what woman in her right mind wakes up naked in a garden with no memory of what happened to her, and immediately searches for a man that may or may not have done things to you. This was the part that left me in awe and not in a good way.
I did enjoy learning about Nephilim and what they actually were, and the myths and stories behind them. The book was very descriptive and engaging at times, which I enjoyed to a certain point, but less is more sometimes and you get the same effect. Too many unnecessary details can ruin a great book for me and make me want to quit reading it.
4 Stars
I did enjoy learning about Nephilim and what they actually were, and the myths and stories behind them. The book was very descriptive and engaging at times, which I enjoyed to a certain point, but less is more sometimes and you get the same effect. Too many unnecessary details can ruin a great book for me and make me want to quit reading it.
4 Stars
January 30, 2013
I received this novel from NetGalley.
This fantastical novel starts off slow and stiff, with the characters seeming boring, cliche and shallow. And it doesn't really move far from there.
The sex scenes are graphic and a little too far fetched even for a fantasy novel. Some if it is highly disturbing.
The novel's saving grace is the folk lore and myth elements. these are outstanding and deep.
This was a decent novel, one that had to be reread for the full potential to be uncovered. A simple and good read, the sequel will hopefully tie up the many loose ends.
This fantastical novel starts off slow and stiff, with the characters seeming boring, cliche and shallow. And it doesn't really move far from there.
The sex scenes are graphic and a little too far fetched even for a fantasy novel. Some if it is highly disturbing.
The novel's saving grace is the folk lore and myth elements. these are outstanding and deep.
This was a decent novel, one that had to be reread for the full potential to be uncovered. A simple and good read, the sequel will hopefully tie up the many loose ends.
July 31, 2014
what i read of this book was okay but it couldnt hold my attention.
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