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Soul Journey
It has been many lifetimes since the cycle began.
The cycle that still haunts Annisa Lawson.
A spell cast in desperation to help, which only caused heartache.
Now, Annisa has found her way out of the varying repeats of her past; only to bring more danger to herself, and those around her. Now she must learn to survive with the help of her Chase, Penelope, and Landon have all gone through each life cycle with Annisa. Sometimes helping, sometimes hindering. Now that Annisa has broken the cycle of their collective punishment, she finds that she needs her friends more than ever to keep their enemies, known, and unknown, at bay. As the group of friends learn of their souls' journeys through their many life cycles, they must also learn to control the magick they have discovered within themselves and each other, in order to defeat the most feared assassin in their world.
The cycle that still haunts Annisa Lawson.
A spell cast in desperation to help, which only caused heartache.
Now, Annisa has found her way out of the varying repeats of her past; only to bring more danger to herself, and those around her. Now she must learn to survive with the help of her Chase, Penelope, and Landon have all gone through each life cycle with Annisa. Sometimes helping, sometimes hindering. Now that Annisa has broken the cycle of their collective punishment, she finds that she needs her friends more than ever to keep their enemies, known, and unknown, at bay. As the group of friends learn of their souls' journeys through their many life cycles, they must also learn to control the magick they have discovered within themselves and each other, in order to defeat the most feared assassin in their world.
- GenresFantasy
ebook
First published August 31, 2014
11 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Miranda Shanklin
14 books110 followersMiranda Shanklin resides in Central Illinois with her husband and their two children. When she is not working at her day job as a paralegal, running her children to practices or supporting them at events she is writing. She has been an avid reader most of her life and has always dreamed of writing her own books someday. Now that her children are reaching their teenage years she is finding the time to sit down and chase her dream.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 23, 2015
I liked the story line in this book. The author has a real gift for clear and concise world building. I loved the relationship between...the two who eventually get together ;P and liked that the love triangle didn't drag on and become nasty - making the main character look trashy.
I really think a good edit could have taken this to four stars for me. I've written in first person myself and know it can be hard not to slip into the wrong tense within that.
And though I really enjoyed the various characters and relationships with the parents, I feel believability could have been boosted with a few more 'mistakes' on the teenagers behalf (I would love to have these children, they seem like angels!) For instance, I really loved when Anissa slipped up in her dealings with Rayne. It made her seem more relatable and more three-dimensional as a character.
Shanklin has done really well to create a fast paced and unique world. Well done!
I really think a good edit could have taken this to four stars for me. I've written in first person myself and know it can be hard not to slip into the wrong tense within that.
And though I really enjoyed the various characters and relationships with the parents, I feel believability could have been boosted with a few more 'mistakes' on the teenagers behalf (I would love to have these children, they seem like angels!) For instance, I really loved when Anissa slipped up in her dealings with Rayne. It made her seem more relatable and more three-dimensional as a character.
Shanklin has done really well to create a fast paced and unique world. Well done!
December 3, 2014
Fantastic coming of age story with a fun Sci-fi/Fantasy twist! The description of magic and how it's wielded was absolutely beautiful, it actually gave me chills. Book 2, Soul Redemption is definitely on my TBR!
January 9, 2015
**I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
First off, let me just say that I really quite like the cover of this book. The colors are definitely eye-catching, and that's part of what intrigued me about the book. I was also mildly intrigued by the synopsis and wanted to read Soul Journey to find out what it was all about.
Soul Journey tells the story of Annisa, a fifteen year old girl who believes she's normal. A simple, normal high school girl. Sure, she's captain of the cheerleading squad and happens to be dating the quarterback of the football team, but that doesn't make her anything special. Or so she thinks...
Enter Chase and Penelope, Annisa's new neighbors. There's something very appealing about the pair, and Annisa can't help but be drawn to them. However, befriending them starts her down a path that will forever change her entire world.
Can Annisa handle the truth about who she really is, and is she prepared to face the challenges that come with that truth? You'll have to read the book to find out.
Okay, so when I first started reading Soul Journey, I was a little surprised by how rushed it seemed. At least it felt that way to me. There really isn't much back story for Annisa. It just sort of starts with her meeting Chase and Penelope, and then things progress from there. You do eventually find out a little more about Annisa later on, but I wasn't expecting the story to start so quickly.
There is also a very adult scene in the book that went on a little longer than I expected it to. I have no problem with adult content in books, but I went into this believing it was young adult. I felt like this scene was a bit too much for the genre, especially considering the characters are sixteen. I know teenagers do these things, but it kind of threw me out of the story for a little bit.
As for the characters, I found it a bit difficult to get attached to any of them. I don't know if it was because the plot seemed to move along at the pace it did, or if it was something else. The only character I really even remotely cared about in some small way was Rayne, and she's considered a "bad guy" in the book.
Annisa and her boyfriend, Landon, have the All-American apple pie vibe going on. They're popular and pretty and well-liked. Penelope and Chase seem a little too perfect, as well. I guess it could be because of the secret they're hiding, but I didn't particularly care for any of them.
It also seemed like once the truth came out and things started to progress in the book, all four of the main characters didn't really have to struggle with much. Everything seemed to come naturally to them, and very rarely did they make any mistakes. I found that a little hard to believe and was slightly disappointed by this. Sure, there are a couple of consequences here and there, but for the most part, nothing too bad ever really happens. I would have liked to have seen the group dealing with more "problems" or pitfalls.
Now, I do feel bad saying this, but the one thing that really made me struggle to get through the book was the editing. I don't know if the book was edited, but there were so many grammatical errors and a handful of spelling errors/wrong word usage throughout the book that I had to keep stopping to fix the mistakes in my head before continuing on. I honestly don't like being so harsh, but bad grammar and spelling are a huge pet peeve of mine. Even moreso now that I've started an editing service. I feel like if the book had been edited a little better, it wouldn't have been such a problem for me to get through it.
Overall, I felt like Soul Journey had potential, but it sort of fell a bit flat for me. I really did like the premise of the story, but I just couldn't get into it like I wanted to. I do believe in being 100% honest in my reviews, even if I feel kind of bad that I've rated a book on the low side. I think constructive criticism and honesty can be good, and if I were an author, I'd want readers to be 100% truthful in their reviews.
Anyway, even though I wasn't overly fond of Soul Journey, I am going to give Soul Redemption, the second book, a shot and see if I like that one any better. Soul Journey, for me, only gets a 2.5 star rating.
If you think you'll like the story more than I did, and you're into young adult stories with romance and supernatural elements, then give Soul Journey a chance.
First off, let me just say that I really quite like the cover of this book. The colors are definitely eye-catching, and that's part of what intrigued me about the book. I was also mildly intrigued by the synopsis and wanted to read Soul Journey to find out what it was all about.
Soul Journey tells the story of Annisa, a fifteen year old girl who believes she's normal. A simple, normal high school girl. Sure, she's captain of the cheerleading squad and happens to be dating the quarterback of the football team, but that doesn't make her anything special. Or so she thinks...
Enter Chase and Penelope, Annisa's new neighbors. There's something very appealing about the pair, and Annisa can't help but be drawn to them. However, befriending them starts her down a path that will forever change her entire world.
Can Annisa handle the truth about who she really is, and is she prepared to face the challenges that come with that truth? You'll have to read the book to find out.
Okay, so when I first started reading Soul Journey, I was a little surprised by how rushed it seemed. At least it felt that way to me. There really isn't much back story for Annisa. It just sort of starts with her meeting Chase and Penelope, and then things progress from there. You do eventually find out a little more about Annisa later on, but I wasn't expecting the story to start so quickly.
There is also a very adult scene in the book that went on a little longer than I expected it to. I have no problem with adult content in books, but I went into this believing it was young adult. I felt like this scene was a bit too much for the genre, especially considering the characters are sixteen. I know teenagers do these things, but it kind of threw me out of the story for a little bit.
As for the characters, I found it a bit difficult to get attached to any of them. I don't know if it was because the plot seemed to move along at the pace it did, or if it was something else. The only character I really even remotely cared about in some small way was Rayne, and she's considered a "bad guy" in the book.
Annisa and her boyfriend, Landon, have the All-American apple pie vibe going on. They're popular and pretty and well-liked. Penelope and Chase seem a little too perfect, as well. I guess it could be because of the secret they're hiding, but I didn't particularly care for any of them.
It also seemed like once the truth came out and things started to progress in the book, all four of the main characters didn't really have to struggle with much. Everything seemed to come naturally to them, and very rarely did they make any mistakes. I found that a little hard to believe and was slightly disappointed by this. Sure, there are a couple of consequences here and there, but for the most part, nothing too bad ever really happens. I would have liked to have seen the group dealing with more "problems" or pitfalls.
Now, I do feel bad saying this, but the one thing that really made me struggle to get through the book was the editing. I don't know if the book was edited, but there were so many grammatical errors and a handful of spelling errors/wrong word usage throughout the book that I had to keep stopping to fix the mistakes in my head before continuing on. I honestly don't like being so harsh, but bad grammar and spelling are a huge pet peeve of mine. Even moreso now that I've started an editing service. I feel like if the book had been edited a little better, it wouldn't have been such a problem for me to get through it.
Overall, I felt like Soul Journey had potential, but it sort of fell a bit flat for me. I really did like the premise of the story, but I just couldn't get into it like I wanted to. I do believe in being 100% honest in my reviews, even if I feel kind of bad that I've rated a book on the low side. I think constructive criticism and honesty can be good, and if I were an author, I'd want readers to be 100% truthful in their reviews.
Anyway, even though I wasn't overly fond of Soul Journey, I am going to give Soul Redemption, the second book, a shot and see if I like that one any better. Soul Journey, for me, only gets a 2.5 star rating.
If you think you'll like the story more than I did, and you're into young adult stories with romance and supernatural elements, then give Soul Journey a chance.
June 23, 2015
Annisa is living a perfect life, as head cheerleader, and the captain of the football team as her boyfriend. But something seems to be missing. Something that becomes apparent when Chase and his sister move in next door; something that will change everything she thought she knew about herself.
I bought the book as part of the Author Promo Co-op's May read (so let's pretend it's still May - shush).
It follows the story of Annisa as she meets Chase and Penelope for the first time, but immediately feels a connection with them - that she could confide anything in Penelope; and that Chase inspires a level of love and desire that she never felt with her boyfriend, Landon.
As it gets closer to her 16th birthday, her parents finally reveal why she feels so different - she is a witch.
I really like Shanklin's take on witches, that there are a finite number of them, and their souls are continuously reborn. The magic that their parents teach them; and the spells that our four main characters experiment with all feel like they come from a solid background.
I think it's an interesting concept about finding ones' soulmate again, everytime you're reborn. I think the parents have a very hard line to walk - they know their kids are meant to be together, and have had a serious relationship in every reincarnation. They know they'll want to be close, but they still have to maintain some boundaries.
And the not-so-good?
The main problem I had with the story was the sameyness of it all. Everyone was totally ok with everything. Annisa wasn't bothered that her parents had lied to her all her life. Landon didn't care too much that his long-term girlfriend dumped him for the new guy. Chase was perfectly content to go along with everything Annisa said (even when he was angry at her, it was a very quiet "let's discuss this like adults and come to a mutually beneficial conclusion" sort of anger). Their parental people were all supportive, understanding and agreeable (even the parents that had been seduced by dark magic).
And Penelope?
There's a lot of mutually beneficial discussions and planning that goes on, which I found a little repetitive as the book went on. There were quite a few instances of Annisa thinking something in detail; then repeating it in dialogue to discuss with friends/parents in equal detail. I felt like I was always being told twice about everything, rather than Shanklin trusting the strength of her characters' dialogue to get the message across.
Finally, just one small thing. For most of the book, it felt like a YA read, being based on teenagers, and the writing having the air of safety and support. I was shocked when it suddenly jumped into full on smex! It was like watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch and accidentally switching over to 50 Shades!
Now, I have no problems with steamy sex scenes, but it just felt so against the whole vibe of the book. I was expecting a bit of kissing and cuddling and fade to black. Soul Journey just felt confused as to who it was aimed at.
Overall, I think it's a series with a lot of potential, I really like the background of it all. I just think the execution lost a little of its direction.
I bought the book as part of the Author Promo Co-op's May read (so let's pretend it's still May - shush).
It follows the story of Annisa as she meets Chase and Penelope for the first time, but immediately feels a connection with them - that she could confide anything in Penelope; and that Chase inspires a level of love and desire that she never felt with her boyfriend, Landon.
As it gets closer to her 16th birthday, her parents finally reveal why she feels so different - she is a witch.
I really like Shanklin's take on witches, that there are a finite number of them, and their souls are continuously reborn. The magic that their parents teach them; and the spells that our four main characters experiment with all feel like they come from a solid background.
I think it's an interesting concept about finding ones' soulmate again, everytime you're reborn. I think the parents have a very hard line to walk - they know their kids are meant to be together, and have had a serious relationship in every reincarnation. They know they'll want to be close, but they still have to maintain some boundaries.
And the not-so-good?
The main problem I had with the story was the sameyness of it all. Everyone was totally ok with everything. Annisa wasn't bothered that her parents had lied to her all her life. Landon didn't care too much that his long-term girlfriend dumped him for the new guy. Chase was perfectly content to go along with everything Annisa said (even when he was angry at her, it was a very quiet "let's discuss this like adults and come to a mutually beneficial conclusion" sort of anger). Their parental people were all supportive, understanding and agreeable (even the parents that had been seduced by dark magic).
And Penelope?
There's a lot of mutually beneficial discussions and planning that goes on, which I found a little repetitive as the book went on. There were quite a few instances of Annisa thinking something in detail; then repeating it in dialogue to discuss with friends/parents in equal detail. I felt like I was always being told twice about everything, rather than Shanklin trusting the strength of her characters' dialogue to get the message across.
Finally, just one small thing. For most of the book, it felt like a YA read, being based on teenagers, and the writing having the air of safety and support. I was shocked when it suddenly jumped into full on smex! It was like watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch and accidentally switching over to 50 Shades!
Now, I have no problems with steamy sex scenes, but it just felt so against the whole vibe of the book. I was expecting a bit of kissing and cuddling and fade to black. Soul Journey just felt confused as to who it was aimed at.
Overall, I think it's a series with a lot of potential, I really like the background of it all. I just think the execution lost a little of its direction.
November 10, 2014
Meet the beautiful and talented 15, almost 16 year old Annissa. She has the perfect teenage life: she's captain of the cheer squad, her boyfriend, is the captain if the football team, she has parents who love her deeply, and she's a witch! Her life was perfect, until Chase and his sister Pamela moved in next door. The minute she see's Chase for the first time, overwhelming emotions arise within her and she starts to double think her love for her boyfriend Logan. When her parents tell her on her 16th birthday that she is a witch, she couldn't be happier! But being a witch bears a burden, and that burden contains adventure and evil entwined together. Can Annissa, Chase, Pamela, and Logan beat the odds and conquer evil? Will Annisa choose Logan over Chase? Will they be able to handle the secrets they uncover?
Seriously great, Miranda is a great author! I had to break away from reading for about 6 hours and I was literally devastated and ended up rereading it from the beginning! This book is hard to put down, amazingly written, and it totally captures your attention. GREAT READ!
Seriously great, Miranda is a great author! I had to break away from reading for about 6 hours and I was literally devastated and ended up rereading it from the beginning! This book is hard to put down, amazingly written, and it totally captures your attention. GREAT READ!
November 1, 2015
Such an amazing book!!!
I don't even know where to begin... the feels, the conflict & uncertantity of life is almost too much for Annisa, but she recovers beautifully and accecpts her new found lot in life with grace & dignity.
This book has it all... mystery, love, conflict, regret, action... I have throughly enjoyed it!
I don't even know where to begin... the feels, the conflict & uncertantity of life is almost too much for Annisa, but she recovers beautifully and accecpts her new found lot in life with grace & dignity.
This book has it all... mystery, love, conflict, regret, action... I have throughly enjoyed it!
June 25, 2015
Leading the same life over and over to stop making the same mistake and never knowing you are doing it. That is the issue a group of teen just found out they are witches experience. I book that kept me enthralled from the first page
July 10, 2017
Soul Journey follows Annisa a "normal" teenage girl who finds out she is a witch on her 16th birthday and some how her new neighbors Chase and Penelope and her boyfriend Landon have all been connected for centuries!
Before Annisa turns 16 her boyfriend Landon has a streak of control and possessiveness; the way that Annisa handles it was mature and I wish every 15 year old girl had the confidence to tell Landon what he was doing wasn't cool and he needed to stop! This made me feel connected to Annisa on so many levels!! It was so refreshing to see a girl put her foot down and demand some respect!
I really enjoyed the authors take on magick in this story! So many teen books leave out the adults and I loved that the adults were guiding figures and played a huge role in the plot! The way the author introduces the magic using the parents was so refreshing! Also refreshing is the mention of teenagers having sex. . . . GASP. . . I know, I know teenagers NEVER have sex.... sorry lots of sarcasm in that last sentence! The characters talk about sex but not in a way that younger teens cannot read this story. It was done very well!
When I learned that Annisa and her friends had lived many past lives I was ready for some historical flashbacks or just some general history threaded throughout the book and I was a little disappointed that there wasn't but that may because I am a huge history nerd! I also wasn't a fan of some of the moments when these kids acted a bit TOO mature. They are still kids and I was looking for more naiveté from the characters.
Overall this book was so much fun to read! The romances were swoony, the world building was great, and the characters had depth and were well developed for the most part. This is the perfect read for and lover of Fantasy and Young Adult Fiction.
Before Annisa turns 16 her boyfriend Landon has a streak of control and possessiveness; the way that Annisa handles it was mature and I wish every 15 year old girl had the confidence to tell Landon what he was doing wasn't cool and he needed to stop! This made me feel connected to Annisa on so many levels!! It was so refreshing to see a girl put her foot down and demand some respect!
I really enjoyed the authors take on magick in this story! So many teen books leave out the adults and I loved that the adults were guiding figures and played a huge role in the plot! The way the author introduces the magic using the parents was so refreshing! Also refreshing is the mention of teenagers having sex. . . . GASP. . . I know, I know teenagers NEVER have sex.... sorry lots of sarcasm in that last sentence! The characters talk about sex but not in a way that younger teens cannot read this story. It was done very well!
When I learned that Annisa and her friends had lived many past lives I was ready for some historical flashbacks or just some general history threaded throughout the book and I was a little disappointed that there wasn't but that may because I am a huge history nerd! I also wasn't a fan of some of the moments when these kids acted a bit TOO mature. They are still kids and I was looking for more naiveté from the characters.
Overall this book was so much fun to read! The romances were swoony, the world building was great, and the characters had depth and were well developed for the most part. This is the perfect read for and lover of Fantasy and Young Adult Fiction.
October 14, 2017
Typically I don't review or rate books I DNF. But this book is something I need to remind future Heather to not give another shot.
The Owlery on YouTube was nice enough to have a giveaway for this book, I entered it because the book sounded interesting and I won! I was pretty excited for this book. I saved it for October because it was advertised as a book about witches. I am still super honored to win, but this isn't for me.
Unfortunately the writing is pretty bad. The dialogue is flat and robotic. Not at all authentic or believable. The main character meets her neighbors and immediately wants to be with one of them Chase despite having a boyfriend and literally just meeting him. 31 pages in she's already considering dumping her boyfriend she's been with for a long time to be with Chase. She's also super immature and acts 12-13 instead of a 16 year old.
The writing jumps all over the place, doesn't give the reader any setting or anything to ground the story. It feels like a first draft. I got about 50 pages in before deciding I needed to stop.
I really do not recommend this book.
The Owlery on YouTube was nice enough to have a giveaway for this book, I entered it because the book sounded interesting and I won! I was pretty excited for this book. I saved it for October because it was advertised as a book about witches. I am still super honored to win, but this isn't for me.
Unfortunately the writing is pretty bad. The dialogue is flat and robotic. Not at all authentic or believable. The main character meets her neighbors and immediately wants to be with one of them Chase despite having a boyfriend and literally just meeting him. 31 pages in she's already considering dumping her boyfriend she's been with for a long time to be with Chase. She's also super immature and acts 12-13 instead of a 16 year old.
The writing jumps all over the place, doesn't give the reader any setting or anything to ground the story. It feels like a first draft. I got about 50 pages in before deciding I needed to stop.
I really do not recommend this book.
November 14, 2014
This is the story of Annisa Lawson, who generally lives a picture perfect life. She's the captain of the cheerleading squad, her long time boyfriend and best friend Landon's the quarterback, she's pretty and popular and yet she still can't fight the feeling that she's not like every one else around her. There's something different about her. Then her new neighbors move in next door, and her life gets turned upside down. It takes one look into the eyes of the cutie next door for her to begin to question everything about her life. Then on her 16th birthday, she learns that she was right all along. She's not normal she's a witch along with long time boyfriend and best friend Landon and her new neighbors Chase and Penelope. Confused by the attraction she feels for Chase, Annisa learns she has to make a decision for it was this same situation with Chase and Landon that got them into this mess in the first place. Torn between what she thought was love, and what she feels could be love Annisa makes her choice, which opens up a whole new world of problems. The four teens come together to form a very powerful bond which comes in handy as they face off against jealous girls, their worlds best assassin and the ones who govern them all in the Counsel. We join Annisa and the gang on their adventure to save the world.
There was a lot about this story that I really liked. The story line had pretty much everything I look for in stories like this. I loved the maturity in our younger characters, you don't always see that in a YA novel. I loved the bad girl that we got with Rayne. The relationship between our four main characters was great. There were a few things that bothered me though. The biggie for me honestly was the sex scenes. I thought they were a little intense for a YA novel, I had a hard time reading about freshly 16 year olds and their sex lives. I'm not naive, I know it happens, unfortunately it was just something that took away from the book for me. Parts also seemed to drag for me, and it took me a little bit longer to get through some of them. Honestly, I think if I had of read this story as an N/A novel I likely would have rated this story a 4.
Caitlin
(ARC provided in exchange for an honest review)
There was a lot about this story that I really liked. The story line had pretty much everything I look for in stories like this. I loved the maturity in our younger characters, you don't always see that in a YA novel. I loved the bad girl that we got with Rayne. The relationship between our four main characters was great. There were a few things that bothered me though. The biggie for me honestly was the sex scenes. I thought they were a little intense for a YA novel, I had a hard time reading about freshly 16 year olds and their sex lives. I'm not naive, I know it happens, unfortunately it was just something that took away from the book for me. Parts also seemed to drag for me, and it took me a little bit longer to get through some of them. Honestly, I think if I had of read this story as an N/A novel I likely would have rated this story a 4.
Caitlin
(ARC provided in exchange for an honest review)
April 20, 2015
*This book was provided by the publisher/author for an honest review.
Annisa Lawson is a 15 yer old girl who seemingly has a normal life. She is a cheerleader and dates a football player (Landon) and that makes her kind of special at school. Kind of popular. Then things change. Enter her new neighbors Chase and Penelope. She feels a pull to Chase and starts to doubt her feelings for her boyfriend. THEN her parents tell her a HUGE SECRET on her 16th birthday. One that changes everything.
There is an progressively adult situation in this book. Now it's categorized as YA because of the age of the characters in the book but please make sure you are mature enough to handle this book.
This book has so much potential. The characters development and world building felt rushed. I would like to read on to see how the story and the author progressed. I give the author a 3.5 rounded to a 4. The premise is genuinely attractive.
Gladys #XOXOtheNerdGirl
**This review was done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official Blog. See our fan page for more details! :-)
Annisa Lawson is a 15 yer old girl who seemingly has a normal life. She is a cheerleader and dates a football player (Landon) and that makes her kind of special at school. Kind of popular. Then things change. Enter her new neighbors Chase and Penelope. She feels a pull to Chase and starts to doubt her feelings for her boyfriend. THEN her parents tell her a HUGE SECRET on her 16th birthday. One that changes everything.
There is an progressively adult situation in this book. Now it's categorized as YA because of the age of the characters in the book but please make sure you are mature enough to handle this book.
This book has so much potential. The characters development and world building felt rushed. I would like to read on to see how the story and the author progressed. I give the author a 3.5 rounded to a 4. The premise is genuinely attractive.
Gladys #XOXOtheNerdGirl
**This review was done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official Blog. See our fan page for more details! :-)
July 20, 2016
This is a story/series right up my alley, I mean really what's not to love, witches, magic, friendship, action, mystery, conflict, regret, love, seriously what could possibly be missing.
This is a read that does not grab you immediately, but as soon as it does you are hooked! I enjoy when a story is so vividly described that you feel as though you are there, living right beside the characters. Shanklin world and characters Annisa, Chase, Penelope and Landon are beautifully written. I love the concept of the souls journey, of reliving your past mistakes until you get them right.
This is a definite read! I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
This is a read that does not grab you immediately, but as soon as it does you are hooked! I enjoy when a story is so vividly described that you feel as though you are there, living right beside the characters. Shanklin world and characters Annisa, Chase, Penelope and Landon are beautifully written. I love the concept of the souls journey, of reliving your past mistakes until you get them right.
This is a definite read! I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
March 26, 2016
Wow what a great start to a series, a new to me author that I will be looking out for in the future.
I enjoyed this book and the authors ability to keep me captivated with not only a great storyline but amazing details.
A YA coming of age read, that was filled with magic, friendship and love..
Four magical teenagers must come together and correct a mistake made in a past life, if they can, they will receive their full powers.... Can they succeed or will the power be to much?
I would definitely recommend this read to young and old a like, and to all fans of the magical/ fantasy/ paranormal genre.
I enjoyed this book and the authors ability to keep me captivated with not only a great storyline but amazing details.
A YA coming of age read, that was filled with magic, friendship and love..
Four magical teenagers must come together and correct a mistake made in a past life, if they can, they will receive their full powers.... Can they succeed or will the power be to much?
I would definitely recommend this read to young and old a like, and to all fans of the magical/ fantasy/ paranormal genre.
June 29, 2015
Great start to a new series (the Soul Series) by Miranda Shanklin that I can not wait to get to the next book. Repeating things until you can get it right, but you do not get to know you are repeating them. Not another teen witch story this one is a bit more adult, though it involves teens. Learning to get along with new people at 16 is hard enough without knowing that the 4 of you have a long history that has lead to disaster many times in the past. Kids that need to grow up before their time and take on some pretty big enemies. I will be interested to see how the couples grow and become a tight team a force to be reckoned with.
I was gifted a copy of the book for an honest review
I was gifted a copy of the book for an honest review
April 4, 2015
A new author for me. So glad I have a friend who introduced me to her books. I love the way she wrote this. I'll be reading more of her books in this series.
I received a copy of this for an honest review.
I received a copy of this for an honest review.
June 28, 2015
I really loved the fresh approach to a paranormal story. It was a little slow at start, but, it did not take long for me to become hooked. I can't wait to find out what happenes next. I have already purchased book 2 so I can continue this great story! Awesome awesome awesome!!
February 4, 2015
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the rest of the series. This isn't the usual type of book that I read, but it was nice to step outside of the box so to speak.
October 17, 2020
I really wanted to like this book. It has witches and soul mates and a pretty cool cover. What's not to like? Sadly it could have been a lot better. Almost the entire thing was told and not shown. There was nothing left to the imagination. It was kind of like reading a textbook. The book starts right in on the love triangle without giving us a chance to even like (or dislike) the MCs boyfriend before introducing the real love interest. The dialogue only existed to explain what the rest of the book already explained and it wasn't natural. There was no nuance. The characters were all super rational and level headed except when they weren't but even then their outbursts didn't have any weight to it because everything was explained. The parents also didn't feel like parents. They felt like idk, children or something? And the kids felt too old but also still childish? Idk its hard to explain. But because of all that I didn't care about the characters at all. None of them. Not even the MC. This book desperately needed an editor.
That being said I did like the idea of the book. Like I said, witches and soulmates. The witches reincarnate and are left to find their soulmate each iteration and these four kids have been forced to relive their past mistake each iteration as punishment. I mean, there is a way out but the MC has to make that decision and has failed until this book. I have the second book so I am going to give it a try at some point.
Oh and I saw a review mention that there is a sex scene that doesn't fit the book at all and that's one thing that was done ok? The MC talks about wanting her first time to be with someone truly special and she doesn't want to do it with her boyfriend just yet even though he pressures her and then she meets her soulmate and they can't keep their hands off each other but they are still going to wait and whatnot. It's sprinkled throughout the book so it's not really like it's out of left field and it's fade to black so it still fits a YA book imo.
That being said I did like the idea of the book. Like I said, witches and soulmates. The witches reincarnate and are left to find their soulmate each iteration and these four kids have been forced to relive their past mistake each iteration as punishment. I mean, there is a way out but the MC has to make that decision and has failed until this book. I have the second book so I am going to give it a try at some point.
Oh and I saw a review mention that there is a sex scene that doesn't fit the book at all and that's one thing that was done ok? The MC talks about wanting her first time to be with someone truly special and she doesn't want to do it with her boyfriend just yet even though he pressures her and then she meets her soulmate and they can't keep their hands off each other but they are still going to wait and whatnot. It's sprinkled throughout the book so it's not really like it's out of left field and it's fade to black so it still fits a YA book imo.
July 13, 2018
This is a fun, quick read with a blast of supernatural! The book is categorized as YA (I believe because of the age of the characters) but is more on the NA side (as there are some adult situations that at times make it a little more adult-y). First, this cover is gorgeous and super eye catching and second, the synopsis sounds like a great read. I am a sucker for just about anything paranormal. I dive into this story head first and before I knew it was the end! The author was very clear with the world and character building. This is a story of witches that basically are reincarnated and go through life cycles over and over again. The reason they stand out is that the four main characters are cursed and have to not repeat past mistakes…but not in this life time. Annisa finally makes a decision that breaks this punishment but now the punishment is over they are faced with a lot of situations that no one can really help them with as they have never made it this far in past lives. One of the things that I didn’t care too much for was the fact that the four teens break the punishment with almost no struggle (well, some teen angst) and as they come together they don’t really have any struggles on a teen level anymore. So I feel like there could have been a little more of a story with some other types of struggles but that didn’t make me stop reading. The bond the teens form is unbreakable and just works. The villains in this story are some of my favorite! And once they are introduced into the story you will totally understand why. As for the story as a whole, I am definitely going to continue as I would like to see what other types of struggles and issues the teens come up against. I am looking forward to how the story progresses and how the author continues to grow. Super intrigued here!!!!
April 1, 2016
Received this book for a honest review
So, Annisa is your average small town high schooler; captain of the cheerleaders, boyfriend is the hunky captain of the football team. Nothing is going to change the fact that they've been best friends since they were kids and boyfriend and girlfriend for years, they love each other.
Nothing until the new kids move in next door.
Chase and his little sister Penelope know no one in town and Annisa goes over to introduce herself and invite them to a end of the summer party to get to know the other kids.
Right away there is something that draws her to Chase and she feels as if she has known Penelope forever.
Her boyfriend, Landon, starts acting very possessive when Chase is around and she calls him on it. Torn she has to choose between her best friend and this crazy pull she feels around Chase, her heart and soul tell her to pick Chase.
Omg, who knew the crap was gonna hit the fan when she makes her choice!!
Witches are real, she and her family are witches. Also, Chase, Penelope, Landon, and they're families are as well!! Witches powers are from the soul thus when they die they do not go to heaven or hell, but rather a special place just for them until their souls are reincarnated in new bodies.
There's a good reason she had to choose and a good reason why these four witches are drawn to each other.
The four of them aren't just ordinary witches they are the most powerful of all and the witch council is trying to kill them!!
I really enjoyed the new take on witches!! Everyone has their own take on them and this is a good one.
Reading about the group made me feel like a teenager again, I wish I had those powers to use when someone was after my man. Lol!!
I've told my teenage daughter about the book, I've yet to let her read it though due to the fact o don't wanna give up my Kindle!!
Honestly, I really enjoyed it and the feeling of being young again that Shanklin's writing brought.
Buy your copy now to find out the reason the council wants them dead and why Annisa had to choose, I don't wanna give everything away!!
Can't wait to read book 2!
So, Annisa is your average small town high schooler; captain of the cheerleaders, boyfriend is the hunky captain of the football team. Nothing is going to change the fact that they've been best friends since they were kids and boyfriend and girlfriend for years, they love each other.
Nothing until the new kids move in next door.
Chase and his little sister Penelope know no one in town and Annisa goes over to introduce herself and invite them to a end of the summer party to get to know the other kids.
Right away there is something that draws her to Chase and she feels as if she has known Penelope forever.
Her boyfriend, Landon, starts acting very possessive when Chase is around and she calls him on it. Torn she has to choose between her best friend and this crazy pull she feels around Chase, her heart and soul tell her to pick Chase.
Omg, who knew the crap was gonna hit the fan when she makes her choice!!
Witches are real, she and her family are witches. Also, Chase, Penelope, Landon, and they're families are as well!! Witches powers are from the soul thus when they die they do not go to heaven or hell, but rather a special place just for them until their souls are reincarnated in new bodies.
There's a good reason she had to choose and a good reason why these four witches are drawn to each other.
The four of them aren't just ordinary witches they are the most powerful of all and the witch council is trying to kill them!!
I really enjoyed the new take on witches!! Everyone has their own take on them and this is a good one.
Reading about the group made me feel like a teenager again, I wish I had those powers to use when someone was after my man. Lol!!
I've told my teenage daughter about the book, I've yet to let her read it though due to the fact o don't wanna give up my Kindle!!
Honestly, I really enjoyed it and the feeling of being young again that Shanklin's writing brought.
Buy your copy now to find out the reason the council wants them dead and why Annisa had to choose, I don't wanna give everything away!!
Can't wait to read book 2!
August 4, 2016
Annisa Lawson seems like a typical teenager with a near-perfect life. She is a cheerleader, and her boyfriend is the captain of the football team. However, she is in for the shock of her life on her sixteenth birthday. Her parents drop a bombshell, which will change her life forever. The information explains her strange connection to newcomers in town, siblings Penelope and Chase, as well as to her boyfriend Landon. Powerful, evil forces are working against the group, and they will need to come together, as that is when they are at their strongest, if they hope to survive.
While the characters are in high school, this book feels a bit more like a New Adult coming-of-age story with a fantasy twist. At times, the young characters seem a bit too perfect. I would have enjoyed a bit more drama between Annisa and her parents, especially when she received the life-changing news. Some parts feel a little rushed, and others a bit too slow, though things do balance out by the end. While the premise has a lot of potential, it occasionally falls short. There are some editing issues throughout which detract from the story, at times. The cover is eye-catching and is a good fit for the story. The overall concept is a bit different from other paranormals I’ve read, which leaves me interested in seeing what happens next.
Disclaimer: I rec’d a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
While the characters are in high school, this book feels a bit more like a New Adult coming-of-age story with a fantasy twist. At times, the young characters seem a bit too perfect. I would have enjoyed a bit more drama between Annisa and her parents, especially when she received the life-changing news. Some parts feel a little rushed, and others a bit too slow, though things do balance out by the end. While the premise has a lot of potential, it occasionally falls short. There are some editing issues throughout which detract from the story, at times. The cover is eye-catching and is a good fit for the story. The overall concept is a bit different from other paranormals I’ve read, which leaves me interested in seeing what happens next.
Disclaimer: I rec’d a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
October 21, 2015
This book was a fairly fun ride from start to finish. The beginning is your basic High School teens doing normal High School things. Nothing outstanding, just establishing characters and the lay of the land. It’s not until Chapter Six that the other shoe drops. Once that happens; off we go to a whole other story, the lights are on, the shadows exposed, the story unfolds. I won’t get into the actual story as you can do as I have and read it cold, or you can read other reviews and learn what you need. I like to focus on letting people know the readability and quality of the book and/or story.
This book, while a good story, has things that jump out at me as needing a bit more rewrite, perhaps a thesaurus. I’m not going to show specific examples, but the dialogue gets repetitive in the same paragraphs at times. The descriptions use tired clichés or a jumble of explanations to establish a scene. Then, at other instances, the English as a whole is disjointed. Not a horrible write, but could use a bit of polish. It didn’t take me out of the story too much, and I certainly was anxious to read and see what developed, but there are spots that someone with a red pen could write in the margins.
After all is said and done, I have learned that currently there are 5 books in this series. I am looking forward to reading the rest, if only to see how the Journey of these Souls.
This book, while a good story, has things that jump out at me as needing a bit more rewrite, perhaps a thesaurus. I’m not going to show specific examples, but the dialogue gets repetitive in the same paragraphs at times. The descriptions use tired clichés or a jumble of explanations to establish a scene. Then, at other instances, the English as a whole is disjointed. Not a horrible write, but could use a bit of polish. It didn’t take me out of the story too much, and I certainly was anxious to read and see what developed, but there are spots that someone with a red pen could write in the margins.
After all is said and done, I have learned that currently there are 5 books in this series. I am looking forward to reading the rest, if only to see how the Journey of these Souls.
June 8, 2023
We start off this book with Annisa and Landon being a couple when a new brother and sister move in next door to Annisa. She feels an immediate pull to Chase but doesn't do anything as she is with Landon - even though he acts like a jerk at times. It all becomes clear and Landon's behaviour is explained. Annisa and Chase are together, and so are Penelope and Landon. This leads to a fast-paced fantasy adventure, as they learn more about themselves, who can help them, who is out to hinder them, and who wants to actually harm them.
Well written, with a full range of teenage emotions and reactions, this is a story that will sweep you away as you stay mainly with Chase and Annisa as they learn just who they are and what they are capable of.
With no editing or grammatical errors that I found, this was an enjoyable story from start to finish and I look forward to continuing their story!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 25, 2016
Well written, with a full range of teenage emotions and reactions, this is a story that will sweep you away as you stay mainly with Chase and Annisa as they learn just who they are and what they are capable of.
With no editing or grammatical errors that I found, this was an enjoyable story from start to finish and I look forward to continuing their story!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 25, 2016
May 14, 2016
The description of this book grabbed my attention immediately. I love paranormal stories and have always been fascinated with the multiple lives theory so this book was right up my alley. I was a little surprised at how quickly the story went into motion but found myself unable to put it down. I had forgotten about how much drama there can be when teenagers are involved and even more drama when they are witches. Worse, these 4 have lived multiple lives so of course our main character Annisa has to choose to stay with her best friend and boyfriend who up until now have lived a very high school musical kind of life or the new guy in town who she cannot keep herself away from. I knew who she would pick but was not expecting the aftermath that came with her decision. Worse, while all this picking and choosing is going on, the Witch Council is after the teens. There is so much more to this book but I would hate to give it all away but would recommend this book to anyone that likes witches, paranormal, or the multiple lives theory.
August 9, 2015
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is an interesting story about a sixteen year old girl named Annisa who happens to be a witch. Only up until her sixteenth birthday she has absolutely no idea that she is a witch, or that she has lived several lifetimes under a curse set in place to teach her a lesson for mistakes made in the past. I can't even begin to imagine what it would feel like to have my entire concept of reality turned upside down in the matter of one day and she actually handles it with an impressive level of maturity and understanding. Times are not easy for Annisa and she is tested at every turn. It's hard enough just being a sixteen year old girl without adding in all of the other new challenges she now faces. I enjoyed reading Annisa's story and can't wait to follow her on her journey.
March 28, 2016
annisa is close to her 16th birthday , going out with landon , who shes loved most of her life when new neighbours chase & penelope come into her life , as soon as annisa meets them she feels an instant connection to them , especially chase.
landon seems to hate chase for no reason until all their parents spill the beans & they find out that they have been reborn into the same families for generations & those families are all witches with annisa , landon , chase & penelope being the strongest , but only if they can work together & sort out their personal lives .if they make the right choices in theory they should live happily ever after but the witches council , which gave the families the punishment in first place aren't going to be happy whatever the outcome .
i was given this book as an arc in return for an honest opinion
landon seems to hate chase for no reason until all their parents spill the beans & they find out that they have been reborn into the same families for generations & those families are all witches with annisa , landon , chase & penelope being the strongest , but only if they can work together & sort out their personal lives .if they make the right choices in theory they should live happily ever after but the witches council , which gave the families the punishment in first place aren't going to be happy whatever the outcome .
i was given this book as an arc in return for an honest opinion
June 30, 2015
Interesting story about Annisa, a 16 year old girl who is a cheerleader, has a boyfriend Landon, and up until her mother tells her to introduce herself to the new neighbors, has no idea about the truth of her life. Life changes for her when she meets Chase and his sister Penelope. From there we are taken on a journey that involves magick, memories, turn of events for all four of them, and characters bent on destroying the four. Though filled with grammatical errors, the premise was different and should capture a reader’s attention. The idea that you go through life repeatedly to avoid the same mistakes is a catchy concept. This is a decent YA novel and though it did feel like it dragged a bit, still worth reading.
July 8, 2016
I am always excited when reading a new writer and this was an exceptional coming of age story with great science fiction and fantasy twist. This was a fun read of four bewitching teenagers coming together and learning to correct a very strong mistake made in a past life. If they can, make the change they will receive their full powers.
This story gave a wonderful description of magic and how it's accomplished. As a reader the vision was so strong it was like a movie. Fans will have a hard to putting down the book. It totally captures your attention to the very end.
Looking for a distinguished fantasy and enjoy roller-coaster ride full of magic, love, regret, conflict, mystery, and action, then stop and read.
This story gave a wonderful description of magic and how it's accomplished. As a reader the vision was so strong it was like a movie. Fans will have a hard to putting down the book. It totally captures your attention to the very end.
Looking for a distinguished fantasy and enjoy roller-coaster ride full of magic, love, regret, conflict, mystery, and action, then stop and read.
July 3, 2016
First let me say i love this cover! This is a great start to a series. For sure would say YA paranormal friendly. Lots of teen angst and such. Felt the characters could have been a developed more. I'm assuming there more fleshed out in the series. It is a tad rushed which put me off a bit but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and look forward to others. I would have loved more details about the characters to really have gotten into this novel but like I mentioned I believe they get more fleshed out in the series.
Annisa and Landon have tons of potential and I look forward to reading more about them. That goes for the sub characters as well. I need to know more : )
Annisa and Landon have tons of potential and I look forward to reading more about them. That goes for the sub characters as well. I need to know more : )
August 19, 2016
I met Miranda when I was at a local festival. The second I heard her tell me her book was about witches, I was sold. I thought this first book in her series was great. I bought the rest of her series.
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