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The Punishment Sequence #1
Oath of Servitude
Teague’s was the charmed life of a popular athlete that came to a crashing halt. Cailin is a pixi learning the price of nonconformity in her rigid clan. She fears the darkness. He is trapped there for all eternity. But when the two of them are thrown together, they begin to discover the light within themselves.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2012
2 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
C.E. Wilson
21 books576 followersC.E. Wilson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, grew up in Millersville, Pennsylvania, and has been living in Pittsburgh since 2009. For the first few years living in Pittsburgh, she was an English teacher. Her first book, "Oath of Servitude," was published in 2012. In 2013, she quit teaching to be a full time author and hasn't looked back since. She loves spending time with her daughter and husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
December 13, 2013
I love making notes about how I feel about a book I'm reading, you know, for the sake of future generations. My notes here were mainly about things I didn't quite understand or things I though didn't make sense.
The premise: Teague is having a hard time after an unfortunate accident. He has dropped everything and is using alcohol as a way out. Cailin, a pixie, needs some help too. Her free spirit got her in trouble again but this time her father decides to take her to Owen, Teague's father and an old friend who will look after her for a year.
The pixie clan is lead by the Portune, a bunch of elders who protect everybody from the outside. Apparently, if you misbehave you're sent to The Darkness. I have no idea what that is, I just know it's death scary. The Portune is trying to punish Cailin's family, again, I have no idea why.
Cailin is a stubborn, outspoken and defiant girl who's tired of living under the constant pressure of the Portune. Teague is not in his finest hours, he's spoiled and is trapped in self pity all the time. His accident and depression is the reason for Cailin to be there, and I have to say I really though he was a little bipolar sometimes. I mean, one minute he is laughing with his dad and he next one he is grumbling and giving him a hard time.
While the premise was okay it was the plot what really troubled me. A poor plot is the kiss of death. Why would her father send a pixie to the human world in order to fulfill a promise when it was Owen, Teague's father, who actually had to do all the work? Owen had to protect her most of the time. When Owen explained his son about a girl who would be living with them, what was he expecting for her to do? Healing him by talking the self pity out of him?
I really don't get it and I feel really dumb because I see people really enjoying this book and in my head it was like two kids fighting each other every five minutes and then engaging in an eternal cycle of apologies. There were too many plot lines, actually. The Portune, the trap, the love triangle at the end (was that really necessary?), the real identity of Owen, Teague's recovery, Nolkrin's secrets... The dialogs were a little boring, even if sometimes there were some cute moments between Cailin and Teague, the next second I had to reread it because, how on hell could I explain this guys' explosive behavior?
The writing was not the best, it could have used more editing. I can manage alternate POV but this one was all over the place, some times it changed in the same sentence. Even if this was not an Allegiant situation, I'm used to some structure in that aspect.
As a debut novel, I got to say I'm very glad I've read this book. I can tell C.E. Wilson has something in hands and it'd be very interesting to see more of her work in the future. The first chapters of this book were engaging and even if the pacing was slow and in my opinion it failed to deliver a right plot direction, I see ambition in the story.
A copy was provided by the author in exchange of an honest review.
The premise: Teague is having a hard time after an unfortunate accident. He has dropped everything and is using alcohol as a way out. Cailin, a pixie, needs some help too. Her free spirit got her in trouble again but this time her father decides to take her to Owen, Teague's father and an old friend who will look after her for a year.
The pixie clan is lead by the Portune, a bunch of elders who protect everybody from the outside. Apparently, if you misbehave you're sent to The Darkness. I have no idea what that is, I just know it's death scary. The Portune is trying to punish Cailin's family, again, I have no idea why.
Cailin is a stubborn, outspoken and defiant girl who's tired of living under the constant pressure of the Portune. Teague is not in his finest hours, he's spoiled and is trapped in self pity all the time. His accident and depression is the reason for Cailin to be there, and I have to say I really though he was a little bipolar sometimes. I mean, one minute he is laughing with his dad and he next one he is grumbling and giving him a hard time.
While the premise was okay it was the plot what really troubled me. A poor plot is the kiss of death. Why would her father send a pixie to the human world in order to fulfill a promise when it was Owen, Teague's father, who actually had to do all the work? Owen had to protect her most of the time. When Owen explained his son about a girl who would be living with them, what was he expecting for her to do? Healing him by talking the self pity out of him?
I really don't get it and I feel really dumb because I see people really enjoying this book and in my head it was like two kids fighting each other every five minutes and then engaging in an eternal cycle of apologies. There were too many plot lines, actually. The Portune, the trap, the love triangle at the end (was that really necessary?), the real identity of Owen, Teague's recovery, Nolkrin's secrets... The dialogs were a little boring, even if sometimes there were some cute moments between Cailin and Teague, the next second I had to reread it because, how on hell could I explain this guys' explosive behavior?
The writing was not the best, it could have used more editing. I can manage alternate POV but this one was all over the place, some times it changed in the same sentence. Even if this was not an Allegiant situation, I'm used to some structure in that aspect.
As a debut novel, I got to say I'm very glad I've read this book. I can tell C.E. Wilson has something in hands and it'd be very interesting to see more of her work in the future. The first chapters of this book were engaging and even if the pacing was slow and in my opinion it failed to deliver a right plot direction, I see ambition in the story.
A copy was provided by the author in exchange of an honest review.
May 15, 2013
This review appears on my Happy Indulgence Blog. Check it out for more reviews!
I’ve never read a book about pixis before, and Oath of Servitude delivered an imaginative world full of these tiny little beings living among humans (who are giants to them).
Cailin is a defiant little pixi who is somewhat of an outcast among her peers. She has a lot of sass, wears heavy makeup, has fiery bright red hair, she’s also twice as tall as everyone else. As punishment for an unknown reason, her father has arranged for Cailin to live with the humans to serve out an oath of servitude, instead of going to the Darkness. She’s mortified of living with the giants but slowly becomes accustomed and even attached to them. She moves in with Teague, a foul-mouthed, alcoholic teenager who has lost his way since losing his sight in a horrible accident. His father Owen agreed to help his pixi friend as a way to hopefully help his son better his ways.
The world building and the setup of the book was really fresh and unique, mainly because of the pixi world. Because it’s a lesser known paranormal, the author really flourished with setting up the world, where pixis who disobey are sent off into the darkness. Cailin’s situation was also interesting too, as she’s a fairytale being living in a house with a blind person who doesn’t know what she is.
There was a degree of mystery set up from the start, such as why Cailin was being punished, why the pixi clan dislikes her family, and who Owen really is and why he knows about her mother. Interchanging Cailin’s learning experience with the drama of the pixi clan was an interesting way to keep us reading, but I was disappointed to get to the end and not get any of the answers that I was looking for. Although the sequel would definitely address this, it just didn’t feel like a satisfying enough read.
I really liked Cailin as a character, although she seemed to have a completely different personality when she was living with the humans. She’s stubborn, sassy and headstrong, but she was scared, fragile and docile when she first moved in with the humans. I didn’t really enjoy the relationship between her and Teague, as Teague is just such an unlikeable character with his arrogance, clinginess, sexism and rude behaviour. Even though he did end up changing his ways, I didn’t really enjoy him as a love interest.
Cailin learning to adjust to a new life kept me captivated, along with the mystery surrounding her family and why they are being punished for their unknown crimes. This kept me reading to find out more, and interchanging the pixi life back home with Cailin’s learning experience kept things moving at a fast pace.
Overall, I really enjoyed the world that the author has built, but it needed more consistency and answers to questions that were set up in the book. The book is also in need of a good editor, as often I would find phrases being repeated in several different ways. If you’re looking for a unique paranormal read, give Oath of Servitude a go, with the warning that you might need to read the sequel to find out more.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve never read a book about pixis before, and Oath of Servitude delivered an imaginative world full of these tiny little beings living among humans (who are giants to them).
Cailin is a defiant little pixi who is somewhat of an outcast among her peers. She has a lot of sass, wears heavy makeup, has fiery bright red hair, she’s also twice as tall as everyone else. As punishment for an unknown reason, her father has arranged for Cailin to live with the humans to serve out an oath of servitude, instead of going to the Darkness. She’s mortified of living with the giants but slowly becomes accustomed and even attached to them. She moves in with Teague, a foul-mouthed, alcoholic teenager who has lost his way since losing his sight in a horrible accident. His father Owen agreed to help his pixi friend as a way to hopefully help his son better his ways.
The world building and the setup of the book was really fresh and unique, mainly because of the pixi world. Because it’s a lesser known paranormal, the author really flourished with setting up the world, where pixis who disobey are sent off into the darkness. Cailin’s situation was also interesting too, as she’s a fairytale being living in a house with a blind person who doesn’t know what she is.
There was a degree of mystery set up from the start, such as why Cailin was being punished, why the pixi clan dislikes her family, and who Owen really is and why he knows about her mother. Interchanging Cailin’s learning experience with the drama of the pixi clan was an interesting way to keep us reading, but I was disappointed to get to the end and not get any of the answers that I was looking for. Although the sequel would definitely address this, it just didn’t feel like a satisfying enough read.
I really liked Cailin as a character, although she seemed to have a completely different personality when she was living with the humans. She’s stubborn, sassy and headstrong, but she was scared, fragile and docile when she first moved in with the humans. I didn’t really enjoy the relationship between her and Teague, as Teague is just such an unlikeable character with his arrogance, clinginess, sexism and rude behaviour. Even though he did end up changing his ways, I didn’t really enjoy him as a love interest.
Cailin learning to adjust to a new life kept me captivated, along with the mystery surrounding her family and why they are being punished for their unknown crimes. This kept me reading to find out more, and interchanging the pixi life back home with Cailin’s learning experience kept things moving at a fast pace.
Overall, I really enjoyed the world that the author has built, but it needed more consistency and answers to questions that were set up in the book. The book is also in need of a good editor, as often I would find phrases being repeated in several different ways. If you’re looking for a unique paranormal read, give Oath of Servitude a go, with the warning that you might need to read the sequel to find out more.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
October 11, 2012
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
After a shaky first two chapters, this book really took off and surpassed my expectations. The character development was wonderful, the plot was well-thought out. The entire story was well-writen and I fell in love with the characters.
The author makes the characters believable and I empathized with them. Teague was a young man with some major problems, but after meeting the spunky little Cailin, he was able to navigate those troubled waters with better resolve. The interaction between the humans and the pixis was well-written with some natural biases on the pixis part.
Overall, the author did a very good job with this book, and I hope to see a good continuation of this world.
After a shaky first two chapters, this book really took off and surpassed my expectations. The character development was wonderful, the plot was well-thought out. The entire story was well-writen and I fell in love with the characters.
The author makes the characters believable and I empathized with them. Teague was a young man with some major problems, but after meeting the spunky little Cailin, he was able to navigate those troubled waters with better resolve. The interaction between the humans and the pixis was well-written with some natural biases on the pixis part.
Overall, the author did a very good job with this book, and I hope to see a good continuation of this world.
March 16, 2016
You can read this review and more on my blog:
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. This in no way effected my opinion of this book.
There were a lot of mysteries in this book. Everything from who the main characters really are to the meaning of the title "Five-Seven-Five, was cloaked in mystery. By the end of the book, I received some answers, but other things were left up in the air.
The first mystery about the main character, White, is revealed somewhat early in the book, and if you have read some of this authors other works it won't really be a surprise.
Just in case you skipped my spoiler, I will give you a slightly less spoilery rundown now.
White, and lots of other people like he,r, live isolated from the rest of the world. In fact, she and those people are so isolated that she has never seen the sky, grass trees, animals or other simple things of that nature that we all take for granted. When she ventures from her shelter and further explores the world (something that s forbidden for most people where she lives) she meets a boy named Kes who introduced her to the world.
This leads to some very cute scenes where White gets to experience things for the first time. She cries at the first sight of rain and falls in love with ladybugs, but she also spends a good amount of time simply taking to Kes. The two for an unlikely and cute friendship, but the romance in this book is lacking. That isn't so much a criticism because all books don't need romance, but this book read like a romance without the romance. I am pretty sure there will be more declarations of feelings and lingering looks in the next book, but for now, there's not much to say on the relationship front.
If you read Five-Seven-Five, read it for the science fiction, fantasy, and adventure elements. The author does these things very well, and for that reason, the story held my attention. White is a likable and adorable character, and while Kes could be a little clueless and annoying at times, he was adorable in his own dorky way.
Because of mild language and some violence, I would recommend this book for ages 13 and up. There were no sexual situations.
This review was originally posted on Kookie Krysp Reads
There were a lot of mysteries in this book. Everything from who the main characters really are to the meaning of the title "Five-Seven-Five, was cloaked in mystery. By the end of the book, I received some answers, but other things were left up in the air.
The first mystery about the main character, White, is revealed somewhat early in the book, and if you have read some of this authors other works it won't really be a surprise.
Just in case you skipped my spoiler, I will give you a slightly less spoilery rundown now.
White, and lots of other people like he,r, live isolated from the rest of the world. In fact, she and those people are so isolated that she has never seen the sky, grass trees, animals or other simple things of that nature that we all take for granted. When she ventures from her shelter and further explores the world (something that s forbidden for most people where she lives) she meets a boy named Kes who introduced her to the world.
This leads to some very cute scenes where White gets to experience things for the first time. She cries at the first sight of rain and falls in love with ladybugs, but she also spends a good amount of time simply taking to Kes. The two for an unlikely and cute friendship, but the romance in this book is lacking. That isn't so much a criticism because all books don't need romance, but this book read like a romance without the romance. I am pretty sure there will be more declarations of feelings and lingering looks in the next book, but for now, there's not much to say on the relationship front.
If you read Five-Seven-Five, read it for the science fiction, fantasy, and adventure elements. The author does these things very well, and for that reason, the story held my attention. White is a likable and adorable character, and while Kes could be a little clueless and annoying at times, he was adorable in his own dorky way.
Because of mild language and some violence, I would recommend this book for ages 13 and up. There were no sexual situations.
This review was originally posted on Kookie Krysp Reads
August 15, 2014
(This book was sent to me from the author in exchange for an honest review.)
Fairies, faeries, and pixies are all very familiar to me, but ohmydarlin', the author wrote this in such a unique way. She didn't entirely focus on the romance likeevery other fracking book in YA gosh darn does many other books do, but instead on the main character, Cailin's, experiences living in a human household. I had a revelation: Not every author writes about constantly reused ideas and cliches. I think I almost cried out in joy. There is hope yet!
Cailin is this pixie girl who's sent off to live with humans for a year for being too different among her people. She's 12 inches of attitude and awesomeness. There were times that she irked the hell out of me, but there were also times when I wanted to reach into my screen and hug her.
I'm kind of sick of all the perfect YA book guys (but not really because they're perfect). The leading male in Oath of Servitude, Teague, had an accident that blinded him, making him very not perfect, but wonderfully endearing at the same time. I think I ended up enjoying his scenes the most by the end. He also had a lot of good dialogue that had me falling for him a bit. Tehe *smiles into shoulder*.
My biggest issue was that I felt very uninformed about all the problems. Everyone had a secret and most of the answers were never revealed. It made the book seem too unresolved. I also had a problem with the minor characters. They made bad choices that led to awful consequences.
I'd recommend this book to people who like fantasy. It's fun and short, so you could probably finish it in one sitting if you really wanted to. Trust me though, I didn't really want to put it down once I got started.
Amber from My Bookshelf Is Hungry
Fairies, faeries, and pixies are all very familiar to me, but ohmydarlin', the author wrote this in such a unique way. She didn't entirely focus on the romance like
Cailin is this pixie girl who's sent off to live with humans for a year for being too different among her people. She's 12 inches of attitude and awesomeness. There were times that she irked the hell out of me, but there were also times when I wanted to reach into my screen and hug her.
I'm kind of sick of all the perfect YA book guys (but not really because they're perfect). The leading male in Oath of Servitude, Teague, had an accident that blinded him, making him very not perfect, but wonderfully endearing at the same time. I think I ended up enjoying his scenes the most by the end. He also had a lot of good dialogue that had me falling for him a bit. Tehe *smiles into shoulder*.
My biggest issue was that I felt very uninformed about all the problems. Everyone had a secret and most of the answers were never revealed. It made the book seem too unresolved. I also had a problem with the minor characters. They made bad choices that led to awful consequences.
I'd recommend this book to people who like fantasy. It's fun and short, so you could probably finish it in one sitting if you really wanted to. Trust me though, I didn't really want to put it down once I got started.
Amber from My Bookshelf Is Hungry
September 29, 2012
I was asked by the author to review this book. This fact does not bias my review. I award this book 3.5 stars.
Oath of Servitude by C. E. Wilson is about a young man, Teague, who has suffered a tragic accident and drinks away his pain with alcohol, and a young pixie girl, Cailin, who is punished by her clan to stay with this human and his father instead of going to the mysterious Darkness, where pixies are usually sent when they disobey the rules. Both Teague and Cailin are headstrong and very different, but somehow they hit it off and grow and develop together. And also, regardless of the fact that Cailin is only a foot tall and Teague is over six feet tall, they start to fall in love with one another.
There is a lot to like about this book. The setup is very interesting-- the intermixing of humans and small creatures, pixies. I liked the world building and the intrigue in the pixie world. There were a lot of plot twists and I liked the development of the characters. I was hooked from start to finish, and it was a quick read.
That said, it's not a perfect novel. It is in sore need for a good editor. There are many missing commas, some missing words, and some odd phrasing. I also think that there should have been more revealed in this book-- it seems incomplete as it stands now, and just seems like build up for a second book. This is a problem that a lot of first books have. Lastly, I kept having issues with the fact that Teague and Cailin are so different in size of anatomy, and the "solution" seemed a bit hand wavy to me.
Overall, an interesting plot full of twists with intriguing world building, but needs some tune up.
Oath of Servitude by C. E. Wilson is about a young man, Teague, who has suffered a tragic accident and drinks away his pain with alcohol, and a young pixie girl, Cailin, who is punished by her clan to stay with this human and his father instead of going to the mysterious Darkness, where pixies are usually sent when they disobey the rules. Both Teague and Cailin are headstrong and very different, but somehow they hit it off and grow and develop together. And also, regardless of the fact that Cailin is only a foot tall and Teague is over six feet tall, they start to fall in love with one another.
There is a lot to like about this book. The setup is very interesting-- the intermixing of humans and small creatures, pixies. I liked the world building and the intrigue in the pixie world. There were a lot of plot twists and I liked the development of the characters. I was hooked from start to finish, and it was a quick read.
That said, it's not a perfect novel. It is in sore need for a good editor. There are many missing commas, some missing words, and some odd phrasing. I also think that there should have been more revealed in this book-- it seems incomplete as it stands now, and just seems like build up for a second book. This is a problem that a lot of first books have. Lastly, I kept having issues with the fact that Teague and Cailin are so different in size of anatomy, and the "solution" seemed a bit hand wavy to me.
Overall, an interesting plot full of twists with intriguing world building, but needs some tune up.
December 12, 2012
The author is able to bring able a distinctive and novel concept in the current paranormal filled reality of books we live in. While the author did a brilliant job describing the characters there was not a great deal of focus on the world building as a whole. The flow of the story did not progress too fast but just well enough to keep the reader interested. There were parts of the plot that seemed scattered.
I also loved the uniqueness and dimensions of the characters. They did not seem to fall flat and the author was able to bring out each individuals personality and plausible reactions. Cailin was able to shine through with her confidence while Teague grew throughout the book finally being able to turn his life around.
Note: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I also loved the uniqueness and dimensions of the characters. They did not seem to fall flat and the author was able to bring out each individuals personality and plausible reactions. Cailin was able to shine through with her confidence while Teague grew throughout the book finally being able to turn his life around.
Note: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
December 27, 2012
When I first saw this I was somewhat hesitant, for several reasons. Yet I have to admit my curiosity was also peaked when I saw that Wilson's plot centred around a foot tall pixie and a normal-sized guy. Naturally the curiousity won out and, while it's let me down more times than I can count, this time it led me to an enjoyable read.
Cailin is angry when she finds out that she is being sent to live with two humans for a year - this as punishment for breaking a few rules. She must serve an Oath of Servitude, and her task is to help the human child; while 20 is considered more adult from a human's point of view, compared to a pixie's lifespan it's nothing. She doesn't even know what she's supposed to do. An accident in a game of baseball cost him his sight and now he spends his days in drunken isolation, neither his father nor his friends able to get through to him. However, after meeting Teague, her feelings begin to change, both about humans in general and Teague specifically. At the same time trouble is brewing back home, threatening the stability of her family.
Cailin is, to coin Teague's phrase, 'spunky'. She's not one for backing down; she'll say what's on her mind and she's not afraid to have a go at Teague. Everyone's tiptoeing around him may be what he wants but she's not about to give in. Hers is quite a singular image to have in mind: pink hair dyed red (I guess pink hair just isn't cool enough for this pixie), pink eyes and one foot tall. It was definitely interesting to see humans and our world from her perspective. With her initial anger came fear, something that took time to get over, and her struggle to overcome it came across clearly.
Something I would have liked to see is more world-building in terms of where the pixies actually lived; the book mentioned they were in the forest, but then they each had their own room, they were in an actual constructed setting. I wanted a clearer image of these two separate worlds: pixie and human. I also wanted to know more about the Darkness, a form of punishment that effectively costs pixies their minds. The opening of the book, and also the end, became very repetitive because the horror of the Darkness was always referred to yet never actually explained.
The main question for me right from the start was: how could a relationship between a six-foot tall guy (or thereabouts) and a one-foot tall pixie possibly work? Surprisingly, it did. Their relationship, as far as Cailin and Teague's fathers were concerned, was only supposed to go as far as Cailin helping Teague get his life back on track. And she definitely helped him do that. Being blind meant he was not prejudiced by sight and even when he found out the truth he didn't completely lose it. It was sweet to see him listen to Cailin and grow to respect her, and see her just be there for him and make him understand what he was doing to himself. Her role transformed from unwilling helper, to a friend who genuinely cared, to someone who wanted to be with him but saw no way of it being possible under the circumstances. Teague and his father Owen also have more to their stories than is let on, although Owen is the one holding the secrets.
Despite this appearing somewhat unpromising, I did really enjoy Oath of Servitude. I haven't read a pixie book in ages and this one definitely kept me entertained. It was admittedly a little frustrating - so much was alluded to but never explained. I'm hoping that there'll be some well-explained answers in the sequel. Still, I'm glad I gave this one a chance.
This review is also posted on my blog.
Cailin is angry when she finds out that she is being sent to live with two humans for a year - this as punishment for breaking a few rules. She must serve an Oath of Servitude, and her task is to help the human child; while 20 is considered more adult from a human's point of view, compared to a pixie's lifespan it's nothing. She doesn't even know what she's supposed to do. An accident in a game of baseball cost him his sight and now he spends his days in drunken isolation, neither his father nor his friends able to get through to him. However, after meeting Teague, her feelings begin to change, both about humans in general and Teague specifically. At the same time trouble is brewing back home, threatening the stability of her family.
Cailin is, to coin Teague's phrase, 'spunky'. She's not one for backing down; she'll say what's on her mind and she's not afraid to have a go at Teague. Everyone's tiptoeing around him may be what he wants but she's not about to give in. Hers is quite a singular image to have in mind: pink hair dyed red (I guess pink hair just isn't cool enough for this pixie), pink eyes and one foot tall. It was definitely interesting to see humans and our world from her perspective. With her initial anger came fear, something that took time to get over, and her struggle to overcome it came across clearly.
Something I would have liked to see is more world-building in terms of where the pixies actually lived; the book mentioned they were in the forest, but then they each had their own room, they were in an actual constructed setting. I wanted a clearer image of these two separate worlds: pixie and human. I also wanted to know more about the Darkness, a form of punishment that effectively costs pixies their minds. The opening of the book, and also the end, became very repetitive because the horror of the Darkness was always referred to yet never actually explained.
The main question for me right from the start was: how could a relationship between a six-foot tall guy (or thereabouts) and a one-foot tall pixie possibly work? Surprisingly, it did. Their relationship, as far as Cailin and Teague's fathers were concerned, was only supposed to go as far as Cailin helping Teague get his life back on track. And she definitely helped him do that. Being blind meant he was not prejudiced by sight and even when he found out the truth he didn't completely lose it. It was sweet to see him listen to Cailin and grow to respect her, and see her just be there for him and make him understand what he was doing to himself. Her role transformed from unwilling helper, to a friend who genuinely cared, to someone who wanted to be with him but saw no way of it being possible under the circumstances. Teague and his father Owen also have more to their stories than is let on, although Owen is the one holding the secrets.
Despite this appearing somewhat unpromising, I did really enjoy Oath of Servitude. I haven't read a pixie book in ages and this one definitely kept me entertained. It was admittedly a little frustrating - so much was alluded to but never explained. I'm hoping that there'll be some well-explained answers in the sequel. Still, I'm glad I gave this one a chance.
This review is also posted on my blog.
April 8, 2013
This book was really good. I was hesitant about getting into it because pixi's and fairies has never really been my kind of thing. We never seem to get along unless they are the smaller picture in a book. I had to give this a try though. I thank C.E. Wilson for giving me a chance to read this. I really did love reading this book.
I was approached by the author, C.E. Wilson, she wanted me to review this book for her. I took a look at it and instantly thought "Sorry no, but I'm not all that into pixi's", but when I read the rest of the synopsis I was hooked. So the only probably was the pixi's. I would deal with it, because frankly this book sounded REALLY good. To make sure if I wanted to read it, I took a look at the rating on Goodreads. The rating was pretty good too. I had close to a 4.02 rating. So I told C.E. that I would review her book. I do NOT regret it! I just finished this book yesterday and the minute I finished this book I am dying for the second book.
The characters in this book were amazing. Teague is blind in this book. He was injured from a baseball pitch gone wrong and now he will never be able to play or see again. Of course, as you would think, he's bitter about this. He's 21, blind, and living at his dad's house. He drinks his days away, not caring about anything going on around him. At first I thought that he was a conceited jerk that didn't care about anyone but himself, and that first encounter with Cailin definitely helped cement that in. Eventually when he got to know Cailin and became less aggressive and began to see that he was bound to be bitter(not that it justifies his actions but...) I started to feel for him and I really did start to like him.
Cailin was a bit of a challenge at the beginning for me. She started off as a girl who thought that she did nothing wrong and whatever she was being punished for was stupid. I hated her at that moment. I really did want to hit her at that moment. Then when she got to know Teague she softened as well. She became this person, er- pixi, that I would want to know. I loved her spunk and confidence, I liked that, that the same confidence never turned into overconfidence. The characters therefore, were amazing.
The plot was also very intriguing. How is this little pixi that's almost a foot tall suppose to help a blind 21 year old pick up his act? Yeah, well she does help. He starts to really care about what she thinks of him and that was kind of cool to be able to read about. As they say, even the smallest person can make a BIG change.
The reason this book isn't a 5 out of 5 star review is because I skipped a chapter or two. Of course, I went back and read them once I finished the book, but I really did not enjoy reading them as much. I skimmed them and they were just about the other stuff going on with the pixi's in Cailin's clan. I found them to be very boring. I guess I just liked to read about Teague and Cailin and no one else. As long as one of them was in the chapter I was good. It was only about a chapter or two that I skimmed so it really didn't mess anything up for me.
Guys, this is an amazing book that I highly recommend! It is intriguing, fascinating and just plain awesome! This is one of the very few books that I actually like that is about pixi's or fairies; therefore, I HIGHLY recommend this book. Go buy this book, read and tell me what you think. I highly doubt that you will not like this book.
Enjoy! I can hardly wait for the second book!
*A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I was approached by the author, C.E. Wilson, she wanted me to review this book for her. I took a look at it and instantly thought "Sorry no, but I'm not all that into pixi's", but when I read the rest of the synopsis I was hooked. So the only probably was the pixi's. I would deal with it, because frankly this book sounded REALLY good. To make sure if I wanted to read it, I took a look at the rating on Goodreads. The rating was pretty good too. I had close to a 4.02 rating. So I told C.E. that I would review her book. I do NOT regret it! I just finished this book yesterday and the minute I finished this book I am dying for the second book.
The characters in this book were amazing. Teague is blind in this book. He was injured from a baseball pitch gone wrong and now he will never be able to play or see again. Of course, as you would think, he's bitter about this. He's 21, blind, and living at his dad's house. He drinks his days away, not caring about anything going on around him. At first I thought that he was a conceited jerk that didn't care about anyone but himself, and that first encounter with Cailin definitely helped cement that in. Eventually when he got to know Cailin and became less aggressive and began to see that he was bound to be bitter(not that it justifies his actions but...) I started to feel for him and I really did start to like him.
Cailin was a bit of a challenge at the beginning for me. She started off as a girl who thought that she did nothing wrong and whatever she was being punished for was stupid. I hated her at that moment. I really did want to hit her at that moment. Then when she got to know Teague she softened as well. She became this person, er- pixi, that I would want to know. I loved her spunk and confidence, I liked that, that the same confidence never turned into overconfidence. The characters therefore, were amazing.
The plot was also very intriguing. How is this little pixi that's almost a foot tall suppose to help a blind 21 year old pick up his act? Yeah, well she does help. He starts to really care about what she thinks of him and that was kind of cool to be able to read about. As they say, even the smallest person can make a BIG change.
The reason this book isn't a 5 out of 5 star review is because I skipped a chapter or two. Of course, I went back and read them once I finished the book, but I really did not enjoy reading them as much. I skimmed them and they were just about the other stuff going on with the pixi's in Cailin's clan. I found them to be very boring. I guess I just liked to read about Teague and Cailin and no one else. As long as one of them was in the chapter I was good. It was only about a chapter or two that I skimmed so it really didn't mess anything up for me.
Guys, this is an amazing book that I highly recommend! It is intriguing, fascinating and just plain awesome! This is one of the very few books that I actually like that is about pixi's or fairies; therefore, I HIGHLY recommend this book. Go buy this book, read and tell me what you think. I highly doubt that you will not like this book.
Enjoy! I can hardly wait for the second book!
*A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
February 27, 2013
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were lovely, well rounded and entertaining. They all interacted really well with each other and it felt so real! No cookie cutter characters here. These characters are full of flaws, worries, fears, happiness, sadness. Every emotion in the book.
There was a bit of mystery involved in this book too! Ms. Wilson was able to keep me guessing as to what Teague's accident was in the beginning of the book, what exactly happens in the Darkness; why it was so scary, and just what did the Willow Family do to get into so much trouble and why everyone hated them so much. Hopefully there will be some light shed on these subjects in the next book.
The characters really grow and mature in this book, which is something I haven't seen so much lately. It was a much welcomed surprise.
Teague, who starts of as a very angry young man, hating the world and the accident that happened to him, meets Cailin, a pixi (although he doesn't know that until much later!) who shows him that even through all the bad thats happened to him, that there can still be joy in life.
Cailin, who's quite tall for a pixi is feared and not well liked by most in her clan. Both because she dyes her hair, wears outrageous looking attire and her sheer height make her a bitter person. A pixi is taught that they must never lie, and always be polite and kind. Which is hard for Cailin because she has a temper. She does enjoy the solitude and superiority feeling she gets when pixis stay clear of her because of her tall stature. But she too grows as a person once she enters Teague's life. She enjoys the freedom of being herself, but she is also very afraid of entering a new world, one in which she has no experience in and is literately no bigger then a Barbie doll. She learns to get over her fears, become a better person, accept who she is despite her flaws, and learns to care for Teague on a level she didn't think possible.
As much as I really enjoyed this book there were a few flaws. There were some grammatical errors sprinkled throughout, but not enough to detract me from getting sucked into the world the author created.
There was also a bit of an issue with the world building. I found it hard to picture what the pixie world looked like. How did they live in the forest? Up in trees, on the ground, in the hollow of trees? I would have loved to know more about their daily lives. I'd love to know more about the laws and culture of the pixies as much of it remains a mystery. Knowing more of what the pixie world looked like would have made reading those parts of the book much more enjoyable.
There was a pretty big cast of characters to keep up with, but each character introduced an in turn each point of view that was throughout the story was well executed. I could remember who was who, where they were and what they were talking about. Although I had to say I cared a lot more about Teague and Cailin then I did the pixie world.
Overall a really enjoyable read. Although not everything was resolved at the end, Teague and Cailin were able to reunite, and the pixie world has been set up so that something will definitely be going on in the next book.
I'm very excited to read the next book and can't wait until it comes out.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were lovely, well rounded and entertaining. They all interacted really well with each other and it felt so real! No cookie cutter characters here. These characters are full of flaws, worries, fears, happiness, sadness. Every emotion in the book.
There was a bit of mystery involved in this book too! Ms. Wilson was able to keep me guessing as to what Teague's accident was in the beginning of the book, what exactly happens in the Darkness; why it was so scary, and just what did the Willow Family do to get into so much trouble and why everyone hated them so much. Hopefully there will be some light shed on these subjects in the next book.
The characters really grow and mature in this book, which is something I haven't seen so much lately. It was a much welcomed surprise.
Teague, who starts of as a very angry young man, hating the world and the accident that happened to him, meets Cailin, a pixi (although he doesn't know that until much later!) who shows him that even through all the bad thats happened to him, that there can still be joy in life.
Cailin, who's quite tall for a pixi is feared and not well liked by most in her clan. Both because she dyes her hair, wears outrageous looking attire and her sheer height make her a bitter person. A pixi is taught that they must never lie, and always be polite and kind. Which is hard for Cailin because she has a temper. She does enjoy the solitude and superiority feeling she gets when pixis stay clear of her because of her tall stature. But she too grows as a person once she enters Teague's life. She enjoys the freedom of being herself, but she is also very afraid of entering a new world, one in which she has no experience in and is literately no bigger then a Barbie doll. She learns to get over her fears, become a better person, accept who she is despite her flaws, and learns to care for Teague on a level she didn't think possible.
As much as I really enjoyed this book there were a few flaws. There were some grammatical errors sprinkled throughout, but not enough to detract me from getting sucked into the world the author created.
There was also a bit of an issue with the world building. I found it hard to picture what the pixie world looked like. How did they live in the forest? Up in trees, on the ground, in the hollow of trees? I would have loved to know more about their daily lives. I'd love to know more about the laws and culture of the pixies as much of it remains a mystery. Knowing more of what the pixie world looked like would have made reading those parts of the book much more enjoyable.
There was a pretty big cast of characters to keep up with, but each character introduced an in turn each point of view that was throughout the story was well executed. I could remember who was who, where they were and what they were talking about. Although I had to say I cared a lot more about Teague and Cailin then I did the pixie world.
Overall a really enjoyable read. Although not everything was resolved at the end, Teague and Cailin were able to reunite, and the pixie world has been set up so that something will definitely be going on in the next book.
I'm very excited to read the next book and can't wait until it comes out.
October 25, 2012
[This review has been taken straight from my blog, The Bookmark Girl: http://thebookmarkgirl.blogspot.com]
SUMMARY from Goodreads
This is the story of Teague and Cailin, two teenagers who have been brought together by fate. Teague, a human, struggles to come to terms with the consequences of a recent accident that has destroyed the happy life that he had once enjoyed. Cailin, a pixi, is trying to stay true to herself while fighting against forces beyond her control that have exiled her from her home into this strange world of humans. She fears the darkness. He cannot escape it. But when the two of them are thrown together, they begin to discover the light inside of themselves.
REVIEW
I received a copy of this book from the author, and I went into the book with lower expectations than what I actually achieved! I did expect it to be good, of course, because all the reviews I had read were 4-stars, but I still did not expect the book to be better than what I had thought it would be.
Oath of Servitude was an enjoyable and great read. There are a lot of things I have to say about this book:
The plot was wonderful. I don't think I've ever read a book with pixies in it, and the whole idea of the parallel pixie world existing at the same place as the human world was great. This book played with quite a few different genres, which altogether made it more enjoyable. However, I did feel that there were certain untied knots at the end of this book, which I will come back to later.
I certainly liked the characters; I haven't read a pixie book before, or even a book with a blind alcoholic, for that matter! Cailin was an impressive main character. Even though she was tiny compared to Owen and Teague, her confidence in front of them was certainly brave. I really liked Teague's growth throughout the book - how he went from an alcoholic who could hardly ever think straight, to a guy that was recovering his strength, and with the help of Cailin he was finally learning how to get his life back. Nevertheless, at the beginning I did feel as if the friendship between Teague and Cailin was very strange and rushed, so it didn't feel natural.
Lots of people commended this book on the world-building in it, but I actually felt that it could have been improved upon. Although we knew very well about the Portune, I still felt like that information wasn't given via the characters themselves, and it was told rather than shown, ultimately.
The writing style was very good. It wasn't a flowery writing style (though I like those too!), it was more fast-paced. The movement of this story was good and I wanted to keep reading the whole way through!
Going back to the untied knots; I'm pretty sure that C E Wilson will be writing a sequel to this book, because there was an epilogue that hinted bad things coming, and also there was a lot left at the end, like what happened to Sariel? What would happen to Nolkrin - would he get his fifty years back? How could Cailin possibly stay with Teague forever? There's lots of questions I want to find out the answer to, so I'll be looking forward to the next book.
Overall, Oath of Servitude was a wonderful read! 4 / 5 stars.
SUMMARY from Goodreads
This is the story of Teague and Cailin, two teenagers who have been brought together by fate. Teague, a human, struggles to come to terms with the consequences of a recent accident that has destroyed the happy life that he had once enjoyed. Cailin, a pixi, is trying to stay true to herself while fighting against forces beyond her control that have exiled her from her home into this strange world of humans. She fears the darkness. He cannot escape it. But when the two of them are thrown together, they begin to discover the light inside of themselves.
REVIEW
I received a copy of this book from the author, and I went into the book with lower expectations than what I actually achieved! I did expect it to be good, of course, because all the reviews I had read were 4-stars, but I still did not expect the book to be better than what I had thought it would be.
Oath of Servitude was an enjoyable and great read. There are a lot of things I have to say about this book:
The plot was wonderful. I don't think I've ever read a book with pixies in it, and the whole idea of the parallel pixie world existing at the same place as the human world was great. This book played with quite a few different genres, which altogether made it more enjoyable. However, I did feel that there were certain untied knots at the end of this book, which I will come back to later.
I certainly liked the characters; I haven't read a pixie book before, or even a book with a blind alcoholic, for that matter! Cailin was an impressive main character. Even though she was tiny compared to Owen and Teague, her confidence in front of them was certainly brave. I really liked Teague's growth throughout the book - how he went from an alcoholic who could hardly ever think straight, to a guy that was recovering his strength, and with the help of Cailin he was finally learning how to get his life back. Nevertheless, at the beginning I did feel as if the friendship between Teague and Cailin was very strange and rushed, so it didn't feel natural.
Lots of people commended this book on the world-building in it, but I actually felt that it could have been improved upon. Although we knew very well about the Portune, I still felt like that information wasn't given via the characters themselves, and it was told rather than shown, ultimately.
The writing style was very good. It wasn't a flowery writing style (though I like those too!), it was more fast-paced. The movement of this story was good and I wanted to keep reading the whole way through!
Going back to the untied knots; I'm pretty sure that C E Wilson will be writing a sequel to this book, because there was an epilogue that hinted bad things coming, and also there was a lot left at the end, like what happened to Sariel? What would happen to Nolkrin - would he get his fifty years back? How could Cailin possibly stay with Teague forever? There's lots of questions I want to find out the answer to, so I'll be looking forward to the next book.
Overall, Oath of Servitude was a wonderful read! 4 / 5 stars.
November 2, 2012
Read other book reviews at Book Junkie Joint.
A spell-binding read about finding solace amidst adversity and love in the most unlikely of places.
I give it a 4.5/5 rating but rounded it up to 5.
I gave this story a nearly perfect rating because it deserves high praises. The storytelling is compelling, the characters have depth, and the story teaches us that admitting weakness and fear is not, in anyway, a sign of cowardice.
Personally, I've read stories about fae and fairies before, but this is the first time that I've ever read a story about pixies, or in the Oath of Servitude - pixi.
Unlike most fantasy stories which are premised on the main character fighting off the bad guys to save the world (and get the girl), Oath of Servitude focuses more on the effects of a past wrong done by the female lead character's mother (which by the way, was left vague throughout the whole book), and of course, on the blooming love between two very unlikely individuals.
For me, the best part of this story are the two main characters - Cailin and Teague. While both characters have their personal flaws, they slowly brought out the good in each other as the story progressed.
For Cailin, I was kind of annoyed with her during the first chapter when she was questioning her father's decision because she sounded like a whiny brat. However, as the story progressed, she grew and became this courageous and spunky woman who was not scared to admit her shortcomings.
As for Teague, well, he suffered mental and emotional anguish because of an unexpected accident, hence, he was introduced as a very scarred and troubled young man during the beginning. I think the author successfully described Teague's state of mental anguish in the story.
As for the reason why this story didn't get a perfect rating, well, I thought that the romance between Cailin and Teague was a little bit rushed. I would have preferred it if it was given more time. Also, I felt weird during the part where Teague decided to get out of his usual drunk state just because a female was staying with them. I personally thought it would take a little bit more coaxing for him to snap out of it, or if not coaxing, maybe a metaphorical kick and some spunky words from Cailin herself.
The things I pointed out which seemed weird to me were simply minor things compared to the totality of the novel taken as a whole. The whole story was a pure delight! I loved it. It made me squeal and smile, and worry for the characters. I highly recommend it for fans of young adult, fantasy novels!
A spell-binding read about finding solace amidst adversity and love in the most unlikely of places.
I give it a 4.5/5 rating but rounded it up to 5.
I gave this story a nearly perfect rating because it deserves high praises. The storytelling is compelling, the characters have depth, and the story teaches us that admitting weakness and fear is not, in anyway, a sign of cowardice.
Personally, I've read stories about fae and fairies before, but this is the first time that I've ever read a story about pixies, or in the Oath of Servitude - pixi.
Unlike most fantasy stories which are premised on the main character fighting off the bad guys to save the world (and get the girl), Oath of Servitude focuses more on the effects of a past wrong done by the female lead character's mother (which by the way, was left vague throughout the whole book), and of course, on the blooming love between two very unlikely individuals.
For me, the best part of this story are the two main characters - Cailin and Teague. While both characters have their personal flaws, they slowly brought out the good in each other as the story progressed.
For Cailin, I was kind of annoyed with her during the first chapter when she was questioning her father's decision because she sounded like a whiny brat. However, as the story progressed, she grew and became this courageous and spunky woman who was not scared to admit her shortcomings.
As for Teague, well, he suffered mental and emotional anguish because of an unexpected accident, hence, he was introduced as a very scarred and troubled young man during the beginning. I think the author successfully described Teague's state of mental anguish in the story.
As for the reason why this story didn't get a perfect rating, well, I thought that the romance between Cailin and Teague was a little bit rushed. I would have preferred it if it was given more time. Also, I felt weird during the part where Teague decided to get out of his usual drunk state just because a female was staying with them. I personally thought it would take a little bit more coaxing for him to snap out of it, or if not coaxing, maybe a metaphorical kick and some spunky words from Cailin herself.
The things I pointed out which seemed weird to me were simply minor things compared to the totality of the novel taken as a whole. The whole story was a pure delight! I loved it. It made me squeal and smile, and worry for the characters. I highly recommend it for fans of young adult, fantasy novels!
November 25, 2012
~3.5~
The Oath of Servitude was a whimsical story with a beautiful mix of family, love, loss, secrets & betrayal.
C.E.'s Debut novel is a unique & quite bitter sweet tale of a Pixie Callin with far too much confidence & Teauge a human with far too little.
"It's remarkable to think that you and Teague can only grow further apart with time. A human life span is but the blink of an eye for a true pixi. We open and close again before those around us, those we love, can ever really come to understand who we truly are." - Owen to Callin.
I Loved the story it's was so sweet & sincere, but I at times I felt like I was some how left out of the loop, it left me with utter confusion & a desperate want to know more, to understand more.
the narration seemed simple when I needed detailed and Detailed when I needed simple, which was the result of the 3.5 instead of 4 star rating.
"He knew that there were two truths about a last resort: everyone has one and no one wants to use it." - Owen.
I was quite shocked that C.E. could make such an odd story work so well it was really beautiful and I so enjoyed reading it.
"Come on, I can't see anything. Let the blind man get an idea of what you look like.” He laughed. "Hell, I sound like a perverted old guy at a retirement home. I don't mean it like that though." Teauge to Callin.
I was near tears on more then one occasion and I also giggled like mad on others.
Would I recommend it? Yes
Would I read the Sequel? Yes..... I really need a ending, I don't want sound too much like mick jaguar but....
... I Ain't Get No Satisfaction out of this Ending!
Read this Review & others on my website Vist Lace Vintage Book Reviews
The Oath of Servitude was a whimsical story with a beautiful mix of family, love, loss, secrets & betrayal.
C.E.'s Debut novel is a unique & quite bitter sweet tale of a Pixie Callin with far too much confidence & Teauge a human with far too little.
"It's remarkable to think that you and Teague can only grow further apart with time. A human life span is but the blink of an eye for a true pixi. We open and close again before those around us, those we love, can ever really come to understand who we truly are." - Owen to Callin.
I Loved the story it's was so sweet & sincere, but I at times I felt like I was some how left out of the loop, it left me with utter confusion & a desperate want to know more, to understand more.
the narration seemed simple when I needed detailed and Detailed when I needed simple, which was the result of the 3.5 instead of 4 star rating.
"He knew that there were two truths about a last resort: everyone has one and no one wants to use it." - Owen.
I was quite shocked that C.E. could make such an odd story work so well it was really beautiful and I so enjoyed reading it.
"Come on, I can't see anything. Let the blind man get an idea of what you look like.” He laughed. "Hell, I sound like a perverted old guy at a retirement home. I don't mean it like that though." Teauge to Callin.
I was near tears on more then one occasion and I also giggled like mad on others.
Would I recommend it? Yes
Would I read the Sequel? Yes..... I really need a ending, I don't want sound too much like mick jaguar but....
... I Ain't Get No Satisfaction out of this Ending!
Read this Review & others on my website Vist Lace Vintage Book Reviews
May 16, 2013
I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The title and cover of this book really drew me in. But because I don't normally read book summaries I was thinking that because of the cover that the book was either dystopian or steam punk, not sure why lol. I was wrong but in a good way. The story is about pixi's and from what I can gather "special humans". I loved the pixi idea because its new for me. I really enjoyed this book because of it. It has paranormal/ fantasy mixed in with some romance and a tn of mystery. C.E. Wilson lures you in but you definitely have to continue the series in order to learn all of the novels secrets. She doesn't give them up very easily, you have to work for them.
I love Cailin!!! I wish I had a pixi living with me! She is so spunky and loves a good argument. She is also very loyal to her family. She doesn't want to serve the oath of her father to the humans, but she does it to keep her family safe. I think it was the best option for her. I do feel really bad for her because everything is such a secret, not fair to the girls at all. Owen is another baffling character. He is built into the mystery of the story and I can't wait to solve it. I think that everything revolves around Cailin's mother and I want to know why. Teague is another story all together. He is so broken and I'm really hoping that Cailin can help out him back together. And everything is so damn mysterious, I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON!!!
Obviously I will be continuing with this series. I need to get all of the answers that I am searching for. I would recommend this book to fantasy and paranormal lovers. Also to romantics and those who love mysteries. Can't wait for the next book!!!
The title and cover of this book really drew me in. But because I don't normally read book summaries I was thinking that because of the cover that the book was either dystopian or steam punk, not sure why lol. I was wrong but in a good way. The story is about pixi's and from what I can gather "special humans". I loved the pixi idea because its new for me. I really enjoyed this book because of it. It has paranormal/ fantasy mixed in with some romance and a tn of mystery. C.E. Wilson lures you in but you definitely have to continue the series in order to learn all of the novels secrets. She doesn't give them up very easily, you have to work for them.
I love Cailin!!! I wish I had a pixi living with me! She is so spunky and loves a good argument. She is also very loyal to her family. She doesn't want to serve the oath of her father to the humans, but she does it to keep her family safe. I think it was the best option for her. I do feel really bad for her because everything is such a secret, not fair to the girls at all. Owen is another baffling character. He is built into the mystery of the story and I can't wait to solve it. I think that everything revolves around Cailin's mother and I want to know why. Teague is another story all together. He is so broken and I'm really hoping that Cailin can help out him back together. And everything is so damn mysterious, I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON!!!
Obviously I will be continuing with this series. I need to get all of the answers that I am searching for. I would recommend this book to fantasy and paranormal lovers. Also to romantics and those who love mysteries. Can't wait for the next book!!!
March 30, 2017
The plot of the book was very interesting and it got my attention from the first chapter. I liked how Teague and Cailin had different situations they each had to deal with and how the result was kind of similar since they were both marginalized. Teague by his own doing, after he had a tragic accident, and Cailin by her pixie clan. I also felt that if the book didn't have the fantasy elements, it would easily read as a contemporary romance book.
Teague and Cailin's interactions were entertaining and cute. I loved them so much I couldn't wait for their next scene. However, it did feel a little too much like insta-love. In this case, I let it go because I took into consideration that they were together almost 24/7 and that made it a bit more plausible.
I liked the air of mystery surrounding Teague's family and it had me wondering what was what when it came to them until the very end. I did wish more was more revealed about this in this book. And I also wanted a little more from Teague's PoV.
Although, I did like the book because of the plot and main characters, I have to mention there were awkward transitions between chapters and point of views, and pronoun confusion in some occasions.
Basically, the book is a quick read with a good plot that keeps you guessing. I think with a revision to fix some things, it will be even better. I will definitely be on the look out for book number two.
Thanks to C.E. Wilson for providing me with a copy of her book. I really enjoyed it.
Teague and Cailin's interactions were entertaining and cute. I loved them so much I couldn't wait for their next scene. However, it did feel a little too much like insta-love. In this case, I let it go because I took into consideration that they were together almost 24/7 and that made it a bit more plausible.
I liked the air of mystery surrounding Teague's family and it had me wondering what was what when it came to them until the very end. I did wish more was more revealed about this in this book. And I also wanted a little more from Teague's PoV.
Although, I did like the book because of the plot and main characters, I have to mention there were awkward transitions between chapters and point of views, and pronoun confusion in some occasions.
Basically, the book is a quick read with a good plot that keeps you guessing. I think with a revision to fix some things, it will be even better. I will definitely be on the look out for book number two.
Thanks to C.E. Wilson for providing me with a copy of her book. I really enjoyed it.
March 10, 2013
I got an e-book copy of Oath of Servitude (The Punishment Sequence)by C.E. Wilson for review via a Goodreads.com group. I Loved this book. When I first read the book information I thought it sounded very interesting and had to read it. I will say it was very original and one of the best books I've read in a while. The characters are very well developed and the story is very intriguing.
You first meet Owen, a father who is living with his son, Teague who had an accident playing baseball causing blindness and has recently spent all of his time drinking to "get through life" . Owen wants him to get better, all Teague seems to do is drink and sleep. He would do anything to help, even call in a favor from a Pixi friend.
Cailin is a "rebel" Pixi who has been sent to live with Teague and Owen as a punishment instead of the usual pixi punishment of going to the Darkness. I loved the two main characters Teague & Cailin. They fought and teased eachother, but really behind all that were 2 beings that started to feel things for each other. When Cailin finds out that her sister may be sent to the Darkness, Cailin wants to break her oath to try and help her, which could cause more harm than anything....
Great book, I loved it. I am so getting the next book and cannot wait for it to be out !!!
You first meet Owen, a father who is living with his son, Teague who had an accident playing baseball causing blindness and has recently spent all of his time drinking to "get through life" . Owen wants him to get better, all Teague seems to do is drink and sleep. He would do anything to help, even call in a favor from a Pixi friend.
Cailin is a "rebel" Pixi who has been sent to live with Teague and Owen as a punishment instead of the usual pixi punishment of going to the Darkness. I loved the two main characters Teague & Cailin. They fought and teased eachother, but really behind all that were 2 beings that started to feel things for each other. When Cailin finds out that her sister may be sent to the Darkness, Cailin wants to break her oath to try and help her, which could cause more harm than anything....
Great book, I loved it. I am so getting the next book and cannot wait for it to be out !!!
May 28, 2014
This review is for the Kindle edition ebook.
Wonderful story of two different cultures learning about each other.
Cailin is a pixie learning how serious her clan is about keeping secrets. Teague is a young athlete that was injured and is now full of anger. They must now learn to trust each other, and even help each other.
The author has chosen to allow two young adults to be represented much as they really are in real life. The situations they find themselves in force them to learn the realities of different cultures and races, and shows how they can learn to live together. I was pleased that the author did not avoid the fear and anxiety that do play a part when someone does not conform to society's standards.
Whether C.E. Wilson wrote this story to entertain or to allow the reader to believe that different people can live and function together, it worked. I choose to believe that it will help the reader imagine life when everyone is able to accept others even if they do not conform to what the reader was taught is normal.
This is a great story for young adults. It is also very good for those who enjoy fantasy with a bit of magic. I will be reading the next book of this series, as well as other books by this author.
Wonderful story of two different cultures learning about each other.
Cailin is a pixie learning how serious her clan is about keeping secrets. Teague is a young athlete that was injured and is now full of anger. They must now learn to trust each other, and even help each other.
The author has chosen to allow two young adults to be represented much as they really are in real life. The situations they find themselves in force them to learn the realities of different cultures and races, and shows how they can learn to live together. I was pleased that the author did not avoid the fear and anxiety that do play a part when someone does not conform to society's standards.
Whether C.E. Wilson wrote this story to entertain or to allow the reader to believe that different people can live and function together, it worked. I choose to believe that it will help the reader imagine life when everyone is able to accept others even if they do not conform to what the reader was taught is normal.
This is a great story for young adults. It is also very good for those who enjoy fantasy with a bit of magic. I will be reading the next book of this series, as well as other books by this author.
January 24, 2013
This was such a cool book! Seriously! And very very original. There better be a sequel to this!
This story is about a pixi and a human. Cailin and Teague (I think that's how it's spelled). At first I had my doubts. I thought a story about pixies would be childish, but it's not. It's really not. I love the characters. I love how different Cailin is from the others of her clan. She really is a cool person. Teague has gone through a lot and he's kind of a douchebag at the beginning, but that changes because of Cailin. Their growing friendship was really cute. The entire story was. Cool and cute at the same time. And I still don't know what Teague and Owen really are. So, I'll be waiting for the sequel.
The writing is also really good. I couldn't put this book down and that's not an easy thing to accomplish with me. So thumbs up C.E. Wilson!
Oh and I really love the cover! The girl really looks like a pixie and what I imagine Cailin would look like! :D
If you love these kind of stories, I would definitely recommend it, because you'll probably love this one. If you don't, you should give it a shot anyway.
This story is about a pixi and a human. Cailin and Teague (I think that's how it's spelled). At first I had my doubts. I thought a story about pixies would be childish, but it's not. It's really not. I love the characters. I love how different Cailin is from the others of her clan. She really is a cool person. Teague has gone through a lot and he's kind of a douchebag at the beginning, but that changes because of Cailin. Their growing friendship was really cute. The entire story was. Cool and cute at the same time. And I still don't know what Teague and Owen really are. So, I'll be waiting for the sequel.
The writing is also really good. I couldn't put this book down and that's not an easy thing to accomplish with me. So thumbs up C.E. Wilson!
Oh and I really love the cover! The girl really looks like a pixie and what I imagine Cailin would look like! :D
If you love these kind of stories, I would definitely recommend it, because you'll probably love this one. If you don't, you should give it a shot anyway.
July 8, 2013
Cailin is a pixie and asks a lot of questions and refuses to conform to the regime of her people. Instead of being sent to the darkness like most rebellious pixies, she is sent to live with humans, Owen and Teague. Teague loves baseball, but after an accident, he turns his anger and pain toward alcohol. Two people who have the most unlikely chance for a relationship, she's just a foot tall and he's over six feet. But somehow, Wilson makes it work. In fact, together, they may be able to save one another, but nothing is ever that easy.
Oath of Servitude has a great premise and remarkable, interesting characters. The mixture of humans and pixies is one I found to be intriguing. I enjoyed seeing their interaction and seeing how the relationship between Teague and Cailin bloomed. There are plot twists and although not a cliffhanger ending, it leaves off waiting for the next book, Permanent Shadows, to pick up when it's released. If you enjoy fantasy, definitely pick this one up!
Oath of Servitude has a great premise and remarkable, interesting characters. The mixture of humans and pixies is one I found to be intriguing. I enjoyed seeing their interaction and seeing how the relationship between Teague and Cailin bloomed. There are plot twists and although not a cliffhanger ending, it leaves off waiting for the next book, Permanent Shadows, to pick up when it's released. If you enjoy fantasy, definitely pick this one up!
March 2, 2013
Hmm... Interesting..... Review to come
June 15, 2013
For my book review please click the link below! It's amazing, just like this book! :)
http://shootingstarsandpixiedust.word...
http://shootingstarsandpixiedust.word...
February 24, 2016
Check out my original review on my blog: Readiculously Peachy
My review:
** Disclaimer: I was privileged to receive a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review **
Wow! Its been actually a while since I read this wonderful book, but unfortunately due to my needed hiatus I never came around to actually publish this review on my blog! Hereby a big apology to the author and I hope you can forgive me for my tardiness!
Now let's get started on the review!
The Oath of Servitude had a very interesting plot and and contained very unusual characters, Pixi's and 'giants' to be exact. I don't think I have ever read a book like it. When I was first introduced to this book by the author, I was informed it was a story about a pixi and a human (aka the giant) who's lives were intertwined through fate. I wasn't too sure about the nature of the characters, but the story itself was what pulled me in to give this book a chance. And I'm happy that I did! The story was unique and refreshing from other books which seem to tell the similar kind of story over and over again.
There are many likable aspects of this book and there are also certain things which were not as convincing for me, which unfortunately led me to not rate this book a full 5/5 star rating. Nonetheless, this book still deserves a good review, so as always, let's go over the points!
At first I was not sure what to think about the main characters. I have never read a story about a relationship between a small pixie and a human being. I was unsure how their relationship would work and how any romance or affection could exist, but C.E. Wilson convincingly made it work.
Cailin is a very outgoing, brave and unique pixi. She wants to stand out from her society by painting her hair dark red, wearing heavy makeup, and wearing clothes which in her society are frowned upon. She has interests in humans and talks about them whereas her society prefers to keep this as a taboo. Unfortunately, due to her braveness, and perhaps ignorance, in talking so openly about her society's greatest taboo, she got her self in quite some trouble, trouble for which she will have to pay for. Instead of being put in the Darkness, which is every pixi's greatest fear, she is punished by being sent away to a human family who needs her help desperately.
Cailin is reluctant to help a human boy who needs her help more than he knows himself, and she eventually finds herself caring for this boy and faces twisting decisions in her life which she never thought she would have to face.
I loved Cailin, she is a very spunky, stubborn, carefree, character. Her curiosity and brave quality gets her in trouble but she is willing to face any consequences which may protect those who she loves the most. Even though the story is as fiction as can be, if this were really to happen to a pixie like Cailin and a human like Teague, I would genuinely believe that the story would play out as it did in the book.
Teague, the human boy, seemed to be quite the opposite of Cailin. He drank his miseries and traumas away, blaming everyone for the cause of it. His father purposely moved him away from his old life to help him forget about what happened to him, but it seemed that there was nothing the father could do to save his son. Hence, he called upon an old pixi friend who still owed him a favor. And there came Cailin, the small but strong pixi.
I found it very realistic how a pixi like Cailin was the only thing capable of helping Teague out of his misery. Even though she did not realize it herself, the way she interacted with Teague which was often very humorous, actually helped Teague crawl out of his misery pit and alcoholic habits. Many readers wondered how the dad, who knew him all his life, could not help him but some pixi could. I truly believe that sometimes something out of the ordinary needs to happen for us to change our ways of doing, and this is exactly what happened to Teague.
The plot was refreshing and unique. Once a day passed in the book I was sifting through the pages just to find out what would happen next. This unfortunately led to my personal slight disappointment of the book as not much really happened throughout the plot. Mainly the story took place in Teague's house where Cailin and Teague had their brief interactions. The story also shifted to the pixi world, where Cailin's sibling was desperate to save Cailin out of her Oath of Servitude to the humans.
It was not until later in the book that a major twist occurred which shifted the slow paced plot into a sharp turn. I was hoping there would be more of these eventful twists, however this did not occur. The book however did focus a lot on the background of the characters, which was really magical and entertaining to read. I could understand that C.E. Wilson chose this has the focus point of the first book. I believe this story has so much potential, and I am sure C.E. Wilson will develop the story with more adventures in her second book.
I look forward to the sequel and to what will happen next now that Cailin is forced to continue serve her oath to Teague!
My review:
** Disclaimer: I was privileged to receive a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review **
Wow! Its been actually a while since I read this wonderful book, but unfortunately due to my needed hiatus I never came around to actually publish this review on my blog! Hereby a big apology to the author and I hope you can forgive me for my tardiness!
Now let's get started on the review!
The Oath of Servitude had a very interesting plot and and contained very unusual characters, Pixi's and 'giants' to be exact. I don't think I have ever read a book like it. When I was first introduced to this book by the author, I was informed it was a story about a pixi and a human (aka the giant) who's lives were intertwined through fate. I wasn't too sure about the nature of the characters, but the story itself was what pulled me in to give this book a chance. And I'm happy that I did! The story was unique and refreshing from other books which seem to tell the similar kind of story over and over again.
There are many likable aspects of this book and there are also certain things which were not as convincing for me, which unfortunately led me to not rate this book a full 5/5 star rating. Nonetheless, this book still deserves a good review, so as always, let's go over the points!
At first I was not sure what to think about the main characters. I have never read a story about a relationship between a small pixie and a human being. I was unsure how their relationship would work and how any romance or affection could exist, but C.E. Wilson convincingly made it work.
Cailin is a very outgoing, brave and unique pixi. She wants to stand out from her society by painting her hair dark red, wearing heavy makeup, and wearing clothes which in her society are frowned upon. She has interests in humans and talks about them whereas her society prefers to keep this as a taboo. Unfortunately, due to her braveness, and perhaps ignorance, in talking so openly about her society's greatest taboo, she got her self in quite some trouble, trouble for which she will have to pay for. Instead of being put in the Darkness, which is every pixi's greatest fear, she is punished by being sent away to a human family who needs her help desperately.
Cailin is reluctant to help a human boy who needs her help more than he knows himself, and she eventually finds herself caring for this boy and faces twisting decisions in her life which she never thought she would have to face.
I loved Cailin, she is a very spunky, stubborn, carefree, character. Her curiosity and brave quality gets her in trouble but she is willing to face any consequences which may protect those who she loves the most. Even though the story is as fiction as can be, if this were really to happen to a pixie like Cailin and a human like Teague, I would genuinely believe that the story would play out as it did in the book.
Teague, the human boy, seemed to be quite the opposite of Cailin. He drank his miseries and traumas away, blaming everyone for the cause of it. His father purposely moved him away from his old life to help him forget about what happened to him, but it seemed that there was nothing the father could do to save his son. Hence, he called upon an old pixi friend who still owed him a favor. And there came Cailin, the small but strong pixi.
I found it very realistic how a pixi like Cailin was the only thing capable of helping Teague out of his misery. Even though she did not realize it herself, the way she interacted with Teague which was often very humorous, actually helped Teague crawl out of his misery pit and alcoholic habits. Many readers wondered how the dad, who knew him all his life, could not help him but some pixi could. I truly believe that sometimes something out of the ordinary needs to happen for us to change our ways of doing, and this is exactly what happened to Teague.
The plot was refreshing and unique. Once a day passed in the book I was sifting through the pages just to find out what would happen next. This unfortunately led to my personal slight disappointment of the book as not much really happened throughout the plot. Mainly the story took place in Teague's house where Cailin and Teague had their brief interactions. The story also shifted to the pixi world, where Cailin's sibling was desperate to save Cailin out of her Oath of Servitude to the humans.
It was not until later in the book that a major twist occurred which shifted the slow paced plot into a sharp turn. I was hoping there would be more of these eventful twists, however this did not occur. The book however did focus a lot on the background of the characters, which was really magical and entertaining to read. I could understand that C.E. Wilson chose this has the focus point of the first book. I believe this story has so much potential, and I am sure C.E. Wilson will develop the story with more adventures in her second book.
I look forward to the sequel and to what will happen next now that Cailin is forced to continue serve her oath to Teague!
November 17, 2012
First of all I would like to thank the author for giving me a copy of this book! Thanks C.E, it was AWESOME!!
Dang, talk about Pixi’s being cooler than I actually thought. This book was awesome by my standards. The writing isn’t really in my comfort zone but it was entertaining to read. The characters were very realistic and lovable. Mostly, the whole plot was perfect for my taste.
It was about Cailin and Teague. Cailin as a young pixi is sentenced to live for a year in the house of monsters aka humans. Furthermore, she is puzzled to why her father would trust her safety with the human she would be living with named Owen. How could her father trust these humans? Meanwhile, Teague—who lost his sight due to an accident—is deeply depressed. Relying on alcohol to escape his horrific reality how can will react with Cailin being a pixi? How did the past of Cailin’s family affect her interaction with Owen and Teague?
From the moment I read the blurb on Goodreads, I know that I would easily like it. It was in my most favorite genre. Even though I’ve been reading a lot of contemporary novels, I couldn’t pass on reading something like this. I loved it because it was very interesting and unique. I’ve encountered novels about vampires, werewolves, faeries and ghosts, etcetera, etcetera. But it’s my first time reading about pixi’s.
I had to admit that I was skeptical about reading it, my first imagination of the characters are like Tinkerbell (not that I don’t like Tinkerbell, she was one of the most sassiest girls in Disney). A small person with a certain glow, talks like bells and has wings. Pixi’s in the book were like that, but not entirely. They are small, but they don’t glow. They also have wings, but at least they can speak English :D
The whole clan thing with the Pixi’s were my thing. I love drama, especially if they’re in a pack, tribe or clan. It gives you an idea of another world. I love the creative classification of different Pixi’s. They’re pixi’s that are higher-ups, and there’s even a executioner type of pixi. I loved that. It made me so engrossed with the story, its like I’m in another world.
Other than the plot, I loved the characters as well. Some characters were just an okay for me. Decla and Rinoa are not really my most favorite characters. I don’t love them that much, but they’re not really memorable for me to pass the line of “liked” characters. Nolkrin was very moving, his love for his daughters were just heartwarming. Owen is easy to like, at first I was really irritated by his decision of allowing Teague to drink (Really? What kind of parent will allow that?) but then, I saw that he just cares (in his own parent way), so he’s a thumbs up.
Sariel was just the great awesomeness. I never imagined he would do that ‘cuz he’s the son of the bad guy. He isn’t really featured much in the story, but I am so excited of what he will do when the story is continued.
Teague was really awesome when he’s not drunk or pissed off. He’s actually the kind of guy I would like to hang out with. I loved his sense of humor and compassionate nature. He acts like he doesn’t care, but he does. He is very conscious of himself if he hurts someone (especially Cailin). I loved his vulnerability too, Just shows that (in my theory) men make it look like they don’t need comfort, but honestly they just like to hear you encourage them. His blind state also made his relationship with Cailin a bit complicated but exciting. He kept wondering what Cailin looks like, and because of not being able to “see” her, he liked her because of her personality and her nature. It made their relationship deeper and much more significant.
Cailin was cool, awesomeness and charmer all rolled into one. I really like her appearance, a bit punk-ish but soft at the same time. Her unique fashion sense was another reason why I liked her. But other than her appearance, I loved her fierce personality, and deep love for her family. She would give anything up to make sure that her family would be safe, and he would fight for her family. I can’t wait to find out what would happen to her in the next sequel.
WHY I WOULD RECOMMEND IT:
I didn’t give five stars ‘cuz the author gave a copy. The book deserved the stars by its own rights. Its unique, has good writing and characters. I would gladly recommend it to everyone who would appreciate a unique story with memorable characters.
Can also be found in my blog @: Jules Bookshelf
Dang, talk about Pixi’s being cooler than I actually thought. This book was awesome by my standards. The writing isn’t really in my comfort zone but it was entertaining to read. The characters were very realistic and lovable. Mostly, the whole plot was perfect for my taste.
It was about Cailin and Teague. Cailin as a young pixi is sentenced to live for a year in the house of monsters aka humans. Furthermore, she is puzzled to why her father would trust her safety with the human she would be living with named Owen. How could her father trust these humans? Meanwhile, Teague—who lost his sight due to an accident—is deeply depressed. Relying on alcohol to escape his horrific reality how can will react with Cailin being a pixi? How did the past of Cailin’s family affect her interaction with Owen and Teague?
From the moment I read the blurb on Goodreads, I know that I would easily like it. It was in my most favorite genre. Even though I’ve been reading a lot of contemporary novels, I couldn’t pass on reading something like this. I loved it because it was very interesting and unique. I’ve encountered novels about vampires, werewolves, faeries and ghosts, etcetera, etcetera. But it’s my first time reading about pixi’s.
I had to admit that I was skeptical about reading it, my first imagination of the characters are like Tinkerbell (not that I don’t like Tinkerbell, she was one of the most sassiest girls in Disney). A small person with a certain glow, talks like bells and has wings. Pixi’s in the book were like that, but not entirely. They are small, but they don’t glow. They also have wings, but at least they can speak English :D
The whole clan thing with the Pixi’s were my thing. I love drama, especially if they’re in a pack, tribe or clan. It gives you an idea of another world. I love the creative classification of different Pixi’s. They’re pixi’s that are higher-ups, and there’s even a executioner type of pixi. I loved that. It made me so engrossed with the story, its like I’m in another world.
Other than the plot, I loved the characters as well. Some characters were just an okay for me. Decla and Rinoa are not really my most favorite characters. I don’t love them that much, but they’re not really memorable for me to pass the line of “liked” characters. Nolkrin was very moving, his love for his daughters were just heartwarming. Owen is easy to like, at first I was really irritated by his decision of allowing Teague to drink (Really? What kind of parent will allow that?) but then, I saw that he just cares (in his own parent way), so he’s a thumbs up.
Sariel was just the great awesomeness. I never imagined he would do that ‘cuz he’s the son of the bad guy. He isn’t really featured much in the story, but I am so excited of what he will do when the story is continued.
Teague was really awesome when he’s not drunk or pissed off. He’s actually the kind of guy I would like to hang out with. I loved his sense of humor and compassionate nature. He acts like he doesn’t care, but he does. He is very conscious of himself if he hurts someone (especially Cailin). I loved his vulnerability too, Just shows that (in my theory) men make it look like they don’t need comfort, but honestly they just like to hear you encourage them. His blind state also made his relationship with Cailin a bit complicated but exciting. He kept wondering what Cailin looks like, and because of not being able to “see” her, he liked her because of her personality and her nature. It made their relationship deeper and much more significant.
Cailin was cool, awesomeness and charmer all rolled into one. I really like her appearance, a bit punk-ish but soft at the same time. Her unique fashion sense was another reason why I liked her. But other than her appearance, I loved her fierce personality, and deep love for her family. She would give anything up to make sure that her family would be safe, and he would fight for her family. I can’t wait to find out what would happen to her in the next sequel.
WHY I WOULD RECOMMEND IT:
I didn’t give five stars ‘cuz the author gave a copy. The book deserved the stars by its own rights. Its unique, has good writing and characters. I would gladly recommend it to everyone who would appreciate a unique story with memorable characters.
Can also be found in my blog @: Jules Bookshelf
October 24, 2013
So I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review..... and I want to thank C.E. Wilson for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the process. I give this book 3 and a 1/2 stars honestly, but I am unsure of how to do that..... do I give 3 stars or round it to 4? So, I rounded it up to 4 stars ..... unsure of which way to go. OK.... the first thing I have to mention is that C.E. Wilson has a very beautiful writing style..... very clean and easy to follow and the editing was great! I really did not notice typos and such..... So all in all, the book was nicely written and nicely edited! I will say that I thought at times the story may have moved a bit slow for me..... and really did not get to the "good" part until the last 40% of the book. I actually re read the ending of the book last night and have decided that I would really like to read the sequel because I have so many questions that I want to know the answers to..... I really want to see where the author goes with it. I believe in many book series..... or trilogies..... that there is usually one book that is slower than the others.... so I am really thinking the next book is going to be packed with the answers to my questions (or a lot of them anyway :)) and in turn move along at a pace that will make it hard for me to tear myself away from it. My only other issue with the story was that I had a hard time with the love story of the book. I am all about the romance of any story. The romance or the build up of a love story is typically what draws me in and keeps me there. What can I say, I am sucker for romance. OK.... so that is where I run into an issue with this love story.....Cailin is a pixi and Teague is a human. Cailin is 12 inches tall..... which is abnormally large for a pixi. Most of her pixi clan are more like 6 inches tall. BUT..... having said that, it is hard for me to wrap my head around her falling for a full grown young man. Or vice versa.... keep in mind Teague is blind due to an accident that happened before he ever met Cailin.... so he is not able to see her and does not know that she is a pixi until the story kicks in to the "good part" (around the middle of the book). I do know that at one point in the book it was mentioned, I believe that a pixi could somehow become human sized??? Do not hold me to it.... but I am pretty sure that was quickly mentioned which is why I believe maybe that problem will be solved eventually.....? Not sure.... that is why I will have to read the sequel. Still the idea is unique and interesting..... again I have to state that the book is well written and nicely edited and has serious potential to be amazing... I just need a little more to keep me involved. I need a little more action and I need to somehow believe that this love story can truly come to fruition because at this point that is hard for me. I actually found myself liking Sariel..... the evil pixi Lennox's son who is in love with Cailin. He tries to protect her from his fathers wrath, and then there was their little steamy kissing session in the woods near the end of the book where Sariel tells Cailin how he feels for her and she promises herself to him, kind of caught up in the moment..... but unfortunately for him, I believe her heart is already Teague's. Sorry I did not give a blurb of the book.... you can read that here on Goodreads, I just wanted to give my opinion of it. It is a clean, straightforward, delightfully different read, that was a little slow and hard for me to get into at times because of the love story situation........ BUT it leaves you with a promising future.... because I do believe this story can really go somewhere wonderful! Very imaginative and creative! That is always refreshing. Thank you C.E. Wilson!!!
Read
July 30, 2013Note: We were given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Natalie: Today we're going to try still reviewing the book conversationally, but not spoiling anything. Tell us what you think. Hannah, what did you think of the book?
Hannah: This book had a very interesting concept. I really like fantasy books, so I was excited to read a book about pixis.
Natalie: The concept was very original, which I liked.
Hannah: I also liked the humor in Cailin and Teague's exchanges.
Natalie: I liked the way the story was told from many different characters' points of view.
Hannah: Yeah, it was cool how you still could learn about the pixi-world even after the main character had left it.
Natalie: So this was the first book that I've read that was not on paper.
Hannah: And that is the last book I will ever read not made of paper. I can't stand not holding an actual book. (By the way, neither of us have e-readers, so we read this book on computers.) It is just not the same.
Natalie: This was also the first self-published book I've ever read, so I don't have anything else to compare it to, but in my opinion, this book could have used more editing. I know it probably takes a lot of work to self publish, and it's awesome that the author did that, but there were some grammatical, punctuation, and repetition errors that could have been easily fixed.
Hannah: I agree. Whenever I have to write a paper or something for school, I always have a friend look over it because they can always catch those little errors that I skip over because I'm still seeing what I thought I wrote. This book could have benefited from another set of eyes before it was published.
Natalie: Now onto the plot.
Hannah: I really enjoyed the initial plot of the-pixi-in-a-human-world. However, the pixi-politics plot just wasn't my favorite. The pixi government just seemed mean, and I didn't care for any of the politicians enough to get into that particular plotline. There was also a plotline about Cailin's sisters, a plotline about Owen and Nolkrin, a backstory for Owen, and the relationships between the pixis.
Natalie: I think there were too many plotlines being crammed into such a short novel. It was too much to keep straight, and it made it harder to get into the story.
Hannah's sister Emma said that this part won't spoil anything, but it does mention something that happens towards the end of the book. If you think that this might spoil the book for you, skip this part.
Hannah: I was confused by the love triangle at the end. It didn't make any sense to me.
Natalie: It was too out of the blue. You didn't know much about Cailin's relationships with the other pixis before going to the human world, so it was a random guy just proclaiming his love for Cailin.
Hannah: Love triangles have been overdone in lots of YA lately, so they really have to be good for me to get behind them, and, unfortunately, this one just didn't work for me.
Natalie: I thought it was really weird.
End sort-of spoilers.
Hannah: I thought this book had a very intriguing concept, but the execution could have been a bit better. There were funny moments and good characters, just a few too many of them.
Natalie: It was an interesting take on supernatural elements in a realistic setting, but there were too many plotlines and it wasn't as well-woven as it could have been.
Ratings:
Hannah: ✭✭
Natalie: ✭✭
Hannah: Now we're off to go feed a turtle named Lloyd.
Natalie: Yay!!!
See review at Hannah and Natalie's Infinite Bookshelf
Natalie: Today we're going to try still reviewing the book conversationally, but not spoiling anything. Tell us what you think. Hannah, what did you think of the book?
Hannah: This book had a very interesting concept. I really like fantasy books, so I was excited to read a book about pixis.
Natalie: The concept was very original, which I liked.
Hannah: I also liked the humor in Cailin and Teague's exchanges.
Natalie: I liked the way the story was told from many different characters' points of view.
Hannah: Yeah, it was cool how you still could learn about the pixi-world even after the main character had left it.
Natalie: So this was the first book that I've read that was not on paper.
Hannah: And that is the last book I will ever read not made of paper. I can't stand not holding an actual book. (By the way, neither of us have e-readers, so we read this book on computers.) It is just not the same.
Natalie: This was also the first self-published book I've ever read, so I don't have anything else to compare it to, but in my opinion, this book could have used more editing. I know it probably takes a lot of work to self publish, and it's awesome that the author did that, but there were some grammatical, punctuation, and repetition errors that could have been easily fixed.
Hannah: I agree. Whenever I have to write a paper or something for school, I always have a friend look over it because they can always catch those little errors that I skip over because I'm still seeing what I thought I wrote. This book could have benefited from another set of eyes before it was published.
Natalie: Now onto the plot.
Hannah: I really enjoyed the initial plot of the-pixi-in-a-human-world. However, the pixi-politics plot just wasn't my favorite. The pixi government just seemed mean, and I didn't care for any of the politicians enough to get into that particular plotline. There was also a plotline about Cailin's sisters, a plotline about Owen and Nolkrin, a backstory for Owen, and the relationships between the pixis.
Natalie: I think there were too many plotlines being crammed into such a short novel. It was too much to keep straight, and it made it harder to get into the story.
Hannah's sister Emma said that this part won't spoil anything, but it does mention something that happens towards the end of the book. If you think that this might spoil the book for you, skip this part.
Hannah: I was confused by the love triangle at the end. It didn't make any sense to me.
Natalie: It was too out of the blue. You didn't know much about Cailin's relationships with the other pixis before going to the human world, so it was a random guy just proclaiming his love for Cailin.
Hannah: Love triangles have been overdone in lots of YA lately, so they really have to be good for me to get behind them, and, unfortunately, this one just didn't work for me.
Natalie: I thought it was really weird.
End sort-of spoilers.
Hannah: I thought this book had a very intriguing concept, but the execution could have been a bit better. There were funny moments and good characters, just a few too many of them.
Natalie: It was an interesting take on supernatural elements in a realistic setting, but there were too many plotlines and it wasn't as well-woven as it could have been.
Ratings:
Hannah: ✭✭
Natalie: ✭✭
Hannah: Now we're off to go feed a turtle named Lloyd.
Natalie: Yay!!!
See review at Hannah and Natalie's Infinite Bookshelf
November 22, 2012
Disclaimer: A copy of the book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. This, however, did not influence my review in any way.
Okay, first off - the cover is beautiful. The model is very pretty and it does give me that fairy-ish vibe. I hope the next book will have the same model :)
I always have a soft spot for indie/self-published authors. I've once aspired to become a writer myself since I was in 6th grade, but alas, I've given up on that dream... that doesn't stop me though from supporting those who chase it and have reached it. If I'm not mistaken, this is C.E. Wilson's debut work (at least from what I can see in her Goodreads page), and I do have to say that I am impressed and was pleased to have read it.
I've read a lot of Paranormal books - werewolves, vampires, witches, angels, fairies, etc. - and not too long ago, I've come to the conclusion that it would be hard to find an original story in such a genre. Thankfully, C.E. Wilson has a creative imagination and was able to pull off a pleasurable story of a budding relationship between a rebellious pixie (Cailin) and a teenage boy who has met an untimely and tragic accident (Teague, which I think sounds pixie-like, too. Fufu.)
The novel isn't your ordinary, run-of-the-mill paranormal-girl-meet-boy kind of thing. It has a plot and a direction. From the very start, it already gives you a feeling that something big will happen. Yes, the escalation and chain of events started off slow, but it was steady, and I guess that's what I liked the most about it. The flow of the story didn't seem too fast and didn't feel forced upon the reader, making it an enjoyable ride. Characters were introduced well and had their own colorful personalities. Thankfully, nobody was dull and everyone was likeable (except for the antagonist, of course... although his obsession in... particular people... were quite amusing). In my opinion, the characters were the ones who made the novel delightful, as all their voices were distinct and were portrayed realistically, pixie or not.
There are two reasons why I didn't give this a 5 out of 5:
1.) I was disappointed that there was less exposure on Teague. I think he had the most interesting background out of all of the characters because he pretty much encompasses the fallen hero. He was at the prime of his youth, enjoying his life when one day it went all downhill and shit had hit the fan. I wished there was more narration on what he felt - I would have been interested to read what he was feeling and how he was coping with his handicap. He had the most room for character development, and I hope that we see more of this in the next book.
2.) The narration I felt was a bit scattered. It jumped all over the place. There have been several occasions where it would be talking about what the dad was feeling and reflecting and then would jump to what Cailin was feeling and reflecting. There is nothing bad about this - it is what you would call a style, but I'm someone who wants a more structured narration. If it's going to take about the dad's thoughts, it should stay that way throughout, not jump to another one's. It could talk about the other character's thoughts next in the succeeding part. That is just a detail, though, and not much of a deal.
All in all, it was an enjoyable read, and I thank the author for giving me a chance to read this. :)
Can be seen on The Social Potato
Okay, first off - the cover is beautiful. The model is very pretty and it does give me that fairy-ish vibe. I hope the next book will have the same model :)
I always have a soft spot for indie/self-published authors. I've once aspired to become a writer myself since I was in 6th grade, but alas, I've given up on that dream... that doesn't stop me though from supporting those who chase it and have reached it. If I'm not mistaken, this is C.E. Wilson's debut work (at least from what I can see in her Goodreads page), and I do have to say that I am impressed and was pleased to have read it.
I've read a lot of Paranormal books - werewolves, vampires, witches, angels, fairies, etc. - and not too long ago, I've come to the conclusion that it would be hard to find an original story in such a genre. Thankfully, C.E. Wilson has a creative imagination and was able to pull off a pleasurable story of a budding relationship between a rebellious pixie (Cailin) and a teenage boy who has met an untimely and tragic accident (Teague, which I think sounds pixie-like, too. Fufu.)
The novel isn't your ordinary, run-of-the-mill paranormal-girl-meet-boy kind of thing. It has a plot and a direction. From the very start, it already gives you a feeling that something big will happen. Yes, the escalation and chain of events started off slow, but it was steady, and I guess that's what I liked the most about it. The flow of the story didn't seem too fast and didn't feel forced upon the reader, making it an enjoyable ride. Characters were introduced well and had their own colorful personalities. Thankfully, nobody was dull and everyone was likeable (except for the antagonist, of course... although his obsession in... particular people... were quite amusing). In my opinion, the characters were the ones who made the novel delightful, as all their voices were distinct and were portrayed realistically, pixie or not.
There are two reasons why I didn't give this a 5 out of 5:
1.) I was disappointed that there was less exposure on Teague. I think he had the most interesting background out of all of the characters because he pretty much encompasses the fallen hero. He was at the prime of his youth, enjoying his life when one day it went all downhill and shit had hit the fan. I wished there was more narration on what he felt - I would have been interested to read what he was feeling and how he was coping with his handicap. He had the most room for character development, and I hope that we see more of this in the next book.
2.) The narration I felt was a bit scattered. It jumped all over the place. There have been several occasions where it would be talking about what the dad was feeling and reflecting and then would jump to what Cailin was feeling and reflecting. There is nothing bad about this - it is what you would call a style, but I'm someone who wants a more structured narration. If it's going to take about the dad's thoughts, it should stay that way throughout, not jump to another one's. It could talk about the other character's thoughts next in the succeeding part. That is just a detail, though, and not much of a deal.
All in all, it was an enjoyable read, and I thank the author for giving me a chance to read this. :)
Can be seen on The Social Potato
Read
July 26, 2013Note: We were given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Natalie: Today we're going to try still reviewing the book conversationally, but not spoiling anything. Tell us what you think. Hannah, what did you think of the book?
Hannah: This book had a very interesting concept. I really like fantasy books, so I was excited to read a book about pixis.
Natalie: The concept was very original, which I liked.
Hannah: I also liked the humor in Cailin and Teague's exchanges.
Natalie: I liked the way the story was told from many different characters' points of view.
Hannah: Yeah, it was cool how you still could learn about the pixi-world even after the main character had left it.
Natalie: So this was the first book that I've read that was not on paper.
Hannah: And that is the last book I will ever read not made of paper. I can't stand not holding an actual book. (By the way, neither of us have e-readers, so we read this book on computers.) It is just not the same.
Natalie: This was also the first self-published book I've ever read, so I don't have anything else to compare it to, but in my opinion, this book could have used more editing. I know it probably takes a lot of work to self publish, and it's awesome that the author did that, but there were some grammatical, punctuation, and repetition errors that could have been easily fixed.
Hannah: I agree. Whenever I have to write a paper or something for school, I always have a friend look over it because they can always catch those little errors that I skip over because I'm still seeing what I thought I wrote. This book could have benefited from another set of eyes before it was published.
Natalie: Now onto the plot.
Hannah: I really enjoyed the initial plot of the-pixi-in-a-human-world. However, the pixi-politics plot just wasn't my favorite. The pixi government just seemed mean, and I didn't care for any of the politicians enough to get into that particular plotline. There was also a plotline about Cailin's sisters, a plotline about Owen and Nolkrin, a backstory for Owen, and the relationships between the pixis.
Natalie: I think there were too many plotlines being crammed into such a short novel. It was too much to keep straight, and it made it harder to get into the story.
Hannah's sister Emma said that this part won't spoil anything, but it does mention something that happens towards the end of the book. If you think that this might spoil the book for you, skip this part.
Hannah: I was confused by the love triangle at the end. It didn't make any sense to me.
Natalie: It was too out of the blue. You didn't know much about Cailin's relationships with the other pixis before going to the human world, so it was a random guy just proclaiming his love for Cailin.
Hannah: Love triangles have been overdone in lots of YA lately, so they really have to be good for me to get behind them, and, unfortunately, this one just didn't work for me.
Natalie: I thought it was really weird.
End sort-of spoilers.
Hannah: I thought this book had a very intriguing concept, but the execution could have been a bit better. There were funny moments and good characters, just a few too many of them.
Natalie: It was an interesting take on supernatural elements in a realistic setting, but there were too many plotlines and it wasn't as well-woven as it could have been.
Ratings:
Hannah: ✭✭
Natalie: ✭✭
Hannah: Now we're off to go feed a turtle named Lloyd.
Natalie: Yay!!!
See review at http://www.hninfinitebookshelf.blogsp...
Natalie: Today we're going to try still reviewing the book conversationally, but not spoiling anything. Tell us what you think. Hannah, what did you think of the book?
Hannah: This book had a very interesting concept. I really like fantasy books, so I was excited to read a book about pixis.
Natalie: The concept was very original, which I liked.
Hannah: I also liked the humor in Cailin and Teague's exchanges.
Natalie: I liked the way the story was told from many different characters' points of view.
Hannah: Yeah, it was cool how you still could learn about the pixi-world even after the main character had left it.
Natalie: So this was the first book that I've read that was not on paper.
Hannah: And that is the last book I will ever read not made of paper. I can't stand not holding an actual book. (By the way, neither of us have e-readers, so we read this book on computers.) It is just not the same.
Natalie: This was also the first self-published book I've ever read, so I don't have anything else to compare it to, but in my opinion, this book could have used more editing. I know it probably takes a lot of work to self publish, and it's awesome that the author did that, but there were some grammatical, punctuation, and repetition errors that could have been easily fixed.
Hannah: I agree. Whenever I have to write a paper or something for school, I always have a friend look over it because they can always catch those little errors that I skip over because I'm still seeing what I thought I wrote. This book could have benefited from another set of eyes before it was published.
Natalie: Now onto the plot.
Hannah: I really enjoyed the initial plot of the-pixi-in-a-human-world. However, the pixi-politics plot just wasn't my favorite. The pixi government just seemed mean, and I didn't care for any of the politicians enough to get into that particular plotline. There was also a plotline about Cailin's sisters, a plotline about Owen and Nolkrin, a backstory for Owen, and the relationships between the pixis.
Natalie: I think there were too many plotlines being crammed into such a short novel. It was too much to keep straight, and it made it harder to get into the story.
Hannah's sister Emma said that this part won't spoil anything, but it does mention something that happens towards the end of the book. If you think that this might spoil the book for you, skip this part.
Hannah: I was confused by the love triangle at the end. It didn't make any sense to me.
Natalie: It was too out of the blue. You didn't know much about Cailin's relationships with the other pixis before going to the human world, so it was a random guy just proclaiming his love for Cailin.
Hannah: Love triangles have been overdone in lots of YA lately, so they really have to be good for me to get behind them, and, unfortunately, this one just didn't work for me.
Natalie: I thought it was really weird.
End sort-of spoilers.
Hannah: I thought this book had a very intriguing concept, but the execution could have been a bit better. There were funny moments and good characters, just a few too many of them.
Natalie: It was an interesting take on supernatural elements in a realistic setting, but there were too many plotlines and it wasn't as well-woven as it could have been.
Ratings:
Hannah: ✭✭
Natalie: ✭✭
Hannah: Now we're off to go feed a turtle named Lloyd.
Natalie: Yay!!!
See review at http://www.hninfinitebookshelf.blogsp...
November 9, 2018
I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
First off, I would like to thank the author for giving me a copy of the book! (That doesn't bias my review by all means.) I really enjoyed it. I also loved the cover. Hopefully, she appears in future covers. :)
I've always admired authors who are able to bounce from one character's POV to another one. I find that hard to do myself and I guess I myself fail at that in a way when I was on MissLiterati writing Supernaturals and other stories of randomisimo, which I now stopped writing about. :p
I wonder what my life would be like if I were only a foot tall (or less). Tiny notebooks and tiny pens... tiny everything! Actually, that reminds me of a crafting book I was so immersed in when I was in elementary school. The tiny cupcakes were adorable. Too bad I fail to be a cook (I broke the stove and was never trusted to cook again. Major oops). It was also disappointing that I never had enough materials to make them. It was fun reading/browsing through that crafting book. Connection being made (Old habits haunt later apparently), I'm going back to the right trail (kinda).
The book reminds me of a series I enjoy reading: The Iron Fey. Cailin reminds me of a certain ice dude of which I shall keep anonymous that is distant and doesn't give off much info until later. Or is that a bit of Teague as well? Anyhoo, Teague reminds me of a certain prankster and summer chick with personalities mixed together. Minus being blind and an alcoholic (and possibly MANY others). It also reminded me of The Iron Fey because of the unnatural relationship between 2 different types of fey species, or in this case, a pixi and a human. (Curiosity spikes up the question: What will happen if the Portune finds out about their relationship?)
I especially loved Cailin's and Teague's wits when they're around each other. Their conversations had a mix of humor and seriousness rolled with awesomous. I also enjoyed the drama within the pixi clans outside of Cailin's bubble of punishment. The Portune reminds me of another book with a faction, in this case clan, that are "greedy" for power, although I would like them better if you compare the two. Though they're a bit greedy for power and have a zillion threats if you break a rule, all they want is to keep the pixi's in line and not expose their existence to humans. It's all about safety for the pixi's. ^_^ It does makes sense though. I wouldn't want to be exposed to giant-like beings if I were them.
What really kept me from giving it full a perfect score were the grammatical and spelling errors, but there were none that really distracted me from the smooth and steady flow of the words throughout the story. I also felt there was a bit of a rush in the romance between Teague and Cailin. :/ Though not your typical YA Paranormal Romance story, I recommend the book to those who enjoy reading about faeries and looking for something that's not typical.
And as I may sometimes say about the endings of stories....
Ohhhh, the AGONY of the Cliff-Hanger(s)!
(I'm not kidding. I wonder how cliffs I'm really hanging on to now in total of all books. No doubt: MANY)
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
First off, I would like to thank the author for giving me a copy of the book! (That doesn't bias my review by all means.) I really enjoyed it. I also loved the cover. Hopefully, she appears in future covers. :)
I've always admired authors who are able to bounce from one character's POV to another one. I find that hard to do myself and I guess I myself fail at that in a way when I was on MissLiterati writing Supernaturals and other stories of randomisimo, which I now stopped writing about. :p
I wonder what my life would be like if I were only a foot tall (or less). Tiny notebooks and tiny pens... tiny everything! Actually, that reminds me of a crafting book I was so immersed in when I was in elementary school. The tiny cupcakes were adorable. Too bad I fail to be a cook (I broke the stove and was never trusted to cook again. Major oops). It was also disappointing that I never had enough materials to make them. It was fun reading/browsing through that crafting book. Connection being made (Old habits haunt later apparently), I'm going back to the right trail (kinda).
The book reminds me of a series I enjoy reading: The Iron Fey. Cailin reminds me of a certain ice dude of which I shall keep anonymous that is distant and doesn't give off much info until later. Or is that a bit of Teague as well? Anyhoo, Teague reminds me of a certain prankster and summer chick with personalities mixed together. Minus being blind and an alcoholic (and possibly MANY others). It also reminded me of The Iron Fey because of the unnatural relationship between 2 different types of fey species, or in this case, a pixi and a human. (Curiosity spikes up the question: What will happen if the Portune finds out about their relationship?)
I especially loved Cailin's and Teague's wits when they're around each other. Their conversations had a mix of humor and seriousness rolled with awesomous. I also enjoyed the drama within the pixi clans outside of Cailin's bubble of punishment. The Portune reminds me of another book with a faction, in this case clan, that are "greedy" for power, although I would like them better if you compare the two. Though they're a bit greedy for power and have a zillion threats if you break a rule, all they want is to keep the pixi's in line and not expose their existence to humans. It's all about safety for the pixi's. ^_^ It does makes sense though. I wouldn't want to be exposed to giant-like beings if I were them.
What really kept me from giving it full a perfect score were the grammatical and spelling errors, but there were none that really distracted me from the smooth and steady flow of the words throughout the story. I also felt there was a bit of a rush in the romance between Teague and Cailin. :/ Though not your typical YA Paranormal Romance story, I recommend the book to those who enjoy reading about faeries and looking for something that's not typical.
And as I may sometimes say about the endings of stories....
Ohhhh, the AGONY of the Cliff-Hanger(s)!
(I'm not kidding. I wonder how cliffs I'm really hanging on to now in total of all books. No doubt: MANY)
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
September 29, 2013
**I received Oath of Servitude from the author in exchange for an honest review. In no way does that influence the thoughts or opinions of this review.
"A human life span is but the blink of an eye for a true pixi. We open and close again before those around us, those we love, can ever really come to understand who we truly are."
-Owen to Cailin
I have never read a book about pixi's but after reading the summary of Oath Of Servitude, I was excited to dive into the story. I have also never read a book where there is such a difference in size between the characters so for me it was hard to comprehend that, but that's because of my lack of creativity, not the author's descriptions. Good thing there are writers like C.E. to cause me to excercise that creative muscle!
Cailin is a young pixi who does not want to conform to pixi ways, because of this the Portune (pixi council) have sentenced her to serving out an oath owed to a human by her father. She is sent to live with Owen and his son Teague; her job is to come into their home and help Teague adapt to his new life and environment after an accident has left his life forever changed. If she doesn't fulfill her oath, or breaks it, she will be sentenced to the Darkness; which evidently is terrifying, though we don't really know what it is. While staying with Owen and Teague she learns about humans and develops a relationship with the two of them. Towards the end of the book an event happens causing all sorts of chaos, which in turn caused me to hold my breath till it was over.
I must admit, I don't really like Cailin. I feel like she NEVER listens and is a tad bit whiny. I would really love for her to learn to stand her ground and grow a backbone. Teague is how you would expect a moody teenage boy to act after having his world ripped away from him. And Owen is the type of parent who makes all sorts of excuses for their kid in order to baby them. He wants Cailin to get Teague out of his funk but as soon as she treats Teague harshly, Owen is angry with her! Frustrating! I really love the relationship between Cailin and Teague and I'm excited to see how it continues to develop. Though the moody girl in me really wishes Cailin would have been a little harsher on Teague at the end of the book, you know, make him suffer!
The book kind of starts off slow, it wasn't until halfway through that I was really captivated. So make sure to hang in there if you feel like it's dragging. The main thing I had a hard time with was the third person narrative. I prefer to be in the head of one person and have the story be told from their point of view. That way I get really connected and invested in the character. I didn't really get a chance to connect with any of them, so I really struggled with that. I also felt like we were left wondering about a lot of things, especially since they kept getting brought up only to be left unanswered. My hope is that the next book really dives into the pixi world and hopefully we get more answers. Like I said, I'm excited to see what develops!
Find more reviews:
"A human life span is but the blink of an eye for a true pixi. We open and close again before those around us, those we love, can ever really come to understand who we truly are."
-Owen to Cailin
I have never read a book about pixi's but after reading the summary of Oath Of Servitude, I was excited to dive into the story. I have also never read a book where there is such a difference in size between the characters so for me it was hard to comprehend that, but that's because of my lack of creativity, not the author's descriptions. Good thing there are writers like C.E. to cause me to excercise that creative muscle!
Cailin is a young pixi who does not want to conform to pixi ways, because of this the Portune (pixi council) have sentenced her to serving out an oath owed to a human by her father. She is sent to live with Owen and his son Teague; her job is to come into their home and help Teague adapt to his new life and environment after an accident has left his life forever changed. If she doesn't fulfill her oath, or breaks it, she will be sentenced to the Darkness; which evidently is terrifying, though we don't really know what it is. While staying with Owen and Teague she learns about humans and develops a relationship with the two of them. Towards the end of the book an event happens causing all sorts of chaos, which in turn caused me to hold my breath till it was over.
I must admit, I don't really like Cailin. I feel like she NEVER listens and is a tad bit whiny. I would really love for her to learn to stand her ground and grow a backbone. Teague is how you would expect a moody teenage boy to act after having his world ripped away from him. And Owen is the type of parent who makes all sorts of excuses for their kid in order to baby them. He wants Cailin to get Teague out of his funk but as soon as she treats Teague harshly, Owen is angry with her! Frustrating! I really love the relationship between Cailin and Teague and I'm excited to see how it continues to develop. Though the moody girl in me really wishes Cailin would have been a little harsher on Teague at the end of the book, you know, make him suffer!
The book kind of starts off slow, it wasn't until halfway through that I was really captivated. So make sure to hang in there if you feel like it's dragging. The main thing I had a hard time with was the third person narrative. I prefer to be in the head of one person and have the story be told from their point of view. That way I get really connected and invested in the character. I didn't really get a chance to connect with any of them, so I really struggled with that. I also felt like we were left wondering about a lot of things, especially since they kept getting brought up only to be left unanswered. My hope is that the next book really dives into the pixi world and hopefully we get more answers. Like I said, I'm excited to see what develops!
Find more reviews:
November 30, 2012
You can also find this review here
**Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. That in no way has influenced my review**
I really have to start off with talking about the cover before I start reviewing the book itself. It is just stunning, the model is gorgeous and I really hope that she will be featured in the rest of the series.
The plot of this story really draws you in. I found that there was never a dull moment throughout this entire book. I found it nearly impossible to put down once I began reading it. The story is fixed around a teenage girl, Cailin who is living with humans and is helping the teenage son, Teague cope with a tragic accident that left him bitter and unhappy. It may be a paranormal story but the plot is unlike anything I have ever read before which is refreshing.
While much of the story takes place in a human setting we catch glimpses of the pixi existence too. Which I believe really brings the story together, if I had just been shown what was happening on the human side the story would not have flowed as well and I would have been left with too many questions.
I loved the characters, they are all quite developed and seemed realistic, even the pixi! Cailin just wanted to be herself and would not change that for anybody. She was sarcastic and funny and was not afraid to call Teague out on his nonsense, even with his issue. Then there was Teague. I admit I did not like him in the beginning he was bitter and angry but as the story progressed and Teague and Cailin became closer I actually began to like him and now he may actually be one of my favorite characters. Teague's father, Owen was shady at best. Sure he was a nice guy and took care of his family and Cailin but he was just so mysterious. He had more secrets than almost any of the other characters and I found myself wanting to know more.
I hated the Portune pixi's which were basically the head honchos after the ruler of the clan. They were out for themselves even though they say they wanted what was best for the clan. I especially hated Lennox Moon. He was a rotten guy who really needed to be put in his place.
I really did like this book, the only thing that kept me from giving it 4.5 or even 5 stars is the fact that there are grammatical errors. They are not really bad and do not take away from the story but it wasn't exactly perfect.
This is the author's first book and she really created a strong first novel. I was suprised by how well she wrote and her creativity. She really knows how to build characters and settings. She made the plot interesting and kept it strong throughout the whole book.
I am certainly looking forward to the next book in the series. I recommend this if you like young adult paranormal and are looking for a story that is different from anything else you have ever read. If you find yourself ever with a chance to get this book, do it! You really won't regret it.
**Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. That in no way has influenced my review**
I really have to start off with talking about the cover before I start reviewing the book itself. It is just stunning, the model is gorgeous and I really hope that she will be featured in the rest of the series.
The plot of this story really draws you in. I found that there was never a dull moment throughout this entire book. I found it nearly impossible to put down once I began reading it. The story is fixed around a teenage girl, Cailin who is living with humans and is helping the teenage son, Teague cope with a tragic accident that left him bitter and unhappy. It may be a paranormal story but the plot is unlike anything I have ever read before which is refreshing.
While much of the story takes place in a human setting we catch glimpses of the pixi existence too. Which I believe really brings the story together, if I had just been shown what was happening on the human side the story would not have flowed as well and I would have been left with too many questions.
I loved the characters, they are all quite developed and seemed realistic, even the pixi! Cailin just wanted to be herself and would not change that for anybody. She was sarcastic and funny and was not afraid to call Teague out on his nonsense, even with his issue. Then there was Teague. I admit I did not like him in the beginning he was bitter and angry but as the story progressed and Teague and Cailin became closer I actually began to like him and now he may actually be one of my favorite characters. Teague's father, Owen was shady at best. Sure he was a nice guy and took care of his family and Cailin but he was just so mysterious. He had more secrets than almost any of the other characters and I found myself wanting to know more.
I hated the Portune pixi's which were basically the head honchos after the ruler of the clan. They were out for themselves even though they say they wanted what was best for the clan. I especially hated Lennox Moon. He was a rotten guy who really needed to be put in his place.
I really did like this book, the only thing that kept me from giving it 4.5 or even 5 stars is the fact that there are grammatical errors. They are not really bad and do not take away from the story but it wasn't exactly perfect.
This is the author's first book and she really created a strong first novel. I was suprised by how well she wrote and her creativity. She really knows how to build characters and settings. She made the plot interesting and kept it strong throughout the whole book.
I am certainly looking forward to the next book in the series. I recommend this if you like young adult paranormal and are looking for a story that is different from anything else you have ever read. If you find yourself ever with a chance to get this book, do it! You really won't regret it.
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