What do you think?
Rate this book
Seraph Black #1
Charcoal Tears
“You see, there is safety in simplicity… in a life of simple peace, where the electricity doesn’t dance across the backs of my eyelids, and the sparks don’t slither over my consciousness. Only asinine peace, where my paintings don’t seem to paint themselves, leaving me with terrible feelings of premonition and a chill beneath my fingernails.”
Seraph Black used to think that she was prepared for anything. She could last days without eating and she always walked away from the violent altercations with her father relatively unharmed. She survived working at the club and the drive to school every day in her mother’s rust-bucket of a car… but it all changed when Noah and Cabe came bulldozing into her life, careless of the precious secrets they picked apart in their quest to take over her world. She was even less prepared for the mysterious Miro and Silas, and nothing could have prepared her for the bond. The connection. The reason for it all.
Someone wanted her to stay away from her new friends, but she wasn’t willing to do that.
Everyone had secrets.
She wanted to know theirs. They wanted to own hers.
And the stalker?
He seemed to know everything already.
Seraph Black used to think that she was prepared for anything. She could last days without eating and she always walked away from the violent altercations with her father relatively unharmed. She survived working at the club and the drive to school every day in her mother’s rust-bucket of a car… but it all changed when Noah and Cabe came bulldozing into her life, careless of the precious secrets they picked apart in their quest to take over her world. She was even less prepared for the mysterious Miro and Silas, and nothing could have prepared her for the bond. The connection. The reason for it all.
Someone wanted her to stay away from her new friends, but she wasn’t willing to do that.
Everyone had secrets.
She wanted to know theirs. They wanted to own hers.
And the stalker?
He seemed to know everything already.
268 pages, ebook
First published September 14, 2015
2776 people are currently reading
9105 people want to read
About the author
Jane Washington
33 books4,566 followersJane is a Wall-Street Journal bestselling author who spends all her time writing books and then telling people not to read them.
Find her here: https://linktr.ee/janewashingtonbooks
Find her here: https://linktr.ee/janewashingtonbooks
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 726 reviews
February 25, 2018
I recently looked up the common methods of cult indoctrination - on HowStuffWorks, because I have no class - and came to a chilling conclusion; the Zevgheni are a cult, and Seph is in the process of joining.
Every key step for indoctrinating a cult member (aka thought reform), listed in the linked article, is reflected in Charcoal Tears. See for yourself:
- Step 1, Deception - cults trick new members into joining by misleading them or withholding information about the true nature of the group; they might even use a member's induced altered consciousness to increase vulnerability to suggestion. The Adairs and Quillans repeatedly dodge questions, keeping Seph in the dark about her own nature and the truth of their bond. They definitely benefit from her vulnerability due to her abusive father and stalker since it helps them gain her trust. When Seph asks for information on the bond, so she can decide for herself if it's something she wants, this is the response she gets:
- Step 2, Isolation - Cults cut off members from the outside world. The members of the cult become the person's only social contact and feedback mechanism. Cults may not allow unsupervised contact with the "outside world." From the moment Seph meets her pairs, she spends barely a moment outside of their company; if it were up to the boys she would probably never leave their side.
- Step 3, Induced Dependency - Cults demand absolute, unquestioning devotion, loyalty and submission. A cult member's sense of self is systematically destroyed. The leader typically controls every minute of a member's waking time. There is no free time to think or analyze. Members are told what to eat, what to wear, when to sleep ... the member is removed from all decision-making. Within days of meeting the Adairs, Seph is living in their apartment, with her food, clothes, habits, and schedule all dictated by her new roommates. Because of the bond, she feels nauseous and unhappy whenever she isn't touching one of them. If that's not dependency, pray tell me what is. The pair seems to be designed to destroy independence.
- Step 4, Dread - Once complete dependence is established, the member must retain the leader's good favor or else his life falls apart. Here's where it gets tricky, because it may not seem as though Seph is at the mercy of the Adairs and Quillans. But think about it. Seph has been abused all her life and is in dire need of affection, trust, and a leadership figure. When a group of guys enters her life and seems to want to take care of her, of course she jumps at the chance; this dependency is only intensified by the pair bonds. Seph is so desperate for someone to follow and trust that she accepts anything the boys throw at her. When told that she isn't allowed to know facts about her own nature, she doesn't question it. When told to stay in the Adairs' apartment for ten days straight, Seph doesn't even blink. Clearly she will do anything she's told.
What would happen if she fell out of favor with the boys? Seph has shown that she is protective of them - . At the slightest hint that the bond may not be completed between her and her men, she has a full breakdown. Clearly her emotional stability depends on her relationship with them.
This all looks very bad for our heroes. We should have trouble romanticizing a relationship with such creepy undertones. Noah and Cabe fully admit to stalking Seph in the middle of the book - how can that be construed as romantic when the main villain is also a stalker, albeit a much more sinister one? How come everybody still swoons at the thought of Silas, Miro, Noah, and Cabe?
There's an explanation for that:
The Dobler/Dahmer Theory. See: How I Met Your Mother, S08E15
In the show, one of Ted's girlfriends illegally sets off a fire alarm (among other things) to meet him. Ted's friends call her crazy; Ted calls her romantic because he was into the gesture.
Debatable.
I'm coming down on the Dahmer side; I still think Seph's developing relationship is unhealthy and really sketchy.
But I know I'm in the minority, so I plan on continuing the series to see if something will change my mind.
Every key step for indoctrinating a cult member (aka thought reform), listed in the linked article, is reflected in Charcoal Tears. See for yourself:
- Step 1, Deception - cults trick new members into joining by misleading them or withholding information about the true nature of the group; they might even use a member's induced altered consciousness to increase vulnerability to suggestion. The Adairs and Quillans repeatedly dodge questions, keeping Seph in the dark about her own nature and the truth of their bond. They definitely benefit from her vulnerability due to her abusive father and stalker since it helps them gain her trust. When Seph asks for information on the bond, so she can decide for herself if it's something she wants, this is the response she gets:
His expression hardened. "Do you trust us?"
I nodded, but I wasn't entirely sure.
"I understand that it's a lot to ask, Seph... to blindly trust people in a situation like this. But it's for your own good. We can't answer that question just yet - soon, but not just yet."
- Step 2, Isolation - Cults cut off members from the outside world. The members of the cult become the person's only social contact and feedback mechanism. Cults may not allow unsupervised contact with the "outside world." From the moment Seph meets her pairs, she spends barely a moment outside of their company; if it were up to the boys she would probably never leave their side.
Cabe looked a little incensed. "We don't stalk her."Her old friend Matthew is cut from her life completely, even her brother Tariq barely sees her more than a few minutes at a time after she catches the Adair's attention. Case in point, after Seph receives a shock from her stalker and tries to tell Tariq:
"If she didn't want to be friends, we probably would." Noah countered.
Cabe tilted his head, considering this. "Yeah, ok."
"I should talk to Tariq too."The boys are extremely protective of Seph, essentially cutting her off from the world.
"No." Quillan brushed the hair from my face. "Sorry, Seph. Seeing you like this will only upset him."
- Step 3, Induced Dependency - Cults demand absolute, unquestioning devotion, loyalty and submission. A cult member's sense of self is systematically destroyed. The leader typically controls every minute of a member's waking time. There is no free time to think or analyze. Members are told what to eat, what to wear, when to sleep ... the member is removed from all decision-making. Within days of meeting the Adairs, Seph is living in their apartment, with her food, clothes, habits, and schedule all dictated by her new roommates. Because of the bond, she feels nauseous and unhappy whenever she isn't touching one of them. If that's not dependency, pray tell me what is. The pair seems to be designed to destroy independence.
- Step 4, Dread - Once complete dependence is established, the member must retain the leader's good favor or else his life falls apart. Here's where it gets tricky, because it may not seem as though Seph is at the mercy of the Adairs and Quillans. But think about it. Seph has been abused all her life and is in dire need of affection, trust, and a leadership figure. When a group of guys enters her life and seems to want to take care of her, of course she jumps at the chance; this dependency is only intensified by the pair bonds. Seph is so desperate for someone to follow and trust that she accepts anything the boys throw at her. When told that she isn't allowed to know facts about her own nature, she doesn't question it. When told to stay in the Adairs' apartment for ten days straight, Seph doesn't even blink. Clearly she will do anything she's told.
What would happen if she fell out of favor with the boys? Seph has shown that she is protective of them - . At the slightest hint that the bond may not be completed between her and her men, she has a full breakdown. Clearly her emotional stability depends on her relationship with them.
This all looks very bad for our heroes. We should have trouble romanticizing a relationship with such creepy undertones. Noah and Cabe fully admit to stalking Seph in the middle of the book - how can that be construed as romantic when the main villain is also a stalker, albeit a much more sinister one? How come everybody still swoons at the thought of Silas, Miro, Noah, and Cabe?
There's an explanation for that:
The Dobler/Dahmer Theory. See: How I Met Your Mother, S08E15
In the show, one of Ted's girlfriends illegally sets off a fire alarm (among other things) to meet him. Ted's friends call her crazy; Ted calls her romantic because he was into the gesture.
"If both people are into each other, then a big romantic gesture works: Dobler. But if one person isn't into the other, the same gesture comes off serial-killer crazy: Dahmer."While objectively the heroes might look like crazy cult members attempting to indoctrinate an abused, vulnerable girl into their Zevgheni group, one important factor changes the game: sexual attraction. The truth is, Seraph totally digs the whole experience. She loves the attention and the racy steamy moments. So is it really wrong to indoctrinate someone if they're enjoying the hell out of it?
Debatable.
I'm coming down on the Dahmer side; I still think Seph's developing relationship is unhealthy and really sketchy.
But I know I'm in the minority, so I plan on continuing the series to see if something will change my mind.
October 7, 2015
I'll start of by saying that I don't intend to offend the author or anyone who has read the book and liked it.
This is my opinion.
As this is my opinion, I'm going to speak the truth about what I think.
Summed up in one image:
Charcoal Tears felt like reading a damn copy of The Academy Series by C.L. Stone.
That's the ugly truth.
It's not the same word by word, but there are TOO MANY "similarities" existing between one and the other and you cannot expect me not to point them out when I've read The Academy books before.
I'm not going to be a hypocrite denying that that was not one of the main reasons why I wanted to read Charcoal Tears. I'm a fan of The Academy and of course I'd like to read books alike. But I wasn't expecting this.
As I don't see the book listed as a re-telling, or based on, or a fanfiction of; and as I spent, if not not all, but most of the reading time comparing them both, I dare to say that it was like reading a copy.
I'll list my reasons:
►The Academy- Sang Sorenson is a 15 year old girl living with her father, mother and sister. Sang is physically and verbally abused by her mother, forced to be isolated and this behaviour is neglected by the other two members of her family.
▷Charcoal Tears- Seraph is a 17 year old girl living with her father and brother. She's physically, verbally and, as she mentioned it, sexually abused by her father. Forced to work to be able to support her family. Luckyly, her brother is not indifferent to her situation. (This reminds me more of Kayli Winchester from the Scarab Beetle Series, which are also Academy books).
►The Academy- Sang meets 9 guys who belong to a secret organization named The Academy. They are grouped as a family/team:
-Mr. Blackbourne (connection with The Academy)
-Dr. Green (connection with The Academy)
-Kota (team leader)
-North
-Victor
-Nathan
-Silas
-Luke
-Gabriel
▷Charcoal Tears- Seraph meets only 4 guys, whom are Zhevghéri (?). From what I understood, they're people with some kind of powers.
-Mr. Quillan (the...boss)
-Silassmooth (Mr. Quillan's twin)
-Noah
-Cabe
To me, these 4 guys are a strange combination of the 9 Academy guys. If you haven't read The Academy, you won't understand what I mean. But if you have, tell me if I'm wrong:
-Mr. Quillan= a bit of Mr. Blackbourne, Kota and Dr. Green together.
-Silas= Mr. Blackbourne + North
-Noah= a mix of Silas and Nathan
-Cabe= Victor + Gabriel + Luke
The same just in a smaller package.
►The Academy- Sang can identify each one of them by their smell or cologne.
▷Charcoal Tears- Surprinsigly, Seraph also does this. Only with Cabewho smells like toffee (?) and Quillan.
►The Academy- Sang and the guys have a nickname for each other, except for Mr. Blackbourne and Dr. Green (kind of):
Mr. Blackbourne/Miss Sorenson
Dr. Green or Sean/Pookie
Kota (not official yet)-10/52, but he calls her sweetie and sweetheart a lot
North-North star/Sang baby
Victor-Mr. Victor (not official yet)/Princess
Nathan-Honey/Peanut
Silas (not official yet)- Superman/ Aggele or aggele mou (greek for "angel" or "my angel")
Luke (not official yet)-Always/Forever, meanwhile she's cupcake, sugar, sweetie, etc.
Gabriel-Meanie/Trouble
▷Charcoal Tears- Guess what? Seraph also has nicknames for her guys. Although I don't remember if for all of them:
Mr. Quillan-Mr. Bossman/not a name but he also calls her sweetheart, a lot.
Cabe-Lucifer/ ?
Noah-?/little ghost
Now, the least subtle "coincidence" between these books, Silas’ nickname for Seraph: Angel.
I don't care if Seraph means angel. #notcooldude
►The Academy- Sang has a thing with each one of the guys. A gesture or action just for the two of them. Like rubbing noses with Kota, love bites with North or finger bitting with Nathan. They also give her small tokens, like a bracelet from Victor or the wrist band from Silas.
▷Charcoal Tears- My interpretation of ↑ in this book, is what they call the girlfriend insurance. Seraph takes Quillans watch, Silas gets a tatoo that will be finished when he gets a girlfriend (because that's smart), Noah asks Seraph to get a piercieng and she's like yeah, sure. I'll do it (WTF?????), and I honestly don't remember what was Cabe's request but I bet something equally stupid.
►The Academy- On the third book of the series, Victor, Gabriel and Nathan take Sang on a shopping trip to the mall.
▷Charcoal Tears- Cabe takes Seraph on a shopping trip to the mall. She feels like his ho (her words, not mine).
►The Academy- Sang has a stalker: Volto. He has followed her, taken pictures of her. Not sure if he's the one who plants fake bomb threats on her school.
▷Charcoal Tears- Seraph also has a stalker: The Messenger. He obviously follows her and has taken pictures of her. He planted a bomb on her school.
►The Academy- Sang gets notes from random guys on her classes but she never reads them because The Academy guys always intercept them.
▷Charcoal Tears- Seraph gets notes from random guys on her classes, she reads one but now the Zhevghéri guys intercept them.
Some other things that might seem dumb but I have to complain about:
●Sang has chameleon hair- Seraph has chameleon shoes.
●Victor has fire eyes- Cabe has toffee eyes (?)
●Mr. Blackbourne is Sang’s violin teacher- Mr. Quillan is Seraph’s art teacher
●Sang has a guy (Gabriel) who likes to dress her- Seraph has Clarin, a gay guy who obviously has to dress her.
●Academy guys keep secrets from Sang- Zhevghéri guys keep secrets from Seraph
●Academy guys go on secret jobs- Zhevghéri guys , yep, they go on secret jobs too
●Academy guys ground Sang- Zhevghéri guys ground Seraph
●Academy guys agree to keep things only in a platonic way with Sang- Zhevghéri guys “draw the line” about anything romantic with Seraph
I’m sorry if I simply couldn’t overlook all of that. I'm an Academy nerd.
*deep breath*
Those are not the only reasons why I simply couldn't love the book. The fantasy element is too weak. They are Zhevghéri , but what in the world is that? Why do they have powers? Why Seraph has two abilities and two marks? Why do they have to be paired?
It was a typical YA book: romance, flirting, high school, drama and almost no fantasy.
Seraph is...strange. She has no friends, she suddenly meets these two guys and starts hanging out with them, she gets comfortable too soon walking in and out of their apartment as if she owned it, wearing their clothes, gets a sassy attitude and craves for their touch...who changes that fast?
Then they say one day "Hey, yo, Seph! We're moving to some magical city where our people lives"
Seph: okay!
"But your brother will stay here"
Seph: that's fine!
"One day you and all of us will be paired"
Seph: sure!
The guys are real charmers:
I’m done. I needed to say it.
P.S. I'm so sorry I couldn't love this one, Siv :/
This is my opinion.
As this is my opinion, I'm going to speak the truth about what I think.
Summed up in one image:
Charcoal Tears felt like reading a damn copy of The Academy Series by C.L. Stone.
That's the ugly truth.
It's not the same word by word, but there are TOO MANY "similarities" existing between one and the other and you cannot expect me not to point them out when I've read The Academy books before.
I'm not going to be a hypocrite denying that that was not one of the main reasons why I wanted to read Charcoal Tears. I'm a fan of The Academy and of course I'd like to read books alike. But I wasn't expecting this.
As I don't see the book listed as a re-telling, or based on, or a fanfiction of; and as I spent, if not not all, but most of the reading time comparing them both, I dare to say that it was like reading a copy.
I'll list my reasons:
►The Academy- Sang Sorenson is a 15 year old girl living with her father, mother and sister. Sang is physically and verbally abused by her mother, forced to be isolated and this behaviour is neglected by the other two members of her family.
▷Charcoal Tears- Seraph is a 17 year old girl living with her father and brother. She's physically, verbally and, as she mentioned it, sexually abused by her father. Forced to work to be able to support her family. Luckyly, her brother is not indifferent to her situation. (This reminds me more of Kayli Winchester from the Scarab Beetle Series, which are also Academy books).
►The Academy- Sang meets 9 guys who belong to a secret organization named The Academy. They are grouped as a family/team:
-Mr. Blackbourne (connection with The Academy)
-Dr. Green (connection with The Academy)
-Kota (team leader)
-North
-Victor
-Nathan
-Silas
-Luke
-Gabriel
▷Charcoal Tears- Seraph meets only 4 guys, whom are Zhevghéri (?). From what I understood, they're people with some kind of powers.
-Mr. Quillan (the...boss)
-Silas
-Noah
-Cabe
To me, these 4 guys are a strange combination of the 9 Academy guys. If you haven't read The Academy, you won't understand what I mean. But if you have, tell me if I'm wrong:
-Mr. Quillan= a bit of Mr. Blackbourne, Kota and Dr. Green together.
-Silas= Mr. Blackbourne + North
-Noah= a mix of Silas and Nathan
-Cabe= Victor + Gabriel + Luke
The same just in a smaller package.
►The Academy- Sang can identify each one of them by their smell or cologne.
▷Charcoal Tears- Surprinsigly, Seraph also does this. Only with Cabe
►The Academy- Sang and the guys have a nickname for each other, except for Mr. Blackbourne and Dr. Green (kind of):
Mr. Blackbourne/Miss Sorenson
Dr. Green or Sean/Pookie
Kota (not official yet)-10/52, but he calls her sweetie and sweetheart a lot
North-North star/Sang baby
Victor-Mr. Victor (not official yet)/Princess
Nathan-Honey/Peanut
Silas (not official yet)- Superman/ Aggele or aggele mou (greek for "angel" or "my angel")
Luke (not official yet)-Always/Forever, meanwhile she's cupcake, sugar, sweetie, etc.
Gabriel-Meanie/Trouble
▷Charcoal Tears- Guess what? Seraph also has nicknames for her guys. Although I don't remember if for all of them:
Mr. Quillan-Mr. Bossman/not a name but he also calls her sweetheart, a lot.
Cabe-Lucifer/ ?
Noah-?/little ghost
Now, the least subtle "coincidence" between these books, Silas’ nickname for Seraph: Angel.
I don't care if Seraph means angel. #notcooldude
►The Academy- Sang has a thing with each one of the guys. A gesture or action just for the two of them. Like rubbing noses with Kota, love bites with North or finger bitting with Nathan. They also give her small tokens, like a bracelet from Victor or the wrist band from Silas.
▷Charcoal Tears- My interpretation of ↑ in this book, is what they call the girlfriend insurance. Seraph takes Quillans watch, Silas gets a tatoo that will be finished when he gets a girlfriend (because that's smart), Noah asks Seraph to get a piercieng and she's like yeah, sure. I'll do it (WTF?????), and I honestly don't remember what was Cabe's request but I bet something equally stupid.
►The Academy- On the third book of the series, Victor, Gabriel and Nathan take Sang on a shopping trip to the mall.
▷Charcoal Tears- Cabe takes Seraph on a shopping trip to the mall. She feels like his ho (her words, not mine).
►The Academy- Sang has a stalker: Volto. He has followed her, taken pictures of her. Not sure if he's the one who plants fake bomb threats on her school.
▷Charcoal Tears- Seraph also has a stalker: The Messenger. He obviously follows her and has taken pictures of her. He planted a bomb on her school.
►The Academy- Sang gets notes from random guys on her classes but she never reads them because The Academy guys always intercept them.
▷Charcoal Tears- Seraph gets notes from random guys on her classes, she reads one but now the Zhevghéri guys intercept them.
Some other things that might seem dumb but I have to complain about:
●Sang has chameleon hair- Seraph has chameleon shoes.
●Victor has fire eyes- Cabe has toffee eyes (?)
●Mr. Blackbourne is Sang’s violin teacher- Mr. Quillan is Seraph’s art teacher
●Sang has a guy (Gabriel) who likes to dress her- Seraph has Clarin, a gay guy who obviously has to dress her.
●Academy guys keep secrets from Sang- Zhevghéri guys keep secrets from Seraph
●Academy guys go on secret jobs- Zhevghéri guys , yep, they go on secret jobs too
●Academy guys ground Sang- Zhevghéri guys ground Seraph
●Academy guys agree to keep things only in a platonic way with Sang- Zhevghéri guys “draw the line” about anything romantic with Seraph
I’m sorry if I simply couldn’t overlook all of that. I'm an Academy nerd.
*deep breath*
Those are not the only reasons why I simply couldn't love the book. The fantasy element is too weak. They are Zhevghéri , but what in the world is that? Why do they have powers? Why Seraph has two abilities and two marks? Why do they have to be paired?
It was a typical YA book: romance, flirting, high school, drama and almost no fantasy.
Seraph is...strange. She has no friends, she suddenly meets these two guys and starts hanging out with them, she gets comfortable too soon walking in and out of their apartment as if she owned it, wearing their clothes, gets a sassy attitude and craves for their touch...who changes that fast?
Then they say one day "Hey, yo, Seph! We're moving to some magical city where our people lives"
Seph: okay!
"But your brother will stay here"
Seph: that's fine!
"One day you and all of us will be paired"
Seph: sure!
The guys are real charmers:
"You're a miracle, Seraph. You're incredible. You just don't know it yet. Now get the hell out of my classroom"
"Don't think like that about yourself, Seph. Even if you hadn't been one of us, we still have stalked you to the grave"
I’m done. I needed to say it.
P.S. I'm so sorry I couldn't love this one, Siv :/
March 27, 2017
Welcome to Chesca's fantastical ONE STAR review of Charcoal Tears!
Firstly, let's begin with the main character, Seraph. Ugh, who calls their main character Seraph? Doesn't that mean angel or something stupid? Like SOOOOO pretentious. She's also artistic and looks after her younger brother, taking on abuse herself from her father to keep her little bro safe. Ugh, she's clearly just added this in to trick us into feeling sorry for this whore.
And then we have four guys. FOUR GUYS. Can you believe it? So the author wants us to believe Seraph is a sweet little angel, but she's got 4 BOYFRIENDS?
- One of them, Silas, is a psychopath. ....And nobody finds psychopaths hot right?
- The other is her art teacher, Miro (artistic, older and sexy? ugh who could go for that? He's also Silas' twin, and gosh, isn't that weird and totally not omg so hot. )
- The other two are just manwhores with no depth. (Like there's totally nothing else to them, Cabe isn't funny at all, and Noah is soooo not caveman perfection.)
Okay, so as well as having 4 new hot boyfriends, being a full time attention whore & being named like a pretentious angel. Seraph also has "special powers" - also so unoriginal... it's not like I can't name like millions of other books where the main character tells the future through paintings...... *Tries to think of any..... fails* well... ANYWAY..... my point totally fucking stands okay. Screw you Washington.
Also, there's just no story here....
- it's not like we've got a whole complex interesting world within the normal world, the Zevs or anything.
- It's not like there's so much backstory and thought gone into the whole damn series.... at all.
- It's not like the author writes beautifully and packed with enough action and intrigue to keep your interest throughout the whole 4 book series.
- It's not like the side characters are well thought out and beautiful funny characters in their own rights. *Coughs* Poison & Clarin *coughs*
Who would wanna read this shit?
So if you haven't worked it out, by the fact my review is actually rated 5 stars and the fact this is all crazy bullshit, this is satire. Jane is fabulous, and I may or may not stalk her. Shhhhh! Don't tell her! And you should add this to your TBR List fucking right now. Got it guys? Good!
Firstly, let's begin with the main character, Seraph. Ugh, who calls their main character Seraph? Doesn't that mean angel or something stupid? Like SOOOOO pretentious. She's also artistic and looks after her younger brother, taking on abuse herself from her father to keep her little bro safe. Ugh, she's clearly just added this in to trick us into feeling sorry for this whore.
And then we have four guys. FOUR GUYS. Can you believe it? So the author wants us to believe Seraph is a sweet little angel, but she's got 4 BOYFRIENDS?
- One of them, Silas, is a psychopath. ....And nobody finds psychopaths hot right?
- The other is her art teacher, Miro (artistic, older and sexy? ugh who could go for that? He's also Silas' twin, and gosh, isn't that weird and totally not omg so hot. )
- The other two are just manwhores with no depth. (Like there's totally nothing else to them, Cabe isn't funny at all, and Noah is soooo not caveman perfection.)
Okay, so as well as having 4 new hot boyfriends, being a full time attention whore & being named like a pretentious angel. Seraph also has "special powers" - also so unoriginal... it's not like I can't name like millions of other books where the main character tells the future through paintings...... *Tries to think of any..... fails* well... ANYWAY..... my point totally fucking stands okay. Screw you Washington.
Also, there's just no story here....
- it's not like we've got a whole complex interesting world within the normal world, the Zevs or anything.
- It's not like there's so much backstory and thought gone into the whole damn series.... at all.
- It's not like the author writes beautifully and packed with enough action and intrigue to keep your interest throughout the whole 4 book series.
- It's not like the side characters are well thought out and beautiful funny characters in their own rights. *Coughs* Poison & Clarin *coughs*
Who would wanna read this shit?
So if you haven't worked it out, by the fact my review is actually rated 5 stars and the fact this is all crazy bullshit, this is satire. Jane is fabulous, and I may or may not stalk her. Shhhhh! Don't tell her! And you should add this to your TBR List fucking right now. Got it guys? Good!
February 19, 2024
✅ Pace
✅ Quick read
✅ Plot / Intrigue
✅ Special abilities
✅ Worldbuilding
✅🆗 Characters
🆗 High school / Jealous girls drama
🆗 Reverse-Harem (in the future books, it is pretty mild in this one)
Seraph Black lives alone with her abusive father and her younger brother and tries her best to protect her brother Tariq, work enough so her family has some money to buy food, and be invisible at school. That is all about to change though when sexy and charismatic Cabe and Noah enroll at her school and decide to adopt her as their new protégée. They can’t seem to keep away from her, and feel this need to protect and cuddle her. Add to that Miro and Silas, two men that she already knew and who also feel very protective of her, and Seraph ends up with an entourage of sexy guys who would do anything for her. As she tries to accept the fact that she now has friends and people that care about her, Seraph also has to deal with a stalker who entered her home many times, took pictures of her, and threatened her. As if that was not enough for poor Seraph, she also has a lot of questions about some special abilities that have been manifesting in her lately.
I think I enjoyed this book more the second time around because I had less questions about the world-building and bonds between Seraph and her guys, and it’s also been long enough since I read this series that I didn’t remember the identity of Seraph’s stalker until the end of the book.
After reading the first few chapters, I was skeptical of this book because it started with the whole high school jealous girls drama, and day-to-day classroom conversations, which I am not a fan of. At all. But I enjoyed the Curse of the Gods series so much, I gave this book another chance and continued reading and I was not disappointed. This book is quite entertaining!
Seraph is a good main character, as are Cabe, Noah, Silas, and Miro. While we don't know the guys that much because there are 4 of them, and the story is in Seraph's POV, we can still see their personalities shine through different moments of the book, and they are all different and lovable. Seraph is sweet and quite resilient and strong for holding it together for so long, but I also found her kind of mellow... Or at least very compliant with the guys ordering her around and deciding that she had to move, change school, and to trust them without having all the information... They're not doing it as part of an abusive pattern, they do it to keep Seraph safe, but it reminded me a little of the whole Edward Cullen “I know better than you what’s best for you” behavior that annoyed me so much in the Twilight series.
At least Seraph asked questions, but when she was told that she needed to trust them, she just agreed to everything because she felt that strong but inexplicable connexion to them. She also accepted the fact that Noah and Cabe inserted themselves into her life (they are in every one of her classes, they want her to eat at their table, and they invite her to live at their place) pretty easily. She had a few moments of questioning herself, you know the "how the fuck did I end up in this situation in the span of 3 days?" but in the end, she still rolled with it. Despite that though, the characters are nice enough for me to like them and care about them, and they also have their funny moments.
A character that sadly felt quite pointless to me is Tariq, Seraph’s brother. It feels as if he is an accessory to the plot, and his only purpose is to be there so that Seraph can sacrifice herself for him and check up on him occasionally. Overall, she doesn’t think about him that often, and they do not interact much together. I understand the logic that if the stalker is focused on Seraph, keeping her away from her brother might be a way to keep him safe, but I would still have imagined that she would have been much more protective of him and much more reluctant to leave him, especially considering the upbringing they had.
This story is a mix of intrigue, because Seraph and her guys are trying to evade the stalker and find their identity, and paranormal because Seraph has these mysterious abilities and she learns that there is a name for it, as well as a name for people with her type of abilities. Actually, there is a whole hidden community of them that seems rather shady, and I hope we will learn more about them in the next book.
This series is also a reverse-harem, but it is very mild so far, and I am expecting it to be a slow-burn so besides a few kisses and a lot of hugging and cuddling, there is no physical closeness or smut in this book. The whole pairs and bond means that the connexion between Seraph and the guys might seem a little like insta-love, but since there is no smut and no declaration of undying love, I didn’t mind the whole “weird instant connexion”.
I still have questions about the plot, the powers, and where this story is going, but I don’t mind for now because I am confident that these questions will be answered in the next books, and the little mystery remaining makes me even more curious for the second book. The pace is fast, and it is a quick and addictive read.
Follow me on Instagram 🙂
✅ Quick read
✅ Plot / Intrigue
✅ Special abilities
✅ Worldbuilding
✅🆗 Characters
🆗 High school / Jealous girls drama
🆗 Reverse-Harem (in the future books, it is pretty mild in this one)
Seraph Black lives alone with her abusive father and her younger brother and tries her best to protect her brother Tariq, work enough so her family has some money to buy food, and be invisible at school. That is all about to change though when sexy and charismatic Cabe and Noah enroll at her school and decide to adopt her as their new protégée. They can’t seem to keep away from her, and feel this need to protect and cuddle her. Add to that Miro and Silas, two men that she already knew and who also feel very protective of her, and Seraph ends up with an entourage of sexy guys who would do anything for her. As she tries to accept the fact that she now has friends and people that care about her, Seraph also has to deal with a stalker who entered her home many times, took pictures of her, and threatened her. As if that was not enough for poor Seraph, she also has a lot of questions about some special abilities that have been manifesting in her lately.
I think I enjoyed this book more the second time around because I had less questions about the world-building and bonds between Seraph and her guys, and it’s also been long enough since I read this series that I didn’t remember the identity of Seraph’s stalker until the end of the book.
After reading the first few chapters, I was skeptical of this book because it started with the whole high school jealous girls drama, and day-to-day classroom conversations, which I am not a fan of. At all. But I enjoyed the Curse of the Gods series so much, I gave this book another chance and continued reading and I was not disappointed. This book is quite entertaining!
“He’s still pissed,” Cabe informed me. “And you’re a girl, so he doesn’t know what to do about it. He can’t beat you up. That’s how he usually deals with these situations.”
Silas growled, cutting his glare to Cabe for a moment, before returning it to me. “Hulk. Smash.” Noah chuckled.
Seraph is a good main character, as are Cabe, Noah, Silas, and Miro. While we don't know the guys that much because there are 4 of them, and the story is in Seraph's POV, we can still see their personalities shine through different moments of the book, and they are all different and lovable. Seraph is sweet and quite resilient and strong for holding it together for so long, but I also found her kind of mellow... Or at least very compliant with the guys ordering her around and deciding that she had to move, change school, and to trust them without having all the information... They're not doing it as part of an abusive pattern, they do it to keep Seraph safe, but it reminded me a little of the whole Edward Cullen “I know better than you what’s best for you” behavior that annoyed me so much in the Twilight series.
At least Seraph asked questions, but when she was told that she needed to trust them, she just agreed to everything because she felt that strong but inexplicable connexion to them. She also accepted the fact that Noah and Cabe inserted themselves into her life (they are in every one of her classes, they want her to eat at their table, and they invite her to live at their place) pretty easily. She had a few moments of questioning herself, you know the "how the fuck did I end up in this situation in the span of 3 days?" but in the end, she still rolled with it. Despite that though, the characters are nice enough for me to like them and care about them, and they also have their funny moments.
A character that sadly felt quite pointless to me is Tariq, Seraph’s brother. It feels as if he is an accessory to the plot, and his only purpose is to be there so that Seraph can sacrifice herself for him and check up on him occasionally. Overall, she doesn’t think about him that often, and they do not interact much together. I understand the logic that if the stalker is focused on Seraph, keeping her away from her brother might be a way to keep him safe, but I would still have imagined that she would have been much more protective of him and much more reluctant to leave him, especially considering the upbringing they had.
“She can help if she puts on pants,” Quillan spoke up, sounding significantly uncomfortable. I spun around, eyeballing my art teacher. There was colour high in his cheeks, and his words echoed in my head again. My belly twisted, and I resumed my earlier routine of poking through doors until I hit a bedroom. Cabe was openly laughing at me by this time, but I slipped inside, hunted down a pair of boxers, and slipped them on underneath the shirt. I returned to the living room and spread my hands.
“Better?” The colour in Quillan’s face flamed brighter. Oops. These were his.
This story is a mix of intrigue, because Seraph and her guys are trying to evade the stalker and find their identity, and paranormal because Seraph has these mysterious abilities and she learns that there is a name for it, as well as a name for people with her type of abilities. Actually, there is a whole hidden community of them that seems rather shady, and I hope we will learn more about them in the next book.
“We’ll see how you go,” Cabe added. “Do you need us to sleep on the floor so that you don’t disgrace yourself?”
“Get out,” Quillan muttered. “I’ll be…” He trailed off because my hands had just slipped beneath his shirt, seeking the warmth of skin. “Crap. Get Silas.”
“Yeah.” Cabe laughed, but it was a dark sound. “Good luck.”
This series is also a reverse-harem, but it is very mild so far, and I am expecting it to be a slow-burn so besides a few kisses and a lot of hugging and cuddling, there is no physical closeness or smut in this book. The whole pairs and bond means that the connexion between Seraph and the guys might seem a little like insta-love, but since there is no smut and no declaration of undying love, I didn’t mind the whole “weird instant connexion”.
I still have questions about the plot, the powers, and where this story is going, but I don’t mind for now because I am confident that these questions will be answered in the next books, and the little mystery remaining makes me even more curious for the second book. The pace is fast, and it is a quick and addictive read.
Follow me on Instagram 🙂
September 27, 2015
Holy s***!
Its freaking The academy with fantasy and horror elements!
DAMN! One of my fav books of the year. And its a YA...
"Fan-girl-squeek!"
I dont even know where to start with this. Although there are a lot of references from CL stones academy series, meaning
- abusive parent
- reverse harem
- one sibling
- stalker
- bomb on school ground
- "family" bonds
- more mature the more you read, and more hot..mmm
It still didn't feel like complete rip off. Strange. There are so many similarities but i still adore Charcoal tears, and our heroine, Seph. And my oh my.. Siles. "sighs". HELLOOOO! hotness, violence and all that. "drool"
If you want suspens, action, twist and turns, pain, groving (NOT insta) affection - but still "magic bond" and everything between you gotta try this gem.
Did I mention reverse harem? "squeek"
Thanks Jane, awsome book. And uh. btw - WANT BOOK 2 NOW!
Its freaking The academy with fantasy and horror elements!
DAMN! One of my fav books of the year. And its a YA...
"Fan-girl-squeek!"
I dont even know where to start with this. Although there are a lot of references from CL stones academy series, meaning
- abusive parent
- reverse harem
- one sibling
- stalker
- bomb on school ground
- "family" bonds
- more mature the more you read, and more hot..mmm
It still didn't feel like complete rip off. Strange. There are so many similarities but i still adore Charcoal tears, and our heroine, Seph. And my oh my.. Siles. "sighs". HELLOOOO! hotness, violence and all that. "drool"
If you want suspens, action, twist and turns, pain, groving (NOT insta) affection - but still "magic bond" and everything between you gotta try this gem.
Did I mention reverse harem? "squeek"
Thanks Jane, awsome book. And uh. btw - WANT BOOK 2 NOW!
January 30, 2018
No thanks.
I'm so disappointed after reading all those raving reviews, and I'm obviously the odd man out, but I absolutely hated this book and the characters. I'm actually angry I finished it and didn't just DNF like I should have.
I'm trying not to write an ugly review, but I have to say I need more world building and character development. The MC just annoyed me to death, but, to others this could be the best book they will ever read, so good luck if you try it. I'm defiantly skipping this series though.
It's so sad because I really enjoy Jane Washingtons writing style and other series, so I'm chalking it up to being me, maybe I'm not built for characters like these and the "it's me not you" might work for this series.
Anyways, don't let my bad experience deter you, flavors of books are different for everyone, this series just might be your chunky monkey :) Happy reading.
I'm so disappointed after reading all those raving reviews, and I'm obviously the odd man out, but I absolutely hated this book and the characters. I'm actually angry I finished it and didn't just DNF like I should have.
I'm trying not to write an ugly review, but I have to say I need more world building and character development. The MC just annoyed me to death, but, to others this could be the best book they will ever read, so good luck if you try it. I'm defiantly skipping this series though.
It's so sad because I really enjoy Jane Washingtons writing style and other series, so I'm chalking it up to being me, maybe I'm not built for characters like these and the "it's me not you" might work for this series.
Anyways, don't let my bad experience deter you, flavors of books are different for everyone, this series just might be your chunky monkey :) Happy reading.
July 17, 2024
I have no idea what was going on for 50% of this book and I only read 50% of this book !!!!!!!!!! I don’t know if the characters knew either …
This book was a fantasy set in reality. To me, the synopsis was giving off Shannon from Keeping 13 vibes, more than it was anything else. I mean the first line was kind of cryptic about the fantasy plot, but that was all the clues we were getting.
The FMC starts as a typical teenager, living a terrible life and then out of nowhere she starts questioning things (BASED ON NOTHING). She says things like ‘Maybe there was something supernatural going on’. What !!! This is like if Harry Potter was never told he was a wizard (and no over indications were shown) and then he suddenly comes out with ‘Maybe there is something supernatural going on’. Nothing has happened to make you say this !! This happened at 18%, so it was too late to suddenly start this up. I mean one minute she was normal and the next she was shooting electricity from her fingers. When did she get powers ?
As time passed, she met these guys who were from this alien race, which she was also a part of. They reveal this all to her and the only way I can describe her reaction is totally UNBOTHERED. I don’t know what would be big enough to warrant a normal reaction, but this seemed quite big.
I liked Trickery (also by this author), but it was a slow burn across multiple books and it had a ‘no touching’ rule. This book also has the ‘no touching rule’. I don’t need touching, but no affection at all except for glancing looks and hinted words gets very YA after a while.
Surely they can get around this rule you ask? No, No, No because if they touch her SHE LOSES CONSCIOUSNESS!!!!!!! WTF is this?
I feel like this book should pick a lane. The men are a fantasy race yet they attend school, have cheating ex-girlfriends and throw massive ragers. It just feels like 2 separate books meshed together. Bound Spirit is also a fantasy in reality, but it followed together so much better.
DNF at 50%….🫤
This book was a fantasy set in reality. To me, the synopsis was giving off Shannon from Keeping 13 vibes, more than it was anything else. I mean the first line was kind of cryptic about the fantasy plot, but that was all the clues we were getting.
The FMC starts as a typical teenager, living a terrible life and then out of nowhere she starts questioning things (BASED ON NOTHING). She says things like ‘Maybe there was something supernatural going on’. What !!! This is like if Harry Potter was never told he was a wizard (and no over indications were shown) and then he suddenly comes out with ‘Maybe there is something supernatural going on’. Nothing has happened to make you say this !! This happened at 18%, so it was too late to suddenly start this up. I mean one minute she was normal and the next she was shooting electricity from her fingers. When did she get powers ?
As time passed, she met these guys who were from this alien race, which she was also a part of. They reveal this all to her and the only way I can describe her reaction is totally UNBOTHERED. I don’t know what would be big enough to warrant a normal reaction, but this seemed quite big.
I liked Trickery (also by this author), but it was a slow burn across multiple books and it had a ‘no touching’ rule. This book also has the ‘no touching rule’. I don’t need touching, but no affection at all except for glancing looks and hinted words gets very YA after a while.
Surely they can get around this rule you ask? No, No, No because if they touch her SHE LOSES CONSCIOUSNESS!!!!!!! WTF is this?
I feel like this book should pick a lane. The men are a fantasy race yet they attend school, have cheating ex-girlfriends and throw massive ragers. It just feels like 2 separate books meshed together. Bound Spirit is also a fantasy in reality, but it followed together so much better.
DNF at 50%….🫤
September 24, 2015
Well the strangest thing happened when I finished the book and stopped to give my rating - a flock of flying pigs flew past my window (say that five times fast), I just realised I had just given a 4 star rating to a YA book AAAAAAAARGHHH!!!
Yes it's true a real 4 star rating who would have believed this day would happen, certainly not me. A 5 star of course is when hell freezes over and I have to admit having a few chills when reading this book but I resisted the feeling and ploughed ahead.
Damn this was a good start to a series, highly recommended for those who are looking for something seething with potential and even better it was free the last time I looked.
Here is the gist of the story without giving anything away:
Seraph Black is ...... and meets ...... and has...... but there is ......attraction.....angst.....explosions.......beatings.... a new town ......oh boy give me more.....who would have thought .... new friends....death... THE END - Nooooooooo it can't end like this!!!!
Okay where's the next book - All I know is Jane is going to have work damn hard to keep this up.
Yes it's true a real 4 star rating who would have believed this day would happen, certainly not me. A 5 star of course is when hell freezes over and I have to admit having a few chills when reading this book but I resisted the feeling and ploughed ahead.
Damn this was a good start to a series, highly recommended for those who are looking for something seething with potential and even better it was free the last time I looked.
Here is the gist of the story without giving anything away:
Seraph Black is ...... and meets ...... and has...... but there is ......attraction.....angst.....explosions.......beatings.... a new town ......oh boy give me more.....who would have thought .... new friends....death... THE END - Nooooooooo it can't end like this!!!!
Okay where's the next book - All I know is Jane is going to have work damn hard to keep this up.
January 8, 2018
Cliffhanger ending.
DNF disliked the protagonist. She's a 17 year old artist who is dense, gullible, weak, has low self esteem, is socially awkward, painfully shy, lacks self preservation & common sense I could go on but I'm sure my point was made. She has no redeemable personality traits. She's supposedly beautiful, magically gifted with 2 rare abilities, & every hot guy (that matters) wants her so of course every female hates her. She’s so special she doesn't just get paired with 2 guys but 4.
The 4 H in this story felt one dimensional & I disliked the fact they're unbearably bossy.
The story was an exercise in reader frustration & incredibly juvenile considering 2 of the 4 guys paired with her are 25. Hot mess, even for a YA it was particularly annoying. I wouldn't Recommend this to anyone I liked. 1 star so glad it was free.
DNF disliked the protagonist. She's a 17 year old artist who is dense, gullible, weak, has low self esteem, is socially awkward, painfully shy, lacks self preservation & common sense I could go on but I'm sure my point was made. She has no redeemable personality traits. She's supposedly beautiful, magically gifted with 2 rare abilities, & every hot guy (that matters) wants her so of course every female hates her. She’s so special she doesn't just get paired with 2 guys but 4.
The 4 H in this story felt one dimensional & I disliked the fact they're unbearably bossy.
The story was an exercise in reader frustration & incredibly juvenile considering 2 of the 4 guys paired with her are 25. Hot mess, even for a YA it was particularly annoying. I wouldn't Recommend this to anyone I liked. 1 star so glad it was free.
October 19, 2015
Here's YOUR chance to WIN one of SEVEN eCopies from Jane Washington!
International - Click on Banner to Enter! - Ends November 2, 2015
Meet Seraph Black. She’s a survivor, she’s proven it, time and again. Just stay calm, stay under the radar and keep surviving, not always easy, but it works, or at least it had until her world changes with just the screech of some tires. Cue the music, backlighting and action…two of the most overpowering and handsome teens to ever grace her school have arrived, and they make it their mission to stick to Seraph like white on rice. Noah and Cabe are larger than life, hotter than Hades and they know more about Seraph’s secrets than she does, perhaps because they have secrets of their own? What of Miro and Silas? With their own air of power and mystery, they too are part of Seraph’s new world, a world where Seraph is being stalked, threatened and spied on, a world where her very privacy becomes fodder for the school gossip mills. Who is out to get Seraph? Why? Is it because of the mysterious power of her paintings? What do they know that she doesn’t and why do they want to kill her?
Enter Seraph’s world, meet “the boys” and discover who and what Seraph is, right along with her. Charcoal Tears by Jane Washington is like falling through the rabbit hole into a deadly encounter in another world unknown to humans and it was hard to leave behind when the last page was finished. Visualize the world through Seraph’s eyes, see her struggle to believe in and accept that she needs these guys as much as they need her, but is her real Prince Charming among them? Are they all her champions in their own way? Will they keep her safe and destroy the stalker before it’s too late or will they find this veiled evil too powerful to destroy?
When the story teller is this brilliant, this creative and knows how to “set the hook” this well, there is always room for another great YA fantasy! All hail the level-headed heroine, the lack of whiny angst and of course, the hot heroes! Jane Washington is setting the bar high for herself, with clever dialogue, a hint of humor, shrouded threats and an entirely new race to learn about. I have the feeling the ending will torture me until I get my hands on the next book in this series. Until then, all I can say is, “No, you did not just write that…and…”
I received this copy from Jane Washington in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Seraph Black - Book 1
Publication Date: September 14, 2015
Publisher: Jane Washington
Genre: YA Fantasy | Coming of Age
Print Length: 268 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
International - Click on Banner to Enter! - Ends November 2, 2015
Meet Seraph Black. She’s a survivor, she’s proven it, time and again. Just stay calm, stay under the radar and keep surviving, not always easy, but it works, or at least it had until her world changes with just the screech of some tires. Cue the music, backlighting and action…two of the most overpowering and handsome teens to ever grace her school have arrived, and they make it their mission to stick to Seraph like white on rice. Noah and Cabe are larger than life, hotter than Hades and they know more about Seraph’s secrets than she does, perhaps because they have secrets of their own? What of Miro and Silas? With their own air of power and mystery, they too are part of Seraph’s new world, a world where Seraph is being stalked, threatened and spied on, a world where her very privacy becomes fodder for the school gossip mills. Who is out to get Seraph? Why? Is it because of the mysterious power of her paintings? What do they know that she doesn’t and why do they want to kill her?
Enter Seraph’s world, meet “the boys” and discover who and what Seraph is, right along with her. Charcoal Tears by Jane Washington is like falling through the rabbit hole into a deadly encounter in another world unknown to humans and it was hard to leave behind when the last page was finished. Visualize the world through Seraph’s eyes, see her struggle to believe in and accept that she needs these guys as much as they need her, but is her real Prince Charming among them? Are they all her champions in their own way? Will they keep her safe and destroy the stalker before it’s too late or will they find this veiled evil too powerful to destroy?
When the story teller is this brilliant, this creative and knows how to “set the hook” this well, there is always room for another great YA fantasy! All hail the level-headed heroine, the lack of whiny angst and of course, the hot heroes! Jane Washington is setting the bar high for herself, with clever dialogue, a hint of humor, shrouded threats and an entirely new race to learn about. I have the feeling the ending will torture me until I get my hands on the next book in this series. Until then, all I can say is, “No, you did not just write that…and…”
I received this copy from Jane Washington in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Seraph Black - Book 1
Publication Date: September 14, 2015
Publisher: Jane Washington
Genre: YA Fantasy | Coming of Age
Print Length: 268 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
August 22, 2018
Meh. It happens everyday that you go from school ghost to having two hot brothers shadow you everywhere, right? Right. Reverse harem book, but strictly PG. Nothing hinky happens in this YA book. Seraph is a little too emo for me to like.
February 14, 2016
This is one of the most frustrating books I have ever read. I don't even fully understand the backstory! To briefly sum up this book is about Seraph, a girl who's grown up in a severely broken home with her little brother and abusive father. Then two new boys (Cabe and Noah) start school and basically attach themselves to her, acting all mysterious and protective/possessive. Oh and lets not forget Silas - the intense, brooding guy who hangs around at Seraph's work - and his twin brother Miro... her art teacher. Seraph has a weird paranormal bond to all four of them and I can't quite figure out if they're all supposed to be her boyfriend or if it's just one?
The boys/men firmly established themselves in her life and made it very clear to her that they knew more about Seraph's powers and the mysterious bond between them but they refused to tell her anything . Of course Seraph didn't push them for answers - but hey, it's not like they took over a good portion of her life, making decisions for her, treating her like she's made out of glass... oh wait... That's what annoyed me so much, Seraph never demanded answers therefore we didn't find out what was actually going on until the end of the book, even then it's still patchy!
Saying all that, I didn't hate this book I just found it really, really frustrating. The five-way romance kind of intrigued me (at times) although it also left me very confused. In general I'm leaning towards disliking this book a lot more than I liked it.
The boys/men firmly established themselves in her life and made it very clear to her that they knew more about Seraph's powers and the mysterious bond between them but they refused to tell her anything . Of course Seraph didn't push them for answers - but hey, it's not like they took over a good portion of her life, making decisions for her, treating her like she's made out of glass... oh wait... That's what annoyed me so much, Seraph never demanded answers therefore we didn't find out what was actually going on until the end of the book, even then it's still patchy!
Saying all that, I didn't hate this book I just found it really, really frustrating. The five-way romance kind of intrigued me (at times) although it also left me very confused. In general I'm leaning towards disliking this book a lot more than I liked it.
Read
June 30, 2025i read a good chunk of this and um… no. sorry. it’s a dnf from me.
i LOVE ironside so im still willing to try reading more of jane’s work, but this missed the mark for me. i don’t like that she’s 17 & it really weirds me out. i have quite a few other issues w it as well, so i’m not gonna force myself to finish it.
i LOVE ironside so im still willing to try reading more of jane’s work, but this missed the mark for me. i don’t like that she’s 17 & it really weirds me out. i have quite a few other issues w it as well, so i’m not gonna force myself to finish it.
December 21, 2017
Buddy read with the MacHalo.
I can't believe I'm so affected by a YA novel. What the hell is happening with me? I mean it's not just an YA, it's one of many YA I read and liked in the past few months.
I can't properly express my feelings about this book mainly because I don't really understand them. I thought that if give myself some time and start the second book things will clear out a bit but now as I approach the end of Watercolour Smile I'm even more confused. And I have this heavy feeling inside my chest that usually means I'm in for some real pain once the series is over.
Seraph is not the kind of heroine I usually love. She's mostly a weak and dependant girl, except when she bursts into a magnificent fighter. But those are rare moments. And the male leads (yes as in multiple leads) take advantage of her passive side. Of her need to be loved and cherished. Something that's been denied her all her life. Throw in a really sick stalker and the poor girl is truly lost. I mean I would probably do whatever the people that 1) are my only friends and the only people showing interest in me and 2) are the ones protecting me from the psycho yet alone a poor abused teen. The secrecy is what's driving me nuts. Because I honestly don't believe it will help Seraph. I'm willing, however, to admit that the men probably do think it's for her good. If I didn't this would have been a rage review about how literature is normalizing control-freak behaviours when the man is both rich and handsome. And don't kid yourself, this book does precisely that. But it managed to captivate me and make me root for that twisted little poly-to-be group.
I can't believe I'm so affected by a YA novel. What the hell is happening with me? I mean it's not just an YA, it's one of many YA I read and liked in the past few months.
I can't properly express my feelings about this book mainly because I don't really understand them. I thought that if give myself some time and start the second book things will clear out a bit but now as I approach the end of Watercolour Smile I'm even more confused. And I have this heavy feeling inside my chest that usually means I'm in for some real pain once the series is over.
Seraph is not the kind of heroine I usually love. She's mostly a weak and dependant girl, except when she bursts into a magnificent fighter. But those are rare moments. And the male leads (yes as in multiple leads) take advantage of her passive side. Of her need to be loved and cherished. Something that's been denied her all her life. Throw in a really sick stalker and the poor girl is truly lost. I mean I would probably do whatever the people that 1) are my only friends and the only people showing interest in me and 2) are the ones protecting me from the psycho yet alone a poor abused teen. The secrecy is what's driving me nuts. Because I honestly don't believe it will help Seraph. I'm willing, however, to admit that the men probably do think it's for her good. If I didn't this would have been a rage review about how literature is normalizing control-freak behaviours when the man is both rich and handsome. And don't kid yourself, this book does precisely that. But it managed to captivate me and make me root for that twisted little poly-to-be group.
January 13, 2025
This series walked so Ironside Academy could run.
This had a lot of similar themes as her other series Ironside Academy but not as well executed. My biggest issues was that it lacked a foundation for everything that was happening. It is just stated what is going on and feels very abrupt as there’s no gradual introduction to this new world. This lead it feeling messy and disconnecting me from the story. The FMC also takes everything in stride like it’s just another Tuesday. Just because she has had something different about her, doesn’t mean she should be so okay with everything that is thrown at her.
It is a very interesting world and I did like the characters. Like every book that I have read from this author, this one was very entertaining. It was just a bit weak and lacked the depth I wanted. Also worth noting: the FMC is 17 and some of her love interests are 27ish.
This had a lot of similar themes as her other series Ironside Academy but not as well executed. My biggest issues was that it lacked a foundation for everything that was happening. It is just stated what is going on and feels very abrupt as there’s no gradual introduction to this new world. This lead it feeling messy and disconnecting me from the story. The FMC also takes everything in stride like it’s just another Tuesday. Just because she has had something different about her, doesn’t mean she should be so okay with everything that is thrown at her.
It is a very interesting world and I did like the characters. Like every book that I have read from this author, this one was very entertaining. It was just a bit weak and lacked the depth I wanted. Also worth noting: the FMC is 17 and some of her love interests are 27ish.
August 3, 2019
Still in love with this series *sigh wstful look*
May 10, 2019
You know, while this book does have a few points I felt could have been better executed (I’ll discuss further down), I overall found this book to be an example of why I usually quite like the indie books I come across. Though it’s evident this author isn’t the most polished and probably didn’t have a massive editing team behind her to make all the rough edges glimmer, I still see ample talent from her and overall have good impressions of her from this book.
What drew me into this book was that the blurb was so vague and the book takes its sweet time building up and slowly revealing things (though, I will say this now, this book cuts off a bit like a serial does, so I imagine that books 2-4 will all flow and cut off in a similar way to a serialization, rather than a traditional book format where a major conflict is resolved in book 1, leaving another for book 2, and so on until the end). For a lot of the book, the reader is left with a lot of questions. We’re never given the full picture, just enough pieces to keep us interested and able to follow the story. We’re teased with things like an obsessed stalker we come to know as “The Messenger” and an original fantasy-race; it becomes easy for the reader to begin wondering just who Seraph Black is and what’s going to happen to her. It takes a while before we start getting a clear idea of things, which might be a deal-breaker for some, who like having a general idea of the way the plot will develop before starting a book. If you’re okay with sort of being adrift in a book with slow reveals, this will suit you fine, but if vagueness and uncertainty are turn offs this book won’t get good until the last 20-30%
I was impressed with the prose; it can be very poetic at times. Seraph is an interesting POV because of her inner thoughts. Overall, I noticed no real errors, though the ebook format wasn’t as nice as I’d like (skipped lines between paragraphs instead of idents, for example). As for context, I noted nothing especially problematic, though I am still a bit bothered by the 17 year old and the two 25 year olds. That is not an acceptable age gap. Men that old should have zero romantic and/or sexual interest in a teenager, which is pretty much the vibe you get from their interactions; there’s nothing beyond kissing and looking at a birthmark on her chest, but you still get a sense of the vibes going on. Sorry but your brain isn’t fully developed until you’re in your 20s there’s an immense maturity gap there. It’d be different if she was 19 or 20 but for a teenager even just a year is still a very long time of emotional and mental growth.
My one other point of contention is that Seraph is pretty mellow and accepting of how Cabe and Noah just show up and, not only insert themselves into her life, but slowly begin having more influence and control over it. She has a few moments where she questions things “this is weird, right?” but after only knowing them for a few days they behave as if they’ve known each other for years. The brothers’ behaviors are very familiar and Seraph doesn’t ever seem to confront them about their behaviors or have the level of skepticism and internal conflict I’d expect from a girl who seems to have lived a life where she keeps everyone away and trusts very little so she can survive. The plot device of her just so easily accepting them into her life within the span of a week feels rather unnatural, like Seraph should have a much healthier fear of strangers and be more willing to question and offer resistance; she just goes along with what they do and say and only a few times wonders why she’s doing that, why she feels differently about them. Her easy acceptance of everything just seems too convenient for the plot. At the very least, the brothers should have been written as more slyly inserting themselves into her life over time, rather than just one day sideling up to her and behaving like they’re all best friends who have crossed all those aspects of human social interaction off their list and are fully comfortable with a well-established relationship.
Outside of this, however, I found the ideas behind this story pretty interesting. I’ve not really seen the idea of a reverse harem in western literature, or if it’s done the concept of polyamory isn’t explored, and it’s usually very obvious who The One or the few main who form the love triangle/square/etc. will be, with the others just existing as side and stock characters as the apparent potentials turn into rivals. In this story, Seraph seems to hold affection for all four of the men and there’s no clear One of the bunch whom she values far more than anyone else, though I did get the impression that perhaps Silas holds a very special place in Seraph’s mind. It’s an interesting change. The romance aspect of this book was a little lacking, there’s no grand professing or sweet moments, just some kissing and general emotional connecting, but I think that this just means there’s going to be a slower build up to it, rather than having “the bond” explain away the “insta-love,” which sort of ruins the appeal of reading a romance since all the buildup that makes it real is condensed to “well they are bonded so that’s that now they’re all in love and together and it’s good.”
The choice to create a unique fantasy race with its own society/system/etc. was an interesting move that I feel paid off. I’m interested to learn more about them and how everything functions and about how Seraph and her four partners fit into this world and the ministrations not yet known. This book only touches upon the larger things in motion, like the Adair’s father and the groups at the top of the society, with the focus being more on Seraph developing a connection with our four heros, so I look forward to an expansion of plot in book #2, which I have every intention of reading in the very near future.
Overall, I feel like this was a surprisingly good YA book. It isn’t without its flaws, but overall I was engaged, interested, and eager to find out what happened next as I read each page. I recommend it to those who can tolerate vagueness that gives a slight air of mystery, but likes the realm of YA and doesn’t mind the idea that the heroine might end up romantically involved with four people. I’m quite happy with this read even in spite of my criticisms.
What drew me into this book was that the blurb was so vague and the book takes its sweet time building up and slowly revealing things (though, I will say this now, this book cuts off a bit like a serial does, so I imagine that books 2-4 will all flow and cut off in a similar way to a serialization, rather than a traditional book format where a major conflict is resolved in book 1, leaving another for book 2, and so on until the end). For a lot of the book, the reader is left with a lot of questions. We’re never given the full picture, just enough pieces to keep us interested and able to follow the story. We’re teased with things like an obsessed stalker we come to know as “The Messenger” and an original fantasy-race; it becomes easy for the reader to begin wondering just who Seraph Black is and what’s going to happen to her. It takes a while before we start getting a clear idea of things, which might be a deal-breaker for some, who like having a general idea of the way the plot will develop before starting a book. If you’re okay with sort of being adrift in a book with slow reveals, this will suit you fine, but if vagueness and uncertainty are turn offs this book won’t get good until the last 20-30%
I was impressed with the prose; it can be very poetic at times. Seraph is an interesting POV because of her inner thoughts. Overall, I noticed no real errors, though the ebook format wasn’t as nice as I’d like (skipped lines between paragraphs instead of idents, for example). As for context, I noted nothing especially problematic, though I am still a bit bothered by the 17 year old and the two 25 year olds. That is not an acceptable age gap. Men that old should have zero romantic and/or sexual interest in a teenager, which is pretty much the vibe you get from their interactions; there’s nothing beyond kissing and looking at a birthmark on her chest, but you still get a sense of the vibes going on. Sorry but your brain isn’t fully developed until you’re in your 20s there’s an immense maturity gap there. It’d be different if she was 19 or 20 but for a teenager even just a year is still a very long time of emotional and mental growth.
My one other point of contention is that Seraph is pretty mellow and accepting of how Cabe and Noah just show up and, not only insert themselves into her life, but slowly begin having more influence and control over it. She has a few moments where she questions things “this is weird, right?” but after only knowing them for a few days they behave as if they’ve known each other for years. The brothers’ behaviors are very familiar and Seraph doesn’t ever seem to confront them about their behaviors or have the level of skepticism and internal conflict I’d expect from a girl who seems to have lived a life where she keeps everyone away and trusts very little so she can survive. The plot device of her just so easily accepting them into her life within the span of a week feels rather unnatural, like Seraph should have a much healthier fear of strangers and be more willing to question and offer resistance; she just goes along with what they do and say and only a few times wonders why she’s doing that, why she feels differently about them. Her easy acceptance of everything just seems too convenient for the plot. At the very least, the brothers should have been written as more slyly inserting themselves into her life over time, rather than just one day sideling up to her and behaving like they’re all best friends who have crossed all those aspects of human social interaction off their list and are fully comfortable with a well-established relationship.
Outside of this, however, I found the ideas behind this story pretty interesting. I’ve not really seen the idea of a reverse harem in western literature, or if it’s done the concept of polyamory isn’t explored, and it’s usually very obvious who The One or the few main who form the love triangle/square/etc. will be, with the others just existing as side and stock characters as the apparent potentials turn into rivals. In this story, Seraph seems to hold affection for all four of the men and there’s no clear One of the bunch whom she values far more than anyone else, though I did get the impression that perhaps Silas holds a very special place in Seraph’s mind. It’s an interesting change. The romance aspect of this book was a little lacking, there’s no grand professing or sweet moments, just some kissing and general emotional connecting, but I think that this just means there’s going to be a slower build up to it, rather than having “the bond” explain away the “insta-love,” which sort of ruins the appeal of reading a romance since all the buildup that makes it real is condensed to “well they are bonded so that’s that now they’re all in love and together and it’s good.”
The choice to create a unique fantasy race with its own society/system/etc. was an interesting move that I feel paid off. I’m interested to learn more about them and how everything functions and about how Seraph and her four partners fit into this world and the ministrations not yet known. This book only touches upon the larger things in motion, like the Adair’s father and the groups at the top of the society, with the focus being more on Seraph developing a connection with our four heros, so I look forward to an expansion of plot in book #2, which I have every intention of reading in the very near future.
Overall, I feel like this was a surprisingly good YA book. It isn’t without its flaws, but overall I was engaged, interested, and eager to find out what happened next as I read each page. I recommend it to those who can tolerate vagueness that gives a slight air of mystery, but likes the realm of YA and doesn’t mind the idea that the heroine might end up romantically involved with four people. I’m quite happy with this read even in spite of my criticisms.
December 10, 2020
“You trick people with your face, and then torture them. You cast all of that happiness out like a string of bait, and like the fools that we are—we pick up the other end and allow you to lead us to slaughter.”
Woah. I somehow had no idea this was a fantasy/paranormal book, so imagine my surprise when the main character started sporting electricity powers…
This book was really entertaining, and I don’t think anyone can say otherwise. There were still some issues I had with it, but overall I can say I don’t think I ever felt bored.
See, I want to talk about the character like I usually do, but all I feel like I can say as of now is that we don’t know a ton. Because there are so many main characters, we didn’t really get close to any of them, so I’m hoping we learn a lot more in the next book. But I do have to say that all of the character interactions are very fun to read.
“His phone rang again, and he turned it on speaker. “Adair residence—”
“Shut up, Cabe.” Silas’s voice filled the car. “Your Lexus isn’t a residence, and I know you’re driving, because I’m watching your GPS dot move down the road.”
As for the plot, I am super confused right now, but I don’t mind because I think it’s supposed to be that way because the main character is also in the dark, and I’m sure we’re supposed to understand everything as soon as she does. I’m definitely excited for things to get cleared up!
MY BLOG <3
MY SPOTIFY <3
September 19, 2015
OH. MY. GOD. This book LITERALLY BLEW ME AWAY!!!! I've read Jane's books in the past, but this was something special. AGGHH I NEED MORE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I loved the friendships that Seraph has with the others, even though the boys try to push the boundaries, I still felt like they had a real connection beneath all the 'bond' stuff, and I appreciated that.
Have I mentioned Silas yet?
Because....
WOW.
Cabe was my second favorite. I liked that he was always so happy and and bright. Seraph needed a person like that. :D
Have I mentioned Silas yet?
Because....
WOW.
Cabe was my second favorite. I liked that he was always so happy and and bright. Seraph needed a person like that. :D
March 24, 2017
This book is a torture device in the best and the worst way!
Disclaimer: I will admit I went ahead and read the 2nd book too before writing this review so I will try to keep it as separate as possible.
I am so confused as to how I am planning to rate this. So I will follow many of my fellow reviewers and break this down into the good and the bad and rate it after. Before that..
ok one more
That was for my new found love for polyamorous relationships.
The Good: Concept/Plot
I discovered a new concept within this book of Pairs and their powers as well a whole secret society structure that the author introduced to us. It doesn't reach the far end spectrum of paranormal but it keeps you guessing as the it is definitely not completely normal either.
The Bad: Concept/Plot
As original as the author is within her writing style and plot devices, I felt she left too many plot holes trying to prolong the mystery or her series. It lead to a feeling of incompleteness within the story, I did not see any conclusion or explanation for the better part of the story which left us with many questions as a reader.
The Good: Writing
Jane has a talent! She is without a doubt one of the most compelling authors that I have read, she does wonders with suspense. She constantly had me on my feet eagerly guessing who the antagonist was without foreshadowing anything. It was a torture!!
To top it all off this book is indeed a cliffhanger
WHY JANE!??! WHY!?!?!
The author is able to encompass a certain darkness within her writing quite seamlessly and I have noticed this skill in another book of hers as well. I am a fan!
The Bad: Writing..
It felt like a JUMBLED MESS ALL THE TIME, I understand that she is writing a suspenseful story but even the phrasing and the flow of the book was giving me a whiplash. There were too many instances where misinterpretation would be bound to happen and I had to spend too much time rereading the situation. It was hard to understand the exact meaning and plot progress which lead to lots of confusion.
The Good: Characterization
I was thoroughly impressed with the backstory of our h, the author convinced me of the pain and trauma felt by her. I was able to connect with the h through all of the situations presented before her.
I felt the steady backbone she provided throughout the story. For the first time in YA I saw that the main character was actually questioning fate and the forced situation that was thrust upon her.
I definitely saw the distinction between Miro/Quillan and Silas characters, they were well fleshed out and engaged me as a reader thoroughly.
The Bad: Characterization
Nonetheless, I can not say that I was convinced of Seraph's badassery just yet. I would like to see her take proactive action.
Noah and Cabe started to blend together to me although I am not sure whether it was purposeful by the author or not.
I also felt that as readers we were kept in the dark regarding the motivations of the antagonist for far too long without any hints. It felt disjointed as the characters went around in circles without reaching any conclusion to the main conflict.
The Good: Relationships
I have read previous books with menage and many partners but they were all erotic (not that I have a problem with that). Although, this book really dwelled into the true meaning and different facets of the relationship in a really unique and realistic way.
The tension/chemistry/connection experienced between the main characters was marvellous! I am the biggest self appointed angst-whore-reader any author will find so I was all about it!!
The Bad: Relationships
While I may be an angst-whore the author still needed to feed me the crumbs to keep the feeling alive. During certain times of the plot I did not understand the need for secrecy which lead to the disconnect within MC's.
I would like to see a bigger arc within their relationship a result or consequence of the situations around them. It felt stagnant to me.
Most importantly I want action as in WHY aren't they FUCKING?
Finally, (I know I would make my lit prof proud if they ever read this analysis)
I did like this book in spite of its faults..I mean it is obvious as I binge read the first 2 in the series without a stop! So I would recommend it to others if you have some patience and a passion for some paranormal.
I have decided to give this book its 4th star for the polyamorous relationship!
YES! I AM AWARE THAT I AM BIASED that's why it's called MY OPINION AND NOT YOURS!
Disclaimer: I will admit I went ahead and read the 2nd book too before writing this review so I will try to keep it as separate as possible.
I am so confused as to how I am planning to rate this. So I will follow many of my fellow reviewers and break this down into the good and the bad and rate it after. Before that..
ok one more
That was for my new found love for polyamorous relationships.
The Good: Concept/Plot
I discovered a new concept within this book of Pairs and their powers as well a whole secret society structure that the author introduced to us. It doesn't reach the far end spectrum of paranormal but it keeps you guessing as the it is definitely not completely normal either.
The Bad: Concept/Plot
As original as the author is within her writing style and plot devices, I felt she left too many plot holes trying to prolong the mystery or her series. It lead to a feeling of incompleteness within the story, I did not see any conclusion or explanation for the better part of the story which left us with many questions as a reader.
The Good: Writing
Jane has a talent! She is without a doubt one of the most compelling authors that I have read, she does wonders with suspense. She constantly had me on my feet eagerly guessing who the antagonist was without foreshadowing anything. It was a torture!!
To top it all off this book is indeed a cliffhanger
WHY JANE!??! WHY!?!?!
The author is able to encompass a certain darkness within her writing quite seamlessly and I have noticed this skill in another book of hers as well. I am a fan!
The Bad: Writing..
It felt like a JUMBLED MESS ALL THE TIME, I understand that she is writing a suspenseful story but even the phrasing and the flow of the book was giving me a whiplash. There were too many instances where misinterpretation would be bound to happen and I had to spend too much time rereading the situation. It was hard to understand the exact meaning and plot progress which lead to lots of confusion.
The Good: Characterization
I was thoroughly impressed with the backstory of our h, the author convinced me of the pain and trauma felt by her. I was able to connect with the h through all of the situations presented before her.
I felt the steady backbone she provided throughout the story. For the first time in YA I saw that the main character was actually questioning fate and the forced situation that was thrust upon her.
I definitely saw the distinction between Miro/Quillan and Silas characters, they were well fleshed out and engaged me as a reader thoroughly.
The Bad: Characterization
Nonetheless, I can not say that I was convinced of Seraph's badassery just yet. I would like to see her take proactive action.
Noah and Cabe started to blend together to me although I am not sure whether it was purposeful by the author or not.
I also felt that as readers we were kept in the dark regarding the motivations of the antagonist for far too long without any hints. It felt disjointed as the characters went around in circles without reaching any conclusion to the main conflict.
The Good: Relationships
I have read previous books with menage and many partners but they were all erotic (not that I have a problem with that). Although, this book really dwelled into the true meaning and different facets of the relationship in a really unique and realistic way.
The tension/chemistry/connection experienced between the main characters was marvellous! I am the biggest self appointed angst-whore-reader any author will find so I was all about it!!
The Bad: Relationships
While I may be an angst-whore the author still needed to feed me the crumbs to keep the feeling alive. During certain times of the plot I did not understand the need for secrecy which lead to the disconnect within MC's.
I would like to see a bigger arc within their relationship a result or consequence of the situations around them. It felt stagnant to me.
Most importantly I want action
Finally,
I did like this book in spite of its faults..I mean it is obvious as I binge read the first 2 in the series without a stop! So I would recommend it to others if you have some patience and a passion for some paranormal.
I have decided to give this book its 4th star for the polyamorous relationship!
November 16, 2019
I'm sitting here reading other reviews praising this book and I'm wondering if I read the same one?
I had high expectations. If you like super special snowflakes, this will be for you. I also missed that this was YA. I will now temper my expectations and not expect a lot of those sexy moments that I have grown to love in RH.
Please don't use my rating to decide if you want to read this or not. My three friends that I buddy read this with gave it 4 and 5's. This was just me. I can't think of a single thing that I liked. Seraph and I did not click.. like at all. She was weak, vulnerable, was actually described as acting like a mouse. Reading about these type of female characters make me want to throw something. There were too many plot holes for me to ignore. The only characters that pose any interest to me are Silas and The Messenger.
I'm buddy reading the whole series with my friends so I'm not tapping out. I already have started on book 2. Stay tuned!
I had high expectations. If you like super special snowflakes, this will be for you. I also missed that this was YA. I will now temper my expectations and not expect a lot of those sexy moments that I have grown to love in RH.
Please don't use my rating to decide if you want to read this or not. My three friends that I buddy read this with gave it 4 and 5's. This was just me. I can't think of a single thing that I liked. Seraph and I did not click.. like at all. She was weak, vulnerable, was actually described as acting like a mouse. Reading about these type of female characters make me want to throw something. There were too many plot holes for me to ignore. The only characters that pose any interest to me are Silas and The Messenger.
I'm buddy reading the whole series with my friends so I'm not tapping out. I already have started on book 2. Stay tuned!
July 30, 2021
I have questions. A lot of questions.
First off, Charcoal Tears was an okay start to this series. In it, you will meet Seraph, Cabe, Noah, Miro, and Silas. Oh and Seraph's brother and dad as well. Now her life isn't all rainbows and sunshine. It's the complete opposite because her mom is gone and her dad is a drunk asshole who likes to scare the living shit out of his kids. Since Seraph is older than her brother she always goes into the house first and puts herself in front of her dad so her brother can go to his room safely.
Now I hated her dad - like so freaking much. I was kind of hoping he would get the shit beat out of him and die or something. Either by her powers or by the guys. I wasn't really picky when it came down to it because I just wanted him gone from their lives.
Then there's the guys and honestly they annoyed me so much. The whole I like you but we can't do anything but shake elbows or whatever needed to go. It was pretty obvious to anyone with eyes how they all felt about her and vice versa. Yet they took their sweet ass time to form a bond. A single freaking bond. I guess I can be okay with that but I was really hoping that both bonds would be formed before book 2.
Other than that, she has a creepy ass stalker and I have absolutely no idea who it is. I like the little hint at the end that she saved him but he's just really creepy and loves fear. Blegh. I can't wait for more hints to ignore because I just want to know who it is before the series is over. If the big reveal is dumb I will be highly disappointed.
I guess I will go dive into the next book.
First off, Charcoal Tears was an okay start to this series. In it, you will meet Seraph, Cabe, Noah, Miro, and Silas. Oh and Seraph's brother and dad as well. Now her life isn't all rainbows and sunshine. It's the complete opposite because her mom is gone and her dad is a drunk asshole who likes to scare the living shit out of his kids. Since Seraph is older than her brother she always goes into the house first and puts herself in front of her dad so her brother can go to his room safely.
Now I hated her dad - like so freaking much. I was kind of hoping he would get the shit beat out of him and die or something. Either by her powers or by the guys. I wasn't really picky when it came down to it because I just wanted him gone from their lives.
Then there's the guys and honestly they annoyed me so much. The whole I like you but we can't do anything but shake elbows or whatever needed to go. It was pretty obvious to anyone with eyes how they all felt about her and vice versa. Yet they took their sweet ass time to form a bond. A single freaking bond. I guess I can be okay with that but I was really hoping that both bonds would be formed before book 2.
Other than that, she has a creepy ass stalker and I have absolutely no idea who it is. I like the little hint at the end that she saved him but he's just really creepy and loves fear. Blegh. I can't wait for more hints to ignore because I just want to know who it is before the series is over. If the big reveal is dumb I will be highly disappointed.
I guess I will go dive into the next book.
March 24, 2018
2.5 stars
So I read this because this author had a hand in writing trickery and I thought this would be awesome.Well, sometimes co-writing a book really does work. I liked this but not as much as I did Trickery.
The entire book and I still don't know what is going on, who's bad or good. What the bond thing is all about. I don't even think I like the MMC or the FC, they were just too bland for me. I also did not like the way Seraph never questioned anything, they tell her to leave her family , she agrees. She sees tons of pictures of her, taken without her permission but she only has a tiny freak out session and then goes back to normal, 4 guys seem to have stalked her for months but she doesn't care because she feels it's "meant" to be. Ehh
I'll read the next one,hopefully it gets better.
So I read this because this author had a hand in writing trickery and I thought this would be awesome.Well, sometimes co-writing a book really does work. I liked this but not as much as I did Trickery.
The entire book and I still don't know what is going on, who's bad or good. What the bond thing is all about. I don't even think I like the MMC or the FC, they were just too bland for me. I also did not like the way Seraph never questioned anything, they tell her to leave her family , she agrees. She sees tons of pictures of her, taken without her permission but she only has a tiny freak out session and then goes back to normal, 4 guys seem to have stalked her for months but she doesn't care because she feels it's "meant" to be. Ehh
I'll read the next one,hopefully it gets better.
April 21, 2018
I found this book by chance and I must say I'm quite please with the results. I can say it's kind of different from any other fantasy genre books I've read previously but it still held the wonder of fantasy and magic. And I most definitely loved the relationship dynamics between the main characters.
So on I go to book 2 to learn more about these characters and what other secrets and wonders this author has to tell me about.
Overall rating:
4*~ Pretty Good
So on I go to book 2 to learn more about these characters and what other secrets and wonders this author has to tell me about.
Overall rating:
4*~ Pretty Good
December 22, 2015
Stuff clearly happened. I, as the reader, was not informed of much of it. I, as the reader, do expect/anticipate MANY explanations in the next book. And Team Silas, just gonna put that out there.
Thank you Taly.....again. This book was really pretty good. You've done it again. Touche.
Happy Reading!!
Thank you Taly.....again. This book was really pretty good. You've done it again. Touche.
Happy Reading!!
Read
November 15, 2020Note to self
Apparently the H's treat the h like crap
They know who she is to them for a year but still sleep with OW
They say they don't want her but are stuck with her
And she's a doormat
Apparently the H's treat the h like crap
They know who she is to them for a year but still sleep with OW
They say they don't want her but are stuck with her
And she's a doormat
September 19, 2015
This book truly exceeded my expectations. Gripping from the very first scene. The quality of writing was superb, the descriptions of the characters moving and the imagery vivid. From the very opening lines I knew this was gonna be one hell of a good book.
I must admit I had a hard time getting my head around four men being so heavily interested in this one girl with their unusually complicated relationships with her, but it made for a whole new level of suspense I had not encountered before in any novel. I simply could not put the book down. The Bond between Seraph and the four men is complex to say the least, but left me yearning to find out more about them. I guess we shall have a better idea once the sequel is out. The Zevgheri’s seem to be a very alluring race, of which Seraph seems to exemplify their unparalleled beauty and power. I liked the strong, impressionable characterisation of Noah, Cabe, Silas and Quillan but was constantly trying to figure out what was the whole deal with them and the Zevgheri! The sinister stalker creepomaniac blew me away, and so did Poison with her supercharged mischievousness.
Being an artist myself I absolutely LOVED the way Seraph would paint and her paintings would come to life. Incredible concept.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in romance, or fantasy, but with a reminder that it does get pretty intense and one should cancel all activities for the next 72 hrs as I did.
I am so relieved to find a book which breaks the norms of modern romance novels where the protagonist female character is no super duper know it all chick from the very start. Seraph is seen to be growing as a person, maturing into someone beautiful and potent, powerful and delicate all the same. There is nothing fickle or vain about her, or for that matter, about any of the four guys, and that creates for a deeper bond between them. Silas, proved to be undoubtedly the most appealing and yet the most diabolical love interest and someone whose secrets I beg the author to uncover in the next book.
I am really curious to find out what is going to happen with the four and how their relationships will pan out, let alone what happens with stalker guy. Cannot wait for the next release!
PS I loved the name Seraph.
I also think Silas, Tariq and Noah are wonderfully named as well. Well suited to their personalities, in my opinion. It’s a seriously well thought out book. Cannot wait for a sequel.
I must admit I had a hard time getting my head around four men being so heavily interested in this one girl with their unusually complicated relationships with her, but it made for a whole new level of suspense I had not encountered before in any novel. I simply could not put the book down. The Bond between Seraph and the four men is complex to say the least, but left me yearning to find out more about them. I guess we shall have a better idea once the sequel is out. The Zevgheri’s seem to be a very alluring race, of which Seraph seems to exemplify their unparalleled beauty and power. I liked the strong, impressionable characterisation of Noah, Cabe, Silas and Quillan but was constantly trying to figure out what was the whole deal with them and the Zevgheri! The sinister stalker creepomaniac blew me away, and so did Poison with her supercharged mischievousness.
Being an artist myself I absolutely LOVED the way Seraph would paint and her paintings would come to life. Incredible concept.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in romance, or fantasy, but with a reminder that it does get pretty intense and one should cancel all activities for the next 72 hrs as I did.
I am so relieved to find a book which breaks the norms of modern romance novels where the protagonist female character is no super duper know it all chick from the very start. Seraph is seen to be growing as a person, maturing into someone beautiful and potent, powerful and delicate all the same. There is nothing fickle or vain about her, or for that matter, about any of the four guys, and that creates for a deeper bond between them. Silas, proved to be undoubtedly the most appealing and yet the most diabolical love interest and someone whose secrets I beg the author to uncover in the next book.
I am really curious to find out what is going to happen with the four and how their relationships will pan out, let alone what happens with stalker guy. Cannot wait for the next release!
PS I loved the name Seraph.
I also think Silas, Tariq and Noah are wonderfully named as well. Well suited to their personalities, in my opinion. It’s a seriously well thought out book. Cannot wait for a sequel.
September 14, 2023
this book!! it’s entertaining as hell, it’s got the addictiveness that always comes with the stereotypical little broken girl that everyone’s obsessed with, and it’s actually vaguely interesting (plot wise). this whole series is a bit of a fever dream, but it’s a fun one!
all four of the boys are unique and easy to set apart from one another (an accomplishment for rh books) and the overarching plot and fantasy themes lend some excitement and really hook you into the book.
i reread this all the time for angst and entertainment, and it never fails to provide.
all four of the boys are unique and easy to set apart from one another (an accomplishment for rh books) and the overarching plot and fantasy themes lend some excitement and really hook you into the book.
i reread this all the time for angst and entertainment, and it never fails to provide.
April 29, 2016
If you say it's like The Academy series... I'm on it. SO SO SO on it. I don't care if it reads like the names have been switched. I want more books like these.
May 8, 2017
WOW this book is amazing such a great story so addictive page turner all the way loved everything about it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 726 reviews