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Shadows of Destiny #1

Destiny Divided

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Librarian's Note: This is an alternate cover edition of ASIN: B004SBOYQS

After fleeing her native city — and nightmares of a traumatic childhood — Sage Peterson meets the overbearing, pretentious, yet haunted Professor Elias. He’s the only one who knows about her mysterious powers, which seem to be spiraling out of control. When he convinces her to train with him, she finds herself thrust into a five hundred year war and on the run from vampires, werewolves, and even worse — her budding feelings for James Elias.

James had been living a dull and empty existence for the past century and a half. When a fiery half-sorceress, half-witch with a stubborn streak and sharp wit enters his life, he sees her only as a potential weapon to use against his greatest enemy. But when he discovers the vulnerable woman beneath the angry mask, instinct screams to keep her safe. To protect and provide. And to claim her as his.

But will it be too late? As passion and lust ignite between them, vengeance is slipping away. And when Sage is confronted with fulfilling an unexpected destiny, will she choose to trust James with her heart?

310 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 5, 2011

60 people are currently reading
1427 people want to read

About the author

Leia Shaw

30 books297 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
Profile Image for Juliana Philippa.
1,029 reviews989 followers
July 16, 2015
2.5 stars
Note: The author has informed me that apparently the copy that I read is the old version, and there is an updated one now available in which many of the issues I mention below have been changed. I will update my review as needed if/when I read the new one.

While there were some things I really enjoyed about this book - namely the hero and the world the author created - I strongly, strongly disliked the heroine and I'm sorry to say that she ended up ruining the book for me. Had I liked her, the other problems I had with this book would only have brought the rating down to 4 or 3.5 stars.

{ Praise }

* James - I loved him and for those of you who are Night Huntress fans, he kind of reminded me of Bones, as if they could be brothers or cousins (and the dynamics of his relationship with Sage is somewhat similar at the beginning). He was a great character with a compelling back story; well-written and three-dimensional. He has a strong sense of responsibility and right vs. wrong; he's intelligent, committed, and loyal; he has a sense of humor and enjoys teasing Sage; he's caring, even though he hides it with aloofness / gruffness at the beginning, while later being wonderfully sensitive and tender; he's possessive and brave. So yes - all around dreamy!

* World building - Although I've realized this is the case, I'm still amazed by how each time I start a new PNR or fantasy author I'm exposed to a completely new world, even when there are some common things like vampires or witches. The world that Shaw has created is very interesting and I liked how she set up these different factions of supernatural species and the tensions between them.

* Secondary characters - This book also felt like the first book of Cat-Bones in that there were not very many secondary characters, and those there were are only part of certain sections or we see them very, very briefly throughout. When they were there though, they were good additions and I wish we could have seen more of them.

* Writing - The writing is good, both James' and Sage's third person POV are well-written and noticeably different, and the transitions between them are smooth.

{ Criticism }

* Sage - I really did not like her. She was just too much for me - too much of everything. She has a very compelling character history, so I expected her to be strong, have defenses and barriers, be somewhat cold and reserved or standoffish. Instead, she seems like a caricature of that. She's ill-tempered, bratty, immature, stubborn, disrespectful, selfish, inconsiderate, snarky, a know-it-all, and bitchy. I wanted to slap her upside the head so many times and tell her to just shut up and listen; with every single thing James said or did she was combative and it drove me nuts. She was always yelling, complaining, stamping her foot, smirking, stomping away, harping, etc.

She's also really cold-hearted several times in the story towards James, which bothered me all the more because I loved his character. Sage repeatedly stomps on James' feelings and heart: she realizes something he's ashamed of and needles him for it; she's mad about one of his decidedly painful - but effective - teaching methods and so later stabs him in the hand with her knife (no joke) and is happy that he feels pain; she repeatedly throws his feelings back in his face; etc. The only character growth I saw was in the Epilogue, which was far too long a wait for me.

* Love scenes - It was somewhat weird, but there aren't any until the end, even though they started having sex before that. The sexual tension is slow to build, but when it starts to become integrated into the story it is felt by the reader and written very well (the scene in the cave when James is weak after being hurt and needs his strength back ... *shivers* very nice ;-). However, I didn't even realize it when they finally started to sleep together: he's comforting her in his arms; new chapter; we're told about the last few days and their routine; and then up pops a thought from James' third person POV about how he's satisfying her sexually but doesn't want only a sexual relationship. I had to go back a few pages to make sure I hadn't mistakenly skipped any, but I hadn't.

* Some parts of the story were not very tight and at times the book had a stop-and-go feel to it. One surprise we're told and that is an important thing about one of the main characters comes completely out of the blue. The entire first half is spent essentially separated from the supernatural world and then everything is rushed and crammed into the second half. There's a pointless scene with some witches, as well as one with a sorcerer that was kind of needless. As we draw closer to the end, the time between events and plot progressions keeps getting shorter and shorter, so by the time we reach the end it felt very rushed and the major event feels anti-climactic.

{ Bottom Line }
I bought the book because I wanted to read it before reading the sequel and I think that was my mistake. After reading reviews, I had a feeling I might not like Sage and I should have paid attention to that and immediately gone to Book 2 - which I am still looking forward to. We meet that book's hero, Marcelo, at the end of this one, and I already like him, plus from reviews I've read Erin seems like she will be a very different type of heroine than her sister.
Profile Image for Leia Shaw.
Author 30 books297 followers
August 1, 2011
There seems to be some confusion about the correct version of this book. To clear things up, I have revised the original version, where some helpful readers had pointed out some character flaws and a missing sex scene. I took every comment to heart and re-wrote the book. As of July 25th 2011, the new version is available in all e-book formats. It was updated sooner for kindle buyers. If you bought a copy before then, please pm me and I will get you the new version for free to replace it. Thank you for your patience.

- Leia Shaw
Profile Image for Laurie Garrison .
727 reviews173 followers
November 25, 2020
Reviewed by
Deereads

Dee's review below

Honestly, I had to put this one down. I just wasn’t immediately drawn into the characters. When I came back I could kick myself for ever stopping. I am such a schmuck!

Sage is an extremely strong character. I enjoyed the personal, internal journey the author lead us on. The author does an exceptional job in expressing the emotions Sage has and is going through making a connection form easily with the character. She is also completely kick-ass and you have to love that.

James is an arrogant, know-it-all, but sexy as hell professor. His initial intentions for Sage were not so honorable, but James soon realizes love is more important than vengeance. When this happens the alpha male comes out, and the “MINE” phrases begin. You know I love that!!! Yes I do!!!

There is quite a few surprises in this novel, and that I enjoyed. The sarcastic humor was exceptional. Shaw pulled a snort or two from me, I will admit. However, what lacked for me was the sexual relationship of the characters. The first encounters (plural) were referred to but not addressed. This left a big void for me in the novel. I sat back and thought “What the heck! When did that happen?” and flipped back pages to see if I missed something. Then I read the page numbers to see if I was missing pages. Next I realized the information I was looking for just wasn’t there! There is a scene eventually where the leads have a private meeting, but at that point I was a wee bit frustrated.

Would I read the next addition? Yes, for the fact of the great sarcastic humor, and the potential of the series.
Profile Image for Crystal _ Reading Between the Wines Book Club.
1,550 reviews330 followers
March 25, 2011
4 1/2

I loved every single moment of Destiny Divided!
The author did an excellent job with world building, keeping it believable and exciting while her characters were sexy and interesting. Sage is a kick ass heroine with a snarky sense of humor I adored and James a yummy and protective sorcerer with a few secrets of his own. I loved watching both of them develop and grow as individuals and a couple. There is a great balance of action and romance in this captivating plot. Also, mucho sexual tension that leaves you hanging by a thread for quite some time but is well worth the weight. Some funny Twilight and Harry Potter references as well; there was even a ‘Luke, I am your father’ Star Wars moment.

This was such a fun and addicting read, I couldn’t put it down and held a serious grudge against my family when I actually had to take a break to fix them dinner!
The end had me salivating for more and I can’t wait to get my hands on A Destiny United, the next book in the series set to release this June.

http://paranormalromanceaddict.blogsp...
Profile Image for Samantha **ParaNormal Romance Party**.
42 reviews23 followers
September 3, 2011
" Originally Posted: http://theparaormalromanceparty.blogs... "

1st Line in the book---> “Sage emptied the contents of her backpack onto a desk in the basement of the school.”

REVIEW:
This book really surprised me!! In an AWESOME way!! I just got it because it had been on my wish list for the longest time and saw it on promotion!! But... WOW!! Have you ever started reading a new book and you just can't put it down!?! Even when I HAD to put it down, it still on my mind!!

Sage Peterson knows only one thing. Survival. After being in foster care system, she knows that the only person she can depend on is herself. She is different, people feared her a child. So when she is faced with going to jail, she is given two choices. Either end up in jail, or take the offer Professor Elias provides her with. Sage being a survivor, decides to take the lesser of two evils. Although all she really wants to do is disappear.

James Elias is a Professor at the college where Sage is working at. He has just dismissed his students when a commotion catches his attention. What he finds is a familiar looking women who is being apprehended by the security guards while the Dean is calling the Police. Raw, powerful magic hits him as he tries to get closer. Instantly he recognizes that she is like him. A sorceress, but untrained. He has rarely felt such powerful magic, so he offers her help. He will provide for her, if she agrees to let him train her.

As the story progresses, secrets are revealed. Someone is hunting Sage and she must face something she has been running from.... her destiny.

I have to say that this book is amazing!! At first I found Sage's attitude to be a little annoying but as you keep reading, your learn more about her character. I began to feel and develop emotional reactions to what happened to the H/H, which creates (for me) a great reading experience. The plot is great. I went in thinking it was going to be a magic only themed book. Boy was I wrong!! There are soo many things that are revealed that I never expected. When I finished, I just had to pick up the next book. I fell so in love with the characters, that I can't wait for the other characters to get their own book and see them find their match!!

Sage is outspoken, brash, but has a vulnerable side she protects. James is cocky, deadly, but caring when it comes to Sage. Together you get a lot of sarcastic humor and they are always butting heads. You can't help but want them to end up together!!! I do have to say that James is hot!! Some of the scenes leave you fanning yourself ;) .
Destiny Divided is Book 1 in the Shadows of Destiny series. I Highly recommend this!! You won't be disappointed! :D

NOTE: This book is an Adult Paranormal Romance.

LABOR DAY PROMOTION: YOU CAN GET BOOKS 1&2 FOR ONLY $.99 ( each) through Monday, 5!!

*****FINAL VERDICT: 5 Stars******
Profile Image for Laurielu Bona Fide Reflections.
430 reviews79 followers
August 18, 2011
Destiny Divided by Leia Shaw is a gem of a paranormal romance. I absolutely loved the mythos of Ms. Shaw's paranormal world of witches, vampires, and shape-shifters which is original and intriguing.

Sage Peterson has been living in the basement of the university where Professor James Elias teaches. She has lived a hard lonely life where she has to cover up all of strange unexplainable events that occur around her when she gets overly emotional. The frustrating, sexy, authoritative James offers to help Sage who is a powerful half witch/half sorceress by training her in magic while he is secretly planning to use Sage against his enemies. However, as they spend more time together, their feelings deepen into a bond that is irrefutable, even to Professor Elias who has a few secrets he is trying keep to himself.

Ms. Shaw is able to create a solid connection between the reader and the hero and heroine of this story. She has created two domineering eccentric characters that effectively complement each other. The snarky conversations and one liners between Sage and James is very amusing and helps to lessen the intensity of the events occurring around them. The sexual tension and relationship that develops between the two main characters is extremely meaningful. In addition, the plot and the originality of novel compounds the reader’s appreciation of the novel. The combination of all these elements creates a paranormal romance that is hard to put down.

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!
Profile Image for Krystal.
11 reviews2 followers
March 24, 2011
WOW, This is a Very promising start to a great series!!! It had me on the edge of my chair the whole time.

Little bits of my fav's:

~James found it too endearing not to poke some fun. “Back then? They’re not allowed to fight now,” he said sitting back in the booth as he raked his gaze over her. He knew he was antagonizing her but he couldn’t help it. “As is right for the world.”

She narrowed her gaze. “Let me tell you something, you sexist pig,” she hissed as he held back a smile. “All it takes is one flash of these babies,” she hoisted up her breasts and James’ breath hitched, “and I’d have every guy in sight stuttering while I thrust a sword through his heart.”

James could no longer hold in a grin. “You would objectify your body to win a fight?”

She shrugged casually. “You told me to fight dirty.”

He laughed out loud. “Well done, caru. I no longer hold the belief that women shouldn’t fight in battles.” Although he never believed it anyway.~


~“Aw, fuck me,” she muttered.

“Love to doll, but I’m sort of numb from the waist down,” he said. “Can I take you up on it later though?”

She picked her head up to meet his dark gaze. “Funny. You pick now to finally have a sense of humor?~
Profile Image for ♂♀♂ Mary's Menage Reviews ♂♂♀.
433 reviews233 followers
March 25, 2015
I started to read this story thinking it was a menage. In fact, I uploaded it from ARe for free and added on my android in my to read list. I rarely read MF but this book took me by surprise.

I honestly enjoyed it. I loved he bad-ass heroine and for me she is the perfect heroine I would like to find in every book I read. But I also liked very much the hero who complimented her perfectly.

It is a vampire slash witch slash wizard slash werewolves but seen in a complete different way we are used to read. I LOVED IT!

Did I find sex scenes in it? not much. I recall 2 scenes only but it was a very refreshing story.

And I will share a little secret with you... I am on my way to read the whole series! :)

Heck yeah I recommend this book!
Profile Image for The BookChick .
1,454 reviews425 followers
January 1, 2012
Book Description:
After fleeing her native city - and nightmares of a traumatic childhood - Sage Peterson meets the overbearing, pretentious, yet haunted Professor Elias. He's the only one who knows about her mysterious powers, which seem to be spiraling out of control. When he convinces her to train with him, she finds herself thrust into a five hundred year war and on the run from vampires, werewolves, and even worse - her budding feelings for James Elias.

James had been living a dull and empty existence for the past century and a half. When a fiery half-sorceress, half-witch with a stubborn streak and sharp wit enters his life, he sees her only as a potential weapon to use against his greatest enemy. But when he discovers the vulnerable woman beneath the angry mask, instinct screams to keep her safe. To protect and provide. And to claim her as his.

But will it be too late? As passion and lust ignite between them, vengeance is slipping away. And when Sage is confronted with fulfilling an unexpected destiny, will she choose to trust James with her heart?

My Thoughts:
The cover was cheesy and I am a visual person and usually it alone would have deterred me from reading a book. I know…I know…never judge a book by its cover…but sue me…that’s how my brain functions :). I read the reviews for the book on Amazon and GR and because they were stellar I decided to give the book a chance and loved it. It was full of romance, action, suspense, and intrigue. Sage and James were multidimensional, witty, and interesting.

Masterfully written! Read it…Love it!
Profile Image for Cherie.
1,040 reviews45 followers
April 14, 2011
An awesome paranormal story that really appealed to me!

I came across this story in the Goodreads forums and wow am I glad I did.

Now to review without giving away *ANY* major spoilers!

The story centres around Sage, a kick-ass, sarcastic, fiesty product of the foster care system. Sage slips into some classes at a college and listens to James, the Professor's lectures on mythology.

By some turn of events, Sage is noticed by the professor, and he knows she shouldn't be there so he decides to find out who she is. As it turns out, James finds out that Sage has powers, and being someone who is well educated in powers, he realises Sage needs a mentor as she has serious lack of control.

Of course like any good story of this nature, teaching doesnt always go to plan, and add in some massive plot surprises, magical creatures and sassy backchat and it has everything a good book should have.

Oh and of course there is the romance/sex! I won't spoil anything here, but I can imagine that some people who read this book would have found the way this was handled to be frustrating, for want of a better word. Some earlier encounters were left to the imagination and only referred to, but I liked that because it made the story more satisfying when you got to the juicy bits :)

Oh and the other things that appealed to me were funny references the author made, particularly one to the Twilight series :)

All in all this was a very "me" book and an absolute pleasure to read. I am SO glad it is intended to be a series as I will be lining up for the next book.



590 reviews91 followers
February 3, 2012
This is the first book in the Shadows of Destiny series, but not the first I have read. I started with Leia's novella For the Love of Harmony and fell in love with her style and immediately had to read the rest. I would not recommend this order and ended up rereading the novella (it was not hard to convince me :)), but if you would like to check out her writing style, it is free and a complete story in and of itself.

Back to this book. I loved the world Leia has created. You have vampires, sorcerers, witches, weres. Basically, you get it all. This story focuses on a young woman who discovers she is not only a sorceress and also a witch and a powerful one at that. It was fascinating to watch the story unfold and I discovered all of the new lore in the world created by Leia. I literally devoured this book. I could not put it down. Between the love story and the adventure, it was a real page turner. This is a complete story even though it is part of a series. You are not left needing to know the end of the story, you simply need to read more about this magical world. I can see myself rereading this series before the next book comes out. Not because I need to refresh my memory, but because it was that fun of a read!
Profile Image for Kate.
2,277 reviews356 followers
August 14, 2015
Hmm, where to begin, where to begin? I've had this book for a while now and it sounded really good but I found it really hard to finish it. ★★

I am astounded how each author always manages to create their own paranormal world and Ms. Shaw is no exception. The structuring is really good my main problem though was the heroine and she was like that the whole way through the book. Not a lot happened in the first 60 % of the book and then everything was rushed in the last 40 %. Why she had the pit stop in Salem I have no idea.
I liked Sage to begin with for about 5 minutes and well then I saw her character. She is immature, cruel and did the opposite just to piss everyone off. James was trying to teach her things and she wasn't interested. Yes she is powerful but she got too much pleasure out of it. Did I also mention that she is vindictive? No well she is.

Bless James and his vampire socks he was everything he was meant to be as the hero and more. Why he put up with Sage and her bitchiness, her cruelty, lying and cheating. I can't and won't continue the series. I'm glad I didn't pay for this book.
Profile Image for Amanda.
433 reviews1 follower
April 17, 2011
Loved this book! My only complaint is that I don't have a portable ereader yet, and reading this on the computer killed my eyes because I couldn't stop reading.
I can't wait for the next book in the series!
This story has it all: humor, sex, vampires, magic, werewolves. How do you improve on that?
The heroine was great. I'm enjoying reading other vampire/PN series, but I'm kind of tired of the innocent/naive/country heroine. It's been done, move on. Sage is certainly nothing like that, and I loved her for it.
Of course, there's a sexy super-natural hero. Those can never be overdone. LOL
My favorite quotes:
"A Sorcery community? Do they have a Facebook page?"

"Aw, fuck me," she muttered.
"Love to doll, but I'm sort of numb from the waist down," he said. "Can I take you up on it later, though?"

"It's a brand new Droid. I just personalized it." He held it out to face her. "Look, I downloaded Bejeweled."
Profile Image for Melanie.
115 reviews
February 10, 2012
I loved this book! I liked the take that Leia put on what vampires and werewolves are, how they come to be what they are and how they interact.. I loved the main characters- Sage and James. Sage was powerful but, in the beginning, she didn't know it and she was damaged by being "in the system". When James rescues her from the authorities, she is as snarky as he is arrogant. They fight the attraction because of their difference, and I really liked the way their relationship progressed- it was not smooth sailing! I am also glad that the book was not cluttered with characters. Now that the main characters are inbedded in my brain, introducing more in future books will just add to the total storyline... Leia Shaw brought these characters to life enough that you could really believe in sorcerers and witches, vampires and werewolves, and - of course- one dragon ...I am looking forward to reading more from Leia and I recommend this book to anyone who loves hot pararnormal romance!
Profile Image for Tequila.
1,443 reviews28 followers
October 29, 2014
I decided to read Destiny Divided because it's been on my Kindle for what seems to be ages. I didn't exactly know what to expect, but I figured none the less I would love it because well, I <3 Leia Shaw's writing. I got a lot more than I bargained for when I started this book! I was instantly pulled in and I literally could not stop reading until I reached the end! I love Sage. She is a new role model for me. She's totally kick ass in every possible way and does not let anything or anybody stand in her way! The banter between her and James throughout the entire book is priceless. With these two constantly at each other's throats, there is not a dull moment, not that there's many to begin with considering the fate of the sorcery world lays in the balance, along with the rest of the mythical world. If you're a fantasy lover who enjoys a bit of romance thrown in, do yourself a huge favor and read this book!
Profile Image for WereVamps.
175 reviews17 followers
June 3, 2011
The beginning was a little rough to get drawn in, but it does improve. Characters are very believable. The Character Sage is refreshing different. Tough attitude, from a not so pleasant upbringing. The setting was well formed. The pace flowed very well. It kept me turning pages long after my bedtime. The Ending is enjoyable. I really want to get my hands on the next book. Overall a great 18+ read!

Check out the Author Interview, Character Interview, and Book Giveaway at:
http://www.werevampsromance.org/apps/...
Profile Image for Michele.
95 reviews17 followers
August 13, 2011
*Chuckles* I love these types of books, the witty bantering dialogue, strong leading female character (but not so strong all she's missing is testicles), of course a sexy leading male character that is masculine,intelligent and a total smart ass. Sages' species itself is refreshing as are her abilities. She is no whiny teenager either which is great. I loved reading this book and can't wait to jump into the next.
I'll be keeping an eye out for more of Leia Shaw's work as she seems to write the type of books I absoloutly love to read.
Profile Image for Kris.
74 reviews30 followers
July 21, 2011
I really enjoyed Destiny Divided. I love Leia's writing style. Its casual without being careless. I really felt a connection with the characters and it wasn't an 'easy win' for the happy ending. The end felt a tiny bit rushed but knowing that there are already sequels out there made me anxious to finish anyway. I can't wait to get started on book 2!
Profile Image for Alexia.
85 reviews31 followers
August 24, 2011
Deliciously sexy… I freaking loved this book. I enjoyed every single part – seriously couldn’t put it down! Great story line, it was very believable. This book had everything from action and romance… ahem… hot, saucy romance… to humour! Hands down 5 stars! Can’t wait to start the next installment in the series.
Profile Image for Anya Kelleye.
28 reviews10 followers
September 10, 2011
I loved, loved, loved this book. Ms. Shaw is a wonderful storyteller. The interaction between the main characters is so good. I couldn't wait to finish it! So much so that I finished it and moved right into the next one in the series because I wanted to know more of the story with the next set of characters.
Profile Image for Cyle.
966 reviews143 followers
April 7, 2011
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
THEME: Sorcerers, Vampires, Witches, and Werewolves
RECEIVED: Copy from Author
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
DATE POSTED ON BLOG: April 4th

REVIEW:
More and more I’ve been meeting new authors that have such great work, I was grateful to be asked to read and review Destiny Divided by Leia Shaw.
I’ve read a lot of PNR’s and so many vampire books in my time you would think I’d get tired of reading the same thing over and over again. But Leia Shaw adds her own touch to a very exciting new Paranormal Romance, with her twist of witches and sorcerers. This series started out with a bang and a very promising start, Who wouldn’t love a story with kick butt fight scenes, some smoking hot sorcerers, powerful witches and a lead female character who isn’t your average bad girl. Nope she’s got an attitude that would make a burly biker man cry.
Sage has had it rough, in and out of homes all her life, never being able to feel that connection and love from anyone. She always felt like she needed to run, fight, and steal to get through life. She lives in a basement and the only way she can earn enough money to get by is to steal from people, mostly when she’s at school.
And at school, I mean Sage is sneaking in the classes, not only to get some goodies but also to learn. Little does she know she caught the attention of a young Professor. Arrogant and snooty, James is a man with power and secrets and he finds Sage to be everything he’s been looking for. Not only because of the attraction but because she possess unbelievable power.
James offers to help Sage with her power since he possesses a lot himself. This is where the story really starts to pick up. Sage is an extremely tough girl, she doesn’t like being helped or told what to do and with James being a “do as I say” guy they seriously have a lot of issues to deal with.
I felt that both Sage and James really needed to cool down their attitudes a lot; I just wanted to yell, “Calm down! Which made me realize how into this book I was, and loved it! I was pulling for these two to overcome the many challenges that they had ahead and figure out that they both needed to say how they felt about each other.
There was one part in the book that confused me a bit. Where it felt like a whole scene was missing. I went back a noticed that I wasn’t skipping anything but that the issue wasn’t addressed, but we still get a bit of information on what happened as I read on.
I’m very interested to see what happens next, since the ending gives a hint that we get to learn more about some secondary characters that I’m dying to know more about.
Overall I was addicted to this book and couldn’t put it down, I felt myself smirking at many scenes because the sarcasm is just seeping out of each page with brilliance. I love a story with great sarcasm and bickering, makes me smile each time. I highly recommended Destiny Divided!

RECOMMENDATION:
This is an Adult Novel with Sexual Content and Adult situation, with a bit of violence. Recommended to fans of Christine Feehan and Kresley Cole.



Profile Image for Jennifer.
24 reviews
June 16, 2011
This was an enjoyable and interesting book to read and I look forward to the next. I gave this book 3 stars for two reasons. First, because I had a hard time with the character's attitudes and the responses to those attitudes (especially in the beginning). Secondly, for how polished the storyline was.

This story has two main characters. Sage, an emotionally confused woman who has been through 'the system' and has many trust issues. And James, an educated warrior who understands strategy and is arrogant. What I don't understnd is their relationship. He is her teacher and demands respect, and yet he puts up with situations that no teacher would tolerate (attitude wise). Also, James puts Sage in a duel situation that she is uncomfortable with and gets mad at her when she looses control after she clearly warns him in the begin. I would have thought a competent strategist would understand their novice's triggers and mannerisms and intervene before it got life threatening.

The romance that builds in the story was paced good. I would have liked to read about their first love making instead of reading the implied words. Although, reading about a James who has spent days dreaming up ways to take his frustration out on Sage was great. I wonder how the incontrol man at the beginning and the almost submissive man at the end will play out. I got a weird sense of James as a panting puppy dog by the end and that makes me uneasy. It could be good or we could see resentment in the future. I just don't know how happy James ultimately will be following orders from Sage. There needs to be some sort of partnership for a relationship to work (which they didn't have at the beginning and then flip-flopped in the end).

Although their writing styles are different, this book had a similar feel to Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. There is a strong female character with alot of internal conflict and trust issues but slowly comes into her own with the help of an antient vampire. I think the book could really be great if there was a bit more polishing in the beginning chapters. Although I am not a writing expert, I did get the feel that some areas were a little better written than others. I think techincally there are no flaws but I got the sense that this is a first book and that over time Ms. Shaws writing will continue to get better and better.

Profile Image for jD.
752 reviews33 followers
November 29, 2011
I enjoyed this story more than I expected. I can honestly say I had fun with James and Sage. My initial thought was that Sage would make me crazy but not the case. I found it easy to understand her behavior and world view. I liked that she tended to use humor and temper to mask her fears. Most of the time that does not work for me but somehow Sage pulled me in. James was smart and sexy as he met Sage's antics tit for tat. I never knew what these two would do next to get the upper hand on one another.

In a nutshell, Sage grew up in foster care with no idea that she is the child of a mythical beings. James has been searching for the child of his nemesis for years when he stumbles upon Sage. He realizes what she does not, that she is a sorcerer with loads of untrained magical power. He offers to train her without telling her that he plans to use her to get revenge on the sorcerer that has made his existence a living hell. The evil sorcerer has beaten James before so he sees Sage as a weapon he can mold to his needs. Wrong. There are secrets on top of secrets which have unexpected outcomes when all is said and done.

For me, this book was a solid 4 stars because it was entertaining and the love story made me sigh. I liked the supporting characters and the wide range of supernatural creatures. The witches were especially funny. I loved how Sage kept adding new supernatural traits to sorcerer as she finds out all the layers of her lineage. It's a fun read that I would recommend to paranormal romance lovers who like a good laugh along with some decent erotic heat.
Profile Image for Mara.
2,533 reviews270 followers
August 15, 2013
There are times when I wish I could be a better reviewer, able to pinpoint exactly what I found right or wrong in a book. Unfortunately all I have are my likes and peeves.

I can't tell you the reasons why I couldn't give this book more than a couple of stars (an ok rating). It has everything I like in UF: strong kick ass heroine with a damaged past, an alpha hero, an interesting world-building and plenty of gray areas. And yet. And yet I can't say this story grabbed me by the balls and took me kicking and screaming into it. I could have stopped in any moment and I wouldn't really have cared.

I believe that the story lacked strength. It seemed to me "watered-down", like a good whiskey in a cheap bar. It should have been dark and gritty, but it wasn't. The heroine is this bitchy, snarly, snarky badass girl (yeah girl!), but when needed she's something different. We are never explained why she accepts her role, for example. Given your past life, given what they did to you, why do you care?
The hero. I often thought he was more an alphahole, rather than alpha. Can't really accept that.

The relationship. Err. At times icky (teacher-student), at others unbelievable or clichéd (lust at first sight... sigh).

I have wondered whether to buy the second book in the series, but the reviews make me pause.
Profile Image for Suzy.
89 reviews8 followers
September 26, 2011
Destiny Divided was a great story, I really liked that it encompassed witches, sorcerers, vampires and werewolves, the story line was interesting and the sex scenes were HOT!Sage was a llikeable tough girl on the outside due to a hard upbringing, but was soft and mushy on the inside in need of a good lay!lol!can I say that in a review? I guess its my review so yea I can say it! ;)

I downloaded the second book in thie series by mistake first and read the sample before I realized it was the second, and I was ready to buy it when I noticed my soon to be oopsie, so I bought Destiny Divided without even reading the sample... I was not dissapointed, and have already bought book Two... and am half way through it as I write this review.

I really like Leia's writing style. The way it goes from one characters POV to the others, and the little funny things they think to themselves.Love it. Im obviously not a published writer but when I do write, this is what I would concider my writing style... So MUCH Kodo's to Leia.

So I highly recomend this book if you love to believe in Witches, Were's and Vamps...Oh MY!!! ...0h and enjoy hot book nookie! ;)
Profile Image for RedBecca.
62 reviews8 followers
August 13, 2011
3.5 stars

Ok, there was a lot I liked about this book (3 stars) and I will definitely read the next in the series (.5). James was hot, super hot and I really liked his character. The world building was pretty damn cool.

That being said, why the lower rating? Mostly because of Sage.

I should preface my criticism by saying that I LOVE a hard-ass heroine. Truly. A chick who kicks ass and takes no prisoners, sign me up! But she was just a tad bit too bitchy for my tastes. Bitchy does not equal tough.

Don't get me wrong, there were PLENTY of times that I laughed at her snarkiness and sarcasm. But unfortunately there's a very fine line between snarky funny and just plain obnoxious. Sage crossed that line one too many times for me to like her.

Even though we did see moments of tenderness and vulnerability in her character, there wasn't enough to temper her bitchiness (is that even a word? LOL) and immaturity.
Profile Image for Teri.
1,801 reviews
January 14, 2014
so I think 3.5 stars...parts of this I really liked, but I gotta be honest...
I HATED, I mean LOATHED Sage...I did not like her at all. She ruined this book for me, I wanted to slap the immaturity out of me, she was ungrateful and I wanted to choke her, the whole power hungry in combination with not wanting to listen to anyone else, yeah...I really wanted to kill her.
James was fantastic, loved him, would like to see more of Maddox too. There were some great and interesting characters, I like the otherworldly side of this. There were times when I felt like transitions were missing or things just fell into place a little too easily.
Oh and while the build up and steam were HOT-there was not nearly enough of it!
But overall, enjoyed the story line and characters EXCEPT Sage...will read the next one and more from this author.
Profile Image for Mlpmom (Book Reviewer).
3,190 reviews411 followers
March 22, 2011
Wow, this book passed all my expectations and then some. The author did a great job of making Sage's world believable and really drew you into the characters and their lives. I loved all the Harry Potter and Twilight references, Sage's sense of humor was great and although she was a bad girl with some major issues she was very lovable.
I loved James, Maddox and Marcelo and can't wait for the next book so we can learn more about them and their stories. It will be interesting to see how Sage develops over time and deals with all of her new powers and responsibilities while still learning to trust and love others and kick butt along the way.
Profile Image for Lori Vargas-Agnew.
47 reviews1 follower
August 21, 2011
The story of Sage and James was very fun,their interaction while she was learning what she was and being taught was enjoyable. The story had all the aspects to me any way .Love,lust,revenge battles over thrown powers and yet it still was up beat all the way through. Can't wait to see how Erin and Marcelo end up, together for sure. Loved the battle love scenes they were funny.
Profile Image for Jennifer Probst.
Author 123 books10.3k followers
September 12, 2011
This was a great book with a take charge, damaged heroine and a hot hero who loves her just the way she is. He is also her match, which shows in the steamy sex scenes and their interactions. The plot is twisty and adds to the depth of the characters, with just the right amount of intrigue. Am purchasing this author's next book in the series - highly recommended!
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