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The Sentinel Trilogy #1
Sentinel
When random people across the world abruptly vanish, Darien Aetherswift looks to a secretive group-the Followers-for answers... and unearths their ancient collection of supernatural gifts.
Trapped on the wrong side of a surreal war, Darien claws for survival amid apocalyptic plagues, betrayal, and the redefining of everything he thought he knew to be true.
Trapped on the wrong side of a surreal war, Darien claws for survival amid apocalyptic plagues, betrayal, and the redefining of everything he thought he knew to be true.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 17, 2013
402 people are currently reading
3925 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Foley
17 books211 followersAward-winning sci/fi-fantasy author Jamie Foley loves strategy games, gardening, and making lembas bread. She's terrified of red wasps and uses them for lightsaber training. When she's not writing, she's working for Enclave Publishing or the Christian Writers Institute, typesetting, or drawing maps to Cair Paravel. Her husband is her manly astronaut preacher muse. They live between the Texas Hill Country and the family cattle ranch, where their hyperactive spawnling and wolfpack roam.
http://www.jamiefoley.com
http://www.jamiefoley.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
October 18, 2016
WELL THEN.
I had the lovely opportunity to read this before it got published, and I am a bundle of happiness. This has been on my TBR for a LONG TIME. A rather long time, and I'm so glad I finallyyy got my hands on this masterpiece.
The main character is basically the best main character in the history of ever. Seriously. Darien is a dork, but it made the book so much better. His banter with the other characters and thoughts made him seem like a very realistic 16 year old thrown into an adventure book. He kept me giggling, and it made me melt inside as I saw him grow throughout the book.
DUDE AND THE WORLDBUILDING. I'm not sure how long the author has spent on building this world, and I'm not really sure if I want to ask. There are so many cultures and histories and references from the past in this book that it makes my brain explode. Not necessarily in a bad way -- sure, I was confused sometimes by all the genius -- but as a writer myself I'm very much in awe at how she's created this story.
I'm a kicker for books that keep making me giggle, but still have plenty of intense moments to keep me on the edge of my seat. (seriously. "intense" might be too weak of a word. o.o) So give this book a try so we can smirk over Darien's dorkiness together. xD
I had the lovely opportunity to read this before it got published, and I am a bundle of happiness. This has been on my TBR for a LONG TIME. A rather long time, and I'm so glad I finallyyy got my hands on this masterpiece.
The main character is basically the best main character in the history of ever. Seriously. Darien is a dork, but it made the book so much better. His banter with the other characters and thoughts made him seem like a very realistic 16 year old thrown into an adventure book. He kept me giggling, and it made me melt inside as I saw him grow throughout the book.
DUDE AND THE WORLDBUILDING. I'm not sure how long the author has spent on building this world, and I'm not really sure if I want to ask. There are so many cultures and histories and references from the past in this book that it makes my brain explode. Not necessarily in a bad way -- sure, I was confused sometimes by all the genius -- but as a writer myself I'm very much in awe at how she's created this story.
I'm a kicker for books that keep making me giggle, but still have plenty of intense moments to keep me on the edge of my seat. (seriously. "intense" might be too weak of a word. o.o) So give this book a try so we can smirk over Darien's dorkiness together. xD
March 23, 2018
The adventure begins...
I'm not one for thrillers or anything labeled "supernatural" -- it's just not my thing. But Jamie Foley's Sentinel -- the first in a striking new trilogy -- is an exception.
Darien Aetherswift's life isn't perfect. And neither is his sister Tera's. Their life is modest, cramped into a tiny apartment and repair shop filled with frequent calls to their insane mother, haunted by the memory of their father's death.
And then the meteor storm comes.
Suddenly, Darien and Tera's barely-manageable life spirals out of control, and, little do they know, they're being hunted.
THIS. BOOK. Y'ALL. Just... i cant words.
First off, CAN WE TALK ABOUT JET? bc Jet had to be my favorite part of this book.
An ex-sniper, Jet cares about two people, and two people only. The first is his sister, Aleah. The second... well, you'll see. ;)
But Jet is seriously A WHOLE BUNCH OF MUSCLES AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF AWESOME. He mentors Darien throughout the novel (and hates his guts... Jet and Darien should be every bromance's goal XD ), is desperately fond of people (but still a military man at heart), and is basically every character's Prince-Charming-to-the-rescue. (Seriously, he's amazing. Reason #10898945 you should read this novel.)
Secondly, the plot + the writing. Think a lighter, Christian version of Rick Riordan... but with angels' besties and element-wielding teens instead of Greek mythology and demigods. Got a clear picture? Yeah, IT'S EPIC. :D
Just... go read this book, guys! You won't regret it. <3
You may want to know: There is a fair bit of violence, along with some supernatural (but allegorical) elements.
NOTE: I received a free ebook copy of Sentinel from the author, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Read my original review at https://merikthorne.blogspot.com/2018..., and Sage blog tour spotlight at https://livkfisher.blogspot.com/2018/....
I'm not one for thrillers or anything labeled "supernatural" -- it's just not my thing. But Jamie Foley's Sentinel -- the first in a striking new trilogy -- is an exception.
Darien Aetherswift's life isn't perfect. And neither is his sister Tera's. Their life is modest, cramped into a tiny apartment and repair shop filled with frequent calls to their insane mother, haunted by the memory of their father's death.
And then the meteor storm comes.
Suddenly, Darien and Tera's barely-manageable life spirals out of control, and, little do they know, they're being hunted.
THIS. BOOK. Y'ALL. Just... i cant words.
First off, CAN WE TALK ABOUT JET? bc Jet had to be my favorite part of this book.
An ex-sniper, Jet cares about two people, and two people only. The first is his sister, Aleah. The second... well, you'll see. ;)
But Jet is seriously A WHOLE BUNCH OF MUSCLES AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF AWESOME. He mentors Darien throughout the novel (and hates his guts... Jet and Darien should be every bromance's goal XD ), is desperately fond of people (but still a military man at heart), and is basically every character's Prince-Charming-to-the-rescue. (Seriously, he's amazing. Reason #10898945 you should read this novel.)
Secondly, the plot + the writing. Think a lighter, Christian version of Rick Riordan... but with angels' besties and element-wielding teens instead of Greek mythology and demigods. Got a clear picture? Yeah, IT'S EPIC. :D
Just... go read this book, guys! You won't regret it. <3
You may want to know: There is a fair bit of violence, along with some supernatural (but allegorical) elements.
NOTE: I received a free ebook copy of Sentinel from the author, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Read my original review at https://merikthorne.blogspot.com/2018..., and Sage blog tour spotlight at https://livkfisher.blogspot.com/2018/....
January 12, 2018
4.5 stars.
Ok, that was awesome! A little different than I expected, but in a good way! It's like a dystopian modern fantasy and I really loved the setting.
I had read the prequel novella before reading this, and I'm really glad I did since I remembered a few characters and names and had the backstory on Jet before jumping into this one.
I loved Darien as a MC. He's a bit snarky and headstrong and basically just got himself in trouble the entire time. But I loved how he gradually harnesses his power but isn't immediately awesome at it. Or maybe that's just Jet hanging around ready to take him down a peg or five. So Jet. He's awesome. A little frustrating at times, but I loved the friendship that eventually forms between him and Darien.
The magic concepts were cool as were the different abilities you could have. And the plot twisty thing with Jet at the end!! I need the next books please to see how this is going to work out!
The plot moved along really well. I was completely glued to the book, especially once the dystopian road trip started. :P
So much humor and sass! All the characters were really well developed and believable. Some sad moments, a few nail biting moments, and plenty of funny moments. This was a fantastic book and I'm really looking forward to finishing the series. Highly recommended!
Ok, that was awesome! A little different than I expected, but in a good way! It's like a dystopian modern fantasy and I really loved the setting.
I had read the prequel novella before reading this, and I'm really glad I did since I remembered a few characters and names and had the backstory on Jet before jumping into this one.
I loved Darien as a MC. He's a bit snarky and headstrong and basically just got himself in trouble the entire time. But I loved how he gradually harnesses his power but isn't immediately awesome at it. Or maybe that's just Jet hanging around ready to take him down a peg or five. So Jet. He's awesome. A little frustrating at times, but I loved the friendship that eventually forms between him and Darien.
The magic concepts were cool as were the different abilities you could have. And the plot twisty thing with Jet at the end!! I need the next books please to see how this is going to work out!
The plot moved along really well. I was completely glued to the book, especially once the dystopian road trip started. :P
So much humor and sass! All the characters were really well developed and believable. Some sad moments, a few nail biting moments, and plenty of funny moments. This was a fantastic book and I'm really looking forward to finishing the series. Highly recommended!
March 23, 2020
"Looks like the apocalypse started without us."
What better time to read a book about an apocalypse than when we're living through one now? Lol. This is my way of coping with the pandemic, apparently.
More detailed review coming, but overall, I wasn't a huge fan of this. It had its moments (JET! I LOVE HIM!) but overall there was a lot of lost potential.
Still . . . I'm being generous and rounding up my rating to 3 stars because for all its faults, it helped keep me sane during this week of insanity. Everything will be okay. The world is not ending, though it may seem like it is. We will all make it through this together. :)
2.5 stars
What better time to read a book about an apocalypse than when we're living through one now? Lol. This is my way of coping with the pandemic, apparently.
More detailed review coming, but overall, I wasn't a huge fan of this. It had its moments (JET! I LOVE HIM!) but overall there was a lot of lost potential.
Still . . . I'm being generous and rounding up my rating to 3 stars because for all its faults, it helped keep me sane during this week of insanity. Everything will be okay. The world is not ending, though it may seem like it is. We will all make it through this together. :)
2.5 stars
January 25, 2014
Darien is a teenage boy living a regular teenage boy life with his older sister and guardian, Teravyn. After a string of world-changing disasters, they find themselves in the midst of the hated and feared pariahs, the Followers at the Jade Glen Serran Academy. This book follows Darien as his world is ripped apart around him and events drive him to question everything he thought he knew about life.
This book was captivating from start to finish. There wasn't a moment when I felt like the story was uninteresting or just dragging on until the next exciting scene. It started quickly, hooked me just as quick, and had me holding on until the very end, but gave me enough breaks in between to catch my breath. Even with the story being as captivating as it was, the climax was even more intense. Once it started about 75-80% through, I couldn't put the book down. An added plus: in the intense action scenes, the story didn't throw in small bits of detail for me to accidentally skip over when my adrenaline started driving me to read faster than my eyes would let me.
Darien is a believable character with believable doubts and reactions to everything he observes and is told throughout the story. He has several chuckle-worthy one liners and great depth of emotion in the tenser parts of the book. The other characters he interacts with are a mix of different cultures and personalities that make them all individually distinct and interesting, and in turn give you clues that the world is that much more diverse and yet to be explored by readers. I loved finding out more about each character as the story progressed. It even teases at more hidden nuggets about each of the main cast of characters, driving you ever onward to find out more about this or that character.
This book poses deep questions about life and truth. What if everything society has told us is wrong? What if the truth were hidden? Why do bad things happen to good people? Who are "good people"? There are several points when Darien has to question if certain actions are morally right, even if they might be wrong at other times.
I recommend this book for readers from young teenage years (13-14, or even mature pre-teens) to vintage readers with a taste for adventure.
And with that ending, I can't WAIT for Book 2!
This book was captivating from start to finish. There wasn't a moment when I felt like the story was uninteresting or just dragging on until the next exciting scene. It started quickly, hooked me just as quick, and had me holding on until the very end, but gave me enough breaks in between to catch my breath. Even with the story being as captivating as it was, the climax was even more intense. Once it started about 75-80% through, I couldn't put the book down. An added plus: in the intense action scenes, the story didn't throw in small bits of detail for me to accidentally skip over when my adrenaline started driving me to read faster than my eyes would let me.
Darien is a believable character with believable doubts and reactions to everything he observes and is told throughout the story. He has several chuckle-worthy one liners and great depth of emotion in the tenser parts of the book. The other characters he interacts with are a mix of different cultures and personalities that make them all individually distinct and interesting, and in turn give you clues that the world is that much more diverse and yet to be explored by readers. I loved finding out more about each character as the story progressed. It even teases at more hidden nuggets about each of the main cast of characters, driving you ever onward to find out more about this or that character.
This book poses deep questions about life and truth. What if everything society has told us is wrong? What if the truth were hidden? Why do bad things happen to good people? Who are "good people"? There are several points when Darien has to question if certain actions are morally right, even if they might be wrong at other times.
I recommend this book for readers from young teenage years (13-14, or even mature pre-teens) to vintage readers with a taste for adventure.
And with that ending, I can't WAIT for Book 2!
June 10, 2016
Teenagers. Elementals. Strange happenings. A mythical world. An ancient religion. Sound awesome? I thought so too and I was not disappointed. Jamie brings her story to life with colorful characters in a complex world of her creation. The originality and creativity shine through on every page with endearing but unpredictable characters. Once you follow Darien Aetherswift into his everyday life gone wrong, there will be no putting this book down. As the best first book I've ever read, I recommend this for both teens and adults.
May 31, 2018
I was intrigued by the premise of this story. The plot was pretty good with imaginative twists and turns. What I hated was the cliffhanger ending. Sigh. Please stop doing this, authors! It completely turns me off.
My Rating: 3 stars
My Rating: 3 stars
April 18, 2019
I don’t exactly know what I just read, but it was fun! Sentinel feels like it waltzed through the Story Elements Grocery Store and picked up a few bags of fantasy, a box of dystopian, a bit of supernatural, and a smidgen of alternate universe. Throw in some generous helpings of action and humor and voila! I don’t know what it is is, but hey. Breaking genres is cool.
See, we’ve got cars and cities and cell phones and satellites and the general population’s relative ignorance about magic... but then... we have /magic/. Except it feels like superpowers, some of them reminiscent of Doctor Strange (!!). Anyway, I’ll stop rambling about the story’s ingredients and get on to the rest of it!
What I Loved:
•magic academy
•the whole aether magic itself was cool, and I liked that there are four common gifts, but also some lesser-known rare ones; and that you are naturally gifted in one but can train up to a certain point in others!
•sibling relationship from the younger one’s POV (why does this seem so rare?)
•Darien is such a puppy and probably one of the more realistic 16 year old boys I’ve read about, in terms of immaturity
•JET IS AWESOME
•Levi sounded exactly like Haymitch (*cough* I mean Woody Harrelson) in my head
•Sorvashti’s language barrier
•Jet is Darien’s mentor, yay!
•cue the snark!
What I Didn’t Love:
•so the above-mentioned genre bending confused me for a bit at the beginning, honestly
•Tera just kind of... vanished for very questionable reasons and I would’ve liked more foreshadowing there
•the action and suspense was great, but I felt a bit foggy on WHAT this bad guy Lynx group was really after?? The whole “harvesting talented aethryns” felt a bit underdeveloped
Overall, though, lots of fun as long as my analytical brain shut up so I could enjoy the ride! XD I imagine some of those questions will be answered later in the series. For now, suffice it to say I will keep reading because a) WHAT WAS THAT ENDING, AHHH, and b) JET.
P.S. To my pal Deborah: Jet is definitely a lot like your most epic character, Tare. And I love both of them more because of it. <3
See, we’ve got cars and cities and cell phones and satellites and the general population’s relative ignorance about magic... but then... we have /magic/. Except it feels like superpowers, some of them reminiscent of Doctor Strange (!!). Anyway, I’ll stop rambling about the story’s ingredients and get on to the rest of it!
What I Loved:
•magic academy
•the whole aether magic itself was cool, and I liked that there are four common gifts, but also some lesser-known rare ones; and that you are naturally gifted in one but can train up to a certain point in others!
•sibling relationship from the younger one’s POV (why does this seem so rare?)
•Darien is such a puppy and probably one of the more realistic 16 year old boys I’ve read about, in terms of immaturity
•JET IS AWESOME
•Levi sounded exactly like Haymitch (*cough* I mean Woody Harrelson) in my head
•Sorvashti’s language barrier
•Jet is Darien’s mentor, yay!
•cue the snark!
What I Didn’t Love:
•so the above-mentioned genre bending confused me for a bit at the beginning, honestly
•Tera just kind of... vanished for very questionable reasons and I would’ve liked more foreshadowing there
•the action and suspense was great, but I felt a bit foggy on WHAT this bad guy Lynx group was really after?? The whole “harvesting talented aethryns” felt a bit underdeveloped
Overall, though, lots of fun as long as my analytical brain shut up so I could enjoy the ride! XD I imagine some of those questions will be answered later in the series. For now, suffice it to say I will keep reading because a) WHAT WAS THAT ENDING, AHHH, and b) JET.
P.S. To my pal Deborah: Jet is definitely a lot like your most epic character, Tare. And I love both of them more because of it. <3
May 10, 2017
WHAT DID I JUST READ? I have no idea, but I know I had an absolute blast and loved it so much! :D
Picture a fantasy world with (surprise!) modern times (not here, but similar to our time-period), and some fantasy elements like mind superpowers; then add an apocalypse, secret military agents out to wreak havoc, lovable characters (including an awesome sarcastic ex-sniper), snarky conversations, and loads of humor, all wrapped up in a layer of suspense, with a dash of Christian-allegory undertones—and you have a unique, well-written, good-clean-fun novel called Sentinel, which reads almost like an action-movie (but funner)! Definitely outside of my normal reading, and I’ve never read anything like it, but I so enjoyed it!
Reasons why this book is awesome:
+ Jet! First I have to mention Jet Valinor, who is a new favorite character and definitely a top reason for liking this. He’s my favorite kind of dark, growly, snarky, mysterious, dangerous, but awesome, with a heart of gold, type character. He’s got mind-power skills and military skills and generally you want him on your side when there’s covert military ops attacks, apocalypses, or general problems of any kind. He’s also got excellent snarky lines. What is not to love about Jet? Even without all the other awesomeness (of which there was lots), Jet just totally made the book for me. :D
+ Buddies-who-aren’t. I don’t know about you, but I LOVE stories about two characters who are thrown together and REALLY don’t get along but have to work together. And when one of them is a rather flippant teenage boy (our hero, Darien), and the other is dark, no-nonsense Jet who is not going to put up with stupidity... you know it's going to be awesome. They kind of hate each other but are the best and have such excellent interactions AND I JUST LOVE IT SO MUCH.
+ Banter/humor. Coming right up on that last one, there is SO much awesomeness in the form of Darien and Jet bickering, and general snark and humor, plus some of the writing is humorous too.
+ Right there, you have four of my favorite things, all rolled up in this book: an awesome favorite character, a buddy-story (where they aren’t... yet. ;)), humor, and hilarious snarky banter. SO MUCH YES. But oh, you want more reasons?
+ Fantasy! Fantasy makes everything better.
+ Mind-powers etc. which are called Aether, and the different kinds people can be include Arbiter (mind-things like telepathy or memories), Sentinel (use it like striking force), Valnah (emotions), Vanguard (making walls of force), and rare ones like Healer, or Sage (seeing the future).
+ Road-trip! Okay, so it wasn’t a huge part of the story, but I SO enjoyed Jet and Darien stuck in a car together with only Sorvashti to act as peace-maker. So much gold. :D
+ So original and unique—this world and everything is just new and I loved it.
+ It’s well-written and gripping.
+ The other characters are great too and the different cultures etc. and mysteries and hints are really interesting.
+ Everything else—just read it already!
Reasons why I thought I wouldn’t like this book (but actually loved it):
+ It’s modern, which isn’t my favorite — but it’s modern in another world and somehow isn’t the usual blech of many modern books.
+ It’s apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic (which is a close relation to dystopian, which is a no-no for me, and in general I’m not the biggest fan of the world ending?) — but again, being in another world... I don’t... actually... mind? Plus we didn’t actually see the end of the world happening, since it was kind of off-screen (“Looks like the apocalypse started without us.” — one of my fave quotes in the book) and I’ve heard it’s just going to move more toward general fantasy-world kinds of things with less technology in later books. And because it’s not OUR world, I don’t actually mind, somehow!
+ It is definitely SUPER intense and suspenseful, which might have gotten too much for me, but the humor keeps rolling in to keep it a little more light-hearted.
Warnings:
It’s kind of violent/intense/scary, but that’s it. Basically a great YA novel! It certainly kept me breathless on the edge of my seat! O_O (I’m not sure if I remembered to breathe in the last third of the book. Whew. *collapses*)
Overall:
I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next one! (Largely because WHAT EVEN JUST HAPPENED AT THE END? I need Arbiter right now.) I’m quite hooked by this world and in love with these characters, and I can’t wait to find out where the rest of the series is headed. :D All in all, an excellent (if different) book. ^_^ *hugs it*
Favorite quotes:
It’s the end of the world:
Darien and Jet:
(I love them so much. ^_^)
(Review originally posted as a double review for this and Viper on The Page Dreamer: https://thepagedreamer.wordpress.com/...)
Picture a fantasy world with (surprise!) modern times (not here, but similar to our time-period), and some fantasy elements like mind superpowers; then add an apocalypse, secret military agents out to wreak havoc, lovable characters (including an awesome sarcastic ex-sniper), snarky conversations, and loads of humor, all wrapped up in a layer of suspense, with a dash of Christian-allegory undertones—and you have a unique, well-written, good-clean-fun novel called Sentinel, which reads almost like an action-movie (but funner)! Definitely outside of my normal reading, and I’ve never read anything like it, but I so enjoyed it!
Reasons why this book is awesome:
+ Jet! First I have to mention Jet Valinor, who is a new favorite character and definitely a top reason for liking this. He’s my favorite kind of dark, growly, snarky, mysterious, dangerous, but awesome, with a heart of gold, type character. He’s got mind-power skills and military skills and generally you want him on your side when there’s covert military ops attacks, apocalypses, or general problems of any kind. He’s also got excellent snarky lines. What is not to love about Jet? Even without all the other awesomeness (of which there was lots), Jet just totally made the book for me. :D
+ Buddies-who-aren’t. I don’t know about you, but I LOVE stories about two characters who are thrown together and REALLY don’t get along but have to work together. And when one of them is a rather flippant teenage boy (our hero, Darien), and the other is dark, no-nonsense Jet who is not going to put up with stupidity... you know it's going to be awesome. They kind of hate each other but are the best and have such excellent interactions AND I JUST LOVE IT SO MUCH.
+ Banter/humor. Coming right up on that last one, there is SO much awesomeness in the form of Darien and Jet bickering, and general snark and humor, plus some of the writing is humorous too.
+ Right there, you have four of my favorite things, all rolled up in this book: an awesome favorite character, a buddy-story (where they aren’t... yet. ;)), humor, and hilarious snarky banter. SO MUCH YES. But oh, you want more reasons?
+ Fantasy! Fantasy makes everything better.
+ Mind-powers etc. which are called Aether, and the different kinds people can be include Arbiter (mind-things like telepathy or memories), Sentinel (use it like striking force), Valnah (emotions), Vanguard (making walls of force), and rare ones like Healer, or Sage (seeing the future).
+ Road-trip! Okay, so it wasn’t a huge part of the story, but I SO enjoyed Jet and Darien stuck in a car together with only Sorvashti to act as peace-maker. So much gold. :D
+ So original and unique—this world and everything is just new and I loved it.
+ It’s well-written and gripping.
+ The other characters are great too and the different cultures etc. and mysteries and hints are really interesting.
+ Everything else—just read it already!
Reasons why I thought I wouldn’t like this book (but actually loved it):
+ It’s modern, which isn’t my favorite — but it’s modern in another world and somehow isn’t the usual blech of many modern books.
+ It’s apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic (which is a close relation to dystopian, which is a no-no for me, and in general I’m not the biggest fan of the world ending?) — but again, being in another world... I don’t... actually... mind? Plus we didn’t actually see the end of the world happening, since it was kind of off-screen (“Looks like the apocalypse started without us.” — one of my fave quotes in the book) and I’ve heard it’s just going to move more toward general fantasy-world kinds of things with less technology in later books. And because it’s not OUR world, I don’t actually mind, somehow!
+ It is definitely SUPER intense and suspenseful, which might have gotten too much for me, but the humor keeps rolling in to keep it a little more light-hearted.
Warnings:
It’s kind of violent/intense/scary, but that’s it. Basically a great YA novel! It certainly kept me breathless on the edge of my seat! O_O (I’m not sure if I remembered to breathe in the last third of the book. Whew. *collapses*)
Overall:
I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next one! (Largely because WHAT EVEN JUST HAPPENED AT THE END? I need Arbiter right now.) I’m quite hooked by this world and in love with these characters, and I can’t wait to find out where the rest of the series is headed. :D All in all, an excellent (if different) book. ^_^ *hugs it*
Favorite quotes:
“Easy for you to say. You already know what your power is.”
“They’re called ‘gifts’,” Tera murmured, “and I’m pretty sure yours is impatience.”
***
Levi yelled something about volleyballs being expensive.
***
Darien racked his brain for the smallest reason he could have been summoned by something as scary-sounding as ‘the Grand Master council’.
***
He squinted and found a fresh crack snaking from the right windshield wiper to a small spider web in the center. “Speaking of bad news, you owe me a thousand credits.”
It’s the end of the world:
“Cool. So, the world is ending, but who cares, right?”
***
“So it’s the apocalypse and special forces are after us. Awesome. We’re all gonna die.”
Darien and Jet:
“That’s enough,” Jet said.
Darien froze. “What?”
“Jet! Would it kill you to be nice?” Aleah shot Jet a disapproving look, then gave Darien a sheepish grin. “I’m sorry. He’s just... introverted.”
Jet snorted and looked back out the window.
And a psycho. Darien forced a laugh. “No problem.”
***
Is ‘Thracian’ his dad? Why does he call his dad by his name and not ‘Dad’?
Jet barely contained a growl. He could call Darien out on it—again—but this time it’d be just as awkward for himself. Note to self: get him to build mental shields. Immediately.
***
Darien’s thoughts ran over Jet’s like a freight engine.
***
“Why not?”
“Because it’s dangerous, you idiot! And untested and stupid.”
Darien grinned. “Did you just call yourself stupid?”
Jet sighed. “I should have left you in Katrosi.”
(I love them so much. ^_^)
(Review originally posted as a double review for this and Viper on The Page Dreamer: https://thepagedreamer.wordpress.com/...)
March 8, 2015
I won this book as part of Goodreads First-Reads giveaways. I enjoy YA fantasy, and this novel of a teenage boy and his sister trying to survive in a dystopian society polarized by mass disappearances caught my attention from the start.
Darien and his sister Tera are orphans living on their own. Tera, the older sister, works to take care of her brother who is still in school. Darien is a typical self-absorbed teenage boy until the day his best friend disappears right in front of his eyes, along with a good portion of the people who live in his home town. The siblings turn to a secretive religious group, the Followers, for shelter and sustenance in the aftermath of the vanishing.
Darien is soon separated from Tera and finds himself on the run after the Follower school he is attending is attacked by unknown terrorists. He flees with a small group of survivors to a northern province for safety, but instead lands in the middle of the conflict between official security forces and his friends. Darien stumbles blindly along, trying to find someone he can truly trust to help him locate his missing sister.
The novel is fast paced and well written. I enjoyed the descriptions of the beliefs of the Followers, who have super-human powers that are developed with the help of the Masters. My one problem with the book is the character of Darien himself. Yes, he is a teenage boy and therefore rather impulsive, but Darien takes impetuousness to a whole new level. He jumps from one disaster to another, usually of his own making. He refuses to listen to the wisdom of the Masters or the advice of his peers, instead making a series of bad decisions that draw the entire group into danger, and even death.
This is the first book of a trilogy, and I look forward to reading the rest of the story. I recommend this novel to any YA fan, particularly those who enjoy fantasy.
Darien and his sister Tera are orphans living on their own. Tera, the older sister, works to take care of her brother who is still in school. Darien is a typical self-absorbed teenage boy until the day his best friend disappears right in front of his eyes, along with a good portion of the people who live in his home town. The siblings turn to a secretive religious group, the Followers, for shelter and sustenance in the aftermath of the vanishing.
Darien is soon separated from Tera and finds himself on the run after the Follower school he is attending is attacked by unknown terrorists. He flees with a small group of survivors to a northern province for safety, but instead lands in the middle of the conflict between official security forces and his friends. Darien stumbles blindly along, trying to find someone he can truly trust to help him locate his missing sister.
The novel is fast paced and well written. I enjoyed the descriptions of the beliefs of the Followers, who have super-human powers that are developed with the help of the Masters. My one problem with the book is the character of Darien himself. Yes, he is a teenage boy and therefore rather impulsive, but Darien takes impetuousness to a whole new level. He jumps from one disaster to another, usually of his own making. He refuses to listen to the wisdom of the Masters or the advice of his peers, instead making a series of bad decisions that draw the entire group into danger, and even death.
This is the first book of a trilogy, and I look forward to reading the rest of the story. I recommend this novel to any YA fan, particularly those who enjoy fantasy.
July 6, 2015
Sentinel Trilogy
Imagine Harry Potter in a Left Behind story and you have a good start on Jamie Foley's book sentinel, the first book in her Sentinel Trilogy.
Darien, a high-school student with a smart-mouth and a lackadaisical work ethic and his older sister Teravyn Aetherswift live through the mass disappearance of people referred to as Followers around the world. Darien and Tera soon meet (no spoiler) Master Levi Emberhawk of a secretive Serrano Academy where they meet many Followers with supernatural powers who also were left behind.
The story unfolds with Darien and his sister joining this band - although they join in an effort of survival. Who can be trusted as the apocalyptic war ensues catching Darien in the middle?
It is refreshing to read something this clean and engaging and I heartily recommend this Christian YA suspense thriller for readers teen to adult.
Imagine Harry Potter in a Left Behind story and you have a good start on Jamie Foley's book sentinel, the first book in her Sentinel Trilogy.
Darien, a high-school student with a smart-mouth and a lackadaisical work ethic and his older sister Teravyn Aetherswift live through the mass disappearance of people referred to as Followers around the world. Darien and Tera soon meet (no spoiler) Master Levi Emberhawk of a secretive Serrano Academy where they meet many Followers with supernatural powers who also were left behind.
The story unfolds with Darien and his sister joining this band - although they join in an effort of survival. Who can be trusted as the apocalyptic war ensues catching Darien in the middle?
It is refreshing to read something this clean and engaging and I heartily recommend this Christian YA suspense thriller for readers teen to adult.
January 18, 2017
This series is seriously awesome!
5 stars because it has everything! (except dragons)
People with strange Aeo given abilities (aether stuff is always fun), a fascinating mythos, romance (unrequited love mostly, lol), mystery, a really good (at being bad) villain, a silly hero forever making mistakes (is he a complete idiot? Jury's still out on that), my book boyfriend Jet (ladies, I saw him first!), and it's only just beginning!
Whoops, I forgot to mention a post apocalyptic world, hello? Only dragons can make it better.
I remember when I read the prequel (and loved it) I could hardly imagine that this would be the next book, so thanks for the surprise!
First 5 star book of the year *tears*
5 stars because it has everything! (except dragons)
People with strange Aeo given abilities (aether stuff is always fun), a fascinating mythos, romance (unrequited love mostly, lol), mystery, a really good (at being bad) villain, a silly hero forever making mistakes (is he a complete idiot? Jury's still out on that), my book boyfriend Jet (ladies, I saw him first!), and it's only just beginning!
Whoops, I forgot to mention a post apocalyptic world, hello? Only dragons can make it better.
I remember when I read the prequel (and loved it) I could hardly imagine that this would be the next book, so thanks for the surprise!
First 5 star book of the year *tears*
October 14, 2020
Darien and his sister Tera live a modest life, in a tiny apartment and calling their mother (who is insane) all the time their life is dull, but when a meteor storm hits their life changes to anything but dull. Now they are being hunted and Tera is hurt.... badly.
This book is almost like a Christian version of rick Riordan's books - but instead of gods we have angels and instead of demigods we have teen with powers over the elements. the plot and writing was so good and I just could not put it down!!! will definitely be reading the rest of the series!
I received a free review copy from StoryOrigin in exchange for an honest review
This book is almost like a Christian version of rick Riordan's books - but instead of gods we have angels and instead of demigods we have teen with powers over the elements. the plot and writing was so good and I just could not put it down!!! will definitely be reading the rest of the series!
I received a free review copy from StoryOrigin in exchange for an honest review
September 19, 2014
This book had such a different and refreshing dystopia feel that I really liked. I read this book in probably 4 days tops because it kept me wanting to read more! I definitely will be reading the others! I did feel like some of the characters were very immature, but that could've been on purpose. Perhaps through the books, they will grow. I also felt that the spiritual aspect was a distorted version of Christianity, which didn't bother me per say, but it was just so close it seemed like it should have either kept to the religion or created their own. An example is Aeo's son, Joshua, who came and died for our sins and the way to get into Heaven is to accept him into your life. It was just so close to the real thing, but with changing the names and certain aspects. I'm not sure if the author meant to make it a spin off of Christianity and the people in that age had twisted the names a bit, or if this was meant to be a whole different religion. That I think is what threw me the most... not realizing how she was wanting it to be seen from the reader. I LOVED the gifts and the schools. I also appreciated how she showed the whole genocide aspect of the Followers, and how they are dealing with that. It seemed very real to what could really happen in an end-of-the-world type of scenario. The masses are going to blame someone or a group of people, and genocide is sure to follow, so she did a great job capturing that ugly fact of the apocalypse. All-in-all, I think the book is VERY well-written and has thought-out characters. It keeps you enraptured in the text, wanting to know what happens next. I highly recommend this book.
September 24, 2015
Sentinel is a Christian fiction which I enjoyed thoroughly. The Christian worldview gives the book special interest. I enjoyed reading it very much. I felt the main character was well-defined and annoyingly immature at times, but he developed as the book went along, making me want to read the next book in the series. It has a "Left Behind" kind of feel to it, but the different powers defined are very interesting and new. Fun, exciting, clean, and good writing style.
Read
September 14, 2017DNF
I was pretty creeped out by the mental/spiritual powers portrayed in this book. The premise was very unique and intriguing, as were the characters, so I may come back to it 5 years from now. We'll see. ;-)
I was pretty creeped out by the mental/spiritual powers portrayed in this book. The premise was very unique and intriguing, as were the characters, so I may come back to it 5 years from now. We'll see. ;-)
October 10, 2016
This book was given to me pre-release. I will review this week.
December 8, 2017
Exciting Fantasy story…This book captured my attention from the beginning. When Darien needs help during a meteor storm for his sister, Tera, he is directed to s boarding school. Darien has heard many rumors of strange things happening at the school. After Tera heals and a terrifying experience for Darien, he becomes a student at the school at Tera's persistence. The school's philosophy is that everyone has a talent or gift to be discovered. When the school is attacked, Darien and Tera flee in different adventures. Darien's immaturity causes some of their misadventures. This is a suspenseful apocalyptic fantasy story. I was caught up in the story and always felt hope that through their gifts that they would survive. I was given a copy of this book by Ebook Discovery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review.
December 4, 2017
I liked this book. When I had to quit reading, I looked forward to being able to get back to it - and I have a lot of good books on the go, so that means something. The point of view switches were a little confusing - since it's mostly told from Darien's perspective, they don't happen that often, which might be why I found it briefly confusing. Suddenly, it wasn't Darien, when it had completely been him. My only other complaint is likely the last ... paragraph - totally annoying and completely unnecessary - it had better be a lead in to the second book. "I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review."
March 13, 2018
Sentinel kept showing up in my recommendations, so I thought I'd check it out. It's very unique and unlike anything I've read before. It's a fantasy that takes place in a world very similar to our own, but as more was revealed it became apparent just how different it was.
It's extremely action-packed and had me on the edge of my seat many times. My only issue was Darrien. He's stubborn, reckless, and immature. He wasn't an easy character to like and there were many times I was screaming at him in frustration and just wanted to shake some sense into him. I am curious, though, about what will happen in the next book.
It's extremely action-packed and had me on the edge of my seat many times. My only issue was Darrien. He's stubborn, reckless, and immature. He wasn't an easy character to like and there were many times I was screaming at him in frustration and just wanted to shake some sense into him. I am curious, though, about what will happen in the next book.
November 16, 2025
Wow! What a well written book filled with imagination and creativity! The action keeps moving until the very last page. After an accident caused by a falling comet, Darien and his wounded sister Tera are brought to the Serran Academy, a place surrounded with rumors of the supernatural. This book is incredibly unique in the fact it takes modern life and intertwines it with fantasy in a way that is remarkably believeable. To tell you I bought the 3 other books in the series might give you a heads up to how good I think it is. Kudos to Jamie Foley! A+++ This book is categorized as young adult, but you wouldn't know it. My husband is reading it now and completely shares my sentiments.
June 16, 2017
Brilliant reading
I'm giving this book five stars because its so very enjoyable to read for anyone of any age . I started reading this because I didn't have another book to read and now I'm going to have to buy the other nooks too! I kind of feel sorry for Darien he needs to come to terms with his emotions poor thing. He really is a puppy in some ways. Can't wait to read the next book. Highly recommended . you could even give this to your children to read it would certainly spark their imagination.
I'm giving this book five stars because its so very enjoyable to read for anyone of any age . I started reading this because I didn't have another book to read and now I'm going to have to buy the other nooks too! I kind of feel sorry for Darien he needs to come to terms with his emotions poor thing. He really is a puppy in some ways. Can't wait to read the next book. Highly recommended . you could even give this to your children to read it would certainly spark their imagination.
July 17, 2017
It's a fast moving book with an even faster moving male lead! This kid doesn't think, he just acts! That gets him into all kinds of situations. I really liked the premise of this book, and as best I can tell, it's Christian fiction. Awesome! That's my very favorite kind of read, especially on this level with YA and reminiscent of some other series I have adored in the past. I'm so glad I read it. I'm looking forward to more and to more character growth.
My original copy came from Story Cartel, however I have my own. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
My original copy came from Story Cartel, however I have my own. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 10, 2017
What an awesome book! A young main character that always acts before he thinks (a typical 16 year old), strange abilities with which some people are gifted, a religion similar to Christianity and an apocalyptic type world all combine to keep you buried nose deep in the book. This is a must read. I can't wait to read all the other books in this series. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest opinion.
February 1, 2018
Darkly entertaining, oxymoron tho that is
It isn't as no spiritual evil enters the book. It's the modern plot style which tells us the good guy needs to be constantly pummeled without mercy. I don't like that, never will.
It was marketed to me as Christian, but it's not. There is a vague unspecified God, but he seems fairly uninvolved and powerless.
All of that being said, I'm certain many will find it entertaining. It could have been so much more.
It isn't as no spiritual evil enters the book. It's the modern plot style which tells us the good guy needs to be constantly pummeled without mercy. I don't like that, never will.
It was marketed to me as Christian, but it's not. There is a vague unspecified God, but he seems fairly uninvolved and powerless.
All of that being said, I'm certain many will find it entertaining. It could have been so much more.
November 21, 2018
Darien and Tera are brother and sister and their car is damaged due to a meteor storm. They encounter Levi who claims he is from the Serran Academy and offers to take them there for medical help. The Academy is supposedly is a school for gifted children with special mental talents and Darien is against it but has no choice since his sister has to be treated. Thus the adventure begins when both find out they have special talents. Good reading with a lot of suspence.
October 4, 2017
While did not absolutely find myself in love with this start to the series did not hate it either. Guess the best I can say is my reaction to the characters and world is lukewarm appreciation.
Did however hate another cliffhanger ending to a book, which I actually expected the closer got to finishing.
Did however hate another cliffhanger ending to a book, which I actually expected the closer got to finishing.
June 5, 2018
The book had me interested from the get go. Fantasy mixed with modern elements. A dystopian style of story. I liked the fast pass of the story. Who to trust, who's good, who's bad, who's willing to help for their own gain? Lots of questions. Yes there's a cliffhanger, but that makes me want read the next book.
July 23, 2017
GREAT FANTASY READ
What do you do when you find your life and memories are all lies? You do what Darian does and look for answers anyway you can. Thank you for and excellent and entertaining story, Danny and Debbie Scott.
What do you do when you find your life and memories are all lies? You do what Darian does and look for answers anyway you can. Thank you for and excellent and entertaining story, Danny and Debbie Scott.
October 4, 2017
Had me from.the beginging
Had.me fron.the.beginging. Great story. Great characters. Strong willed. Ready for.more.of.this story. Going to.be a.great series. I.bet.the next.book will be just as good if not better
Had.me fron.the.beginging. Great story. Great characters. Strong willed. Ready for.more.of.this story. Going to.be a.great series. I.bet.the next.book will be just as good if not better
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