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The Caelian Cycle #2.5
Redeem
An alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here.
A boy without a voice.
A teen without a home.
A man without hope.
Kian knows the way his life is headed will be the death of him. It doesn’t matter how many criminals he catches for Gordon's Bounty Detective Agency or how deep he tries to fall into the bottle – those eyes haunt him. All it took was one whisper of bad advice, one wrong choice, one mistake, to wipe out years of confidence he had struggled to build while living on his Grandmother’s farm. Then Kian found the box of files overflowing with unsolved crimes. Those cold cases jolted his soul from its vegetative state and awakened his resolve. Kian knew those cases were meant for him to solve, but the last thing he expected to find within a few wrinkled folders was his ultimate redemption.
A boy without a voice.
A teen without a home.
A man without hope.
Kian knows the way his life is headed will be the death of him. It doesn’t matter how many criminals he catches for Gordon's Bounty Detective Agency or how deep he tries to fall into the bottle – those eyes haunt him. All it took was one whisper of bad advice, one wrong choice, one mistake, to wipe out years of confidence he had struggled to build while living on his Grandmother’s farm. Then Kian found the box of files overflowing with unsolved crimes. Those cold cases jolted his soul from its vegetative state and awakened his resolve. Kian knew those cases were meant for him to solve, but the last thing he expected to find within a few wrinkled folders was his ultimate redemption.
75 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 18, 2016
1 person is currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Donnielle Tyner
9 books278 followersHello! I’m Donnielle Tyner, writer of Science Fiction for young and new adults, reader of just about anything that catches my interests – mainly books with science fiction, paranormal/ fantasy, and romantic themes, and lover of science, tabletop games, anime, comic books, and crude humor.
I grew up in north Texas on a cattle ranch and although I have travelled extensively, I cannot seem to find myself living more than an hour away from where I was raised. Growing up, I was always the weird girl in school and luckily, I never lost my ability to always be the weirdest one in the room. You will always find me making inappropriate jokes and gigglesnorting at every double entendre.
If you want to join my Nerd Herd and be informed of new releases, possible ARC opportunities, and other important information, please sign up for my newsletter - http://eepurl.com/bpBYc9. I try to release a book every four months, but life is unpredictable when you have two small dictators living in your home.
Until next time… Stay Awesome!
I grew up in north Texas on a cattle ranch and although I have travelled extensively, I cannot seem to find myself living more than an hour away from where I was raised. Growing up, I was always the weird girl in school and luckily, I never lost my ability to always be the weirdest one in the room. You will always find me making inappropriate jokes and gigglesnorting at every double entendre.
If you want to join my Nerd Herd and be informed of new releases, possible ARC opportunities, and other important information, please sign up for my newsletter - http://eepurl.com/bpBYc9. I try to release a book every four months, but life is unpredictable when you have two small dictators living in your home.
Until next time… Stay Awesome!
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 16, 2016
He is haunted by a memory and a past filled with conflict. As a Caelian gifted with special “talents,” Kian only found love and acceptance in the love from his normal Grandmother. Now a bounty hunter under the mentoring of the man who became more like a father to him, Kian’s world is no longer seen through the eyes blurred by alcohol and his interest in unsolved cases grows as pieces of each one nicks at something in his brain. After a life of turmoil, has Kian finally found the spark he has longed for? Will his life finally be meaningful to him? When hate between the Caelian radicals and the Human purists mounts, their rivalry is threatening to boil over as the death toll rises and Kian is placed in a position to accept an offer that has the potential to bring him his personal redemption.
Donnielle Tyner’s Redeem is another brilliantly told tale of the Caelians and their attempts to live in peace among the humans. Kian’s character is tormented, always in a state of agitation as his personal demons rarely let him rest. It is his voice we hear throughout as Ms. Tyner paints his world through Kian’s own eyes and perspective. A little on the dark side, matching Kian’s own emotions, this addition to the Caelian Cycle series is another great read from Donnielle Tyner.
I received an ARC edition from Donnielle Tyner in exchange for my honest review.
Series: The Caelian Cycle - Book 2.5
Publisher: Donnielle Tyner
Publication Date: January 18, 2016
Genre: YA Fantasy | Scifi
Print Length: 66 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Donnielle Tyner’s Redeem is another brilliantly told tale of the Caelians and their attempts to live in peace among the humans. Kian’s character is tormented, always in a state of agitation as his personal demons rarely let him rest. It is his voice we hear throughout as Ms. Tyner paints his world through Kian’s own eyes and perspective. A little on the dark side, matching Kian’s own emotions, this addition to the Caelian Cycle series is another great read from Donnielle Tyner.
I received an ARC edition from Donnielle Tyner in exchange for my honest review.
Series: The Caelian Cycle - Book 2.5
Publisher: Donnielle Tyner
Publication Date: January 18, 2016
Genre: YA Fantasy | Scifi
Print Length: 66 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
January 18, 2016
*I received an ARC of this novella in exchange for an honest review.*
This novella follows Kian, one of the main characters in the series, giving a glimpse into his past and what his motivations were from the beginning. I really enjoyed getting to know him and understand him better. And now I'm really excited for the next book in the series!
Full review can be found on my blog: http://courtneysreads.blogspot.com/20...
This novella follows Kian, one of the main characters in the series, giving a glimpse into his past and what his motivations were from the beginning. I really enjoyed getting to know him and understand him better. And now I'm really excited for the next book in the series!
Full review can be found on my blog: http://courtneysreads.blogspot.com/20...
February 20, 2016
Check this review and more in The Bibliothèque, here
Do you remember me telling you about a Dystopia series some months ago? If you don’t recall which books I am talking about, X-Men meets YA dystopia might ring a bell.
Donnielle Tyner has released a new installment of her series, The Caelian Cycle series: Redeem.
Let’s recap here and draw some context: the world is divided by Caelians, with DNA mutations that give them new Talents, and Norms, whose DNA is not altered. Of course, both sides have extremist groups that plot against each other. So, there is a political (and violent) fight over power in order to take down the opposite group. The main character, Sadie, not only founds herself in the middle of this whole fight, but she also is part of the main problem, her new and undiscovered Talent turning her into the perfect weapon for the group she belongs to.
In this new installment of The Caelian Cycle series, Redeem, we get to know the true story behind Sadie’s love interest, Kian.
Kian – ah lovely and protective Kian – who enters stomps on Sadie’s life during the first book with no intention of leaving her side.
During books #1 and #2 we get some clues about Kian’s past, some good and some bad choices he made, some hints about why he’s not close to his parents and was raised by his norm grannie. So, we know that he is on Sadie’s side, but we never completely trust him because he is keeping secrets. What is he hiding?
I was very happy to read about that part of Kian’s life that was hinted but never told in the two previous books. All those secrets he was keeping from Sadie, his dark past, the reasons why he worked for the bad guys at some point, and why did he found himself in the position to do so. But most importantly, to see through his eyes the moment he met Sadie.
Before reading Redeem, what I liked the most about Kian’s character was how protective he was of Sadie. How he knew from second one he had to protect her at all costs. Well, after reading Redeem, my favourite feature of this character is his relationship with his norm grannie. The way she took him when he had no one else, despite all the prejudices norms have against caelians, she taught him that there’s really no difference between them and that what matters is family. Isn’t that sweet?
Overall, if you are a follower of this series, Redeem is a must. You need to read it in order to completely understand Kian’s character and what moves him to act the way he does. My only complain is that focuses more in his past, the pre-Sadie part of his story, whereas I was expecting to read all Sadie/Kian scenes through his POV. I would have really loved that.
This is your series if… you are into paranormal YA.
Feeling curious yet? You can read my review for book #1, Lost, here.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Do you remember me telling you about a Dystopia series some months ago? If you don’t recall which books I am talking about, X-Men meets YA dystopia might ring a bell.
Donnielle Tyner has released a new installment of her series, The Caelian Cycle series: Redeem.
Let’s recap here and draw some context: the world is divided by Caelians, with DNA mutations that give them new Talents, and Norms, whose DNA is not altered. Of course, both sides have extremist groups that plot against each other. So, there is a political (and violent) fight over power in order to take down the opposite group. The main character, Sadie, not only founds herself in the middle of this whole fight, but she also is part of the main problem, her new and undiscovered Talent turning her into the perfect weapon for the group she belongs to.
In this new installment of The Caelian Cycle series, Redeem, we get to know the true story behind Sadie’s love interest, Kian.
Kian – ah lovely and protective Kian – who enters stomps on Sadie’s life during the first book with no intention of leaving her side.
During books #1 and #2 we get some clues about Kian’s past, some good and some bad choices he made, some hints about why he’s not close to his parents and was raised by his norm grannie. So, we know that he is on Sadie’s side, but we never completely trust him because he is keeping secrets. What is he hiding?
I was very happy to read about that part of Kian’s life that was hinted but never told in the two previous books. All those secrets he was keeping from Sadie, his dark past, the reasons why he worked for the bad guys at some point, and why did he found himself in the position to do so. But most importantly, to see through his eyes the moment he met Sadie.
Before reading Redeem, what I liked the most about Kian’s character was how protective he was of Sadie. How he knew from second one he had to protect her at all costs. Well, after reading Redeem, my favourite feature of this character is his relationship with his norm grannie. The way she took him when he had no one else, despite all the prejudices norms have against caelians, she taught him that there’s really no difference between them and that what matters is family. Isn’t that sweet?
Overall, if you are a follower of this series, Redeem is a must. You need to read it in order to completely understand Kian’s character and what moves him to act the way he does. My only complain is that focuses more in his past, the pre-Sadie part of his story, whereas I was expecting to read all Sadie/Kian scenes through his POV. I would have really loved that.
This is your series if… you are into paranormal YA.
Feeling curious yet? You can read my review for book #1, Lost, here.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 20, 2023
OK, so I will admit before even starting my review that I am biased towards Kian. I love him!!! He is brilliant in every way so I was ecstatic to receive this ARC. I was not disappointed as Donnielle Tyner has managed to make her voice 'male' and completely believable. You learn things about Kian's past that are only alluded to, which help make him a more rounded character, giving me a new understanding of him and his behaviour.
Although this is a novella, it covers a fair amount of time so be prepared for a couple of 'time jumps' as you read through. You don't feel like anything of importance is missed out though, and the reading flows.
With a smooth pace, well-written and with no editing or grammatical errors that I found, this is a wonderful addition to The Caelian Cycle, and I can't wait for the next book to come along! Highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 10, 2016
Although this is a novella, it covers a fair amount of time so be prepared for a couple of 'time jumps' as you read through. You don't feel like anything of importance is missed out though, and the reading flows.
With a smooth pace, well-written and with no editing or grammatical errors that I found, this is a wonderful addition to The Caelian Cycle, and I can't wait for the next book to come along! Highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 10, 2016
April 18, 2016
I have never felt so many emotions while reading a book! Kian is a tough bounty hunter who always gets the job done, but he has a haunting past. After the death of his boss and dear friend, he is determined to see things through to the bitter end, no matter what it takes. I am now going to have to read the rest of the books in this series!
- Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite
- Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite
May 5, 2018
An in between novella from the Caeliun trilogy that gives m insight into Kian's back story and reasons behind his originally peaked interest in Sadie. Short and fun and fills in some character cracks. Figure I will finally finish this series this spring. It's not great, but its escapist fun.
February 12, 2016
I would like to thank Donnielle Tyler for an e-ARC of this book to review. Though I received this e-book for free, that has no impact upon the honesty of my review.
Goodreads Teaser: "A boy without a voice.
A teen without a home.
A man without hope.
Kian knows the way his life is headed will be the death of him. It doesn't matter how many criminals he catches for Gordon's Bounty Detective Agency or how deep he tries to fall into the bottle - those eyes haunt him. All it took was one whisper of bad advice, one wrong choice, one mistake, to wipe out years of confidence he had struggled to build while living on his Grandmother's farm. The Kian found the box of files overflowing with unsolved crimes. Those cold cases jolted his soul from its vegetative state and awakened his resolve. Kian knew those cases were meant for him to solve, but the last thing he expected to find within a few wrinkled folders was his ultimate redemption."
Being a novella this is a short story, so it goes by quickly. I got my copy without the benefit of the teaser material, so this review is based upon a cold reading. Even though I've read the first two books in the Caelian Cycle series I had no real frame of reference for this story beyond the main character's name. At least not until a ways into the story. This is Kian's backstory, his background prior to meeting Sadie - that relationship is covered in book two, Bound. While he's also in Lost, this novella brings you right up to his first contact with Sadie.
While Kian is interesting I felt as if there wasn't enough to anchor me to his character. I didn't really understand why he was all over the map, and it was difficult to find a reason to care, or a reason beyond knowing the role he plays in both books in the Caelian Cycle. In my opinion this novella shouldn't be read immediately after the second book in the Caelian Cycle, as it won't mean as much without that frame of reference to work from. Even then the issue that drives him is left unspoken, and if it's covered in the prior books I can't say I can recall it. Given the fact that it motivates his every move I'd like to know exactly what happened, or at the very least be assured that it would become clear in the next book. It's quite possible it was covered in either Lost or Bound, but given the number of books I read and the amount of time between readings it would be useful to have a reminder if the information was included in one of those books.
All told I wish that this had been a bit longer, providing a stronger framework for the reader to pull from. I like Kian, but too much of his motivation was left unspoken and unexplained for me to really get him, or get emotionally invested in this story. So while I'd have preferred either a recap of information that came before, or more depth and details to help round out this aside, I am hopeful that this will provide necessary information going forward in the series. Guess I'll just have to wait and see.
Goodreads Teaser: "A boy without a voice.
A teen without a home.
A man without hope.
Kian knows the way his life is headed will be the death of him. It doesn't matter how many criminals he catches for Gordon's Bounty Detective Agency or how deep he tries to fall into the bottle - those eyes haunt him. All it took was one whisper of bad advice, one wrong choice, one mistake, to wipe out years of confidence he had struggled to build while living on his Grandmother's farm. The Kian found the box of files overflowing with unsolved crimes. Those cold cases jolted his soul from its vegetative state and awakened his resolve. Kian knew those cases were meant for him to solve, but the last thing he expected to find within a few wrinkled folders was his ultimate redemption."
Being a novella this is a short story, so it goes by quickly. I got my copy without the benefit of the teaser material, so this review is based upon a cold reading. Even though I've read the first two books in the Caelian Cycle series I had no real frame of reference for this story beyond the main character's name. At least not until a ways into the story. This is Kian's backstory, his background prior to meeting Sadie - that relationship is covered in book two, Bound. While he's also in Lost, this novella brings you right up to his first contact with Sadie.
While Kian is interesting I felt as if there wasn't enough to anchor me to his character. I didn't really understand why he was all over the map, and it was difficult to find a reason to care, or a reason beyond knowing the role he plays in both books in the Caelian Cycle. In my opinion this novella shouldn't be read immediately after the second book in the Caelian Cycle, as it won't mean as much without that frame of reference to work from. Even then the issue that drives him is left unspoken, and if it's covered in the prior books I can't say I can recall it. Given the fact that it motivates his every move I'd like to know exactly what happened, or at the very least be assured that it would become clear in the next book. It's quite possible it was covered in either Lost or Bound, but given the number of books I read and the amount of time between readings it would be useful to have a reminder if the information was included in one of those books.
All told I wish that this had been a bit longer, providing a stronger framework for the reader to pull from. I like Kian, but too much of his motivation was left unspoken and unexplained for me to really get him, or get emotionally invested in this story. So while I'd have preferred either a recap of information that came before, or more depth and details to help round out this aside, I am hopeful that this will provide necessary information going forward in the series. Guess I'll just have to wait and see.
March 3, 2016
this review is originally posted at: the Blacksheep Project. I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I was never a fan of Kian ever since his first appearance. I never cared about him. And I think that he makes Sadie sometimes dependent on him. Why I even asked for this book? It's because I wanted to see things from this perspective.
Redeem is basically a prequel to the Caelian Cycle series. It tells the story of Kian - his life as a bounty detective and how he came across cold cases that eventually lead him to Sadie. I like how it perfectly connected itself to the first book, Lost . I knew it will happen - when Michael finally appeared - yet I still took pleasure in reading it. My interest was never lost.
I also love how Redeem started in a thrilling action-packed scene. It immediately absorbed me. It was a great hook. It also quickly gave a rundown of the world so it would still be okay if you haven't read the first book of the series. It really serves well as a prequel.
The downside though is it didn't felt consistent to me. There were moments when I'd feel really absorbed (and I was even moved during a certain event) and at times, I'd feel that the narration was so stiff. It's in Kian's voice - first person. It was like a straightforward storytelling. I do understand that a big amount of time were supposed to be told in a short span (since it's a novella) but I didn't like how it sacrificed Kian's voice. Instead of adding real and full conversations, it resulted to plainly explaining the how the conversation is going or how certain things happens. I like the certain points of looking back though - how he goes through the things that happened in the past, the things with his family, his grandmother, and how he came to the hands of Gordon.
Kian's relationship with Gordon is probably one of my fave aspects of the novella. While short-lived, I liked Gordon. He's not on the actual series which is a let down, but reading about him here and how his relationship with Kian is was such a delight. Gordon is a great master for Kian. He's strict but that shows how much he wants to impart everything he knows to Kian.
OVERALL, Redeem generally made me understand Kian. I'm still not a big fan of him but in all honesty, I think that I'll face the next book in a better relationship with him. It explained the world well in a quick and easy-to-understand way. While I did not completely enjoy the storytelling, my interest in the story never lessen.
I was never a fan of Kian ever since his first appearance. I never cared about him. And I think that he makes Sadie sometimes dependent on him. Why I even asked for this book? It's because I wanted to see things from this perspective.
Redeem is basically a prequel to the Caelian Cycle series. It tells the story of Kian - his life as a bounty detective and how he came across cold cases that eventually lead him to Sadie. I like how it perfectly connected itself to the first book, Lost . I knew it will happen - when Michael finally appeared - yet I still took pleasure in reading it. My interest was never lost.
I also love how Redeem started in a thrilling action-packed scene. It immediately absorbed me. It was a great hook. It also quickly gave a rundown of the world so it would still be okay if you haven't read the first book of the series. It really serves well as a prequel.
The downside though is it didn't felt consistent to me. There were moments when I'd feel really absorbed (and I was even moved during a certain event) and at times, I'd feel that the narration was so stiff. It's in Kian's voice - first person. It was like a straightforward storytelling. I do understand that a big amount of time were supposed to be told in a short span (since it's a novella) but I didn't like how it sacrificed Kian's voice. Instead of adding real and full conversations, it resulted to plainly explaining the how the conversation is going or how certain things happens. I like the certain points of looking back though - how he goes through the things that happened in the past, the things with his family, his grandmother, and how he came to the hands of Gordon.
Kian's relationship with Gordon is probably one of my fave aspects of the novella. While short-lived, I liked Gordon. He's not on the actual series which is a let down, but reading about him here and how his relationship with Kian is was such a delight. Gordon is a great master for Kian. He's strict but that shows how much he wants to impart everything he knows to Kian.
OVERALL, Redeem generally made me understand Kian. I'm still not a big fan of him but in all honesty, I think that I'll face the next book in a better relationship with him. It explained the world well in a quick and easy-to-understand way. While I did not completely enjoy the storytelling, my interest in the story never lessen.
February 16, 2016
Book: Redeem
Author: Donnielle Tyner
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars
I would like to thank Donnielle Tyner for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third book of Donnielle's that I have read. I must say that while I did enjoy it, I just did not like it as much as her other books. The book is only fifty and does have a lot crammed into it. I must say that it really did feel like there was too much for fifty pages. I think I would have enjoyed it more had it been longer.
One thing that Donnielle does really well and did really well here was world building and well rounded characters. I just love how she has this gift to throw readers into her world and write characters that add to the world. There just are not too many authors out there with this gift.
I did like getting this look into Kian's lift. While I am not sure if this book added anything to the two books in the series, I will say that it did give us a very good insight to his character. Kian is a such a well written character and I did enjoy getting an insight to him. I think that this will add to Kian in the next book...which I am not sure of the release date at this time. Still, I am not just not sure if this should have been released as its own book or if it this story could have been put into one of the other books.
Overall, not a bad read, but there was just too much for such a short book.
Author: Donnielle Tyner
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars
I would like to thank Donnielle Tyner for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third book of Donnielle's that I have read. I must say that while I did enjoy it, I just did not like it as much as her other books. The book is only fifty and does have a lot crammed into it. I must say that it really did feel like there was too much for fifty pages. I think I would have enjoyed it more had it been longer.
One thing that Donnielle does really well and did really well here was world building and well rounded characters. I just love how she has this gift to throw readers into her world and write characters that add to the world. There just are not too many authors out there with this gift.
I did like getting this look into Kian's lift. While I am not sure if this book added anything to the two books in the series, I will say that it did give us a very good insight to his character. Kian is a such a well written character and I did enjoy getting an insight to him. I think that this will add to Kian in the next book...which I am not sure of the release date at this time. Still, I am not just not sure if this should have been released as its own book or if it this story could have been put into one of the other books.
Overall, not a bad read, but there was just too much for such a short book.
April 5, 2016
I've reviewed 2 books so far for Donnielle Tyner; her first 2 novels in the Caelian Cycle Series, Lost and Bound. This is Redeemed, a novella in the Series about our hero, Kian, and what got him to Sadie.
It was as good as the others, and absolutely made me grateful I searched and purchased it immediately. You must 1-click these books NOW, if you haven't already. And I cannot wait for the conclusion, Shift, later this year.
It was as good as the others, and absolutely made me grateful I searched and purchased it immediately. You must 1-click these books NOW, if you haven't already. And I cannot wait for the conclusion, Shift, later this year.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews