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The Soul Reaper #1
The Vanquished
Kendra Stephens only wants to survive her first semester at Braxton Law without flunking out. However, she can't seem to catch a break from the horrid nightmares and dangerous, unexplainable happenings that only seem to worsen at the meeting of Alaric A'mswirth, a mysterious man whom she believes to be the cause of all her suffering--and is undeniably the reason she's still alive. Kendra doesn't remember him or how they're connected, yet as memories begin to resurface, she vows to uncover the truth about the residents of the strange town she now calls home and the man that haunts her dreams. She soon realizes that nothing is as it seems as she is plunged into a world filled with trickery, betrayal, and dark desire.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 2, 2015
2 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Victoria Fisette
13 books30 followersJessica Victoria Fisette is the author of The Soul Reaper series, Fragments, and The Aldurian Chronicles. Her hobbies include discovering the benefits of natural medicine, wine tasting, and trying new recipes in the kitchen. She likes to unwind by typing out a scene or two in her latest obsession or indulging in a good book. Having been passionate about writing since she was a little girl, she is constantly coming up with new ideas for future stories and creating unique, strongwilled—albeit flawed—characters to overcome the difficult obstacles she places before them. Having spent all her life in rural Southeast Texas, she appreciates the tranquility of country living and hopes to implement such a love for nature into her beautiful, ever-so-curious little girl.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 1, 2017
Uncaged Book Reviews:
This is a love story, that does transcend time – and when everything starts clicking into place, you’ll be turning pages quicker and quicker to get to the end. The ending was satisfying, and I hope the author returns to this world soon.
Reviewed by Cyrene
4 1/2 Stars
This is a love story, that does transcend time – and when everything starts clicking into place, you’ll be turning pages quicker and quicker to get to the end. The ending was satisfying, and I hope the author returns to this world soon.
Reviewed by Cyrene
4 1/2 Stars
September 29, 2016
Wow! What a ride!
When Kendra moves to Elkridge to begin her first semester of grad school, she isn’t prepared to meet the mysterious stranger, Alaric. There’s something about him that seems familiar to her, but she just can’t put her finger on it. Settling into college turns out to be easier than expected…except for her daily nightmares which grow worse with each passing day. An unsettling feeling grows in Kendra’s gut that Alaric seems familiar. Does he have something to do with her nightmares…and how can she get them to stop?
This book started off so normal to me, I never would’ve guessed all the crazy things that happened toward the end! I mean that in the best possible way. With necromancers, time travel, and zombies this book is the ultimate page-turning adventure. Oh! And don’t forget romance. If you’re looking for a read that has a little bit of multiple genres blended together to pack the ultimate punch, look no further!
Needless to say, I can’t wait to see where the author goes with these characters in the rest of the series!
When Kendra moves to Elkridge to begin her first semester of grad school, she isn’t prepared to meet the mysterious stranger, Alaric. There’s something about him that seems familiar to her, but she just can’t put her finger on it. Settling into college turns out to be easier than expected…except for her daily nightmares which grow worse with each passing day. An unsettling feeling grows in Kendra’s gut that Alaric seems familiar. Does he have something to do with her nightmares…and how can she get them to stop?
This book started off so normal to me, I never would’ve guessed all the crazy things that happened toward the end! I mean that in the best possible way. With necromancers, time travel, and zombies this book is the ultimate page-turning adventure. Oh! And don’t forget romance. If you’re looking for a read that has a little bit of multiple genres blended together to pack the ultimate punch, look no further!
Needless to say, I can’t wait to see where the author goes with these characters in the rest of the series!
January 3, 2018
First and foremost, I want to impart my sincerest warmth and gratitude to the author, Jessica, for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I know that that`s a big risk in the self-publishing world, and she should know that I treated her story with the same respect I would a big-name published book. Now that that`s out of the way, let`s get on to the review, shall we?
Okay, to address the elephant in the room: there`s a HUGE stigma surrounding self-published books, an unfair prejudice, one that I will begrudgingly and shamefully admit that I subscribe to. You see, I don`t have a lot of free time, and therefore any time I do have is precious. I love to read, but I am a snob when it comes to the selection process. I spend more time deciding what book to read than I do actually reading the book! However, I recently joined some writer-friendly groups online, and I came across this book. I was intrigued by the description and, to some degree, the cover, and I contacted the author, who as you already know agreed to give me a copy.
That being said, I want it to be known that anything snarky or “mean” I say in this review is not an attack on the author in any way, shape or form. She graciously agreed to read some of my work in return, and I've had the opportunity to communicate with her some, and she seems like a wonderful human being. I never want to bash another author for his/her work. I know how heartbreaking it can be to hear negative words about your work, and it is not my intention to hurt anyone`s feelings. However, I take review-writing very seriously, and I will not censor myself to spare feelings.
Okay, let`s begin. For real, this time. Spoilers from this point on. Skip to #4 if you haven`t read yet.
1. Writing: Good. A huge problem with self-published books is that they tend to have a lot of grammar problems. This book had a couple of tiny things here and there, but nothing that made me cringe, and nothing that distracted from the story. The writing was very detailed, TOO DETAILED at times. Things were over-described to the point of insanity, sometimes. Yes, it`s good to set the scene, but Jesus. Leave some room for me to draw my own conclusions. I felt like I was being beat over the head with visuals—sensory overload. Less is definitely more, when it comes to description, unless it`s a high fantasy, which this book is not. It is, from what I can conclude, a paranormal romance. There were also a lot of times when I found myself having to re-read lines, whole pages sometimes, because the point didn`t come across. I swear on my soul that I didn`t know this chick was over 21 until, like, 30 percent into the novel. I was confused! I kept wondering, what kind of world is this? When her mom let her have wine, I was like okay, whatever, but when she went out and had it, I was so confused. The beginning of the book didn`t make her age clear. Another thing about the over-describing, it got to be too much near the middle, to the point that I just started skimming because I just didn`t care what the throne room looked like anymore. Also, when I read books, I sometimes have “flashbacks” to other books. This book gave me the most flashbacks I've ever experienced. I felt like Elena when she took the cure and remembered her relationship with Damon—sensory overload. Some books that “came back” to me were Twilight, Beautiful Creatures, Mara Dyer, Fallen, Sweet Evil, The Vampire Diaries (and not because of the names) …so many more, Near the end, once she finds out who she is, who/what Alaric is, etc., everything kind of fell downhill for me—more on that later, though. I was unsatisfied with the ending. There were also times when it felt like points that didn`t need to be explained the first time were constantly being reiterated.
2. Characters:
a. Kendra: Oh, my God, if ever there were a Mary Sue. This chick got on my nerves, like no other. I'm glad to say she`s not the most annoying MC I've come across (formerly belonging to Anna Whitt), but she is steep competition. She is definitely TSTL. Tell me, how is it that you were so mature that you triple-checked your room number, remembered to leave the rental car, moved in ON YOUR OWN, and yet you couldn`t remember to bring night clothes for yourself? WTF? You do know you`re going to college, right? In the beginning, when I didn`t know she was in graduate school, I was like, “Why didn`t her parents help her pack? Why didn`t they come with her?” I still wonder that, but now that I know she is an adult, there is no reason for her to not have remembered night clothes. No reason, at all! Also, the whole appliance situation: How did you not know what would be provided in the room? You`ve done this before, so there is absolutely no excuse for you to not have done this. Why was this chick so into wine? She can`t be any older than 22. I'm sorry, but there is no 22-year-old (that I know, anyway) that knows that much about wine, in that much detail, unless it`s strawberry wine cooler. It was mentioned that the author likes wine, which is great, but that doesn`t mean you`re character has to be an aficionado. Her naivety blew me to pieces. Oh my God! That first meeting with Alaric…I'm sorry, but if some weird dude comes up to me, knows my name, and I don`t know him, I AM NOT going to sit down at coffee with him. I know that her memories were gone and that they are time-space-continuum lovers…but that is no excuse. She didn`t know him. And when she took those “herbs” from Lilith, I nearly fell out! Who can be so stupid. I understand her feelings, etc., but, man. Since when can you have a toaster in a dorm room? Why is this chick always sleeping? What is life?
b. Alaric: I don`t really know what to say about him, because I feel like I don`t know him. We didn`t get to spend enough time with him. All I know for certain is that Alaric loves Kendra and could only fight his “demons” when he was around Kendra. He`s also good-looking, but so what? Does he have any interests besides painting Kendra? Does he do anything that has nothing to do with her? No? Didn`t think so. Why do people keep perpetuating this idea that keeping knowledge keeps people safe? It doesn`t. Fictional book boyfriends of the world, stop doing it. It doesn`t help anyone. Why was he cold at the end? What is life?
c. Background Peeps: Lilith, I didn`t like her from the beginning. She was annoying with all her “hon” stuff. Ugh. Jenna, whatever. What kind of person lets their roommate buy all the big-ticket stuff for the room and not offer to pay half back, or something? Riley seemed okay, but I didn`t form enough of a relationship with her to say much more than that. Parents, same thing. Seemed nice, but I don`t know them. The whole touting the Irish royal heritage thing was weird. It didn`t make sense, though maybe I would have felt better about it had her parents known the secret, or something. Daniel was whatever, too. All he lived for was pleasing/serving Alaric, who as we recall only lives for Kendra, so… I kind of liked Andrew, but again I didn`t get to know him. Mark. Who is he? That scene where Kendra goes skinny-dipping and he gives her the towel…I had no idea who that dude was. Another quick note, it took me a couple chapters to remember what Kendra`s name was!
3. Final Thoughts: I hate to say this, but this book may very well have the worst ending I've experienced in my reading career, an honor that previously rested with the Mara Dyer series (but that`s a story for another day). When I read the last sentence, my first thought was, “Is that all?” I kept scrolling, and all I saw was the Acknowledgments page. But I have so many questions. What about school? Does Kendra still want to be a lawyer? What about her family? What about Riley? Why is Alaric cold? Is Jenna okay? What is life? I was so, so confused. Backing up a little, the way Kendra found out was so awkward and weird and the entire story after that was rushed and way too involved. If Nimrod was the Big Bad and this a series, then why would he be defeated, or possibly defeated, to this degree in the first book? I feel like the first book should have focused on Kendra having flashbacks, etc. and the end just be them defeating Lilith. Everything else was just too much. By the end of the book, I was so fed up I just didn`t care anymore. And anyway, how can Lilith even kill Kendra, if earlier it was said that she was immortal? How in the world can she absorb SUNLIGHT and use it as a weapon? Why wasn`t that explained? It seems Kendra is always loving Alaric more. Well, she`s the only one.
4. Verdict: Do I recommend this book? Yes, and no. Yes, if you are just looking for a new world to get lost in and aren`t really looking for strong world-building. If you are into all those books I mentioned above that I had flashbacks for then go right ahead and buy this book, by all means. But if you are looking for something with substance and a strong heroine, turn away right now and run for the hills, my friend! This book is not for you.
Thanks again to Jessica for entrusting me with your story. Sorry, if I was harsh. Hope we can still be friends, lol! I honestly did enjoy the book, but I take my reviews seriously.
Okay, to address the elephant in the room: there`s a HUGE stigma surrounding self-published books, an unfair prejudice, one that I will begrudgingly and shamefully admit that I subscribe to. You see, I don`t have a lot of free time, and therefore any time I do have is precious. I love to read, but I am a snob when it comes to the selection process. I spend more time deciding what book to read than I do actually reading the book! However, I recently joined some writer-friendly groups online, and I came across this book. I was intrigued by the description and, to some degree, the cover, and I contacted the author, who as you already know agreed to give me a copy.
That being said, I want it to be known that anything snarky or “mean” I say in this review is not an attack on the author in any way, shape or form. She graciously agreed to read some of my work in return, and I've had the opportunity to communicate with her some, and she seems like a wonderful human being. I never want to bash another author for his/her work. I know how heartbreaking it can be to hear negative words about your work, and it is not my intention to hurt anyone`s feelings. However, I take review-writing very seriously, and I will not censor myself to spare feelings.
Okay, let`s begin. For real, this time. Spoilers from this point on. Skip to #4 if you haven`t read yet.
1. Writing: Good. A huge problem with self-published books is that they tend to have a lot of grammar problems. This book had a couple of tiny things here and there, but nothing that made me cringe, and nothing that distracted from the story. The writing was very detailed, TOO DETAILED at times. Things were over-described to the point of insanity, sometimes. Yes, it`s good to set the scene, but Jesus. Leave some room for me to draw my own conclusions. I felt like I was being beat over the head with visuals—sensory overload. Less is definitely more, when it comes to description, unless it`s a high fantasy, which this book is not. It is, from what I can conclude, a paranormal romance. There were also a lot of times when I found myself having to re-read lines, whole pages sometimes, because the point didn`t come across. I swear on my soul that I didn`t know this chick was over 21 until, like, 30 percent into the novel. I was confused! I kept wondering, what kind of world is this? When her mom let her have wine, I was like okay, whatever, but when she went out and had it, I was so confused. The beginning of the book didn`t make her age clear. Another thing about the over-describing, it got to be too much near the middle, to the point that I just started skimming because I just didn`t care what the throne room looked like anymore. Also, when I read books, I sometimes have “flashbacks” to other books. This book gave me the most flashbacks I've ever experienced. I felt like Elena when she took the cure and remembered her relationship with Damon—sensory overload. Some books that “came back” to me were Twilight, Beautiful Creatures, Mara Dyer, Fallen, Sweet Evil, The Vampire Diaries (and not because of the names) …so many more, Near the end, once she finds out who she is, who/what Alaric is, etc., everything kind of fell downhill for me—more on that later, though. I was unsatisfied with the ending. There were also times when it felt like points that didn`t need to be explained the first time were constantly being reiterated.
2. Characters:
a. Kendra: Oh, my God, if ever there were a Mary Sue. This chick got on my nerves, like no other. I'm glad to say she`s not the most annoying MC I've come across (formerly belonging to Anna Whitt), but she is steep competition. She is definitely TSTL. Tell me, how is it that you were so mature that you triple-checked your room number, remembered to leave the rental car, moved in ON YOUR OWN, and yet you couldn`t remember to bring night clothes for yourself? WTF? You do know you`re going to college, right? In the beginning, when I didn`t know she was in graduate school, I was like, “Why didn`t her parents help her pack? Why didn`t they come with her?” I still wonder that, but now that I know she is an adult, there is no reason for her to not have remembered night clothes. No reason, at all! Also, the whole appliance situation: How did you not know what would be provided in the room? You`ve done this before, so there is absolutely no excuse for you to not have done this. Why was this chick so into wine? She can`t be any older than 22. I'm sorry, but there is no 22-year-old (that I know, anyway) that knows that much about wine, in that much detail, unless it`s strawberry wine cooler. It was mentioned that the author likes wine, which is great, but that doesn`t mean you`re character has to be an aficionado. Her naivety blew me to pieces. Oh my God! That first meeting with Alaric…I'm sorry, but if some weird dude comes up to me, knows my name, and I don`t know him, I AM NOT going to sit down at coffee with him. I know that her memories were gone and that they are time-space-continuum lovers…but that is no excuse. She didn`t know him. And when she took those “herbs” from Lilith, I nearly fell out! Who can be so stupid. I understand her feelings, etc., but, man. Since when can you have a toaster in a dorm room? Why is this chick always sleeping? What is life?
b. Alaric: I don`t really know what to say about him, because I feel like I don`t know him. We didn`t get to spend enough time with him. All I know for certain is that Alaric loves Kendra and could only fight his “demons” when he was around Kendra. He`s also good-looking, but so what? Does he have any interests besides painting Kendra? Does he do anything that has nothing to do with her? No? Didn`t think so. Why do people keep perpetuating this idea that keeping knowledge keeps people safe? It doesn`t. Fictional book boyfriends of the world, stop doing it. It doesn`t help anyone. Why was he cold at the end? What is life?
c. Background Peeps: Lilith, I didn`t like her from the beginning. She was annoying with all her “hon” stuff. Ugh. Jenna, whatever. What kind of person lets their roommate buy all the big-ticket stuff for the room and not offer to pay half back, or something? Riley seemed okay, but I didn`t form enough of a relationship with her to say much more than that. Parents, same thing. Seemed nice, but I don`t know them. The whole touting the Irish royal heritage thing was weird. It didn`t make sense, though maybe I would have felt better about it had her parents known the secret, or something. Daniel was whatever, too. All he lived for was pleasing/serving Alaric, who as we recall only lives for Kendra, so… I kind of liked Andrew, but again I didn`t get to know him. Mark. Who is he? That scene where Kendra goes skinny-dipping and he gives her the towel…I had no idea who that dude was. Another quick note, it took me a couple chapters to remember what Kendra`s name was!
3. Final Thoughts: I hate to say this, but this book may very well have the worst ending I've experienced in my reading career, an honor that previously rested with the Mara Dyer series (but that`s a story for another day). When I read the last sentence, my first thought was, “Is that all?” I kept scrolling, and all I saw was the Acknowledgments page. But I have so many questions. What about school? Does Kendra still want to be a lawyer? What about her family? What about Riley? Why is Alaric cold? Is Jenna okay? What is life? I was so, so confused. Backing up a little, the way Kendra found out was so awkward and weird and the entire story after that was rushed and way too involved. If Nimrod was the Big Bad and this a series, then why would he be defeated, or possibly defeated, to this degree in the first book? I feel like the first book should have focused on Kendra having flashbacks, etc. and the end just be them defeating Lilith. Everything else was just too much. By the end of the book, I was so fed up I just didn`t care anymore. And anyway, how can Lilith even kill Kendra, if earlier it was said that she was immortal? How in the world can she absorb SUNLIGHT and use it as a weapon? Why wasn`t that explained? It seems Kendra is always loving Alaric more. Well, she`s the only one.
4. Verdict: Do I recommend this book? Yes, and no. Yes, if you are just looking for a new world to get lost in and aren`t really looking for strong world-building. If you are into all those books I mentioned above that I had flashbacks for then go right ahead and buy this book, by all means. But if you are looking for something with substance and a strong heroine, turn away right now and run for the hills, my friend! This book is not for you.
Thanks again to Jessica for entrusting me with your story. Sorry, if I was harsh. Hope we can still be friends, lol! I honestly did enjoy the book, but I take my reviews seriously.
November 24, 2016
Kendra goes to Braxton Law and meets the mysterious Alaric A'mswirth . Alaric desires Kendra, but for her safety, he needs to stay away from her. Sure, Alaric is good looking and irresistible, but he is detached. Kendra wants him so much that she wants him so much. Kendra gets attacked in her room and guess who saves her? Alaric. Does it ring a bell? Twilight or Fallen? Kendra gets a book from a mate, Jenna, entitled Vanquished. Upon reading the book, she finds out the real reason for her bad nightmares and the explainable things that are happening that only seem to worsen at the meeting of Alaric. They knew and loved each other in another life, and now they have to fight the Evil Nimrod. (Alaric is a Soul Reaper and Kendra a priestess if I read correctly)Lilith, Kendra’s roommate, is lurking in the shadows and wants to extract Kendra’s memories to locate a powerful dagger that could kill her.
My thoughts
It was difficult for me to finish the book, but however, I continued with the hopes that it will pick up like most books I have read do. The technique used to tell the story was boring. Some parts were too narrative and detailed for my taste. (Too much tell and no show).
I would recommend the book to teens around 16 year olds.
My thoughts
It was difficult for me to finish the book, but however, I continued with the hopes that it will pick up like most books I have read do. The technique used to tell the story was boring. Some parts were too narrative and detailed for my taste. (Too much tell and no show).
I would recommend the book to teens around 16 year olds.
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