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The Marked Ones Trilogy #0.5
Beautiful Stranger
Patrick Connolly is about to get the one thing he has always wanted…kinda.
We all have that one thing—that one thing we wish for on every first star of the night. Wealth. Fame. Love. For geeky artist Patrick Connolly, it is the attention of his beautiful and seemingly unattainable classmate Nualla Galathea. There’s just one problem—he’s got less than a snowball’s chance in hell, and that’s being generous.
However, when a heated argument erupts in the halls of Bayside Academy forcing Patrick and Nualla’s paths to collide, Nualla surprisingly jumps at the opportunity to be his date. Patrick may think his wish has just come true, but this gentle boy will need more than artistic talent to combat the deadly secrets lurking behind his dream girl’s veil of normality. Like the fact that she isn’t even human.
We all have that one thing—that one thing we wish for on every first star of the night. Wealth. Fame. Love. For geeky artist Patrick Connolly, it is the attention of his beautiful and seemingly unattainable classmate Nualla Galathea. There’s just one problem—he’s got less than a snowball’s chance in hell, and that’s being generous.
However, when a heated argument erupts in the halls of Bayside Academy forcing Patrick and Nualla’s paths to collide, Nualla surprisingly jumps at the opportunity to be his date. Patrick may think his wish has just come true, but this gentle boy will need more than artistic talent to combat the deadly secrets lurking behind his dream girl’s veil of normality. Like the fact that she isn’t even human.
107 pages, Paperback
First published May 21, 2014
71 people are currently reading
950 people want to read
About the author
Alicia Kat Vancil
9 books64 followers**NOTE This author profile is incorrectly named but Goodreads categorically refuses to fix this issue despite every effort made by the author and publisher. Please instead visit & follow Kat Vancil at her proper location https://www.goodreads.com/thesagaquest **
Neurodivergent storyteller Kat Vancil crafts stories about boys who kiss boys. Some take place on spacecraft racing through a sea of distant stars. Others take place in lush urban sprawls rich with the spices of a thousand far-off places that exist only in her mind. While still others take place in the halls of a coastal city high school that is and isn’t like any other in America.
Over the last 12 years she’s done work for Amazon and Writer’s Digest, had her work sold in bookstores across the English-speaking world, and won an Ippy award for excellence in independent publishing.
She currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, their kitty studio-mate Akimi & eight overfull bookcases. And when not crafting fantastical tales of dragokin and Valkyries, Kat can usually be found frolicking in general geekiness.
Neurodivergent storyteller Kat Vancil crafts stories about boys who kiss boys. Some take place on spacecraft racing through a sea of distant stars. Others take place in lush urban sprawls rich with the spices of a thousand far-off places that exist only in her mind. While still others take place in the halls of a coastal city high school that is and isn’t like any other in America.
Over the last 12 years she’s done work for Amazon and Writer’s Digest, had her work sold in bookstores across the English-speaking world, and won an Ippy award for excellence in independent publishing.
She currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, their kitty studio-mate Akimi & eight overfull bookcases. And when not crafting fantastical tales of dragokin and Valkyries, Kat can usually be found frolicking in general geekiness.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 30, 2014
This story is a little predictable but that does not mean that it isn't any less exciting. What really caught my attention was the subtle hints that Nualla Galathea, her cousin (Nikki) and friend (Shawn) are not human. This novella is written to portray the thoughts and actions from both Patrick's and Nualla's perspective. The author wants you to know what both characters are thinking and feeling throughout the story; therefore, you are clearly able read the emotion between both characters. I did like the pace of the story; it did not move too quickly but also did not crawl forward. I do believe that the descriptions are vivid enough to allow me to picture everything.
I can certainly relate to the desires that flare to life in the story between Patrick and Naulla. At first, I was a little confused by how Naulla nor Nikki or Shawn have ever seen Patrick throughout the duration of their four years at the same school; however, I am starting to wonder if it may have anything to do with the little key item that I picked up when reading about the talismans. Patrick states that he lost his a day or two previously but hasn't informed anyone except for Naulla.
My overall impression of the book is quite positive. Truthfully, I do feel that some choices of vocabulary stunted the story and made it seem a bit more childish; however, it did not reflect negatively enough for me to discontinue reading it. My interest was far more peeked due to the situational dilemma that they face towards the end of the story. I do recommend this to my club members if you are interested in fantasy and/or science fiction. I am not sure what angle the author will throw out for an explanation of the secrecy from Nualla; however, I am intrigued. The next in the series is Daemons in the Mist (The Marked Ones Trilogy Book 1).
I can certainly relate to the desires that flare to life in the story between Patrick and Naulla. At first, I was a little confused by how Naulla nor Nikki or Shawn have ever seen Patrick throughout the duration of their four years at the same school; however, I am starting to wonder if it may have anything to do with the little key item that I picked up when reading about the talismans. Patrick states that he lost his a day or two previously but hasn't informed anyone except for Naulla.
My overall impression of the book is quite positive. Truthfully, I do feel that some choices of vocabulary stunted the story and made it seem a bit more childish; however, it did not reflect negatively enough for me to discontinue reading it. My interest was far more peeked due to the situational dilemma that they face towards the end of the story. I do recommend this to my club members if you are interested in fantasy and/or science fiction. I am not sure what angle the author will throw out for an explanation of the secrecy from Nualla; however, I am intrigued. The next in the series is Daemons in the Mist (The Marked Ones Trilogy Book 1).
May 23, 2014
I give this 5 stars (rare for me!) Beautiful Stranger is short, but still, I absolutely devoured it in less than half an hour. It's the perfect introduction to Nualla and her daemon-kind and I must, must, must learn more about her accidental relationship with Patrick.
Kat's writing is crisp and beautifully descriptive. Her characters each shine with their own personality.
I definitely recommend reading this novella and expect that you will be buying book one in the Marked Ones trilogy, Daemons in the Mist, as I just did.
Note - I receive a free ARC copy which in no way affected my review.
Kat's writing is crisp and beautifully descriptive. Her characters each shine with their own personality.
I definitely recommend reading this novella and expect that you will be buying book one in the Marked Ones trilogy, Daemons in the Mist, as I just did.
Note - I receive a free ARC copy which in no way affected my review.
September 5, 2015
I'd say upper YA due to excessive swearing (F word alone in the novella is nearly 30 times) and underage drinking.
March 10, 2017
Beautiful Stranger is a rewrite of the beginning of The Marked Ones Trilogy by Kat Vancil, revisiting the first third of the first book, Daemons in the Mist, and expanding on the beginning.
Often a writer, upon completing a long work, realizes the beginning is missing some items. Ms. Vancil seems to be addressing this situation with a sort-of prequel novella Beautiful Stranger. I recommend reading the prequel before diving into the larger work.
Available for free on Amazon, this hook will draw you into the series.
Often a writer, upon completing a long work, realizes the beginning is missing some items. Ms. Vancil seems to be addressing this situation with a sort-of prequel novella Beautiful Stranger. I recommend reading the prequel before diving into the larger work.
Available for free on Amazon, this hook will draw you into the series.
March 14, 2018
Too bad it's just part of the story
Good story line. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation really well done. Well done enough that not once did I have the urge to break out my read pen and make corrections. And for a book written for middle school to early high school aged kids, I enjoyed it. (I was reading McCaffrey, Assimov, Bradley, and Heinlein in 8th grade!) BUT I can't stand these new fangled books that come in episodes instead od a complete story. On principle, I refuse to purchase additional episodes.
Good story line. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation really well done. Well done enough that not once did I have the urge to break out my read pen and make corrections. And for a book written for middle school to early high school aged kids, I enjoyed it. (I was reading McCaffrey, Assimov, Bradley, and Heinlein in 8th grade!) BUT I can't stand these new fangled books that come in episodes instead od a complete story. On principle, I refuse to purchase additional episodes.
August 30, 2017
Very funny short story. I do not believe for one second that Patrick is Human.
November 29, 2016
that was more than cool....i loved it
February 19, 2017
Umm...
Started off interested, then as I read being interested, kinda, fell off the page... Talk of demons and there were No powers, No reason to believe she or her friends were demons, they went to Vegas, got married, said uh oh this isn't good, and it ends.... Disappointed
Started off interested, then as I read being interested, kinda, fell off the page... Talk of demons and there were No powers, No reason to believe she or her friends were demons, they went to Vegas, got married, said uh oh this isn't good, and it ends.... Disappointed
January 3, 2016
I finished this because it was so short but it did none of the jobs a prequel should do. A good prequel introduces you to the world of the series. This one just gave us a whole bunch of random info but not the tools to put it together cohesively. A good prequel hooks you in and makes you die to read the series. This one just left me annoyed because I had no clue what was going on. I didn't get answers to any of my questions and it didn't want to make me continue reading it just ticked me off. Definitely not one I'd recommend
January 2, 2017
A quick little read, I enjoyed the fast pace set by the author. The action had my attention from the beginning, holding me in with the colorful descriptions of the characters. However, there were a lot of repeated statements and words that felt like they existed only to push the page number higher. Though this wasn't a long book at all, I still found things to enjoy about it. You will have your mouth hanging open by the end, like, WTF? I like that in my books!
March 10, 2016
A good opening to the series, with a few changes to keep it interesting.
April 4, 2016
Um
This book was barely interesting and the fact that it is a impossibly short book doesn't help that matter at all
This book was barely interesting and the fact that it is a impossibly short book doesn't help that matter at all
August 14, 2016
A fun, quick moving story that ends on the perfect cliff hanger.
May 3, 2016
Is a great book to read
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews