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Eternelles #1
Inescapable
An immortal born from an unlikely alliance...
Beautiful mythic Greek heiress Adrasteia 'Adri' Dionysios has roamed the world for millennia, taking her pleasure where she wanted. Until one night, when Fate drops a baby wrapped in fire into her arms. Motherhood is a formidable challenge, but so is figuring out the identity of a mystery man who makes her pulse race.
A vampyre’s obsession…
Seraphine 'Sera' Dionysios' origins are shrouded in mystery. Torn between a mother whose blood saved her life, and a man who now possesses her soul, the only thing Sera can still cling to is her heart.
One rule matters above all others: Always protect the portal…
When Evil comes to Adri and Sera’s hometown of Shadow Bridge, a place where the mortal human world ends and the supernatural realm starts, it’s up to them to stop a prophecy as old as time itself...or die trying.
Beautiful mythic Greek heiress Adrasteia 'Adri' Dionysios has roamed the world for millennia, taking her pleasure where she wanted. Until one night, when Fate drops a baby wrapped in fire into her arms. Motherhood is a formidable challenge, but so is figuring out the identity of a mystery man who makes her pulse race.
A vampyre’s obsession…
Seraphine 'Sera' Dionysios' origins are shrouded in mystery. Torn between a mother whose blood saved her life, and a man who now possesses her soul, the only thing Sera can still cling to is her heart.
One rule matters above all others: Always protect the portal…
When Evil comes to Adri and Sera’s hometown of Shadow Bridge, a place where the mortal human world ends and the supernatural realm starts, it’s up to them to stop a prophecy as old as time itself...or die trying.
194 pages, ebook
First published May 1, 2013
18 people are currently reading
265 people want to read
About the author
Natalie G. Owens
29 books84 followersUSA Today bestselling author. Natalie G. Owens is a Harlequin's 'So You Think You Can Write' contest finalist (2010), an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award quarter-finalist (2013), and a Kindle Book Review Awards Nominee for Best Romance (2013). Her tastes are varied: She writes urban fantasy, paranormal romance, romantic suspense and contemporary romance. She is also a professional editor. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, watching a good movie, wine and cheese platters, traveling, and surfing for the perfect bohemian tunic and kimono coat. Most of all, she loves to meet and communicate with readers.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 10, 2013
The duo of Ms. Owens and Ms. Monodee is fabulous. The mythos they’ve created grabbed me, drew me into the story, and held me there until I finished reading it.
The mother/daughter dynamic was true-to-life I found their banter to be strained yet endearing at the same time, not unlike the mortal realm. Sera and Adri were extremely well written and immediately likeable.
Their romantic entanglements made me yearn for more, to learn more about the men in their lives. Not to mention they were hot enough to make me fan my face.
Ms. Owens and Ms. Monodee created a world suitable for the Greek gods. The authors managed to make them human enough to seem real and tangible. The mythos of Inescapable made the story a must read. Add in the romance and you have a story that should be on every paranormal romance lover’s bookshelf.
And trust me when I say the ending will have you wanting more.
Kuddos to Ms. Owens and Ms. Monodee for creating an excellent starting point to their Eternelles series. A definite five star read.
The mother/daughter dynamic was true-to-life I found their banter to be strained yet endearing at the same time, not unlike the mortal realm. Sera and Adri were extremely well written and immediately likeable.
Their romantic entanglements made me yearn for more, to learn more about the men in their lives. Not to mention they were hot enough to make me fan my face.
Ms. Owens and Ms. Monodee created a world suitable for the Greek gods. The authors managed to make them human enough to seem real and tangible. The mythos of Inescapable made the story a must read. Add in the romance and you have a story that should be on every paranormal romance lover’s bookshelf.
And trust me when I say the ending will have you wanting more.
Kuddos to Ms. Owens and Ms. Monodee for creating an excellent starting point to their Eternelles series. A definite five star read.
July 7, 2013
Adri and Sera, battling it out thorough out this PNR romance story over intense yet silly mother-daughter conflicts that I can completely relate to. As I read I often thought if my sister wanted to slap me and my mother as much as I wanted to slap the two of them.
Adri has difficulties letting go and allowing her daughter to grow-up and become a woman. Sara wants her independence but is still acting so much like a child despite her over 100 years of age.
Throughout the book this conflict grows in the face of many other adversaries And challenges as they try to protect The Portal, A thin mystical barrier holding back some demon nasties vying to enter our world. So with this end of the world kind of confrontation these two need to get it together.
In comes Des, potentially a demon but no one is quite sure and great hot alpha male overlord vampire, Rafe.
Both women resist love in the face of their conflict with each other, within the context of trying to maintain The Portal. Adri travels all over trying to solve the mysteries of the Portal while attempting to save her daughter. Sera tries to find herself while rejecting her mothers efforts to be saved.
This was a good story, well written. The conflict was believable between mother and daughter but I struggled with understanding the reasons Sera was running away from Rafe.
I had a hard time getting into the book in the beginning, it took a few chapters to understand what was going on, who Adri was and her relationship with Sera. Once I got into though it was a quick read with page turner worthiness!!! I am not at all happy with the ending however... Ugh I hate cliffhangers... I'm dying to find out what's next!!! The leads we're strong women, however the book did not delve deep enough into the men to truly feel the bonds forming between Adri and Des and Sera and Rafe. Hopefully we will learn more in the next installment.
**book provided by the Author through PNR NaUBA group Author/Reader Exchange
Adri has difficulties letting go and allowing her daughter to grow-up and become a woman. Sara wants her independence but is still acting so much like a child despite her over 100 years of age.
Throughout the book this conflict grows in the face of many other adversaries And challenges as they try to protect The Portal, A thin mystical barrier holding back some demon nasties vying to enter our world. So with this end of the world kind of confrontation these two need to get it together.
In comes Des, potentially a demon but no one is quite sure and great hot alpha male overlord vampire, Rafe.
Both women resist love in the face of their conflict with each other, within the context of trying to maintain The Portal. Adri travels all over trying to solve the mysteries of the Portal while attempting to save her daughter. Sera tries to find herself while rejecting her mothers efforts to be saved.
This was a good story, well written. The conflict was believable between mother and daughter but I struggled with understanding the reasons Sera was running away from Rafe.
I had a hard time getting into the book in the beginning, it took a few chapters to understand what was going on, who Adri was and her relationship with Sera. Once I got into though it was a quick read with page turner worthiness!!! I am not at all happy with the ending however... Ugh I hate cliffhangers... I'm dying to find out what's next!!! The leads we're strong women, however the book did not delve deep enough into the men to truly feel the bonds forming between Adri and Des and Sera and Rafe. Hopefully we will learn more in the next installment.
**book provided by the Author through PNR NaUBA group Author/Reader Exchange
April 22, 2013
I was given an ARC to review this book pre-release and OMG!!! As a Mythic Fiction author I knew from the first chapter this book was going to be good! Gypsies/Fae/Vampires/Phoenix there is so much mythology and legend but its beautifully wrapped and weaved into a believable world (a world where they all exist together instead of separate folklore). Sera starts off a bit whiny/bitchy but as the crap hits the fan she develops and starts to "grow up" which is a bit funny considering she is immortal and has been "grown up" for a while.
The Authors have weaved their world beautifully complete with Vampire Federations and Greek Gods. A very FAMILIAR Egyptian goddess is part of the story and of course never come between a mother and her child. I am not sure if I can tell too much more beyond that without giving away too much. I can say this, it sort of ends on a "sort of cliff hanger". Great Job Authors!
The Authors have weaved their world beautifully complete with Vampire Federations and Greek Gods. A very FAMILIAR Egyptian goddess is part of the story and of course never come between a mother and her child. I am not sure if I can tell too much more beyond that without giving away too much. I can say this, it sort of ends on a "sort of cliff hanger". Great Job Authors!
May 10, 2013
Inescapable kicks off the brand spanking new, awesome series by Zee Monodee and Natalie G. Owens. Mythologies collide and the fab writing duo have created a believable world filled with supernatural occurrences and citizens, not to mention their own town where those supernaturals can live alongside one another.
With humour, action, and a lot of sizzling chemistry between our leading ladies and the mysterious and yummy men in their lives, Inescapable; Book 1 in the Eternelles Series is a fab read.
Sera and Adri have a very typical mother/daughter relationship, which is actually rather refreshing within this genre as I, personally, haven’t read many family orientated paranormal/urban fantasy books, but that is what makes this book stand out. Not only do we have romance, action, and an impending threat to mankind – with a fab spin on how that is going to go down in this world – we have angst between parent and child. Not that these two are ordinary; immortal, powerful, and in a heap load of trouble, but definitely not ordinary.
Book 1 is the perfect introduction to the series; well written, informative, creative, and with enough laughs, and action. It does end on a cliff-hanger, but I really can’t wait to find out more.
All in all, it's a brilliant book. The duo have twisted mythology and the supernatural and created this fab story, which I have to say reminds me a lot of Charmed. It's very family orientated, but with a huge hit of paranormal, a splash of chemistry and humour and my god, a handful of delicious men. It's definitely a must read for anyone who likes paranormal fiction.
(This book was received from author in exchange for an honest review.)
With humour, action, and a lot of sizzling chemistry between our leading ladies and the mysterious and yummy men in their lives, Inescapable; Book 1 in the Eternelles Series is a fab read.
Sera and Adri have a very typical mother/daughter relationship, which is actually rather refreshing within this genre as I, personally, haven’t read many family orientated paranormal/urban fantasy books, but that is what makes this book stand out. Not only do we have romance, action, and an impending threat to mankind – with a fab spin on how that is going to go down in this world – we have angst between parent and child. Not that these two are ordinary; immortal, powerful, and in a heap load of trouble, but definitely not ordinary.
Book 1 is the perfect introduction to the series; well written, informative, creative, and with enough laughs, and action. It does end on a cliff-hanger, but I really can’t wait to find out more.
All in all, it's a brilliant book. The duo have twisted mythology and the supernatural and created this fab story, which I have to say reminds me a lot of Charmed. It's very family orientated, but with a huge hit of paranormal, a splash of chemistry and humour and my god, a handful of delicious men. It's definitely a must read for anyone who likes paranormal fiction.
(This book was received from author in exchange for an honest review.)
June 12, 2013
Natalie Owens and Zee Monodee’s Inescapable is a well-written, deftly-imagined work of urban fantasy. The story starts at a gasp-inducing gallop and doesn’t really slow down, even as it takes the reader on a romp that includes vampires, werewolves, faes, shape-shifters, and Olympus “gods” who are brought into the modern day.
Owens/Monodee’s voice is lush, expansive, bright, and full of descriptive phrases. The co-authors brings a hint of Gothic Victorian into the New Adult/YA/Urban Fantasy genre. There were times when the metaphors missed the mark or appeared a tad forced, and some of the phraseology was more blunt object in the head than delicate surgical incision, but this “tell a lot, show a little less way” of writing may be dictated by the genre.
Speaking of the genre, I am no expert on this type of story. I shy away from these sort of books usually. Just as Zeus and Dionysius felt out of place in our world, I, as a reader and as a thinker, feel uncomfortable in a world inhabited by vampires and other imaginary evil characters. Perhaps I’ve seen too much real evil to feel comfortable with blood-sucking monsters.
I offer this personal hesitation as part of my review so that you realize that the kudos I give the authors for pacing, plotting and creation of likable but realistic heroines is all the more sincere. I truly liked Sera and Adri, the heroines, and care what happens to them in the remaining books to come in this series.
Overall, I rank Inescapable with a solid four stars, and recommend it to readers, especially those who enjoy strong heroines, imaginary battles between paranormal characters and fast-paced urban fantasy.
Oh. And the sex scenes. Ha! They sizzled! Well-done!
Owens/Monodee’s voice is lush, expansive, bright, and full of descriptive phrases. The co-authors brings a hint of Gothic Victorian into the New Adult/YA/Urban Fantasy genre. There were times when the metaphors missed the mark or appeared a tad forced, and some of the phraseology was more blunt object in the head than delicate surgical incision, but this “tell a lot, show a little less way” of writing may be dictated by the genre.
Speaking of the genre, I am no expert on this type of story. I shy away from these sort of books usually. Just as Zeus and Dionysius felt out of place in our world, I, as a reader and as a thinker, feel uncomfortable in a world inhabited by vampires and other imaginary evil characters. Perhaps I’ve seen too much real evil to feel comfortable with blood-sucking monsters.
I offer this personal hesitation as part of my review so that you realize that the kudos I give the authors for pacing, plotting and creation of likable but realistic heroines is all the more sincere. I truly liked Sera and Adri, the heroines, and care what happens to them in the remaining books to come in this series.
Overall, I rank Inescapable with a solid four stars, and recommend it to readers, especially those who enjoy strong heroines, imaginary battles between paranormal characters and fast-paced urban fantasy.
Oh. And the sex scenes. Ha! They sizzled! Well-done!
June 9, 2013
Inescapable, book one in the Eternelles series is a promising start to this series.
It’s never a dull moment for mother and Daughter Adri and Sera. Sera Part Phoenix, part Vampyre and an eternelle, is feeling the pressure of dominance from her controlling mother ‘Adri’ and Rafe, the Vampyre who turned her. Left alone for a century, Rafe appears to stake his claim on Sera and her body just when the pressure of her mother increases when a mystery is to be solved.
Adri daughter of Dionysos, the Greek god of wine and revelry, is at her wits end, after her friend is killed by a soul stealer and a statue is stolen, her daughter Sera is now in danger and tries to protect her at all costs. But Sera fights her control at every corner. When Des comes on the scene Adri’s feelings for the mysterious man complicate things further and adds to the stress and mystery and the passion.
My only criticism on the book is in some parts, there is a tad tendency of over description between a question, a though and an answer, that sometimes you have to read back to refresh what was said.” And at first I was a little confused as to which character you were reading from their prospective as it changes throughout the book, though that said, I enjoyed the writing style.
I liked all the characters and secretly hope that Rafe will be a knight in shining armour for Sera and the same with Des to Adri.
A book with passion, obsession, mystery and murder, it’s a recipe for a brilliant series, which I hope book two ‘Indomitable’ won’t be a too long wait?
It’s never a dull moment for mother and Daughter Adri and Sera. Sera Part Phoenix, part Vampyre and an eternelle, is feeling the pressure of dominance from her controlling mother ‘Adri’ and Rafe, the Vampyre who turned her. Left alone for a century, Rafe appears to stake his claim on Sera and her body just when the pressure of her mother increases when a mystery is to be solved.
Adri daughter of Dionysos, the Greek god of wine and revelry, is at her wits end, after her friend is killed by a soul stealer and a statue is stolen, her daughter Sera is now in danger and tries to protect her at all costs. But Sera fights her control at every corner. When Des comes on the scene Adri’s feelings for the mysterious man complicate things further and adds to the stress and mystery and the passion.
My only criticism on the book is in some parts, there is a tad tendency of over description between a question, a though and an answer, that sometimes you have to read back to refresh what was said.” And at first I was a little confused as to which character you were reading from their prospective as it changes throughout the book, though that said, I enjoyed the writing style.
I liked all the characters and secretly hope that Rafe will be a knight in shining armour for Sera and the same with Des to Adri.
A book with passion, obsession, mystery and murder, it’s a recipe for a brilliant series, which I hope book two ‘Indomitable’ won’t be a too long wait?
May 20, 2013
Well, there’s only one thing I can say after finishing the last line of my review copy of Inescapable. And it’s “this is a fab start to what is promising to be a fab series !”
Honestly, I have been avoiding vampires since I got an overdose of Buffy, and I’ve been avoiding books that mix 2 or more non-human breeds because they were bound to create mumble-jumble in my brain. So yeah, call me worried after checking out the blurb. But hey, limits are made to be tested, right? So why not throw myself into a book that mixes immortals, vampires, weres, witches, faes, and I’m sure I’m missing a handful more !
My fear disappeared quickly, just a few pages in. Nevermind the breeds, it’s all about the characters. A clever mix which is introduced into the story little by little, and fab interactions (I dare anyone to not identify to Adri and Sera – I know I was just like that with my own mum) that will easily draw you in and make you love (or hate) the characters.
The story flows easily, the plot is interesting, and the end… Ah! The end…
No need to say I’ve already got my eyes on the next instalment and shall await its release very eagerly :)
Honestly, I have been avoiding vampires since I got an overdose of Buffy, and I’ve been avoiding books that mix 2 or more non-human breeds because they were bound to create mumble-jumble in my brain. So yeah, call me worried after checking out the blurb. But hey, limits are made to be tested, right? So why not throw myself into a book that mixes immortals, vampires, weres, witches, faes, and I’m sure I’m missing a handful more !
My fear disappeared quickly, just a few pages in. Nevermind the breeds, it’s all about the characters. A clever mix which is introduced into the story little by little, and fab interactions (I dare anyone to not identify to Adri and Sera – I know I was just like that with my own mum) that will easily draw you in and make you love (or hate) the characters.
The story flows easily, the plot is interesting, and the end… Ah! The end…
No need to say I’ve already got my eyes on the next instalment and shall await its release very eagerly :)
July 3, 2013
OMG how could you do this to me? Really? To ME?
This absolutely amazing 5***** book has such fantastic imagery and detailed world-building and character building I should have KNOWN it was too good to be true! I should have known by the beautiful descriptions of a world within our own; a world attempting to balance itself between the Nature and Elements it is based on and the 21st century that goes on around it.
This book reaches into you and pulls emotion from you like a magician pulling a scarf out of a sleeve. It opens you up to the possibilities of life and laughter and love and allows you to see the joy to be found in the most simple of acts.
Imagine being an "Eternelles" as the series is. Feminine and eternal - that's what it means. Strong, resilient women who are capable of running their own lives, fighting their own battles, making their own choices and living with the consequences of those choices, whatever they may be. Such women would be alone - by choice and by fate - but together with each other at the same time. Mother and daughter living and working together, side by side, in both worlds. We know that eternity is a very long time and while they have each other now there is always a void to be filled - a place in her soul that calls to the one who belongs there, the one who has a place in his soul for her. Their paths to each other are never easy, never clear and never short but they always end together - in this life or the next; in this world or the other.
My complaint at the beginning - CLIFFHANGER ENDING! Cruel, tortuous, painful cliffhanger that leaves the reader BEGGING for more! Waiting (very im)patiently for Indomitable to come out.
Whether together or separate, Natalie G. Owens and Zee Mondee are definitely going on my TBR list. In fact, I'm gonna try and shove them as close to the top as I can without it tumbling over and squishing the juice out of me!
This absolutely amazing 5***** book has such fantastic imagery and detailed world-building and character building I should have KNOWN it was too good to be true! I should have known by the beautiful descriptions of a world within our own; a world attempting to balance itself between the Nature and Elements it is based on and the 21st century that goes on around it.
This book reaches into you and pulls emotion from you like a magician pulling a scarf out of a sleeve. It opens you up to the possibilities of life and laughter and love and allows you to see the joy to be found in the most simple of acts.
Imagine being an "Eternelles" as the series is. Feminine and eternal - that's what it means. Strong, resilient women who are capable of running their own lives, fighting their own battles, making their own choices and living with the consequences of those choices, whatever they may be. Such women would be alone - by choice and by fate - but together with each other at the same time. Mother and daughter living and working together, side by side, in both worlds. We know that eternity is a very long time and while they have each other now there is always a void to be filled - a place in her soul that calls to the one who belongs there, the one who has a place in his soul for her. Their paths to each other are never easy, never clear and never short but they always end together - in this life or the next; in this world or the other.
My complaint at the beginning - CLIFFHANGER ENDING! Cruel, tortuous, painful cliffhanger that leaves the reader BEGGING for more! Waiting (very im)patiently for Indomitable to come out.
Whether together or separate, Natalie G. Owens and Zee Mondee are definitely going on my TBR list. In fact, I'm gonna try and shove them as close to the top as I can without it tumbling over and squishing the juice out of me!
August 4, 2013
I'll start off by saying that I was totally completely confused this hole story, in fact i was confused a lot, and I do mean a lot. I really enjoyed the story it had all of my favorite things in it Greek Mythology God and Goddess, Supernaturals, and even witches. What's not to like about a story that has all of those in it? It was rather enjoyable.
However there was a couple of things that I didn't like in the story for starters it was the hole point of view thing I couldn't figure out which point of view I was reading from and it got really confusing a lot. Next would have to be that I couldn't figure out if this story was suppose to be a love story or a mystery but by the romance parts that were like super juicy and of course me being me I wanted more of the love story, or by all the things that Adri was trying to figure out turned out to be a mystery? Now that was confusing. As I finally would figure out whose point of view I was reading the story would change and it would be someone else's point of view.
But as the story was confusing it was actually really great. The mother and daughter love was great. The Mother was great she was Ares adopted sister and that was great I really liked hearing about the Gods that you don't normally hear about. Also that fact that in a small town it's nothing but supernaturals all living together and working together and know that when others not their kind come to act normal. I also liked how the mother Adri is a over protected mom who means well and is just trying to do everything she can for her daughter, Sera the daughter is a girl who just for once in her life wants to be independent, not knowing the dangers she's in due to her mothers protectiveness.
Sera has feeling for her vampire maker and her mother doesn't like that but at the same time Adri has feelings for a guy unknown. Once again it was a great story just confusing had to catch on quick.
However there was a couple of things that I didn't like in the story for starters it was the hole point of view thing I couldn't figure out which point of view I was reading from and it got really confusing a lot. Next would have to be that I couldn't figure out if this story was suppose to be a love story or a mystery but by the romance parts that were like super juicy and of course me being me I wanted more of the love story, or by all the things that Adri was trying to figure out turned out to be a mystery? Now that was confusing. As I finally would figure out whose point of view I was reading the story would change and it would be someone else's point of view.
But as the story was confusing it was actually really great. The mother and daughter love was great. The Mother was great she was Ares adopted sister and that was great I really liked hearing about the Gods that you don't normally hear about. Also that fact that in a small town it's nothing but supernaturals all living together and working together and know that when others not their kind come to act normal. I also liked how the mother Adri is a over protected mom who means well and is just trying to do everything she can for her daughter, Sera the daughter is a girl who just for once in her life wants to be independent, not knowing the dangers she's in due to her mothers protectiveness.
Sera has feeling for her vampire maker and her mother doesn't like that but at the same time Adri has feelings for a guy unknown. Once again it was a great story just confusing had to catch on quick.
August 1, 2013
This was not your usual paranormal romance. I really enjoyed the characters, and especially felt the emotions behind the mother daughter relationship between Sera and Adri. The mix of paranormal and mythical beings was intriguing, but a bit much for me to take in and keep straight. I can see how this would get easier as the series progresses. This first book did a good job of introducing the characters, beings, and otherworldly town of 'Shadow Bridge' that they all reside in. These are not waif like 2 dimensional characters, they are all complex in their own way. I wish this first installment would have given me some sort of closure until the next book, however I have ended it still feeling like I have no idea where the story is taking me. I would love to see more of the simmering romance between Rafe and Sera. Things got quite steamy in some scenes, but not overly so.
I want to thank the authors for allowing me to read their work of fiction in exchange for my honest review.
I want to thank the authors for allowing me to read their work of fiction in exchange for my honest review.
May 10, 2013
Ms. Monodee and Ms. Owens have done the near impossible. They have taken the Urban Fantasy genre and made it their own. You won't regret reading this book, you will regret missing it. --Rebecca Royce, author of The Westervelt Wolves series.
Inescapable is brilliant. I read a lot of PNR/UF and I can't get over how good this book is. Unique. I mean my god ladies a mother/daughter UF! WOW! The characters are engaging and exciting. I loved them.
Inescapable is brilliant. I read a lot of PNR/UF and I can't get over how good this book is. Unique. I mean my god ladies a mother/daughter UF! WOW! The characters are engaging and exciting. I loved them.
March 6, 2014
Update 10-Jul-2013: Rating downgraded from 2 stars to 1 star due to highly unusual and suspicious activity on my Amazon review since it posted, coupled with an incident that occurred on a different review prior to my review even being written.
Not sure if I’m caught in the middle of something unrelated to me or if someone is trying―very unsubtly―to send a message, but I have a strict “zero tolerance” policy re: such BS antics. Furthermore, I’m not superficial enough re: my stats to delete my Amazon review so to offload the negative votes. Instead, I’ll leave my review up as a potential warning to others: read and review this book/authors at your own risk.
_______________________
Not so much for me... May appeal more to MYA/NA readers
★½ (rounded up to account for my personal quirks)
THE SHORT: DNF @ 24%. Tried twice and on the second attempt, set a goal for 25% or 100 bookmarks, whichever came first (final tally = 127 bookmarks). Unfortunately, INESCAPABLE failed to capture and maintain my interest. I found myself focusing more on the haphazard/inconsistent world-building and characterizations, as well as flaws in the writing, technically and creatively.
THE LONG: I love mythology-based PNR so the blurb convinced me to try INESCAPABLE by NTM authors, Natalie G. Owens and Zee Monodee. The cover also caught my attention because unlike that for so many PNR, it depicted two females, thereby giving me the impression that the story would focus primarily on the two female MCs.
NB: Although I could give numerous examples from the 24% read, most of the specific ones below are limited to Chapter 1, which I’ve been told is not considered “spoiler-ish”.
(1) WORLD-BUILDING ISSUES: Whenever I read a genre other than contemporary, early world-building is critical. I need the story’s unique parameters to be established fairly quickly so that I have a basic foundation from which to absorb the rest of the storyline. But by the time of my DNF, I had more questions than answers, mainly due to certain inconsistencies. For example:
Right at the beginning, the reader learns that Sera was part phoenix/part gypsy until turned into a vampyre. But just before this revelation, there is mention of “the racing of her pulse” and “the faster beat of her heart”. Now, in most PNR, vamps don’t have pulses or heartbeats so are the vamps in INESCAPABLE somehow different? IDK; it’s never explained. Sera is later stated as being 124 years old but, per Adri, is stuck in a “moody teenage mentality”. Yes, Adri is biased as foster mum, but instead of making me empathise with the mother-daughter tension, a tiny alarm went off in my head that INESCAPABLE may have an NA bent.
Then, without any further backstory or development re: Sera, the scene shifts to Adri as she arrives at a charity function. The daughter of Dionysos and a maenad, Adri is a demi-goddess with certain powers, one of which is compulsion. But while she can compel a crowd to behave in a specific way and even alter the collective perception, she can’t control a single individual. (Why? IDK; the illogic is not explained away.) And yet, Adri is unable to prevent the men attending the event from staring lustfully at her. (Which then makes me wonder how many are required to constitute a “crowd”.)
As to the story’s setting, the reader is told that it’s April—specifically, the anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking—and the MCs are in NYC. However, they must return to their home in Shadow Bridge (which is where?) soon so to “seal the fabric between the dimensions” caused by the spring equinox and to protect the portal. That’s great, except what’s happening while “the veil between the worlds” is lifted? Are supernatural creatures free to roam about and travel back and forth? Which creatures reside where? Obviously, the portal is significant but what’s the danger if not protected? (IDK because again, no further details are provided when first mentioned, requiring me to tuck that query off to the side.)
(2) STORYLINE ISSUES: Too many inherent and factual contradictions preclude my ability to suspend disbelief and erode my reading enjoyment until I finally give up in frustration. (I also agree with another reviewer that there is a definite NA “feel” to INESCAPABLE.)
RE: Adri... She angered Zeus and thus, was banished to the mortal plane either “over two thousand years” ago or “close to three millennia”—that’s quite a difference in time. She also has a habit of thinking and cursing in French, which would be fine except that it’s incongruous with her Greek background and assumed persona of a Greek heiress. There’s nothing, even in passing, to indicate how or why she preferred French over her native Greek. Also, as a superficial aside, I think that her designer shoes should be referred to as “Louboutin Pigalle”, not “Pigalle Louboutin”. (And IMHO, they are a form of torture unless one gets the Pigalle Plato.)
Another sticking point with me is when a character fails to follow through on something = almost TSTL moments, not tension builders. Frex, Adri wondered several times as to Des’s nature but never asked him outright. Meanwhile, Des ominously says to the soul stealer, “Not if you die”, but then only snaps the soul stealer’s neck―which doesn’t kill the being (thereby permitting its escape later).
(3) TECHNICAL ISSUES: Due to my background, I can’t help but notice technical errors in writing. But I can usually overlook them if they are fairly innocuous (read: don’t make me pause to double check). From the very first page, there were numerous errors in comma and semi-colon use, as well as inconsistent use of past perfect tense when referring to events which occurred prior to the storyline.
In addition, I don’t mind sentence fragments and when done properly, they can be very effective. However, an incomplete sentence + incorrect punctuation = immediate brake to my reading. Punctuation is akin to traffic signals and signs; correct ones permit smooth driving (read: reading) while incorrect ones cause confusion and/or “accidents”.
Then there’s my pet peeve of the speaker and the actual dialogue appearing in separate paragraphs. As a traditionalist, I find it disruptive to reading flow and still don’t understand the rationale behind it.
Finally, repeated instances of words being misused sounded the death knell for me. Yes, I winced when “subliminal” was mistakenly used instead of “subconscious” early in the story. But the DNF point came when I read this:
I believe that “omitting” may have been intended, instead of “obliterating”. But if not, then I have no idea what the authors meant to convey.
Despite the above, I could see the potential for a good story and the different supernatural beings mentioned in the first quarter of the story are intriguing. I also admit to being curious as to the exact nature of the intense attraction between Sera and Rafe, as well as that between Adri and Des. So it’s possible that I may give INESCAPABLE another go in future when my brain is less inclined to notice errors.
* Review copy provided by the author via the PNR NaUBA group Author/Reader Exchange
Not sure if I’m caught in the middle of something unrelated to me or if someone is trying―very unsubtly―to send a message, but I have a strict “zero tolerance” policy re: such BS antics. Furthermore, I’m not superficial enough re: my stats to delete my Amazon review so to offload the negative votes. Instead, I’ll leave my review up as a potential warning to others: read and review this book/authors at your own risk.
_______________________
Not so much for me... May appeal more to MYA/NA readers
★½ (rounded up to account for my personal quirks)
THE SHORT: DNF @ 24%. Tried twice and on the second attempt, set a goal for 25% or 100 bookmarks, whichever came first (final tally = 127 bookmarks). Unfortunately, INESCAPABLE failed to capture and maintain my interest. I found myself focusing more on the haphazard/inconsistent world-building and characterizations, as well as flaws in the writing, technically and creatively.
THE LONG: I love mythology-based PNR so the blurb convinced me to try INESCAPABLE by NTM authors, Natalie G. Owens and Zee Monodee. The cover also caught my attention because unlike that for so many PNR, it depicted two females, thereby giving me the impression that the story would focus primarily on the two female MCs.
NB: Although I could give numerous examples from the 24% read, most of the specific ones below are limited to Chapter 1, which I’ve been told is not considered “spoiler-ish”.
(1) WORLD-BUILDING ISSUES: Whenever I read a genre other than contemporary, early world-building is critical. I need the story’s unique parameters to be established fairly quickly so that I have a basic foundation from which to absorb the rest of the storyline. But by the time of my DNF, I had more questions than answers, mainly due to certain inconsistencies. For example:
Right at the beginning, the reader learns that Sera was part phoenix/part gypsy until turned into a vampyre. But just before this revelation, there is mention of “the racing of her pulse” and “the faster beat of her heart”. Now, in most PNR, vamps don’t have pulses or heartbeats so are the vamps in INESCAPABLE somehow different? IDK; it’s never explained. Sera is later stated as being 124 years old but, per Adri, is stuck in a “moody teenage mentality”. Yes, Adri is biased as foster mum, but instead of making me empathise with the mother-daughter tension, a tiny alarm went off in my head that INESCAPABLE may have an NA bent.
Then, without any further backstory or development re: Sera, the scene shifts to Adri as she arrives at a charity function. The daughter of Dionysos and a maenad, Adri is a demi-goddess with certain powers, one of which is compulsion. But while she can compel a crowd to behave in a specific way and even alter the collective perception, she can’t control a single individual. (Why? IDK; the illogic is not explained away.) And yet, Adri is unable to prevent the men attending the event from staring lustfully at her. (Which then makes me wonder how many are required to constitute a “crowd”.)
As to the story’s setting, the reader is told that it’s April—specifically, the anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking—and the MCs are in NYC. However, they must return to their home in Shadow Bridge (which is where?) soon so to “seal the fabric between the dimensions” caused by the spring equinox and to protect the portal. That’s great, except what’s happening while “the veil between the worlds” is lifted? Are supernatural creatures free to roam about and travel back and forth? Which creatures reside where? Obviously, the portal is significant but what’s the danger if not protected? (IDK because again, no further details are provided when first mentioned, requiring me to tuck that query off to the side.)
(2) STORYLINE ISSUES: Too many inherent and factual contradictions preclude my ability to suspend disbelief and erode my reading enjoyment until I finally give up in frustration. (I also agree with another reviewer that there is a definite NA “feel” to INESCAPABLE.)
RE: Adri... She angered Zeus and thus, was banished to the mortal plane either “over two thousand years” ago or “close to three millennia”—that’s quite a difference in time. She also has a habit of thinking and cursing in French, which would be fine except that it’s incongruous with her Greek background and assumed persona of a Greek heiress. There’s nothing, even in passing, to indicate how or why she preferred French over her native Greek. Also, as a superficial aside, I think that her designer shoes should be referred to as “Louboutin Pigalle”, not “Pigalle Louboutin”. (And IMHO, they are a form of torture unless one gets the Pigalle Plato.)
Another sticking point with me is when a character fails to follow through on something = almost TSTL moments, not tension builders. Frex, Adri wondered several times as to Des’s nature but never asked him outright. Meanwhile, Des ominously says to the soul stealer, “Not if you die”, but then only snaps the soul stealer’s neck―which doesn’t kill the being (thereby permitting its escape later).
(3) TECHNICAL ISSUES: Due to my background, I can’t help but notice technical errors in writing. But I can usually overlook them if they are fairly innocuous (read: don’t make me pause to double check). From the very first page, there were numerous errors in comma and semi-colon use, as well as inconsistent use of past perfect tense when referring to events which occurred prior to the storyline.
In addition, I don’t mind sentence fragments and when done properly, they can be very effective. However, an incomplete sentence + incorrect punctuation = immediate brake to my reading. Punctuation is akin to traffic signals and signs; correct ones permit smooth driving (read: reading) while incorrect ones cause confusion and/or “accidents”.
Then there’s my pet peeve of the speaker and the actual dialogue appearing in separate paragraphs. As a traditionalist, I find it disruptive to reading flow and still don’t understand the rationale behind it.
Finally, repeated instances of words being misused sounded the death knell for me. Yes, I winced when “subliminal” was mistakenly used instead of “subconscious” early in the story. But the DNF point came when I read this:
She recounted what she knew, obliterating no detail.
I believe that “omitting” may have been intended, instead of “obliterating”. But if not, then I have no idea what the authors meant to convey.
Despite the above, I could see the potential for a good story and the different supernatural beings mentioned in the first quarter of the story are intriguing. I also admit to being curious as to the exact nature of the intense attraction between Sera and Rafe, as well as that between Adri and Des. So it’s possible that I may give INESCAPABLE another go in future when my brain is less inclined to notice errors.
* Review copy provided by the author via the PNR NaUBA group Author/Reader Exchange
March 23, 2017
DISCLAIMER: I was given a copy of this book by the author (via Goodreads/Shut Up and Read/Read It And Reap) in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
ADVISORY: This book contains mature, adult situations and sensuality.
Synopsis:
Adrasteia (Adri) Dionysios and Seraphine (Sera) share a mother/daughter relationship unlike any other – Adri is an immortal aberration – a child born from the union between a supernatural creature and a human (in this case, the Greek god, Dionysos, and one of his maenads). However, Sera’s heritage is shrouded in mystery. Unlike her adoptive mother, she was not born an immortal, but an aberration born of a Phoenix and a gypsy. She was mortal until that fateful night when Rafe Harcourt fed upon her, turning her into a vampyre. Adri’s quick thinking of feeding her immortal blood saved Sera from a fate worse than death – that of becoming a mindless Soul Stealer.
However, Sera is none too grateful for the gift. Prior to that awful night, her life was about to take a marvelous new direction – she was set to marry William, and they were embarking on a new life in America. But William died in a tragic accident, and Sera feels cheated, and is becoming increasingly angry and agitated by Adri’s constant smothering. Despite all this, Adri and Sera do love each other (though they are loathe to show it).
Lucky for them, they live in Shadow Bridge, a town populated by supernatural creatures of all kinds, where they are able to live a fairly normal (by all appearances) life. But Shadow Bridge is not normal either – it is the entry to another realm – a portal that needs to stay sealed at all costs – one that is protected by all the supernatural beings of Shadow Bridge.
And then there are the men. Rafe continues to appear to Sera, both in dreams and in person -- insisting that she now belongs to him. And she is undeniably drawn to her vampyre master, though she tries to fight it. Sera also has phoenix blood coursing through her veins, which gives her some unique talents, including the ability to engulf herself in flames, which comes in handy at times. But all of these elements fight against each other, with the vampyre bringing out the worst in Sera. And what about the mystery man from Adri’s past – now known as Desmond (Des) Roxburgh – who is he really, or rather, WHAT is he ???
Both women fight against their natures, as well as with each other, until it reaches the breaking point. Adri takes things one step too far, angry words are exchanged, and Sera runs away, enlisting the aid of a supernatural friend to “hide” from her mother. At the same time, ancient magic and prophesies point to trouble, while old enemies conspire to unleash hell on earth.
Comments:
I thought this book was pretty darn good. It had an interesting mix of Greek mythology, mystical beings from the Ancient World, as well as “modern” supernaturals such as vampires, weres, fae, and witches. At times, I found Sera to be a bit whiny, and Adri was indeed smothering and over-protective (usually with cause), but the men were HOT. (Mmmm, *Des*. And Rafe. And even Sebastian. Yummy.) I look forward to the next book!
By the way, I highly recommend that you read the prequels – Adrasteia (Eternelles 0.0) and Seraphine (Eternelles 0.5). They add tremendously to the storyline.
At the time of this review, the prequels AND Inescapable (Eternelles 1.0) were available for FREE at both Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
ADVISORY: This book contains mature, adult situations and sensuality.
Synopsis:
Adrasteia (Adri) Dionysios and Seraphine (Sera) share a mother/daughter relationship unlike any other – Adri is an immortal aberration – a child born from the union between a supernatural creature and a human (in this case, the Greek god, Dionysos, and one of his maenads). However, Sera’s heritage is shrouded in mystery. Unlike her adoptive mother, she was not born an immortal, but an aberration born of a Phoenix and a gypsy. She was mortal until that fateful night when Rafe Harcourt fed upon her, turning her into a vampyre. Adri’s quick thinking of feeding her immortal blood saved Sera from a fate worse than death – that of becoming a mindless Soul Stealer.
However, Sera is none too grateful for the gift. Prior to that awful night, her life was about to take a marvelous new direction – she was set to marry William, and they were embarking on a new life in America. But William died in a tragic accident, and Sera feels cheated, and is becoming increasingly angry and agitated by Adri’s constant smothering. Despite all this, Adri and Sera do love each other (though they are loathe to show it).
Lucky for them, they live in Shadow Bridge, a town populated by supernatural creatures of all kinds, where they are able to live a fairly normal (by all appearances) life. But Shadow Bridge is not normal either – it is the entry to another realm – a portal that needs to stay sealed at all costs – one that is protected by all the supernatural beings of Shadow Bridge.
And then there are the men. Rafe continues to appear to Sera, both in dreams and in person -- insisting that she now belongs to him. And she is undeniably drawn to her vampyre master, though she tries to fight it. Sera also has phoenix blood coursing through her veins, which gives her some unique talents, including the ability to engulf herself in flames, which comes in handy at times. But all of these elements fight against each other, with the vampyre bringing out the worst in Sera. And what about the mystery man from Adri’s past – now known as Desmond (Des) Roxburgh – who is he really, or rather, WHAT is he ???
Both women fight against their natures, as well as with each other, until it reaches the breaking point. Adri takes things one step too far, angry words are exchanged, and Sera runs away, enlisting the aid of a supernatural friend to “hide” from her mother. At the same time, ancient magic and prophesies point to trouble, while old enemies conspire to unleash hell on earth.
Comments:
I thought this book was pretty darn good. It had an interesting mix of Greek mythology, mystical beings from the Ancient World, as well as “modern” supernaturals such as vampires, weres, fae, and witches. At times, I found Sera to be a bit whiny, and Adri was indeed smothering and over-protective (usually with cause), but the men were HOT. (Mmmm, *Des*. And Rafe. And even Sebastian. Yummy.) I look forward to the next book!
By the way, I highly recommend that you read the prequels – Adrasteia (Eternelles 0.0) and Seraphine (Eternelles 0.5). They add tremendously to the storyline.
At the time of this review, the prequels AND Inescapable (Eternelles 1.0) were available for FREE at both Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
April 21, 2014
* Copy gifted in exchange for review *
I tried to like this book. I really truly did. I love Greek mythology and was hoping for a good campy romp. The potential was there in the story, but the authors failed miserably. I can forgive the clumsy and awkwardly written sentences and the misused words. I can even forgive the exceedingly annoying teenage main character, even though she is over 120 years old. What I cannot forgive is the lazy, insulting, ignorant characterization of women.
Every single female character in this book is full of self doubt and recrimination. Now don’t get me wrong I also love a complex character, but these are shallow stereotypes. I gave entirely up on this paragraph: “Many would call her a shameless hussy, but she did prefer masculine company to feminine. No bitchiness then, or back stabbing. She knew where she stood with men, and who she could trust or not.” Seriously!? This is just wrong on so many levels.
Suggestion to the authors: Urban fantasy readers want kick ass heroines. Self doubt and recrimination must be balanced with self possession and inner strength. Kick ass heroines do not repeatedly refer to themselves as hussies, sluts or nymphomaniacs. They do not willingly take on patriarchal terms designed to shame and degrade women.
I tried to like this book. I really truly did. I love Greek mythology and was hoping for a good campy romp. The potential was there in the story, but the authors failed miserably. I can forgive the clumsy and awkwardly written sentences and the misused words. I can even forgive the exceedingly annoying teenage main character, even though she is over 120 years old. What I cannot forgive is the lazy, insulting, ignorant characterization of women.
Every single female character in this book is full of self doubt and recrimination. Now don’t get me wrong I also love a complex character, but these are shallow stereotypes. I gave entirely up on this paragraph: “Many would call her a shameless hussy, but she did prefer masculine company to feminine. No bitchiness then, or back stabbing. She knew where she stood with men, and who she could trust or not.” Seriously!? This is just wrong on so many levels.
Suggestion to the authors: Urban fantasy readers want kick ass heroines. Self doubt and recrimination must be balanced with self possession and inner strength. Kick ass heroines do not repeatedly refer to themselves as hussies, sluts or nymphomaniacs. They do not willingly take on patriarchal terms designed to shame and degrade women.
March 29, 2014
Woow, great book *--*
So well written, creative and so easy to relate.
Conflicts between mother and daughter, myths, characters likeable since the beginning, there's no way I wouldn't love it.
Sera was trying to act by he own and Adri was acting like any other mom, fearing to let her daugther grow up, but in the end, they needed let go their problems and stick together to protect The portal.
It was a different kind of book cause it wasn't just a silly romance (although I love them too) but Adri and Sera was on the centre of everything and it was refreshing to me.
I can't even wait to read the sequency. Natalie was brilliant.
Is a five star book for me.
And don't forget to read Indomitable and Irresistible, I will not.
So well written, creative and so easy to relate.
Conflicts between mother and daughter, myths, characters likeable since the beginning, there's no way I wouldn't love it.
Sera was trying to act by he own and Adri was acting like any other mom, fearing to let her daugther grow up, but in the end, they needed let go their problems and stick together to protect The portal.
It was a different kind of book cause it wasn't just a silly romance (although I love them too) but Adri and Sera was on the centre of everything and it was refreshing to me.
I can't even wait to read the sequency. Natalie was brilliant.
Is a five star book for me.
And don't forget to read Indomitable and Irresistible, I will not.
April 12, 2014
I received this book in exchange for a review. Adri is Sera's mother. Adri was banished from Olympus. Adri received Sera when she dropped into her arms in a ball of flame. Ever since Sera was made into a vampire, the mother and daughter have been at odds. Sera thinks Adri is controlling. This conflict leads Sera into trouble. She is kidnapped by a witch and an unknown person. What will happen to her and will Adri find her in time?
I enjoyed this book but I wish the ending hadn't been such a cliffhanger. I can't wait to read the next book to find out what happens.
I enjoyed this book but I wish the ending hadn't been such a cliffhanger. I can't wait to read the next book to find out what happens.
September 4, 2013
Great series by one of my favorite authors. Another example of why I love Goodreads. So many fantastic authors on here and Natalie Owens is one of them!
April 10, 2014
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author’s for their generosity.
I must preface my review by stating that this book narrowly missed being a DNF. I am wishing I had quit reading sooner, as it didn’t get any better. The two females on the cover, along with the blurb, mislead me into thinking this would be an intriguing book about strong women. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Problem 1: World building and Characterization
-Sera is described as being part phoenix/part gypsy/part vampyre. However, she is portrayed as having a mortal pulse, blood flow, and breath. This is a departure from normal vamp canon that is never explained as to why she is different.
-I also became confused as to when Sera was turned, and if she really was a vampyre, as she takes on none of the characteristics commonly attributed to such a group. At one point I thought she had been turned when the Titanic sank, at another point, it is claimed she was turned recently. I am still confused on this point.
-She is described as being 124 years old with the body of a 24 year old; yet acts like a whiney teenager. So when should she be hitting adulthood? IDK, no explanation.
-Adri is described as being the daughter of a maenad and Dionysius with unique powers who was trained to be a warrior by Ares.
-She has the power to compel groups of men, but not individuals. Yet, when confronted with a group of men and their lustful looks, she is unable to use her power of compulsion. Why doesn’t she, and why one and not the other? Also never explained.
-Rarely does she act like a trained warrior, instead, freezing and vacillating when confronted with situations that call for action. When not doing that, she is being “saved” by a man unknown to her who conveniently shows up when needed. Also, in that department, later on she finally recognizes him as her “one true love” she met once and could never find for untold years.
-At no point does Adri just ask this man what flavor of supernatural he is, but would rather waffle between trusting and wanting him, to worrying he is a demon and a threat to her and her daughter.
-At one point, Adri is described as having an affinity for and receiving power from, water. The authors seem confused as to who and what Dionysius and maenads were/represent. (the god of wine, fertility, ritual madness and ecstasy. Maenads= wild/raving/demented immortal women who were followers of the wine god.) Water is Poseidon’s realm, so was she granted special access to this power by the water god? IDK, it’s not explained.
-At another point, Zeus is said have kicked her out of Olympus, at either over two thousand years ago or three millennium. Which is it? That is a large discrepancy time wise.
-Adri wonders why her daughter won’t share important life details, like having visions, until she finds out accidentally. Her care of Sera reads more like a bad case of attachment parenting.
Problem 2:
-Shadowbridge: Is it a town, the surrounding area, or just the castle? Never explained, and the name is used to refer to all three. Also, where is it located? The author makes it sound like it's out in the French countryside, yet the characters seem to just travel there without regards to time or distance.
Problem 3:
-Time: We are told it is the anniversary of the Titanic sinking. In the next moment the character’s have to rush to Shadowbridge to seal a portal caused by a rift around the spring equinox. So, where is all the evil hiding that should be spewing from an opened portal? Again, spring equinox is roughly around the middle of March, and it’s now April. It must not be that important after all.
Problem 4:
-the misuse of words: “obliterating no detail.” I believe the word wanted is omitting.
-the use of subliminal instead of subconscious.
- these people basically create their own drama and problems by their choices or non-choices, along with their inability to own up to their mistakes and learn from them, and then bemoan what happens next. I don’t find that tension building, or traits of strong women. it’s boring, ordinary BS.
There are more problems I had with the story, but these are just some of the easily noticeable ones. I won’t be reading further books in the series as I don’t care what happens to the characters or their self produced problems.
I must preface my review by stating that this book narrowly missed being a DNF. I am wishing I had quit reading sooner, as it didn’t get any better. The two females on the cover, along with the blurb, mislead me into thinking this would be an intriguing book about strong women. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Problem 1: World building and Characterization
-Sera is described as being part phoenix/part gypsy/part vampyre. However, she is portrayed as having a mortal pulse, blood flow, and breath. This is a departure from normal vamp canon that is never explained as to why she is different.
-I also became confused as to when Sera was turned, and if she really was a vampyre, as she takes on none of the characteristics commonly attributed to such a group. At one point I thought she had been turned when the Titanic sank, at another point, it is claimed she was turned recently. I am still confused on this point.
-She is described as being 124 years old with the body of a 24 year old; yet acts like a whiney teenager. So when should she be hitting adulthood? IDK, no explanation.
-Adri is described as being the daughter of a maenad and Dionysius with unique powers who was trained to be a warrior by Ares.
-She has the power to compel groups of men, but not individuals. Yet, when confronted with a group of men and their lustful looks, she is unable to use her power of compulsion. Why doesn’t she, and why one and not the other? Also never explained.
-Rarely does she act like a trained warrior, instead, freezing and vacillating when confronted with situations that call for action. When not doing that, she is being “saved” by a man unknown to her who conveniently shows up when needed. Also, in that department, later on she finally recognizes him as her “one true love” she met once and could never find for untold years.
-At no point does Adri just ask this man what flavor of supernatural he is, but would rather waffle between trusting and wanting him, to worrying he is a demon and a threat to her and her daughter.
-At one point, Adri is described as having an affinity for and receiving power from, water. The authors seem confused as to who and what Dionysius and maenads were/represent. (the god of wine, fertility, ritual madness and ecstasy. Maenads= wild/raving/demented immortal women who were followers of the wine god.) Water is Poseidon’s realm, so was she granted special access to this power by the water god? IDK, it’s not explained.
-At another point, Zeus is said have kicked her out of Olympus, at either over two thousand years ago or three millennium. Which is it? That is a large discrepancy time wise.
-Adri wonders why her daughter won’t share important life details, like having visions, until she finds out accidentally. Her care of Sera reads more like a bad case of attachment parenting.
Problem 2:
-Shadowbridge: Is it a town, the surrounding area, or just the castle? Never explained, and the name is used to refer to all three. Also, where is it located? The author makes it sound like it's out in the French countryside, yet the characters seem to just travel there without regards to time or distance.
Problem 3:
-Time: We are told it is the anniversary of the Titanic sinking. In the next moment the character’s have to rush to Shadowbridge to seal a portal caused by a rift around the spring equinox. So, where is all the evil hiding that should be spewing from an opened portal? Again, spring equinox is roughly around the middle of March, and it’s now April. It must not be that important after all.
Problem 4:
-the misuse of words: “obliterating no detail.” I believe the word wanted is omitting.
-the use of subliminal instead of subconscious.
- these people basically create their own drama and problems by their choices or non-choices, along with their inability to own up to their mistakes and learn from them, and then bemoan what happens next. I don’t find that tension building, or traits of strong women. it’s boring, ordinary BS.
There are more problems I had with the story, but these are just some of the easily noticeable ones. I won’t be reading further books in the series as I don’t care what happens to the characters or their self produced problems.
April 21, 2014
This was an all-round disappointing read. From the description it had promise, but it turned out that was for the series as a whole, and not for this particular book, leaving me even more disappointed at the ending.
Where to start with what I didn't like? The overly-detailed descriptions of designer clothing, shoes, cars... I really didn't care, and I don't think it added to the story in any way. Other than to make Andi sound completely stuck-up, which of course she was. Both of our main characters - Andi and daughter Sera - go on about being strong, independent women, and they admire these things in themselves and other women, but they both fall to pieces just being in the same room as a hot man.
And they were both so immature and overly-emotional and dramatic it just made me want to slap them! They were childish and constantly made irrational decisions. And not just irrational like they couldn't think properly (though that was a factor) - irrational that also didn't follow with their character. It was hard to predict and hard to keep up, and honestly I didn't care what happened to either of them by the end.
The writing was also pretty basic, often overly-descriptive, which broke the flow and made it hard to follow. I also thought the world-building was fairly poor, with some important details skipped over or not told until much later, and I was left guessing at how things worked a few times. And the whole Rafe storyline just confused me - it sounded like he was a complete stranger at the beginning, but then by the end it turned out they knew his mother? Just too hard to follow. And the use of 'sup' as an abbreviation for 'supernatural' really irked me.
So all in all a pretty poor read, don't think I'll continue with this series. 2/5.
Where to start with what I didn't like? The overly-detailed descriptions of designer clothing, shoes, cars... I really didn't care, and I don't think it added to the story in any way. Other than to make Andi sound completely stuck-up, which of course she was. Both of our main characters - Andi and daughter Sera - go on about being strong, independent women, and they admire these things in themselves and other women, but they both fall to pieces just being in the same room as a hot man.
And they were both so immature and overly-emotional and dramatic it just made me want to slap them! They were childish and constantly made irrational decisions. And not just irrational like they couldn't think properly (though that was a factor) - irrational that also didn't follow with their character. It was hard to predict and hard to keep up, and honestly I didn't care what happened to either of them by the end.
The writing was also pretty basic, often overly-descriptive, which broke the flow and made it hard to follow. I also thought the world-building was fairly poor, with some important details skipped over or not told until much later, and I was left guessing at how things worked a few times. And the whole Rafe storyline just confused me - it sounded like he was a complete stranger at the beginning, but then by the end it turned out they knew his mother? Just too hard to follow. And the use of 'sup' as an abbreviation for 'supernatural' really irked me.
So all in all a pretty poor read, don't think I'll continue with this series. 2/5.
July 15, 2013
Inescapable is a new take on the gods and goddesses, vampyres, and the supernatural world. It is written in two alternating points of view switching back and forth between Andrasteia and Seraphine who are mother and adoptive daughter. This was a little difficult for me at times as it seemed to jump back and forth and in my opinion interrupted the continuity of the storytelling. There is a lot of action and intrigue, as well as continual butting of heads between the two main protagonists. Both characters have reasons for their behaviors, but I have to admit sometimes I really did not like them very much and had a hard time getting past my feeling Seraphine was a whiny spoiled brat and Andrasteia an overbearing harpy of a mother. That being said the premise is very intriguing and I enjoyed the author's writing style very much. There is obviously more to come as it has a cliffhanger ending that left me wanting more. I would definitely read book two to find out what happens next and in hopes the mother / daughter issues will find some resolution and to watch the character growth play out. I really enjoyed the world building and the writing was clean, but I really want to like the characters I am reading - so I am putting on my hopeful cap that I can get the treat I am looking for in book two because I want more from this world. I received this book from the author with a request for my honest review without any compensation whatsoever, other than the joy of reading a new book.
March 28, 2014
I'm going to type everything frankly here. So this was not the book for me.
I didn't really like the setting, and for me some parts of the books was a bit too smooth and perfected, for example some of the descriptions, causing the book to lack in ruggedness, if you know what I mean.
It was not very memorable, and I didn't really like the romance in there, no offence, but it was kind of hard for me to picture two people over a hundred doing such intimate actions. I'm not sure if it was prejudice, preconception towards this book, but the idea of Greek mythology still sounded a little eerie to me. I didn't sense a lot of tension and chemistry between the two characters, which was very important in a book where there is romance involved.
However, I appreciated the writing style and the plot, though not very clear at certain points, was carefully formed and perfected.
There are some things which I think the author could do better with. For example, I didn't think so much explanation was needed in a book, I think it also works okay if the explanations slowly come out in the plot, if you know what I mean.
I didn't really like the setting, and for me some parts of the books was a bit too smooth and perfected, for example some of the descriptions, causing the book to lack in ruggedness, if you know what I mean.
It was not very memorable, and I didn't really like the romance in there, no offence, but it was kind of hard for me to picture two people over a hundred doing such intimate actions. I'm not sure if it was prejudice, preconception towards this book, but the idea of Greek mythology still sounded a little eerie to me. I didn't sense a lot of tension and chemistry between the two characters, which was very important in a book where there is romance involved.
However, I appreciated the writing style and the plot, though not very clear at certain points, was carefully formed and perfected.
There are some things which I think the author could do better with. For example, I didn't think so much explanation was needed in a book, I think it also works okay if the explanations slowly come out in the plot, if you know what I mean.
September 9, 2016
INESCAPABLE
By
Zee Monodee and Natalie G. Owens
Reviewed by Author Roy Murry
Vampires, wares, and all other combinations of same a is the backbone of this fast paced novel that leans towards being a novella but is book one in a series. The characters are developed; and when you come to the end of this book’s story, the reader will care to know what will happen in their lives.
The power over the current world situation in the conflict between non-human factions is interesting and intriguing. The plot is well put together, leading to the validation of the unique mystic beings roaming the earth.
Vampires etc. are not my genre, but I found myself fascinated by the diversity of the paranormal character’s background, which seem unlikely but help the flow of the prose. Those who enjoy this genre will be pleased and continue reading the series.
I was just dabbling and enjoyed the diversion. Recommend for non-dabblers.
By
Zee Monodee and Natalie G. Owens
Reviewed by Author Roy Murry
Vampires, wares, and all other combinations of same a is the backbone of this fast paced novel that leans towards being a novella but is book one in a series. The characters are developed; and when you come to the end of this book’s story, the reader will care to know what will happen in their lives.
The power over the current world situation in the conflict between non-human factions is interesting and intriguing. The plot is well put together, leading to the validation of the unique mystic beings roaming the earth.
Vampires etc. are not my genre, but I found myself fascinated by the diversity of the paranormal character’s background, which seem unlikely but help the flow of the prose. Those who enjoy this genre will be pleased and continue reading the series.
I was just dabbling and enjoyed the diversion. Recommend for non-dabblers.
July 7, 2014
I've read the two prequels (Adrasteia (Eternelles: A Prequel, Book 0) and Séraphine (Eternelles: A Prequel, Book 0.5)) and this one in the series and loved them! The way the Natalie G. Owens and Zee Monodee weave their tale creates vivid imagery for your imagination. You feel the motherly love Adrasteia has Séraphine, you feel for Séraphine as she goes through trials and tribulations and you can't help but love Des and Rafe, even when you think they're not worthy. They've taken mythology and fantasy, and woven them seamlessly together where Greek gods. witches, demons, vampyres and werewolves co-exist. I'm now ¾ of the way through Book 2 and loving it too. And I'm already looking forward to Book 3!
April 6, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this fantasy / paranormal romance. The world-building was superb, the characters believable and easy to sympathize with. I especially felt a bond to the mother, Adri. I loved the whole goddess concept and the way it was written into the story. The descriptions and details didn't drag for me but instead created a story and world I felt myself getting sucked deeper and deeper into. Lots of conflict between mother and daughter - I can't wait to see how it's resolved. And the two romances in the story (which hasn't reach an end yet) were top class. Oh, what excellent writing - brilliantly constructed love scenes and emotional roller coasters.
I'm itching to read the next in the series.
I'm itching to read the next in the series.
August 8, 2016
At an impasse
Sera is a girl who has been searching for . . .
Adri is a mother who has been too stressed for much longer than what is healthy
When adri and sera are together, there's nothing to do but . . until . . . where they meet . . . and . . .
Will their relationship be repaired or will it finally stop when they need it most??
Enjoy!!
Sera is a girl who has been searching for . . .
Adri is a mother who has been too stressed for much longer than what is healthy
When adri and sera are together, there's nothing to do but . . until . . . where they meet . . . and . . .
Will their relationship be repaired or will it finally stop when they need it most??
Enjoy!!
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