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The Marked Ones Trilogy #1
Daemons in the Mist
Accidentally marrying a beautiful stranger—what’s the worst that could happen?
We all have that one thing—that one thing we wish for on every first star of the night. Wealth. Fame. Love. For geeky artist Patrick Connolly, it is the attention of his beautiful and seemingly unattainable classmate Nualla Galathea. However, when he accepts her invitation for a spur-of-the-moment weekend trip to Vegas, the last thing he expects is to wake up married to her. Or to find out she’s not even human.
Patrick may think his wish has just come true. However, this gentle boy is about to find out that it will take more than artistic talent to combat the deadly secrets lurking behind the clever construct of illusions and supertech that conceal the world of the daemons from human eyes. Because when it comes to these gazelle-horned creatures, one false step might just get you killed.
In her mesmerizing debut series, up and coming author Alicia Kat Vancil leads you on an unforgettable thrill ride through the swirling fog of San Francisco that will leave your heart pounding.
We all have that one thing—that one thing we wish for on every first star of the night. Wealth. Fame. Love. For geeky artist Patrick Connolly, it is the attention of his beautiful and seemingly unattainable classmate Nualla Galathea. However, when he accepts her invitation for a spur-of-the-moment weekend trip to Vegas, the last thing he expects is to wake up married to her. Or to find out she’s not even human.
Patrick may think his wish has just come true. However, this gentle boy is about to find out that it will take more than artistic talent to combat the deadly secrets lurking behind the clever construct of illusions and supertech that conceal the world of the daemons from human eyes. Because when it comes to these gazelle-horned creatures, one false step might just get you killed.
In her mesmerizing debut series, up and coming author Alicia Kat Vancil leads you on an unforgettable thrill ride through the swirling fog of San Francisco that will leave your heart pounding.
501 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2011
9 people are currently reading
1100 people want to read
About the author
Alicia Kat Vancil
9 books64 followers**NOTE This author profile is incorrectly named but Goodreads categorically refuses to fix this issue despite every effort made by the author and publisher. Please instead visit & follow Kat Vancil at her proper location https://www.goodreads.com/thesagaquest **
Neurodivergent storyteller Kat Vancil crafts stories about boys who kiss boys. Some take place on spacecraft racing through a sea of distant stars. Others take place in lush urban sprawls rich with the spices of a thousand far-off places that exist only in her mind. While still others take place in the halls of a coastal city high school that is and isn’t like any other in America.
Over the last 12 years she’s done work for Amazon and Writer’s Digest, had her work sold in bookstores across the English-speaking world, and won an Ippy award for excellence in independent publishing.
She currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, their kitty studio-mate Akimi & eight overfull bookcases. And when not crafting fantastical tales of dragokin and Valkyries, Kat can usually be found frolicking in general geekiness.
Neurodivergent storyteller Kat Vancil crafts stories about boys who kiss boys. Some take place on spacecraft racing through a sea of distant stars. Others take place in lush urban sprawls rich with the spices of a thousand far-off places that exist only in her mind. While still others take place in the halls of a coastal city high school that is and isn’t like any other in America.
Over the last 12 years she’s done work for Amazon and Writer’s Digest, had her work sold in bookstores across the English-speaking world, and won an Ippy award for excellence in independent publishing.
She currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, their kitty studio-mate Akimi & eight overfull bookcases. And when not crafting fantastical tales of dragokin and Valkyries, Kat can usually be found frolicking in general geekiness.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 30, 2015
I first heard about this author when I was attending a facebook release day party for another author. Alicia Kat Vancil mentioned you could get a free copy of her first book by joining her mailing list, I thought the book sounded good, so thought why not and signed-up. Having just finished this book I think it's a good thing I signed-up for that mailing list as I want to read more books by this author.
Daemons in the Mist takes the cliché plot line from normal human meets supernatural and fall in love and manages to twist it into a great story. While there are some cliché parts and the book is a bit predictable at times, I had a lot of fun reading this. It was exactly the type of book I was in the mood for and I like this author her writing style, the pace flowed really well and there was enough happening to keep my attention. There is some foreshadowing about events that take place later in the book and I thought it was well done. There was a small twist with a lie and a birthday I wasn't a fan of around halfway the book, but that was only a minor issue. Towards the 70% the pace really picks up and I couldn't put the book down, twist after twist surprised me. There are some really well done twists towards the end of the book and I feel like it sets things up for the second book. The ending wraps things up nicely, while still making me wish I had a copy of the second book to read already.
I thought it was interesting that this book was told form both point of views, Nualla the female Daemon and Patrick the normal human male. I also liked how it was the female who was the supernatural instead of the male. Both are great characters. Patrick has a bad home situation, only a few friends and is often a bit self deprecation. He always had his eye on Nualla and then one day he comes to her aid and she finally notices him and he was a chance. Nualla looks perfect, but actually her life is more complicated than it seems from the outside. I thought Nualla and Patrick made a nice couple. Beside these two there are some interesting side characters like Nualla her family, Travis and Patrick his best friend Connor. They all had enough personality to get a feel for their character. I thought it was a bit weird how Connor was so accepting of all the secrets Patrick kept, but he seemed like a great friend.
While the romance stars with them meeting and pretty soon marrying each other, it still builds nicely. They don't declare their love for each other until later and the whole marriage thing is sort of a joke that turns into an marriage as they are both drunk and after that they start to really get to know each other. I liked how this was handled. I was afraid it would go a bit too fast when they got married so early in the book, but strangely enough it worked. They get closer to each other and I liked them together.
The focus isn't on the world building, but the author did a great job of weaving world building into the story. I am not a fan of angel and demon stories, but here they treat daemons more as just another supernatural creature. And there are good and evil daemons, but it doesn't get elaborated on until later in the book. I usually don't like classifying different species as good or evil, so I am curious how that issue will be handled in later books as the evil daemons don't play a big part in this book until the end. Beside that we learn a bit of daemon culture, how they have their own language how they hide in the city and how their society works. I liked how we got to know a bit about the daemons, but still hoped for more and I am hoping for more answers in the next book.
To conclude: this was a great book, it was fun and enjoyable and exactly what I was in the mood for when I picked it up. It was a bit cliché at times, but I thought the author handled the story very well and there were enough surprises and twists. The pace was done well, although the pace did increase towards the end of the book. The characters were likeable and even the side characters had enough depth to get a feel for their personality. The romance took some time to develop even though they get married early in the book and I liked them together. There's some world building woven into the story, but a lot of questions still remain. The ending was well done and makes me curious about the next book!
Daemons in the Mist takes the cliché plot line from normal human meets supernatural and fall in love and manages to twist it into a great story. While there are some cliché parts and the book is a bit predictable at times, I had a lot of fun reading this. It was exactly the type of book I was in the mood for and I like this author her writing style, the pace flowed really well and there was enough happening to keep my attention. There is some foreshadowing about events that take place later in the book and I thought it was well done. There was a small twist with a lie and a birthday I wasn't a fan of around halfway the book, but that was only a minor issue. Towards the 70% the pace really picks up and I couldn't put the book down, twist after twist surprised me. There are some really well done twists towards the end of the book and I feel like it sets things up for the second book. The ending wraps things up nicely, while still making me wish I had a copy of the second book to read already.
I thought it was interesting that this book was told form both point of views, Nualla the female Daemon and Patrick the normal human male. I also liked how it was the female who was the supernatural instead of the male. Both are great characters. Patrick has a bad home situation, only a few friends and is often a bit self deprecation. He always had his eye on Nualla and then one day he comes to her aid and she finally notices him and he was a chance. Nualla looks perfect, but actually her life is more complicated than it seems from the outside. I thought Nualla and Patrick made a nice couple. Beside these two there are some interesting side characters like Nualla her family, Travis and Patrick his best friend Connor. They all had enough personality to get a feel for their character. I thought it was a bit weird how Connor was so accepting of all the secrets Patrick kept, but he seemed like a great friend.
While the romance stars with them meeting and pretty soon marrying each other, it still builds nicely. They don't declare their love for each other until later and the whole marriage thing is sort of a joke that turns into an marriage as they are both drunk and after that they start to really get to know each other. I liked how this was handled. I was afraid it would go a bit too fast when they got married so early in the book, but strangely enough it worked. They get closer to each other and I liked them together.
The focus isn't on the world building, but the author did a great job of weaving world building into the story. I am not a fan of angel and demon stories, but here they treat daemons more as just another supernatural creature. And there are good and evil daemons, but it doesn't get elaborated on until later in the book. I usually don't like classifying different species as good or evil, so I am curious how that issue will be handled in later books as the evil daemons don't play a big part in this book until the end. Beside that we learn a bit of daemon culture, how they have their own language how they hide in the city and how their society works. I liked how we got to know a bit about the daemons, but still hoped for more and I am hoping for more answers in the next book.
To conclude: this was a great book, it was fun and enjoyable and exactly what I was in the mood for when I picked it up. It was a bit cliché at times, but I thought the author handled the story very well and there were enough surprises and twists. The pace was done well, although the pace did increase towards the end of the book. The characters were likeable and even the side characters had enough depth to get a feel for their personality. The romance took some time to develop even though they get married early in the book and I liked them together. There's some world building woven into the story, but a lot of questions still remain. The ending was well done and makes me curious about the next book!
May 24, 2011
TLDR: This book made me feel like a kid again through the skillful use of subtle quality writing that actually made me worry and guess about characters I had really grown to like. Read this book.
The author of this book is a friend of mine, and she had me read it because definitely NOT the target audience. She figured I'd be much more brutal and blunt since this kind of book is definitely not the kind I've ever read before, except Twilight more out of morbid curiosity at best. So with that piece of garbage as my only reference I was a bit hesitant, but she's got some dirt on me so I stuck it up.
My mental stages went like this:
At first I was pleasantly surprised that the teenagers actually ACTED like teenagers. It's always hard to portray them because they aren't as experienced, and of course have not "come of age", but many authors considered great translate this into: "Acts like an idiot". But this is far from the case, real teenagers make plenty of rational decisions, and many of the naive or inexperienced mistakes they DO make are subtle and not as cliché as television and movies would like us to believe. I've always been a big fan of the authors who went out of their way to give real personality and realism to their characters. They make logical choices, or at least have an explained logic to their reasonings. "The Sword of Truth" series does this really well when it's not getting too preachy.
After this initial courting stage I become guiltily engrossed. I don't know about everyone else but when characters are real enough you feel almost like a peeping tom spying on all their goings on. It doesn't help this book manages to be completely hot and heavy at times without ever resorting to any actual Mature content. This in and of itself is something of a miracle, I found myself thinking "This can't be kosher for something like this." but upon further reflection it manages to be sinfully dirty while remaining teasingly virtuous. That feeling of course is ridiculously tantalizing and frustrating. But so was being a teenager.
As the narrative finally dug it's delicious claws into me I found that there was plenty of things I could easily predict, clichés in character, but it never hurt the story because they made sense. Moreso then not I also found myself being surprised. Me, the guy who gets popcorn thrown at him because I can predict every twist in any piece of media, surprised. I'm not sure how she did it exactly, but I suppose it rolls back into my earlier insinuations that this author has the perfect capability of being subtle. That might seem sort of weird but if you REALLY reflect on that you can see that this is an amazing quality. For someone like me (Or you), whose read and seen it all, to feel like a kid again. To feel that magic of being genuinely surprised. I almost forgot what it feels like.
I won't spoil those surprises of course, and talking too much about the ending parts would give a lot away. If I had one constant nag to the author as a I read (Because I totally had that privilege), I pointed out lots of loose ends and hanging plot points. It ANNOYED ME TO NO END, until finally she said "You know there's going to be a sequel right?".
I badger her every day about that sequel and she absolutely refuses to tell me the outline of it.
Probably for the best really, no matter how much it drives me crazy.
The author of this book is a friend of mine, and she had me read it because definitely NOT the target audience. She figured I'd be much more brutal and blunt since this kind of book is definitely not the kind I've ever read before, except Twilight more out of morbid curiosity at best. So with that piece of garbage as my only reference I was a bit hesitant, but she's got some dirt on me so I stuck it up.
My mental stages went like this:
At first I was pleasantly surprised that the teenagers actually ACTED like teenagers. It's always hard to portray them because they aren't as experienced, and of course have not "come of age", but many authors considered great translate this into: "Acts like an idiot". But this is far from the case, real teenagers make plenty of rational decisions, and many of the naive or inexperienced mistakes they DO make are subtle and not as cliché as television and movies would like us to believe. I've always been a big fan of the authors who went out of their way to give real personality and realism to their characters. They make logical choices, or at least have an explained logic to their reasonings. "The Sword of Truth" series does this really well when it's not getting too preachy.
After this initial courting stage I become guiltily engrossed. I don't know about everyone else but when characters are real enough you feel almost like a peeping tom spying on all their goings on. It doesn't help this book manages to be completely hot and heavy at times without ever resorting to any actual Mature content. This in and of itself is something of a miracle, I found myself thinking "This can't be kosher for something like this." but upon further reflection it manages to be sinfully dirty while remaining teasingly virtuous. That feeling of course is ridiculously tantalizing and frustrating. But so was being a teenager.
As the narrative finally dug it's delicious claws into me I found that there was plenty of things I could easily predict, clichés in character, but it never hurt the story because they made sense. Moreso then not I also found myself being surprised. Me, the guy who gets popcorn thrown at him because I can predict every twist in any piece of media, surprised. I'm not sure how she did it exactly, but I suppose it rolls back into my earlier insinuations that this author has the perfect capability of being subtle. That might seem sort of weird but if you REALLY reflect on that you can see that this is an amazing quality. For someone like me (Or you), whose read and seen it all, to feel like a kid again. To feel that magic of being genuinely surprised. I almost forgot what it feels like.
I won't spoil those surprises of course, and talking too much about the ending parts would give a lot away. If I had one constant nag to the author as a I read (Because I totally had that privilege), I pointed out lots of loose ends and hanging plot points. It ANNOYED ME TO NO END, until finally she said "You know there's going to be a sequel right?".
I badger her every day about that sequel and she absolutely refuses to tell me the outline of it.
Probably for the best really, no matter how much it drives me crazy.
June 26, 2013
"Finally getting the girl of your dreams; what could possibly go wrong?"
Pretty much everything, but the rest makes it so worth it.
Daemons in the Mist is a wonderful tale full of twists and turns that kept even me (the human future-telling machine) guessing at what would happen next. Patrick and Nualla have a chemistry that seems to feed off of each other, making the characters feel realistic. The story is told in a such a convincing way that it's believable that the world could exist this way.
Pretty much everything, but the rest makes it so worth it.
Daemons in the Mist is a wonderful tale full of twists and turns that kept even me (the human future-telling machine) guessing at what would happen next. Patrick and Nualla have a chemistry that seems to feed off of each other, making the characters feel realistic. The story is told in a such a convincing way that it's believable that the world could exist this way.
January 14, 2014
I revived this book through goodreads. I would like to thank the author for the copy of this wonderful book.
REVIEW
Wow! This is an extremely unique and new story for me. I enjoyed this book very much. I felt evereything the characters felt, and I felt as if I was there with them the whole way. Let me say, this book proves that love conquers all no matter what or who you are, not matter the circumstances. This book is a mix of Paranoramal, action, love, and romance, and full of unexpected twists and turns that ultimately will keep you glued to the book.
To the Author - Alicia Kat Vancil,
you did a remarkable job on this book! I look forward to the next book.
REVIEW
Wow! This is an extremely unique and new story for me. I enjoyed this book very much. I felt evereything the characters felt, and I felt as if I was there with them the whole way. Let me say, this book proves that love conquers all no matter what or who you are, not matter the circumstances. This book is a mix of Paranoramal, action, love, and romance, and full of unexpected twists and turns that ultimately will keep you glued to the book.
To the Author - Alicia Kat Vancil,
you did a remarkable job on this book! I look forward to the next book.
June 2, 2018
It was Awesome and mind breaking. After reading the free version on Wattpad I just couldnt stop, no one would have ever guessed what would have happened. Truly, Alicia is a master of Young Adult Fantasy novels. I read this series over and over and I never get bored. Good pick for anyone adventurous.
August 31, 2017
I was right about Patrick about not being human. I loved this story and I am totally gonna buy the next one. Probably the entire trilogy. I usually prefer vampire stories but I must admit I was curious about daemons. It is quite different from anything I have read in the fantasy genre but It is very well written and I was pulled into the story. I highly recommend this book.
June 10, 2012
*Originally posted on Pages Of Forbidden Love
First of all I love, love, love… this cover! I think it is absolutely gorgeous. Alicia did such a wonderful job with the cover and I enjoyed reading the story inside.
Patrick and Nualla have gone to Bayside Academy for years. Over those years Patrick has been developing a huge crush on Nualla and she has never even noticed him. All that changes though when Patrick steps up and interrupts a confrontation between Nualla and Michael. Nualla finally knows who Patrick is and they are even going to a school dance together. It all sounds innocent enough until Nualla, in an attempt to avoid Michael, asks Patrick if he wants to get out of town and they end up in Vegas. After one crazy night everything changes and Patrick becomes a part of a world he never knew existed. Nothing will ever be quite the same for either of them.
Daemons in the Mist went back and forth between Nualla and Patrick’s point of view. It was nice getting to read how both characters felt about the situations they got into. I also liked how each chapter had the month and day so that you could see how fast things were progressing. Above all, I enjoyed reading about a new subject, Daemons. I do wish I could have learned a little more about them and the differences between the two kinds while reading.
The characters were great. I enjoyed reading about them all and there really wasn’t anyone I strongly disliked. Patrick was absolutely adorkable. He was just too cute. He was sweet, an artist (he liked to draw), and it even said he knew how to dance (woo hoo :D ). The only thing he was seriously lacking was self-esteem. I feel like I still need to get to know Nualla better but what I got from reading so far was that she cares strongly about the people close to her and she isn’t one to give up. Towards the beginning she did have a couple moments were I felt she was being a little dramatic. She did make an effort with Patrick’s friends and I really liked that about her. As for their relationship, I appreciated how for at least half of the book no one was saying “I love you”. Those words did come up before I was completely convinced about their relationship but by the end I was totally rooting for them.
Nikki (Nualla’s cousin) and Shawn (her friend) were fun and very open towards Patrick. Connor (Patrick’s friend) was always there when Patrick needed to talk but also knew how to stop asking questions when Patrick said he couldn’t tell him. Beatrice was always reading a book so of course I loved her and Jenny was a drama queen that I wished would have toned it down a bit. I feel like Patrick’s friends weren’t around as much as Nualla’s so I am hoping to get to read more about them in the future. Travis, a longtime friend of Nualla and a young genius is another character I really want to read more about.
There was a lot that happened in this book. Things never settled down for long and although this left little room for a dull moment at times I felt like that was it and that there wouldn’t be a big ending which brought me down (it made it hard for me to read sometimes). Fortunately, I was wrong and I got the ending I was hoping for. It was sad, suspenseful, and surprising. I think surprises make everything better in stories.
While reading Daemons in the Mist I had a lot of questions that I felt the characters should have been asking. Thankfully most of the time they eventually brought it up though. I also didn’t care for how Patrick found out Nualla’s secrets and how he reacted to them. It was just instant acceptance and didn’t feel right. There were also some grammatical errors but I did really enjoy the subject, the characters, and the ending really grabbed my attention making it an enjoyable read. I look forward to seeing what happens next in Patrick and Nualla’s lives.
First of all I love, love, love… this cover! I think it is absolutely gorgeous. Alicia did such a wonderful job with the cover and I enjoyed reading the story inside.
Patrick and Nualla have gone to Bayside Academy for years. Over those years Patrick has been developing a huge crush on Nualla and she has never even noticed him. All that changes though when Patrick steps up and interrupts a confrontation between Nualla and Michael. Nualla finally knows who Patrick is and they are even going to a school dance together. It all sounds innocent enough until Nualla, in an attempt to avoid Michael, asks Patrick if he wants to get out of town and they end up in Vegas. After one crazy night everything changes and Patrick becomes a part of a world he never knew existed. Nothing will ever be quite the same for either of them.
Daemons in the Mist went back and forth between Nualla and Patrick’s point of view. It was nice getting to read how both characters felt about the situations they got into. I also liked how each chapter had the month and day so that you could see how fast things were progressing. Above all, I enjoyed reading about a new subject, Daemons. I do wish I could have learned a little more about them and the differences between the two kinds while reading.
The characters were great. I enjoyed reading about them all and there really wasn’t anyone I strongly disliked. Patrick was absolutely adorkable. He was just too cute. He was sweet, an artist (he liked to draw), and it even said he knew how to dance (woo hoo :D ). The only thing he was seriously lacking was self-esteem. I feel like I still need to get to know Nualla better but what I got from reading so far was that she cares strongly about the people close to her and she isn’t one to give up. Towards the beginning she did have a couple moments were I felt she was being a little dramatic. She did make an effort with Patrick’s friends and I really liked that about her. As for their relationship, I appreciated how for at least half of the book no one was saying “I love you”. Those words did come up before I was completely convinced about their relationship but by the end I was totally rooting for them.
Nikki (Nualla’s cousin) and Shawn (her friend) were fun and very open towards Patrick. Connor (Patrick’s friend) was always there when Patrick needed to talk but also knew how to stop asking questions when Patrick said he couldn’t tell him. Beatrice was always reading a book so of course I loved her and Jenny was a drama queen that I wished would have toned it down a bit. I feel like Patrick’s friends weren’t around as much as Nualla’s so I am hoping to get to read more about them in the future. Travis, a longtime friend of Nualla and a young genius is another character I really want to read more about.
There was a lot that happened in this book. Things never settled down for long and although this left little room for a dull moment at times I felt like that was it and that there wouldn’t be a big ending which brought me down (it made it hard for me to read sometimes). Fortunately, I was wrong and I got the ending I was hoping for. It was sad, suspenseful, and surprising. I think surprises make everything better in stories.
While reading Daemons in the Mist I had a lot of questions that I felt the characters should have been asking. Thankfully most of the time they eventually brought it up though. I also didn’t care for how Patrick found out Nualla’s secrets and how he reacted to them. It was just instant acceptance and didn’t feel right. There were also some grammatical errors but I did really enjoy the subject, the characters, and the ending really grabbed my attention making it an enjoyable read. I look forward to seeing what happens next in Patrick and Nualla’s lives.
December 21, 2017
In a rare move, Ms. Vancil has her paranormal Young Adult (YA) center on the hero instead of the heroine with the male discovering the unknown mysterious world surrounding his love interest. Patrick admires his crush from afar until one day he stops one of the popular boys who wouldn't take "not interested". Suddenly she notices him, as does the popular boy, and Patrick's world is never the same.
The story is a solid YA with only a couple editing problems involving the "Chekhov's gun" rule. Chekhov being the master of the short story has a rule of everything in the narrative needs to be irreplaceable, though the significance many not be revealed immediately - for example, in a play, if a gun is on the mantle in the first act, it should be used before the closing curtain. The corollary is also true, if a gun is used in the final act, it should be introduced on stage long before then.
At one point in the manuscript, a friend asks why Patrick let an illness go so long, "didn't you read" the book? This was the first mention of the book. A good content editor should have found the problem during one of the editing passes and asked the author to add the friend giving Patrick the book earlier. As is, it feels like the author was pantsing (writing off the cuff) and didn't go back and integrate the book. But the situation isn't totally without support, Patrick really isn't a book kind-of guy and, as the unreliable narrator, he may have just forgot to mention it to the reader. The problem with this argument is Patrick hasn't proved anywhere else in the manuscript to be unreliable about reporting things which he directly observed.
Another incident in the story has an important piece of information just pop in.
Instead of considering these editing issues, on the other hand, one can just say these were things Patrick missed. A lot of information gets exploded in the main character's face as he discovers the paranormal, so an average reader might not notice what I (with my particular background in editing) consider to be issues. The book incident threw me out of the story and made me push back a few pages (which is tough on a kindle) to see if I missed anything.
Another, more personal, dislike is the glorification of drinking and underplaying the perils and how it can destroy young lives. The drinking is required for some of the major turning points of the story, but its prominence in the story means parents should review before deciding if this YA is appropriate for their minor child.
Other than these annoyances, the book is great and I read it in a night and the second book of the trilogy the second night. The second book does not have any Chekhov's gun issues. I need sleep before tackling the last book.
NOTE AFTER READING BOOK THREE: Correction on genre. While the first book in YA, the rest of the series moves into New Adult (NA) where pre-marital sex, drinking, and other college level activities are presented.
The story is a solid YA with only a couple editing problems involving the "Chekhov's gun" rule. Chekhov being the master of the short story has a rule of everything in the narrative needs to be irreplaceable, though the significance many not be revealed immediately - for example, in a play, if a gun is on the mantle in the first act, it should be used before the closing curtain. The corollary is also true, if a gun is used in the final act, it should be introduced on stage long before then.
At one point in the manuscript, a friend asks why Patrick let an illness go so long, "didn't you read" the book? This was the first mention of the book. A good content editor should have found the problem during one of the editing passes and asked the author to add the friend giving Patrick the book earlier. As is, it feels like the author was pantsing (writing off the cuff) and didn't go back and integrate the book. But the situation isn't totally without support, Patrick really isn't a book kind-of guy and, as the unreliable narrator, he may have just forgot to mention it to the reader. The problem with this argument is Patrick hasn't proved anywhere else in the manuscript to be unreliable about reporting things which he directly observed.
Another incident in the story has an important piece of information just pop in.
Instead of considering these editing issues, on the other hand, one can just say these were things Patrick missed. A lot of information gets exploded in the main character's face as he discovers the paranormal, so an average reader might not notice what I (with my particular background in editing) consider to be issues. The book incident threw me out of the story and made me push back a few pages (which is tough on a kindle) to see if I missed anything.
Another, more personal, dislike is the glorification of drinking and underplaying the perils and how it can destroy young lives. The drinking is required for some of the major turning points of the story, but its prominence in the story means parents should review before deciding if this YA is appropriate for their minor child.
Other than these annoyances, the book is great and I read it in a night and the second book of the trilogy the second night. The second book does not have any Chekhov's gun issues. I need sleep before tackling the last book.
NOTE AFTER READING BOOK THREE: Correction on genre. While the first book in YA, the rest of the series moves into New Adult (NA) where pre-marital sex, drinking, and other college level activities are presented.
June 24, 2015
If I could, I would have given this 3.5 stars, but I decided to round it up to 4.
Daemons in the Mist is a cute, fun, fast read that fans of Twilight - or YA Paranormal Romance in general - would probably like. I enjoyed reading it and could have easily devoured it all in one day. However, I felt it had some flaws, too (but then, what book doesn't?)
Nualla is a super suave, super rich, otherworldly princess who has made it her life's mission to hide in plain sight by posing as a regular teenage human girl (Edward Cullen?) We're told that daemons age slower than humans, but we're never told how slow or what Nuella's real age is. She acts like a 17 to 18 year old girl though, with a love for night clubs and alcohol.
Patrick is a normal 17 year old human boy with zero confidence. We're told, through Nuella's eyes, that he's hot, but Patrick doesn't see it. Patrick really doesn't do much other than standing around feeling sorry for himself and blindly following Nualla around. (Bella Swan?) Patrick has been in love with Nualla for four years despite the fact that she literally doesn't see him or speak to him for the first four years. The moment Neulla does notice him? Well, Patrick's smitten and there is nothing he won't do for her, including risking death without question.
If you like instant die-hard star-crossed love at first sight, than this is the perfect book for you. For me, it felt really unbelievable and I had to suspend my belief A LOT. I wish the main characters had been a little more active, and a little less victim of circumstance, but when I think about it, they did act like dramatic teenagers, which I guess is the point when reading YA.
The good news? There is a lot edge-of-your-seat action and emotion that kept me turning the pages, racing to get to that Happily Ever After. There are a lot of twists and turns, too. I was able to accurately predict who the "bad guys" were and how the story would end, based on all the hints and clues the author left, but it still ended in a satisfactory way. I would have been upset if I had been wrong.
All in all, I liked it, but I'm not running out to buy book two right this second. If I do read book two, it would be to find out if Travis gets his One. I really hope he does. I loved Travis - and Shawn and Nikki. I'll definitely add it to my TBR list and see if I get around to it. Thanks for the fun ride, Ms. Vancil.
Daemons in the Mist is a cute, fun, fast read that fans of Twilight - or YA Paranormal Romance in general - would probably like. I enjoyed reading it and could have easily devoured it all in one day. However, I felt it had some flaws, too (but then, what book doesn't?)
Nualla is a super suave, super rich, otherworldly princess who has made it her life's mission to hide in plain sight by posing as a regular teenage human girl (Edward Cullen?) We're told that daemons age slower than humans, but we're never told how slow or what Nuella's real age is. She acts like a 17 to 18 year old girl though, with a love for night clubs and alcohol.
Patrick is a normal 17 year old human boy with zero confidence. We're told, through Nuella's eyes, that he's hot, but Patrick doesn't see it. Patrick really doesn't do much other than standing around feeling sorry for himself and blindly following Nualla around. (Bella Swan?) Patrick has been in love with Nualla for four years despite the fact that she literally doesn't see him or speak to him for the first four years. The moment Neulla does notice him? Well, Patrick's smitten and there is nothing he won't do for her, including risking death without question.
If you like instant die-hard star-crossed love at first sight, than this is the perfect book for you. For me, it felt really unbelievable and I had to suspend my belief A LOT. I wish the main characters had been a little more active, and a little less victim of circumstance, but when I think about it, they did act like dramatic teenagers, which I guess is the point when reading YA.
The good news? There is a lot edge-of-your-seat action and emotion that kept me turning the pages, racing to get to that Happily Ever After. There are a lot of twists and turns, too. I was able to accurately predict who the "bad guys" were and how the story would end, based on all the hints and clues the author left, but it still ended in a satisfactory way. I would have been upset if I had been wrong.
All in all, I liked it, but I'm not running out to buy book two right this second. If I do read book two, it would be to find out if Travis gets his One. I really hope he does. I loved Travis - and Shawn and Nikki. I'll definitely add it to my TBR list and see if I get around to it. Thanks for the fun ride, Ms. Vancil.
June 21, 2012
This is certainly an eventful book! And it really grows on you as you keep reading. When I started the book I thought it would only be so-so but by the time I was done, I really enjoyed the story. And when I was about 2/3 of the way in, I took a reading break and got some food and rushed right back to reading. I didn't even realize how much I had started liking the book until that break. Because I was kind of coasting along reading and then once I stopped reading to take a break, I wanted to keep reading because I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
I found the world of daemons and secrets interesting! And the world was nicely built and very complex. It was a different take on daemons than I have encountered before. There were a few things that confused me in the beginning of the book, but once you get into the story it all becomes easier to understand. I will say this. I could not get Nualla's name right! I think the glossary of terms and the pronunciations should have been at the start of the book, not the end. Because I called her nutella more than a few times in my head. But I do love nutella, so it was never a bad thing for me. hehe. I also loved how committed Patrick was. He would do anything for Nualla. He is a really great guy, and the two of them together is pretty awesome. (and hot)
There were some parts of Daemons in the Mist that seemed a little unrealistic to me. First of all, Patrick accepted everything way too easily. I just don't think people would be this accepting of the supernatural or otherworldly even if it's staring them in the face. I mean I love to read paranormal books and such but if a vampire was sitting next to me, I would be freaked out or in denial or something. And then her dad just seemed to take everything in stride too. I mean, hello! His daughter is only 18! But even though a few scenes in the book seemed unrealistic, I couldn't help but get swept up in the story. I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to read the second book!
P.S. I went back and forth with the rating on this one. Because I did find some parts unrealistic but I ended up enjoying the story so much! So I'll with a 3.8 that bumps up to a 4 gavel. :)
June 19, 2012
A ride of intrigue, hidden agendas, action, and a ting of romance.
The story opens with Nualla and Patrick attending the same high school but living in separate worlds. Of course, the blending of two worlds works to sprinkle the paranormal elements necessary to tell this tale. But this setting also presents the reader with a great parallel of the reality of being a young adult. There are always segregated groups in high school, groups that are seen and those that are not seen. And the perception of these groups is no different than it has been throughout the ages of organized public education.
Patrick’s eyes are opened by the sudden, although somewhat accidental, interest Nualla shows him. Unexpected attention leads to unexpected travels, which take on a life of their own…and consequences. When Nualla believes she and Patrick have violated a serious code of honor for her people, they are forced into abiding by the rules of this code. This is fine with them, because they genially have fallen for each other. But as you might have guessed, there’s more to that part of the story.
Dillman includes what some might call risky subjects in young adult literature, using the reality of teenagers partying, drinking, sexual tension, and references to having sex. With saying this, all is done in perfect taste and highlights more of the real experience of today’s teenage life. It shows that teens might not always use the best judgment with their decision making, but they can act responsibly in handling the consequences when given the opportunity.
Overall, Dillman’s writing is a hoot! She uses the snarkiest, quick-witted language, especially through Nualla’s dialog. This strong characteristic attracted me like bees to their honey. And it didn’t just attract me, but Dillman’s other characters too. It was obvious that this was one element of Nualla’s personality that Patrick enjoyed. But it also challenged him. Through this, Dillman showed the maturing growth of a teenage boy.
I look forward to reading more of Nualla and Patrick adventures and am excited to see where Dillman takes their story.
The story opens with Nualla and Patrick attending the same high school but living in separate worlds. Of course, the blending of two worlds works to sprinkle the paranormal elements necessary to tell this tale. But this setting also presents the reader with a great parallel of the reality of being a young adult. There are always segregated groups in high school, groups that are seen and those that are not seen. And the perception of these groups is no different than it has been throughout the ages of organized public education.
Patrick’s eyes are opened by the sudden, although somewhat accidental, interest Nualla shows him. Unexpected attention leads to unexpected travels, which take on a life of their own…and consequences. When Nualla believes she and Patrick have violated a serious code of honor for her people, they are forced into abiding by the rules of this code. This is fine with them, because they genially have fallen for each other. But as you might have guessed, there’s more to that part of the story.
Dillman includes what some might call risky subjects in young adult literature, using the reality of teenagers partying, drinking, sexual tension, and references to having sex. With saying this, all is done in perfect taste and highlights more of the real experience of today’s teenage life. It shows that teens might not always use the best judgment with their decision making, but they can act responsibly in handling the consequences when given the opportunity.
Overall, Dillman’s writing is a hoot! She uses the snarkiest, quick-witted language, especially through Nualla’s dialog. This strong characteristic attracted me like bees to their honey. And it didn’t just attract me, but Dillman’s other characters too. It was obvious that this was one element of Nualla’s personality that Patrick enjoyed. But it also challenged him. Through this, Dillman showed the maturing growth of a teenage boy.
I look forward to reading more of Nualla and Patrick adventures and am excited to see where Dillman takes their story.
January 17, 2016
~picture this~
Your all alone in your room and no light except for a small candle, next thing you know*poof* your candle goes out. Your heart literally stops, in that moment your only coherent thought is of pure anxious terror. What blew the candle out? was it your breath? or perhaps your movement? Did you have another match? how are you to light it again? It's so dark you can't find anything. You search and search but still you come up empty handed. You become agitated, you can't find anything to light the candle, soon you come to an understanding that you will have to wait in the dark till something happens.
This book did left me waiting in the dark, yes i enjoyed it immensely. Yet i couldn't help but feel like i needed more, it was missing something that i couldn't find, i knew if i had found it i would have been able to see what was going to happen.
Although it did have some pretty favorable moments, hysterical moments at that. " what happens in vegas should stay in vegas right?" not in this book. Oh what divine irony in this book. At times i had to wipe my eyes from crying so hard, not from being sad but by how funny it was.
Yet I can name more then a few time i just stared at the book like what the hell, bizarre, kooky, odd, just straight up wack!
Overal Thank you alicia for giving me a book that i may not have liked some parts but at the same time made me so attached to it. i cant wait to sink my fangs into the next book :D
[image error] Daemons in the MistAlicia Kat Vancil
Your all alone in your room and no light except for a small candle, next thing you know*poof* your candle goes out. Your heart literally stops, in that moment your only coherent thought is of pure anxious terror. What blew the candle out? was it your breath? or perhaps your movement? Did you have another match? how are you to light it again? It's so dark you can't find anything. You search and search but still you come up empty handed. You become agitated, you can't find anything to light the candle, soon you come to an understanding that you will have to wait in the dark till something happens.
This book did left me waiting in the dark, yes i enjoyed it immensely. Yet i couldn't help but feel like i needed more, it was missing something that i couldn't find, i knew if i had found it i would have been able to see what was going to happen.
Although it did have some pretty favorable moments, hysterical moments at that. " what happens in vegas should stay in vegas right?" not in this book. Oh what divine irony in this book. At times i had to wipe my eyes from crying so hard, not from being sad but by how funny it was.
Yet I can name more then a few time i just stared at the book like what the hell, bizarre, kooky, odd, just straight up wack!
Overal Thank you alicia for giving me a book that i may not have liked some parts but at the same time made me so attached to it. i cant wait to sink my fangs into the next book :D
[image error] Daemons in the MistAlicia Kat Vancil
August 7, 2011
Patrick was like any other high school kid. A senior, he had a group of close friends, had been in love/lust with the same girl for 4 years and she had no clue he existed and was a latch-key kid since his parents were NEVER home, left for weeks at a time and came back oblivious to Patrick and his classes, pals, etc.
Back to that girl – Nualla Galathea – to be exact. Nualla always hung with her cousin, Nikki, a friend named Shawn, and was the most gorgeous girl at Bayside Academy. Rich but not pretentious, she had a smile for all, was kind and did NOT like Michael who was determined to make her like him. She never saw Patrick in the throng of students in the halls.
In a magical story Ms. Dillman takes us into the mist of San Francisco – into the world of the Daemons who we never see. Nualla and friends are daemons and others as well. Patrick hasn’t a clue but he is beginning to have some stress headaches which causes Nualla, after meeting him; to whisk him off with her and her friends to Vegas. After a night of fake ids, many, many drinks and partying Patrick wakes up with the hangover of his life. With Nualla. Married. Hmmmmmm….
I loved this book! The characters were so believable, the plot outstanding and the conclusion left me wanting more, more! This is just an excellently written, well done story that you should get to your teenager (then yourself) ASAP!
Back to that girl – Nualla Galathea – to be exact. Nualla always hung with her cousin, Nikki, a friend named Shawn, and was the most gorgeous girl at Bayside Academy. Rich but not pretentious, she had a smile for all, was kind and did NOT like Michael who was determined to make her like him. She never saw Patrick in the throng of students in the halls.
In a magical story Ms. Dillman takes us into the mist of San Francisco – into the world of the Daemons who we never see. Nualla and friends are daemons and others as well. Patrick hasn’t a clue but he is beginning to have some stress headaches which causes Nualla, after meeting him; to whisk him off with her and her friends to Vegas. After a night of fake ids, many, many drinks and partying Patrick wakes up with the hangover of his life. With Nualla. Married. Hmmmmmm….
I loved this book! The characters were so believable, the plot outstanding and the conclusion left me wanting more, more! This is just an excellently written, well done story that you should get to your teenager (then yourself) ASAP!
August 10, 2011
*actual rating somewhere between liked-it and really-liked-it*
This novel was one crazy ride. One of those that just keep surprising you page after page. Going from euphoria to desperation in matter of seconds, it was completely engaging from the very first until the last sentence. Just when you think you got it all figured out, the next chapter brings a twist-and there's more than fifty chapters, so go figure.
The story is told both by Nualla and Patrick. After all the crazy stuff you go through with them, they grow on you (so much that last night I had a dream about it.) Plus, I was constantly humming Waking up in Vegas...
One think I had some troubles with was the voice. It didn't always sound completely authentic, like something your average eighteen-year-old would say or do...also, I don't really like instant crushes, I'm more for a slower build-up of a relationship...but then again, we're talking about daemons, so I let it slip and went along. At moments it was hilariously funny, and sometimes sadness, loneliness and fear were oozing from the pages.
As much as some things weren't completely to my liking, it kept me entertained from the beginning to the end. Daemons in the Mist is one to be read when you need excitement and a crazy, exploding romance, a story to throw all cautions to the wind and just relax.
Many thanks to Alicia for providing a review copy!
This novel was one crazy ride. One of those that just keep surprising you page after page. Going from euphoria to desperation in matter of seconds, it was completely engaging from the very first until the last sentence. Just when you think you got it all figured out, the next chapter brings a twist-and there's more than fifty chapters, so go figure.
The story is told both by Nualla and Patrick. After all the crazy stuff you go through with them, they grow on you (so much that last night I had a dream about it.) Plus, I was constantly humming Waking up in Vegas...
One think I had some troubles with was the voice. It didn't always sound completely authentic, like something your average eighteen-year-old would say or do...also, I don't really like instant crushes, I'm more for a slower build-up of a relationship...but then again, we're talking about daemons, so I let it slip and went along. At moments it was hilariously funny, and sometimes sadness, loneliness and fear were oozing from the pages.
As much as some things weren't completely to my liking, it kept me entertained from the beginning to the end. Daemons in the Mist is one to be read when you need excitement and a crazy, exploding romance, a story to throw all cautions to the wind and just relax.
Many thanks to Alicia for providing a review copy!
November 19, 2012
This book needs a lot of editing to really make it to the market. Here's a pro and con list:
Pros:
Some of the description in the beginning was nice especially about the city of San Francisco
I enjoyed complex world of Daemons and everything that comes with that.
A little bit of the romance between the two main characters
I liked the lab where Travis worked on his gadgets for the Daemons
The description of seeing Nualla's horns were really nice what about the others?
Cons
lots of swearing (not my cup of tea)
overused words (it got annoying)
too many dramas it got tiring very fast
the romance is not realistic (I am aware this is an fanstay)
I felt some of the characters were flat especially Patrick's friend Connor.
too many cliques and swear words
no direction it was too many crazy situations popping up all the time it got tiring and a tad confusing too.
it felt like I was watching a bad tv show it was just all action and really no thought behind it.
The books I normally read are coming of age young adult books so they usually have depth, a nice storyline and fresh writing that doesn't put one to sleep.
If you enjoy simple and action books it may be your kind of story.
Anyways this book didn't click with me at all.
June 28, 2012
I really, really wanted to like this book! The new cover is really pretty, and the author's illustrations on her website of some of the scenes are really gorgeous. I ordered the new edition and was sent the old one, so maybe a lot of my editing issues weer fixed in the new edition. In the first edition, there were at least 2 mistakes on most pages, and that just pulls you out of the world. Also, the pacing was horrible. In the first 40 pages, the guy and girl meet, girl is rescued by guy, secures date to dance, runs into girl at mall, then ends up on a plane to Vegas for no stinking reason (and where no one has to call parents!), drunk off their asses in a club where the lead guy thinks some really awkwardly stupid lines, and then, THEN (SPOILER) there is a wedding no one can remember. And that's just the first 5th of the book. All of that being said, I think the author's concept for the story is really brilliant, just poorly executed. With more practice, she could be someone to watch out for.
December 29, 2015
This book was just what I needed, I had just read Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood that ended on a rather sad cliffhanger and was in the middle of reading Crossed by Ally Condie which is devastatingly beautiful. Daemons in the Mist was just the break I needed, something that was intense, romantic, and fun. This is so far the first self-published work I have read that was not part of the Indelibles, and although there were a few grammatical errors they were minor and did not take away from my enjoyment of the book.
The full review can be found at http://katetilton.com/daemons-in-the-...
The full review can be found at http://katetilton.com/daemons-in-the-...
August 9, 2013
The two main characters Patrick and Nualla have some ordinary and realistic teen issues, yet face circumstances of the unusual. Predictable moments in the midst of the unpredictable. Overall the intrigue kept me wondering, imagining, and questioning, just what could happen next?
The characters of the novel came alive on screen in my minds eye. And when I had to put the book down to go to sleep, I would find myself waking from a dream state realizing I had been dreaming about conversing with the characters. I became actively part of the story as if they were real creatures. Who really knows, maybe they are truly living among us?
Looking forward to the next novel of the trilogy!
The characters of the novel came alive on screen in my minds eye. And when I had to put the book down to go to sleep, I would find myself waking from a dream state realizing I had been dreaming about conversing with the characters. I became actively part of the story as if they were real creatures. Who really knows, maybe they are truly living among us?
Looking forward to the next novel of the trilogy!
October 30, 2011
DAEMONS IN THE MIST by author/illustrator Alicia Kat Dillmn, takes readers on a journey where human and Daemon worlds collide. The opening scene takes place at a prep school in San Francisco. Think TWILIGHT, but replace vampires with daemons. The story is packed with plot, adventure, sexual tension, and many clever twists and turns.For full review visit http://kimscritiquingcorner.blogspot....
September 5, 2011
DITM has a great story line. This is one that kept me up late reading & I even dreamed about it one night. I might have given it 5 stars but for the typos - it did need more editing. That being said, it was full of romance & unexpected twists. I really enjoyed it!
October 23, 2012
Loved the book! It was a never ending struggle for these two but they always found a way to get through it with their luck. It was entertaining and never a dull moment. I also love how everything is explained as you get deeper into the book.
August 23, 2011
I really liked this book because it kept me guessing almost until the end. A really fun read. I look forward to the next book in this series.
Want to read
June 6, 2012Great cover!
June 29, 2012
look's stunning can't wait to read it!!!!
July 5, 2012
This. Book. Was. Amazing.
July 30, 2012
If I could, I'd give it 3.5 stars. I had a little problem suspending my disbelief in this book (that's usually not an issue for me), but it was entertaining.
February 19, 2013
Aaaaaaaaaa i love this book!
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