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"She was mine. I owned her soul…until Death stole her heart."

LEIF is a novella from the Existence series. It is glimpses into Leif's point-of-view during both Existence and Predestined.

* Also, each digital copy of LEIF has a free download for Dank Walker (AKA Death) newest song - Closer.

82 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 2, 2012

167 people are currently reading
7363 people want to read

About the author

Abbi Glines

118 books86.4k followers
Abbi Glines is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Rosemary Beach, Smoke, Sea Breeze, Vincent Boys, Field Party and Existence series. She never cooks unless baking during the Christmas holiday counts. She believes in ghosts and has a habit of asking people if their house is haunted before she goes in it. She drinks afternoon tea because she wants to be British but she now lives in New England and that's as close as it is going to get. When asked how many books she has written she has to stop and count on her fingers. When she’s not locked away writing, she is reading, watching Netflix and all the introverted stuff.
You can connect with Abbi online in several different ways. She uses social media to procrastinate.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 679 reviews
Profile Image for Tee Loves Books.
950 reviews
July 8, 2012
Oh, this just broke my heart!! When I read Existence, I was so incredibly blown away by Dank and his sexy seductions of Pagan, but Leif wormed his way into my heart, too. When I learned about his extensive history with Pagan in Predestined, I was really torn up about him being left alone. So, I was a little worried about reading a book from his perspective, because, frankly, I didn't want to see him getting hurt. But I decided to go ahead and read Leif since it's part of this awesome series, and I just love this boy even more now!!

This was a great look behind-the-scenes of what happened between Pagan and Leif throughout the first two books. I loved seeing his POV and the love and possessiveness he had for Pagan after so many years of waiting for her. It made me sad once again that he was destined to not win the girl, even though I've never once wanted anyone but Dank with Pagan.

I have to say, my favorite part of reading this was getting to relive Existence and Predestined!! It's been awhile since I've read Existence, so it was such a treat to get to see Dank and Pagan falling for each other again, even if it was from afar being in Leif's POV. This was a great add-on to this series, and it has me even more impatient to get my hands on Ceaseless!!
Profile Image for Stacia (the 2010 club).
1,045 reviews4,101 followers
July 28, 2012


It's ON. Let the games begin!

Me after finishing :

Yawn. It was just another additional PoV of the same story that I already read not once, but twice? Lame.

Okay, so the read wasn't itself wasn't actually lame but if I hadn't decided to view this as a setup for some future story with Leif, it might have looked horrifically repetitive. I was entertained and pissed off at the same time. The entertaining part was getting to watch Leif develop as a character, which made me continue to fall for him as a person (this seed was planted in book 2). Being inside of his head made me feel every thought, every moment of pain. The annoying part was finding out that Leif had more of a heart in there than I wanted to see. So now I love Leif even more, yet hate where the story is going.

Don't ever take me to the horse races. I will make you lose all of your money. Earlier this year, I was tentatively predicting that 2012 could be The Year of the Villain. Boo. Where have all of the TRUE baddies gone? I can't keep falling in love with every single bad guy who secretly has a heart inside. SOMEONE needs to be bad. We need to protect the balance of the universe!

Although I can't help admitting that Leif did make me do a bit of an aww...sadface. He was sort of sweetly pitiful : I'd wanted her to choose me. To want me...and she had. But only for a moment. Something about his pining near the end reminded me of Adrian from VA though.

All in all, I still enjoyed Leif's take on the situation. This series is slowly improving with every new installment. After an extremely weak and shaky book 1, I read Dank's PoV (1.5), then book 2, then Leif's PoV (2.5 - which I'm currently reviewing), each one getting a little bit better in progression. By now, I'm actually looking forward to book 3. I have a fondness for characters taking on the role of death or the reaper. The voodoo underworld twist was a surprisingly fun addition, even if the dad does remind me of Sebastian from The Little Mermaid singing Kiss the Girl.

Tell me you wouldn't think it too :
"Jes cause he won de gurl don mean he can ave her. Dat ain't whut de rules say. De gurl's soul is yers. Now take it."


1,498 reviews1 follower
Read
October 30, 2022
Iam not my father.still.i own her tell the death stole her heart.fantase adult novel and badly short
Profile Image for  ♥ Rebecca ♥.
1,626 reviews470 followers
April 15, 2013
While reading this I couldnt recall how I felt about Leif in Predestined. I liked him enough in Existence, but just in a Puck or Matt (TVD) sort of way. I had to reread my reviews to remind myself. Apparently I hated Leif after Predestined. Now I kind of feel bad for hating him. And I also felt bad for how much Pagan clearly hated him. He so didnt deserve it. He definitely made a lot of mistakes and went about trying to woo her all wrong, and he lied to her too much. But can you imagine being any better after having the parents he has? No, he is lucky he turned out so good. And he really loves her. When Pagan was in Vilokan during Predestined and she told Leif that if he loved her he wouldnt hold her against her will, I agreed with her. But now I see he was telling her the truth. He was doing his best to protect her from his father, hoping she would choose him, but he never intended to force her to.

In most love-triangles I still like the other guy and wish he could be happy, but do not want him to move on because I still admire his feelings and dont want his love to be cheapened by being forgotten too quickly. Such as Puck. He still loved Meghan in the end and says he is leaving for decades in order to get over her. If he had found another girl in the end I would have been disappointed in him. There are a few instances when I found the other guy to be just an annoyance and a distraction and I could care less if he fell for someone else, in fact I would prefer it, such as Will Herondale. I know, I know, I am alone in that, but that is a discussion for another day. That is how I used to feel about Leif, but now he has switched to the other category. He tried so hard to win Pagan that it is unforgettable, and I dont want him to forget it either. I dont know if that is unfair of me, but as I said, I feel like his love would be cheapened otherwise, affecting how I view his character.

But I wish more had been covered from Existence. The last scene was when they made out on her couch (which was super hot from Leif POV btw), then it skipped to the end when she picked Dank. But when did Leif realize that Pagan was in love with Dank? Did he know she was in love with him all along? Did he realize that his kisses hadnt ever excited her? We dont know.
Profile Image for AJ.
3,244 reviews1,069 followers
October 12, 2012
“It was time. I'd let her grow up normally. I'd stood back and protected her and guided her silently. Now, it was time I made her mine.”

I may be in the minority here, but I actually really liked Leif as a character in Existence. And even though I am 100% Team Dank, I even liked Leif towards the end of Predestined too. And before I started this book, I felt really sorry for him. This very short novella gives us moments from both books from Leif’s POV and now that I’ve read his side of the story, I can see how utterly tragic it all is for him.

Leif was just a guy fighting for what he wanted, the person that he loved and believed was his – “She was my world. She always had been.” He had been there for Pagan for her entire life, and she never even knew it, and that must have been gut-wrenching for the poor guy. I admired him for waiting for his chance and making his play in a fair way, for wanting Pagan to love him on her own and want to come to him, rather than forcing her as his Father insisted. And even though in the end when he got a bit more forceful with her, I believe that he always had her best interests at heart. He loved her, and thought he could make her happy and that she would come to love him.

"I need her love. I've worked too damn hard to win her trust over the years. I've protected her. Met her needs. I've MOLDED her. I need her love."



Leif’s story was already a sad one, but seeing it from his perspective is really quite tragic. The end of the novella gives us a brief glimpse into what happened after the events of Predestined, and I am hoping that it may be the start of something new for him. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that I see him appear in Ceaseless, hoping that he manages to get a HEA of his own.
Profile Image for Ronda.
890 reviews179 followers
July 6, 2012
It was good to read Leif's side, but to me, his point of view didn't count because I am a HUGE Dank fan (hee hee)!!! But, seriously, Abbi has given us an insight from another POV and succeeded in showing us areas of Leif that we wouldn't have known... and although I think I ought to feel sorry for him now, or give him a little sympathy, I'm a hard hearted woman and I am sorry but he's still the Leif I do not like!

Well written and a good link to place between the books, however, it has made me hunger for more of Death himself - bring on Ceaseless!!!!
Profile Image for Christine Danielle .
227 reviews125 followers
December 24, 2014
FOR MORE REVIEWS AND GIVEAWAYS, DO CHECJK OUT MY BLOG:
 photo bun3_zpsa210610d.jpg

Leif

I would have to let her go now. It was the only way. She was never meant to be mine. Even though in my heart, she always would be.

My reaction to that line:
crying gif photo: crying.gif

 photo bun2_zps0ef512fa.jpg

COVER: 5
CHARACTERS: 5
PLOT: 5

OVERALL RATING: 5

Now that I have had a little bit about Leif on his own point of view, I now really feel sad for him.

In the previous books he was made to appear as the bad guy.

I know what he did was wrong but you can't help what you do for love and besides, in the end he gave her up since he knew that they were never meant to be and that really broke my heart.

He really is not a bad guy, he was just unforunate to be the son of his father and it really was not his fault if he was born soulless.

It really was a great book that showed its readers that you can't help what your past is but you have the choice if you would let it affect your future.
Profile Image for Joanna.
794 reviews24 followers
February 14, 2016



Why? All I’d ever done was protect her. Why did she have to see me as something dark, something evil? I loved her.




You know the feeling that you think he's the perfect guy for the heroine but then she falls in love with the bad guy? This was what Leif makes me feel like. I have this feeling that Pagan should be with him. Compared to other books it should be like that! The one who saves you. Has been loving you since you were a child. Is very gentle with you. No bad bone in his body!!! I mean he's the perfect guy for the heroine. But then again this is not like other books.

I just wish Leif will get what he wants ever since he chose his mate. But sad part is the one that he wants for his life cannot be his.




I’d loved Pagan for the majority of my life but I couldn’t force her to love me.




Seee a very nice boy who's in love! Apparently making yourself believe that you're in love with the right girl really hurts when you find out she doesn't feel the same way. All his life, what he's doing was to protect and love her. He doesn't care if she always forgets about him. He still does what he wants to do for her without anything in return; but when he has the right time to claim what is his, it all goes down to his loss. :(((

Leif!!! I wanna hug you!!! Take me instead? :)

I don't know what the Sabine chick's purpose in Leif's life but i'm guessing there will be more.
Profile Image for Teiamarie.
176 reviews
October 22, 2012
**Spoiler alert at the end**

I can't deny Leif definitely pulls the heartstrings a little. In Existence I had a little crush on him too. He was sweet, handsome and seemed to want what was best for Pagan. Then we learn that he's soulless at the very end and in fact a spirit who is a voodoo prince. In Leif we see his struggle to earn Pagan's love as opposed to just taking her into Vilokan against her will (positive points for him there). But then there are times when we see his composure slip and his frustration comes through at Pagan's constant resistance. Leif tries to make excuses that everything negative that has befallen Pagan is because of his father the voodoo king but to me he's just making excuses and not taking any responsibility. His motives are selfish and he refuses to let Pagan go until his very world (Vilokan-voodoo afterlife) is threatened by Dank, the transporters, and an army of the Creator's Warriors. There was just no way Leif would come out the hero and he, in my eyes, was definitely a villain. Sorry Leif, no soul and selfish motives equals bad in my book! I still couldn't help but feel just a little sorry for him in the end though...
Profile Image for Dulce María.
947 reviews42 followers
February 7, 2017
Tenia muchísimas ganas de conocer mejor a Leif pero la verdad es que me pareció sumamente repetitivo, lento y que no aporto nada nuevo (a excepción de un par de escenas)
Profile Image for Nancy The book junkie.
3,030 reviews8 followers
February 1, 2015
Rating: 3.5/5

Ok, i'll start by being honest and admit that i started this book with not too much enthusiast. I'm not a fan of Leif, so far he did nothing but get on my nerves but i thought "hey maybe (MAYBE) i'll find him so redeeming qualities when i'll read from is POV". Unfortunately that not what happened, actually i think i dislike the guy even more now. The novella is mostly moments from the previous books that we get to revisit through is eyes. After reading i can only say that he is nothing more than a demonic spoiled brat who's used to get his way (or ask daddy to ensure he'll have it). He said and thought so many times that he "made" Pagan when all he did is ask demonic daddy to save her so he can have her.He have nothing to do with the person she became....hmm God complex much?! The poor guy can't understand how she can prefer Dank over him...let me explain it to you...sorry buddy but we prefer guy with a backbone, the guy went against the creator while all you do is whine do daddy and do as he say! BUT he's nothing like is dad and i'm hoping he can redeem himself in the last installment, considering is upbringing it's a miracle he's still good. He just need to learn to accept that he can't always have what he want.

Overall the style and writing of Abbi made enjoy the ride, i might not like the character but the storyline is still catchy and i'm looking forward to read how the series will end
Profile Image for Christy.
4,542 reviews35.9k followers
August 8, 2012
I had a love/hate thing with this novella. I loved it because even though I wasn't totally happy with Leif in Predestined, I really did like him from Existence and it was nice to see his side of the story... I hated it because it broke my heart :( I read somewhere that Leif was possibly getting his own spin off series? I hope so because he deserves some happiness.
Profile Image for Say.
1,329 reviews49 followers
May 14, 2015
Leif's POV nothing much. New character introduced probably a partner for Leif since it didn't work out with Pagan.
Profile Image for Eliana.
61 reviews
June 3, 2020
Entiendo que la autora perdió la oportunidad de desarrollar este personaje. Leif tenía mucho que ofrecer; una historia individual, quizá.

No me gustó tampoco el hecho de que solo haya mostrado lo mismo que ya se conocía de la trama en Existence y Predestined, volviendo al mismo primer punto: no lo desarrollaron.

Me gusta la historia, la forma de narración y me gustó que le dieran un poco de voz a Leif, así que un tres está bien.
Profile Image for Erica (Reading Kitten).
323 reviews22 followers
July 8, 2012
Sounds awesome. I'd really like to know what goes on in Leif's mind :)

----------------

Well, I guess it's official now. I don't like Leif. And I don't even care if he or not. Hmm...
Profile Image for Lisa (Two Bookish Brits).
907 reviews166 followers
February 6, 2018
Ah I’ve been meaning to read Leif’s story ever since I finished Existence. I was intrigued by him and his story.

When I begin reading this I though I had it figured out what was going to happen and what wouldn’t happen but boy, was I wrong.

Leif has loved the same girl all of his life but being away from her makes her memories of him disappear and it’s so sad to watch. He loves her, she loves someone else but he never gives up.

I’m super glad I finally read this one. I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future.
Profile Image for Amber J (Thereadingwitch).
1,170 reviews86 followers
July 18, 2022
There wasn't a whole lot added to the series with this book I felt. I was excited to see things from Leif's pov, but it fell flat for me, just a repeat of everything. Why do authors feel the need to do this? I understand repeating key moments but other than that I was hoping to get more in-depth with Leif, but no I am left utterly disappointed there.
Profile Image for Sofi Mascaró.
550 reviews99 followers
July 17, 2016
I don't know how to start this, but I will say that this novella made me realize I'm #TeamDank even more now.

Leif has some scenes from both Existence and Predestined but from his side. And I have to say: Leif scared me to death.
The way he made sure to look like an innocent football player while on the inside he was remembering every single time he has been with Pagan and reminding himself she is his creeped me out. I mean, I lost the count on how many times he said:

"You are mine. You belong to me. My father asked me to choose a companion and I chose you. I've been watching you grow and made sure you were safe"


Okey, I get it. For him it may be romantic but it reminded me of Edward and Jacob fighting over Bella.
That's why I felt so good every time Dank showed up next to Pagan and fought for her. I might have liked Leif in the begginning but now... at least the fact that he accepted Pagan would never love him made me breathe a little better.

I'm just afraid of what will happen in the last book. Will Leif show up? Will he move on? Or will he try to seek revenge?



No sé cómo empezar esto, pero he de decir que esta novela me hizo dar cuenta que soy #TeamDank aún más ahora.

Leif tiene algunas escenas de ambos libros Existence y Predestined, pero de su lado. Y tengo que decir: Leif me dio miedo hasta la muerte.
La forma en que se aseguró de parecerse a un jugador de fútbol inocente, mientras que en el interior estaba recordando todas las veces que había estado con Pagan y recordándose que ella era suya me asustó. Quiero decir, he perdido la cuenta de cuántas veces dijo:

"Eres mía. Me perteneces. Mi padre me pidió que eligiera a una compañero y yo te eligí a ti. He estado viendote crecer y me aseguré de que estabas a salvo"


Okey, lo entiendo. Para él, eso puede ser romántico, pero me recordó a Edward y Jacob luchando por Bella.
Es por eso que me sentí tan bien cada vez que Dank apareció junto a Pagan y luchó por ella. Podría haberme gustado Leif al principio pero ahora ... por lo menos el hecho de que él aceptó que Pagan nunca lo amaría me hizo a respirar un poco mejor.

Tengo miedo de lo que sucederá en el último libro. ¿Leif aparecerá? ¿Va a seguir adelante? ¿O va a tratar de buscar venganza?
Profile Image for Emily Ellison.
149 reviews2 followers
December 18, 2012
Ok so I cannot find one reason to dislike Leif, even if he is the voodoo prince. He honestly loves Pagan, and he has been wonderful to her. He waited to convince her to go with him, instead of stealing her like he could have. I felt bad for the guy. He isn't like the average "bad guy" in most books. He seems to be really good even though he is supposed to be evil. I did not think he was a bad guy when I read Existence or Predestined. During Existence you kind of fall in love with him. When you learn all about him in Predestined, you still see all the good things about him. During this book (Leif) you still see what a good guy he is. I wanted Pagan to stay with him. Think of all the parties they would have! Who cares if she would not have a soul! She would be immortal with a hot guy like Leif. He repeatedly does the right thing, even though it tears him up. I like him. The big thing I liked about this book is that the author (Glines) shows just how great Leif is, and that he is not evil at all. The second best part is he meets a girl during the whole ordeal with Pagan. I have no clue how he could possibly swing that to work since he is the voodoo prince, but I hope he finds someone to make him happy. He really seems like he deserves it, like his intensions are true. Losing Pagan was obviously breaking him a part. I know you are not supposed to root for the bad guy, but I don't think Leif is the bad guy (Don't get me wrong, Dank isn't either). Maybe there just isn't a bad guy!
Profile Image for Gitte TotallyBookedBlog.
2,094 reviews940 followers
July 4, 2012
Warning

Do not read this novella until you have read Existence and Predestined. You will need to know the characters and the story in order for it to make any sense as it is a collection of scenes from Leif's point of view.

"She was mine. I owned her soul…until Death stole her heart." - Leif

I have to say I loved getting an insight into the story from Leif's perspective. He has had a piece of my heart since the beginning and I always felt he was completely misunderstood. His intentions are, in this novella, made clear and I knew he had a heart in there as well as humanity and although his actions are somewhat mis-guided their motivation was purely based on love and protection.

I really hope Leif finds the love he deserves in his spinoff series which is coming and that he finds a way to leave the shadow of his Father.

"I'm not my Father. I'm nothing like my Father. That's the problem." - Leif

If you loved Existence and Predestined then I would highly recommend this novella to follow Leif and his story.







Profile Image for Livia.
1,027 reviews41 followers
January 28, 2015
4.5 stars

"I'm not my father. I'm nothing like my father. That's the problem."

This novella gave us Leif POV of the events in the first two books in the series, Existence and Predestined. Before reading this novella, I really didn't care about Leif. However, I can now say that I have a teeny tiny bit of sympathy for Leif and his unrequited love for Pagan.

Ghede, Leif's father, insisted that Leif give up on his quest to make Pagan love him and just take her for the restitution. Despite being soulless and the Prince of Voodoo, Leif wanted Pagan's love, wanted her to want him and to join him in the Vilokan, the Voodoo afterlife, willingly. If you've read Predestined, then you already know the outcome of his quest.

Ceaseless (Existence #3) is up next in this really cool paranormal series. I'm curious to see what role Sabine, a new human character that we met in Vilokan, will play if any.
Profile Image for Ria.
541 reviews42 followers
August 19, 2014
*Sigh*
This poor guy has had it rough this novella just illustrated how amazing he is and how lonely his existence is. He is labeled and judged and treated like absolute poop by the one person he loves above all others. There is some foreshadowing to a happier pursuits and I hope he finds someone to share his lonely existence with.

I <3 this guy sooooooooo flippin hard I want him to be happy.

angel animated GIF
Profile Image for Alex.
108 reviews9 followers
November 5, 2015
No puedo evitarlo,si tuviera que elegir entre Leif y Dank, elegiría a Leif. Si, tal vez es un poco loco, pero amo su debilidad y la manera en la que él se siente. Probablemente me sienta identificada con él.

No es necesario decir que me encantó la idea de que haya un libro basado en su punto de vista. Y sí, estoy segura de que la puntuación de 4/5 estrellas es por esa misma razón. Perdón por la poca objetividad, pero adoro a Leif.
Profile Image for Jalyn.
319 reviews44 followers
July 10, 2017
This book is Leif's POV in Existence and Predestined. It's so sad! Reading from Pagan and Dank's POV in the first two books makes you dislike Leif, but this story just made me want to hug him. It's obvious how much he loves Pagan and she just thinks he's the bad guy and that everything that happens is his fault. Oh my, this book really just broke my heart :(
Profile Image for Wy'Kia .
175 reviews20 followers
August 1, 2015
The saddest part about this book is that I thought this book would show me how much of a cold-blooded mean person that Leif is. But Leif is still a sweet person who happens to be the Voodoo Prince. He actually deserves Pagan, but Pagan was too "in love" with Dank to realize how amazing Leif is. But I still ship it. He even let's Pagan go so she can be happy.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
Author 64 books624 followers
November 10, 2016
This was the hardest novella for me to get through ever! Not because of the writing or the plot, just the fact that I can't stand Leif. For me he has to be one of the most annoying and persistent characters ever. But his persistence makes him unbearable, like dude Pagan doesn't want you! Let it go! Overall, it goes with the trilogy well just don't care for him.
Profile Image for Keziah.
1 review1 follower
July 1, 2012
Ohhh emmm. Leif is smoldering hoooot. I can't believe he's one of the bad guys. But damn, we can't change the fact that he's hot in a brooding way. Damn. Can you be mine? To hell with Pagan, she's madly in love with death. I'd gladly go to Vilokan with you!! :)
Profile Image for Winifred.
317 reviews37 followers
Want to read
August 2, 2012
Leif Is sooooo Steamy!!! Does it really matter if he is… ? not when he looks like that! I 'd die happy. ***Swoons***
Profile Image for Cili.
218 reviews2 followers
June 2, 2013
siento pena por leif :(
Profile Image for Jessica Ramírez.
267 reviews
November 22, 2014
"Era mía. Su alma me pertenecía… hasta que la Muerte robó su corazón."

Leif es puro love, really.
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