Nicole Williams has been chosen to lead a corrupt, anti-magic organization in a world revolution which will ultimately destroy all Aretes, including herself. But if she doesn't do it, a curse placed on mankind long ago will certainly lead to everyone's destruction.
The Mosaic Chronicles Books 1-4 box set is an adventure of mystery, politics, romance, and fantasy from start to finish.
About Discern (Mosaic 1):
Nicole competes to be included on a university-led expedition to Arches National Park, but as the competition progresses, she wonders if she’s making the right choice—especially when she learns that the strange fossils they’ll be studying in Arches might not be as dead as everyone thinks.
Andrea, a Brigham Young University graduate, is an avid reader and outdoor enthusiast (hiking, fishing, boating, biking, spending time in the Rocky Mountains, and taking walks). She spent a year and a half serving the Spanish speaking community in Toronto, Canada, and fluently speaks 2 ½ languages. She plays several instruments, not including the banjo, and loves putting together musical arrangements. Her favorite sports are basketball and football, though several knee surgeries and incurably awful coordination prevent her from playing them.
Andrea is always in the mood for a good movie with close friends and family (especially her husband and mom), with a large glass of milk and a bowl of overly buttered popcorn nearby. She also enjoys oil painting, making earrings, squeezing every bit of oxygen out of Ziploc bags, and she hopes to someday travel to Italy and Alaska.
If you like fantasy and magic, you will like the Mosaic series. There is violence and the use of magic. Nicole Williams and her best friend Lizzie, head off to college. There they team up with some new friends to stop an ancient enemy. The ability to control the elements is key in their fight. Of course there are magical obstacles and beings in their path so their journey will be difficult. There are plenty of twists and turns in the storyline to keep you riveted while reading.
If this was not a freebie I would have returned it. In serious need of an editor all of the endings were abrupt like the author had no idea how to close out story lines. Characters were weak showing almost no more strength and at times had to be reminded of things they did weeks earlier that at the time were supposed to be groundbreaking to them.
These first 4 in this series are well written and enjoyable to read. The characters are interesting and at times amusing, although, there were also characters that I would have liked to be have been killed off in book 1. But I will definitely be reading the rest of this series
The first 5 books in The Katon University Chronicles. I was completely surprised how much I like the series. I am die hard fantasy lover but not usually into paranormal. The story had a lot of twist and turns and the characters develop nicely as the story progresses. filled with magic, ghosts, ancient beings and what would any good book be without some romance. It definitely keeps you guessing until the end.
I read the first story in the series by itself. When I read the series as a whole, I was impressed with how well crafted the stories fit together. Each book is an enjoyable read in its own right but as a series the story line is even better. If you've not read any of the Mosaic Chronicles, what are you waiting for? A great exploration of good vs evil and how an individual tries to deal with conflict.
I have recently read the Katon University series by Andrea Pearson. I absolutely enjoyed the series. If you enjoy suspense, clean romance(kissing), magic plus teens and adults working together to save the world and creating friendships, then this is absolutely the series for you. It is five books long and they are all out now so no waiting!!! They are clean and swear-word free which I loved- probably the most. This series seems to mostly take place on an alternate earth- one with magic.
These books r amazing. I never thought someone could be such a good writer. It's full of everything I love mystery,a lovestory,and an adventure. I recommend this book to people of all ages. Thx to my aunt who recommended this book to me. Can't wait for the next book. - Rebekah Age- 9 1/2
I originally received Book 1 (Discern) as part of a book set and it enticed me enough to purchase the 5 book Omnibus set since it was only $0.99 which was a great price for a new series I wasn't sure I would enjoy or not. If you have the opportunity to purchase this as the reduced cost, I highly recommend it. After reading all books, I still maintain this is a Young Adult maturity level series. There is a little teenage romance to it, but nothing risque. There is violence, yet nothing that I would keep my 12 year old from reading.
Book 1 (Discern) starts out promising with an intriguing plot with characters that are adequately developed by the end of Book 1. Unfortunately there are character flaws within each of these characters that are difficult to ignore. There are things that happen to the main characters and their reactions are far from normal. I can understand the argument that they are not normal humans but it still doesn't condone their reactions or lack thereof. The series does have an interesting new concept revolving around this new magical world Pearson has created, but I do feel she took things too far out of the realm of creating plausible fantasy; even by the end of Book 1. I agree with other reviewers who have said the first part of Discern begins as paranormal/urban fantasy, and the second part becomes more horror/science fiction. After Book 1, the series solidifies as horror/science fiction.
Book 2 (Praxis) is frustrating since it's not even a book - it's a novella comprised of three short stories. I use the term story loosely since they are barely longer than chapters. I was also expecting a sequel to Book 1, and discovering three spin-off stories instead was very disappointing. Book 1 ended with lots of loose ends and a sizeable cliffhanger. Each story is completely different, and has nothing to do with the others except they help the series along as a whole.
Book 3 (Perceive) finally returns to the main storyline, but still can't capture the intrigue and spark the first book had. It's more like an Amish horror story mixed in with otherworldly science fiction. It's disappointing that the main characters you grew attached to in Book 1 are missing because of the scenery change, and Pearson introduces us to new yet strange characters. Book 3 builds in suspense despite lulls that get monotonous yet ends with another massive cliffhanger. By now I was just hoping to get some of these loose ends resolved.
Book 4 (Observe) thankfully picks up right where Book 3 left off, although it continues with becoming more and more unbelievable with each new book. This book was the most difficult for me to buy in to. The same character flaws come to a head in this book. If I hadn't already purchased the set, I would have stopped reading by now, but plodded on to see how it ends.
Book 5 (Reclaim) is a lot of the same criticisms mentioned above. Again, Pearson builds the suspense up to the final epic battle between the Aretes and Tarians through many twists and turns, yet not all of them are good. She continues her trend of setting her characters up against impossible odds yet somehow her characters still prevail completely unscathed. At least Book 5 concludes with the epic battle we've all been waiting for, and my curiosity is satisfied. Although I know there are more books in this series, I can't bring myself to pursue them past this point. If you're a big fan of Science Fiction/Horror, this series is for you. Unfortunately it's just not my cup of tea.
A marvelous find and top shelf entertainment, Discern is decidedly difficult to put down. Nicole's quiet resolution and strength of character pull readers into her plight. The devoted and spunky fire best friend is as dazzling as her bright red hair. A perfect combination of yin and yang the young ladies bring much flare to the story. The completely absorbed professor and his brooding hotty teacher's pet bringing balancing out the testosterone to the formers blatant estrogen. Even the arch enemy girl who positions herself as an obstacle to Nicole's desires has an effect all her own. Danger, fear, suspense and action contributing to the thrill and pace. The largely unique storyline and sequence of events become captivating as the story goes. These latter qualities becoming harder to find in a market saturated by paranormal romance. Even the adjunct short story available to newsletter signatories has a beneficial role to play through it's change in perspective of a key character whose metaphorically dragged across the coals before he gives up his opinions. Great value, great reading, and great potential for where the series might go ticks all the boxes you could hope to cross. Combined with a natural and fluid storytelling style, Discern is a must for any self respecting fan of the many genres that can be applied. Get into the Mosaic Chronicles and you'll be as happy as can be.
Praxis
Each of the novellas contained in this anthology of sorts are entertaining and quite succinct when it comes to key events. As you might expect this makes for a snappy pace, and conclusions that don't require hours to reach. The overall length of the book isn't exactly short lived, the collection making up the length of a medium to long novella; and the bonus sampler of the first three chapters from book three, Perceive, adds about the additional length of another short story. Between Discern and Praxis the magical abilities of the two leading ladies have started to move along, but its obvious they still have a significant way to travel before they reach a place where they can be relied upon. Not being the type of reader to get into samplers before I'm ready to get the whole book, I cannot comment on what might be expected, as I never read the bonus chapters. For those who do though, there's roughly a little under an hour's taste of where the series will go next. It was a novelty to get the change in point of views and to enjoy the serial manner of book two, Praxis.
Perceive
Perceive not only highlights the information known about Nicole through the two previous books, it begins to add in the dimension of a predestined fate. The workings of the dead are catching up with Nicole. That is to say that Nicole is pivotal in the brewing war between the extremists who don't have access to magical and elemental abilities, and those rare fourth born children who do. Children that are rare because of the past machinations of fighters in a war that sought to influence outcomes ahead of time by manipulating the breeding characteristics of humans. The plot of the Mosaic Chronicles, in so doing, has thus added the additional Science Fiction-Fantasy element to the already established Young Adult and Fantasy genres. As the series now branches toward a repeat of history passed, where active conflict with the Tarians shifts from covert guerilla tactics to outward battle, it becomes more enriched and takes on some of the characteristics for which it was written.
Not only is Perceive one of the more exciting books in the series so far, it also sets up future excitement to come. This is done cleverly without an obvious cliffhanger event to tie off. A pitiful of series can often be the stage where the current book ends, if its not complete enough in the present book readers are left feeling that something's missing. Thankfully that hasn't been the trend to date. Perceive, like Discern, finishes nicely: so that you can have the requisite breather before getting set to read the next book. Events in Perceive are much more magically involved and to some extent its best not to have a week stomach when you read it. Definitely going with five stars on this one, and the notable direction is one of anticipation which is a skill good writers bring.
Observe
Another exciting addition to the Mosaic Chronicles, the fourth book Observe is as entertaining as those that have come before. Nicole's magical growth is now on par to make her a logical partner to Austin and Coolidge's strengths. She's not there yet but the signs are improving with each new book. She's also learning further how to protect her heart. Its now obvious that unless she can obtain the strength and fortitude necessary to be the pivotal player for the Aretes, she risks falling in to depression. Austin continues to show he's prepared to make the short-term sacrifices that might lead him to the fulfilment of his long-term goals. His love for Nicole, even though he loses the ability to dhow it, is sufficient enough to make him accepting that her happiness is the most important thing; even if it's not with him. Coolidge's resourcefulness is a definite boon, without him its doubtful that they ever would've made it this far. The slightly different change in tone works exceptionally well in building anticipation for the things to come. I can't say that I'm completely happy with the further changes to the Nicole and Austin saga. But its not for readers to decide where a storyline should go, so I'll refrain from letting it determine my rating. However, because I got a strong sentiment that Observe was more about building up the expectations of where the plot will go next, and not exactly a book in it's own right, I'm going with four stars on this one.
Reclaim
The introduction of so many more Aretes really creates a more fantastical component of the story. Inter-dimensional travel becomes another mainstay, thus keeping up the science fiction theme. Action is aplenty and the pace is faster as the countdown to potential Armageddon rolls on. The peacekeeping and protection by Aretes around the world helps to sway a number of society's instruments and mechanisms toward those same Aretes. Its ironic how the current circumstances came about by the hunger of certain Aretes for power that isn't theirs. That the Tarians fundamentally have an enormous hatred toward those with magic whilst seeking those with greater magic, and those 'monsters' also created with magic is the oxymoron of their whole argument. This serves the Aretes in the long run as it doesn't take a scholar to see through to the truth of what they wish to bring about.
The everyday struggles that find their way into the books help to ground the events as a whole. Nicole continues to be the blooming flower whilst shedding light on the good nature of Austin's soul. With certain obstacles navigated one can only hope that the two young lovers will get to move on to the next phases of the relationship. Lizzie has mostly been the background character associated with the journeys through her connection to Nicole; its not hard to imagine however that there's a scope for her to play a bigger role. With the introduction of the remaining members of Austin's family it seems the ordeal his family went through could be a good place to add in a prequel of sorts. Book five feels as though you've hit some pivotal place in the storyline. There's grounds for a continuation but with the events that have now taken place its hard to imagine that they'll continue the same path as before. This was one of my favourite so far.
It's been a while since I last reviewed but I felt I needed to because I really REALLY wanted to like this. However, the main characters are 18 acting like they are either 12 or 25+, depending on the topic (romantically, MMC and FMC act like it's their first puppy crush at 14 or something, for example... even though they both were in relationships before, the MMC at least with a long term one)... The world could be SO interesting but the monsters names sound so bad (shoblogs? or something?) and the world-building is so bad that we are barely told "these mythical creatures don't exist" with no context to what the legends are etc, even if we're at a university to teach magical history and it would be a perfect plot device to teach the reader of those things, and then they exist and we're still not told any context at all, only for them to be barely mentioned in the next two books (well, the novellas on book #2 and book #3) before going "there's a bigger baddie"... And still not adding context to pretty much anything.
The magic system is not clear (everyone must use their own element but not really since they can learn the others after and everyone has a sub-skill but not really because they can master and everyone has a focus object but not really because you can learn to focus without it) and no one bats an eye at all the crazy shit happening and yet our FMC has no idea the world was like that because I suppose she didn't have internet in 2014? (her parents never really told anything about what she is until she was close to 18 and "Restarting" and yet IT IS WELL KNOWN on this world so why not just go research whatever on her own??)
And don't get me started on the elixir/old lady plot like "oh I truly believe they won't kill me because they care and I really should do this because it's a good thing" I mean, really, like there aren't 100 different ways for that to be both true and false and people lie and people believe their own lies so you might as well be agreeing to mass murder and you're not even questioning the weird ghost who engineered the end of the magical people who "suddenly had a change of heart" and spent the rest of their lives working to make it possible to reverse their work? I mean errrrr how dumb are you?
I love a good mix of fantasy and sci fi but... my friend, this is not it. I tried to push through because they were quick and easy but it was simply unbearable to go after book 3... And that's a lot coming from me.
I've been going through my 'free books' library lately, in the mood to read and feeling like I should catch up on all the books I'd downloaded. Most of them were not great and I just really, really wanted to read something good.
And then I opened this set. I was hooked from the start. It's so good, so interesting and intricate. It's fast paced, but not at the expense of details. The author does a good job of explaining the magical world created here and doing it in a way that holds your interest. The characters are fleshed out and not just cliches. The plot is twisty and just murky enough to make you wonder if your assumptions are correct. Mine were, as it turns out, but I wondered often if I was guessing wrong before things were finally spelled out. The only thing that really bothered me was the beginning of the relationship between Nicole and Austin. I love you after what, two or three weeks of dating? I'm not sure exactly, sometimes it's hard to tell just how much time has passed, but I'm pretty sure it was about that. It wasn't a huge thing, just kind of ridiculous and unbelievable to me. I think the only reason it even stood out so much is because nearly everything else was so good. Well, nearly. I still find it hard to believe that letting people have oodles of kids is worth multiple people's lives. And not even the lives of kids that will definitely be born and would've died otherwise, I could've understood more if that was the case. This was just giving people the *option* of having more than a couple kids. It didn't jibe with me at all, but I didn't mind it that much because it ended up coinciding with having to actually save the world and that, to me, justified it a lot more. Anyways, they were really good books despite love at first sight and the fertilization thing.
The world building in this series was pretty good for a starting plot. And there were a lot of room for improvements, but seeing as it’s already a published series sadly nothing more can be done. Some editing errors along with some minor character name errors. The first book was mainly a world building read and slow burning romance. The relationship building between characters could’ve been better. As for the time jumps(I.e. few day/ weeks later) it’s expected for the reader to assume that the H&h’s relationship seem closer. But once they did confirm the relationship no other clues are given to build up for the “I love yous”. My only pet peeve: when authors use self pity as an excuse for their characters to cheat. It just cheapens the overall character profile for that character. And doesn’t really add value when story building. Whether it’s to be relatable to a potential reader’s real life or not. Cheating is a not a mistake it’s a choice being made.
I actually read these (with advancing degrees of addiction) as separate books and loved each of them in turn. They truly are a great combination of romance, adventure and magic, with well developed characters that I genuinely liked and who interact wonderfully with each other, plus a believable world and great supporting cast. It's great to have these all in one easy collection and that collection is easy for me to recommend. Readers will definitely enjoy. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises - the book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, it is easy to highly recommend.
This was a freebie for me, would have returned if I'd paid for it. The premise was interesting and started out catching interest, then it went downhill. The writing came off like a long running monologue in the the head of the principal character. Maybe should characterize it as a giant run on sentence, except with periods. It's really weird the way she's 'saving the world' and suddenly needs to go play, or odd romance thoughts pop up, or she's worried about unshaved legs... Pretty cold about death and suffering. I finished the books because I have insomnia and reading a bit of it in the evening put me to sleep. No surprise, there is a 'happy' ending.
Great! Can't wait to dive into more by Andrea Pearson
WOW!! I did not have high expectations for this series going into the first book, but am now craving more of Andrea Pearson's fun, creative, unpredictable, and crazy good stories!! Please see my individual reviews on each book for more detailed information on how I felt about each book separately. You won't regret reading this series if you're into fun, clean, crazy, fantasy!
I have only one "negative" about the books: not long enough! But I only say that because I want more of this world!!!
The premise is promising, but character development and overall presentation could use some work. The narrative is constantly dictating details about the characters’ personalities and emotions that simply aren’t supported by the scenes that are shown, which made me feel like I was missing bits and pieces of the story. Especially the romance between Nicole and Austin is not at all supported. The characters aren’t flat, exactly, but it feels like I am only getting surface impressions of their lives, not actually getting to know them at all. Gave up about 75% through Book 1.
Mosaic Chronicles is an edge of your seat unique story that has magical humans and other types of beings. Characters are well made, story is full of twist and turns, unique , flows nicely from each book and has romance too. I read this in a few days and cannot wait to finish this series. I highly recommend this series and now added another favorite author to my list 😀
Ok wondering why this book isn,t more popular? I acquired the reading material in order to entertain myself. Much to my surprise these books never achieved a status of boring material. Being worthwhile and excellent was a thrill to have read. Every now and then you have to ask yourself if what is already in your possession will be fulfilling? Thank you for this entertainment!!!
Nicole and Lizzie are best friends that both have magic, because they're fourth in kids. They leave to go to school and the craziness hits! So. Much. Crazy. If you like/love paranormal science fiction, you're going to love all the monsters/ghosts/Great Ones. This is a super long read, but I'm excited to connect the Kilenya series with this one!
The idea behind this set of books is interesting. The characters were easy to like/dislike. There was a lot of action. I felt it dragged in some parts. It could have been told in three or less books. Overall I would recommend. The first five books close out the main storylines, but leave it open for future adventures.
I have started reading this series by a free copy I got of the first book of the series and I liked it very much after that bought all the collection with the five books and read them all. They are really good books, with a very nice magic system and an intriguing scenario. I am looking forward to read the other 4 books of the series
Intriguing series, full of adventure and as little romance
These five books have kept me interested nd and entertained for a couple of weeks. I think the stories soul appeal to younger readers, teens perhaps. It is a girl old story plot, the characters believable. Fantasy prevails throughout.
The story line does not falter from book to book and while you can read any of them independently they work best as a whole. The major characters have interesting backgrounds that we don't get to see here, but would make great short stories as a collection. If you want a new take on magic mixed with modern life, this is it.
I thoroughly enjoyed the stories in books 1-4 and the 3 short stories within, except for the chaste interactions between the main character and her boyfriend. Otherwise I found the storyine to be compelling, engrossing and a little scary at times. I am likely to read the next books in the series.
Nicole and her group are a well-rounded group. You get to know and love each character and want them to win. The story line is a great combination of magic and alien/other dimension vs human. This seems to be a good series, would like to get the other two box sets!
I’ve read a lot of different writers who have written about magic but this one was quite a bit out there. The requirements for each level or talent that was set forth was astounding. this is definitely a good book for teens and maybe some more mature preteens.
Andrea Pearson knows how to write a story . The world building and main characters are well thought out and we'll developed . The story flows at a good pace and keeps the reader wanting to read more , when an author does that she's good . So take this series for a spin and hang on because your not going to want to put it down .😁😁😁😁,
I was really hoping this was the whole series or at least enough to get through the main story but it’s not. This is only half the story. It was a decent read. The world created is interesting, though there are a few details missing for full comprehension. Glad I got it free from Amazon.
This was the first set of books I read by Andrea and they were not the last! You get to meet all the characters that come up in several series. Nicole struggles with her magical abilities but really comes into her own. All while fighting monsters and falling in love. What more could you ask for?! You always want to keep reading to find out what will happen next.
Andrea's attention to detail is quite good. I found myself being so caught up in the depth of her relationships and the betrays of her family I cheered the good guys on with total enthusiasm! What a nice surprise these books turned out to be.