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The Nahan Series #1
Ourselves
They have always been among us.
An ancient, nature-loving race, the Nahan have protected their secret world by cultivating the myths of fanged, bloodsucking monsters that haunt legends. Yet they walk through our world as our coworkers and our neighbors, hiding in plain sight and coexisting in peace. They survive?and they prosper.
A shy young dreamer, Tomas wanders through his life with help from his good friends and influential family on the ruling Council. Now, he's decided his future lies with the Nahan's most elite class: the mysterious Storytellers. But his family is troubled by his new choice?and by his new girlfriend, Stell, a wild, beautiful, and deadly outcast from a fanatical Nahan sect.
As Tomas descends into the dark wonders of the Nahan's most powerful culture, Stell answers her own calling as an exceptional assassin. But when a lethal conspiracy threatens their destinies, Tomas and Stell must unite their remarkable talents against the strongest?and most sinister?of their kind.
An ancient, nature-loving race, the Nahan have protected their secret world by cultivating the myths of fanged, bloodsucking monsters that haunt legends. Yet they walk through our world as our coworkers and our neighbors, hiding in plain sight and coexisting in peace. They survive?and they prosper.
A shy young dreamer, Tomas wanders through his life with help from his good friends and influential family on the ruling Council. Now, he's decided his future lies with the Nahan's most elite class: the mysterious Storytellers. But his family is troubled by his new choice?and by his new girlfriend, Stell, a wild, beautiful, and deadly outcast from a fanatical Nahan sect.
As Tomas descends into the dark wonders of the Nahan's most powerful culture, Stell answers her own calling as an exceptional assassin. But when a lethal conspiracy threatens their destinies, Tomas and Stell must unite their remarkable talents against the strongest?and most sinister?of their kind.
864 pages, Paperback
First published January 27, 2015
85 people are currently reading
460 people want to read
About the author
S.G. Redling
14 books314 followersS.G. Redling, a graduate of Georgetown University, has spent fifteen years waking up the good folks of Huntington WV and its environs on the WKEE-FM morning radio show. She recently wound up her headphones for the last time and is focusing on thrillers, mysteries and urban fantasy. When S.G. isn't writing, she loves to paint, travel and embarrass herself by speaking wretched Italian.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 9, 2015
To be honest, I read this book to do an author friend a favor. Sheila was unsure about Ourselves, and I offered to read and give her honest feedback… thing is, I never had to come up with something nicely positive to boost her morale. All I can say is, move over, Anne Rice, get off the throne, Charlaine Harris, the new queen of vampire novels has been born!
Enough said. Now go and read this book. And join me in hoping this is only the start of a great series.
Enough said. Now go and read this book. And join me in hoping this is only the start of a great series.
March 2, 2015
I went into Ourselves by S G Redling without a clue as to what the book is about. Having heard a few good reviews on the internet and since well, 47North actually does a decent job of churning out interesting books - I got myself a copy through the Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Unfortunately, this book - billed as Urban Fantasy was absolutely not my type. Try as I might, I couldn't really get into this book. Yes I finished it and yes the pacing was pretty good - but Nahan, a bewildering race of people who feed on "commons" ( Me and You. the Hoi-Polloi.)and have a lot of confusing traditions and rituals that involve sex and violence - really didn't register anything with me.
So the story begins pretty nicely- focusing on Stell - a confused girl brought up in an orthodox almost mormon-like family that abhors the traditions of a "normal" Nahan - finds these bindings pretty confusing and meaningless. Being a free spirit, Stell finds solace in the lonely "me" time spent in the woods of Calstow Mountains. And here is where she runs into Tomas - another lonely boy, a geek coming to terms with his social awkwardness and forever cowering behind his more charming cousin. They hit it off like a house on fire. So far so good. Boy meets Girl. Sparks fly.
At this point, my interest was piqued. Especially after reading about this strange manner of intimacy between Nahan that involves "blood" and sex. Redling doesn't give anything away and her writing is deft and keeps you hooked on. The mysteries of Nahan were only slowly unfurling.
Then the lover couple set off on roadtrips to escape from the family bindings - pick up good looking "common" folks at bars ( they do this a LOT. and I mean a LOT. I was like, hey this scene seems familiar. in fact, the couple along with best friends and other characters who pop up halfway through the story do the exact same thing - pick up commons, have gratuitous sex and sometimes kill them. Achieving "Death-High"! Ughh..)
And then Tomas suddenly realizes his life's calling is to become a Storyteller. Now these guys are a dreaded lot, a mystic set of Nahan with prowess that sadly never was explained. So I figured out becoming a Storyteller is a big deal and he goes through intense trainings to become one. ( See that, THE ONE? Tomas is destined for greatness!)
While the prose of the story was pretty easy to get into, the big let-down for me was the characterization. The characters never really stood out. I was dissapointed with Stell who had the most potential in the story - reduced to becoming an assassin with a weakness for "Blood-High". Tomas is a weak confused protagonist who's never really endearing. Others are pretty shallow beings who never rise up to being more than 2-bit players. The level of tension never rises up to bring that feverish "Oh I need to finish this book to see how it resolves" pitch. It was bland for lack of a better word.
A YA/New Adult novel that uses a lot of needless sex and meaningless violence to spice up things and still falls flat - bland and uninspiring.
Unfortunately, this book - billed as Urban Fantasy was absolutely not my type. Try as I might, I couldn't really get into this book. Yes I finished it and yes the pacing was pretty good - but Nahan, a bewildering race of people who feed on "commons" ( Me and You. the Hoi-Polloi.)and have a lot of confusing traditions and rituals that involve sex and violence - really didn't register anything with me.
So the story begins pretty nicely- focusing on Stell - a confused girl brought up in an orthodox almost mormon-like family that abhors the traditions of a "normal" Nahan - finds these bindings pretty confusing and meaningless. Being a free spirit, Stell finds solace in the lonely "me" time spent in the woods of Calstow Mountains. And here is where she runs into Tomas - another lonely boy, a geek coming to terms with his social awkwardness and forever cowering behind his more charming cousin. They hit it off like a house on fire. So far so good. Boy meets Girl. Sparks fly.
At this point, my interest was piqued. Especially after reading about this strange manner of intimacy between Nahan that involves "blood" and sex. Redling doesn't give anything away and her writing is deft and keeps you hooked on. The mysteries of Nahan were only slowly unfurling.
Then the lover couple set off on roadtrips to escape from the family bindings - pick up good looking "common" folks at bars ( they do this a LOT. and I mean a LOT. I was like, hey this scene seems familiar. in fact, the couple along with best friends and other characters who pop up halfway through the story do the exact same thing - pick up commons, have gratuitous sex and sometimes kill them. Achieving "Death-High"! Ughh..)
And then Tomas suddenly realizes his life's calling is to become a Storyteller. Now these guys are a dreaded lot, a mystic set of Nahan with prowess that sadly never was explained. So I figured out becoming a Storyteller is a big deal and he goes through intense trainings to become one. ( See that, THE ONE? Tomas is destined for greatness!)
While the prose of the story was pretty easy to get into, the big let-down for me was the characterization. The characters never really stood out. I was dissapointed with Stell who had the most potential in the story - reduced to becoming an assassin with a weakness for "Blood-High". Tomas is a weak confused protagonist who's never really endearing. Others are pretty shallow beings who never rise up to being more than 2-bit players. The level of tension never rises up to bring that feverish "Oh I need to finish this book to see how it resolves" pitch. It was bland for lack of a better word.
A YA/New Adult novel that uses a lot of needless sex and meaningless violence to spice up things and still falls flat - bland and uninspiring.
February 21, 2015
Was initially dismayed to discover that Ourselves is a teen vampire love story. Sigh.
However I powered through the disappointment and am happy to report that everything else in the book is on point. Looking forward to the next one.
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All I need to know is the author is S.G. Redling. Pre-ordered.
However I powered through the disappointment and am happy to report that everything else in the book is on point. Looking forward to the next one.
---
All I need to know is the author is S.G. Redling. Pre-ordered.
March 20, 2016
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. The blurb had caught my attention. It talked about an ancient race that lived among us, cultivating the myth of vampires as a cover up for they drink blood of the commons (us, regular humans).
To be honest, I wasn't too sure what to expect. I was thinking…maybe extra-terrestrial? Well, I guess I'll have to wait for the sequel to see if we'll learn of their origin.
I don't know where to begin so I'll start with characters. When I first started the book, I thought Stell was a cool character, maybe a bit strange but still fun. I didn't especially like Tomas. As the story advance, it was a complete turn over. I found myself liking Tomas and completely disliking Stell. Let me explain why, and no, it's not the killing or the raping of commons to get their blood. I understand they are another species and they do what they need to do to survive.
Stell is a young woman who was raised in a community resembling the Amish. Before she met Tomas, she had never watched TV or went out of her mountains, so I get that she doesn't understand the difference between TV shows and real life. That might have been the only thing endearing about her. Once she gets out in the world, she's all about herself. If she wants something, she gets it. She never really thinks about her boyfriend Tomas. I don't want to give any spoilers but she simply has no principles. And quite frankly, sometimes she acted as if she were a simpleton in that manner.
On the other hand, Tomas grew on me. He chose a difficult profession as a storyteller. His training is harsh. He's tired most of the time, yet, he's true to himself. Even towards the end, well…no spoilers, right?
The other characters were ok. I didn't like Louis at first, but he turned out to be a good friend to Tomas. The same can be said about Aricelli.
Often, in stories like this, people will love the predators for the danger that surrounds humans when near them, but I didn't get that feeling about the Nahan: commons were just 'food' and a mean to show us what it's like to be Nahan. And that's fine with me. We didn't need to feel something for them.
Overall, the story reads smoothly. It's a good first book. We learned a lot about the Nahan. (I never was a bar goer but you can be sure I'm staying out of them from now on!) Now, I wouldn't call it fast paced, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading until the end. I especially liked the epilogue. Without saying too much, I'll say that, for me, it was the perfect closure.
To be honest, I wasn't too sure what to expect. I was thinking…maybe extra-terrestrial? Well, I guess I'll have to wait for the sequel to see if we'll learn of their origin.
I don't know where to begin so I'll start with characters. When I first started the book, I thought Stell was a cool character, maybe a bit strange but still fun. I didn't especially like Tomas. As the story advance, it was a complete turn over. I found myself liking Tomas and completely disliking Stell. Let me explain why, and no, it's not the killing or the raping of commons to get their blood. I understand they are another species and they do what they need to do to survive.
Stell is a young woman who was raised in a community resembling the Amish. Before she met Tomas, she had never watched TV or went out of her mountains, so I get that she doesn't understand the difference between TV shows and real life. That might have been the only thing endearing about her. Once she gets out in the world, she's all about herself. If she wants something, she gets it. She never really thinks about her boyfriend Tomas. I don't want to give any spoilers but she simply has no principles. And quite frankly, sometimes she acted as if she were a simpleton in that manner.
On the other hand, Tomas grew on me. He chose a difficult profession as a storyteller. His training is harsh. He's tired most of the time, yet, he's true to himself. Even towards the end, well…no spoilers, right?
The other characters were ok. I didn't like Louis at first, but he turned out to be a good friend to Tomas. The same can be said about Aricelli.
Often, in stories like this, people will love the predators for the danger that surrounds humans when near them, but I didn't get that feeling about the Nahan: commons were just 'food' and a mean to show us what it's like to be Nahan. And that's fine with me. We didn't need to feel something for them.
Overall, the story reads smoothly. It's a good first book. We learned a lot about the Nahan. (I never was a bar goer but you can be sure I'm staying out of them from now on!) Now, I wouldn't call it fast paced, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading until the end. I especially liked the epilogue. Without saying too much, I'll say that, for me, it was the perfect closure.
May 22, 2015
I did not like this book.
At first.
I don't like to leave a book unfinished (to my knowledge, I've only left one book unread). The beginning of this was just...boring. And not really my cup of tea. I couldn't remember why I was interested in reading this book to begin with. And so I plodded on. There were hints of interesting things, coming to no fruition.
And then, I flipped a screen and things began to ramp up. It was somewhere around the 40% mark, somewhat far along for my tastes. The rest of the story, though, made up for the beginning. The beginning was really a low smolder.
The titular characters are Nahan. They are not vampires. Vampires are their popular creation in order to hide in plain sight. Nahan are humans, just...different. There are similarities to vampires, but this is not a vampire tale. For all their abilities and presumed superiority, this is a human tale, a tale of family, love, loyalty, and doing the right thing.
All that "boring" bit at the beginning was really laying the groundwork for what was to come, or rather the changes to contrast later. While I didn't like it at the time, I came to appreciate the beginning, at least in my memory.
I want more of Ourselves. There are many more stories lurking in the shadows.
At first.
I don't like to leave a book unfinished (to my knowledge, I've only left one book unread). The beginning of this was just...boring. And not really my cup of tea. I couldn't remember why I was interested in reading this book to begin with. And so I plodded on. There were hints of interesting things, coming to no fruition.
And then, I flipped a screen and things began to ramp up. It was somewhere around the 40% mark, somewhat far along for my tastes. The rest of the story, though, made up for the beginning. The beginning was really a low smolder.
The titular characters are Nahan. They are not vampires. Vampires are their popular creation in order to hide in plain sight. Nahan are humans, just...different. There are similarities to vampires, but this is not a vampire tale. For all their abilities and presumed superiority, this is a human tale, a tale of family, love, loyalty, and doing the right thing.
All that "boring" bit at the beginning was really laying the groundwork for what was to come, or rather the changes to contrast later. While I didn't like it at the time, I came to appreciate the beginning, at least in my memory.
I want more of Ourselves. There are many more stories lurking in the shadows.
January 25, 2015
I love books and my tastes vary. I just love reading and can't wait to get into the next story. But, there are a handful of books/series that I don't like to leave when I finish the story, so I go back to them and re-read them (sometimes, multiple times per year). Ourselves is now on that list of stories that I will re-read over and over.
I enjoyed everything about Ourselves. The story is a mix of thriller, fantasy, and paranormal that kept me hooked from the beginning. The characters are fascinating and well developed. I loved getting to know them and I can't wait to see what happens next! I will be anxiously waiting for the next book in this series!
I enjoyed everything about Ourselves. The story is a mix of thriller, fantasy, and paranormal that kept me hooked from the beginning. The characters are fascinating and well developed. I loved getting to know them and I can't wait to see what happens next! I will be anxiously waiting for the next book in this series!
January 20, 2015
Wow this story just blew me away. I'm not sure what exactly I expected when I began the story, but it was so much more than I could of imagined. This is so new and original. The world Redling has created holds so many possibilities and I'm excited to find out where it goes from here. The love story was sweet, sexy, and broke my heart! I loved all these characters and hope to get to know them even better in the next book. I'll be following this series!!
November 11, 2014
I would definitely recommend this book to all and sundry who love urban/paranormal/fantasy type stories. This is just the beginning of a brand-new series by author, S.G. Redling and I cannot wait until the next book comes out to see what happens next to Tomas and Stell! Loved this story! I received the ARC from NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.
November 12, 2015
S.G. has done it again; creating a unique tale that forces you to care about her characters and investing heavily in their evolution. Where Stephenie Meyer destroyed the vampire genre, made famous by greats like Anne Rice and Bram Stoker, Redling may have just given it a reboot and new life!
February 24, 2015
Great story build. Creatively different twist on a vampire story. Worth reading!
September 4, 2017
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
They are the Nahan. Their kids go to our schools; they work in our offices. They could be your neighbors. They are polite but private; they are efficient and dangerous. Blood is their life. “Ourselves” is the first peek into this hidden world.
A shy dreamer, Tomas lives a sheltered life in the Nahan community, his future secured by the long arm of the Council that protects their people throughout the world. But when he meets Stell, a wild girl dragged up in a cult of Nahan repentance, they ignite in each other a desire for a different path.
Tomas feels called to train with the elite and bizarre order of Storytellers, the final authority in the Nahan community. During his grueling training and induction, Stell learns she too has a unique skill set – that of an assassin. When they unearth corruption within the Council and a dangerous plot that has already cost one young Storyteller his sanity, they must test their new skills and, teaming up with other young Nahan, challenge the most powerful organization in their world.
"Ups and downs" would be the best way I could describe this book. At times, I found the concept of the Nahan to be interesting...and then the overly repetitive nature of the "sex/kill normals" was just exasperating. Over and over again, I was dragged into the wonderful world of the Nahan - only to be kicked out of it by some random event.
The characters were okay - Stell was very interesting to read in the beginning, but once we got about halfway, the gloss had worn off. And Tomas I just didn't get at all...
The good thing about this story, despite my obvious disappointment, was the pacing of the story. From inquisitive, to immersed, to the finale, this story did plenty to hook me in and keep me reading to the finish.
I think I would like to read more of this series in the future - there is plenty of positives here to build on...
Paul
ARH
They are the Nahan. Their kids go to our schools; they work in our offices. They could be your neighbors. They are polite but private; they are efficient and dangerous. Blood is their life. “Ourselves” is the first peek into this hidden world.
A shy dreamer, Tomas lives a sheltered life in the Nahan community, his future secured by the long arm of the Council that protects their people throughout the world. But when he meets Stell, a wild girl dragged up in a cult of Nahan repentance, they ignite in each other a desire for a different path.
Tomas feels called to train with the elite and bizarre order of Storytellers, the final authority in the Nahan community. During his grueling training and induction, Stell learns she too has a unique skill set – that of an assassin. When they unearth corruption within the Council and a dangerous plot that has already cost one young Storyteller his sanity, they must test their new skills and, teaming up with other young Nahan, challenge the most powerful organization in their world.
"Ups and downs" would be the best way I could describe this book. At times, I found the concept of the Nahan to be interesting...and then the overly repetitive nature of the "sex/kill normals" was just exasperating. Over and over again, I was dragged into the wonderful world of the Nahan - only to be kicked out of it by some random event.
The characters were okay - Stell was very interesting to read in the beginning, but once we got about halfway, the gloss had worn off. And Tomas I just didn't get at all...
The good thing about this story, despite my obvious disappointment, was the pacing of the story. From inquisitive, to immersed, to the finale, this story did plenty to hook me in and keep me reading to the finish.
I think I would like to read more of this series in the future - there is plenty of positives here to build on...
Paul
ARH
April 29, 2018
I was so hoping for better. I wanted something along the line of Damocles. This book was such a letdown.
It started out somewhat promising, Then the girl meets the boy and it started slipping. I thought "Hang on a bit..." So I trudged through mediocre storytelling that never actually gets better. In fact it gets much worse.
Instead of explaining anything, she throws sex scenes in. I know I know... "But sex scenes are awesome." They should have a time and place in a story, just like in real life... when a good portion of the book contains sex and rape, it tends to ruin the actual story. Not to mention the fact that the sex scenes were just as bland as the characters themselves. It should have just had a half-naked beefcake on the cover so I would have known to avoid it.
The story line had a lot of potential. The story could have been great, but the disjointed mess that was essentially filler for the sex bits could hardly be held together by anything due to it being so convoluted, disjointed and the massive amount of plot holes. The characters were bland and had no real depth nor backstory to them in any way to make them interesting. Just the typical cut and paste types you get in almost all modern young adult books.
The narrator was good, he did his best to make this interesting. If it were someone else I probably would have stopped listening after the first sex scene-ish. So, good job Will Damron.
It started out somewhat promising, Then the girl meets the boy and it started slipping. I thought "Hang on a bit..." So I trudged through mediocre storytelling that never actually gets better. In fact it gets much worse.
Instead of explaining anything, she throws sex scenes in. I know I know... "But sex scenes are awesome." They should have a time and place in a story, just like in real life... when a good portion of the book contains sex and rape, it tends to ruin the actual story. Not to mention the fact that the sex scenes were just as bland as the characters themselves. It should have just had a half-naked beefcake on the cover so I would have known to avoid it.
The story line had a lot of potential. The story could have been great, but the disjointed mess that was essentially filler for the sex bits could hardly be held together by anything due to it being so convoluted, disjointed and the massive amount of plot holes. The characters were bland and had no real depth nor backstory to them in any way to make them interesting. Just the typical cut and paste types you get in almost all modern young adult books.
The narrator was good, he did his best to make this interesting. If it were someone else I probably would have stopped listening after the first sex scene-ish. So, good job Will Damron.
March 31, 2018
I enjoyed this book, although it reminds me of an R-rated YA novel because, although the action is adult, the main characters seem immature and unfinished. The Nahan are an interesting race, and Ms. Redling does a very good job of world-building. The ending is tied up neatly yet leaves several doors open for more Nahan stories. I look forward to subsequent books in this series. Stell's mother deserves a book of her own!
And thanks to Ms. Redling for providing a glossary of Nahan terms (at the end of the Kindle edition) as well as explaining them in the chapter headings and in context as they occur.
And thanks to Ms. Redling for providing a glossary of Nahan terms (at the end of the Kindle edition) as well as explaining them in the chapter headings and in context as they occur.
November 2, 2018
Do you realize how difficult it is in this day and age to find an original, interesting vampire story? VERY. I'll always prefer the Anne Rice canon, but I admit that I've got a soft spot for the Twilight series. This is something new entirely. Not baroque and spiritual, not twee and teen. I can't pick it apart too much, because it wasn't perfect, but it offers action, excitement, and intrigue without forgetting that a good vampire story is always sexy.
Secondly, I was IMMEDIATELY after the sequel to this. The end was satisfying, but I am 100% hungry for more.
Secondly, I was IMMEDIATELY after the sequel to this. The end was satisfying, but I am 100% hungry for more.
February 19, 2015
Redling manages to put a slightly different twist to the vampire mythology in this young adult coming of age tale involving the Nahan who live amongst humans or commons, feeding on them, using them and frequently killing them. Raised by a zealot group of Nahan who believed deprivation and barbaric rituals would quell their thirst for blood, Stell a young woman with a remote mother, had no idea who her father might be and little tolerance for her classmates. As a consequence, Stell spent most of her time hiding in woods on the nearby mountain, haunted by the knowledge that something was wrong with her until Tomas, a boy from a different part of Nahan lands stumbled into her favorite hiding place. Although raised differently, Tomas also felt different from his contemporaries yet found Stell soothing, much to the chagrin of his family who didn’t approve of the young woman.
Together, Stell and Tomas attempt to make a life while he undergoes the rigors of training to be a Storyteller. The Nahan fear the Storytellers who wield a great deal of power and in effect, control the lives and business interests of the Nahan worldwide. During training, Tomas learns of another apprentice who disappeared under unusual circumstances after a break down. No one seems to know exactly what happened to the young man but Tomas has seen and connected with him while meditating. Fearing for the apprentice’s safety, Tomas along with his brother, Stell who is now training to be an effective assassin and a few others set off to locate the young man and uncover a sinister plot in the very heart of Nahan leadership.
The sense of family and friendship comes through nicely as Tomas relies on childhood buddies and Stell to assist him in uncovering the truth. Stell’s character undergoes a interesting transformation as she leaves childhood teachings firmly behind her while discovering her father’s likely identity and mother’s sorted past. The concept of sending young people out into the world before they are expected to choose a profession and settle down is hardly new but adds a bit of cultural history to the world building. While the conclusion is solid, this is likely the first of a series with plenty of room for further development. This is a nice young adult tale without too much gore or sex but may be a bit light for adult readers.
Together, Stell and Tomas attempt to make a life while he undergoes the rigors of training to be a Storyteller. The Nahan fear the Storytellers who wield a great deal of power and in effect, control the lives and business interests of the Nahan worldwide. During training, Tomas learns of another apprentice who disappeared under unusual circumstances after a break down. No one seems to know exactly what happened to the young man but Tomas has seen and connected with him while meditating. Fearing for the apprentice’s safety, Tomas along with his brother, Stell who is now training to be an effective assassin and a few others set off to locate the young man and uncover a sinister plot in the very heart of Nahan leadership.
The sense of family and friendship comes through nicely as Tomas relies on childhood buddies and Stell to assist him in uncovering the truth. Stell’s character undergoes a interesting transformation as she leaves childhood teachings firmly behind her while discovering her father’s likely identity and mother’s sorted past. The concept of sending young people out into the world before they are expected to choose a profession and settle down is hardly new but adds a bit of cultural history to the world building. While the conclusion is solid, this is likely the first of a series with plenty of room for further development. This is a nice young adult tale without too much gore or sex but may be a bit light for adult readers.
November 3, 2020
'Ourselves' is a reference to a people who live among ordinary people, which seems to be a recurring concept recently. These call themselves the Nahan.
It's a cute little poetic fantasy with a touch of Irish which is advertised as "dark and sensual" for an adult readership, but reads more like a YA novel (perhaps because the main characters are young), apart from occasional swearing and sexual situations.
Stell feels there is something wrong with her and runs away to the forest where being different won't matter. Tomas seems awkward. There is a little too much 'telling' in the first chapter and the issues concerning high school and college and being the awkward weird kids had me wondering what I was doing here.
There is a strong focus on religious fanaticism, which seemed to me to be too 'real world' to really feel like I was reading a fantasy novel. This and some, what I would call modern Internet punctuation, "You. Left. Me. In. A. Gay. Bar." to show emphasis on each word when a character is trying to make a point, made me wonder how old the author was.
I actually found the profanity unnecessary and felt like I was just reading a book about horny teenagers until I got about 16% in and said to myself, "Oh great, vampires."
I felt I had to rate this one low because it isn't what it says on the tin. The writing is literate, but the voice is middle grade and the plot would suit that level as well if the swearing and sex was removed. I can't say that it held my attention well, but for adults who read a lot of YA, it might be a really good read. It just wasn't what I expected from the description and I don't read a lot of YA because I just don't identify with teenage issues. Two stars from me, but a lot of my friends might like it much better.
It's a cute little poetic fantasy with a touch of Irish which is advertised as "dark and sensual" for an adult readership, but reads more like a YA novel (perhaps because the main characters are young), apart from occasional swearing and sexual situations.
Stell feels there is something wrong with her and runs away to the forest where being different won't matter. Tomas seems awkward. There is a little too much 'telling' in the first chapter and the issues concerning high school and college and being the awkward weird kids had me wondering what I was doing here.
There is a strong focus on religious fanaticism, which seemed to me to be too 'real world' to really feel like I was reading a fantasy novel. This and some, what I would call modern Internet punctuation, "You. Left. Me. In. A. Gay. Bar." to show emphasis on each word when a character is trying to make a point, made me wonder how old the author was.
I actually found the profanity unnecessary and felt like I was just reading a book about horny teenagers until I got about 16% in and said to myself, "Oh great, vampires."
I felt I had to rate this one low because it isn't what it says on the tin. The writing is literate, but the voice is middle grade and the plot would suit that level as well if the swearing and sex was removed. I can't say that it held my attention well, but for adults who read a lot of YA, it might be a really good read. It just wasn't what I expected from the description and I don't read a lot of YA because I just don't identify with teenage issues. Two stars from me, but a lot of my friends might like it much better.
October 2, 2015
I received a paperback advanced reader copy of this book after winning a contest on Redling's Facebook page about a month before it was released. I put off reading it for a while for a few reasons. First, I wasn't completely sold on the premise as blood suckers in love aren't usually my go to pick. Second, I knew it was the beginning of a series and I am already reading more series than I can should be. Third, I have loved everything I've read by S.G. Redling up to this point so I didn't want to read it and the excitement at the opportunity to read a new book by her be gone. (I know it's weird but I also put off watching movies I'm excited about and reading the last book in a series or watching the final season of stuff because I don't like to not have that thing to look forward to anymore, and what if I'm disappointed.)
Let me say, I am so glad I finally read it. It was so very enjoyable. Not your typical vampire story because they were not your typical vampires. As usual, her characters were great and easy to connect to and side with and understand. I look forward to getting to know some of the characters we spent limited time with, like Louis and Aricelli, better in the future. This series has such a long and varied history that can go with it and we just barely got a taste in the first book. This is one series I plan on definitely keeping up with and continuing to the end, although I will dread it when we know there is a final book coming.
The sex scenes in this book tell me that Redling really does have a fantastic imagination or she's a real panther in the sack. Either way, I look forward to reading more of them.
Let me say, I am so glad I finally read it. It was so very enjoyable. Not your typical vampire story because they were not your typical vampires. As usual, her characters were great and easy to connect to and side with and understand. I look forward to getting to know some of the characters we spent limited time with, like Louis and Aricelli, better in the future. This series has such a long and varied history that can go with it and we just barely got a taste in the first book. This is one series I plan on definitely keeping up with and continuing to the end, although I will dread it when we know there is a final book coming.
The sex scenes in this book tell me that Redling really does have a fantastic imagination or she's a real panther in the sack. Either way, I look forward to reading more of them.
November 23, 2014
I received this book through NetGalley and Amazon Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
I am not really a fan of fantasy/romantic fantasy, especially ones that involve At first, I had trouble getting interested in this, but after 50 pages or so it began to get more interesting. It was a unique take on a genre that is a bit played out lately, and S. G. Redling has a very nice writing style. The story moves along pretty quickly after the first part, and you really get interested in the story. I felt like parts of the book could have been expanded upon more, and the ending seemed rushed.
The only thing I really didn't like was (minor plot spoilers)
I am not really a fan of fantasy/romantic fantasy, especially ones that involve At first, I had trouble getting interested in this, but after 50 pages or so it began to get more interesting. It was a unique take on a genre that is a bit played out lately, and S. G. Redling has a very nice writing style. The story moves along pretty quickly after the first part, and you really get interested in the story. I felt like parts of the book could have been expanded upon more, and the ending seemed rushed.
The only thing I really didn't like was (minor plot spoilers)
January 3, 2015
S.G. Redling tells a tale of the Nahan, the real species of human hiding among us and the basis of the vampire myths. They get energy from blood, can hypnotize with their breath, and live for centuries but are quite alive. Killing a common human while drinking their blood gets them high. Ourselves (ebook from 47North) is the tale of Stell, a Nahan raised in a religious group that tries to deny the Nahan blood thirst. She ignored their teaching and mostly ran wild in the woods where she met Tomas. Tomas applies and gets accepted to join the ruling Storytellers, a job that takes the special talents. Something went wrong with the previous apprentice and Stell and Thomas have to break a few rules to get to the bottom of a corruption in Nahan life. Very intense.Review printed by Philadelphia Weekly Press
July 21, 2015
This book should have been an easy day read for me due to its size. However, it took me so long to read because I found it boring. I kept waiting for the good parts to happen and they never came. I found the sex was too vulgar for me. I felt it took away from the story. The author felled to deliver this one for me. The ending was very disappointing, I felt it could have been more exciting. It did keep my attention enough to make it threw. There were some interesting parts, like the made up language. I feel that the next book may be better so I'm not giving up hope on this series just yet.
August 12, 2015
A Different Tale
Ok I first read The Widow File followed immediately by Redemtion Key both of which I LOVED so both Ourselves and Flowertown were a disappointment. Not only were they entirely different in genre but, I didn't ever come to LIKE any of the characters that much. It felt long and slightly depressing. The originality of the vampire was good but, if I had started with this book I would not have ordered any more of this writer. Luckily for me, I didn't and can highly recommend her other work.
Ok I first read The Widow File followed immediately by Redemtion Key both of which I LOVED so both Ourselves and Flowertown were a disappointment. Not only were they entirely different in genre but, I didn't ever come to LIKE any of the characters that much. It felt long and slightly depressing. The originality of the vampire was good but, if I had started with this book I would not have ordered any more of this writer. Luckily for me, I didn't and can highly recommend her other work.
June 15, 2015
I struggled with this book, hard a hard time following it. If I don't like or feel for the characters then that makes it all more difficult, I did not like one of the main characters Stell. I have read many of SG Redling's book and absolutely loved them, this one is not a favorite. I see it is listed as #1 in the Nahan series. I will not be reading additional books in this series.
February 23, 2015
Imaginative, sexy, violent
Presuming that our monster lore as humans has a source in reality, this story explains the society of the Nahan. They live among common people while being slowly aging and blood lusting. While there are well described sexual encounters, there is also a different society to unfold and their own conspiracies the story works with.
Presuming that our monster lore as humans has a source in reality, this story explains the society of the Nahan. They live among common people while being slowly aging and blood lusting. While there are well described sexual encounters, there is also a different society to unfold and their own conspiracies the story works with.
November 10, 2015
The story was interesting, but not really my cup of tea. At times the story seemed small and intimate, but then it turns into something with much larger implications, but it doesn't quite live up to the scope and scale that it deserves.
I did like the characters much more in the later parts of the book as they developed, and I like the implications of the epilogue.
I did like the characters much more in the later parts of the book as they developed, and I like the implications of the epilogue.
April 24, 2015
Started out reading this one the old fashioned way, but due to crazy scheduling finished it out from the audio book. Sheila told an awesome story that kept me entertained to the end. I can't wait for the next one! :)
August 28, 2017
I liked that this book was different than the normal YA paranormal book. The subject was along the normal vein but it was presented differently. I liked the characters and found it a pretty quick and easy read.
*I received this book for free through the Good Reads First Reads program.
*I received this book for free through the Good Reads First Reads program.
March 30, 2015
A page turner! Well paced, surprises around every corner. A totally new take on the vampire tale. Not a genre I usually read, but now I can't wait for the next book to follow the story. Highly recommend this book.
May 25, 2015
Loved!!!
The author had an interesting way of describing the way that vampires live in our society and theirs. If you like this type of a story you will love this one. It was a kind of storyline that I will read more from this author.
The author had an interesting way of describing the way that vampires live in our society and theirs. If you like this type of a story you will love this one. It was a kind of storyline that I will read more from this author.
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October 17, 2015Good read
S.G. Redling did a great job with this story. It's a really interesting idea, or many ideas, that come together really well. It was captivating and the characters were interesting and developed.
S.G. Redling did a great job with this story. It's a really interesting idea, or many ideas, that come together really well. It was captivating and the characters were interesting and developed.
February 28, 2015
Went into this one blind. Wouldn't have picked it up if I knew it was another take on Vampires.
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