Awoke

by K.T. Conte

When the Veil between the Living and the Dead Shifts...

Turning eighteen is more than just a rite of passage for Katya Stevens; it's a chilling awakening. Suddenly thrust into a world she'd believed was a mere figment of childhood nightmares, she finds herself where the dead refuse to rest, and the balance of life teeters perilously.

Her once-hidden ability to see the departed reveals not only the world's deadly mysteries but also the depths of her soul. Gregor, an enigmatic Grim Reaper, isn't just a harbinger of death but a symbol of the battling forces at play-especially The Want, spirits distorted by their defiance against the natural transition to the beyond.

But Katya's destiny is larger than she ever imagined. A beacon in legends, she stands between hope and havoc. As she delves deeper into the ethereal realm of Ager, she confronts not just the malevolent Wanters but the shadows of her own heart and the complexities of early adulthood.

Genres: Fantasy, Book Club

358 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2024

About the author

K.T. Conte, a devotee of the written word and all things wild and fascinating, first discovered her passion for books at the tender age of two. Even then, as an avid reader, her journey to becoming an author was already on the horizon. An African-American author with a flair for breathing life into stories, K.T. holds a B.A. in English from Boston College and a law degree from Suffolk University Law School.

While she is a licensed and practicing attorney, K.T.'s first love has always remained books. The enchanting dance of words across a page and the powerful narratives they weave continue to captivate and inspire her daily. Over the years, she has shared her Massachusetts home with a delightful blend of characters - the enchanting specters in the closet, her loving husband, Everett, a couple of mischievous building fairies, and her beloved daughter, Ella. Each adds a unique strand to the tapestry of her intriguing life and infuses her writing with depth and relatability. From her early days as a bookworm to the accomplished author she is today, K.T. Conte continues to live her passion, creating worlds that thrill, excite, and touch the hearts of her readers.

Reviews

[MikeLikesBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot of this YA fantasy novel is unique. 18 year old Katya is alive and in the living realm. She is able to see the dead. She meets Gregor, a grim reaper in the after-life realm with a strong Scottish brogue. She is learning she has powers and is summoned by the generals. She is working along side Gregor in an unseen war. The Wants need to be taken care of. And so this big fantasy adventure begins. We meet her friends and we meet a group that are ready to protect her, the Quad. Are Katya and Gregor ever going to act on the romantic tension they have? That would be a hot paranormal romance if they did. Awoke is book one of a series. I think this is a great novel for young adults. It has all the elements you want in a fantasy novel. I love that the main characters are POC and that the author is BIPOC. It’s good to see diversity in good fantasy stories.

I want to thank the author, K.T. Conte for an ARC to read. There is nothing required in exchange for the ebook but I am voluntarily sharing this review and happy to do so. I recommend this book.

[KMart Vet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love it when you can tell that an author is writing the book that they wanted and needed in their childhood. This seems like exactly one of those books. This is a new adult (but reads like YA in terms of the voice) paranormal romance and urban fantasy that brings much-needed diversity to the genre.

At its heart, this is a coming-of-age story about a young woman who is struggling to find her place in a suddenly much more dangerous world. I loved the relationships that she had with her friends and all the secrets that were uncovered.

The world-building is complex and intriguing, starting as a simple story and expanding into unexpected depths. I thought that Gregor was an interesting character; there aren't a ton of grim reaper-type characters in these books. It reminded me a bit of the reapers from Dead Like Me.

However, I feel like this suffered from some pacing issues. Things were slower in the beginning and too fast towards the end. I also found the vocabulary surrounding the spirit-creatures to be jarring and these terms disrupted my immersion. Finally, several aspects of the story seemed to be unnecessary for the plot, so I wasn't certain why they were included (such as the barely-there love triangle). These are pretty mild complaints and probably won't bother anyone other than myself!

"Awoke" is an easy and quick read with a compelling main character and an engaging storyline. Fans of books like Twilight and Hush, Hush will love this!

Thanks to R&Rbooktours and the author for the eARC. This is an honest review.

[SpellsBooksandKrystals · Rating 4 out of 5]

TLDR: Bleach with romance instead of anime boobs

Awoke is a YA Fantasy debut novel about an 18 year-old Black girl named Katya that finds herself transported to a different realm and discovering all kinds of things about herself. This book has a strong chosen-one trope. If that’s your thing, like it is mine, then you will enjoy this story. It’s also full of romance tropes like jealousy and touch-her-and-die. If you are like these tropes, unlike me, then you will definitely love this book. If you are more like me than not, you may find yourself rolling your eyes at multiple points. But, that’s just for us romance haters out there. I can’t rant all day about this, but let’s move on to the good.

When I first started reading this book, I got an instant feeling of deja vu. I have read this story before. First, I thought about Legendborn. However, Legendborn gets compared to City of Bones a lot. So, I put that out of my mind and continued to look for that comparison. I soon found it. And, it’s Bleach. If you have read the manga or watched the anime, you will definitely like this book sans romance(unless that’s your thing). This book is so much like Bleach, let me count the ways.

If you are looking for your Ichigo, look no farther than our MC Katya. Just swap out Rukia as the main love interest in the book, Gregor, and you have your main duo. Then, there’s an actual soul society, manifestations of soul energy, and a military separated into divisions. The Shinigami, or Kyrios as they are called in this book even have Zanpakuto and battle Hollows called Wants in this book.

Once I figured out the lore in the book, it was especially interesting to see how the plot continued to compare and differ from Bleach as long as I could make it through the romance. If I hear or read the word lass or taut one more time, I'm gonna scream.

My ranting about the romance aside, this book was thoroughly entertaining in the fantasy department. It could stand a little bit more editing as I spotted a few errors while reading, but it wasn’t enough to make me lose my mind, like the romance. Lol

3.75/5

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awoke

From the very start I was pulled into this new and exhilarating adventure!

Let’s start with what blew me away: The overall concept! I absolutely loved it! I’m a huge fan of Bleach, so I loved to hear there was a book that drew inspiration from the anime with Soul Reapers and Hollows and such was so exciting and this book didn’t disappoint!

The romance was another thing I loved! I really enjoyed the forbidden romance and push and pull between the characters. Their chemistry was undeniable and easy to see!

The characters were enjoyable to read as well. Gregor was obviously a huge favorite of mine but Katya’s character was fun to read as well.

There were lots of awesome tropes I read with this one:

- forbidden love
- Grim reaper vibes
- Bleach inspired
- Powerful kickbutt black FMC
- Chosen one
- Prophecy
- Unique world
- Good vs evil battles
- Borrowed kiss
- Morally grey Scottish hottie MMC
- Fate of the world
- Colored reps

[NinaInkdawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here I am talking about Awoke that I read for rrbooktours by K T Conte... As soon as I started it I was catapulted into a world I didn't want to leave... Let's start by telling you five tropes that you can find in this novel... And that is, we find Forbidden love, chosen one, prophecy, good vs evil battles but my preferred... Morally gray Scottish very hot character 😍😍😍... And many others that I won't tell you so as not to ruin the pleasure of reading. The two things I loved most about this book were the characters and I never got tired of reading them. My absolute favorite is Gregor... But I also liked Katya for her well-defined character. But how can you not love the chemistry, the undeniable attraction between them? Even though it's a young adult fantasy, I really appreciated it a lot. But what makes me absolutely give 5 stars is the representation of diversity... So I repeat, you absolutely must read it.
Rating 5 ⭐

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Book Review @rrbooktours✨

Awoke by K.T. Conte @thektconte
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✨Rating & Review✨: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everyone knows that when you turn 18, your world changes. Everyone starts seeing you as an adult and you take on more responsibility. I don’t think Katya knew exactly how much responsibility she would have or just now much her world would change. If you met one of the grim reapers, what would you do? Flirt with death personified or run away screaming? Katya’s choice might not surprise you, but her journey definitely will.
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#Books #BookRecommendation #BlackGirlsReadBooksToo #BlackGirlsRead #Bookstagram #BlackBookstagram #BooksAreAGirlsBestFriend #QueerReadersOfInatagram #ReadersOfInstagram #BookishGirls #BookReviews #rrbooktours #rrbtawoke #awoke #theunseenwar #newadultfantasybooks #blackfmc #diversebooks #paranormalfantasy #romantasy #blackbooks #paranormalfantasy #paranormalbooks #fantasyromance

[TatianaEnchanted · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Understand this—every moment I spend near you is a tug-of-war between my humanity and my Wanted nature. I resist the Wanter side so I can be with you to protect you. So I can feel more of my humanity again. If you can’t accept the dark parts of me after all this, I will do as you wish. Whatever it will be.” -Gregor

**Review may contain some spoilers.**

I was fortunate enough to be chosen as an ARC reader for this wonderfully diverse world of the seen and unseen created by author K.T. Conte. Getting to know the FMC, Katya, and following her journey of self revelation and self reflection (even in the literal sense) was a magical experience.

My favorite part of reading “Awoke” was being inside the Unseen World and learning of the hierarchy that exist within that realm. I also enjoyed the fun banter between Katya and the MMC, Gregor, who is not only a POC with Scottish accent but is described as “beautiful” by Katya every moment she looks his way. Yes, please! 😅 Gregor’s conflict between his obligation as a Kryios (Grim Reaper) and his affections for Katya was a dynamic that makes the “forbidden love” trope interesting and engaging.

It’s also a breath of fresh air to read a book with as much diversity as this book has in a fantasy setting. Unfortunately, we do not get as much of that in the fantasy genre as there should be. So kudos to Conte! We need more of this!

The only reason I did not rate it a full five stars was the beginning felt a little slow for my liking. Once I reached midway through the book, it was full speed ahead! I also would have liked a little more spice but that’s just my preference. 🌶️

Overall, it was a fun new adult fantasy read and I recommend to anyone who enjoys a strong-willed FMC who kicks ass!

[Stephanie]

DNF. ** Update** Now that I had time to sit on this, for me why I had a hard time with this book is because I found those first 80 something pages to be rough. I was not engaged with the story and I wasn’t feeling the characters. I will give this book another try at a later time to see if it’s just me and maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this one.

[Ivy Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghosts, monsters, Heaven/Hell, Forbidden Romance, a sassy and feirce FMC, and a brooding Scottish Grim Reaper? I was literally scrambling to get my hands on this book when I heard about it!

The chemistry with the love interest was so addicting and I absolutely adored the bonds that Katya formed with those around her along her journey.

I think that the world that the author created in this novel is brilliant and unique. It definitely felt more YA to me, despite it being categorized as NA, but I didn't mind! Despite being young, Katya knew who she was and what she wanted. She questioned her destiny but accepted rlthe responsibility of protecting those she loved and I think that's really admirable!

[Feathered Quill Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery, romance, fantasy, and suspense mix in K.T. Conte’s first novel, Awoke, in her paranormal epic romance saga, The Unseen War Series. This riveting novel grips a reader from the start. Strange forces wreak havoc in Boston, and the rest of the world, creating earthquakes and unusual weather. Normal people see these events as natural disasters, but the main character, 18-year-old Katya Stevens, sees another reality: her supernatural vision allows her to see the strange monsters that appear in alleyways, on volcanoes, and even amidst the most mundane barroom brawls.

The story takes us into such a bar scene where Katya and her two best friends attempt to hit on a handsome man who turns vicious and offends the girls. Katya follows him outside to give him a piece of her mind.

Pursuing this stranger, Katya witnesses a bizarre incident in an alley, discovers she has paranormal powers, and faints. When she comes to, she slowly learns of her entanglement in a cosmic conflict in which human souls are at stake. It turns out that this gorgeous jerk that Katya and her friends were hitting on is a Scottish Grim Reaper with whom she develops a relationship that sparkles with engrossing eroticism. From this hottie, Katya learns that Stuffers, Cravers, and Wanters are creatures from the realm of the dead who were once human, but their souls are not at rest; so now they are destroying the world and stealing life force energy supplies, called Vis, from the living. Boston’s strange tremors have been due to the spirits of dead human beings roaming around, causing an imbalance in the Live Realm. Something needs to be done about these Wanters, but even the Generals in the ethereal realm of Ager are not sure how to restore balance.

“The Scot”/Grim Reaper refers to Katya as “the anomaly.” The beings of the afterlife realm have never seen a living human with so much life force energy (Vis). The Generals of Ager suspect Katya may be able to intervene to help stop the Live Realm from imploding. But she must find her secret weapon, and she has a lot of training and growing up to do.

This novel is engrossing and unique, but a little more plot development and a little less adolescent banter would help it move along even faster. In the divine realm, God is opposed by Drachen, and there's a battle brewing in which the fates of billions of souls are at stake; meanwhile, the way the friends talk to each other, trying to come up with the best clever come back, did not match the urgency of the plot. When Katya breaks up with Roger, or forces Gregor to apologize to her friend Aime, the plot highlighted these adolescent concerns. However, when the story turned to parts that seemed more reminiscent of spiritual battles in Japanese anime, the tension really turned up.
Eventually, the reader learns that Katya needs to know herself first, before she can become a hero. Her training with General Raf teaches her about herself. She matures, and the novel picks up the pace when she meets Mika, her ancient supreme consciousness. Along the way, Katya has some tough choices to make, and it’s satisfying to watch this character choose and grow. This book covers a spectrum ranging from emotional immaturity to experience and responsibility. It is enough to make a reader eager to read book two in this series.

Quill says: K.T. Cote’s Awoke grabs the reader’s attention, delivering a tale that is as suspenseful as it is emotionally layered.

[Ana · Rating 1 out of 5]

(Real rating: 1.5⭐️)

I’m honestly sad about writing this review, because the fact I was finally reading a fantasy book with a black FMC was exactly what prompted me to pick this one.

With that said: I’m giving 0.75 ⭐️ because the FMC is black and 0.75 ⭐️ because the lore surrounding the book was good. But that’s about it.

I just couldn’t connect with the book, its characters or its story.

The character’s arcs weren’t properly explored, and everything happened way too quick; Katya was the classics “I’m not like the other girls” kinda girl, and it keeps being proved wrong again and again with each and every decision she makes. Gregor is sweet, and he could (COULD) have been a great MMC, but we didn’t get any chapters on his point of view, so when he finally showed up, he’d either be a brute or a caring guy, and I found myself noticing they had chemistry, but it wasn’t developed in the right way, so it just fell flat.

The secondary characters were also devoid of any personality. While I understand they’re all young adults, I was convinced their only need was to play hard (because they’ve appeared in like, five chapters, and all were parties) and say things such as “girl” and “babes” and EVERYTHING a popular stereotypical girl would say, but Katya is not your average girl.

The characters who were working hard had very sparse appearances, and they almost didn’t have lines (and when they did, they’d be bantering, so no working hard again), and it ended up seeming like the only person who could give answers about how Ager worked was the person who wasn’t prone to — Gregor. Literally. He was the serious one, no one else.

But none of it shocked me as much as the five seconds (or rather three chapters) love triangle that came out of nowhere. One second, Katya was saying “he’s like my big brother” and in the next, the guy was kissing her and declaring his undying love. It was uncalled for. There was no chemistry. He was a freaking flirt, for God’s sake!!!!!

To some extent, I believe K.T. was aiming for something very Cassandra Clare (because there were moments I was like: yeah, that reminds me of The Mortal Instruments), and maybe if I had read it when I was 14 this book would’ve been one of my favorites, so it probably works if you’re around that age.

But at the end of the day, and speaking as a black woman myself, reading this book made me feel like someone just wanted to fit a black girl in a fantasy universe that already existed (and in which we haven’t been included) with the same characteristics that white FMC’s have instead of really creating something unique. It didn’t make me feel included, it rather made me feel uncomfortable — because the same way Clary Fray didn’t represent me back then, Katya Stevens doesn’t, today.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fantastic fantasy read. I was instantly drawn to this book by the beautiful cover and the premise of the story.

Bleach is my favourite anime of all time and this book draws a lot of inspiration from it so I was so excited to read this book. The author does an amazing job of blending immersive worldbuilding and magically epic spirit battles heavily inspired by Bleach. I loved the female main character in this story. Katya is strong-willed, magic-welding bad*ss. She has just turned eighteen and has been thrown into a world she never knew existed and is discovering what she is capable of and who she is meant to be. This story is filled with magic, and prophecy, with the world on the brink of an unseen war. All of these elements create a wonderfully fast-paced adventure, steeped in mystery and suspense.

I really enjoyed the forbidden romance in this story. The push and pull, and will they won't they between Katya and the Hot Scot Grim Reaper, Gregor, was tension-filled and felt so genuine. They had amazing chemistry.

I also loved the diversity of characters we get in this story as I feel like diversity is often lacking in fantasy stories.

I am definitely looking forward to the next installment in this series slated to be released in 2025.

I only gave this book four stars because I struggled with the pacing in the first half of the book.

Thank you to R&R Tours and KT Conte for the review copy of Awoke. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Minor spoilers, but tagged nonetheless.

There was a lot to work with here. The world building was genuinely very neat, and it left me wanting to explore so much more of it. Katya as an MC was interesting to follow - I loved the relationships she had with all the other characters, especially Cynthia.

That said I almost dropped the book at the 25% point because the dialog desperately needed work. So much of it felt stilted and awkward and unnatural. I'm not sure if it improved by the time the plot got to Ager, or if I'd just grown used to it.

There were two plot points that stuck out to me as odd. The "Oh we eloped in New Hampshire" line that resolved itself in another page and a half, and the part where the detective who was in charge of the missing persons case and whose name I basically ignored suddenly became important.

By the time the climax came, I was definitely more invested, though, and I will be keeping an eye out for the sequel (allegedly slated for 2025.)

[Jessiereadsfantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to RRTours and the author for an eARC in exchange for participating in the book tour and honest review.

This is a fantastic NA/YA read that is perfect for fans of the animes Bleach and Sailor Moon. As a Black woman, it was so refreshing to read a fantasy novel with a badass, black FMC. I really connected with the story and its cast of characters. Reading how Katya, the FMC, came into herself and grew as a character made me feel warm in my heart. The action scenes were well-written and engaging, and made the novel hard to put down when things got crazy. This novel felt like home to me. And I haven’t said that about a novel in a really long time, and it feels good.

The book didn't pick up until the 40% mark, but I had a hard time putting it down after that. I did love the connections between the characters as well. My only complaint is that the dialogue was a bit repetitive in some areas, but I was able to overlook it.

4/5 stars - I would recommend it!

[Cristin Grenier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awoke by K.T. Conte was a wild ride from the beginning. I will do my best to not have spoilers.

Katya is a powerful 18 yo black FMC. I enjoyed her sassiness and wit very much. When her best friend is chastised and put down in front of a crowd by an unknown male at her own birthday party and left crying, Katya chases him down in a dark alley and witnesses a battle with an unknown creature. Waking up in her own room she finds said male, Gregor, with his cocky demeanor and Irish Brogue and her life will be forever changed.

I truly enjoyed the characters and tropes Conte has created for us. I mean who does not like an enemies to possible romance with an Irish dude?

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy. It gives me Brandon Sanderson vibes. So if you enjoy Sanderson, I think you will love Awoke

[Ivy Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghosts, monsters, Heaven/Hell, Forbidden Romance, a sassy and feirce FMC, and a brooding Scottish Grim Reaper? I was literally scrambling to get my hands on this book when I heard about it!

The chemistry with the love interest was so addicting and I absolutely adored the bonds that Katya formed with those around her along her journey.

I think that the world that the author created in this novel is brilliant and unique. It definitely felt more YA to me, despite it being categorized as NA, but I didn't mind! Despite being young, Katya knew who she was and what she wanted. She questioned her destiny but accepted rlthe responsibility of protecting those she loved and I think that's really admirable!

[Lois Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fast paced fantasy with romance and grim reapers what’s not to love. I found this twist on grim reapers to be very cool. I really liked Katya and her friends. While she is a very young 18 year old she does have a lot of growing up to do and we see that start to happen by the end of the book. Gregor was a great male character. I think the only thing that would have been awesome would have been some scenes from his point of view. Can’t wait to see what happens next as this is definitely just the start of the series.

[Tracey Cashman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story and the subject matter.
Took me a while to get to it but didn’t take long to read during my busy schedule

I love all things angel and grim reaper and her writing was easy and delightful to read. She didn’t get stuck on details that some authors do dragging the story out. She kept the pace of the story flowing

Thank you K.T Conte I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

[Mackeda(islandgyalreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting to think that maybe I shouldn't leave a review for this because everytime I try it gets deleted 🧍🏾‍♀️.

My initial thought (after about 50 pages) was that Awokr reminded me of 2012 Wattpad fanfiction, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but for me that should have been a sign to DNF.

Awoke, follows Katya, who since childhood has been plagued by these episodes in which she blacks out. Katya has always felt othered by these episodes and is excited to start over in college. But an encounter with a rude stranger on the night of her best friend's birthday derails Katya's plans and introduces her to the hidden world of the Ager.

I think one of the things I enjoyed the most about this story was the world of the Ager itself. It was so rich and I loved how we still got insight into the Want (despite them being the bad guys). The Hierarchy of both worlds was super interesting and hopefully the author expands on that more in the upcoming books. Outside of the world building, I found the way the author revealed the players in the game to be fairly good. And if you go back to the earlier chapters , she did a good job of laying the foundation for some of the 'twists'. for example Cynthina being her weapon... like twins but not twins, that was a good reveal. Also Kyrios being the very thing they fight to protect humanity against.. I was kinda gagged

The biggest turn off me in this book however was the relationship between the MC and the Scot ( I forget his name). Like not only was he hella rude when we first meet him on page, this man is like a million years old ! I hesitate to say that I disliked Katya as a main character because while I found her annoying at times I was invested in seeing her grow into her power.

Thank you to the author and B2Weird for providing me with a gifted copy. All opinions are my own. >

[Jennifer Finken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, interesting take

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and thought the premise was good. I would never have dreamt up this storyline ever but it really works. It is a great novel for a younger crowd and I liked the characters, the plot, the action, and it wasn't too lovey dovey. Some parts I felt were a little corny and some things didn't necessarily have to be there but all in all a good read.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not My favorite but it was ok.

[nvl_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging read that pulled me in right from the beginning, and I couldn’t put it down! I loved the characters, the unseen world, and the story. You could just feel the chemistry between Katya and Gregor, and the forbidden love aspect was great. The world building was excellent and it’s a fun fantasy read that I can recommend!