Crystallum

The Primordial Principles #1

by Laney McMann

Kadence Sparrow wasn't born a devil's child-she was turned into one. Now, she's hiding from the truth, and running for her life.

For years, Kade's true nature has lurked behind an illusion, so when her dad gets another job transfer, she knows the drill: no close friends, no boyfriends, and most importantly: don't expose what she is. Ever. Keeping secrets is easy. Lies are second nature. So is the loneliness-and the fear, but when the Shadows attack, and Kade meets Cole Spires, she could expose everything she's trying to hide.

As one of the Celestial Children, Cole lives by an oath: defend the Ward, protect the Primordial race, guard the gateways, and stick to his own. Everything else is a distraction, and besides, he's lost enough. Cole's job is clear, and no one his age does it better. So, when he meets Kade in a club downtown, he assumes she just wants his attention. Most girls do, but Cole soon realizes ... Kade isn't like most girls.

The children of heaven and hell are living among us, fighting an age-old war. And falling for someone from the opposition is not an option. But a chance encounter between Kade and Cole will blur the rules, as Kade's journey to keep her truth hidden catapults them together and into a web of lies, forcing her to not only face the demon inside her, but to answer the hardest question of all.

Which is thicker-blood or water?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Angels, Demons, Young Adult Fantasy

336 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2016

About the author

I write young adult dark urban fantasy mixed with a spike of paranormal romance, a touch of history, and a dash of mythology. I'm a dreamer, an over thinker, and a myths and legends believer. Nothing moves me more than writing fantastical stories. And reading them.

I am the author of:

The Fire Born Novels, The Primordial Principles, and The CrossWorld Chronicles




Website: http://laneymcmann.weebly.com/

Blog: http://laneymcmann.com

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laney-...

Newsletter Sign-Up for book Updates:
http://laneymcmann.us3.list-manage.co...

Reviews

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Booktrope Publishing and NetGalley.)

This book was confusing.

I couldn’t really warm to the characters in this book, I don’t know why but I found them all a bit irritating. They seemed immature, and seemed to babble on a bit as well.

The story in this book just confused me. We had all these weird words in there with no explanations, and I couldn’t even work out what exactly the people were supposed to be, never mind what was happening to them.
There was some romance, but I wasn’t even sucked in by that, and at one point there seemed to be a bit of a triangle forming.

The ending to this was a bit of a cliff-hanger, I don’t think I’d want to read the next book in the series though.



5 out of 10

[Amanda Minnock · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would like to thank Jagged Lane Books & Laney McMann for my copy of the ARC.

I didn't hate this book but I definitely didn't love it either. With its cringe-worthy dialogue and a leading lady who is not likeable in the slightest, I find it hard to give it any more than 2 stars.

Kadence Sparrow is hiding from the world, forever moving, never having friends or a boyfriend all due to the huge secret of what she really is. When she finally moves to a certain town, Kade never thinks she will be pushed into the arms of a Celestial Child. Confused on who is a friend and who is a foe she battles to comes to terms with her true identity.

This book was so confusing as first, I never had a clue what was going on and it went from being a young adult fantasy novel to teenagers bickering like 10-year-olds. There was out of place fights, jealous exes, jealous new girlfriends, just jealous people in general! There was more drama than there was anything else and it was pretty immature and frustrating, to be honest, it ruined the book.

Kade was likeable at the start as she was quiet and timid, it fit the story that was being portrayed to us, but all a sudden she turned into uber-bitch who was high on the insta love of her life that she met 5 minutes ago. She was also very confident for a teen that still had her full V plates and tried to assure us she was a good girl, yeah ok. She was so unlikeable I was cringing.



The book really reminds me of a knock-off version of The Mortal Instruments, which is a shame because the whole Primordial and Primeva thing could have been really interesting but it completely fell flat. I just kept thinking of Shadowhunters who can shapeshift.

I've been fighting with myself over the thought of reading the next instalment, but when I read the reviews it puts me off. I think I will put it on the back burner for the moment.

Check out my blog www.amandaminnockx.tumblr.com

"Please, go out with me," he whispered, against her mouth. "I was totally kidding."
Kade made a growling sound, kissing him again.
"Is that a yes?" He smiled against her mouth.

[Ten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Also on Inherently Bookish

Received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Plot: ★☆☆☆☆



What is this book about? For the first part of the novel I couldn't have told you. Words were thrown at the reader -- Primori, Araneum, Draconeum, Nefarius -- without any explanation and leaving me more than confused. An author's job is to give the reader enough information to follow the story, and I found that for quite a while, this wasn't met. Even if it was used as a plot device to try to get the reader to keep going to find out what was going on, I feel that it didn't work as it caused more frustration than intrigue. I nearly gave up as I tried to understand the world the author was presenting me with.



It did get better.



The book introduces a race of supernatural beings, the Primori, who are essentially protectors of the Mortal world, guarding the gates that connect this world, the Mortal Plane, to the other planes. They guard them from the Nefarius (Shadow-like demons) and the Draconeum (demons?). There are crystals, different classes of Primori, and a whole bunch of other stuff that is explained later on, but I feel like it was never enough to fully understand and feel natural. Trying to explain now proves that I never did get a full grasp on the world McMann presented us with.



The plot itself is nothing special. It is the typical new girl moves to town, has a super special secret, ends up finding she's part of a super-secret supernatural race, and is also wanted by the main villain in the story.



Honestly, it kept reminding me of City of Bones.



The ending was anticlimactic, and although I didn't see it coming, I was expecting a lot more action to come from the reveal. It was all wrapped up a little too quickly.





Characters: ★☆☆☆☆



Our main character is Kadence, your typical Mary Sue. She is the new girl in town with a big secret: she's super special and no one will ever understand. She is also clumsy. And I mean falling-down-the-stairs-and-on-top-of-the-love-interest clumsy. She's constantly tumbling and falling and needing boys to catch her. She is the definition of damsel-in-distress.



And although she needs to be saved constantly, she is also one of the most powerful beings out there. There is no one like her. She has the power to save or destroy the world. And yet she can't make it down a flight of stairs without falling.



And then there is Cole, our love interest. He is your typical bad boy, a demon hunter, constantly is spewing arrogant, witty one-liners. He quotes literature. And of course, although he is the hottest girl in school and could have any girl he wanted, he falls for our main character almost instantly.



There is also Jake, the equally hot boy who vies for her attention, also supernatural, who constantly fights with Cole over the main character.



For the most part, the minor characters were nothing but plot devices. Giselle and Lindsay were used mostly to discuss the love interests. Later, they served a little more purpose, but they still didn't feel like real people.



Tiffany was Cole's ex-girlfriend, and your typical mean girl. She literally did nothing in the novel except be mean to Kadence and made Kadence jealous of her and Cole.



Overall the characters were cliched archetypes of characters and there was not enough development to make them likeable.



Writing: ★★★☆☆



The author is a competent writer, and there is definitely a lot of potential there. The writing is mostly dialogue-based, and more telling than showing, but the foundation was there. Overall, I have nothing bad to say about it, nor nothing amazing. It was good.



Romance: ★☆☆☆☆



The romance was what I least enjoyed about the novel. Kadence and Cole literally run into each other, don't even know each others names, and already sparks are flying. Their eyes are drawn to each other, they feel heat/sparks every time they look at each other or talk to each other. It was insta-love to the extreme. He meets her a couple times and then its his voice that wakes her from an injury.



Also, there is a scene in which they lie (mostly) chastely in  a bed together right after they just met.



There is also a love triangle. And it was pointless, considering it was obvious who Kadence really felt for. Jake was used as a plot device to start more conflict, and I didn't enjoy it.



Entertainment: ★★☆☆☆☆



And yet, despite everything I can complain about it, I went through this really fast. This novel has an addictive quality to it and I was curious to see where it was all going. I finished this relatively fast, and although I felt that there needed to be improvements with the world-building and character development, McMann does know how to write a story that captures the attention.



Overall: ★★☆☆☆



This is not the best book in the world, it is one of those guilty pleasure books, in which you know you shouldn't like and yet end up enjoying anyways. I am curious to see where this series is going, so I will probably check out the next in the series when it comes out.

[Emmeline (The Book Herald) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kindly received a copy of this book from Booktrope Publishing via NG in return for an honest review

Laney McMann brings us another crazy cool story!

Rating- 3.5 - 4 stars

"Stay calm. Stay hidden. Don't lose your temper. Push the vibrations away. Control your emotions. Don't let anyone know what you can do. And don't expose what you are. Ever."




That Gif is just so perfect!

Let's hop straight into the plot

Kadence has a secret, a secret so monstrous and big that she can't live her life as a normal girl.
Her father keeps moving her around places, never staying long, reminding her that her temper could be her downfall.
Never tell anyone, never let anyone see who you truly are.
Control. control. control.
But the Devil's children are after her, wanting her to be something she hates.
The one night, one glorious night, she tackles the boy who could change her whole world,
but he wasn't made to be with her.
It's impossible,
It's crazy.
It's forbidden.
But...maybe she can be more than what she was made into.
Dare she trust to hope that she can be good in a world that believes her to be evil?

When i first encountered Laney McMann, it was when i read her 'Fireborn' series. I remember being thoroughly impressed, the lady can write a heck of an original plot and spine tingling- clean romance that will leave you with a goofy smile on your face. This one didn't disappoint!

I have a thing where i like to tell people straight up the Cons before i move on to the Pros, because i like to end on a good note.

SO here it goes- the thing that annoyed me was the aspect of a love triangle, i hate love triangles with the intensity of a thousand suns. HOWEVER, it doesn't drag on for too long, thank God. I was so afraid that this would be another twilight- bella, jacob and edward scenario but it wasn't, again thank god.

Next thing, while the world building is freaking fantastic and original, it came with a crap load of confusion. McMann kind of did an overload of info very early on.

She created an entirely different race, institution, world, etc... but with that, when it had to be explained, it went on and on forever. I get that it was necessary but a part of me balked at the amount of facts i had to digest on the Primori, Primavera, Nefarius, Alveare,Patriarche, Anamolia, Araneum etc...

That's the cons, lets move on to the pros!

That world- building! Hot dang McMann, how did you think this up? it's awesome! and very original and brilliant! Great work! I really liked the idea of this!

I will admit that I still have a lot of unanswered questions but I'm guessing that's to prolong the anticipation for book 2.

I really liked the characters too, my one thing is that Cole kind of came of as a try- hard early on, I kind of felt exasperated with him because i want to shake the arrogance out of him. But the boy grew on me, how can he not?
Also, he has a sexy name! seriously! Mr Cole Spires- that rolls off the tongue sooo nicely!

Kadence is a cool character, she's strong without being overtly so and understands when she needs help. Her pride doesn't make her act stupid and she's not scared of admitting her feelings or playing coy. Just that in my eyes deserves a medal, coy- characters and I don't mesh.

There was a cool Villain, this is going to be weird, but I hope McMann will make him creepier! He didn't seem evil enough! but I like the idea of who he was/ is.

"Ducunt Volentem, nolentem trahunt." The fates lead the willing, and drag the unwilling."

Looking forward to book 2!

Stay awesome my lovelies!

-The Book Herald
Check out my blog- The Book Herald Blog (Help the little people!)
tweet me @thebookherald

[Lonna | FLYLēF · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original Post: Crystallum (Primordial Principles 1) at FLYLēF (www.flylef.com) with rating of 2.5/5

AS AN AVID reader of young adult books, I’ve had the pleasure of reading some of the most thought provoking books that completely captivate me, and redefine my understand of the complexity and maturity of this particular genre. Crystallum, by Laney McMann, did not have this effect. It fell rather flat.

Kadence Sparrow wasn't born a devil's child—she was turned. Now, she's hiding from the truth, and running…straight into the arms of Cole Spires. As one of the Celestial Children, Cole lives to defend the Ward and protect the Primordial race. When Kadence tackles Cole at club Crystalline, he assumes she, like most girls, just wants his attention. But, Kadence isn't like most girls.

Ms. McMann creates a unique twist to an age-old theme of angels versus devils. The idea that there are two races of Celestial Children—Primordial and Primeva—is interestingly different. I appreciate the thoughtfulness in the telling of their history, the magnetic and avian principles behind their supernatural strength, and the twists and secrets leading up to the very end.

Yet much of this creativity was sidelined in favor of teenage drama. High school crushes, jealous exes, irrational fights, and constant threats between the Primordial and Primeva were quite immature. Before long, I no longer felt that I was reading a young adult dark fantasy novel, but following the lives of angst teenagers.

The extensive use of Latin was quite intriguing…initially. I sense that Ms. McMann has an excellent command of this lost language. I enjoy author’s incorporating their own personal experiences into their books. But, in this case, I do feel that it was too much of a good thing. It grew tiresome. Halfway through the book, I no longer felt that I was reading a story; I felt that I was being tutored in Latin. Et Mortali Spiram. The Mortal Coil. Filios Daemoneum. Devil’s Child. Nefarius. Black Guards. And, that’s not even the half of it. Such an abundance of Latin didn’t feel critical to the story; it was distracting and completely lost its charm at the end.

Despite the lack of character depth and the disruptive foreign language lessons, I can see how (very) younger adult fans will be enamored to the irresistible Cole and mysterious Kadence, as they defy all odds to begin their passionate love story, whilst battling the forces of evil. The series has a bit of a rough start, but there is a lot of potential. I look forward to the characters maturing and the unraveling of more Primordial mysteries in Primordial Principles 2.

DISCUSSION: What was the last series you read with a slow start that concluded with an absolutely amazing ending? Do share.

{ I received this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and humble opinion. }

[Sea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars:

This book is City of Bones + Twilight + Obsidian in a seriously readable way.

Read the synopsis; it's forbidden love and opposites attract all over the place!

Okay, okay, okay. This book is nothing new. It really isn't. The trope-like elements that have been present in many successful books are also present here. We have the Mary Sue who is also a super special snowflake, a love triangle, the most golden of golden boys who is arrogant and kind of an asshole, a bad guy possessively hunting the snowflake, the mean and jealous (ex) girlfriend, etc.

I'm pretty guilty of enjoying those particular tropes from time to time, but I'm going to explain how this book used them without abusing them.

Mary Sue: Alright, so our girl Kadence is a chaste, virtually untouched, clumsy, inarticulate mess from the start. A lot of this stems from her father's suuuper restrictive upbringing, but it's also the impression she wants to give people so they underestimate her. When put in positions where she relies on her instincts, she shirks the clumsiness (and the virtuosity) to become a powerful, capable woman who knows what she wants and how to get it done. She's not coy about her feelings and does her best to be open and honest about her life. I think these characteristics pull her away from the typical Mary Sue mold.

The Love Triangle(s): Honestly, there's only a shadow of this the whole time. There is really no competition for affection between Kade and Cole; they both make it very clear right away that they aren't interested in anyone else. The other two characters, Jake and Tiffany, are mostly used as a way to clarify the Kade-Cole relationship by making them confront their feelings for each other. But like I said, there wasn't any real threat at any point.

The Asshole Golden Boy: Alright, this one is the hardest one to combat, purely because Cole IS a golden-boy rockstar with a godlike physique and an attitude to match his six-pack. He's got a reputation with the ladies and a devastating smile, blah, blah. Basically, he's Jace from CoB with the sultry dirty-talk of Daemon from Obsidian (with some of Edward's stalker-ish tendencies?). That being said, he does it all very well, while having his own extremely vulnerable, tongue-twisted, caring side when he's around Kade. All the things we hated about Jace (was he ever vulnerable or really that nice to Clary?) and Daemon (Katy Perry wrote a song about his rollercoaster kind of love...) were very clearly NOT PRESENT in Cole. More importantly than the comparisons, we saw his sweet side pretty much more than we saw his arrogant side, which was refreshing.

Possesive Bad Dude: Yeah, this one is all troped-out. At least this bad guy was kinda likable? And it wasn't at all sexually-driven possessiveness, so that is a definite plus!

The Mean (ex) Girlfriend: Tiffany was pretty bad. Definitely not the worst (*cough* Ash from Obsidian *cough*). But Kade was very clear about not wanting anything to do with Cole if he had a girlfriend, while she also really tried to be sensitive of Tiffany's feelings about Cole and Kade together. There was girl-hate briefly during the few Tiffany-Kade interactions, but it definitely seemed more like two alpha females clashing than two girls fighting over a guy.

There was a strong, interesting plot driving the story, but it was really mostly a love story.

A few things I didn't like:

She tripped SO MUCH it was not endearing.

Kadence hated school and was bad at it. I didn't like that she bashed on math, chemistry, physics, and biology like sciences were the worst... Booooo.

At one point, Jake asked Kadence out and she didn't want to go. Instead of just telling him she wasn't interested, she agreed because she didn't think she had a good enough reason the hurt his pride.... Absolutely not the message we want to send girls.

All in all, this book has some serious super-star qualities. I wouldn't be surprised if it gathered a massive following.

Received for free on Netgalley. Reviewed honestly.

Also find my review here

[Chelsies Reading Escape · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first I had a lot of mixed feeling about this book. I had a hard time getting into it. I was confused for the first 25 % of the book and because of that I had a difficult time caring what happened. Despite that, I ended up really liking it in the end. It reminded me a lot of how I felt when I read City of Bones.

I know the withholding of information was done as a plot device to add suspense and mystery (and I did enjoy most of it) but there was certain words and some information that I would have liked explained earlier. On the positive side it was very satisfying when I finally figured out who everyone was and what was going on.

Once I understood the world a bit better I discovered that I did like the concept and the story line. The writting wasnt hard to follow despite not knowing certain things. I actually felt compelled to keep reading. The last half of the book took me no time at all to finish. I really enjoyed the plot twist at the end. Im really good at predicting twists but I did not see that one coming.

I really loved Giselle and the fact that she was in a LGBT relationship. I think the love interest with the whole forbidden love aspect had a bit too much insta love. However, I liked Cole because he wasnt confident to a point where it annoyed me. I thought it was really sweet that he wanted to care for Kade despite being told not to. I liked him better than Jace in City of Bones.

I understand this is a first book in a series and that more character developpement will happen in the next books. Now that I know more about the world the sequel should be more enjoyable, especially since I like where the story is going. I really hope I get to review the sequel as well. I would recommend this to shadowhunter fans.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I just found the sequel on Netgalley so crossing fingers Im not to close to the archived date to get it. I had a really hard time rating this one because its better then the other urban fantasies Ive read this month but I still had issues with it. My actual rating would be closer to 3.5 Stars.

My Ratings go as follow:
5 stars = Absolutely Amazing
4 stars = Loved it but its missing something
3 stars = Enjoyed it but had a few issues
2 stars = It was ok but had a lot of issues
1 star = Didnt enjoy it (probably didnt finish)

[Lisa F · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be a hidden gem! it's cover pulled me in then once I read the blurb I was like this is right up my street, once I started the first few pages I thought oh dear it's getting complicated and felt like it was going to be a book that was hard work!I honestly i thought with all the big words, Latin, complicated history I was going to be bored, but I gave the book a chance and once you get to the club and the MC meet its like boom your pulled in, even if it's just to see what develops between them rather than the whole demons and the people who protect the world business.

I really understood the history once Cole started telling kade, that for me was when I really fell for Cole and started routing for them as a couple, those shared moments before her memories were eased I loved, we saw them be themselves with each other and for Cole we got to see another side to him than just the moody protector, we got to understand him.

I loved the other characters especially Danny and G, oh and I do like Coles granddad, for an elder he rocks :)

overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next

[Angelina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked a lot the element of magic in this book. It was unique and different.

The main character was very interesting and it was fun reading about her..

The ony disavantage was that magic system was too complicated which confused me at time and slow the pace of the book....

But other than that it was a very enjoyable read.

*My thans to Netgalley for the arc

[Kariny · Rating 5 out of 5]

*NETGALLEY ARC*

MY REVIEW

Basically you have this race called the Primordial-the celestial children. Now this race is divided into 2. Primory and Primeva( Primori with demon blood- like a tainted lineage). Then there are also demons that want to conquer them all and turn everything into a hellish world. The primordial guard the gates and protect the humans however, the 2 groups are lifetime-old enemies.

Cole Spires is a Primori and the head of his brotherhood. Cocky and arrogant he is the best his kind has ever seen. Kadence has been haunted by a demon since she was little and know she's become one of those monsters. To escape, she moves time after time and never gets close to anyone in fear she might reveal her secret. But when she goes to a club with her new found friends, she sees the shadows that are wandering and lurking about to attack a boy. she crashes into him to save him but little does she know, Cole is the last person who needs help from the shadows. He is a master at killing them so needless to say when a pretty girl crashes into him he does't suspect what she could be at all...days pass but Cole is fa from getting Kade out of his mind and the more he tries to forget her, the more she appears out of nowhere until he finds out that Kade is not a human girl and so much more connected to his world than he could ever imagine.

Okay this book...just....
It's honestly a hidden jem! Characters WERE AMAZING! Cole-hot, cocky, super strong, possessive and protective. can ya go wrong there?? i think not! Kade was a really strong character but sweet at the same time. I loved her moments of losing control because that's when she seriously kicked some butt!!

Romance-PERFECT! there is insta-love but you kinda learn to role with it because they are a pretty sweet couple! So i didn't mind it too much...
The plot, i don't think i ned to explain more, everything was very well researched and though out! I wouldn't say perfect execution because it was really confusing until Cole explained it from the start to Kadence. I was totally lost at times-hence the 4,5 STARS and not the 5 STARS! pretty confusing with all the latin words...

I really will be continuing this great series! Recommended to all YA lovers! Trust me once you get the plot it will take your breath away-if you can deal with the insta-love :P

[Dreamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

'Crystallum' was an exciting page-turner. Devoured in 3.5 days, I could hardly bare to part with this book when real life got in the way of reading. I often needed to know what happened next, needed to re-read the last paragraph because the most recent twist revealed didn’t sink in the first time, and now I need to read the next book!

With 'Crystallum,' McMann has dreamt up a detailed and intricate world, complete with its own rules and alliances within the different factions of the Primordial race. This YA novel includes romance, action, and decent character development. I only wish the author had not created an insta-love between two characters and then spend time later in the book justifying why they were so good together.

McMann’s writing style is different than I’m used to; the book begins with an action scene and dialog between two main characters, harmless and clever banter between two guys who have clearly known each other for ages. But the dialog and the action from the first scene isn’t explained clearly until about 20% in. The rest of the book contains both action and romance and typical high school drama, and every once in a while, another big-explanation or big-reveal bomb is dropped. Maybe I’m just used to more subtle reveals or more set up at the beginning of a book.

I really enjoyed the story, despite the female lead, Kadence, always needing help from Cole. The characters and the mystery of the Primordial race were very intriguing. I recommend this page-turner to any reader who enjoys YA, supernatural, and fantasy.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Read more reviews! http://dreamerjbookreviews.blogspot.com/

[Dreamer]

'Crystallum' was an exciting page-turner. Devoured in 3.5 days, I could hardly bare to part with this book when real life got in the way of reading. I often needed to know what happened next, needed to re-read the last paragraph because the most recent twist revealed didn’t sink in the first time, and now I need to read the next book!

With 'Crystallum,' McMann has dreamt up a detailed and intricate world, complete with its own rules and alliances within the different factions of the Primordial race. This YA novel includes romance, action, and decent character development. I only wish the author had not created an insta-love between two characters and then spend time later in the book justifying why they were so good together.

McMann’s writing style is different than I’m used to; the book begins with an action scene and dialog between two main characters, harmless and clever banter between two guys who have clearly known each other for ages. But the dialog and the action from the first scene isn’t explained clearly until about 20% in. The rest of the book contains both action and romance and typical high school drama, and every once in a while, another big-explanation or big-reveal bomb is dropped. Maybe I’m just used to more subtle reveals or more set up at the beginning of a book.

I really enjoyed the story, despite the female lead, Kadence, always needing help from Cole. The characters and the mystery of the Primordial race were very intriguing. I recommend this page-turner to any reader who enjoys YA, supernatural, and fantasy.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[ricah (andthebooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an ebook copy from xpressobooktours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review.*

A little summary for all of you. Girl transfers to another place then goes to a bar with her new friends, accidentally meet this hot guy, can't forget about him, something happens to the girl, boy came to the rescue.

Filios Daemoneum. Et Mortali Spiram. Shadows.Primordial.
YES, these words were highlighted and added some notes. The first 100 pages was soooo confusing. Chapter by chapter, I was like a lost puppy. I love learning new terms but I was hella confused for half of the book. HALF OF THE BOOK. but then the other half of the book was full of too many informations. You know that moment when you just stop reading and stare to a wall, waiting to sink everything you learned? This is what I felt while reading this. I was confused from the beginning to the very last page. I keep repeating the words and the paragraphs. Until now, I can't fully understand what just happened. For me, it was not explained well.

Insta-love. Although I hate Insta-love, I was really smiling ear to ear with their cheesy lines. 80% smiling and supporting their relationship and 20% annoyed.

"Well, it is. I look at you and I look at me, and..."Her cheecks heated and she glanced backed out the window.
"What?"
"It's nothing. Stupid." Kade shook her head.
"What is it?"
"When I'm around you." She chanced a glance at him. "I want to stay near you," she said under her breath. "I want you to stay near me."

Cole is the Young Primori Alpha of the Brotherhood Warden and Danny is the young Primori Beta of the same ward. Cole is so easy to like. How he makes witty, funny and sarcastic comments. Especially Danny.

"I guess we can officially confirm that Filios Daemoneum have been here."
"Devil's Children, Cole." Danny directed the faint light of his crystal telum toward a balcony in the dilapidated building. "Say Devil's Children. No one cares that you speak Latin." He took off toward the balcony.

Is it okay that I really like their cheesy line but not Kade? Here I go again, hating the female protagonist *sighs*. If you've been reading my reviews for a while now, you know that I'm always annoyed with the female protagonists.

He rubbed his forehead and said," Please be careful on the stairs," and headed toward the door leading to the first floor. "I can't watch you like a hawk, you know?" His hand hovered over the doorknob, eyes downcast. "Vos exterruerat me," he said so low and soft, she barely heard him.

Oh, great. So is falling down the stairs the new technique so the hot boy in school will notice you? Or your just really clumsy because this happens to you all the time?

From the very beginning I know that this book will remind me of City of Bones and I was right. "Demons" are always mentioned in the book and I can't stop thinking: "This is soooo TMI." " They also kill demons like TMI?" "Ohhh they also protect the world? Sound familiar."" I CAN'T stop comparing it to The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare even if I only read the first book which is City of Bones and love it. The only difference is that they use crystals and not stele.

The not oh-shocking-revelation. It was all so obvious.
ME WHILE READING: *fake gasps* Oh my god. *fake gasps* Seriously?! *fake gasps* what?!

It involves some cool aspects like how Primori's can change to a hawk and also the action scenes! It was detailed which I really like. The world building or setting was also fantastic. Overall, I enjoyed if it didn't surpass my expectations. Might read the next book in the series.

ACTUAL RATING: 3.5 STARS

[Cristina (My Tiny Obsessions) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read full review HERE



I can’t believe that I had this book on my kindle since October, and I waited so long to actually pick it up and read it… silly me!

I really really liked the writing. This book is told in 5 different POVs, with 2 main ones – Kade and Cole – and it’s the perfect way to tell this story. It also starts right into action.

Usually when it’s a fantasy of this kind, there is always someone who is oblivious to the “magical world”, so we have one of the magical being explaining things to them, and we (readers) learn the world at the same pace as that character. That IS NOT what happens here. Cole knows his truth, and Kade knows her truth, and we don’t actually get the whole picture until some time into the book, when both their worlds clash a little. I loved this! The world is complex, and I’m not sure I understood everything about it, but I did like this different way of explaining this world.

Now, I did find this book was a mix of The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices and maybe Harry Potter. Eheh! There are demons, and celestial beings, and tainted blood, and different houses (that are on the same side, but don’t mingle). There is also some shapeshifting, which is cool, and it took me a bit to fully understand, lol. Although I found elements of previous stories, I still really enjoyed it, and I think that ultimately the story diverges a lot from all those references.

One of the biggest selling points of this book for me were the characters. I thought that the characters were AMAZING. I was kind of expecting a Clary/Jace thing, but no. Kade was amazingly strong, and even though she was lonely for whole her life, and thought she was a monster, she was fierce and protective of those she cared about. And she’s obviously powerful! Cole was a mix of Jace and Will, but somewhat I liked him better. He was cocky, and obviously the best within his group, but he was a really good person, and it showed not only when he was with Kade and Danny (his BFF), but also when he was supposedly being a dick to everyone else. Danny was awesome, and I want more of him, and G and Lyndsey and even maybe Jake.

The romance is absolutely a case of instalove, no doubt about it, but it somehow worked. The chemistry between Kade and Cole was off the charts, and I really liked that she was confident within it, even though she had never had a relationship before. They trusted themselves and each other, and those hot moments were HOT.

The resolution of the plot was somewhat expected, and despite the twist, it was still a bit anticlimactic, but it was still pretty good and made me want to know more – good thing I already have book 2.

To sum it up, it is not the most original story, it has instalove, a twist and somewhat an expected plot. With this said, it’s still a pretty amazing read. I think the worldbuilding was well achieved and at the end of the day, the world created is pretty unique. The instalove works because the characters make it work. The characters are diverse and unique in their own ways too. So I have to recommend this book, I really have to!

PS: See that gorgeous cover? Ignore it! I have no idea why Kade is dressed like that, and it threw me off a big, but the book is set in the present, ok?

[Line Bookaholic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really intrigued by the synopsis of this book, I thought I could enjoy it. It turned out to be really enjoyable!
The author's writing was really what kept my interest throughout the book. I liked the fact that she only gave small bits of information, you have to wait until the end of the book to truly understand what is going on. At first, I was a bit lost because of that, I did not understand the "magical" system, I could not understand what the people were and it was a bit complicated to follow. But that's what makes me want to read further!

The story line was nothing new, it contained all the tropes you can find in any other YA/ urban fantasy novel. But still, the book was really interesting and had some unique details. I was not expecting this plot twist at all. It was really nice to understand it at the same time as the other characters, Kadence knew it from the beginning but as you do not have access to her thoughts, you could not know it. That was really surprising and I liked that a lot.

I did not really care for the characters though, I could not relate to any of them. I did not really like Kadence but I did not hate her either. I thought she was really realistic (apart from the fact that she was way too clumsy, oh and of course that she had some super abilities), I felt like she could be a normal teenager with typical problems. The fact that she did not have any friends makes her really insecure (it does not help that she is a kind of monster...) but she turned out to be someone really special. Cole was really, really likable.

The world the author created is really mysterious and fantastic! I want to learn more about the Primori, the Primeva, the Shadows etc. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series (and the cover is gorgeous!!)

[Kira Simion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received an ebook edition from NetGalley/Netgallery! :D in exchange for an honest review!

Edit:

This book had a nice original idea but the way things played out was disappointing in some ways and okay in others.

The characters were 2D and really didn't seem to be the slightest bit realistic. Their dialogue was good on occasions but, I just couldn't like them. Maybe it was because of all the confusion.

So you're thrown into the plot and given like twenty names at a time. The action scenes were something that kept me reading. What can I say? I love me an interesting fight.

Everything seems a bit jumbled since I still don't know what the heck is going on. I understood a bit of the book but, maybe it's just me...

Overall, I would recommend another book by this author if she gives a little more time for the readers to process info without info dumping.

2.5 stars rounded up since I really liked the fighting scenes and the plot was something interesting.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars I'm rounding up. I'm a bit torn. I did like the characters and getting to know them. I thought the scene in which they meet - the club - a little too close to another paranormal romance so I was put-off at first. But I did like how they connected and worked together. I liked the supporting cast and their stories and how they all worked - or didn't - together

But I found the story very confusing to start. There are a lot of terms I didn't know at first and I didn't feel like they were all fully explained later. I definitely got lost on a few details that might have been because I'm sick but I just didn't follow all the little things 100%. It's one of the few times I wouldn't have minded a little info-dump, just to catch me up.

I did find it a bit long but it did have a few devices to keep the story going and the plot was engaging. I'm glad I finally gave this one a try but I'm not sure it stands out well from others in the same genre. It was okay but I didn't love it.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[Aldii - perfectioninbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Writing:
I really enjoyed the writing, it was easy to understand and the way things were explained was great. We read mostly from Kade's POV but there are some other parts were we get other POV's from different characters.

The Story:
When I started this book I just felt this kind of Shadowhunters world mixed with a bit of the Sweet trilogy vibe. Which is not bad at all in my opinion.
We have Primoris and Primevas, two sides of a same team but they don't get on well with each other. These are kind of angels but not, I think protectors is a good word and they fight against demons. This is just a simple way because this story has many more things and creatures that I won't talk about. Why? Because the good thing about this, one of the exciting parts of this is discovering and understanding the world while reading the book. All I'll say about this world is that I liked it, I found it interesting and well explained.
Now, talking about romance. I loved the romance in here! It's an example of romance in YA (or at least when I think of romance in YA something like this comes to my mind). Nothing that we haven't seen before but I loved it anyway. We could say that in a way there is a love triangle but I think if you pay attention at the book we'll agree that there is no love triangle and there is one guy, and the other,well,he's there but there is no chemistry or feelings (from one side)
Overall, I like the story and the romance (a lot) but I can't say it's something absolutely new. However, I really had a great time while reading this. So much fun, romance and some action. And I definitely want to read the next book because the ending left me intrigued!

The Characters:
Kade: She has had a difficult life. Hiding all time, having no friends, no family other than her father. Her situation has definitely a development. I don't think she grows as a character but I think she will have time for that in the next book. This book for her was about finding out a new world and what she really is (plus falling in love).
Cole: I loved him. He is this arrogant,cocky,smart mouth,sexy,sweet and shy boy. He is one of the best Primori ever and he knows it. He's just great.
Danny,G,Lindsey: I really like them all. They are great friends. I wasn't sure if I liked G and Lindsey at the beginning but then I just find them great and good friends. Danny is like a brother for Cole and that's great. They are there for each other.
Jake: I don't think he is bad at all. I like him. But he is not Cole, anyway, you are great too Jake!
Plumb: I really liked her. She is like the mother in the Brotherhood and for Cole. She was so sweet!

I definitely liked this story, their characters and relationships. Is not 'nothing I've never seen before' but I enjoyed it a lot. Do I recommend this? Definitely! I hope you give this an opportunity. And I can't wait to read the next one.

"Everyone is looking for someone"

[Hannah D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riveting, romantic, fantasy filled and mysterious; Crystallum takes readers into a brand new fantasy universe which contains demons, angels and many creatures in between. Kadence Sparrow is one of those creatures, and she is on the run. Going from place to place with her father with simple rules, don't make friends and no boyfriends. Her life is drastically changed when she runs into Cole, one of the Celestial Children. Full of danger and intense romance, Crystallum was very fun to read.
The developments of Kadence and Cole as characters was pretty solid. They were easy to connect to and very graspable. Kadence is a well done character with some pretty cool abilities. Plot wise, there was some minor problems but nothing that really took away from the story. Each character in this book was very unique and interesting in their own right. The romance between Kadence and Cole was super well written. It was intense and there was a lot of sparks flying between the two characters. I am definitely interested where the story will continue, into the next novel. Ultimately, I very much enjoyed this novel and recommend it to fans of fantasy and romance. I give Crystallum FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS!!!

Want more of me? Go to: http://thenotsopubliclibrary.blogspot...

[Kel (Faerie-bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Crystallum
Author: Laney McMann
Genre: Urban/Fantasy
Format: Ebook - NetGalley
Pages: 239
Rating: 4.5/5

Setting: This story takes place in Boulder, CO which is cool since I live in Denver

Main Characters: Kadence Sparrow and Cole Spires

Main Supporting Characters: Giselle, Lindsey, Alex, Jake, Danny, and Kyle

Plot: Kadence has a secret, and for most of her life her father has had strict rules about friends/boyfriends, meaning none. Constantly moving around, starting new schools, and having to lie to those she met, Kade has been utterly alone. Now seventeen, she moves to Boulder, where things start to fall apart. She starts making friends, but still can't tell them any of her secrets.

Thoughts: I loved this book! There was a lot of different information that needed to be absorbed but it definitely made the story more interesting. I liked how Ms. McMann kept me, the reader, interested by not having Kade tell everything that she knew, I knew a little bit more than her friends but not much. Some of it was predictable but the end totally floored me. Was not expecting that! I think I was as shocked as the other characters. Beware, it has a cliffhanger ending and I so can't wait to get my hands on the next book.

I received a copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kadence Sparrow has never made any friends, that is, until she moves to Boulder, Colorado. She and her father, a pediatric surgeon, have never lived long enough in one place for that to happen. It might also be because Kade is “special,” according to her father. At the age of five, she sprouted wings and her face could morph into that of a demon. It was hard to think of herself as anything but a monster, so she became a loner. Then they moved to Boulder, and Kade realizes that she might not be the only being out there who sees demons and Shadows, morphs into something otherworldly, and has unusual powers. As she tries to fit in at her new high school, Kade must figure out where she belongs in the world of Primordials. Is she a Primori, a descendant of the ancient gods, or does she belong with the Primeva Kinship, the Devil’s blood descendants. Both groups protect the mortal world from demons and Shadows, but they cannot intermingle. Wouldn’t you know that there is an instant mutual attraction between Kade and the Alpha Primori-Cole Spires. Yet, there are more important and dangerous things to worry about. A demon named Dracon is planning to use Kade in a scheme to destroy the Primordials and the world as humans know it. Kade soon realizes that her life as she knows it was never as it seemed. Young adult fans of romantic fantasy and adventure will surely enjoy this first book in the Primordial Principles series.

[Tasha Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those books you can't help but judge by it's cover but go ahead. This is one of the prettiest covers i have seen. In fact the cover is the reason why i wanted to read this book.
Initially i struggled getting into the story as the author throws a lot at the reader, without much of an explanation and although it serves as a plot line it is a little hard going to begin with.
However, i am glad that i stuck with it! As the story got going and we got deeper into the plot line i found myself unwilling to put the story down.

The author has obviously put a lot of trouble and effort into the research and planning of this story and it has paid off. Although a fairly complex plot line, as it starts to unravel and the action gets going it is a very compelling read that leaves you on the edge of your seat, with twists and turns you don't see coming.

I gave it 4 stars.

[Abi · Rating 2 out of 5]

(I received a copy from Netgalley, In exchange for an honest review.)

The characters in this could be very annoying at times, so I can't say I liked them.

This started out boring, so I was hoping it would get better as the story progressed. Unfortunately though, it remained that way for the rest of the book, so it dragged quite a lot for me.

Overall, Not an enjoyable read for me.

[Dani (Dani Reviews Things) · Rating 4 out of 5]

See this review in its natural environment, Dani Reviews Things.

I received this book for free from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.



An intense attraction is at the heart of this story of good versus evil. While the characters and the scenery are a sketch, the forbidden passion between a dangerous 'good' boy and lonely 'bad' girl is vividly painted in reds across the pages. The book started off shaky, with too much information and not enough time to explain or process it, but it hit its stride a third of the way through. From this point on, the excitement escalated in an understandable and riveting way, carried by secrets, superpowers and stolen kisses. Somewhat reminiscent of Twilight, Crystallum has shapeshifting and boys watching girls' windows, but this time, the girl can fight for herself.

Best and worst

The best: CAN I PLEASE JUST SMUSH THESE TWO TOGETHER.
The worst: The beginning was a bit of a hot mess...

Snapshot





First impressions

I spotlighted this book a while ago, and for good reason. The cover is rather pretty, and I was very interested in the idea of the heroine being part-demon. I wanted to know how McMann would pull off this good/evil balance and make Cole fall for someone from the dark side.

Break it down

What

Quick summary: Kadence moves to yet another new town with her father, who has set strict rules against close friends and boyfriends. Two girls, Giselle and Lindsey, take her in before school even starts. (How did they meet? No one knows...) They go to a club, where Kade literally crashes into Cole. Cole realises she's not human but tells her to head off with her friends. He and his best friend capture a Shadow, learn something rather prophetic, and Cole connects this to Kade. What follows involves stalking, catching, shapeshifting, heavy breathing, staring, fighting and jumping off cliffs.

OMG DID I JUST DESCRIBE TWILIGHT? Hahahaha... Ok, ok, maybe there is something a bit Twilight about this book, but then I did like the saga back in high school. There are parallels, but there are also enough differences for the book to stand on its own.

The plot and pacing is probably the hardest thing for me to review. I found the first 30% really confusing, and while I understand that there had to be some mystery, it came across a bit messy and made me worry about the rest of the story. I was genuinely afraid that I'd have to battle through almost 400 pages of action without explanation. It was like trying to follow the author through the woods with only an occasional footprint. I wasn't sure if where I was going was where she wanted me to go. There was quite a lot of info dump without any supporting information. If you'd asked me to rate the book at 30%, I would have probably given it a 2.5 or a 3.

BUT, once things started being explained, I grew more and more intrigued, then excited. There were some twists that I guessed, but there were also a few that totally threw me, especially the one at the end. (Speaking of the end, I don't think Kade's reactions were believable. I think McMann could have really developed the story and Kade's character by having her be more...emotional.)

I still have questions, but I'm hoping they'll be answered in the second book, which Goodreads assures me will be out later this year. I SURE HOPE SO.

Who

Let me introduce you to the main cast:

Kadence (Kade) – friendless, motherless, moved around from place to place to hide what she is. Kade keeps to herself, but she doesn't hold back or cower when someone threatens her. Has been saving herself for over ten years and doesn't really need a guy to do that for her. I would freak out if I saw her demon face.
Cole – Alpha of the local Brotherhood of Primori (Celestial Children). Strong, fast and super cocky. Dad drilled into him that his job came above all else, so he's always followed the rules and stayed away from people, except for Danny. First language was Latin. Swoon. Can actually be very sweet and supportive. Bonus points for his reactions to Kade.
Danny – Beta to Cole's Alpha. Tries to be Cole's voice of reason, but he's always got Cole's back.
Jake – Alpha of the local Kinship of Primeva (Devil's Children). Not exactly friends with Cole and is always competing with him. A nice guy, I guess, but just doesn't do anything for me. Always second to Cole, poor thing.
Giselle – Primeva. Manic pixie type. Loves shopping and coffee. Has a tendency to fiddle with everything while in cars.
Lindsey – Primeva. Firm and quiet compared to Giselle. Always seems to be complaining.
Kade's dad – Strict, secretive and can't cook anything except bacon, though he tries. A paediatric surgeon.

Kade and Cole. Oh dear god, these two had me going all book long. I could feel their chemistry like an electrified jacket. Cole and Kade wanted each other so bad, and I wanted them to just get what they want. And they kinda did. When they finally kissed, I was so happy, but then there was the expected angst and it killed. AND MORE KISSING. GAAAAH. Cole danced between trying to be a gentleman, trying to stick to the rules and just giving in to his need for Kade, and it was delicious. He was delicious. And while he was trying to hold back and do the right thing, Kade was rather...forward? I loved it. And I loved how they each seemed to have an effect on each other that extended past lust-filled staring. Smooth-talking Cole and sure-footed Kade muddled each other up with need and nervousness. Ok, yes, there was something a bit insta-love about it all, but I think McMann pulled it off with making it seem more like lust at first. (I was all aboard the lust train.)

The relationships in this book are layered and not what they seem at first. Who is related to who...and who isn't related to who...are secrets that are revealed like mini truth grenades. The interplay between the Primori (Celestial Children) and Primeva (Devil's Children) was well done, with the two groups walking a line between opposing each other and working together for a common goal.

My biggest niggle about the characters is that I couldn't quite picture them. There were some details here and there, but while I was trying to swoon over Cole or imagine everyone at the dance, all I could do was think of their personalities and behaviours. I knew Kade and Jake had blonde hair, while Cole had brown. Kade was short, while Cole was 6'2". Ok, I'm drawing a blank now. I couldn't tell you about anyone else: their build, their style of dressing, their hair...nothing. Wouldn't it be great if we didn't care about how people looked? Well, sadly, for my mental movie, I had to cast blobs.

Where & when

Overlaying a setting of mainly Colorado, with snippets of Italy and other planes of existence, McMann created a world of "good" vs. "evil", where good was stratified with a class system of the good and the slightly less good. In this world, the Primordial secretly worked to protect the gates between the various planes that form an electromagnetic grid over the earth. The Primordial looked like humans, but they were able to harness electromagnetic power for their own use, be it running very fast, fighting or moving things around. Two groups worked to maintain a balance between positive and negative energy: the Primori and the Primeva, symbolised by either a star or a moon on their hands. While the Primeva were supposedly tainted by demon's blood, they were still considered good, just not as strong as the Primori. They all fought, however, against the Shadows and other demonic influences that strived to destroy mankind. Very cool.

The world-building was a bit of a mixed bag; some of it was vivid, but I also had to piece together my own sense of place from time to time. It was similar to the characters in this way, lacking enough detail in places for me to really put together a picture.

Points for the hot spring though. ;)

How (it was written)

Like I've said, the beginning was difficult to get into, but McMann definitely got me hooked into the action and romance about a third of the way in. Then I needed mooooore. PLEASE GIVE ME BOOK TWO NOW.

Why (you should read it)

- You like intense staring between lovers and rivals.
- You enjoy forbidden love stories.
- You cheer when a girl isn't helpless and can fend for herself.
- You want to see a girl loved for who she is and not who she pretends to be.
- You don't mind some rather weird shapeshifting...
- You can handle a slight cliffhanger.

Thank you so much to McMann for sharing review copies through Xpresso Book Tours! I'm definitely onboard for the next book, Daemoneum!

[E.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

( I received this book free form Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for my honest review )

★★★1/2

I'm really on the fence about this book. I honestly don't know if I like it or not. So I'm going to break this review down, because if not I'm going to be all over the place.

Story

I'll start with the over all story, before I start to rant about the things that have cause my confusion and uncertainty. The over all story, was to me, jumbled. There were some really solid scenes and I was nose deep until it taper off and, I was left with this empty feeling. For example the opening, was in my opinion, top notch. Sure I didn't quite get all the terms, but that's a normal occurrent in most first chapters and normally you get told rather quickly what all those foreign terms and words mean. This was not the case, I still don't know what some of the teams mean. In truth I still don't know what they were actually fighting or how their organization worked. Cole did tell Kadence some, but it was juvenile, something you would tell a five year old so they would stop asking questions.

The pacing of the story was off, way off. Too much jumping around, too much showing and not telling. Don't get me wrong the writing itself was good, it didn't sound silly or forced. In saying that, the reading of the story was great, and though I was confused more times then I would have liked, it had a smooth flow and was slightly addictive. Before I forget, this read is told in the third person, and normally when you have this type of story you get to learn more about the side characters that are strewn about. That wasn't the case for Crystallum, all of the side characters that normally make the story were 2D, boring, and not present like they should have been. (I won't get too much into that right now, I'll have a go in a minute when I break them down. ) There were many of opportunities to expand on them and, really round out the read. It would've helped fill in the gaps about the terms and the rules of the world this is Crystallum.

As I said there were some scenes that held promise and kept me reading, but they were short and far between. I believe there was three whole chapters were our hero's are still in school, doing mundane school crap that contributed nothing to the story, other then to force insta-love drama down our throats. So many missed opportunities.

Characters

Kadence

I didn't like here, still don't, and I didn't like reading about her. I actually dreaded when the story jumped back to her. I didn't learn a single thing about her. Other then she jumped off a cliff when she was six to get away from a demon? or whenever the hell they are because it was never full explained. She came off as shy, and lacked the ability to convert coherence sentences; but, there is a but. When she is first introduced, she doesn't give that vive. In fact, I though she would be a badass, since you know she'd been fighting the shadows, since she was a small child. That impression was given for all of two chapters. There was so much hope for her, she could have been so much more then a clumsy Mary-Sue. Really, I'm clumsy, I can trip over air, but in all my 28 years of nearly killing myself because my body doesn't want to stay up right, no-one has ever caught me. I've been laughed at, but the universe never gave me Kadence's ability to fall right at the perfect moment, when the hot bad boy is walking by. Common, once, okay, but not every damn time she fell, it was getting old and it was overused. This made her lousy, and helpless, and it dumped her down. I'm disappointed, she could have been a really badass character. Instead she's a sloppy take on what could have been, and fell head-over-heals for a boy she doesn't know. What I really hated, the staring, she was always staring at Cole. I got it, you fell hard for him, but damn it, there's no need to spend half a paragraph staring at him. No resistance at all,I was just waiting for her to drop her pants as yell, take me now!

It was demeaning and took away form the story. No, Kadence herself took away form the story.

Cole

He was my favourite and really made this story. In truth I only kept reading because of him. I said many times to my roommate that this book should have been told form his point of view. He was witty, strong, knew what he wanted, and didn't fully conformed to the rules that was forced on him. I wanted to know more about his past with his father. It was touched upon, but it wasn't explored. Again we're faced with half-assness. This character could have been so much more then he was, and to tell the truth, Cole was the most developed character in this whole mess. I knew more about him then Kadence, and she's suppose to me the main protagonist. But, as much as I enjoyed reading about Cole, I wasn't a fan of the insta-love between him and Kadence. It was forced, awkward and in truth there was no need of it.

Side Characters.

Again so much potential. Danny was a interesting guy, he's Cole's best friend, work partner, and the guy that got Cole to opened up. Why the hell didn't we get a scene focused on him, about his family, because there a plot bomb that goes off about 70% in and it's just left handing, undetonated. You know that pretty much sums up this book, undetonated plot bombs.

Lets move of to the "friends" Giselle and Lynsey. At first they came off at sobby bitches, and I was convinced there were justing using Kadence. But nope, they're apparently apart of the same order at Cole. Again it was like bam! goal, only for it hit the goal post. Another dude. Giselle and Lynsey are tossed aside, only being brought in for boy talk and pushing Jake at Kadence. They were useless, and I didn't care for them until the last 30% of the book. They're so much more and could have been major players in this mess. But again, again! you see it going for the net only for you to hear that ding, and it's all over before it begins. Jake, he falls into the same plot hole as every side character in this book, he could have been a real contender but, the author failed him.

The Ending

I got to say, I wasn't expecting the plot twist at the end, but yet again it felt opened, uncompleted and rushed. That could be because there wasn't a climax, it looked like there was going to be one, but the story ran into a wall. That wall, the insta-love. Instead of building the story up, it was halted by the need to show us how much Cole and Kadence are in love, you know after a week of knowing one another. That useless filler should have been chopped out and the space should have been use to, I don't know, fill us in on what the hell us going on, who hell the baddies are, why in god names was Kadence so F'en importance and, how to kill said baddies. Nope we get frolicking around in a hidden hot spring.

Over all

So do I recommend this book? Yes, give it a shot, as I said it wasn't all bad, it does have promise and, I'm hoping the next book will be the story I know it could have been in the first. This story does end in a cliff-hangery kind of way, so I'm interested in see where the author takes it. As many of problems there is with this book, there are bits and pieces that are great. The writing style is good, it's the story structure that needs work.

Happy Reading

-E.A. Walsh

[Rachel (aka Ms4Tune) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!



My review can also be found on our blog Paein and Ms4Tune

I'm going to be honest and say I was disappointed with Crystallum. I had such high hopes when I picked this up and there were moments that I really liked but for the most part I was playing catch up, trying to understand what was going on.

I requested this because I was wowed by the gorgeous cover and the description, with the opening line '.Kadence Sparrow wasn't born a devil's child—she was turned into one.', gave me chills! But almost straight away I felt lost, as I found myself thrown into the action, following two boys chasing shadows through 'blacked gates'. They kept throwing around words like Gurgulio and Primori or Primordials... and I felt like I'd stepped into the middle of a series! I didn't understand what was happening or what anything was, and while I liked the sound of what I was reading, I felt like I was being left out of a secret, and I started to feel frustrated. It was quite a long time before I found out what most of the terminology meant.

The plot was simple, Kadence has just moved to Boulder. She's trying to hide who she really is but seems to have drawn the attention of everyone! This aspect really reminded me of Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, and even more so when she falls for the mysterious bad boy Cole, who is part of a secret race called Primordials! I didn't mind the Twilight reminders because I really liked that series, but I did find it annoying that the plot kept going backwards and forward with Cole starting to get close to Kadence and then he's told not to go near her so he backs off, then he's told to see her, and then she's made to forget him, etc etc come on! Why? Kadence needed to find out who she is to understand her significance. She is the key... of sorts, and the Draconeum and Nefarius (demons and shadow demons) will do anything to use her to corrupt the world.

Crystallum also reminded me of City of Bones, I've only seen the film, but with secret marks, cloaked buildings, and beings that only the Primordials can see it had the same kind of feeling. I also felt confused when I first watched City of Bones but I really love it now that I've seen it a few times... I'm wondering whether re-reading this at some point may reveal things that I missed because I was to busy trying to understand the basics...

What I did love was the characters. I really liked Kade, she was a sweet main character, and a classic Mary-Sue (I don't have a problem with that at all!). She didn't know what she was and feared everything. I just wanted to hug her and tell her it would be ok. We were supposed to believe she was the most powerful being in the story, with the ability to save or destroy the world, but for the most part she needed to be rescued, which gave us lots of Cole time! I definitely felt the vibes from the romance that developed between Kadence and Cole and I loved all the snatched moments they had together. I also liked Danny and Giselle. I would be really excited to find out more about them. It sounds like they have had hard lives too! I would have liked a bit more of the other characters, because unlike Kadence and Cole, they seemed a bit flat, used mainly as ways to discuss feelings and push Cole and Kadence into the right places for things to develop.

Overall, this story was ok. For me it just seemed a bit muddled, mainly because I found it a little lacking in explanation at the beginning and I felt left behind. But I see massive potential for this series because there were interesting ideas throughout. I would be interested in seeing where this series goes next.

NOTES: To help out anyone who is just starting this and is finding the same, here is what I understood...

1. Primori and Primeva are guardians of the gateways between the planes basically heaven, hell and Earth. Primori and Primeva are basically the same (known as Primordials) but they hate each other because ones more light and the other is more dark. (Basically think how the FBI and CSI act around each other - they grudgingly have to work together but both think they are superior to the other).

2. Nefarius - are shadow demons, they are smoke based and want to pollute the gateways, making everything dark.

3. Darconeum - are Demons, more human/solid than Nefarius, they are also called Devil's Children. They also want to pollute the gateways, so they can control all the planes.

4. Wardens are like the Government that control the Primori and Primeva, (Think like the Watchers from Buffy)

5. Anamolia - is the ultimate combination between Primordials and and Darconeum, Both dark and light and can destroy everything so both sides would like to either eliminate or control this!

[Jenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kadence Sparrow wasn't born a devil's child-she was turned into one. Now, she's hiding from the truth, and running for her life.

For years, Kade's true nature has lurked behind an illusion, so when her dad gets another job transfer, she knows the drill: no close friends, no boyfriends, and most importantly: don't expose what she is. Ever. Keeping secrets is easy. Lies are second nature. So is the loneliness-and the fear, but when the Shadows attack, and Kade meets Cole Spires, she could expose everything she's trying to hide.

As one of the Celestial Children, Cole lives by an oath: defend the Ward, protect the Primordial race, guard the gateways, and stick to his own. Everything else is a distraction, and besides, he's lost enough. Cole's job is clear, and no one his age does it better. So, when he meets Kade in a club downtown, he assumes she just wants his attention. Most girls do, but Cole soon realizes ... Kade isn't like most girls.

The children of heaven and hell are living among us, fighting an age-old war. And falling for someone from the opposition is not an option. But a chance encounter between Kade and Cole will blur the rules, as Kade's journey to keep her truth hidden catapults them together and into a web of lies, forcing her to not only face the demon inside her, but to answer the hardest question of all.

Which is thicker-blood or water?

*I received an electronic through Netgalley, in exchange of review *

CRYSTALLUM was an astonishing page turner, and not what I had expected it to be. Beginning was a bit confusing for me and the first few pages I wasn’t sure what was happening and I found myself re-reading the parts in attempt to understand what was going on. Despite that, I did want to see what happened next with both Kade and Cole. However after few pages I started to figure things out and afterwards not a day passed where I didn’t want to pick up the book and find out what’s going to come next for both of characters, but especially for Kade. I could tell that she was confused of what was going on with her and there is part of me that wondered if she would have figured out, if it wasn’t for Cole. Every page, every chapter, every sentence will have you on the edge of your seat, will have you asking the question ‘ What happens next?’ Come on, how can you not with everything that happens to Kade, to Cole. I feel that it might be a book that take bit to get into it, but once you do, there is a big chance that you will have hard time putting it down. I did not want to stop, on multiple occasions I actually had force myself put it down because of studying, because it was getting late. It was if I couldn’t get enough of Cole and Kade’s story. I feel that I still can’t.

You could tell from start that there was a connection, some sort of attraction between Kade and Cole from start, from the time that two of them met. Way that Kade seemed to want come to his rescue because of Shadows, and how she seemed to get nervous around him. Most of all how afterwards Cole made it his duty to find a way to protect Kade, even though he barely knew her at that moment, expect that she was different. If that does not scream attraction, then what does? Their attraction wasn’t like any other couples, it seemed like for a while Kade tried to deny the attraction that she had for Cole. Even her friends seemed to have noticed before she had. I was rooting and waiting for them through most of the book, to get together. Anyone could see that the two of them belonged together. I can’t help but wonder what would happen between the two of them next. The two of them were my favorite characters through the whole book.

A magical story. CRYSTALLUM was the first novel that I have read by LANEY MCMANN and it won’t be the last one. Even if it’s first book, the first series that I have read by her, I am hooked. This author had an imagination, and has a way of having both the characters and the story feel real. The descriptions, I am not even sure how to describe them but each one of them were so vivid, I could picture everything, even the one that was fantasy based. To me, that had a more realistic taste to the story. I could not get enough of the story, the character’s adventures and challenges. CRYSTALLUM was incredible, unlike any fantasy story that I have read before. It felt unique to me. A story that I wished that I came across sooner. Magical story about love, friendship, discovery and power.

[Maghon Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my sweet holy goodness!!! Ok so I absolutely obsessively adored Ms Laney's Fire Born series. But... I think she may have out done herself here. I won't lie- this writer fascinates me with her excellent skills of placing words together that make me seriously emotional. And she's definitely creative. But here, well, it's not really angels and Demons. It's more what's become of those angels and Demons since coming to the mortal plane. And it's not just a teenage romance. It's so very much more than that.

So Kadence- aka Kade- is our leading lady. She's always moves around with her father, so she has no friends, no real experience with normal teenage life, and she's really wanting something more. But she's not human. In fact she's a monster, or so she thinks herself to be. So when she goes with her new friends- she desperately wants them to be her friends- to a club, she sees the shadows stalking her. Now she's been on the run for a long time from a demon, and those shadows signify his presence. But when she doesn't expect is to see a boy get rid of those shadows. Only something she can do, because no one is like her. And here we meet Cole. But gimme a second... Kade is almost your typical teenage girl except she broke my heart. No she didn't have the horrible past but she had a really sad one. Who could live without friends. I can't imagine. And I never expected at the end that "that" was they why. Yeah I can't go there yet either. So Kade is sweet though and she's going to find herself, because she will gain friends, and love, and knowledge and experience. That right there is what made me love watching her go through the hard parts.

Now Cole. Oh holy Hawtness. He's your rebellious good guy. Yes yes, he's a good guy. He's one to break the rules but he always wants to make sure it turns out alright. He wants to protect others and help keep them save and ignorant too. His best friend Danny cracked me up the whole book. He's not just a best friend he's a little comic relief and the entire rational thought of the group. But Cole has had some struggles too and sometimes he feels he needs to prove something. The dad issue is just one example. And when he really starts fighting for Kade and with Kade, there's no going back. And man oh man was it a beautiful disaster to watch! I think I love them both and they are my new favorite power couple!!

Ok so the plot just about blew my mind. I can't explain it without ruining it so I will be very basic. Good needs to fight against evil to keep all us humans safe. Yeah that's good. Lol and the world building and explanations to everything is so damn awesome. Yeah my vocabulary lacks but it's just awesome so I'll go with that. I almost had my heart wrenched out of my chest at the end. There's fantastic side characters- her two besties, Jake, Ms Plumb... I really must say the set of characters definitely made me feel like I was completely invested with them. I know them. They are my friends. And I really didn't even know what the hell to say to that part about him and him because the bad guy will blow your ever loving socks off. I was literally slack jawed and shocked and then wanted to crawl into a ball and hug myself and cry... For that person. No I can't tell you! But I so badly want to. I've never wanted to give spoilers until now- because I want everyone to know how fantastic this book is- but you should find out for yourself. Ms Laney, when you read this- you need to give yourself a high five, a par on the back, and a margarita with chocolate on the side. This book is flipping brilliant! And I will hug you one day for always letting me be a part of your fantastically created worlds! Thank you for that! And I am absolutely DYING for book two... Hahahaha! I don't know how else to tell you this book is a phenomenal beginning to this new series and I seriously urge you to try it. Seriously-you won't be able to put it down either! Since it's significant, I will not give paws today... I will give 5 BEAUTIFUL SPARROW AND FALCON WINGS! Yeah that part is just awesome too but I can't tell you about that either ;)

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this author's Fire Born trilogy, so when I had the chance to check out her new one I was pretty excited about it. And what a great start! I really got into this story with all the characters and the story itself completely sucking me in. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen. The world created here was so original and complex and just so well build.

I truly loved Cole. He was such a great mix of arrogant ass and sweetheart. He was cocky, but he usually had the right to be because he was super smart. Plus I thought it was awesome how he was the strongest of the Primori.

Kade turned out to be perfect for Cole. In more ways than just their colors matching. Maybe not as bad as Cole, but her smart mouth was a good compliment to his. And whenever they were together it was just so enjoyable to read. I also got a kick out of how her mind was in the gutter, as Cole put it, more than his.

For pretty much her whole like Kade has been alone with nobody but her father. When she was five years old she saw herself transform into what can only be described as a demon. Since then the two of them have moved from place to place constantly. And Kade had rules to follow: no close friends, no boyfriend, and hide what she can do. And she followed them. She was lonely, to be sure, but she loved her dad and was happy with him. But everything changes the start of her senior year at a new high school. In one week her entire life gets flipped upside down.

Having (somehow) already befriended two girls before school starts (Giselle and Lindsey) they go out to a club one night. Having been chased by shadow creatures her whole life, when she sees one at the club, Kade immediately goes to defeat it. Tackling a boy she thinks she's defending. Turns out this boy, Cole, is the last person who needs it. Also at this club was a bunch of other boys that Giselle and Lindsey know and introduce Kade to. When school starts, Kade can't help the pull she feels when she is around Cole. But for some reason (and I REALLY don't understand why) Giselle and Lindsey are so determined to hook Kade up with a boy named Jake. Who just so happens to also be Cole's enemy of a sort. Things are definitely more complicated than Kade understands because she doesn't know all that's going on.

But eventually, things happen and she finally learns who/what she is. Turns out, the world is being protected by a Primordial race who fight demons and maintain the balance with the ley lines. There are two branches of these people: the Primori, who are the children of the stars; and the Primeva, who are the children of the moon. The only reason for this separation is that the Primeva have demon blood in them and mixing is prohibited. So anyway...Kade is set to be sent to the Primeva boarding house but Cole is dead set against it. While Kade feels deep down that she does not belong there, Cole keeps discovering reasons that she really belongs with him and the other Primori. He was on the right track to be sure, but even he could never have guessed what Kade truly was.

Cole is willing to break every rule he has ever known to be with Kade. Even when he discovers what had been done to her and for what purpose the demons want to use her for. But he has a plan to avoid her being used like that. Unfortunately, that all goes wrong before it can really even start. So much is revealed at the end that I never saw coming and it was pretty awesome. Kade's future is uncertain but she is finally not alone and with Cole by her side I have no doubt she's going to get stronger. After all, just like Cole, she has the most powerful color corona of all Primordial...red.

I can't wait to find out what's going to happen next.



ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

[EndlessReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly; I would like to say thanks to Laney & NetGalley for kindly providing me with a copy of Crystallum to read and review.

Secondly; OMG! Did I mention how much I FLOVE Laney McMann....seriously, I'm hooked on her, I have been ever since I read her Fire Born series.....her work just keeps getting better and better

"A little bird, with plumage brown,
Beside my winder flutters down,
A moment chirps its little strain,
Ten tape upon my window pane,
And chirps again, and hops along,
To call my notice to its song;
But I work on, nor heed its lay,
Till, in neglect, it flies away.
So birds of peace and hope and love
Come fluttering earthward from above,
To settle on life's window-sills.
And ease our lose of earthly ills;
But we, in traffic's rush and din
Too deep engaged to let them in
With deadened heart and sense plod on,
Nor know our loss till they are gone." - Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)

So I'm sitting here trying to write this review, I can’t think of enough words to explain to you, how incredible this story was. Laney has done it again, but there was no doubt that she wouldn't deliver to us.

Primordial, the celestial children; who fight demons and maintain the balance with the Leylines. (The Leyline grid is a barrier that shields the earth and connects all the planes. (Celestial, Infernal and Mortal.))

They are split into two, Primory and Primeva. This is Coles life, he's the alpha of the Primory and has been all his life, also known as children of the stars and Primovis are those of pure blood and Primovas are those tainted with the devil’s child blood "demon", also known as children of the moon, AND it goes to say that these two DON'T get along.

There are rules to says that the two can’t interact with each other to preserve the pure blood line.

"He's never wanted to protect someone as much as he wanted to protect her, but he needed to get thought out of his head. She wasn't his to protect and never would be."

Kadence was fierce, outspoken, and strong while other times she was timid, meek, and clumsy, yes, that's right, definitely clumsy, especially when she was around the deliciously HOT Cole Spires. Kade has rules to follow: no close friends, no boyfriend, and hide what she can do. And she followed them....well she did..But everything changes the start of her senior year at a new high school. In one week her entire life gets flipped upside down.

Kade is not a helpless female who needs to be saved. She is far from being a wimp, as she fights off the shadows herself.
Dreacon has been chasing Kadence since she was a young girl, can she finally escape him?

"This incredibly beautiful guy who practically exuded heat and arrogance was in truth, tender and sweet, and nervous. She smiled wider. Like an idiot."

Which is thicker—blood or water?

The characters and the mystery of the Primordial race were very intriguing.
I recommend this page-turner to any reader who enjoys YA, supernatural, & fantasy.