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Marked #1
Marked
Bayerly Easton has secrets, one her mentor died for to protect her. She leads a controlled life in order to survive. On a whim Bayerly decides to go to the Underground Club in New York, she didn't expect to run into teen Nightwatchers tracking a wayward vampire. This is the closest Bayerly's been to Nightwatchers, warriors tasked with protecting normies from line crossing supernaturals. She meets their leader, hot, caramel haired Will. She is pushed over the edge into Will's world sparking a match to her carefully constructed control when she almost died after an attack by a Gasher. How did she survive the poisonous attack that would have killed the most hardened supernatural? Why is she, a normie, being targeted? The Nightwatchers would like to know. Secrets have a way of coming out, Bayerly would like to know if she is going to survive...
224 pages, Paperback
First published February 14, 2013
2 people are currently reading
719 people want to read
About the author
Kate Flynn
3 books29 followersKate Flynn grew up in Illinois. She now lives in Virginia with her husband and two children. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading, plotting story lines, and exploring the Virginia sights with family.
Ways to connect with me:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/FlynnKat
Website: http://kateflynn.weebly.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FlynnKate
Ways to connect with me:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/FlynnKat
Website: http://kateflynn.weebly.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FlynnKate
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 3, 2013
This is my first review ever, and I really don’t know how to write one so bare with me. I’ve read some to see how it’s done and I’ve taken a few pointers. The reviews I loved were about story, entertainment value, and emotional impact. And the ones I didn’t were a bit too technical; misprints, typos and errors, ect. I know that mistakes in excess can have a negative affect on a story, but to me the art of story telling is about much more than punctuation, grammar, and astute dialogue. So, I’ve decided to base my reviews, here and in the future on these three things.
1. Was the story entertaining?
2. Was the author’s vision clear and easy to follow?
3. Did the story affect me in anyway?
With that being said, here is my review of “Marked” by Kate Flynn.
“Marked” is about a young girl named Bayerly Easton who is a princess in realm outside our own. After the murders of her family results in banishment from here home, Bayerly sets out to find the person responsible.
It took me a little while to get into this story, though maybe because I haven’t read many books of this type. I felt it would have helped me to have a prologue or something describing this world before I entered it. The author did a pretty good job of explaining much of the key elements within the story though, but there were some that went unexplained and popped up out of nowhere. The author also did a nice job in moving the story forward, one chapter picked up right where the previous one left off, keeping the action going. There were lulls in the action here and there, but when the fight scenes popped off it got real crazy. I found myself getting hype while reading the battles. The end was cool, a nice set up for the second installment. All in all, “Marked” was a pretty good read. (1) I found it entertaining, and (2) I thought Kate Flynn did a good job depicting this crazy otherworld. (3) Can’t say it effected me in anyway emotionally, but I don’t know that a story about werewolves, vampires and goblins is supposed to do that.
Bottom line: this is a fictional story. It is supposed to entertain, and in that sense Kate Flynn did a good job. I’d recommend to anyone into other realms, Gods, and Good vs. Evil style battles.
3.75stars
1. Was the story entertaining?
2. Was the author’s vision clear and easy to follow?
3. Did the story affect me in anyway?
With that being said, here is my review of “Marked” by Kate Flynn.
“Marked” is about a young girl named Bayerly Easton who is a princess in realm outside our own. After the murders of her family results in banishment from here home, Bayerly sets out to find the person responsible.
It took me a little while to get into this story, though maybe because I haven’t read many books of this type. I felt it would have helped me to have a prologue or something describing this world before I entered it. The author did a pretty good job of explaining much of the key elements within the story though, but there were some that went unexplained and popped up out of nowhere. The author also did a nice job in moving the story forward, one chapter picked up right where the previous one left off, keeping the action going. There were lulls in the action here and there, but when the fight scenes popped off it got real crazy. I found myself getting hype while reading the battles. The end was cool, a nice set up for the second installment. All in all, “Marked” was a pretty good read. (1) I found it entertaining, and (2) I thought Kate Flynn did a good job depicting this crazy otherworld. (3) Can’t say it effected me in anyway emotionally, but I don’t know that a story about werewolves, vampires and goblins is supposed to do that.
Bottom line: this is a fictional story. It is supposed to entertain, and in that sense Kate Flynn did a good job. I’d recommend to anyone into other realms, Gods, and Good vs. Evil style battles.
3.75stars
July 23, 2013
Very entertaining book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I was happy to know this went beyong just normal witches, vampire, book. Cant wait to find out what happens next in book 2! Still trying to figure out when that one is coming out...
April 13, 2013
3.5-4 Stars (I really liked the story a lot)
Bayerly Easton was kicked out of her home by her father when she was very young and was taken in by a man who became her mentor. Even though she is seen as a normie, she has special powers. Bayerly is on a mission to kill a creature she has hunted for a long time. However, one night, while hunting, she meets 4 Nightwatchers, Will, Camden, Xander and Anabelle. Bayerly has been alone for a long time and had been warned repeatedly to never trust anyone. However, she cannot help but be pulled into this family. Can she be part of the Nightwatchers or will her presence kill them?
I loved all four of the Nightwatchers. There is the sexy, bad boy Will who Bayerly has a hard time avoiding. Will is protective and kind and just everything I think Bayerly needs in a love interest. Xander, who I can only describe as lovable. Anabelle, even though she is tough and not the friendliest, I wanted to be her friend from the beginning. She shows people who she is from the beginning and I love that type of honesty. Last, but not least, there is Camden. I think he is my favorite. Camden is a Nightwatcher, but also has the power of persuasion. I would love his character to grow in this series. If not this series, than he needs his own. I have always been intrigued with characters that have the power to persuade individuals.
The writing was not bad, it was different. I actually liked it, but I had to get used to it. There was a switch in the POVs in the middle of the chapters without a space/break. At first, I was a little confused, but I got the hang of it. It did not take away from the story for me. I still could not wait to return to the book when I had to stop. When I had to break from reading, the book was always in back of my head wondering what was going to happen next. I looked forward to getting back to the book.
It was a great paranormal with a lot going on. There were a lot of different creatures and gods that I had to put together and try to figure out how they were all associated with one another, but once I put all the pieces together, the story took a life. It was good.
Did I skim? No.
Did I feel connected to the characters? Yes.
Do I look forward to the sequel? Yes!
Pace of the story: Really Good. You won’t be bored.
Positives: Unique story. Great characters.
Negatives: It took me some time to get used to the writing style, but once I did, the story flowed. I don’t think the cover portrays the story correctly.
Do I look forward to the sequel? YES!!! More Camden please!!! He needs a good love interest. Someone who does not think he is a god. He needs a good challenge.
Do I recommend? Yes.
Book Format Read: A copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
http://www.shebookblogs.com/
Bayerly Easton was kicked out of her home by her father when she was very young and was taken in by a man who became her mentor. Even though she is seen as a normie, she has special powers. Bayerly is on a mission to kill a creature she has hunted for a long time. However, one night, while hunting, she meets 4 Nightwatchers, Will, Camden, Xander and Anabelle. Bayerly has been alone for a long time and had been warned repeatedly to never trust anyone. However, she cannot help but be pulled into this family. Can she be part of the Nightwatchers or will her presence kill them?
I loved all four of the Nightwatchers. There is the sexy, bad boy Will who Bayerly has a hard time avoiding. Will is protective and kind and just everything I think Bayerly needs in a love interest. Xander, who I can only describe as lovable. Anabelle, even though she is tough and not the friendliest, I wanted to be her friend from the beginning. She shows people who she is from the beginning and I love that type of honesty. Last, but not least, there is Camden. I think he is my favorite. Camden is a Nightwatcher, but also has the power of persuasion. I would love his character to grow in this series. If not this series, than he needs his own. I have always been intrigued with characters that have the power to persuade individuals.
The writing was not bad, it was different. I actually liked it, but I had to get used to it. There was a switch in the POVs in the middle of the chapters without a space/break. At first, I was a little confused, but I got the hang of it. It did not take away from the story for me. I still could not wait to return to the book when I had to stop. When I had to break from reading, the book was always in back of my head wondering what was going to happen next. I looked forward to getting back to the book.
It was a great paranormal with a lot going on. There were a lot of different creatures and gods that I had to put together and try to figure out how they were all associated with one another, but once I put all the pieces together, the story took a life. It was good.
Did I skim? No.
Did I feel connected to the characters? Yes.
Do I look forward to the sequel? Yes!
Pace of the story: Really Good. You won’t be bored.
Positives: Unique story. Great characters.
Negatives: It took me some time to get used to the writing style, but once I did, the story flowed. I don’t think the cover portrays the story correctly.
Do I look forward to the sequel? YES!!! More Camden please!!! He needs a good love interest. Someone who does not think he is a god. He needs a good challenge.
Do I recommend? Yes.
Book Format Read: A copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
http://www.shebookblogs.com/
October 6, 2013
I won this book as a first reads, and read half before a book conference and the other half after returning from the conference and getting resettled in life in general.
First and foremost, there is a very good story at the root of this book. Bayerly is a princess from another realm who is forced away from her realm and her home when her father believes that she caused the death of her mother and young brother. She is banished from her home, life and all that she has ever known, defenseless in a new world. She is taken in by Grimwald, a Wizard who looks upon her as a daughter, and through great risk to his own life teaches her to defend herself before giving more of himself than one would think possible to keep her safe.
The story begins with Bayerly on the hunt for a warlock that is actually hunting her. She ends up following a group of teenaged Nightwatchers and before long is taken in by the group. This tale takes on paranormal creatures and mythical gods of land, sea, and the elements. I was drawn in, primarily because of Bayerly's powers and the fact that she has an interesting story. This is obviously the start of a series, and I am definitely interested in where the story goes from here.
With that said, this book was a bit of a challenge for me to get through. There were a great many creatures/beings/gods introduced in the story out of the blue and at times it was difficult to keep track of them and their importance to the story and the main character.
The sentences jumped between tenses and as a reader I kept feeling as though I was thrown out of the story every time this happened. I didn't see proof marked on my copy, but it was uncorrected and there were many words missing, misspellings, and missing prepositions. The author should fire her editor because they missed a lot of mistakes. I would have given this book a better rating, but the story was bogged down by the mistakes in the text.
First and foremost, there is a very good story at the root of this book. Bayerly is a princess from another realm who is forced away from her realm and her home when her father believes that she caused the death of her mother and young brother. She is banished from her home, life and all that she has ever known, defenseless in a new world. She is taken in by Grimwald, a Wizard who looks upon her as a daughter, and through great risk to his own life teaches her to defend herself before giving more of himself than one would think possible to keep her safe.
The story begins with Bayerly on the hunt for a warlock that is actually hunting her. She ends up following a group of teenaged Nightwatchers and before long is taken in by the group. This tale takes on paranormal creatures and mythical gods of land, sea, and the elements. I was drawn in, primarily because of Bayerly's powers and the fact that she has an interesting story. This is obviously the start of a series, and I am definitely interested in where the story goes from here.
With that said, this book was a bit of a challenge for me to get through. There were a great many creatures/beings/gods introduced in the story out of the blue and at times it was difficult to keep track of them and their importance to the story and the main character.
The sentences jumped between tenses and as a reader I kept feeling as though I was thrown out of the story every time this happened. I didn't see proof marked on my copy, but it was uncorrected and there were many words missing, misspellings, and missing prepositions. The author should fire her editor because they missed a lot of mistakes. I would have given this book a better rating, but the story was bogged down by the mistakes in the text.
July 1, 2013
Bayerly Easton visits a club and runs into teen Nightwatchers who are tracking a vampire. When she meets and begins to fall for Will, the leader of the Nightwatchers, she debates whether she is better off alone or sticking with the group. Each time she decides to leave, something prevents her from walking out the door. Bayerly has many secrets in her past, but the secrets have a way of coming out. The Nightwatchers begin to question who she is and why she, a normie, is being targeted.
This book was exciting and had a great plot. Bayerly is a strong, independent woman who is used to being alone. She genuinely wants what is best for everyone, even if it means leaving the guy she likes to be alone. I liked the rest of the Nightwatchers and all of their different personalities. I especially loved Finn, Will's little brother. He is such a sweet and innocent little boy who just wants to fit in with the rest of them. I enjoyed this book and the ending leaves an opening for a sequel.
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This book was exciting and had a great plot. Bayerly is a strong, independent woman who is used to being alone. She genuinely wants what is best for everyone, even if it means leaving the guy she likes to be alone. I liked the rest of the Nightwatchers and all of their different personalities. I especially loved Finn, Will's little brother. He is such a sweet and innocent little boy who just wants to fit in with the rest of them. I enjoyed this book and the ending leaves an opening for a sequel.
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
July 31, 2013
I liked this book. It definitely felt and read like a young adult book, which it was. The world and mythos was different from so many other paranormal fantasy books out there. The story flowed well and I enjoyed the story and the characters. I would have finished reading it in one sitting, but had to sleep in the middle.
I think anyone that enjoys paranormal fantasy or young adult would really like this book. It is a quick, light read.
In compliance with FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I think anyone that enjoys paranormal fantasy or young adult would really like this book. It is a quick, light read.
In compliance with FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
December 27, 2013
An alright story, needs some polishing.
Marked tells the story of Bayerly, a girl with a secret that falls in with a group of teens who hunt rogue monsters (otherworlders, like vampires, werewolves, etc.). As stated in the book's description, she falls for the alpha in the group, an egotistical, yet charming boy named Will.
In general, I liked this story for it's action and for the gradual way Bayerly's secret past is revealed. For the action scenes, I almost felt like I was right in there with them, especially in the later fights where hordes of creepy zombie things were after them.
Unlike some stories where the backstory is revealed in a huge chunk at the beginning, the author of Marked reveals Bayerly's past and the origins of her talent in small bits here and there, which, in my case, kept the story interesting and made me want to keep reading to find out more. And, I must say I was surprised by the nature of her origins when they were finally revealed in total. Besides that, both her talent and how she got it are fascinating and unique, and Bayerly herself is one tough and independent girl.
I had no trouble sticking with this book because it flows quickly from one scene to the next, but sometimes things happen a little too quickly or easily. In particular, the dialog seems rushed, certain conclusions seem to be jumped to prematurely, and the attraction between Will and Bayerly seems a bit too instant to be entirely believable.
As for Will, his temper and reactions to any resistance or non-Will oriented behavior from Bayerly made him unlikable at times. He seems alright here and there, but then again it seems like a relationship with him would not be a healthy one. I kept hoping that Bayerly would ditch him for Xander, or just about anyone else, but I don't think she will. The story doesn't seem to be building to a love triangle, which I'm sure some will find refreshing, but I'm just disappointed Will had to be such a jerk. I'm hoping he'll get over himself a bit in the coming books and maybe grow into someone more likeable.
Overall, I kind of liked this story. It's somewhat unique in places while still playing up the otherworldly monster themes popular in today's YA genre. I enjoyed the backstory and the fight scenes the most and think that those who like YA stories with a mysterious and tough heroine will enjoy this story. On the other hand, the story would benefit from some editorial polishing for pace and dialog.
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
Marked tells the story of Bayerly, a girl with a secret that falls in with a group of teens who hunt rogue monsters (otherworlders, like vampires, werewolves, etc.). As stated in the book's description, she falls for the alpha in the group, an egotistical, yet charming boy named Will.
In general, I liked this story for it's action and for the gradual way Bayerly's secret past is revealed. For the action scenes, I almost felt like I was right in there with them, especially in the later fights where hordes of creepy zombie things were after them.
Unlike some stories where the backstory is revealed in a huge chunk at the beginning, the author of Marked reveals Bayerly's past and the origins of her talent in small bits here and there, which, in my case, kept the story interesting and made me want to keep reading to find out more. And, I must say I was surprised by the nature of her origins when they were finally revealed in total. Besides that, both her talent and how she got it are fascinating and unique, and Bayerly herself is one tough and independent girl.
I had no trouble sticking with this book because it flows quickly from one scene to the next, but sometimes things happen a little too quickly or easily. In particular, the dialog seems rushed, certain conclusions seem to be jumped to prematurely, and the attraction between Will and Bayerly seems a bit too instant to be entirely believable.
As for Will, his temper and reactions to any resistance or non-Will oriented behavior from Bayerly made him unlikable at times. He seems alright here and there, but then again it seems like a relationship with him would not be a healthy one. I kept hoping that Bayerly would ditch him for Xander, or just about anyone else, but I don't think she will. The story doesn't seem to be building to a love triangle, which I'm sure some will find refreshing, but I'm just disappointed Will had to be such a jerk. I'm hoping he'll get over himself a bit in the coming books and maybe grow into someone more likeable.
Overall, I kind of liked this story. It's somewhat unique in places while still playing up the otherworldly monster themes popular in today's YA genre. I enjoyed the backstory and the fight scenes the most and think that those who like YA stories with a mysterious and tough heroine will enjoy this story. On the other hand, the story would benefit from some editorial polishing for pace and dialog.
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
August 12, 2013
I won a copy on Goodreads Firstreads.
Bayerly has secrets. Secrets that she must protect to stay alive. Secrets that keep her from getting close to anyone for fear that they could be hurt or killed. But when she gets involved with a group of teen Nightwatchers (warriors who protect normal people from supernatural creatures who cross the line), she has to decide if she can trust them to help protect those secrets or if she should run away from them as quickly as she can.
This was definitely a gem in the rough.I liked the premise of the story very much. For the most part, I enjoyed the characters as well. What made this rough was the writing though. Thers was quite a bit of strange sentence structuring. Also those printer gremlins caused quite a few incorrect words to be used as well as words being left out or added.
I understand why Bayerly's past is kept secret. But things like the Nightwatchers organization could have been better explained. I never really got a good grasp of how they worked. Also some of the supernatural creatures could have been explained better.
Overall the book felt more like a rough draft than a finished product to me. A good editor could have made this book a 5 star read. Even with the roughness, I would still rate this book between 3.5 and 4 stars (rounded off to 4 since this is an early work and I fully expect the author will continue to improve.)
Bayerly has secrets. Secrets that she must protect to stay alive. Secrets that keep her from getting close to anyone for fear that they could be hurt or killed. But when she gets involved with a group of teen Nightwatchers (warriors who protect normal people from supernatural creatures who cross the line), she has to decide if she can trust them to help protect those secrets or if she should run away from them as quickly as she can.
This was definitely a gem in the rough.I liked the premise of the story very much. For the most part, I enjoyed the characters as well. What made this rough was the writing though. Thers was quite a bit of strange sentence structuring. Also those printer gremlins caused quite a few incorrect words to be used as well as words being left out or added.
I understand why Bayerly's past is kept secret. But things like the Nightwatchers organization could have been better explained. I never really got a good grasp of how they worked. Also some of the supernatural creatures could have been explained better.
Overall the book felt more like a rough draft than a finished product to me. A good editor could have made this book a 5 star read. Even with the roughness, I would still rate this book between 3.5 and 4 stars (rounded off to 4 since this is an early work and I fully expect the author will continue to improve.)
August 26, 2013
First off I won my copy of this book via a giveaway hosted by Goodreads.
Some people say that pacing makes or breaks a story. This is partially true. Pacing is very critical. If the plot moves too fast it is either unbelievable or confusing...or both. If it moves too slow the reader can become bored. This plot moved way too fast and very sporadically. There are also people that say an author wold be nothing without a good editor. Even the best of authors need an editor. Editors are the people that take an interesting pebble of a story and shine and polish and cut it into an exquisite gem of masterful storytelling. I would have like this book much better, I think, if there had been a good editor to polish it. The premise itself is good, though.
Some people say that pacing makes or breaks a story. This is partially true. Pacing is very critical. If the plot moves too fast it is either unbelievable or confusing...or both. If it moves too slow the reader can become bored. This plot moved way too fast and very sporadically. There are also people that say an author wold be nothing without a good editor. Even the best of authors need an editor. Editors are the people that take an interesting pebble of a story and shine and polish and cut it into an exquisite gem of masterful storytelling. I would have like this book much better, I think, if there had been a good editor to polish it. The premise itself is good, though.
April 29, 2013
OK....not a bad story but reminded me too much of another series...I have read LOTS of books and have noticed books can have similar themes, etc...... but from the beginning this book reminded me of another book series, with too many similarities to mention. There were some cool characters..... I love male characters so of course Will was my fave followed by Win and finally Camden and Aiden, but as much as I want to say I couldn't put it down...the truth is it was "OK". I love Indie writers and honestly they are some of my faves... I will read the next one because I want to see where then story goes......I did like the tie in of Zeus and Hades.... we'll see where it goes!!!
July 19, 2015
It had a good plot line and the story was good, the writing was just so juvenile I could barely get through it!! I felt like I was reading some random persons very first attempt at writing a novel. The way it would switch narrators and pov's was confusing as well.
September 18, 2014
Some decent (if unoriginal) ideas for an Urban Fantasy, but the writing is just not good. I couldn't get far with this one.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews