The Iron Bells

The Demon's Gate

by Jeanette Battista

The year is 64 A.D. -- though now A.D. stands for Anno Daemonii.
Demons have crossed a gate into our world, taking the reins of power from humanity. A new Inquisition has begun, determined to root out any who stand against the new world order. The holy sites on earth have been destroyed -- Jerasulem first, then the Vatican, then Mecca -- and what resistance remains is ruthlessly crushed. Amaranth is a fighter in the resistance cell based in London. Dham is a Ringer, one of the few people left able to ring the remaining sets of blessed hand bells that have power over demons. When Amaranth discovers that her best friend has been possessed by a demon and is going to be used in the Resistance's final, desperate mission, she asks Dham for his help in saving her friend. With the Inquisition closing in and betrayal threatening from inside the Resistance itself, Amaranth, Dham, and the demon -- along with Catriona, a new, highly-skilled, highly-blonde bell-ringer -- decide to head to Rome and the ruins of Vatican City, hoping to find a way to stem the tide of demonic possessions and close the gate.

The Iron Bells is the first in a New Adult trilogy.

Genres: Demons, New Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Dystopia

191 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 10, 2013

About the author

Jeanette Battista graduated with an English degree with a concentration in medieval literature which explains her possibly unhealthy fixation on edged weapons and cathedral architecture. She spent a summer in England and Scotland studying the historical King Arthur, which did nothing to curb her obsession. To satisfy her adrenaline cravings—since sword fighting is not widely accepted in these modern times—she rode a motorcycle at ridiculously high speeds, got some tattoos, and took kickboxing and boxing classes. She gave up the bike when her daughter came along, although she still gets pummeled at the gym on a regular basis.

When she’s not writing or working, Jeanette spends time with family, hikes, reads, makes decadent brownies, buys killer boots, and plays Pocket Frogs. She wishes there were more hours in the day so she could actually do more of these things. She lives with her daughter and their ancient, ill-tempered cat in North Carolina.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Also reviewed for Addicted2Heroines

I found this little gem on NetGalley during what I'm now referring to as my Desperate Period . It was during that time that I ended up finding You Are Mine and a few others that were shockingly good, despite ugly covers or misleading blurbs.
I'm not saying this has an ugly cover, but nothing about it screams, Read Me! I'm An Awesome Book!
At least, it didn't to me.
Desperate Period thought process:
Red-eyed chick with sword...64 AD...skim, skim...Jerusalem...skim, skim...Vatican...skim, skim...blessed bells...skim, skim...Inquisition...skim, skim...demon...skim, skim,...Amaranth...skim, skim...Rome...New Adult trilogy....
Some kind of medieval demon thing? Probably gonna suck. Damn. I've got nothing else to read. Grrrr.
*sigh*
Fine.
Now I realize that this is not the way normal people choose books.
Lucky for me, I wasn't functioning like a normal reader. Otherwise, I never would have bumbled my way to this damn fine read.

In this post-apocalyptic setting demons rule the earth. Year ago, a magic user conjured up a demon...and totally screwed the pooch. Guess he didn't really know what he was doing, and it opened up the gate to wherever. This allowed demons to come and go as they please. So did they all fly out of the gate and start eating people, you ask?
Well, no.
They started quietly possessing world leaders, and then destroying religious sites and relics on the down low. By the time people realized what was happening, the demons were firmly in charge. And anyone who tried to speak up was taken by the Inquisitors and killed.
At this point in time, everyone just goes about their business and tries to pretend that things are normal. Except they're not.
Amaranth is an underground resistance fighter in London. Her mother was lost to the demons when she was a child, and she was taken in and raised by the resistance's leader. She only has one friend leftover from her childhood, so when she gets a heartbreaking call from his mother saying he has disappeared, she feels obligated to do everything she can to find him.
In the meantime, part of her job for the resistance includes delivering a package to safety. Turns out this package is a cute bell-ringer named Dham. They form a tentative friendship, but before anything else can develop she finds out a shocking secret about her missing friend. And the deeper she digs into her friend's disappearance, the less she is sure she can trust anyone with what she's found.
In fact, the only person she can turn to for help is a demon that she finds in the resistance's underground cells. He's a prisoner that Amaranth's mentor is planning to use to close the gate. Great plan...except for one thing. The body he's possessed will die when he opens the gate and leaves. And guess who's body he's wearing?
Oh. Shit.

There are lots of other layers to this story, including hints that maybe the demons aren't really demons in the way that the humans think. The plot just kept getting thicker the more I read, and I honestly couldn't put it down.
I also loved that Amaranth ended up saddled with a snarky demon sidekick. It was definitely one of those I-Hate-You-But-I-Need-You relationships, but it looked to me like the beginning of a beautiful friendship!
This book was a totally fun ride, and I'm so glad I accidentally stumbled onto it.
Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set-up
Amaranth lives in a modern London that looks very similar to ours, except that all of the beautiful cathedrals have been destroyed and no one takes the tube anymore. Demons have found a gate to cross over into our world, and they're running rampant in the underground. But it's not just below ground that people fear, because demons have used their ability to possess humans in order to creep their way into power. Now the government is filled with the possessed and their sympathizers, and they are determined to take out anyone who opposes them. This is where the destruction of holy sites comes in, as well as curfews and an overwhelming air of suspicion that permeates the city and extends all over the world. Maybe Amaranth's London isn't really like ours at all.

Amaranth (Ama) is part of a Resistance cell based in London. She spends her time in the demon infested underground, attacking the creatures head on. But things are getting pretty desperate for the Resistance movement. It's not clear how much longer they can hold out against the ever tightening control of the new Inquisition, which has been created to crush anyone who stands in the way of the new system. In an effort to take back control, the Resistance undertakes a dangerous mission to try and stop the demons. Part of the Resistance's plan, involves the arrival of other members from around the globe, including Dham, who is a Ringer. He is one of the few people left able to ring blessed hand bells that have power over demons.

If this new mission isn't stressful enough, Ama also discovers that her best friend Patrick is missing, and she is desperate to find him and rescue him - from whatever fate has befallen him.

Characters
Ama is already a kickass fighter when The Iron Bells begins. She's extremely determined and great at evading capture and destroying demons in the underground. However, she doesn't trust easily, and is not very good at relationships - with guys or friends. As someone who is extremely confident in one area of her life, it was fun to watch her navigate new people, start to fall for someone, and be completely out of her depth. There is a slowly developing romance in this story, and I like the way it is paced throughout the story.

In addition to Amaranth, this book is filled with a great cast of characters, especially Dham, Cat and Trick. I love the dynamic between each of these characters and Ama. Ama learns a lot about herself from all of them. Dham is an American bell ringer with some big secrets he's not sharing. I love his musicality and the close relationship he shares with the bells he wields, as well as his developing relationship with Ama. Cat is a Scot, who is small, blonde and an absolute force with her town's sacred bell. She and Ama have an uneasy relationship, which became one of my favorites near the end of the book, when Cat and Ama have a very honest conversation. Trick, well you need to read this book to meet him, but he made me question this world the most. I have a feeling that he has a lot more in store for us.

Mythology and moral dilemmas
Demon possession completely freaks me out, and usually I avoid books that feature it. But I really enjoyed the way the The Iron Bells world has been built. While humans were completely oblivious, demons slowly worked their way into society, which is completely frightening because humans didn't know about it until it was too late. I also really enjoyed the idea of bell ringers fighting demons. I didn't know there was any context for this, until I talked to my friend Heather @ The Flyleaf Review, who told me that she'd read about it before. I'm eager for more of this mythology in future books.

Ama is put into a position in this book, where she begins to examine demons from a new angle, especially her long held belief that they are inherently evil. I really like that this wasn't just a black and white, good vs. evil debate, but there is a moral dilemma in this story, which has made the story much more complex. I have a feeling that this will only increase as the series continues.

Problems
As much as I enjoyed reading The Iron Bells, it isn't a perfect book. It was overly obvious who the traitor was, and yet Ama doesn't do anything about it until it's too late. This frustrated me to know end. Especially, because Ama witnessed suspicious behavior from this person all throughout the story. Also, there are a few parts of this book where Ama makes some decisions - to withhold information or follow through with a plan - that didn't make logical sense to me at the time. I know Ama doesn't trust easily, but in those moments I couldn't believe that she could be so selfish and risk sacrificing people with her decisions. However, In hindsight I saw how those choices progressed the story. To me, it was as if some character truth was sacrificed for the sake of the plot.

Conclusion
Overall, The Iron Bells is a great start to The Demon's Gate series. The ending is exciting, leaving the characters in a relatively safe (but emotional) place. I have a feeling that a lot more secrets are going to be uncovered and the action will only get more exciting. I'm also hoping that the plot/character dissonance that I felt in this book will be cleared up in the future.

Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Low

[Ranaereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at: http://ranaereads.com/the-iron-bells/
*I received a copy of this from Netgalley for review.

Amaranth is a 19 year old girl living in London in 64 A.D. (Anno Daemonii). Demons have come through a portal created by a hapless magician and they now control the world, with most humans just trying to keep their head down to avoid being killed or worse; possessed. Ama has no family left after her mother was taken 7 years previous, the closest thing to family for her is her best friend Patrick and the leader of the demon resistance group, Ryland. Ama is sent to pick up a “package” for the resistance, which turns out to be a young man named Dham who is what is known as a ‘ringer.’ A ringer can take down demons by ringing bells, but both the ringer and the bell are very rare, as demons destroy them when they can. Ama is surprised to come across one, but more surprised that Ryland sent her to pick him up without clueing her in. All that takes a back seat when Patrick suddenly disappears, and Ama fears the worst.

As she searches for Patrick, she finds herself being drawn more to Dham who seems to have as many issues as she does. Out of the blue, another ringer shows up, this one a very pretty blonde who apparently has the same thoughts about Dham and Ama is not sure what to think. At the same time, she finds herself being betrayed by the one person she thinks she can trust above all others.

Thoughts:
I really, really liked this book! I’m super excited for the rest of the trilogy and very sad that the next book doesn’t even look like it’s got an intended release date.

Amaranth is a pretty badass heroine. She has 2 giant swords and kicks demon butt, not with bells or magic, just by being awesome. That being said, there is OBVIOUSLY more to her than meets the eye. Nothing confirmed yet, occasionally hinted at, but I think no story of this type is without its heroine being the ‘one true savior’ or something similar, which is perfectly fine with me, I love Ama.

Now the people in Ama’s life are: 1) Patrick, her “best friend.” This is not a love interest, no worries there. He is Ama’s last link to the normal world, her best friend from toddlerhood and she only interacts with him once in the book, on basically the first page and she spends almost the entire rest of the book trying to save him with the occasional flashback, which is fine, but their relationship for the last few years has been strained, seemingly because of Ama’s deeping connection to the resistance, which was obviously very illegal and very punishable. 2) Ryland is Ama’s de facto guardian. He was a friend (possibly more) to her mother, and after her mother was kidnapped by the demons in power for working for the resistance, Ama basically only had him to help her out. Other than that, she was on her own. Pretty early on in the book, we find out Ryland is behaving super sketchily, excluding Ama from knowing about the incoming Ringers, and a few other things you find out about later in the book. While I like him, it made me really not trust him at all, and I STILL think he was hiding something! 3) Dham is the first Ringer to show up in London. He’s an American, from New York (or what’s left of it), and his whole family seems to be ‘gifted’ with the ability to ring the bells and make demons mad. He’s had a pretty crappy time, and his family is very dysfunctional. Dham is Ama’s love interest, and he seems pretty hot, honestly! 4) Lastly, there’s Auntie, who runs the boarding house where Ama lives along with a few other younger resistance members. She was formerly a resistance member herself, but age has forced her to take a more backseat role.

There are a few other characters, but the ones you’ll hear the most about are these guys. I liked most of them. Ryland was sketchy, Patrick was just kind of peripherally there most of the book and Auntie was very motherly and caring. Dham on the other hand seemed cool most of the time, but when Cat (the blonde Ringer) showed up, I kinda lost a little respect for him. He very obviously was into Ama, but Cat was VERY obviously into him and he spent a lot of time with her chatting or going out to lunch or dinner, and at one point Ama asked Dham to go somewhere with her as she wanted to surprise him with something and he invited Cat along without even asking Ama, and it was pretty implied that he did it on purpose to make Ama jealous. I basically washed my hands of him at that point, but Ama continued to like him and he did get better from there. But still. WHAT A JERK.
I did not like Cat at all, I felt no sympathy towards her character and most of the book I just wanted to slap her stupid face. Hopefully she dies in the next book, I did not like her AT ALL. If you’ve been reading my reviews, you guys will know any hint of a love triangle is normally enough to set me off of a series, but this time it actually wasn’t that bad. I mostly could look past it, because I really like Amaranth’s character! All in all, really excited to read the next installment!

I’d recommend this to any YA fans that like dystopian fiction and magic. An easy read!

[Carrie Slager · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

I’m not sure what I expected from The Iron Bells. Certainly not a well thought out world where demons rule and the main character knows her mind. Amaranth is pretty confident in who she is but isn’t perfect and that’s such a breath of fresh air after the terrible slew of YA books I’ve read recently.

First off, the characters are fantastic. I like how even though she lives with a death sentence over her head for being part of the Resistance against demons, Amaranth is a pretty calm, cool and collected individual. She’s capable of thinking logically in difficult situations, but at the same time she’s also perfectly capable of screwing up. Although she tries to be above it all, she does get jealous of Cat and Dham and sometimes her anger clouds her judgment. In all honesty, that’s why I like her: she’s human. Dham wasn’t the greatest love interest I’ve ever encountered, but he certainly wasn’t the worst. Personally I liked Trick, who I can’t describe without giving away too much of the plot. You just can’t help but like Trick, believe me.

The plot was fast-paced and there were a few plot twists that I didn’t see coming. I liked how in some places Jeanette Battista slowed down a bit to let the reader catch their breath and to let the characters develop. Overall, it was well-paced and well-plotted and I didn’t want to put it down. The thing about The Iron Bells is that we also get little glimpses of this horrifying new world at a more natural pace. There aren’t any huge backstory dumps that slow down the plot and I’m grateful for that.

What impressed me the most was the world-building. An errant magic-user accidentally bringing demons into the world. How cool is that? And the fact that demons take over the world in a slow, subtle fashion and use our natural paranoia against us is just brilliant. The mythology Jeanette Battista presents us with is fascinating, as is the explanation for what demons may actually be. I didn’t see that particular twist coming, believe me.

Really, if you want to pick up something different in the YA/NA genre I’d definitely recommend The Iron Bells. It’s a breath of fresh air.

I give this book 4/5 stars.

[Maghon Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, think Hunger Games, except that the demons who started the war won and rule the world. It's pretty scary. It's very dystopian, in a very cool way. And the cool part, they didn't start a war like you're thinking, they very quietly, very sweetly just slowly put the right people in the right places, and then wam, they own the world. And anyone, I mean anyone, who even thinks about challenging them is killed, horribly. The inquisitors, they are like the Demon Army, come and will rip you from your bed at night, in front of your children, you will torture you to death. But there's a very small group who are still against the demons, the Resistance.

Amarath, I like to call her AMA, is our main character who is part of the London resistance. Her mother was taken and murdered and her only family, not real family, left was the leader of the resistance, who was her mom's best friend. Ry as the leader, trained her, and helped her protect her best friend Patrick. Patrick has no idea of Ama's other life. But when Patrick goes missing and his mother thinks he's possessed by a demon, she begs Ama to help. Even if it's only to find him. Ama can't help but start looking for Patrick, she even asks Ry to help. And now, some things are happening and she is learning she can't trust those she always thought she could.

And then she gets help from Trick, a demon. And then she meets Dham. She's not sure she can trust him, being from another Resistance cell, but she feels like she can. She also FEELS for him, things she never felt before. She can't help it. Along the way with other fun characters, you learn more and more about this world, and who is really the good and bad guys. And now, she knows she has to find a way to fix things or all she can look forward to is torture. Ama is great. Dham is sweet. Trick is very awesome and I look forward to so much more with each of these characters.

Ok so it's not really a cliff hanger, but I was left with several questions. it's good questions that will keep you wanting more, without having that total cut off of a cliff hanger. I can't wait for book two and it's going to be AWESOME! 5 FIREY DEMON PAWS

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so happy I came across this book on netgalley!!

In this post-apocalyptic world demons are in charge. They quietly took possession of world leaders and destroyed the things that would hurt them... religion, religious relics, holy books and the like. Anyone who tried to challenge them would be take by the Inquisitors to be tortured and killed. There are still pockets of humans around the world that have grouped together to try to defeat the demons.

Amaranth (the m.c.) is part of the resistance in London. Her mother was taken by the Inquisitors and eventually died. Leaving Am without any real family. The closest people she had to family was the resistance leader Ry and her childhood friend Patrick.

Which is why she takes her friend Patricks disappearance pretty hard and tries all she can to find him. She reaches out to Ry to help track him down but is met with secrecy. She quickly realizes she is unable to trust those she once had and finds an unlikely ally in a demon named Trick. During all of this she is also in charge of looking after two ringers. One of which is a love interest--- yes, there is somewhat of a love triangle here but it isn't what you think... I promise!

Am is an awesome heroin! She is strong, smart and loyal. There are plenty of layers in this lovely book that keep you turning the pages. I pretty much liked all the characters for different reasons- I especially liked Trick... he added a different perspective to the whole evil demon thing! There are some predictable moments but it didn't take away from the story. There are plenty of other lingering questions that were left unanswered (which I like) --- who is Amaranths father (I have a theory)?? What really happened to her mom- torture or possession?? Is the gate in Rome??

Highly Recommend!

[Olivia (Bookcomet) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Iron Bells is a Buffy the Vampire Slayer-esque read set in the wonderful city of London. London is great. I have a slight obsession with all things English, so me and The Iron Bells were immediately off to an okay start. But only in that sense.

Honestly, I was a little bored in the beginning. I couldn't get into it and wasn't impressed with the characters (to be honest, I'm still not). But it did pick up a lot towards the end and I started enjoying the second half, which really bumped up the rating.

But back to the Buffy-esque thing. The Iron Bells was very much like Buffy. It's not really a bad thing for me because I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I couldn't help picking up all the similarities. I mean we have a main character who loves her witty quips, isn't particularly bright who fights demons (Amaranth), as well as a friend who needs saving (Patrick), a tormented love interest (Dham), a saracastic demon (Trick) and a demon fighting leader who acts as her father figure (Ryland). So I wasn't very impressed in that sense.

But it was an easy and enjoyable read. Could be worse, right?

Another problem was the amount of grammatical errors. I had a review copy, but I didn't see any disclaimers saying to ignore them, so I must assume that this was a finished copy. Really there shouldn't have been any.

This is a minor issue but at one point Amaranth ended up in the Thames. Um. You should NOT be swimming in there, by accident or not. Trust me, you could get seriously sick. It was a little overdone on the English side of things.

Even though it picked up a little at the end, I probably wouldn't read a sequel. It was pretty much just a not very good redo of Buffy the Vampire Slayer set in London.

2.5 /5 comets

[Alessandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

E-galley received through Netgalley for review

The Iron Bells is set in London in 64 A.D. - but A.D. stands for Anno Daemonii. The demons have invaded our world and have now control over humanity. A new Inquisition has risen, in order to destroy all opposition. Religions have been declared illegal, and cult sites all over the world have been destroyed.

Amaranth is a young member of a Resistance cell in London. She has no real family, apart from her best friend Patrick, who doesn't know of her real activities. When Patrick disappears, Amaranth learns that he has been possessed by a demon and is going to eb used by the Resistance in their new, desperate mission. In order to save her friend, Amaranth asks her latest acquaintances for help: two bell ringers, Dham (from new York) and Cat (from Scotland).

The Iron Bells is an original mix between a dystopian and an urban fantasy novel. It's very exciting and full of action. The main character, Amaranth, is a kick-ass demon fighter. After her mpther was taken and killed by the Inquisition, she has no family and is taken in my the Resistance; Ryland, her mother's friend (and maybe lover) acts as her mentor. In order to complete a dangerous mission, the Resistance calls to London two bell-ringers: they know how to ring sacred bells in order to freeze demons, so that they can be killed. Amaranth soon gets close to Dham, while she is instantly irritated by Cat - and it might be because they're both after the same guy, but the love triangle issue is not really pushed.

I hope (and think) Amaranth will be able to save Patrick. I'm definitely going to be reading the next books in this series. Also, the next book is set in Rome, but the Vatican does not exist any more, so... super exciting.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Iron Bells is the first book in a new supernatural dystopian trilogy. It opens in a world in the future where demons have crossed over to earth's reality infiltrating and possessing the world rulers, destroying any object or person of faith that can be found. Amaranth is a young resistance fighter who has lived in London fighting to survive in hopes of winning the battle against evil for humanity. In preparation for a desperate mission resistance fighters from other cells around the world converge on London to join forces hoping to close the gate and return the demons to their realm.

There is wonderful world building with vivid descriptions and colorful characters. Amaranth is a character you want on your side in a pinch and it was fun to watch the trust unfold between the different characters as they meet. There is heartbreak and tears, betrayals, defeat and perseverance, as well as hope breaking through fueling the determination to succeed.

The conclusion of the book is a bit open-ended and left me eager to dive into book two, which is available and titled The Stone Golem. I would recommend The Iron Bells to new adult fans who enjoy a dystopian mixed with supernatural twist. I purchased this book.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book by netgalley for my honest review



This book grabs you and never lets you go. Filled with demons and the people who serve them. Amaranth is was orphaned and taken in by the resistance a group of people who protect and help religious people and relics that are now outlawed. I enjoyed the concept and was pulled in immediately. So fast paced I could not put this book down. Now I have to get the second book because this is one series I really want to continue , I rooted for the main characters and suspected everyone.

I enjoyed the character of Amaranth, strong girl and independent a real kick a** girl, but also loyal and loving too her true friends. I understand her dilemma when she feels she is betrayed by the people she trust and the actions she takes to help others.

Great book for all the demon hunters out there and paranormal lovers everywhere

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ignoring the unappealing cover, I was pleasantly surprised by The Iron Bells.

Amaranth, our flawed heroine, battles demons as part of the Resistance in the underbelly of London. She makes a strong narrator but sometimes her chatter-like descriptions are skim-able. She thoroughly, perhaps too clearly, explains the social situations in this dystopian demon world.

Readers who crave action will be satisfied as will those who prefer a little romance with their bloodshed. The romance is not the focus or overdone but will certainly matter later in the series.

The concept of bell-ringers as fighters was a first for me and I loved this unique concept. Trick was also a particularly enjoyable addition to the cast. I will be reading The Stone Golem.

Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Gardella Vampire Chronicles or the Crusade series will enjoy this novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley*



I enjoyed this one quite a bit. The worldbuilding reminded me of a cross between Garth Nix's Abhorsen series (ringing the bells to keep demons at bay/banish them) and Brandon Sanderson's Steelheart (the world is overtaken and the resistance lives in underground tunnels while the rest of society carries on).

It was pretty good. I can definitely see myself reading the next book in the series when it comes out. I had a few issues with the characters because there were times when I just wanted to throttle them for being so stupid. At least Amaranth knew she had made some mistakes, which made it a little better.

I'd recommend it to fans of young or new adult and people who love urban fantasy and strong heroines.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new world. A world where the Demons rule and hunt the humans. And nothing is ever easy, but its exciting! The main character, a girl, Amaranth, is extremely fierce (loved that!) and has very little fears. And I would consider loyalty to be her biggest strentgh. I loved the book being set in London! And I loved the descriptions of the characters, so much depth and so much more left to discover in future books. I enjoy a good book that keeps me up late at night turning pages. And if it leaves me craving the next in the series even better! Oh, and there's romance too, but its not easy either! :) Give me more!

[April Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demons have taken over the world and many of our loved ones. Amaranth and the Resistance are fighting against what many people have accepted. This story follows her in London where she fights demons, loses loved ones, leads battles, and falls in love. the only reason I rated it a 4 is because the characters from America should not be using British 'slang'

[Mary Kyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd like to like this book. I just can't. I'm bothered by many things such words used inappropriately and the depiction of religion as all that can save humanity. In reading other reviews, perhaps it gets better but I just can't like the characters or their motivations. Maybe I'm not giving it the chance it deserves but I'd have to be pretty desperate to slog on to the end.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this little book took me by surprise! I may have just happened upon my new fave paranormal series...more very soon:)

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent beginning to a new series