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Sing For Me
Madeline Noel fled war-torn Heaven to hide within the mortal world, but the blessing that could protect her from evil is the holy realm's forbidden power.
As a talented soprano for the Eden Theatre Company, Madeline hides among prima donnas and tone-deaf flutists. Her perfect voice may entertain audiences, but a careless laugh may shatter glass, and her greatest scream can kill. To control her unrestrained voice, the angels forbid Madeline from embracing the emotions that strengthen her song. Anger. Fear.
Love.
The demon-hunter Damascus vows to defend Madeline from Hell’s relentless evil, but he cannot protect her from her own feelings. Though they deny their dangerous attraction, her guardian becomes her greatest temptation.
Surrendering to desire may awaken the gift suppressed within Madeline’s soul, and neither Heaven nor Hell will allow such absolute power to exist.
As a talented soprano for the Eden Theatre Company, Madeline hides among prima donnas and tone-deaf flutists. Her perfect voice may entertain audiences, but a careless laugh may shatter glass, and her greatest scream can kill. To control her unrestrained voice, the angels forbid Madeline from embracing the emotions that strengthen her song. Anger. Fear.
Love.
The demon-hunter Damascus vows to defend Madeline from Hell’s relentless evil, but he cannot protect her from her own feelings. Though they deny their dangerous attraction, her guardian becomes her greatest temptation.
Surrendering to desire may awaken the gift suppressed within Madeline’s soul, and neither Heaven nor Hell will allow such absolute power to exist.
371 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 20, 2015
3 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Gracie Madison
2 books11 followersGracie Madison would spend every day, all day writing...if it were socially acceptable. Ever since she was a little girl scribbling with a crayon, Gracie's dedicated herself to her books and all the supernatural and paranormal, creepy and beautiful stories and characters born within the pages. Now Gracie is committed to finally sharing those books with the world.
Her debut novel, Sing For Me, is releasing January 23rd, 2015, but that's only the first in the Angels and Arias series. Angels, demons, witches, wolves, vampires, and so many more fun--and sexy--paranormal creatures are coming!
Her debut novel, Sing For Me, is releasing January 23rd, 2015, but that's only the first in the Angels and Arias series. Angels, demons, witches, wolves, vampires, and so many more fun--and sexy--paranormal creatures are coming!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 6, 2015
Thanks to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for giving me this book to review.
Madeline has fled war-torn heaven and is hiding in the mortal world, in a theatre company, she is unable to use her full voice for fear of harming or killing others. She is protected by the demon hunter, Damascus, who has vowed to guard Madeline from the evils hunting her, but are they able to deny their attraction and desire for each other.
Sing For Me is an OK New Adult paranormal novel, but while it had an interesting plot idea, I just could get into it. I got really confused at parts of this book as it did not have good world building.
I could not connect to any of the characters in this book. Madeline is a determined character but she did send mixed message to Damascus, and I just could not get on with her as a character. Damascus is brave and protective, but is full of angst. The romance in this book was established before began and therefore I was not invested in it and didn’t care what happened.
This was not a bad book but I just could not get into it and had to DNF at 57%.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
Madeline has fled war-torn heaven and is hiding in the mortal world, in a theatre company, she is unable to use her full voice for fear of harming or killing others. She is protected by the demon hunter, Damascus, who has vowed to guard Madeline from the evils hunting her, but are they able to deny their attraction and desire for each other.
Sing For Me is an OK New Adult paranormal novel, but while it had an interesting plot idea, I just could get into it. I got really confused at parts of this book as it did not have good world building.
I could not connect to any of the characters in this book. Madeline is a determined character but she did send mixed message to Damascus, and I just could not get on with her as a character. Damascus is brave and protective, but is full of angst. The romance in this book was established before began and therefore I was not invested in it and didn’t care what happened.
This was not a bad book but I just could not get into it and had to DNF at 57%.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
February 11, 2015
~~3.75 SINGING HEARTS~~
I am really surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. It started off a little slow for me so that's why I thought this was going to be just mediocre. It really picked up and then I started getting pulled into the storyline. I like the angels and demons aspect of it. As I was reading I was asking myself, I wonder what goes through a writer's mind in order to come up with a story such as this. The idea of a mortal in love with her immortal protector made it that much more interesting for me. I love HEA's and this one worked out perfectly IMO.
January 20, 2015
This book has everything -- great characters, romance, action, angels, opera. All of it comes together for a intriguing, at times heart-breaking, at times funny, can't put it down story. I cannot wait for more.
I highly recommend Sing For Me.
Go read it now.
I highly recommend Sing For Me.
Go read it now.
March 30, 2015
DNF at 30%, chapter 9 of 31 chapters
ARC was provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
The blurb and the cover appeal me to request it on NetGalley, unfortunately I have to stop reading it now at 30% as I'm not that interested anymore. I've tried so many times to keep reading it and force myself to finish it, but I just couldn't do it now. Maybe I'll continue reading it in the future.
My biggest problem is I cannot connect to the characters, especially the main one, Madeline and Damascus. I don't know much about them and there are a lot of questions regarding of their existence. They are angels like I used to know but at the same time they are also different and the differences don't make sense to me. Maybe it'll be clearer the more I read it and I'll get answer for my questions, but I guess I just have to let it go for now.
I don't quite like Madeline personalities either. She and Damascus are fall in love but Realm, a place where they come from, forbids it. They know the consequences if they break the law. And yet they keep wanting to have relationship. I think this forbidden love is interesting and can be a good thing for the story, but Madeline hot and cold and push and pull attitude is annoying me. One minute she sends message to Damascus that she wants him but when he kiss her, she push him away. Another minute she tells him to stay away from her but then when he doesn't (seem to) pay attention to her, she whines that she needs his love. Those attitude happen a couple times in just 9 chapters, I cannot image her whine along the story.
And Damascus reminds me a bit of Edward Cullen but here in angel form. A I-love-you-but-we-cannot-be-together-but-I-cannot-stay-away-from-you-either-so-I-just-keep-watching-you-from-afar-and-watch-you-sleep kind of character.
And despite a few battle scenes, I'm bored with the story. The dialogues between the characters feel odd and awkward. I don't feel it like real conversation. And the description (the story is told from third POV) doesn't flow smoothly.
So that's it for now.
ARC was provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
The blurb and the cover appeal me to request it on NetGalley, unfortunately I have to stop reading it now at 30% as I'm not that interested anymore. I've tried so many times to keep reading it and force myself to finish it, but I just couldn't do it now. Maybe I'll continue reading it in the future.
My biggest problem is I cannot connect to the characters, especially the main one, Madeline and Damascus. I don't know much about them and there are a lot of questions regarding of their existence. They are angels like I used to know but at the same time they are also different and the differences don't make sense to me. Maybe it'll be clearer the more I read it and I'll get answer for my questions, but I guess I just have to let it go for now.
I don't quite like Madeline personalities either. She and Damascus are fall in love but Realm, a place where they come from, forbids it. They know the consequences if they break the law. And yet they keep wanting to have relationship. I think this forbidden love is interesting and can be a good thing for the story, but Madeline hot and cold and push and pull attitude is annoying me. One minute she sends message to Damascus that she wants him but when he kiss her, she push him away. Another minute she tells him to stay away from her but then when he doesn't (seem to) pay attention to her, she whines that she needs his love. Those attitude happen a couple times in just 9 chapters, I cannot image her whine along the story.
And Damascus reminds me a bit of Edward Cullen but here in angel form. A I-love-you-but-we-cannot-be-together-but-I-cannot-stay-away-from-you-either-so-I-just-keep-watching-you-from-afar-and-watch-you-sleep kind of character.
And despite a few battle scenes, I'm bored with the story. The dialogues between the characters feel odd and awkward. I don't feel it like real conversation. And the description (the story is told from third POV) doesn't flow smoothly.
So that's it for now.
February 3, 2015
Sing For Me was unlike anything I've read before. Sure I've read fantasy and even other books about angels, but the world that Gracie Madison created is definitely in a league of its own. And the fact that it's a debut novel? I can't wait to see what she has planned for the rest of the Angels and Arias series.
Madeline is a choir, an angel created for music, that is hiding among the humans because she's in danger. Forbidden to feel emotions, all Madeline is permitted to do is sing. The problem with that? She's in love with her hunter, Damascus.
Damascus is the demon-hunter that is responsible for protecting Madeline. He's always been in love with her but refuses to give in to his desire for her for fear of what would happen to her. He's extremely protective of Madeline and even though he's not very personable, you can't help but love him. He would literally sacrifice himself for her... Now that's devotion!
After another choir is killed by Corinth, an angel turned betrayer, Madeline is the next chosen to die. What ensues is a lot of fighting between hunters and demons, Madeline learning that emotions allow her voice to be used as a weapon, and Madeline and Damascus finally giving in to centuries worth of desire, lust, and love.
There's a pretty shocking twist at the end that has me on the edge of my seat waiting for Divine Interlude, the next book in the series! Seriously, is it Spring yet?! Don't worry though, there's not a cliffhanger, just enough of a set-up for the next couple that leaves you wanting more.
If you are a fan of supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, etc... you should definitely check out Sing For Me.
*ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Madeline is a choir, an angel created for music, that is hiding among the humans because she's in danger. Forbidden to feel emotions, all Madeline is permitted to do is sing. The problem with that? She's in love with her hunter, Damascus.
Damascus is the demon-hunter that is responsible for protecting Madeline. He's always been in love with her but refuses to give in to his desire for her for fear of what would happen to her. He's extremely protective of Madeline and even though he's not very personable, you can't help but love him. He would literally sacrifice himself for her... Now that's devotion!
After another choir is killed by Corinth, an angel turned betrayer, Madeline is the next chosen to die. What ensues is a lot of fighting between hunters and demons, Madeline learning that emotions allow her voice to be used as a weapon, and Madeline and Damascus finally giving in to centuries worth of desire, lust, and love.
There's a pretty shocking twist at the end that has me on the edge of my seat waiting for Divine Interlude, the next book in the series! Seriously, is it Spring yet?! Don't worry though, there's not a cliffhanger, just enough of a set-up for the next couple that leaves you wanting more.
If you are a fan of supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, etc... you should definitely check out Sing For Me.
*ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
January 21, 2015
First... this cover! Oh. My. Gosh. LOVE!
When I heard about this book, I had to read it. I'm a singer, so that completely drew me in. The idea of having a book placed in a theater. Love it. I must admit, I was skeptical about the paranormal part as I'm hot or cold for that genre.
In summary: I LOVED every part of this story.
Most of all, I loved the writing. It is just STUNNING. I found myself a number of times wondering how long it must have taken to craft and weave such beautiful prose. I don't think I even know enough about the English language to write something this fruitful in words. The characters are beautifully developed. The good and bad is not black and white. There's sinning from both sides and sacrifice from both as well.
I cannot wait for the sequel. Great job Ms. Madison.
When I heard about this book, I had to read it. I'm a singer, so that completely drew me in. The idea of having a book placed in a theater. Love it. I must admit, I was skeptical about the paranormal part as I'm hot or cold for that genre.
In summary: I LOVED every part of this story.
Most of all, I loved the writing. It is just STUNNING. I found myself a number of times wondering how long it must have taken to craft and weave such beautiful prose. I don't think I even know enough about the English language to write something this fruitful in words. The characters are beautifully developed. The good and bad is not black and white. There's sinning from both sides and sacrifice from both as well.
I cannot wait for the sequel. Great job Ms. Madison.
December 2, 2015
***I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.***
I've never been one to ever call myself a religious woman, but I can say with confidence that these angels definitely need Jesus. Not only do I suggest it in a "wow, there's some crazy debauchery going on here" way, but also in a "wow, Jesus' story was far more interesting" way. While there were some elements of Gracie Madison's Sing For Me that absolutely deserved heavenly praise, overall, I feel like the notes it tried to hit were quite flat.
In Sing For Me, Madeline Noel has the divine talent of vocal mastery; at her home in the Realm -- Heaven, for the uninitiated -- she is known as a Choir, a type of angel made specifically for the creation and enjoyment of music. However, after the recent threat of betrayal to the Realm, all Choirs have been cast to Earth to hide from their doom, yet a fallen angel has been systematically picking off all of the Choirs he can find, with Madeline being next in line. She thought she found solace in the opera house in which she performs, but is eventually found. It's up to Madeline, her protector and forbidden lover Damascus and a few other heavenly soldiers to make sure that she's not the next of her sisters to perish.
What I ended up enjoying about the book are how some of the characters are fully fleshed-out with interesting development arcs. As to be expected, Madeline goes through one as she gradually learns the truth about not only her place and powers as a Choir, but she goes from only letting herself shine onstage to not being afraid to stand up against some of the darker creatures. Furthermore, Natalie follows a similar path while she comes out further behind the curtain and takes on a more dominating role not only in the opera's production, but also within the course of her own destiny. It's always nice to see characters naturally come to their own over the course of the story rather than them remain stagnant, or go through some contrived changes.
Actually, I mostly kid regarding my opening statements about these characters needing divine intervention. I also thought it was an interesting choice to show angels with an edge to them, rather than portraying them as these perfect creatures. These angels cursed, drank, and got seriously busy. I'm an advocate for all three, damn it! Granted, I don't usually find myself gravitating toward angel and demon stories because I'm scared they're going to turn preachy -- which is not a slight at all to religious readers; it's just not my cup of tea. Seeing these supposedly pure, holy characters get involved in some raucous things felt like drinking a nice glass of sweet tea on a hot summer's day: refreshing.
Yet there are quite a few aspects of the book that just totally took me out of the action, which is definitely not a good sign. For the entirety of the book, we're told that if Madeline uses her voice for anything other than singing, or if she doesn't maintain total control over her emotions, she's going to be severely punished by the Realm for breaking Holy Law. Additionally, when Madeline accidentally uses her powers by over-emoting, things around her aren't consistently affected. In some parts, a small gasp can either shatter a tiny compact mirror or cause all of the light bulbs in a room to burst. Sometimes even feeling the emotion, not even expressing it, can cause things around her to break. I can't decide if Madison wanted to show how dangerous her powers could truly be, or if she was just randomly choosing things around Madeline that could act as a quick flare of drama. Eventually, once she learns exactly what she can do, she throws caution to the wind and starts madly using her powers in a myriad ways. What happened to facing retribution? If the Thrones are so strict about her powers, why aren't we shown that? I'm not a fan of authors staying inconsistent with the rules of the world in which they've created, and here we have Madeline doing just that.
Going along that same train of thought, both Madeline and Damascus did some things -- including each other -- that was supposed to condemn them to death. I know that they're the protagonists and their story is supposed to have some kind of conflict that moves the plot along, but why create said conflict to have built-in consequences, yet not see the characters face the music, so to speak? It only makes these characters come off as Mary-Sues who have everything bend and contort to fit their needs. Damascus even goes so far as to go to the Thrones to say he raped Madeline (which he didn't actually, thank God), but he only gets rewarded? What in the actual hell?
And that segues perfectly into my next point. Even though Madeline, as previously stated, goes through a nice little arc of progression, her story ultimately boils down to being used as a pawn for a whole bunch of manpain. Corinth wants to kill her so he can show how powerful he is and ultimately become a god. Damascus' sole focus and motivation is proving to himself that he's this great protector so all Madeline has to do is sit back and wait for him. I felt like, for a story that advertises itself as being focused around the girl's progression and struggle, all we learn is that these girls don't really get agency of their own. The Choirs have historically been nothing more than little trinkets to be collected -- which Madeline does realize, don't get me wrong -- but at the end of it all, nothing's really being done to lift up and empower the remaining Choirs. Everything's left to Damascus to handle, with some assistance from Madeline now that she's been a little bit awakened to stronger powers.
Sing For Me definitely showed me that there are many different approaches to telling the classic angels vs. demons story. I enjoyed the edgier take on angels, showing them as far more human than previous interpretations I've seen. I'm also pleased with some of the paths in which some of the characters took throughout the course of the story. However, there's a lot of inconsistency going on with world-building, especially when it comes to laws and the powers of the characters. I also don't like how this ultimately became a huge power struggle between a whole gaggle of men when the story's focus should have always been on Madeline and her inner conflict, as it was advertised.
I've never been one to ever call myself a religious woman, but I can say with confidence that these angels definitely need Jesus. Not only do I suggest it in a "wow, there's some crazy debauchery going on here" way, but also in a "wow, Jesus' story was far more interesting" way. While there were some elements of Gracie Madison's Sing For Me that absolutely deserved heavenly praise, overall, I feel like the notes it tried to hit were quite flat.
In Sing For Me, Madeline Noel has the divine talent of vocal mastery; at her home in the Realm -- Heaven, for the uninitiated -- she is known as a Choir, a type of angel made specifically for the creation and enjoyment of music. However, after the recent threat of betrayal to the Realm, all Choirs have been cast to Earth to hide from their doom, yet a fallen angel has been systematically picking off all of the Choirs he can find, with Madeline being next in line. She thought she found solace in the opera house in which she performs, but is eventually found. It's up to Madeline, her protector and forbidden lover Damascus and a few other heavenly soldiers to make sure that she's not the next of her sisters to perish.
What I ended up enjoying about the book are how some of the characters are fully fleshed-out with interesting development arcs. As to be expected, Madeline goes through one as she gradually learns the truth about not only her place and powers as a Choir, but she goes from only letting herself shine onstage to not being afraid to stand up against some of the darker creatures. Furthermore, Natalie follows a similar path while she comes out further behind the curtain and takes on a more dominating role not only in the opera's production, but also within the course of her own destiny. It's always nice to see characters naturally come to their own over the course of the story rather than them remain stagnant, or go through some contrived changes.
Actually, I mostly kid regarding my opening statements about these characters needing divine intervention. I also thought it was an interesting choice to show angels with an edge to them, rather than portraying them as these perfect creatures. These angels cursed, drank, and got seriously busy. I'm an advocate for all three, damn it! Granted, I don't usually find myself gravitating toward angel and demon stories because I'm scared they're going to turn preachy -- which is not a slight at all to religious readers; it's just not my cup of tea. Seeing these supposedly pure, holy characters get involved in some raucous things felt like drinking a nice glass of sweet tea on a hot summer's day: refreshing.
Yet there are quite a few aspects of the book that just totally took me out of the action, which is definitely not a good sign. For the entirety of the book, we're told that if Madeline uses her voice for anything other than singing, or if she doesn't maintain total control over her emotions, she's going to be severely punished by the Realm for breaking Holy Law. Additionally, when Madeline accidentally uses her powers by over-emoting, things around her aren't consistently affected. In some parts, a small gasp can either shatter a tiny compact mirror or cause all of the light bulbs in a room to burst. Sometimes even feeling the emotion, not even expressing it, can cause things around her to break. I can't decide if Madison wanted to show how dangerous her powers could truly be, or if she was just randomly choosing things around Madeline that could act as a quick flare of drama. Eventually, once she learns exactly what she can do, she throws caution to the wind and starts madly using her powers in a myriad ways. What happened to facing retribution? If the Thrones are so strict about her powers, why aren't we shown that? I'm not a fan of authors staying inconsistent with the rules of the world in which they've created, and here we have Madeline doing just that.
Going along that same train of thought, both Madeline and Damascus did some things -- including each other -- that was supposed to condemn them to death. I know that they're the protagonists and their story is supposed to have some kind of conflict that moves the plot along, but why create said conflict to have built-in consequences, yet not see the characters face the music, so to speak? It only makes these characters come off as Mary-Sues who have everything bend and contort to fit their needs. Damascus even goes so far as to go to the Thrones to say he raped Madeline (which he didn't actually, thank God), but he only gets rewarded? What in the actual hell?
And that segues perfectly into my next point. Even though Madeline, as previously stated, goes through a nice little arc of progression, her story ultimately boils down to being used as a pawn for a whole bunch of manpain. Corinth wants to kill her so he can show how powerful he is and ultimately become a god. Damascus' sole focus and motivation is proving to himself that he's this great protector so all Madeline has to do is sit back and wait for him. I felt like, for a story that advertises itself as being focused around the girl's progression and struggle, all we learn is that these girls don't really get agency of their own. The Choirs have historically been nothing more than little trinkets to be collected -- which Madeline does realize, don't get me wrong -- but at the end of it all, nothing's really being done to lift up and empower the remaining Choirs. Everything's left to Damascus to handle, with some assistance from Madeline now that she's been a little bit awakened to stronger powers.
Sing For Me definitely showed me that there are many different approaches to telling the classic angels vs. demons story. I enjoyed the edgier take on angels, showing them as far more human than previous interpretations I've seen. I'm also pleased with some of the paths in which some of the characters took throughout the course of the story. However, there's a lot of inconsistency going on with world-building, especially when it comes to laws and the powers of the characters. I also don't like how this ultimately became a huge power struggle between a whole gaggle of men when the story's focus should have always been on Madeline and her inner conflict, as it was advertised.
February 20, 2015
First of all, can I just say how much I love this cover? My expectations were really high, and luckily the book inside this gorgeous cover didn’t disappoint. It read like a symphony, sometimes harmonious, with a few disharmonious arias thrown in to shake things up a bit, but always guided by a gifted conductor who wrapped it all up in a musical masterpiece. (Geeez, that was a cheesy simile, LOL!)
It’s been a long time since I’ve read an original angel themed book. Much as I love them, and some of my book boyfriends are archangels, they’re a dime of a dozen these days.
This books contains angels of other kinds, not just Seraphs (met a couple of those before, too) but also Thrones, Hunters, Betrayers and a first for me: Choirs. Created for music, Magdala and her sisters sole purpose is to entertain the Realm with their celestial song. They are worshipped as pure beings in their Realm, cosseted and adored. But there is a downside: They are not allowed to truly LIVE, to experience emotions. To them, one single tear is a sacrilege and love a death sentence. Only the archangels know why.
Now, a second war is sweeping through the heavenly Realms, and a fallen angel is targeting the Choirs, marking them for death. One after the other, they succumb to a final, gruesome death by his hands. To save the remaining Choirs, each and every Choir has been assigned a Hunter to keep her safe. Their true natures are Veiled in human bodies before they escape into the mortal world.
Magdala, now going by the human name of Madeline, seeks refuge in an provincial opera house full of high strung prima donnas and temperamental producers , with one of the fiercest Hunters ever created, to protect her. His name is Damascus. For the first time since her creation, Magdala is now able to be in close proximity to the one angel she’s been singing for her entire life. Their love is forbidden, sacrilegious, but she’s been marked for death, and one forbidden affair just might be worth it before her soul is toen apart by forbidden magic.
During her time on Earth, Madeline has also befriended a human girl, Natalie. Now working for the theatre, she’s a girl with a troubled past. Natalie’s pulled herself up by her bootstraps and is clinging to her new existence with a vengeance, not knowing that her life’s about to change for good now that a death marked Choir is introducing her to Eternals and their dangerous political games. Natalie’s about to learn that, even though she’s mortal, her fate too, is linked to that of the realms, and that of the fallen angel, Corinth, who hell bent on revenge.
Joining Damascus in his quest to keep Magdala and Natalie safe, are two other Hunters, Shiloh and Tyre, with their own, distinct personalities.
There’s Shiloh, with his fashion sense fail, penchant for outdated biblical miracles, generous nature and absolute lack of respect for the Vatican’s private vaults. Let’s not forget his absolute anger when confronted with adversaries.
And of course Tyre, who’s suffered the recent and extremely devastating loss of his own ward, but finds a replacement in a lowly, stubborn mortal woman. His smirks, possessiveness toward Natalie, and his truly inventive use of patronizing endearments, made him an instant favorite. He’s a mucho macho badass angel I can’t help but love. His innuendos and the way he made his intentions clear in a very veiled, very Hunter oriented perspective, made me appreciate his and Natalie’s adversarial relationship as much as I enjoyed Magdala and Damascus’s forbidden love affair. This could be the beginning of something really interesting.
Simply, put, they’re all an amazingly interesting bunch of Eternals, mortals… and let’s not forget; demons: They are as bad as they come in this novel. Or at least, so I thought, when we first met Beta, the death by orgasm Succubus and the destructive Lord of War. But just when I thought I had them all figured out, along came Ra’ken, their ambassador who put things in perspective. Some of the things he said made sense; what is the nature of demons, and why did some angels choose to Fall in the first place? Loved it.
In the next installement I really hope to know more about this current war and the reason for it. Of course, I’m also curious to see how Natalie’s fate will unfold, and just how powerful a Choir who has find her true voice, can really be.
I should compare this book to the Magical Flute by Mozart, as that is the production they’re working on, but somehow this book reminds me more of Handel’s Messiah. While this book is not quite “Amen” quality (the final movement of Handel’s Messiah, and my absolute favorite song!) it's certainly worthy of a “Hallelujah.” And as is custom when singers perform that particular song, I’d like to give the author a standing ovation. If she’s anything like a prima donna, I hope she’ll appreciate my demand for a da capo. And an encore… for more books in the series, that is:-)
4.75 stars.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read an original angel themed book. Much as I love them, and some of my book boyfriends are archangels, they’re a dime of a dozen these days.
This books contains angels of other kinds, not just Seraphs (met a couple of those before, too) but also Thrones, Hunters, Betrayers and a first for me: Choirs. Created for music, Magdala and her sisters sole purpose is to entertain the Realm with their celestial song. They are worshipped as pure beings in their Realm, cosseted and adored. But there is a downside: They are not allowed to truly LIVE, to experience emotions. To them, one single tear is a sacrilege and love a death sentence. Only the archangels know why.
Now, a second war is sweeping through the heavenly Realms, and a fallen angel is targeting the Choirs, marking them for death. One after the other, they succumb to a final, gruesome death by his hands. To save the remaining Choirs, each and every Choir has been assigned a Hunter to keep her safe. Their true natures are Veiled in human bodies before they escape into the mortal world.
Magdala, now going by the human name of Madeline, seeks refuge in an provincial opera house full of high strung prima donnas and temperamental producers , with one of the fiercest Hunters ever created, to protect her. His name is Damascus. For the first time since her creation, Magdala is now able to be in close proximity to the one angel she’s been singing for her entire life. Their love is forbidden, sacrilegious, but she’s been marked for death, and one forbidden affair just might be worth it before her soul is toen apart by forbidden magic.
During her time on Earth, Madeline has also befriended a human girl, Natalie. Now working for the theatre, she’s a girl with a troubled past. Natalie’s pulled herself up by her bootstraps and is clinging to her new existence with a vengeance, not knowing that her life’s about to change for good now that a death marked Choir is introducing her to Eternals and their dangerous political games. Natalie’s about to learn that, even though she’s mortal, her fate too, is linked to that of the realms, and that of the fallen angel, Corinth, who hell bent on revenge.
Joining Damascus in his quest to keep Magdala and Natalie safe, are two other Hunters, Shiloh and Tyre, with their own, distinct personalities.
There’s Shiloh, with his fashion sense fail, penchant for outdated biblical miracles, generous nature and absolute lack of respect for the Vatican’s private vaults. Let’s not forget his absolute anger when confronted with adversaries.
And of course Tyre, who’s suffered the recent and extremely devastating loss of his own ward, but finds a replacement in a lowly, stubborn mortal woman. His smirks, possessiveness toward Natalie, and his truly inventive use of patronizing endearments, made him an instant favorite. He’s a mucho macho badass angel I can’t help but love. His innuendos and the way he made his intentions clear in a very veiled, very Hunter oriented perspective, made me appreciate his and Natalie’s adversarial relationship as much as I enjoyed Magdala and Damascus’s forbidden love affair. This could be the beginning of something really interesting.
Simply, put, they’re all an amazingly interesting bunch of Eternals, mortals… and let’s not forget; demons: They are as bad as they come in this novel. Or at least, so I thought, when we first met Beta, the death by orgasm Succubus and the destructive Lord of War. But just when I thought I had them all figured out, along came Ra’ken, their ambassador who put things in perspective. Some of the things he said made sense; what is the nature of demons, and why did some angels choose to Fall in the first place? Loved it.
In the next installement I really hope to know more about this current war and the reason for it. Of course, I’m also curious to see how Natalie’s fate will unfold, and just how powerful a Choir who has find her true voice, can really be.
I should compare this book to the Magical Flute by Mozart, as that is the production they’re working on, but somehow this book reminds me more of Handel’s Messiah. While this book is not quite “Amen” quality (the final movement of Handel’s Messiah, and my absolute favorite song!) it's certainly worthy of a “Hallelujah.” And as is custom when singers perform that particular song, I’d like to give the author a standing ovation. If she’s anything like a prima donna, I hope she’ll appreciate my demand for a da capo. And an encore… for more books in the series, that is:-)
4.75 stars.
January 28, 2015
This book is such a whirlwind!
I went from loving this novel, to hating it, to throwing it across my floor, back to feeling content with it. In general, I guess I can say I had a good time reading.
I love a good novel that centers around angels vs. demons; good vs. evil; Heaven and Hell. It's why I'm gravitated towards literatures such as The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, and J.M. Darhower's Extinguish. So when YA Bound Book Tours announced a tour for Gracie Madison's Sing for Me, I knew I had to sign up and keep reading.
The novel starts with Madeline who has flown from the Realm to the mortal world in hiding from Corinth, a demon who is out to destroy her. Madeline is a Choir, an angel created merely to entertain the Realm. Choirs aren't given the power to use emotions, or allowed to interact with each other and never realize their true potential of their powers. With her guardian, Hunter Damascus, and his friends Shiloh and Tyre, and her mortal-turned-Prophet friend Natalie, they work together to outrun Corinth and his plan to capture and kill Madeline. All the while, Natalie and Madeline are planning the production of a famous play for the Eden Theater Company with prima donna, Danielle.
But the forbidden love and unbreakable bond between Madeline and Damascus distracts them from their task, even though they know they are in love and want to be together. That was one of the main struggles I had with this book-- if Heaven was to be this amazing, glorious, magical place, why create a Realm that prevents two people who want to be together? Even when Damascus and Madeline save each other and have sex for the first time, all Damascus could focus on was protecting her and making sure the Thrones (their judges and lawmakers) didn't catch them and renounce Madeline as Choir. It was torturous to see two people who cared and loved each other so deeply be pulled apart by some stupid, archaic law.
Gracie Madison's writing style is very poetic and flowing. Each sentence carves into one another and fit, like a professional Olympic ice skater flying on the surface. Her style reminds me of Cassandra Clare, and her written choreography.
Go read this book. You won't be sorry! The second book, Divine Interlude, is due out in Spring 2015, and I'll be waiting at the gates for that one.
I went from loving this novel, to hating it, to throwing it across my floor, back to feeling content with it. In general, I guess I can say I had a good time reading.
I love a good novel that centers around angels vs. demons; good vs. evil; Heaven and Hell. It's why I'm gravitated towards literatures such as The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, and J.M. Darhower's Extinguish. So when YA Bound Book Tours announced a tour for Gracie Madison's Sing for Me, I knew I had to sign up and keep reading.
The novel starts with Madeline who has flown from the Realm to the mortal world in hiding from Corinth, a demon who is out to destroy her. Madeline is a Choir, an angel created merely to entertain the Realm. Choirs aren't given the power to use emotions, or allowed to interact with each other and never realize their true potential of their powers. With her guardian, Hunter Damascus, and his friends Shiloh and Tyre, and her mortal-turned-Prophet friend Natalie, they work together to outrun Corinth and his plan to capture and kill Madeline. All the while, Natalie and Madeline are planning the production of a famous play for the Eden Theater Company with prima donna, Danielle.
But the forbidden love and unbreakable bond between Madeline and Damascus distracts them from their task, even though they know they are in love and want to be together. That was one of the main struggles I had with this book-- if Heaven was to be this amazing, glorious, magical place, why create a Realm that prevents two people who want to be together? Even when Damascus and Madeline save each other and have sex for the first time, all Damascus could focus on was protecting her and making sure the Thrones (their judges and lawmakers) didn't catch them and renounce Madeline as Choir. It was torturous to see two people who cared and loved each other so deeply be pulled apart by some stupid, archaic law.
Gracie Madison's writing style is very poetic and flowing. Each sentence carves into one another and fit, like a professional Olympic ice skater flying on the surface. Her style reminds me of Cassandra Clare, and her written choreography.
Go read this book. You won't be sorry! The second book, Divine Interlude, is due out in Spring 2015, and I'll be waiting at the gates for that one.
April 6, 2015
I’m giving up at 24%. The story is going into a predictable, somewhat stereotypical even, direction that is making it harder for me to get through. And it’s a shame, because “Sing for Me” has such a promising summary, and a beautiful cover, and the first chapter is lively and engaging. But everything after that first chapter fell short.
The story is dominated by the impossible romance of Madeleine and Damascus, a detail that I didn’t expect and didn’t enjoy when I discovered this. I was really hoping for something a little new, some kind of twist on the concept of angels and their protectors and demons. But the story was predictable. What sealed the deal for me was when Madeleine finds out she is doomed, predictably, and Damascus makes the promise to protect her no matter what. Madeleine is an angel that makes it hard to believe she has anything divine about her, besides being called an angel, specifically a Choir. The episode in the shower and her lusty thoughts about Damascus can be added to a long, pre-existing list of female protagonists who pin for an impossible love that falls into the category of insta-love. Maybe the reader finds out later on about why Damascus and Madeleine love each other, I don’t know. I didn’t have the patience or desire to get to that point in the book, and everything in the beginning felt thrown together and given to the reader in a somewhat jumbled state.
It read like a checklist and felt like yet another stereotypical YA novel. The few “plot twists” that did occur in those first 24% of the book were predictable as well as flat. The writing didn’t engage. There was no dimension to the setting, and the dialogue was short and choppy and filled with either obvious statements, descriptions of angels and their past that weren’t fleshed out, or Madeleine making eye-rolling statements about her impending doom, Damascus, or both in one sentence.
There was nothing for me in this book and feeling so off-put by it already only a quarter of the way in, pushing through with the rest of it would feel like beating a dead horse. This will appeal to people who enjoy reading similar ideas with stereotypical characters and plot, staying in the comfort of a solidified paradigm. For me, who prefers to read something with a twist or something familiar that’s at least engaging, this book missed the mark by a longshot.
The story is dominated by the impossible romance of Madeleine and Damascus, a detail that I didn’t expect and didn’t enjoy when I discovered this. I was really hoping for something a little new, some kind of twist on the concept of angels and their protectors and demons. But the story was predictable. What sealed the deal for me was when Madeleine finds out she is doomed, predictably, and Damascus makes the promise to protect her no matter what. Madeleine is an angel that makes it hard to believe she has anything divine about her, besides being called an angel, specifically a Choir. The episode in the shower and her lusty thoughts about Damascus can be added to a long, pre-existing list of female protagonists who pin for an impossible love that falls into the category of insta-love. Maybe the reader finds out later on about why Damascus and Madeleine love each other, I don’t know. I didn’t have the patience or desire to get to that point in the book, and everything in the beginning felt thrown together and given to the reader in a somewhat jumbled state.
It read like a checklist and felt like yet another stereotypical YA novel. The few “plot twists” that did occur in those first 24% of the book were predictable as well as flat. The writing didn’t engage. There was no dimension to the setting, and the dialogue was short and choppy and filled with either obvious statements, descriptions of angels and their past that weren’t fleshed out, or Madeleine making eye-rolling statements about her impending doom, Damascus, or both in one sentence.
There was nothing for me in this book and feeling so off-put by it already only a quarter of the way in, pushing through with the rest of it would feel like beating a dead horse. This will appeal to people who enjoy reading similar ideas with stereotypical characters and plot, staying in the comfort of a solidified paradigm. For me, who prefers to read something with a twist or something familiar that’s at least engaging, this book missed the mark by a longshot.
January 21, 2015
I loaded this book on my Kindle App and thought I'll read a few chapters tonight and finish this tomorrow afternoon. I could NOT put the book down. She had me on the edge of my seat the entire book. The characters are relatable and enticing. The action and suspense is gripping and I felt myself shaking with anticipation waiting to see if the key character, Madeline, and her would-be lover Damascus would survive the next attack from the demons and Handlers from Hell. . There are plenty of twists and turns and unexpected parts to keep you guessing who or -what- will come next.
A guaranteed re-read that will leave you wishing it wasn't over so soon and begging for more. The worst part is at the end, where you're told you have to wait for Spring 2015 for the next book in this trilogy!!
A guaranteed re-read that will leave you wishing it wasn't over so soon and begging for more. The worst part is at the end, where you're told you have to wait for Spring 2015 for the next book in this trilogy!!
September 28, 2015
I tried really hard to like this book.
I even finished the whole thing. And yet, I still didn’t enjoy it.
And I don’t have any good reason either. I really don’t.
I love angel and demon books so I was really excited to read it. The plot was interesting. With many twists and turns. Great secondary characters. (I’m looking at you, Shiloh!)
It made me laugh a few times.
The action was great.
It wasn’t terribly boring, but it also didn’t hold my attention.
Possibly, it’s because I’ve been in a weird reading mood and that is not fair to any books I read while I’m in such a mood.
So get this book yourself and make your own opinions of it! I will come back to it when I’m out of my reading slump.
I even finished the whole thing. And yet, I still didn’t enjoy it.
And I don’t have any good reason either. I really don’t.
I love angel and demon books so I was really excited to read it. The plot was interesting. With many twists and turns. Great secondary characters. (I’m looking at you, Shiloh!)
It made me laugh a few times.
The action was great.
It wasn’t terribly boring, but it also didn’t hold my attention.
Possibly, it’s because I’ve been in a weird reading mood and that is not fair to any books I read while I’m in such a mood.
So get this book yourself and make your own opinions of it! I will come back to it when I’m out of my reading slump.
September 21, 2015
I received a copy from Netgalley.
I think this is a case of it seemed like a good idea at the time. Also, cover lust. I found this title whilst browsing on Netgalley for New Adult that wasn't a contemporary. The cover got my attention immediately, it is flat out stunning. The blurb sounded intriguing.
But the story is just not working for me. I made it 12% but the dialogue is making me want to bash my head against the wall. The setting is quite descriptive, but I can't stand the characters. I quite liked Natalie, but that's about it. I can't see myself finishing this one, I just don't like it. So on the DNF pile it goes.
Thank you to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for approving my request to view the title.
I think this is a case of it seemed like a good idea at the time. Also, cover lust. I found this title whilst browsing on Netgalley for New Adult that wasn't a contemporary. The cover got my attention immediately, it is flat out stunning. The blurb sounded intriguing.
But the story is just not working for me. I made it 12% but the dialogue is making me want to bash my head against the wall. The setting is quite descriptive, but I can't stand the characters. I quite liked Natalie, but that's about it. I can't see myself finishing this one, I just don't like it. So on the DNF pile it goes.
Thank you to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for approving my request to view the title.
January 4, 2016
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...
While the idea of Choirs, angels with the gift of music, is an excellent and original plot idea, the book simply was too confusing at times. It didn’t explain things enough. On top of that, Madeline’s personality makes it almost impossible to connect with her. The love between Madeline and Damascus is forbidden, yet she keeps leading him on. Damascus reads like an angel version of Twilight’s Edward. So while the plot had original elements, this didn’t completely do it for me.
While the idea of Choirs, angels with the gift of music, is an excellent and original plot idea, the book simply was too confusing at times. It didn’t explain things enough. On top of that, Madeline’s personality makes it almost impossible to connect with her. The love between Madeline and Damascus is forbidden, yet she keeps leading him on. Damascus reads like an angel version of Twilight’s Edward. So while the plot had original elements, this didn’t completely do it for me.
October 21, 2015
This was a fantastic read. It did start off a little slow, but I loved it all the same. Damascus was awesome; the forbidden feelings he has for Madeline added to the mix. All in all, a great read for anyone who likes paranormal-romance - A more thorough-ish review http://haddieshaven.blogspot.com/2015...
October 15, 2018
I looked and the cover and read the blurb, thats what got me to request this book.
However, only a handful of chapters in and I already wanted to give up on this book.
Everyone is doing a run through of the upcoming show. All seems to be moving slow until we finally get to the part where Madeline screams.
Quickly we find out that she is an angel, her guardian is a demon hunter and her friend wont remember any other this come morning.
Come morning and somehow Nataline remembers everything and we learn that she too has a gift.
What I cant stand about this book so far is the slow pace, lack of detail and that there is no connection to these characters.
Giving the book a second chance after a few days and I still couldnt get to the halfway mark. I still dont have any details on these characters. Why and how they are here. Whats to come. Etc.
I cant finish this book, and I was really hoping this would be an amazing read.
However, only a handful of chapters in and I already wanted to give up on this book.
Everyone is doing a run through of the upcoming show. All seems to be moving slow until we finally get to the part where Madeline screams.
Quickly we find out that she is an angel, her guardian is a demon hunter and her friend wont remember any other this come morning.
Come morning and somehow Nataline remembers everything and we learn that she too has a gift.
What I cant stand about this book so far is the slow pace, lack of detail and that there is no connection to these characters.
Giving the book a second chance after a few days and I still couldnt get to the halfway mark. I still dont have any details on these characters. Why and how they are here. Whats to come. Etc.
I cant finish this book, and I was really hoping this would be an amazing read.
February 13, 2015
Madeline Noel is a talented soprano at the Eden Theatre Company, but she hides a terrible secret. Her beautiful voice endangers her, every note she sings, she must keep her emotions in check. Should she let her emotions take flight in her music, she risks the destruction of everyone around her. Madeline is a Choir, an angelic being created for the listening pleasure and she's being hunted. The evil Betrayer, Corinth has spent the past decade slaughtering her sisters, ridding the world of the Choir's gift and she is next. Yet she has something that other Choirs didn't, she has love and she will fight for the right and freedom to be with the one she loves, even if it's forbidden by the law.
This book was crazy, absolutely mind-blowing crazy. It's got a different twist on angelic beings and it's actually really brilliant. Everything in this book was so vivid, from the high swooping notes that Madeline sings, to the heart pounding demon attacks throughout the book. This definitely has Phantom of the Opera vibes going, it even mentions it a couple times in the book. The plot is intricate, the heavenly "world" full of political corruption, and the story is super engaging.
Madeline, known in the Realm as Magdala, is the next targeted Choir. Unlike previous Choirs, who have hid once they find out that they are next on Corinth's hit list, Madeline is determined to meet him face on. She knows her protector Hunterr, Damascus, will let no harm come to her. It's his promise and she trusts him. There's this air of forbidden romance in the story as Choirs are not allowed to be defiled by romance and lust, yet it is her love for Damascus that strengthens Madeline to fight against Corinth. Their relationship is rocky and dangerous, but you get this underlying vibe that their love will save them all. As a character, I really liked her. She's strong willed and willing to go against the rules to fight for what she believes. She's also got some really crazy talent which she hones throughout the book to eventually defeat Corinth, temporarily.
As far as Damascus goes, you definitely know he's in love with Madeline and would sacrifice his life for her in an instant. While he is moody, possessive, and extremely protective throughout the book, he shows that he values Madeline as a person and is willing to fight side by side with her, not taking her for some damsel who needs resucing. I'll admit I was afraid of that, but thankfully that does not show up here. There's also this little drop of tension and possible betrayal between Damascus and Corinth which puts a hint of revenge in Corinth's actions, but it's not elaborated on and he doesn't show up much throughout the book. It definitely creates an air of suspense the drives the book forward.
Of course, we've got to mention some of the other characters!! There's Natalie who I absolutely adore. She's full of life and power (literally), but she's got her own secrets which hopefully will be revealed in the next book. Then there is Tyre who lost his own Choir at the beginning of the book to Corinth's ruthless massacre. He joins Damascus and Madeline and I am not ashamed to admit that I'm hoping there's a little romance between him and Natalie? Am I the only one feeling the sparks there? He can be aggravating with his macho man performance, but he just lost a Choir and was basically such an amazing friend/Hunter that I'll forgive him for being extremely moody. There is also Shiloh who is a little crackling ball of electricty. While he acts like a young carefree kid, he's got some depth that is revealed a bit in the book, but not enough! Last character I need to mention is Danielle. She acts like a snobby b..... throughout the book, but you sense that she's really alone. Her fiance is absent most of the time and she waves around her status like a shield. Again with the hopes, but I hope we get to see more of her in the next book and learn more about her. Plus, Shiloh and Danielle anyone?
Overall, this book was suspenseful and heart pounding with a constant steady pulse that makes you wish you could flip the page faster because you can't wait to know what happens. I loved the ending of this book, it gave me a little relief knowing that justice will be served and those who have Betrayed the Realm will suffer. There are so many things that I can't wait to know more about, so I'm definitely super excited for the next book!
Read my reviews at:
https://extreemeobsessed.blogspot.com
This book was crazy, absolutely mind-blowing crazy. It's got a different twist on angelic beings and it's actually really brilliant. Everything in this book was so vivid, from the high swooping notes that Madeline sings, to the heart pounding demon attacks throughout the book. This definitely has Phantom of the Opera vibes going, it even mentions it a couple times in the book. The plot is intricate, the heavenly "world" full of political corruption, and the story is super engaging.
Madeline, known in the Realm as Magdala, is the next targeted Choir. Unlike previous Choirs, who have hid once they find out that they are next on Corinth's hit list, Madeline is determined to meet him face on. She knows her protector Hunterr, Damascus, will let no harm come to her. It's his promise and she trusts him. There's this air of forbidden romance in the story as Choirs are not allowed to be defiled by romance and lust, yet it is her love for Damascus that strengthens Madeline to fight against Corinth. Their relationship is rocky and dangerous, but you get this underlying vibe that their love will save them all. As a character, I really liked her. She's strong willed and willing to go against the rules to fight for what she believes. She's also got some really crazy talent which she hones throughout the book to eventually defeat Corinth, temporarily.
As far as Damascus goes, you definitely know he's in love with Madeline and would sacrifice his life for her in an instant. While he is moody, possessive, and extremely protective throughout the book, he shows that he values Madeline as a person and is willing to fight side by side with her, not taking her for some damsel who needs resucing. I'll admit I was afraid of that, but thankfully that does not show up here. There's also this little drop of tension and possible betrayal between Damascus and Corinth which puts a hint of revenge in Corinth's actions, but it's not elaborated on and he doesn't show up much throughout the book. It definitely creates an air of suspense the drives the book forward.
Of course, we've got to mention some of the other characters!! There's Natalie who I absolutely adore. She's full of life and power (literally), but she's got her own secrets which hopefully will be revealed in the next book. Then there is Tyre who lost his own Choir at the beginning of the book to Corinth's ruthless massacre. He joins Damascus and Madeline and I am not ashamed to admit that I'm hoping there's a little romance between him and Natalie? Am I the only one feeling the sparks there? He can be aggravating with his macho man performance, but he just lost a Choir and was basically such an amazing friend/Hunter that I'll forgive him for being extremely moody. There is also Shiloh who is a little crackling ball of electricty. While he acts like a young carefree kid, he's got some depth that is revealed a bit in the book, but not enough! Last character I need to mention is Danielle. She acts like a snobby b..... throughout the book, but you sense that she's really alone. Her fiance is absent most of the time and she waves around her status like a shield. Again with the hopes, but I hope we get to see more of her in the next book and learn more about her. Plus, Shiloh and Danielle anyone?
Overall, this book was suspenseful and heart pounding with a constant steady pulse that makes you wish you could flip the page faster because you can't wait to know what happens. I loved the ending of this book, it gave me a little relief knowing that justice will be served and those who have Betrayed the Realm will suffer. There are so many things that I can't wait to know more about, so I'm definitely super excited for the next book!
Read my reviews at:
https://extreemeobsessed.blogspot.com
April 1, 2015
DNF 10%
También en: El Extraño Gato del Cuento
Hay una cosa muy graciosa cuando eres el tipo de lector que es muy difícil en poner una estrella o abandonar el libro: La gente tiende a huir del libro con el que no pudiste. Supongo que se ponen a pensar "si ella con una tolerancia extrema no pudo...". Sing For Me es un libro con una portada por demás atractiva, quizá un poco recargada pero es del tipo que llama la atención, además de que como insinúa el título, su historia está muy relacionada con la música, tema al que soy completamente adicta. ¿Pero qué hizo que lo dejara a mitad del segundo capítulo?
A diferencia con las personas, a las que siempre le busco el defecto, en los libros, por muy malos que sean, tiendo a buscarle el lado bueno, el truco de por qué cierto sin sentidos ocurren. Soy bastante pasotas, la verdad, de ahí que vean un montón de libros que gente odió, yo dándole 4 o cinco estrellas.
Para empezar no me gustó como se presenta el primer capítulo, toda esa burla a la chica con dinero y bastante diva. No es que sea una gran persona, Danielle si no me equivoco se llama, pero no gusta que en cierta manera esté bien burlarse de alguien tan solo porque no te cae bien.
Luego, Madeline, la protagonista y narradora nos dice que los de arriba, o quienes sean sus jefes, la mandaron a este mundo para que este segura y que consideraron ponerla en la universidad para que se mezcle. Pero, su guardián el que no recuerdo el nombre, dijo que no porque es peligroso, hay demasiada gente y no podría protegerla sin que todos se enteren. Uno pensaría que con esa premisa, tendrías a la muchacha esta, no sé, escondida en el campo o algo. Pero no, ella está en el medio del escenario de un teatro famoso. Camuflaje asegurado.
Lo peor es que no me hizo sentir empatía por Madeline, al leer ese capítulo y medio intenta convencerme que cantar es una necesidad para ella. Solo que yo pienso ¿no puedes cantar en cualquier otro lado? ¿Alguno un poco más seguro? Donde, sobre todo, ¿NO LASTIMES OTRAS PERSONAS O LAS PONGAS EN PELIGRO? Lo de Madeline no es tanto necesidad de cantar, sino de atención y hacerse la víctima.
El segundo capítulo no fue lo mejor tampoco porque es básicamente lo mismo del primero.
Tiendo a ser bastante paciente cuando estos personajes se ponen en riesgos estúpidos, pero la narración de Gracie Madison no me dio ningún tipo de cariño por los personajes. Para mí este libro no funciono, quizá se ponga interesante con el avance de páginas, por algo ha de tener tantas buenas calificaciones en GoodReads, solo que no para mí esta vez.
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También en: El Extraño Gato del Cuento
Hay una cosa muy graciosa cuando eres el tipo de lector que es muy difícil en poner una estrella o abandonar el libro: La gente tiende a huir del libro con el que no pudiste. Supongo que se ponen a pensar "si ella con una tolerancia extrema no pudo...". Sing For Me es un libro con una portada por demás atractiva, quizá un poco recargada pero es del tipo que llama la atención, además de que como insinúa el título, su historia está muy relacionada con la música, tema al que soy completamente adicta. ¿Pero qué hizo que lo dejara a mitad del segundo capítulo?
A diferencia con las personas, a las que siempre le busco el defecto, en los libros, por muy malos que sean, tiendo a buscarle el lado bueno, el truco de por qué cierto sin sentidos ocurren. Soy bastante pasotas, la verdad, de ahí que vean un montón de libros que gente odió, yo dándole 4 o cinco estrellas.
Para empezar no me gustó como se presenta el primer capítulo, toda esa burla a la chica con dinero y bastante diva. No es que sea una gran persona, Danielle si no me equivoco se llama, pero no gusta que en cierta manera esté bien burlarse de alguien tan solo porque no te cae bien.
Luego, Madeline, la protagonista y narradora nos dice que los de arriba, o quienes sean sus jefes, la mandaron a este mundo para que este segura y que consideraron ponerla en la universidad para que se mezcle. Pero, su guardián el que no recuerdo el nombre, dijo que no porque es peligroso, hay demasiada gente y no podría protegerla sin que todos se enteren. Uno pensaría que con esa premisa, tendrías a la muchacha esta, no sé, escondida en el campo o algo. Pero no, ella está en el medio del escenario de un teatro famoso. Camuflaje asegurado.
Lo peor es que no me hizo sentir empatía por Madeline, al leer ese capítulo y medio intenta convencerme que cantar es una necesidad para ella. Solo que yo pienso ¿no puedes cantar en cualquier otro lado? ¿Alguno un poco más seguro? Donde, sobre todo, ¿NO LASTIMES OTRAS PERSONAS O LAS PONGAS EN PELIGRO? Lo de Madeline no es tanto necesidad de cantar, sino de atención y hacerse la víctima.
El segundo capítulo no fue lo mejor tampoco porque es básicamente lo mismo del primero.
Tiendo a ser bastante paciente cuando estos personajes se ponen en riesgos estúpidos, pero la narración de Gracie Madison no me dio ningún tipo de cariño por los personajes. Para mí este libro no funciono, quizá se ponga interesante con el avance de páginas, por algo ha de tener tantas buenas calificaciones en GoodReads, solo que no para mí esta vez.
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June 10, 2015
*This ebook kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
wow, Wow, WOW!!!!!! I had not heard of Gracie Madison before this book but you can guarantee I’ll be following her from now on! When browsing through NetGalley’s books looking for new ones to request, I saw the AMAZING cover of “Sing For Me” and immediately had to see what it was about.
After reading the crazy good description, I totally had to request the book while sending tons of prayers I would be accepted. Yay for me it happened!
4 1/2 Stars!!!
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that had such a richness to the words like this one did. I know for some readers it was a turn off but I loved the complexity and how beautifully Gracie Madison crafted her sentences.
Madeline Noel sings in an opera house preparing for opening night, while also preparing to be killed. She is a Choir, an angelic creature from Heaven created just to make music. But her kind is being hunted by Corinth, a demon who seeks anarchy against Heaven, so Madeline must hide on Earth. She is veiled in a human body and forced to run, cower and hide from the demons that come after her. Madeline is assigned a powerful Hunter as a guardian, Damascus, which is a cruel blessing. They love each other but it is a forbidden love as Choirs must remain pure and chaste, allowing no emotion to affect their song.
When Madeline is singled out as the next Choir to be murdered by Corinth Damascus vows he will protect her and finally end Corinth. But Madeline is tired of the running, tired of the fight against her emotions and tired of being saved by Damascus when her voice can be her weapon. With new friends and allies, both mortal and immortal, Madeline and Damascus settle in to fight for her life. The longing and unfulfilled love between the two main characters had my heart squeezing in sympathy for them. The love was so beautiful and so pure that you couldn’t help but feel compassion for them.
The battle heats up between Heaven and Hell – and between Madeline and her emotions. While experimenting with her voice and learning more about her power she begins to fall deeper and deeper into desire. Damascus is weak to any note uttered from Madeline’s lips and they succumb to a beautiful night together. Danger quickly follows though when their sin is discovered by the enemy. Damascus leaves in an attempt to save Madeline from the Realm but it cements her resolve to master her voice as a weapon. A couple torn apart with both of them fighting to be together against all the forces of Heaven and Hell – truly a beautiful love story.
It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a paranormal book that much and I have to say it’s entirely because of how well Gracie Madison crafted this story. I highly recommend this book to any who enjoy paranormal stories with a great love story. I can’t wait to read other books by this author!
wow, Wow, WOW!!!!!! I had not heard of Gracie Madison before this book but you can guarantee I’ll be following her from now on! When browsing through NetGalley’s books looking for new ones to request, I saw the AMAZING cover of “Sing For Me” and immediately had to see what it was about.
After reading the crazy good description, I totally had to request the book while sending tons of prayers I would be accepted. Yay for me it happened!
4 1/2 Stars!!!
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that had such a richness to the words like this one did. I know for some readers it was a turn off but I loved the complexity and how beautifully Gracie Madison crafted her sentences.
Madeline Noel sings in an opera house preparing for opening night, while also preparing to be killed. She is a Choir, an angelic creature from Heaven created just to make music. But her kind is being hunted by Corinth, a demon who seeks anarchy against Heaven, so Madeline must hide on Earth. She is veiled in a human body and forced to run, cower and hide from the demons that come after her. Madeline is assigned a powerful Hunter as a guardian, Damascus, which is a cruel blessing. They love each other but it is a forbidden love as Choirs must remain pure and chaste, allowing no emotion to affect their song.
When Madeline is singled out as the next Choir to be murdered by Corinth Damascus vows he will protect her and finally end Corinth. But Madeline is tired of the running, tired of the fight against her emotions and tired of being saved by Damascus when her voice can be her weapon. With new friends and allies, both mortal and immortal, Madeline and Damascus settle in to fight for her life. The longing and unfulfilled love between the two main characters had my heart squeezing in sympathy for them. The love was so beautiful and so pure that you couldn’t help but feel compassion for them.
The battle heats up between Heaven and Hell – and between Madeline and her emotions. While experimenting with her voice and learning more about her power she begins to fall deeper and deeper into desire. Damascus is weak to any note uttered from Madeline’s lips and they succumb to a beautiful night together. Danger quickly follows though when their sin is discovered by the enemy. Damascus leaves in an attempt to save Madeline from the Realm but it cements her resolve to master her voice as a weapon. A couple torn apart with both of them fighting to be together against all the forces of Heaven and Hell – truly a beautiful love story.
It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a paranormal book that much and I have to say it’s entirely because of how well Gracie Madison crafted this story. I highly recommend this book to any who enjoy paranormal stories with a great love story. I can’t wait to read other books by this author!
February 17, 2015
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
3.5/5
Sing for Me is the first book in the new adult supernatural series, the Angels and Arias series. As you may have guessed it, this is an angels and demons type of battle story with some romance. But there is also a pretty different twist on the story. It centers around a lovely angel named Madeline, and she is a choir angel. She sings and provides the vocal entertainment in her home of the realm. But a rogue angel is chasing down the choirs (I am not really sure why) and so she is in hiding. So a lot of the story centers around music and theater, which I thought was a nice balance to all of the doom and gloom of fighting demons. Sing for Me was a lovely story, and looks like I series that I would really enjoy.
I adored Madeline, and Damascus really. Both of them were so different that I almost have no idea what drew each of them to the other, but when they are together it is hard to even think about anyone else in the picture. They were that intense. I liked the whole cast of characters that Gracie Madison came up with. I even loved to hate Danielle. I think it will be awesome to see more of the other hunters in the next book. Sing for Me is told from multiple perspectives. I do kind of wish that the chapters had a character label at the start, so that the readers would easily be able to tell right away whose perspective we were seeing the world from. Even without the labels, it was easy to follow along, and I have to say that I really enjoyed this take on the whole angels and demons story. I loved how choir angels have such powerful, and immensely dangerous, voices. I feel like we only touched on the tip of the iceberg of this world and what their voices can really do. I hope we learn some more about that and about why hunters and choirs are so forbidden, in the next book.
Sing for Me is a solid read. I am certainly interested in continuing on in the series. There is not a major cliffhanger, but it does set up the next book nicely. Madeline and Damascus have a tons of ups and downs that they go through in the story. It is clear as day that they have strong feelings for each other, but the realm forbids them from being together. All for vague doom and gloom type reasons. But even so, there is a really nice romance in the story. It was my favorite part, in fact. I really like the two of them. You know which bad guy I kind of wanted to see more of though? The main baddies right hand man- the demon in the cafe scene with the waitress. He really piqued my interest. If you are a fan of supernatural books and angel stories with musical twist, you should check out Sing for Me. It will be a great fit for you.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
3.5/5
Sing for Me is the first book in the new adult supernatural series, the Angels and Arias series. As you may have guessed it, this is an angels and demons type of battle story with some romance. But there is also a pretty different twist on the story. It centers around a lovely angel named Madeline, and she is a choir angel. She sings and provides the vocal entertainment in her home of the realm. But a rogue angel is chasing down the choirs (I am not really sure why) and so she is in hiding. So a lot of the story centers around music and theater, which I thought was a nice balance to all of the doom and gloom of fighting demons. Sing for Me was a lovely story, and looks like I series that I would really enjoy.
I adored Madeline, and Damascus really. Both of them were so different that I almost have no idea what drew each of them to the other, but when they are together it is hard to even think about anyone else in the picture. They were that intense. I liked the whole cast of characters that Gracie Madison came up with. I even loved to hate Danielle. I think it will be awesome to see more of the other hunters in the next book. Sing for Me is told from multiple perspectives. I do kind of wish that the chapters had a character label at the start, so that the readers would easily be able to tell right away whose perspective we were seeing the world from. Even without the labels, it was easy to follow along, and I have to say that I really enjoyed this take on the whole angels and demons story. I loved how choir angels have such powerful, and immensely dangerous, voices. I feel like we only touched on the tip of the iceberg of this world and what their voices can really do. I hope we learn some more about that and about why hunters and choirs are so forbidden, in the next book.
Sing for Me is a solid read. I am certainly interested in continuing on in the series. There is not a major cliffhanger, but it does set up the next book nicely. Madeline and Damascus have a tons of ups and downs that they go through in the story. It is clear as day that they have strong feelings for each other, but the realm forbids them from being together. All for vague doom and gloom type reasons. But even so, there is a really nice romance in the story. It was my favorite part, in fact. I really like the two of them. You know which bad guy I kind of wanted to see more of though? The main baddies right hand man- the demon in the cafe scene with the waitress. He really piqued my interest. If you are a fan of supernatural books and angel stories with musical twist, you should check out Sing for Me. It will be a great fit for you.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
June 4, 2015
Reviewed by Jessica @ The Reader's Hollow
The first thing that struck me about this story was the writing. It's lovely, dramatic, and flows quite easily. Sometimes I don't like the overly dramatic writing, but somehow this fit. It's set in an opera house and there is an angelic war going on in the wings. If that doesn't scream for drama, then I don't know what does.
As the title suggests, there is a bit of a "Phantom of the Opera" element, though mostly it's antics and the odd joke. I found the two storylines weren't as parallel as I'd first thought.
We are introduced to Madeline, otherwise called Magdala (her angel name). She is a Choir, a certain type of angel meant only for singing and entertainment. She's in love, and always has been in love, with her Protector, a Hunter angel called Damascus. Their attraction from the beginning is forbidden and forebodes doom and gloom if they were to ever succumb to such desires. Madeline in particular isn't supposed to acknowledge her emotions. Hiding in a "Veil", a human body, she parades as a singer amongst humans to avoid death at the hands of a rogue angel Corinth. I wish we could have seen more of Corinth, though I found his cohort, Beta (the incubus demon), almost more frightening.
It was quite entertaining as it went along. Religion didn't play a huge part, but influenced some of the world building. I was also pleased to see that not every angel was stone-faced and serious. Shiloh *made* a lot of scenes. I found the characters to be distinct. You couldn't mistaken one for another if you happened to put the book down for a while.
My only worry was the plot holes. There were a lot of big threats of "if this happens, all will perish! Everyone will die! It'll destroy them all because *they* know everything..." then when said threat happens, there are little to no consequences. What I hoped to be a big problem wasn't realized, or ignored. Also, there are some all-seeing-all-knowing creatures (I'll keep this hidden for now) that know "when you're breathing", but they have to be told when Madeline, Damascus or any other angel, for that matter, breaks the law? Just seemed a bit off.
The climax was worth the wait though. I found the story didn't slow for an instant. It kept me reading, interested and had it's fair share of romance, action and plenty of meat with love gained, love lost, betrayals, new friendships and the build up to the next book without an annoying cliffhanger.
The first thing that struck me about this story was the writing. It's lovely, dramatic, and flows quite easily. Sometimes I don't like the overly dramatic writing, but somehow this fit. It's set in an opera house and there is an angelic war going on in the wings. If that doesn't scream for drama, then I don't know what does.
As the title suggests, there is a bit of a "Phantom of the Opera" element, though mostly it's antics and the odd joke. I found the two storylines weren't as parallel as I'd first thought.
We are introduced to Madeline, otherwise called Magdala (her angel name). She is a Choir, a certain type of angel meant only for singing and entertainment. She's in love, and always has been in love, with her Protector, a Hunter angel called Damascus. Their attraction from the beginning is forbidden and forebodes doom and gloom if they were to ever succumb to such desires. Madeline in particular isn't supposed to acknowledge her emotions. Hiding in a "Veil", a human body, she parades as a singer amongst humans to avoid death at the hands of a rogue angel Corinth. I wish we could have seen more of Corinth, though I found his cohort, Beta (the incubus demon), almost more frightening.
It was quite entertaining as it went along. Religion didn't play a huge part, but influenced some of the world building. I was also pleased to see that not every angel was stone-faced and serious. Shiloh *made* a lot of scenes. I found the characters to be distinct. You couldn't mistaken one for another if you happened to put the book down for a while.
My only worry was the plot holes. There were a lot of big threats of "if this happens, all will perish! Everyone will die! It'll destroy them all because *they* know everything..." then when said threat happens, there are little to no consequences. What I hoped to be a big problem wasn't realized, or ignored. Also, there are some all-seeing-all-knowing creatures (I'll keep this hidden for now) that know "when you're breathing", but they have to be told when Madeline, Damascus or any other angel, for that matter, breaks the law? Just seemed a bit off.
The climax was worth the wait though. I found the story didn't slow for an instant. It kept me reading, interested and had it's fair share of romance, action and plenty of meat with love gained, love lost, betrayals, new friendships and the build up to the next book without an annoying cliffhanger.
May 9, 2015
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
This is one of the first NA (new adult) books I've read so I wasn't sure what to expect going in.
I have complicated feelings about this book. It wasn't bad per se, I just didn't really enjoy it. I read the whole thing, though admittedly I started skimming at about 30%. I considered abandoning it, but sheer stubbornness compelled me to read to the very end.
What I liked:
-the cover!! And the title!! It made me think of The Phantom of the Opera (which I love), and I kept singing "Think of Me" every time Madeline was on stage, so that was nice.
-the premise. A powerful voice that could literally destroy things/people? Amazing!
-of all the characters, I liked Shiloh the most, but since his every other sentence was winked or smirked at someone, he started to grate on my nerves as the book went on.
-I loved that the angels were named after cities (or rather, the cities were named after the angels): Damascus, Shiloh, Tyre, Philippi, Corinth - that's pretty cool.
What I didn't like:
-I can't pinpoint exactly what I didn't like. I was just bored. I couldn't connect to any of the characters so I didn't really care whether they lived or died (I kinda wanted someone to die so that the story would devolve into chaos).
-it was somewhat predictable i.e. I totally saw the thing with Natalie coming (and Madeline being "named" - I mean, it was pretty obvious).
-Danielle was beyond annoying and I couldn't even feel sorry for her poor relationship.
-that strange "even though I love her, I'm gonna say it was rape so they don't kill her" plot point. I feel that's problematic but I don't have the words to explain why.
-I was very confused with the Veil. Maybe I skipped the part where it explained exactly what the Veil was, but first I thought it was her mortal shell (but then was Damascus attracted to her mortal appearance but not her real Choir appearance??), then I thought it was like an invisible protective shield (to hide her, I guess, from Corinth), and now I'm at a complete loss.
Overall, it felt a lot longer than it was. The writing was great and there were some really lyrical sentences (although it was the type of book where everything "damned" everything else ex. his love damned them all, her voice damned the world, etc). I just could not get into it though I'm positive there's an audience out there who will love this book. Unfortunately, that audience doesn't include me.
This is one of the first NA (new adult) books I've read so I wasn't sure what to expect going in.
I have complicated feelings about this book. It wasn't bad per se, I just didn't really enjoy it. I read the whole thing, though admittedly I started skimming at about 30%. I considered abandoning it, but sheer stubbornness compelled me to read to the very end.
What I liked:
-the cover!! And the title!! It made me think of The Phantom of the Opera (which I love), and I kept singing "Think of Me" every time Madeline was on stage, so that was nice.
-the premise. A powerful voice that could literally destroy things/people? Amazing!
-of all the characters, I liked Shiloh the most, but since his every other sentence was winked or smirked at someone, he started to grate on my nerves as the book went on.
-I loved that the angels were named after cities (or rather, the cities were named after the angels): Damascus, Shiloh, Tyre, Philippi, Corinth - that's pretty cool.
What I didn't like:
-I can't pinpoint exactly what I didn't like. I was just bored. I couldn't connect to any of the characters so I didn't really care whether they lived or died (I kinda wanted someone to die so that the story would devolve into chaos).
-it was somewhat predictable i.e. I totally saw the thing with Natalie coming (and Madeline being "named" - I mean, it was pretty obvious).
-Danielle was beyond annoying and I couldn't even feel sorry for her poor relationship.
-that strange "even though I love her, I'm gonna say it was rape so they don't kill her" plot point. I feel that's problematic but I don't have the words to explain why.
-I was very confused with the Veil. Maybe I skipped the part where it explained exactly what the Veil was, but first I thought it was her mortal shell (but then was Damascus attracted to her mortal appearance but not her real Choir appearance??), then I thought it was like an invisible protective shield (to hide her, I guess, from Corinth), and now I'm at a complete loss.
Overall, it felt a lot longer than it was. The writing was great and there were some really lyrical sentences (although it was the type of book where everything "damned" everything else ex. his love damned them all, her voice damned the world, etc). I just could not get into it though I'm positive there's an audience out there who will love this book. Unfortunately, that audience doesn't include me.
May 21, 2015
This review is also available here: https://fangirlsreaditfirst.wordpress...
I received a copy of Sing For Me from author Gracie Madison to review for her book blog tour. I would like to thank the author for allowing me to review her book.
Madeline is a Choir, one of the highest and most sacred sects of angels. She and her guardian, the demon-hunter Damascus, are hiding on earth among the mortals. Madeline is a soprano for a theatre group and spends her time amidst costume alterations and one terrible prima donna. Her voice is intense when she sings, has the power to shatter glass and can even kill. She is forbidden to use her voice at full potential and must tamper her emotions to keep herself under control. This includes all emotions, even love, which is forbidden to those of the Choir.
This book was very well written and thought out from the steps of the angel hierarchy down to the demons. I enjoyed the different take on angel/demon mythology. When one of Madeline’s human friends, Natalie, encounters her secret, readers are introduced to Madeline’s world at the same time.
Natalie is a lovable character and her banter with demon hunters Shiloh and Tyre totally steals the show. I loved these three characters and their exchanges. I couldn’t decide who I liked more with Natalie since she had great chemistry with both Shiloh, who was funny, and Tyre, who was the serious one. I can only hope these three get more time in the next book!
But not everything was fun and games. Madeline fled heaven because it wasn’t safe, but then she and Damascus discover something is hunting down and killing members of the Choir and all five characters must race to save her life. Further complicating things are Madeline’s feelings for Damascus.
I enjoyed the fact that it is forbidden for demon-hunters and a member of the Choir to be in love. It made the romance very star-crossed and entertaining. Also, knowing that they would be killed if they touched each other added another level of thrill and excitement to the romance, making Damascus and Madeline’s passion for each other extremely hot.
This book had a ton of action, romance, and comic relief and was full of surprises. I couldn’t put it down from start to finish and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
I received a copy of Sing For Me from author Gracie Madison to review for her book blog tour. I would like to thank the author for allowing me to review her book.
Madeline is a Choir, one of the highest and most sacred sects of angels. She and her guardian, the demon-hunter Damascus, are hiding on earth among the mortals. Madeline is a soprano for a theatre group and spends her time amidst costume alterations and one terrible prima donna. Her voice is intense when she sings, has the power to shatter glass and can even kill. She is forbidden to use her voice at full potential and must tamper her emotions to keep herself under control. This includes all emotions, even love, which is forbidden to those of the Choir.
This book was very well written and thought out from the steps of the angel hierarchy down to the demons. I enjoyed the different take on angel/demon mythology. When one of Madeline’s human friends, Natalie, encounters her secret, readers are introduced to Madeline’s world at the same time.
Natalie is a lovable character and her banter with demon hunters Shiloh and Tyre totally steals the show. I loved these three characters and their exchanges. I couldn’t decide who I liked more with Natalie since she had great chemistry with both Shiloh, who was funny, and Tyre, who was the serious one. I can only hope these three get more time in the next book!
But not everything was fun and games. Madeline fled heaven because it wasn’t safe, but then she and Damascus discover something is hunting down and killing members of the Choir and all five characters must race to save her life. Further complicating things are Madeline’s feelings for Damascus.
I enjoyed the fact that it is forbidden for demon-hunters and a member of the Choir to be in love. It made the romance very star-crossed and entertaining. Also, knowing that they would be killed if they touched each other added another level of thrill and excitement to the romance, making Damascus and Madeline’s passion for each other extremely hot.
This book had a ton of action, romance, and comic relief and was full of surprises. I couldn’t put it down from start to finish and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
January 29, 2015
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books.
Madeline is Choir. And Choir are being murdered by Corinth. So to hide and stay safe, she retreats to the mortal world with her Hunter and protector, Damascus. But Damascus and Madeline feel for each other far more than they should, than they are allowed to. And if Madeline finds her true voice and sings with the emotion long denyed her, she could kill them both.
A very different take on the good/evil, angels/dmons theme, that is hard to come by these days. A very welcome different take.
Written from the POV's of all the major players, this book grabbed me from the start. There is no massive information dump, that sometimes comes with the first in a series, and I loved that. You get little bits, and hints and snippets as to whats going on, the bigger picture. Because there IS a bigger picture, a larger, longer plot line that I expect to run through more books. Someone is killing Choir, Corinth, and he has labelled Madeline, Magdala, as next, along with Natalie, Madeline's best friend. Natalie is Prophet, and should only speak when spoken to, although Natalie doesnt quite know what being Prophet fully entails. Shiloh and Tyre arrived to help Damascus protect bothe Madeline and Natalie. Oh, I could go on, but I might give the game away!
I would say one thing that stopped it from getting 5 stars, The role of Natalie, as Prophet was not fully explained, as Madeline's Choir and Damascus' Hunter role were. I'm hoping that comes in the next book, which is about Natalie. This is billed as book one in the series, and I hope I get to read any future books.
It doesnt have that hot and sweaty sex that some paranormal books come with, but it does have passion, and feeling and emotion. The scenes between Madeline and Damascus are beautifully written, emcompassing all the being Choir truly means.
4 stars
Madeline is Choir. And Choir are being murdered by Corinth. So to hide and stay safe, she retreats to the mortal world with her Hunter and protector, Damascus. But Damascus and Madeline feel for each other far more than they should, than they are allowed to. And if Madeline finds her true voice and sings with the emotion long denyed her, she could kill them both.
A very different take on the good/evil, angels/dmons theme, that is hard to come by these days. A very welcome different take.
Written from the POV's of all the major players, this book grabbed me from the start. There is no massive information dump, that sometimes comes with the first in a series, and I loved that. You get little bits, and hints and snippets as to whats going on, the bigger picture. Because there IS a bigger picture, a larger, longer plot line that I expect to run through more books. Someone is killing Choir, Corinth, and he has labelled Madeline, Magdala, as next, along with Natalie, Madeline's best friend. Natalie is Prophet, and should only speak when spoken to, although Natalie doesnt quite know what being Prophet fully entails. Shiloh and Tyre arrived to help Damascus protect bothe Madeline and Natalie. Oh, I could go on, but I might give the game away!
I would say one thing that stopped it from getting 5 stars, The role of Natalie, as Prophet was not fully explained, as Madeline's Choir and Damascus' Hunter role were. I'm hoping that comes in the next book, which is about Natalie. This is billed as book one in the series, and I hope I get to read any future books.
It doesnt have that hot and sweaty sex that some paranormal books come with, but it does have passion, and feeling and emotion. The scenes between Madeline and Damascus are beautifully written, emcompassing all the being Choir truly means.
4 stars
February 27, 2015
** ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review. **
Sing For Me wasn’t the kind of story I usually read.
But since I’ve got the chance to read it, I wasn’t disappointed. I was caught in the story where angels, demons, prophets were the main characters.
There’s battle where the Choirs (created to entertain people with their incredible and magnetic voices) were chased and killed and of course the search of power by the demons to rule over the world.
All the Choirs were hidden and protected by a demon-hunter. This one is the story of Madeline (a Choir) and Damascus (her guardian) and their fight against demons and also their forbidden love.
Madeline had to be hidden and she was a soprano for the Eden Theatre Company, her beautiful voice helped her to the most talented and gifted. Even if singing was all her life, the slightest error could be fatal and her cover would be blown. Her scream can kill.
Damascus was her guardian and demon hunter, her protector and the one who owned her heart. Mysterious, sharp, hot tempered, he was the best in his job, but his weakness was Madeline.
Their story was romantic, sexy, tragical with a beautiful bound. Madeline only sing for him.
A really loved the world where I was caught into. The plot was interesting, intriguing, with a lot of action, and described with a kind of poetry. The mix of supernatural, paranormal, romance, almost tragical (forbidden love) were well proportioned and I enjoyed following their journey and battle with their other friends. I had a special mention to an other demon hunter : Shiloh! This one rocked the boat and his interactions gave a lightness and a funny mood into the story.
This book was a very good reading and I enjoyed it. The opera scene was a good background into the main plot where supernatural things happened unnoticed to the humans. I would definitely read the upcoming books and I was glad to give a try! A very good first novel!
Sing For Me wasn’t the kind of story I usually read.
But since I’ve got the chance to read it, I wasn’t disappointed. I was caught in the story where angels, demons, prophets were the main characters.
There’s battle where the Choirs (created to entertain people with their incredible and magnetic voices) were chased and killed and of course the search of power by the demons to rule over the world.
All the Choirs were hidden and protected by a demon-hunter. This one is the story of Madeline (a Choir) and Damascus (her guardian) and their fight against demons and also their forbidden love.
Madeline had to be hidden and she was a soprano for the Eden Theatre Company, her beautiful voice helped her to the most talented and gifted. Even if singing was all her life, the slightest error could be fatal and her cover would be blown. Her scream can kill.
Damascus was her guardian and demon hunter, her protector and the one who owned her heart. Mysterious, sharp, hot tempered, he was the best in his job, but his weakness was Madeline.
Their story was romantic, sexy, tragical with a beautiful bound. Madeline only sing for him.
A really loved the world where I was caught into. The plot was interesting, intriguing, with a lot of action, and described with a kind of poetry. The mix of supernatural, paranormal, romance, almost tragical (forbidden love) were well proportioned and I enjoyed following their journey and battle with their other friends. I had a special mention to an other demon hunter : Shiloh! This one rocked the boat and his interactions gave a lightness and a funny mood into the story.
This book was a very good reading and I enjoyed it. The opera scene was a good background into the main plot where supernatural things happened unnoticed to the humans. I would definitely read the upcoming books and I was glad to give a try! A very good first novel!
March 4, 2015
I was first drawn to this book by the beautiful cover. A story about Angels and Demons, how could I resist and I have to say that I was not disappointed in the least. Ms. Madison has a lovely flowing and lyrical way with her writing. The reader is first introduced to Madeline Noel during one of the Eden Theatre's final rehearsals, but immediately, you can sense something is wrong. Madeline is keeping a tight rein on her emotions and for good reason. She's a Choir, a magnificent angel created solely for the purpose of singing the most beautiful and haunting notes for heaven and earth alike. She's hiding in human form as war rages on in the Realm. Evil is hunting all of the Choirs and it doesn't take long for Corinth's evil minions to find Madeline. She is saved by her demon hunter Damascus. He wants her to flee, but Madeline doesn't want to abandon the production with only days before opening night.
The relationship the author creates between Madeline and Damascus is beautiful and heart-wrenching as they're forbidden to acknowledge feelings or their undying love for each other. Back and forth they wrestle with control and Ms. Madison is masterful in bringing their struggle to life. Throw in an over-worked production assistant, aka a new prophet, a truly evil demon and two more Angel Demon Hunters and the cast is full of equally interesting and deep characters. I couldn't put the book down, it was that compelling. I absolutely recommend this book and I can't wait for the next installment! Highly Recommended.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The relationship the author creates between Madeline and Damascus is beautiful and heart-wrenching as they're forbidden to acknowledge feelings or their undying love for each other. Back and forth they wrestle with control and Ms. Madison is masterful in bringing their struggle to life. Throw in an over-worked production assistant, aka a new prophet, a truly evil demon and two more Angel Demon Hunters and the cast is full of equally interesting and deep characters. I couldn't put the book down, it was that compelling. I absolutely recommend this book and I can't wait for the next installment! Highly Recommended.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
May 6, 2016
In this novel, angels and demons are at War. In the world of angels there are special angels called Choirs. They were born for music. Their voices can can hurt. Their scream can kill. Their emotions are forbidden. They are being hunted. In this story, the Choirs are hiding as humans on earth. Who from, a ex angel and his cult following. In the process, a Choir named Madeline has to fight her attraction to her guardian, because her emotion are forbidden and can kill. *Warning Adult Content*
I kind of enjoyed Sing for Me. It had many good moments and dynamics between Madeline and her friends and guardians, but at the same time had many dull moments. When I declare somthing dull, it does not mean nothing was happening in the story. It just means the story was not written well enough to keep my interest in the story, and I have many moments like that in this novel.
I did find the performance scenes had me thinking of Christine by Phantom of the Opera, with her passion and power in music. Those parts I enjoyed along with the bit of romance and action in the story. The romance in this novel definitely had its moments, but I found that like the rest of the story, it got very dull at times. I give Sing for Me TWO AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!
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September 14, 2015
Madeline has the voice of an angel -- literally. Heaven is at war, with angels and demons fighting, so Madeline was sent to Earth to hide out as an opera singer. Damascus protects her from any rogue demons who might get the unfortunate idea of coming after her, but only Madeline can keep her voice in check. After all, one wrong note could seriously injure, or even kill, one of her friends.
Sometimes (pretty often, lately) I want to like a book a lot more than I actually end up liking it. Sing for Me was one of those books for me.
The most frustrating part of this book was that there was nothing in it that I blatantly disliked. The writing? Perfectly good. The characters? Varied, not stereotypical, complex enough for the length of the book. The plot? A little convoluted at the beginning, but it straightened itself out. Nothing I couldn't get past.
I just couldn't bring myself to care about what happened. I didn't laugh, cry, get frustrated... nothing. I can't even say that I was bored with it. I just didn't connect with anything that was happening.
That's not to say that you won't like it. Nearly every review I've read has been glowing, so don't let my book slump drag you down, too. Sing for Me is definitely well-written, and if you like fantasy, angels-versus-demons and good-versus-evil stories, you should definitely give it a shot!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free copy.
[see all my reviews at the bibliophagist]
Sometimes (pretty often, lately) I want to like a book a lot more than I actually end up liking it. Sing for Me was one of those books for me.
The most frustrating part of this book was that there was nothing in it that I blatantly disliked. The writing? Perfectly good. The characters? Varied, not stereotypical, complex enough for the length of the book. The plot? A little convoluted at the beginning, but it straightened itself out. Nothing I couldn't get past.
I just couldn't bring myself to care about what happened. I didn't laugh, cry, get frustrated... nothing. I can't even say that I was bored with it. I just didn't connect with anything that was happening.
That's not to say that you won't like it. Nearly every review I've read has been glowing, so don't let my book slump drag you down, too. Sing for Me is definitely well-written, and if you like fantasy, angels-versus-demons and good-versus-evil stories, you should definitely give it a shot!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free copy.
[see all my reviews at the bibliophagist]
February 2, 2015
When I first saw the cover for this book I knew that I wanted to read it. I know, I know... they say not to judge a book by its cover. But it's so pretty! The premise definitely drew my attention too. I've been meaning to try angel/demon books for a while and just haven't gotten around to reading one until now.
I really enjoyed this story. She's fled Heaven to hide among the mortal world and has been with the Eden Theatre Company for a while where her beautiful weapon can stay hidden. Madeline Noel's beautiful voice can be a very dangerous weapon. Her laugh can shatter glass and her scream can kill. This is why she just stay in control of her emotions at all times: anger, fear and love are all emotions that can all easily have lethal consequences.
Damascus is a demon-hunter whose job it is to protect Madeline at all costs. However there is one thing: they both feel more for one another that they should. Madeline is forbidden from feeling love. The concept of forbidden love is always a good one and Gracie Madison adding the twist that the fact of Damascus and Madeline could die as result... Brilliant. While it's a brilliant twist it was hard to imagine a world where you're forbidden from being with the person that you love.
I really enjoyed this unique read and felt that it had some strong supporting characters . This is the first book in the Angels and Arias series and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. I'd definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a unique paranormal read!
I really enjoyed this story. She's fled Heaven to hide among the mortal world and has been with the Eden Theatre Company for a while where her beautiful weapon can stay hidden. Madeline Noel's beautiful voice can be a very dangerous weapon. Her laugh can shatter glass and her scream can kill. This is why she just stay in control of her emotions at all times: anger, fear and love are all emotions that can all easily have lethal consequences.
Damascus is a demon-hunter whose job it is to protect Madeline at all costs. However there is one thing: they both feel more for one another that they should. Madeline is forbidden from feeling love. The concept of forbidden love is always a good one and Gracie Madison adding the twist that the fact of Damascus and Madeline could die as result... Brilliant. While it's a brilliant twist it was hard to imagine a world where you're forbidden from being with the person that you love.
I really enjoyed this unique read and felt that it had some strong supporting characters . This is the first book in the Angels and Arias series and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. I'd definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a unique paranormal read!
February 4, 2015
This book is really well written, and often very lyrical/poetic. But I felt that the third person narration and the switch between character's p.o.v. meant that I felt a little bit detached from the characters. I also felt that we were entering the story mid-way through the action, and I actually had to check that this was actually the first book in the series. Because the romance was already sort of established, I felt that I couldn't really get on bored with it because I only knew that they were in love because we were told, not because it was shown.
I also felt that the world-building could've been a bit better/more thorough - I was confused in some places.
I liked Madeline's determination to not just run and hide anymore, and some of the side characters were very interesting. Damascus, however, made some decisions that annoyed me and caused unnecessary angst, and that made me less interested in the novel; it took me a long time to pick it back up after that turn of events. I just thought it was a bit cliched. He sacrificed himself for Madeline, even though she didn't want him to. It was a case of thinking he knew better than her, and instead of treating her like an equal, he was treating her like she only needed his protection.
The plot was mostly interesting and fast paced, and I did enjoy reading it. I just thought that there was a lot that could've been expanded on, to make the book more interesting and the characters more complex and understandable.
I also felt that the world-building could've been a bit better/more thorough - I was confused in some places.
I liked Madeline's determination to not just run and hide anymore, and some of the side characters were very interesting. Damascus, however, made some decisions that annoyed me and caused unnecessary angst, and that made me less interested in the novel; it took me a long time to pick it back up after that turn of events. I just thought it was a bit cliched. He sacrificed himself for Madeline, even though she didn't want him to. It was a case of thinking he knew better than her, and instead of treating her like an equal, he was treating her like she only needed his protection.
The plot was mostly interesting and fast paced, and I did enjoy reading it. I just thought that there was a lot that could've been expanded on, to make the book more interesting and the characters more complex and understandable.
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