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Guardian #1
Amethyst
College-bound Lexi Adams leads no ordinary life. Premonitions dictate her every move, compelling her to rescue strangers day and night. After years of self-sacrifice, she decides to ignore one, but innocent people die. So, when the next premonition depicts her own death, Lexi is faced with the decision of a lifetime. As if an ill-fated future isn’t enough to deal with, a series of strange illnesses and murders devastate her small town, and co-worker Jessica Nelson insists Lexi can help.
According to Jessica, everyone is born with an inner energy called Essence. Only a select few, Amethysts, can control Essence and heal people. Jessica claims to be an Amethyst and asks Lexi to join her and a group of her friends as they track the murderers. Despite her personal plight, Lexi considers joining them.
Then again, Lexi discovers secrets run deep among Jessica’s friends. Not only do they have a hidden agenda, but they also harbor extraordinary abilities. And they have connections with the Ray-pacs – the sadistic killers who are preying on human Essence. Ultimately, Lexi must decide if life, not death, equals salvation. And if so, is she willing to make certain sacrifices and join her friends in eradicating the Ray-pacs?
Amethyst is the first novel in the Guardian series, a spellbinding, young adult, urban fantasy series. One that wouldn’t be complete without a love triangle at the heart of the story.
According to Jessica, everyone is born with an inner energy called Essence. Only a select few, Amethysts, can control Essence and heal people. Jessica claims to be an Amethyst and asks Lexi to join her and a group of her friends as they track the murderers. Despite her personal plight, Lexi considers joining them.
Then again, Lexi discovers secrets run deep among Jessica’s friends. Not only do they have a hidden agenda, but they also harbor extraordinary abilities. And they have connections with the Ray-pacs – the sadistic killers who are preying on human Essence. Ultimately, Lexi must decide if life, not death, equals salvation. And if so, is she willing to make certain sacrifices and join her friends in eradicating the Ray-pacs?
Amethyst is the first novel in the Guardian series, a spellbinding, young adult, urban fantasy series. One that wouldn’t be complete without a love triangle at the heart of the story.
271 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2012
411 people are currently reading
2824 people want to read
About the author
Heather Bowhay
6 books134 followersI am a Pacific Northwesterner who loves the mountains, evergreen trees, and the ocean. A perfect mix of rain and sunshine keeps me happy in my little corner of the world - never too hot and never too cold and only the occasional snowfall! I am married to my soulmate, have two awesome kids, and love teaching. Family time and sit-down dinners are a MUST in our crazy, busy schedule. Summers are the best, because that means more time for reading and writing!
Amethyst , my first novel, and the first in the Guardian Series, is a spell-binding, young adult, urban fantasy laced with paranormal elements and a love story. You can download the eBook for FREE at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iBooks.
Linked , is the second novel in the Guardian series, and Dentelle is the third! All books are published at Smashwords.com and All other online bookstores.
Amethyst , my first novel, and the first in the Guardian Series, is a spell-binding, young adult, urban fantasy laced with paranormal elements and a love story. You can download the eBook for FREE at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iBooks.
Linked , is the second novel in the Guardian series, and Dentelle is the third! All books are published at Smashwords.com and All other online bookstores.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
June 12, 2013
Okay fresh review.
First off, I hate giving something 1 star because it makes me feel like a jerk but honestly, to me, this was a 1 star book. I could see some other people enjoying this though (mostly females, and preferably younger females than my age.)
Things I didn't like:
1. Cliche love triangle that was sappy and lame (we all knew where she would end up)
2. The word "essence." I truly hate that word because of this book, if I see that word one more time...
3. My lord this book was so boring, it took me forever to read.
4. This is a big one: The author seems to have absolutely no idea how guys think, being a guy I think I can be a pretty good judge on this. It seems so forced and not natural.
5. Just a cliche story line, it reminded me of Twilight (which I haven't/won't read but would probably like more) except it was with magic instead.
6. The damn football metaphors. Oh lord did those drive me insane. First of all, I love football, LOVE IT, but holy crap did they bug. Also, she stopped doing it like half way into the book, which didn't help. It didn't help that she is a Broncos fan (Hating the Broncos as a Charger fan) but I would have felt the same if she were a Bolts fan.
Things I did like:
1. The visions were pretty interesting, although they could have had a lot more.
2. The bank scene was enjoyable.
3. Book was free, that is always nice.
4. Author looks like a nice lady, nothing against her personally.
Blah, glad I am done with this book. Hopefully I read something good next.
First off, I hate giving something 1 star because it makes me feel like a jerk but honestly, to me, this was a 1 star book. I could see some other people enjoying this though (mostly females, and preferably younger females than my age.)
Things I didn't like:
1. Cliche love triangle that was sappy and lame (we all knew where she would end up)
2. The word "essence." I truly hate that word because of this book, if I see that word one more time...
3. My lord this book was so boring, it took me forever to read.
4. This is a big one: The author seems to have absolutely no idea how guys think, being a guy I think I can be a pretty good judge on this. It seems so forced and not natural.
5. Just a cliche story line, it reminded me of Twilight (which I haven't/won't read but would probably like more) except it was with magic instead.
6. The damn football metaphors. Oh lord did those drive me insane. First of all, I love football, LOVE IT, but holy crap did they bug. Also, she stopped doing it like half way into the book, which didn't help. It didn't help that she is a Broncos fan (Hating the Broncos as a Charger fan) but I would have felt the same if she were a Bolts fan.
Things I did like:
1. The visions were pretty interesting, although they could have had a lot more.
2. The bank scene was enjoyable.
3. Book was free, that is always nice.
4. Author looks like a nice lady, nothing against her personally.
Blah, glad I am done with this book. Hopefully I read something good next.
July 26, 2015
I found Alex to be majorly annoying. She was a very emotional character. Always getting upset or mad for no real reason or for something stupid. I will give a few examples below.
So Alex/Lexie thinks that since she sees premonitions she has to save the people involved AND if someone dies, it's her fault. Yes, it is! She is Jebus, is she not? There was an unknown cyclist that is mentioned briefly and it having been her fault he died. Also, "the hallucinations from the bus accident..." Huh? Where was I when this happened. The author writes it as though the reader would already know what she was talking about.
Jason has aqua-marine eyes. Also, Ash has green eyes. They surely do, just in cause a reader forgets, the author is prompt in making sure the reader doesn't forget.
A question: when the lady with the stroller is crossing the road, what was wrong with the stroller? I mean for it to suddenly stop. And how did NO ONE besides Lexi see that she was having trouble in the middle of road, prior to Jason showing up? OR the truck for that matter? Was the driver drunk or something? I mean he was all skidding all over the place and ends up dying. And again Lexi is upset that it was her fault he died.
When her and Ally are doing CPR on Jason. 30 compression's is mentioned. As in Lexie gives 2 breathes and then Ally does 30 compression's? Um, that sounds wrong. I thought it was usually like 5 compression's. I think waiting for 30, the victim would end up dying sooner.
There's also mention of a toddler that Lexi had saved yet no one else even knew about? Um...where was the kids parents? How would no one know? Did she just leave the kid by itself then?
And when her and Lexi are working at the store and the kid whose crying comes towards them with his parent. The kid has a big bump on his forehead and the parent says he's not sure if he should take the kid to the doctors or not? And here comes Dr. Jessica informing the patient that kid is completely fine and no worries. Right...because you would usually ask a grocery store person health questions regarding her child in this situation.
I loved the snapshots of Lexi's death. haha Priceless. Mountain lion attack. I find it funny how she's so worried about running into mountain lions yet can't seem to stay away from the forested areas. When she's out with Jason in the woods, she feels safe because there were no creeks or waterfalls in the snapshots. haha Do you get panoramic views then?
So Jessica helps a boy with his broken arm after falling out of a tree. He then tells her that "you made me feel better just like my mom. Are you a mom?" How old were those boys? That just seemed like a very immature, little, tiny kid thing to say.
After Jessica tells Lexi that she can heal, why in the world does Lexi think she should have been appalled by this news? OR that the news was absurd? Or later while telling Ally about the news, she says how she had been shocked and was freaking out. It's not like Lexi didn't have any special-ness about herself. OR (again) when she can't seem to believe there are other people in the world that have special-ness about them. Really? She thought, originally, that she was the only special one? Very stupid.
I loved when Lexi was trying to save the woman in the fire. "First, I get us wet towels to breathe through. Then if I can find a flashlight..." Yes, lets waste some time explaining things. And a flashlight? Just go to the window and start screaming. Considering Lexi has many people outside, knowing she's inside, someone should notice her screaming.
Apparently, at some point Lexi went to visit her parent. I guess nothing exciting there happened, hence we only know she visited and that was that. Then later on Ally and Ben leave for 2 weeks...
Why does Ally think Lexi being an Amethyst would be a good thing for her? It's not like Lexi leads a boring, 'un-saving of stranger's lives', kinda life. Get what I'm saying here?
Ash (I think it was) asked Lexi at one point why she doesn't drink beer. Um...could it have anything to do with the fact she's only 18? Speaking of ages, why does the author never tell us the ages of Ash or Jason? Considering they were so secretive about it (mainly Jason) I just imagine them being a good amount older. Even though they aren't really described as that.
The note Lexi gets with the flowers from work. Hysterical? (Not at all) I didn't get what was so funny.
I loved Ash, he was so funny with how up front he was. I think I liked him more than Jason.
The teenagers at the train tracks. Jason wants to investigate thinking most likely it's teenagers goofing around. Um...again, how old is Jason? Lexie is still a teenager herself. That was just an older guy kinda comment.
While reading her great, great grandmother's journal, "sirens are wailing outside her window, the red lights reflecting across her walls." What does Lexie do? Not look out the window, like most people would. Nope, she snuggles in her blankets and continues reading.
Why did Jason seem upset when he thought that Lexie was dating Ash? I'm kind of thinking that Ash is more involved in the whole Guardian/Seer/special powers world.
I can not stand authors that use curse words in their stories, but use --- then the actually letters. Can we pretend to be mature here? Thankfully it was just the one time.
Lexie kisses Ash, a big kiss, then when he goes to continue (?) Lexie lets him know that she's not ready. Huh? Is Lexie suppose to be a virgin or just a tease?
Why was Lexie so scared about the bank incident. She's basically sweating and shaking in her shoes when the gunman has her. I could understand her being paralyzed IF she didn't know what was happening, but seriously? Didn't she just have the snap shots? Then when she sees Jason again she has to talk about it? Why? Nothing happened to her.
Lexie likes closing her eyes when she's trying to defend herself or others, when she's going in for a hit or kick. BUT not when kissing...
Man, there are just so many questions that I wanted to ask, but I didn't want anyone who might read this thinking I was trying to write a book. haha Needless to say, this book was okay, nothing more. There were just too many things that weren't adding up for me. Hence my list of questions. I'm not interested in continuing with this series either. I didn't feel connected with any of the characters, I can't even remember what Lexie actually looked like...well really anyone besides the boys and their eyes.
So Alex/Lexie thinks that since she sees premonitions she has to save the people involved AND if someone dies, it's her fault. Yes, it is! She is Jebus, is she not? There was an unknown cyclist that is mentioned briefly and it having been her fault he died. Also, "the hallucinations from the bus accident..." Huh? Where was I when this happened. The author writes it as though the reader would already know what she was talking about.
Jason has aqua-marine eyes. Also, Ash has green eyes. They surely do, just in cause a reader forgets, the author is prompt in making sure the reader doesn't forget.
A question: when the lady with the stroller is crossing the road, what was wrong with the stroller? I mean for it to suddenly stop. And how did NO ONE besides Lexi see that she was having trouble in the middle of road, prior to Jason showing up? OR the truck for that matter? Was the driver drunk or something? I mean he was all skidding all over the place and ends up dying. And again Lexi is upset that it was her fault he died.
When her and Ally are doing CPR on Jason. 30 compression's is mentioned. As in Lexie gives 2 breathes and then Ally does 30 compression's? Um, that sounds wrong. I thought it was usually like 5 compression's. I think waiting for 30, the victim would end up dying sooner.
There's also mention of a toddler that Lexi had saved yet no one else even knew about? Um...where was the kids parents? How would no one know? Did she just leave the kid by itself then?
And when her and Lexi are working at the store and the kid whose crying comes towards them with his parent. The kid has a big bump on his forehead and the parent says he's not sure if he should take the kid to the doctors or not? And here comes Dr. Jessica informing the patient that kid is completely fine and no worries. Right...because you would usually ask a grocery store person health questions regarding her child in this situation.
I loved the snapshots of Lexi's death. haha Priceless. Mountain lion attack. I find it funny how she's so worried about running into mountain lions yet can't seem to stay away from the forested areas. When she's out with Jason in the woods, she feels safe because there were no creeks or waterfalls in the snapshots. haha Do you get panoramic views then?
So Jessica helps a boy with his broken arm after falling out of a tree. He then tells her that "you made me feel better just like my mom. Are you a mom?" How old were those boys? That just seemed like a very immature, little, tiny kid thing to say.
After Jessica tells Lexi that she can heal, why in the world does Lexi think she should have been appalled by this news? OR that the news was absurd? Or later while telling Ally about the news, she says how she had been shocked and was freaking out. It's not like Lexi didn't have any special-ness about herself. OR (again) when she can't seem to believe there are other people in the world that have special-ness about them. Really? She thought, originally, that she was the only special one? Very stupid.
I loved when Lexi was trying to save the woman in the fire. "First, I get us wet towels to breathe through. Then if I can find a flashlight..." Yes, lets waste some time explaining things. And a flashlight? Just go to the window and start screaming. Considering Lexi has many people outside, knowing she's inside, someone should notice her screaming.
Apparently, at some point Lexi went to visit her parent. I guess nothing exciting there happened, hence we only know she visited and that was that. Then later on Ally and Ben leave for 2 weeks...
Why does Ally think Lexi being an Amethyst would be a good thing for her? It's not like Lexi leads a boring, 'un-saving of stranger's lives', kinda life. Get what I'm saying here?
Ash (I think it was) asked Lexi at one point why she doesn't drink beer. Um...could it have anything to do with the fact she's only 18? Speaking of ages, why does the author never tell us the ages of Ash or Jason? Considering they were so secretive about it (mainly Jason) I just imagine them being a good amount older. Even though they aren't really described as that.
The note Lexi gets with the flowers from work. Hysterical? (Not at all) I didn't get what was so funny.
I loved Ash, he was so funny with how up front he was. I think I liked him more than Jason.
The teenagers at the train tracks. Jason wants to investigate thinking most likely it's teenagers goofing around. Um...again, how old is Jason? Lexie is still a teenager herself. That was just an older guy kinda comment.
While reading her great, great grandmother's journal, "sirens are wailing outside her window, the red lights reflecting across her walls." What does Lexie do? Not look out the window, like most people would. Nope, she snuggles in her blankets and continues reading.
Why did Jason seem upset when he thought that Lexie was dating Ash? I'm kind of thinking that Ash is more involved in the whole Guardian/Seer/special powers world.
I can not stand authors that use curse words in their stories, but use --- then the actually letters. Can we pretend to be mature here? Thankfully it was just the one time.
Lexie kisses Ash, a big kiss, then when he goes to continue (?) Lexie lets him know that she's not ready. Huh? Is Lexie suppose to be a virgin or just a tease?
Why was Lexie so scared about the bank incident. She's basically sweating and shaking in her shoes when the gunman has her. I could understand her being paralyzed IF she didn't know what was happening, but seriously? Didn't she just have the snap shots? Then when she sees Jason again she has to talk about it? Why? Nothing happened to her.
Lexie likes closing her eyes when she's trying to defend herself or others, when she's going in for a hit or kick. BUT not when kissing...
Man, there are just so many questions that I wanted to ask, but I didn't want anyone who might read this thinking I was trying to write a book. haha Needless to say, this book was okay, nothing more. There were just too many things that weren't adding up for me. Hence my list of questions. I'm not interested in continuing with this series either. I didn't feel connected with any of the characters, I can't even remember what Lexie actually looked like...well really anyone besides the boys and their eyes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2013
YAY FOR FREE BOOK
Note: Free, and it was pretty awesome. free.
I feel like i want to give this a 3.5 (but a very high 3.5 obviously)
Song Choice: "Another Lonely Day" by Ben Harper, and "Breezeblocks" by Alt-J There are my song choices that i think reflect certain aspects of the book, yay! The song that i was listening to as reading the last chapter that i think ended very nicely for me was an instrumental called "In Reverence" by David Tolk, try that! BWHAHA so there is that.
First thoughts: While I thought this was a very interesting, new concept and I did really enjoy it at some points I felt almost like it was going to do a total 180 on me and be like HA, just kidding! Like it was misleading me but not really because i think it was my own crazy brain doing stupid stuff. I thought that yes this was really good book, and yes i think that is worth checking out. There was just something I guess that feels slightly off for me as I am writing this review. I guess one thing I recognize is that I felt like it was going to go Prophecy on my ass, and I was like no please don't. There are so many prophecy books. I did like the twist though. YOU KNOW i think i figured out what bothered me so much. But i'll talk about that in plot.
Plot: Didn't have to wait to long now did you? It took FOREVER for her to get answers, and not because of her fault at all. And i get that this is the first book in a series, and i get it we want to take things slow but i was going mad with the whole, oh we will wait until next weekend to tell you. UM JUST TELL ME RIGHT NOW! Thats not to say that this book was mostly sitting around waiting for answers, some things were revealed through other means, and there was other action going on. I read it fairly quickly, it didn't felt like i was rushed or like it was dragging or anything like that so yeah it was a pretty well paced book only information i wanted to learn wasn't learned to very very very very VERY end of the book. I guess that was my biggest problem we could have spread it out more, and i didn't understand why it was so important that everyone was there for her to learn this new stuff because really only one person did the talking and i am starting to rant and ramble a bit so i am going to let it go. seriously letting it go. So this is a new type of supernatural...paranormal? person that I have yet to have encounter. I do think that it was really interesting though. But the info was kind of smushed together hence my anger from a moment again i am letting go again.
Thoughts on Characters:
Lexi (Alex/Alexandria): I had a hard time believing that she was only 18 to be honest. I kept thinking that she was a lot older than just recently graduated from High School, that is compliment i promise. I loved her she was really mature for her age. When I read the summary i thought that she was going to be bitter of this gift that she has and that is why she was willing to ignore the premonitions but that isn't the case, and that is very misleading my opinion so if you are thinking she is going to be super antsy and all that fun stuff she really isn't. She feels such guilt over the life that was lost, and I totally respect her and I really did like her. I thought while though she was sort of calm and cool about most things she was witty, smart, and when she need to be a bit saucy.
Yes there were two love interest, but one of the amazing things about Lexi was that she didn't do the annoying i love him, but i love him too thing. She acknowledges her interest in both guys but knows pretty much off the bat who she wants to be with and she doesn't try to string one along while with the other. Once she makes up her mind, she made up her mind.
So Jason: He is very rude actually. At first i thought that he was trying to be snark-y in that sexy kind of way but really he just seems like an ass. And it really doesn't get explained again until the end. I mean he does stop acting so standoffish and rude but he still does have this i don't know how to put it really but this sort of wall between him and Alex as he calls her. Anyways it took awhile for me to warm up to him but i did, and I did come to like his type of humor and i could see that he was kind of sweet in his own strange way.
Ash: Now he was fun. He is adrenaline junkie who disappeared about at the half way, 60% mark but I know in the summary for the next book he reappears which is why I am willing to talk about him. Anyways Ash is a huge ass flirt, he is arrogant and very VERY straight forward, he is the type of guy that says exactly what is on his mind without thinking of the consequences. But yeah i really did like him. He was charming, and HOLY HOTNESS there first kiss, wow. talk about wow. I can't wait to see more of him.
The other characters were pretty well done as well, there were a couple extras that help and are bigger parts of the plot but i am lazy and don't want to go into much depth about them.
The ending... um no. Cliffhanger? meh not really, but the second one is out anyways so you have nothing to worry about. Will i read the next one? Well thanks for asking that is really sweet of you! Anyways probably. Most likely i will. I really want to know what will happen.
So there is these things that people do, and i might be saying that i am one of those people that do them but i try not to be super annoying about it. mostly its to promote indie authors, but yes, yes i do have a blog. with a friend who does contemporary fiction, while i do mostly scifi, paranormal, fantasy, and all that jazz. Well anyways you can check out our thoughts on other great books, or not so great books, or horrible books there all in one place, how convenient i know! we aim to please ;)
so along those lines here is a easy convenient well placed link: http://theviolethourbookreviews.wordp...
yes you are welcome! no need to thank us ;)
Note: Free, and it was pretty awesome. free.
I feel like i want to give this a 3.5 (but a very high 3.5 obviously)
Song Choice: "Another Lonely Day" by Ben Harper, and "Breezeblocks" by Alt-J There are my song choices that i think reflect certain aspects of the book, yay! The song that i was listening to as reading the last chapter that i think ended very nicely for me was an instrumental called "In Reverence" by David Tolk, try that! BWHAHA so there is that.
First thoughts: While I thought this was a very interesting, new concept and I did really enjoy it at some points I felt almost like it was going to do a total 180 on me and be like HA, just kidding! Like it was misleading me but not really because i think it was my own crazy brain doing stupid stuff. I thought that yes this was really good book, and yes i think that is worth checking out. There was just something I guess that feels slightly off for me as I am writing this review. I guess one thing I recognize is that I felt like it was going to go Prophecy on my ass, and I was like no please don't. There are so many prophecy books. I did like the twist though. YOU KNOW i think i figured out what bothered me so much. But i'll talk about that in plot.
Plot: Didn't have to wait to long now did you? It took FOREVER for her to get answers, and not because of her fault at all. And i get that this is the first book in a series, and i get it we want to take things slow but i was going mad with the whole, oh we will wait until next weekend to tell you. UM JUST TELL ME RIGHT NOW! Thats not to say that this book was mostly sitting around waiting for answers, some things were revealed through other means, and there was other action going on. I read it fairly quickly, it didn't felt like i was rushed or like it was dragging or anything like that so yeah it was a pretty well paced book only information i wanted to learn wasn't learned to very very very very VERY end of the book. I guess that was my biggest problem we could have spread it out more, and i didn't understand why it was so important that everyone was there for her to learn this new stuff because really only one person did the talking and i am starting to rant and ramble a bit so i am going to let it go. seriously letting it go. So this is a new type of supernatural...paranormal? person that I have yet to have encounter. I do think that it was really interesting though. But the info was kind of smushed together hence my anger from a moment again i am letting go again.
Thoughts on Characters:
Lexi (Alex/Alexandria): I had a hard time believing that she was only 18 to be honest. I kept thinking that she was a lot older than just recently graduated from High School, that is compliment i promise. I loved her she was really mature for her age. When I read the summary i thought that she was going to be bitter of this gift that she has and that is why she was willing to ignore the premonitions but that isn't the case, and that is very misleading my opinion so if you are thinking she is going to be super antsy and all that fun stuff she really isn't. She feels such guilt over the life that was lost, and I totally respect her and I really did like her. I thought while though she was sort of calm and cool about most things she was witty, smart, and when she need to be a bit saucy.
Yes there were two love interest, but one of the amazing things about Lexi was that she didn't do the annoying i love him, but i love him too thing. She acknowledges her interest in both guys but knows pretty much off the bat who she wants to be with and she doesn't try to string one along while with the other. Once she makes up her mind, she made up her mind.
So Jason: He is very rude actually. At first i thought that he was trying to be snark-y in that sexy kind of way but really he just seems like an ass. And it really doesn't get explained again until the end. I mean he does stop acting so standoffish and rude but he still does have this i don't know how to put it really but this sort of wall between him and Alex as he calls her. Anyways it took awhile for me to warm up to him but i did, and I did come to like his type of humor and i could see that he was kind of sweet in his own strange way.
Ash: Now he was fun. He is adrenaline junkie who disappeared about at the half way, 60% mark but I know in the summary for the next book he reappears which is why I am willing to talk about him. Anyways Ash is a huge ass flirt, he is arrogant and very VERY straight forward, he is the type of guy that says exactly what is on his mind without thinking of the consequences. But yeah i really did like him. He was charming, and HOLY HOTNESS there first kiss, wow. talk about wow. I can't wait to see more of him.
The other characters were pretty well done as well, there were a couple extras that help and are bigger parts of the plot but i am lazy and don't want to go into much depth about them.
The ending... um no. Cliffhanger? meh not really, but the second one is out anyways so you have nothing to worry about. Will i read the next one? Well thanks for asking that is really sweet of you! Anyways probably. Most likely i will. I really want to know what will happen.
So there is these things that people do, and i might be saying that i am one of those people that do them but i try not to be super annoying about it. mostly its to promote indie authors, but yes, yes i do have a blog. with a friend who does contemporary fiction, while i do mostly scifi, paranormal, fantasy, and all that jazz. Well anyways you can check out our thoughts on other great books, or not so great books, or horrible books there all in one place, how convenient i know! we aim to please ;)
so along those lines here is a easy convenient well placed link: http://theviolethourbookreviews.wordp...
yes you are welcome! no need to thank us ;)
February 9, 2013
I was torn between giving this book three or four stars because it took me awhile to really get engaged with the story, nearly 50% into it. Okay, please read the whole review, the book has lots of potential. The first chapter was really good, action, although the writing had too much narration for me. It was a lot of telling the story instead of showing it. The characters weren’t development enough either and there was a lot of repeated information but this happens sometimes when a writer needs to get lots of information to the reader. The main character was told more than once that she needed a man. Do we really want young ladies to think that they need a man to be complete? I don’t think that is what the writer was saying but it did come across that way at the beginning.
Having said all that, let me say that after I was 50 % through with the book, I felt a connection and wanted to know what was going to happen next. I finished the last part in one reading session. I like the concept of the story, it is different and unique. I would recommend this book to YA readers with encouragement that it might be slow at the beginning but it has a great finish.
Having said all that, let me say that after I was 50 % through with the book, I felt a connection and wanted to know what was going to happen next. I finished the last part in one reading session. I like the concept of the story, it is different and unique. I would recommend this book to YA readers with encouragement that it might be slow at the beginning but it has a great finish.
May 14, 2013
I'm finding a lot of stories recently which start with great potential and then fade into mediocrity. Sadly this book also falls into this category. While it has a strong narrative voice and a few heart-felt scenes, its major drawbacks come from a weak plot, poor pacing and inconsistent characters.
STORY: Lexi, or Alex to those close to her, has had premonitions of people dying for a long while, and has lived trying to help everyone she can. Having recently moved to a new neighbourhood, she comes across new friends with interesting gifts of their own, and learns that she's not alone. A pretty standard premise which could have been interesting, alas most of the plot is predictable. The obligatory love triangle was extremely forced with no real basis in anything, and the pacing was very off. All the tension of the early chapters quickly fades away with dragged out scenes of normality- which while in themselves are written well, they don't fit with the overall story arc. Events happen only at Lexi's convenience. not because they happen, which made for a very 'tailored' climax and a weak ending. Worse, she foresees a dangerous outcome early in the story and yet absolutely nothing comes of it, and she only worries about it when she remembers to. Not to mention that even though Lexi's friends promise to give her further information on her powers, there's a pointless arc mentioning her ancestor with a similar gift. Most infuriating was the host of info dump at the end that undermined most of the earlier story and the characters reasons for withholding information until now were extremely feeble.
This was a shame as several scenes were very well-written- it's just their placement was at odds with the tension.
The summary for book 2 was totally unnecessary as it pretty much gives away the story without you having to read it.
CHARACTERS: This seems to be the greatest shortcoming of the novel. Lexi herself could have been interesting but her character is very forced. She 'appears' to have a different personality to her friends but in reality this isn't so, and her motivations are especially weak. For example she doesn't mention a key part of her gift to her friends for no reason other than 'I want to'. She's also presented as being able to look after herself, when she really doesn't. Also I really disliked her reaction to her 'love interests'- very cliched and stilted. You cannot have a character who is 'not looking for a relationship' and has practically shown no interest in men til now to suddenly turn into a drooling lunatic over the first guy she runs into (literally). It's not believable and it shows the character to be shallow, which is completely at odds to how the author is trying to present her. There was also little development of her moral dilemmas regarding people she hadn't saved as she seems to brush these away very easily. Given what she's been facing alone, I expected her to have a lot more depth.
Ally, the main sidekick, is a better character, although again without any real flaws she's pretty forgettable. She's much too 'nice'.
Jessica, another sidekick, is stronger and has some quirks that make her more memorable, but since she only serves for exposition this isn't really built upon as much as it could have been. I also didn't really believe how she presented information to Lexi, it was very rushed.
Both Jason and Ash are very inconsistent and have contradicting features. One is supposed to be aloof and mysterious and yet jokes around normally, while the other is arrogant and condescending and yet despite Lexi herself stating these as very undesirable qualities, she still falls for it. She has no real reason for either relationship and thus they felt weak and unconvincing.
The other side characters are so flat that you could exchange all the names and it wouldn't alter the story. There's an attempt at a 'jealous ex' type dynamic but since the relationships are so pathetic anyway it doesn't really work.
The villains are practically non-existent until the last 50-80 pages, so we have no reason to hate them or hence root for the heroes, which again weakens the conflict and hurts the plot.
SETTING/ VOICE: This was generally believable and the world building was good. The descriptions were well done, as well, and I could picture the scenes clearly. Lexi's voice is very strong and carries the narrative well. My only grievance is with the dialogue. It's clunky and messy in places, and in an attempt to portray an accent the characters speak very oddly; what they say often doesn't fit with their age.
PRESENTATION: The cover isn't bad, and the formatting is clear. I didn't come across any obvious typoes, either. The writing is generally good, easy to follow and flows well.
OVERALL: What started as an intriguing premise with an interesting heroine sadly deteriorated into a lacklustre, poorly paced novel with weak plot and inconsistent characters. The strong voice and good technical writing were not enough to make up for this. If you want a simple paranormal romance to feed your addiction and have no qualms about quality, you might enjoy it, but if you're wanting a compelling read that you can't put down, look elsewhere.
STORY: Lexi, or Alex to those close to her, has had premonitions of people dying for a long while, and has lived trying to help everyone she can. Having recently moved to a new neighbourhood, she comes across new friends with interesting gifts of their own, and learns that she's not alone. A pretty standard premise which could have been interesting, alas most of the plot is predictable. The obligatory love triangle was extremely forced with no real basis in anything, and the pacing was very off. All the tension of the early chapters quickly fades away with dragged out scenes of normality- which while in themselves are written well, they don't fit with the overall story arc. Events happen only at Lexi's convenience. not because they happen, which made for a very 'tailored' climax and a weak ending. Worse, she foresees a dangerous outcome early in the story and yet absolutely nothing comes of it, and she only worries about it when she remembers to. Not to mention that even though Lexi's friends promise to give her further information on her powers, there's a pointless arc mentioning her ancestor with a similar gift. Most infuriating was the host of info dump at the end that undermined most of the earlier story and the characters reasons for withholding information until now were extremely feeble.
This was a shame as several scenes were very well-written- it's just their placement was at odds with the tension.
The summary for book 2 was totally unnecessary as it pretty much gives away the story without you having to read it.
CHARACTERS: This seems to be the greatest shortcoming of the novel. Lexi herself could have been interesting but her character is very forced. She 'appears' to have a different personality to her friends but in reality this isn't so, and her motivations are especially weak. For example she doesn't mention a key part of her gift to her friends for no reason other than 'I want to'. She's also presented as being able to look after herself, when she really doesn't. Also I really disliked her reaction to her 'love interests'- very cliched and stilted. You cannot have a character who is 'not looking for a relationship' and has practically shown no interest in men til now to suddenly turn into a drooling lunatic over the first guy she runs into (literally). It's not believable and it shows the character to be shallow, which is completely at odds to how the author is trying to present her. There was also little development of her moral dilemmas regarding people she hadn't saved as she seems to brush these away very easily. Given what she's been facing alone, I expected her to have a lot more depth.
Ally, the main sidekick, is a better character, although again without any real flaws she's pretty forgettable. She's much too 'nice'.
Jessica, another sidekick, is stronger and has some quirks that make her more memorable, but since she only serves for exposition this isn't really built upon as much as it could have been. I also didn't really believe how she presented information to Lexi, it was very rushed.
Both Jason and Ash are very inconsistent and have contradicting features. One is supposed to be aloof and mysterious and yet jokes around normally, while the other is arrogant and condescending and yet despite Lexi herself stating these as very undesirable qualities, she still falls for it. She has no real reason for either relationship and thus they felt weak and unconvincing.
The other side characters are so flat that you could exchange all the names and it wouldn't alter the story. There's an attempt at a 'jealous ex' type dynamic but since the relationships are so pathetic anyway it doesn't really work.
The villains are practically non-existent until the last 50-80 pages, so we have no reason to hate them or hence root for the heroes, which again weakens the conflict and hurts the plot.
SETTING/ VOICE: This was generally believable and the world building was good. The descriptions were well done, as well, and I could picture the scenes clearly. Lexi's voice is very strong and carries the narrative well. My only grievance is with the dialogue. It's clunky and messy in places, and in an attempt to portray an accent the characters speak very oddly; what they say often doesn't fit with their age.
PRESENTATION: The cover isn't bad, and the formatting is clear. I didn't come across any obvious typoes, either. The writing is generally good, easy to follow and flows well.
OVERALL: What started as an intriguing premise with an interesting heroine sadly deteriorated into a lacklustre, poorly paced novel with weak plot and inconsistent characters. The strong voice and good technical writing were not enough to make up for this. If you want a simple paranormal romance to feed your addiction and have no qualms about quality, you might enjoy it, but if you're wanting a compelling read that you can't put down, look elsewhere.
December 15, 2012
Amethyst is a short read but so worth it. Heather Bowhay did an amazing job at capturing my interest as well as supplying a book that has a concept that is beyond the norm. The story is about Lexi (Alex/Alexandria) Adams who is a young girl about to enter college. She has been plagued with premonitions most of her life and the premonitions allow her to save innocent people. For the most part she feels as if no one understands her and she really wishes that she could be normal and not such a freak. She has moved to Bellingham to go to Western Washington with her best friend Ally and Ally's fiance Ben. Ally is the only person in Lexi's life that knows most of what Lexi goes through. All of that changes when Lexi meets new people in town that seem to know what Lexi is. Jessica, one of Lexi's co-workers and new friend thinks that Lexi is an Amethyst like Jessica, able to control the essence of people and heal people. She is determined to help Lexi learn how to control her ability in the hopes that Lexi will join her group. The group of talented Guardians that seem to help innocent people. One of the members in the group is Jason. Lexi has been drawn to Jason since she first set eyes on him but things are more complicated than Lexi first realizes and then events take place that force her to realize a bitter truth about herself.
I loved this story and the characters are so intriguing. There are only a few things that I found to be a bit trivially annoying. First there is an obsession with designer jeans that makes no sense in how it exactly correlates with the actual plot but seems to get thrown into the story often. The second is the grammar errors throughout the book that always bug me no matter what I am reading. I would think the editor could have done a better job at editing these minor mistakes. But other than that the flow of the story was good and the ending was excellent because it left me needing to know more. I now feel that I HAVE to read the next book. I also will add that the characters are somewhat fun and sassy which I liked. This is a series that I am looking forward to completely devouring!
I loved this story and the characters are so intriguing. There are only a few things that I found to be a bit trivially annoying. First there is an obsession with designer jeans that makes no sense in how it exactly correlates with the actual plot but seems to get thrown into the story often. The second is the grammar errors throughout the book that always bug me no matter what I am reading. I would think the editor could have done a better job at editing these minor mistakes. But other than that the flow of the story was good and the ending was excellent because it left me needing to know more. I now feel that I HAVE to read the next book. I also will add that the characters are somewhat fun and sassy which I liked. This is a series that I am looking forward to completely devouring!
May 27, 2013
From its eye catching cover to the last page, Amethyst is a gem of a book. Heather Bowhay has a strong start to her new YA series, Guardian. With a touch of romance, a touch of humor and lots of tension in the plot, Young Lexi finds she has supernatural powers and is essential to a special team of Guardians, each with uniquely different powers or essences. Lexi is a rare Amethyst, with the power to heal and strengthen others. She also has the power to see the future, which may come in handy in the Guardians’s fight against the evil rapachious leeches who feed on the Essence of others. Will Lexi come into her full powers in time to make a difference in the fight against evil? Who is the mysterious Ash, who has caught her eye?
Heather Bowhay did a great job building her world, making it believable and a little mysterious! The pace had a nice flow, although at times, the dialogue seemed slightly formal for a teen. I am impressed with Ms. Bowhay’s style and look forward to the next book in this series when I hope to learn more about Ash! I’d like to thank Goodreads and Ms. Bowhay for the opportunity to read and review Amethyst! Publication Date: October, 2012
Heather Bowhay did a great job building her world, making it believable and a little mysterious! The pace had a nice flow, although at times, the dialogue seemed slightly formal for a teen. I am impressed with Ms. Bowhay’s style and look forward to the next book in this series when I hope to learn more about Ash! I’d like to thank Goodreads and Ms. Bowhay for the opportunity to read and review Amethyst! Publication Date: October, 2012
January 30, 2014
I received this book for free on Amazon Kindle. I really didn't know what to expect upon beginning this book but by the end of the story I was left rather disappointed. I practically had to force myself to read this book. I felt the beginning of the story was hard to get into and the dialogue felt forced. There were a few places where the dialogue could've been rewritten.
This book also had a weak plot and seriously lacked in character development. Some of the characters seemed unrealistic to their age group (Lexi) and then there was some that came on way too strong in personality ie.. Ash which didn't appeal to me at all. About halfway through the book is when the story starts to pick up and get a little entertaining. Overall I think it was just an ok read. As of right now I'm not sure if I plan to read the next book in the series.
This book also had a weak plot and seriously lacked in character development. Some of the characters seemed unrealistic to their age group (Lexi) and then there was some that came on way too strong in personality ie.. Ash which didn't appeal to me at all. About halfway through the book is when the story starts to pick up and get a little entertaining. Overall I think it was just an ok read. As of right now I'm not sure if I plan to read the next book in the series.
January 21, 2013
Amethyst is such an entertaining story! I love the main characters and I already hate the antagonists of the series and you barely meet them in book one. The pace of the story is really good and there is a nice blend of confict and humor. The writing style is very good and flows very nicely throughout. I'm really glad I came across Heather in one of the discussion groups and picked up this very worth-while read. In fact, I can't wait to dive into "Linked" which is book two of this series! Where is Ash? I really need to find out! Definitely give this one a go is Paranormal YA is your thing, it's extremely good!
did-not-finish
June 4, 2015*sirens wailing* INSTA-LOVE ALERT!! *sirens wailing*
This book simply didn't hold my attention, but I was willing to give it a try until I reached 9% and insta-love hit. 2 seconds and no speaking was all it took for the main character to think she couldn't live never seeing the guy's blue eyes again (he was about to die, not a spoiler because he obviously didn't).
Nope. Just nope.
I might try this book another time, but right now, it's a non finisher.
This book simply didn't hold my attention, but I was willing to give it a try until I reached 9% and insta-love hit. 2 seconds and no speaking was all it took for the main character to think she couldn't live never seeing the guy's blue eyes again (he was about to die, not a spoiler because he obviously didn't).
Nope. Just nope.
I might try this book another time, but right now, it's a non finisher.
October 18, 2012
This first installment of the Guardian series was short, sweet and absolutely amazing. I can't say that I loved it because it was way to tragic for that but it did have me falling in love with the characters and enjoying the novel to the max.
January 25, 2013
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I'm looking forward to starting the next one in the series, Linked. The characters are well written and relatable. There are several twists in the story making it hard to put the book down.
January 8, 2014
Amethyst was definitely an entertaining read with plenty of cool stuff going on. This book was just shy of a 4 star rating for me so I would easily take another chance with more books by this author someday.
January 30, 2013
Captivating, thrilling, and clearly romantic... I loved this book.
The characters were well developed. The plot was fantastic. The relationships were realistic.
A new twist on paranormal/fantasy romance. Can't wait for the conclusion in "Linked".
The characters were well developed. The plot was fantastic. The relationships were realistic.
A new twist on paranormal/fantasy romance. Can't wait for the conclusion in "Linked".
January 7, 2013
Great read! Cannot wait to get my hands on the second book!
December 19, 2024
Like a few other reviewers on here, I was torn between giving this 3 and 4 stars, and I'd say ideally I'd give it more like 3.5...but I didn't feel moved enough to round up to 4, unfortunately.
I like the premise. I think there is a LOT of potential in there. The author can definitely write, and the story was paced very well. It was structured nicely and I did find myself really wanting to know what would happen next. On the surface, everything was 'right'.
The reason I've given this 3 stars is that this book just felt sort of 'good enough' to me. It didn't GRAB me and make me think, WOW, where has this book been all my life?
One of my difficulties with this is that the dialogue felt stilted. Almost every page, I was thinking, 'People don't talk this way.' And it's not about using 'big words' - I like my thesaurus too, and I'm a believer in not dumbing things down for the sake of it. It's just that I felt like those words were used in awkward ways such that the conversations didn't feel natural or realistic. It wasn't just the words, but the syntax. For instance, when giving explanations of things, or talking about what someone loved about the mountains, it read a little like an encyclopaedia entry.
Also, there was a conversation Jason and Lexi had about football, and it felt so formal: 'I enjoy it too. They have had some excellent and exciting matches.' That's not how I expect sports enthusiasts to talk. Later, when Jason and Lexi are having an emotional stand-off, each of them says, 'I thoroughly enjoyed your company.' We don't yet know how old Jason is, but Lexi is only 18 or 19. I just don't believe she would speak that way, and it left me feeling cold. I couldn't buy into the emotions / love.
I also felt like although the first half of this book got off to such an interesting start, I grew bored with the second half, and that really disappointed me, because I so wanted to love this book.
And perhaps this is just a personal taste thing, but I really, really, REALLY hated Ash. There was nothing redeeming about him other than apparently he's a good singer and has a good body. I'm sure he's going to be explored more in book 2 and turn out to be much more interesting, but in this book I was tempted to skip through all scenes with him because he wasn't just annoying or arrogant, as Lexi said - I actually thought he was a womanising ass, and if I met someone like him in real life, he would make my skin crawl and I would run for the hills. So I found it incredibly difficult to respect Lexi for spending any time with him and being attracted to him. I thought, isn't she meant to be smart? Why does she like this guy? He's a creep.
However, having said all that, I can see how this book would appeal to younger readers. I am currently 30 and I love my YA fiction, but obviously as I'm a bit older, I want something a bit more moving. If I were 15, I might feel very differently. And as I say, on the surface everything about this book is done well. I can't fault the writer on those points and she does have an interesting story with a great cliffhanger. I just find it frustrating that on the one hand, I really want to know what happens next...but on the other hand, I'm turned off by language (and Ash). So 3 stars from me, sadly.
I like the premise. I think there is a LOT of potential in there. The author can definitely write, and the story was paced very well. It was structured nicely and I did find myself really wanting to know what would happen next. On the surface, everything was 'right'.
The reason I've given this 3 stars is that this book just felt sort of 'good enough' to me. It didn't GRAB me and make me think, WOW, where has this book been all my life?
One of my difficulties with this is that the dialogue felt stilted. Almost every page, I was thinking, 'People don't talk this way.' And it's not about using 'big words' - I like my thesaurus too, and I'm a believer in not dumbing things down for the sake of it. It's just that I felt like those words were used in awkward ways such that the conversations didn't feel natural or realistic. It wasn't just the words, but the syntax. For instance, when giving explanations of things, or talking about what someone loved about the mountains, it read a little like an encyclopaedia entry.
Also, there was a conversation Jason and Lexi had about football, and it felt so formal: 'I enjoy it too. They have had some excellent and exciting matches.' That's not how I expect sports enthusiasts to talk. Later, when Jason and Lexi are having an emotional stand-off, each of them says, 'I thoroughly enjoyed your company.' We don't yet know how old Jason is, but Lexi is only 18 or 19. I just don't believe she would speak that way, and it left me feeling cold. I couldn't buy into the emotions / love.
I also felt like although the first half of this book got off to such an interesting start, I grew bored with the second half, and that really disappointed me, because I so wanted to love this book.
And perhaps this is just a personal taste thing, but I really, really, REALLY hated Ash. There was nothing redeeming about him other than apparently he's a good singer and has a good body. I'm sure he's going to be explored more in book 2 and turn out to be much more interesting, but in this book I was tempted to skip through all scenes with him because he wasn't just annoying or arrogant, as Lexi said - I actually thought he was a womanising ass, and if I met someone like him in real life, he would make my skin crawl and I would run for the hills. So I found it incredibly difficult to respect Lexi for spending any time with him and being attracted to him. I thought, isn't she meant to be smart? Why does she like this guy? He's a creep.
However, having said all that, I can see how this book would appeal to younger readers. I am currently 30 and I love my YA fiction, but obviously as I'm a bit older, I want something a bit more moving. If I were 15, I might feel very differently. And as I say, on the surface everything about this book is done well. I can't fault the writer on those points and she does have an interesting story with a great cliffhanger. I just find it frustrating that on the one hand, I really want to know what happens next...but on the other hand, I'm turned off by language (and Ash). So 3 stars from me, sadly.
January 10, 2023
3.5/5 stars
I downloaded this for free on my Kindle, because I noticed that I had the series on my TBR for years. It was a quick and easy read. I was entertained for the most part, but I don’t plan on finishing the series.
I had issues with the dialogue. While I did appreciate the college-aged characters, their conversations felt forced and scripted rather than authentic. I think the author has one cuss word muttered in the whole book which (knowing college kids) felt unusual. I’m not saying that every character needed to drop profanities, but it didn’t feel realistic to have these 18-20 year olds speaking like older/more mature adults.
I didn’t like the forced love triangle and Lexi’s indecisiveness regarding the romantic relationships. When a love interest tells the main character to stay away/that they are not safe/that the relationship wouldn’t work, I hate when the main character doesn’t listen and then gets upset when the relationship is difficult. I also hate the “stay away from me/I’m bad for you” trope that authors give the love interest. In reality, if a guy I was interested in was flaky and told me to stay away/that he wasn’t in a good place etc, I wouldn’t pursue a relationship with that person.
I did enjoy some of the characters like Ash and his friends but a lot of the characters felt one dimensional. Also, the author kept talking about instances or details about Lexi’s life like we knew what happened prior to this book. I had to make sure I was reading the first book in this series because the author would mention names or events without any explanation. I think the book would have benefited from another round of editing to fix this.
I think Lexi as the main character was fine. She had a lot of interests and personality traits to set her apart from other YA heroines (likes football, reading, allergic to chocolate, is smart and stubborn, etc). Other than her back and forth emotional games when it came to romance, I found her likable.
We did get a lot of action in the last third of the book as well as a lot of info dump. I didn’t understand why the Guardians couldn’t have told Lexi early on about what they were. Jessica and her friends had told Lexi in the first 50 pages that Lexi was an Amethyst and had special powers. Why couldn’t they explain everything else? It seems obvious from the ending as well as the blurb for the second book that the author plans to drag out the love triangle and the big climax for the next book. I don’t plan on finishing the series, but I did enjoy the first book nonetheless.
I downloaded this for free on my Kindle, because I noticed that I had the series on my TBR for years. It was a quick and easy read. I was entertained for the most part, but I don’t plan on finishing the series.
I had issues with the dialogue. While I did appreciate the college-aged characters, their conversations felt forced and scripted rather than authentic. I think the author has one cuss word muttered in the whole book which (knowing college kids) felt unusual. I’m not saying that every character needed to drop profanities, but it didn’t feel realistic to have these 18-20 year olds speaking like older/more mature adults.
I didn’t like the forced love triangle and Lexi’s indecisiveness regarding the romantic relationships. When a love interest tells the main character to stay away/that they are not safe/that the relationship wouldn’t work, I hate when the main character doesn’t listen and then gets upset when the relationship is difficult. I also hate the “stay away from me/I’m bad for you” trope that authors give the love interest. In reality, if a guy I was interested in was flaky and told me to stay away/that he wasn’t in a good place etc, I wouldn’t pursue a relationship with that person.
I did enjoy some of the characters like Ash and his friends but a lot of the characters felt one dimensional. Also, the author kept talking about instances or details about Lexi’s life like we knew what happened prior to this book. I had to make sure I was reading the first book in this series because the author would mention names or events without any explanation. I think the book would have benefited from another round of editing to fix this.
I think Lexi as the main character was fine. She had a lot of interests and personality traits to set her apart from other YA heroines (likes football, reading, allergic to chocolate, is smart and stubborn, etc). Other than her back and forth emotional games when it came to romance, I found her likable.
We did get a lot of action in the last third of the book as well as a lot of info dump. I didn’t understand why the Guardians couldn’t have told Lexi early on about what they were. Jessica and her friends had told Lexi in the first 50 pages that Lexi was an Amethyst and had special powers. Why couldn’t they explain everything else? It seems obvious from the ending as well as the blurb for the second book that the author plans to drag out the love triangle and the big climax for the next book. I don’t plan on finishing the series, but I did enjoy the first book nonetheless.
March 19, 2017
I’d like tell you that you don’t need to read this review. Just go read Amethyst, by Heather Bowhay… but since you’re here you might as well stay a minute and read why.
This book had been sitting on my kindle for a little while (sorry Heather!). I’d ‘one clicked’ it, hoping to get around to it last summer, but never did. The cover was simple, and I really had no idea what to expect. So, with finals over and stress levels at an all-time high, I decided to just pick a book and hope something could hold my interest for more than 5 minutes. Amethyst didn’t disappoint.
It’s worth noting that I thought I needed a break from the typical fictional ‘shifter’ or ‘discovery’ story-line, a lot of what I’ve read lately just felt like more of the same. Amethyst was different- yes, similar in story-line, but unique in the abilities her characters posses, and the problems they face. What’s more – instead of loving the main character (as readers often do), I found Lexi a little frustrating, which in turn spurred me to keep reading.
I want so much for this series not to have the ending I think it will. Until then, I look forward to the adventure Heather Bowhay takes me on in book 2 of this series, Linked.
This book had been sitting on my kindle for a little while (sorry Heather!). I’d ‘one clicked’ it, hoping to get around to it last summer, but never did. The cover was simple, and I really had no idea what to expect. So, with finals over and stress levels at an all-time high, I decided to just pick a book and hope something could hold my interest for more than 5 minutes. Amethyst didn’t disappoint.
It’s worth noting that I thought I needed a break from the typical fictional ‘shifter’ or ‘discovery’ story-line, a lot of what I’ve read lately just felt like more of the same. Amethyst was different- yes, similar in story-line, but unique in the abilities her characters posses, and the problems they face. What’s more – instead of loving the main character (as readers often do), I found Lexi a little frustrating, which in turn spurred me to keep reading.
I want so much for this series not to have the ending I think it will. Until then, I look forward to the adventure Heather Bowhay takes me on in book 2 of this series, Linked.
January 4, 2024
Amethyst is my birthstone, which is really the only reason I read it. Since then, it's been re-read three or four times. I first found this book when I was about 14 and I LOVED it and begged my mom to let me get the other books in this series.
This book is definitely still engaging if a little cheesy with some plot points/character traits. The saddest part is that the magic has kind of died after so many years and so many re-reads. But you know what, I'll probably read it again in the future regardless. It's kind of like getting lyrics stuck in your head so you have to go re-listen to the song, but in a good, nostalgic way.
If you're a fantasy but in a realistic way kind of girlie, this book definitely gets both in without being unreasonable.
[kind of spoiler?]
My biggest critique is the cheesiness, especially the good guy/bad guy love triangle.
This book is definitely still engaging if a little cheesy with some plot points/character traits. The saddest part is that the magic has kind of died after so many years and so many re-reads. But you know what, I'll probably read it again in the future regardless. It's kind of like getting lyrics stuck in your head so you have to go re-listen to the song, but in a good, nostalgic way.
If you're a fantasy but in a realistic way kind of girlie, this book definitely gets both in without being unreasonable.
[kind of spoiler?]
My biggest critique is the cheesiness, especially the good guy/bad guy love triangle.
March 14, 2018
Okay
The storyline is okay, it felt a bot stagnant at times and slow to the point. I really do feel the chemistry between Ash and Alex but not between her and Jason. Jason is very aloof and has no personality. Not sure if he will grow on me or not. The action is at the end all but a few pages. The romance is present but Alex seems to do all the running with Jason. She should stick with Ash hes funny and has a personality. Although he really does have commitment issues. Anyway I will read book 2 but if it doesn't pick up I won't be finishing it.
The storyline is okay, it felt a bot stagnant at times and slow to the point. I really do feel the chemistry between Ash and Alex but not between her and Jason. Jason is very aloof and has no personality. Not sure if he will grow on me or not. The action is at the end all but a few pages. The romance is present but Alex seems to do all the running with Jason. She should stick with Ash hes funny and has a personality. Although he really does have commitment issues. Anyway I will read book 2 but if it doesn't pick up I won't be finishing it.
January 9, 2018
I was pleasantly surprised by this.
Characters were realistic and relatable. Our heroine seemed to have a respectfully level head on her shoulders and she was naturally endearing. Supporting characters were all well-rounded and each brought something extra to the table. Our dueling hero's added an even more interesting element to the story, love triangles are always so entertaining.
The story was in a 'small-world' type base theme but there was a lot of growth going on and a lot of potential for expansion within it here so it definitely makes the idea of reading further into the series more intriguing.
I enjoyed that there was no inappropriate scenes of a romantic nature which books in this genre tend to have. You never really know what you're getting into when you pick up books for this age group, some are entirely too inappropriate while others are undelightfully immature. This author did a great job here with that.
Overall; An enjoyable, entertaining and light-hearted read. I'm undecided on whether or not I will continue with this one.
Characters were realistic and relatable. Our heroine seemed to have a respectfully level head on her shoulders and she was naturally endearing. Supporting characters were all well-rounded and each brought something extra to the table. Our dueling hero's added an even more interesting element to the story, love triangles are always so entertaining.
The story was in a 'small-world' type base theme but there was a lot of growth going on and a lot of potential for expansion within it here so it definitely makes the idea of reading further into the series more intriguing.
I enjoyed that there was no inappropriate scenes of a romantic nature which books in this genre tend to have. You never really know what you're getting into when you pick up books for this age group, some are entirely too inappropriate while others are undelightfully immature. This author did a great job here with that.
Overall; An enjoyable, entertaining and light-hearted read. I'm undecided on whether or not I will continue with this one.
January 24, 2019
Great read
The main character Lexi is the most dimensioned character I've read this year. She is fearless, not only against the villans, we expect that in a hero but in her interactions. She is strong and oozes confidence though maybe she doesn't feel it.
The remainer of the cast too are interesting there is enough fodder here to support the further volumes.
It is book one, yet completes its stroy arc, no dangling plots here. Good compelling reading, reccomended!
The main character Lexi is the most dimensioned character I've read this year. She is fearless, not only against the villans, we expect that in a hero but in her interactions. She is strong and oozes confidence though maybe she doesn't feel it.
The remainer of the cast too are interesting there is enough fodder here to support the further volumes.
It is book one, yet completes its stroy arc, no dangling plots here. Good compelling reading, reccomended!
January 10, 2022
Great premise, but gets boring, cheesy, and stupid
The premise of this book was really great & promising, with all the premonitions. But gradually, it started getting cheesy and stupid. Also, many elements seemed to be borrowed from other book series, all mixed up together. Though it did got interesting again in the end, but I'm skeptical if I should read the next book in the series or not.
The premise of this book was really great & promising, with all the premonitions. But gradually, it started getting cheesy and stupid. Also, many elements seemed to be borrowed from other book series, all mixed up together. Though it did got interesting again in the end, but I'm skeptical if I should read the next book in the series or not.
April 1, 2018
Amethyst.
Heather Bowhay's, novel. Amethyst is an interesting refreshing at times hilarious for me new concept of,
Hunter prey narrative. In a both intimate and open
University town with a scenic rural environment.
With interesting and at times intriguing characters
interwoven in the community. As such I'd highly recommend
it as an impressive interesting read.
Heather Bowhay's, novel. Amethyst is an interesting refreshing at times hilarious for me new concept of,
Hunter prey narrative. In a both intimate and open
University town with a scenic rural environment.
With interesting and at times intriguing characters
interwoven in the community. As such I'd highly recommend
it as an impressive interesting read.
April 11, 2020
To Link, or not to Link!
A small college town in Washington- where Alex , her best friend, & Ben live as roommates- but Alex or Lexi as she’s sometimes called has premonitions & must move swiftly to
Help others before their demise- then there are amethysts , & Guardians, & others who are now so good at all
A small college town in Washington- where Alex , her best friend, & Ben live as roommates- but Alex or Lexi as she’s sometimes called has premonitions & must move swiftly to
Help others before their demise- then there are amethysts , & Guardians, & others who are now so good at all
January 3, 2023
Choices, choices, choices
Lexi moves to Washington to go to college along with friends Ben & Ally. Two guys after her attention, Jason & Ash, she doesn't want anything more than friendship for now. Plus, something else is going on with her. Read the book to find out what supernatural things are going on...
Lexi moves to Washington to go to college along with friends Ben & Ally. Two guys after her attention, Jason & Ash, she doesn't want anything more than friendship for now. Plus, something else is going on with her. Read the book to find out what supernatural things are going on...
May 5, 2018
This was an enjoyable read about Lexi and Ally who react to Lexi's premonitions by saving the lives of the people in the premonition. Lexi's life changes dramatically when she starts working with Jessica
December 25, 2018
Wow!
I almost stopped reading this book. It got off to a sloooow start, but FINALLY picked up. I was able to enjoy and finish the story. A few twists and turns but a good read. Bought book 2, will report on it soon.
I almost stopped reading this book. It got off to a sloooow start, but FINALLY picked up. I was able to enjoy and finish the story. A few twists and turns but a good read. Bought book 2, will report on it soon.
July 10, 2020
Awesome book 10 out of 10
Totally gripping story line learned a few new words. Can't wait to get the next part of the story. Miss Bowhay made an immensely well rounded story line in this first book.
Totally gripping story line learned a few new words. Can't wait to get the next part of the story. Miss Bowhay made an immensely well rounded story line in this first book.
November 14, 2021
Maybe it's not fair to read this since I just finished ACOTAR but this wasn't it. The main character was less than likeable, the love interest is a walking red flag (and not in a Rhys kind of way), and the supernatural aspect was a bit all over the place.
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