Cerberus

Solace #1

by P.K. Gallagher

For Kaeden Parish, life in Solace has always followed certain rules—everything makes sense, everything can be planned for, and everything is as it seems. Unfortunately, the secret harbored by his gorgeous, albeit guarded girlfriend is about to shatter all of that.

After a successful attack on his life opens his eyes to a world of war, shadows, and supernatural creatures—a world he didn’t plan for—Kaeden finds himself resembling the sort of monster he has always feared. As he desperately struggles to resist a new temptation, danger draws ever nearer, threatening the ones he loves most. A prophecy tells of a final battle and great destruction, and Kaeden must decide which side he is on, a choice that could mean the end of the world.

In Book 1 of the Solace Series, P.K. Gallagher pulls readers into a realm where good and evil are at war, and the outcome of it all rests on one young man’s decision to either go and live...or stay and die.

This is where Parish begins.


This digital version of this book carries a QED Seal, which stands for Quality, Excellence, Design, the “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval™” for ebooks and apps. This title has received a QED seal for quality in eBook design. It can be read easily on screens both large and small.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Young Adult

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 20, 2013

About the author

It's funny—writing is what I love to do more than anything, and yet whenever I'm asked to write about myself, my vocabulary more or less abandons me. For this reason, please don't begrudge me too much for keeping this short and sweet. I am 22 years old, and while I’ve worked as a journalist, an editor, a copy editor, and a writing consultant, I have always wanted to be an author. I published my first novel, Cerberus, in August 2013 and could not be more excited. It really is the fulfillment of a dream for me. This is nowhere near the end of the line, though. I’m already working on book 2 and have the rest of the series planned out in my head. I guess you could say I’m just getting started.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED IT! It's well-written, unique and dark - all things I look for in YA fantasy. Right from the start, it's fast-paced - Kaeden is attacked by a dryyd and then turned into a vampire. But this is no ordinary vampire book (and by ordinary, I mean romanticized, sparkling vampires) - this is something else. This is an epic battle - between Kaeden's new desires and his old beliefs... Oh, and the violent war that's raging between good and evil. Demons, fallen angels, dryyds and vampires - this is a paranormal lover's heaven! Kaeden loves his family (and girlfriend) so much that all he can think about is doing whatever it takes to keep them safe, even if it means ending the world...with the help of an ancient weapon. Awesome! After I read this, I immediately popped over to the author's blog and found out that there is going to be an entire series of these - "A City of Solace". Book 2 of Parish is already being written and so are the next two books in the series about the lovable and complicated Caleb. I'm officially addicted! She is an indie author to watch!

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Kissing Genesis always left Kaeden feeling high, like he was in some altered state in which he was capable of doing nothing but wanting her." - Kaeden

Everything has always been normal for Kaeden Parish. He may not have had an ideal past but there's one thing he's sure about, his future. Kaeden hasn't led a perfect life but as soon as he found the right track, he took it! On the verge of graduation, the only thing he cares about is his girlfriend, Genesis Garrison. Kaeden doesn't want to leave her but he knows that him leaving is their chance to create a future together. Genesis's name isn't the only cool thing about her. Genesis isn't the person that Kaeden thinks she is. She has many secrets and some of them are deadly too!

Kaeden never expected his life to change so drastically. One night is all it takes to take they future he always though he would have away. Not knowing who to trust and unable to care for his loved ones, Kaeden must choose a side. Will his decision be the right one???

This is the first book I read by P.K. Gallagher . Cerberus is bound to capture your attention from the very first page. There are so many twists, that you might think you know who's the good guys but it turns out that they aren't!

What I really liked about this book was the main characters. In the beggining you get a picture what Kaeden is like but as the book progresses you get to know him better. His loyal, somewhat arrogant but very protective and stubborn to a fault.

“It’s my job to take care of my family no matter the cost. I have to be there for them when they need me. I can’t do that the way I am right now.”- Kaeden

As long as Genesis is concerned, I would have to say that she was such a mystery. I never really got to know her even though some scenes are told by her POV...

Cerberus has multiple POVs (I think there are five or six- not sure though). The main POV is Kaeden's but we get to see some scenes from other characters of the book, such as Genesis's!

Vamps, demons, fallen and non- fallen, dryyds (former humans cursed to an existence sustained by feeding on human hearts to survive) and lots of action are all part of the show!!!

So, yeah go pick it up.

NOTE : This book is a major cliffhanger!!! The only reason I say this is because the next book isn't out yet, and I know that some of you have a problem with that (something I totally understand) !

**Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**

First posted on: http://sofialovesreading.blogspot.gr/...

[J. Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cerberus is an excellent beginning to a series, and is almost a pleasant surprise for readers. I must admit, I was a bit nervous to read another story that involves vampires, but Gallagher does the supernatural creatures justice. Not completely revolving around that plot line alone, Cerberus is unique, suspenseful and filled with action.
Kaeden is definitely an interesting character to read about, and a great voice. In the beginning, he does seem to be a bit stereotypical (hot guy working at a bookstore? Why doesn't that happen more in my neighborhood?) but soon develops into someone that readers really get emotionally attached to.

My favorite character, however, was Caleb. There was a lot of mystery revolving around him that kept my eyes glued to the pages, eager to figure out more about his past. He has the sarcastic, entertaining lines that every good novel needs to contain. I am always a fan of characters that push limits and make readers question whether they are good or evil, and Gallagher was able to craft this kind of character beautifully.

Cerberus is the exact of of dark writing that I love to read about in books. Through the death and destruction and certain gruesome scenes, the tone at times can be entertaining. This creates a great balance of emotion that continues through the novel.

Certain points of the book were a bit slow, but normally picked up immediately afterward. I also would not have minded seeing a little bit more of the fallen angels. The way that they were described was different from most novels, and I found the character very intriguing to learn more about.

The ending of Cerberus is absolutely dynamic, and leaves the reader thirsty for more. Filled with action and imagery that allowed me to see the scene play out, and nearly give chills as well, I am excited to see what happens next.

All fans of the supernatural and YA fantasy should definitely look into reading Cerberus, they will definitely not be disappointed.

(Originally posted on http://www.theyalitchick.blogspot.com)

[Teresa Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cerberus is the debut novel by P.k.Gallagher, but that should not discourage you from giving this book a read. P.k.Gallagher spun a wonderful paranormal tale where the plot, story-line and characters come together in a wonderful way to provide a most excellent read.

This book provides a fresh look at the paranormal characters that have become so common in today’s literary world. While we all love our “sparkly” vampires on occasion, this book is not one of those stories. The paranormal creatures in this story are much darker with extreme depth in their profiles. In addition to the characters, the world around them comes alive vividly in the story as the fast paced action takes you on quite the adventure.

In this story we meet Kaeden who was turned vampire early on in the story. We quickly learn that Kaeden will go to no ends, no matter how extreme they seem to save those that he loves. While he is busy fighting the other dark creatures that make up this world, he is also fighting an internal battle of what has happened and is happening in his life that shakes the very ground of all his beliefs.

There are a few slow points in this book, but they are placed perfectly to give you a breather before the action picks right back up again and puts you in the middle of a gruesome scene or emotional roller coaster for the characters.

I was very happy with the flow of this book and how the characters were developed. The author did an amazing job with her debut novel and it is good to know that book two in this series is already in the works, so there is promise of revisiting these dark creatures. Cerberus is a very intriguing and unique book that will keep you turning pages until the end.

[Margo Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

In P.K. Gallagher’s novel Cerberus, Kaeden Parish’s life seems perfectly normal. Sure, his girlfriend Genesis might seem a little reserved sometimes, and Hagan, the guy he’s training to take over his job at Bosch’s Archive antique bookstore, might be a little too good, but nothing’s out of the ordinary. He’s got plans for his future after graduation, and he doesn’t see them changing anytime soon. Until, that is, the night he is attacked in a dark alley by a stranger who seems to know who he is. Kaeden’s world turns upside down, and all the rules he used to follow no longer apply.

Cerberus drew me in instantly. Watching Kaeden’s unwilling transformation from regular-guy student to the kind of monster he never believed in was fabulous, and Gallagher’s depictions of the relationship between Genesis and Kaeden rang true for me, right down to Kaeden’s slight disbelief that he had never quite grown used to the attraction he felt for her. Unraveling the mystery of the secret Genesis holds—the underlying reason for her reserved nature—and Kaeden’s new experiences in a supernatural shadow world kept me entertained throughout the book.

I don’t want to give any serious spoilers, so I’ll just say that the utter lack of sparkles in this book made me happy—I love novels that trace a character’s experience changing from human to monster, and this one did not fail. It’s a great read, and perfect for October; it’s got mystery, monsters, and mayhem galore, and it made me a very happy reader!

[Rosie Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is based upon a free copy of the book which was given to me by the author. "Cerberus" is a YA novel and is the first book in a series, the characters are strong and well described making them easy to image and remember. The storyline is fast paced and action is never far away. The storyline heads straight into the realm of vampires, monsters and fallen angels, this subject matter has been very well tackled by many authors, so I was a little hesitant as to how the author could make the story stand alone. However very early on in the book the characters led their own tale following a prophecy and a fight against several evil factions. I enjoyed the story and liked the characters, the book ends very abruptly and leaves the reader with many questions, which no doubt will be answered in the next book in the series.

[Zelda Griffen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was worth reading and I'd read it again. It's interesting, amazing, and suspenseful. I couldn't stop reading it once I started. I had to find out what was going to happen next. It's a good book for anyone, especially science fiction lovers. Worth the time to sit down and read. It has everything from vampires to fallen angels. It's well written and it'll leave you wanting to know more. I can't wait for the sequel. P.K. Gallagher did an amazing job.

[Janel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posted at http://pagecandyreviews.com/2013/10/0...

Before I even start to get into the book, I need to talk about the cover. It’s gorgeous. It is, by far, the best-looking cover I have ever seen on an indie book – whatever the designer charged for it, it was worth every penny. The real version of the cover – not the version I stole off the internet for review purposes – doesn’t have the distracting ‘Bookrix’ logo in the bottom corner, making it even more stunning. The dagger depicted on the edge of the cover is exactly how it is described in the book, and the mottled, brushed black background only adds to the dark, mysterious feel. The fact that this book is not available in print physically pains me, as I would love to have this cover prominently displayed on my bookshelf.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about the book itself.

It isn’t clear from the description, but yes, this is a vampire book. I’ll be honest – I was hesitant to read a YA vampire novel, thinking that it would turn out to be another grinding tale of hormone-riddled female shells hurling themselves at hackneyed sexual metaphors with fangs. I’m happy to report that this is nothing of the sort. ‘‘Cerberus’ is what paranormal YA fiction should be; a smart and fresh take on supernatural creatures that pays homage to their original origin stories. Gallagher’s vampires drink human blood and stay out of sunlight, which was actually refreshing to see. Equally interesting is her portrayal of demons and fallen angels – although they roughly stick to their biblical origin stories, Gallagher puts a twist on them, portraying them in a way that you’ve never seen before.

The plot is compelling, with information revealed at just the right pace to keep readers glued to the page. There’s plenty of action, mystery, magical realism and romance along the way to keep any reader happy, and nothing feels like it was thrown into the story to build genre appeal. Although the story takes place within a complex web of mythology and the supernatural, the world-building is subtle and compelling; at no point do we feel like the author is just dumping information on us. Much of the plot revolves around Kaeden’s attempts to uncover information that has been hidden from him, and this approach allows the reader to explore his world along with him. Even the (presumably fictional) town of Solace, New Jersey, feels realistic and well-rounded, with the quintessential small-town feel. It’s never adequately explained why the conflict taking place in the tiny town of Solace is chosen as the focal point for the series’ eventual antagonists, so I’m hoping that gets cleared up in the next book.

For the most part, the characters are realistic and well-rounded; Gallagher resists the temptation to bestow everyone with super-mega-awesome-shiny vampire powers, and the characters are quirky enough that it’s not hard to imagine sitting down and having a conversation with them. Kaeden is slightly on the obnoxious side for the first third of the book, and it did wear on my nerves a little – he certainly had a right to be upset, but his repeated temper tantrums were just a little childish for my taste. Thankfully, he redeems himself, and while he’s by no means perfect (his stupid mistakes fuel half the plot), his impulsive personality and occasional wit make him an endearing protagonist. The one character I was itching to learn more about – and never got to – was Luke. He is such an important character in the novel’s conflict, and it’s hinted that he has some sort of tragic, dramatic back story, but we never get to find out what it is. I’m betting we’ll get more on him in the next book, however, so I won’t hold it against the author.

But what really makes this book is the ending. The tension builds up to a boil and then, out of nowhere, an incredible last sentence is dropped on us. I flipped back and forth between the last page and the Kobo ‘Close this Book’ button several times, hoping I’d just accidentally skipped the last few chapters. I’m normally skeptical about planned trilogies from new authors, but the setup into Book 2 is masterfully executed, and I will definitely be eagerly awaiting the next one.

On the whole, the editing here is pretty good, but there are some pervasive typos throughout the novel. One recurring error I noticed is that the word “thought” is almost always written as “though”, with the final ‘t’ dropped. Normally that’s not a huge deal, but the fourth or fifth time I spotted it, I really started to wonder about it. Mostly, the typos are infrequent, and definitely don’t detract from the story, but there were just enough of them to remind me that I wasn’t reading a professionally-vetted book. Editing comes with practice, so I’m hoping to see fewer errors in the next book.

On the whole, though, an excellent debut, and one that restored my faith in the YA vampire. A story of this caliber deserves its place on any young reader’s bookshelf.

Recommended for: Readers who miss the traditional blood-sucking vampires, and are tired of digging through badly-written paranormal romances. Anyone who likes a good, action-packed story with supernatural elements should really give this book a try.

If this book was candy, it would be: Candy corn. It’s multi-layered and easy to chew through, and it reminds us of things that go bump in the night.

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

[Rae Ryans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vampires, Dryyds, and Demons oh my!

This story is written in omniscient point of view, but Kaeden’s the main character as all events revolve around this young man. Life for him wasn’t exactly easy, but it wasn’t hard either – as a human. In fact he has his whole life ahead of him, a loving family, good friends, and a hot girlfriend -albeit strange at times.

Then his life get’s turned upside down.

The world itself intrigues me. I’m a fantasy lover and although paranormal and fantasy tow the same line, both require extensive world building. For the most part, I couldn’t find holes in the species presented, and everything meshed well in the world too. However, I was left with a few glaring questions,

like … what made Kaeden so special to the dryyads?

We learn about the vampire and demon reasoning, but that one went unanswered. Of course, I hope it’s addressed in the next book, or eventually in the series/trilogy.



Characters, the big C word. Overall I loved them, but at times, I did want to smack Kaeden. That’s most likely the adult in me, and wouldn’t we all like to go back and time and smack our teenage selves? So, since he’s 18, I couldn’t fault him too much. Some of his decisions, well, they’re tough ones. Do you save your new family or your old one?

Caleb now I really liked him and would’ve liked a more in depth view. he too found himself torn between two worlds, although his bigger obstacle was breaking the rules. When necessary though, he broke them, and didn’t really look back. Even when he faced the sneers and accusations, he stuck by his friends.

Some final thoughts here. This is not a romance; this is more pure UF/Paranormal with unique characters. Yes, Kaeden has a GF, and yes she’s a major part of the plot, but in a kick butt first way. This is also clean, with some intense action of the stabby-punchy-set-your-but-on-fire sense, and some minor Christian undertones (demons and angels tend to do that).

While there were a few faults (Like not knowing what made Kaeden special to the dryyds), I found no issues with spelling, grammar, or flow of the story. Honestly, I can’t wait till the next book is out and becomes available. I’ll be here waiting to read what happens next.

I did receive a copy in exchange for my opinion.

[Diantha Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted at DJ's Book Corner

I almost decided not to read this one because for some crazy reason, I had no idea it was about vampires. Yes, I am a vampire lover, but I chose this book because I thought it was going to offer something completely different. I don't usually read too many reviews before I read a book, but if I had, I might have known. Oh well. Book is read now and it wasn't too bad at all.

I thought Kaeden was quite a bit annoying at first. I expect female YA protagonists to be whiney; it's what they do. But not males. I expect them to be a bit more like, okay, this has happened and I'm going to deal with it. Kaeden tried to fight EVERYTHING at first. He was in complete denial even after he was attacked and developed an appetite for plasma milkshakes. I was like, come on Kaeden! It's over now! *LOL* But eventually he grew on me, just like Genesis did. She was also a character that I found irritating for a bit. Caleb was "that character" for me. There's always one that I think reigns supreme over the others and he was it!

The plot took a while to get off the ground. The first half of the book was just a lot of background information that I felt could have been revealed as the plot went along. But it picked up and introduced us to other supernaturals like fallen angels, which I'm slowly starting to like in my books, and these creatures called dryyds, that reminded me of vamps but with a zombie like quality (but they're not really that at all!). I loved the variety, so thumbs up there!

Sometimes the POVs switched without any warning, and I was like, huh? It interrupted the reading flow but after a while I got used to it and it was no big deal. Another thing that was no big deal was the romance. It wasn't a romance-heavy plot and though normally I would be trippin' out over this, it didn't bother me here.

Overall, a decent first book. I didn't love it, so I'm not going to say that I did, but I am intrigued by that ending. I love being tormented by cliffhangers and I'm totally down for reading the next book. My hand is up P.K.! Choose me!

[Kimber Wheaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Cerberus is a dark YA paranormal about an innocent drawn into a war between two opposing supernatural forces. It's the first book in a series, and the ending is a rather massive cliffhanger. The story is an original take on a popular YA paranormal creature, vampires. It's a tale of self-discovery and change set in a gritty urban environment.

Kaeden Parish is a normal teenager, graduating high school and preparing for his future. One night changes all of that, and he's thrust into a paranormal world he didn't know existed. Kaeden is very loyal to family and friends, willing to risk just about anything for them. Following Kaeden as he becomes what he considers a monster is fascinating. It's funny how we deny the things that are right in front of us out of some last ditch grasp at humanity (and sanity).

There are so many interesting characters in this novel. I absolutely loved Caleb, there was just something about his character than I found intriguing. Kaeden's girlfriend, Genesis, is a perfect foil for him. My favorite parts of the novel were the interactions between the characters, especially the dialogue. The descriptions were so in depth that I sometimes felt a bit mired and started skimming. Though, they also help pull the reader into this strange underworld.

I recommend Cerberus to everyone high school and up that enjoys a dark YA paranormal story. The novel does contain graphic violence and gore, so if that's not your thing, you may want to pass. As I stated earlier, this ends in a cliffhanger that will leave the reader begging for the next book.

[David Ricketts · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a romantic book about love and romance in a vampire world, then don’t take this as your choice. The story follows the life of a normal every day person in a supernatural world. It highlights his take on things in a natural way, and as you read the story you can’t help thinking. “What would I do in that situation?” I found myself staying up a little late some nights, just to get past on part, only to be sucked into another part. Although Kaeden is the main character, I found that I was refreshingly drawn toward other characters, Caleb in particular. I find it hard to explain to much of the book without giving to much of the story away, but it was easy to understand, even during the parts that could have been quite complicated. The story I found very absorbing, almost from the start, and it had a reviving twist to a rejuvenated story. Conversation was very well performed and you didn't get lost in the dialog, like in some reads. The action, that is never to far away, was descriptive, but not too much as to spoil the flow. The book did end a little too abruptly for my liking, more like a dramatic drama series.
All in all a very enjoyable book and I will be looking for book two.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cerberus is a paranormal fantasy complete with vampires, dryyds, demons, fallen angels, and, of course, clueless humans. The action starts right away in a bookstore of all places. I don’t think I will be going to the dumpster behind my bookstore any time soon unless it’s in the light of day and there are plenty of people around.

Kaeden’s character is well developed and I felt his frustration throughout the book. A couple of times I wondered why in the world he couldn’t just do what he was told but then he wouldn’t be Kaeden.

I noticed a reference to It by Stephen King…love it! And what an ending! Now I have to wait for the next book in the series…

I definitely recommend Cerberus, especially if you like the vampire world.

[Shemeka Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had a lot of drama going on! Kaeden pissed me off on a few occasions, but all in all this was a good read. I want to know what happens next. I couldn't really put it down once I started it! Great job. Team vampire!