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Trifecta #1
Rise
Fifteen-year-old high school sophomore Alexia Wick is an ordinary girl, with extraordinary abilities. She attends the prestigious South Haven Academy for the Gifted and Talented, but unknown to the other students, she is an Alerium witch. The daughter of a High Priest and Priestess, Alexia must learn to navigate the pressures of high school, all while preparing for one of the biggest competitions of her life- the Annual Trials.
Skill, stamina, and loyalty will all be tested in Rise, the first installment of the Trifecta Series. In this debut contemporary fantasy novel, magic gets real as Alexia trains for the Annual Trials, which pits teen against teen, by focusing on her craft and pushing her magic and spell casting abilities to their absolute limit. When the handsome and confident Kaleb moves into town, he offers Alexia a welcome distraction from the Trials, but a dark secret could soon tear them apart.
In the trials arena, friendships will be put to the test, fears will be confronted head-on, and powerful spells will be unleashed. When Alexia is confronted with the ultimate game of chance, and is torn between her first real love and the allegiance that binds her to her coven, will she buckle under the weight of the pressure ... or will she rise to the challenge?
Skill, stamina, and loyalty will all be tested in Rise, the first installment of the Trifecta Series. In this debut contemporary fantasy novel, magic gets real as Alexia trains for the Annual Trials, which pits teen against teen, by focusing on her craft and pushing her magic and spell casting abilities to their absolute limit. When the handsome and confident Kaleb moves into town, he offers Alexia a welcome distraction from the Trials, but a dark secret could soon tear them apart.
In the trials arena, friendships will be put to the test, fears will be confronted head-on, and powerful spells will be unleashed. When Alexia is confronted with the ultimate game of chance, and is torn between her first real love and the allegiance that binds her to her coven, will she buckle under the weight of the pressure ... or will she rise to the challenge?
212 pages, Paperback
Published August 27, 16
3 people are currently reading
988 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
October 14, 2016
O.M.G
4.5
Witches, Vampires, Russia, Italian Covens, American high school. Witch trails.
This book truly has it all. Brilliant build. Suspense was KILLER.
I think Luis is a really strong voice in the YA Paranormal community and I look forward to the following instalments in this series.
Perfect for Halloween as well. I am SO excited to dress up as a witch/vampire for Halloween this year thanks to this book.. I have just ordered my fangs and contacts ahah.
The only reason its not a 5 star is because some of the chapters could of been separated and made smaller for me. But apart for that brilliant. I can't wait to get into the following books./
GIVE THEM TO ME AHSIBASGFBPSuygbub
4.5
Witches, Vampires, Russia, Italian Covens, American high school. Witch trails.
This book truly has it all. Brilliant build. Suspense was KILLER.
I think Luis is a really strong voice in the YA Paranormal community and I look forward to the following instalments in this series.
Perfect for Halloween as well. I am SO excited to dress up as a witch/vampire for Halloween this year thanks to this book.. I have just ordered my fangs and contacts ahah.
The only reason its not a 5 star is because some of the chapters could of been separated and made smaller for me. But apart for that brilliant. I can't wait to get into the following books./
GIVE THEM TO ME AHSIBASGFBPSuygbub
May 26, 2017
Thank you NetGalley and Luis Almonte to send me this book as an ARC in exchange of honest review.
My Rating: 3.5
In One Word: Captivating
Review:
Thank you Net Galley and Luis Almonte to send me this book as an ARC in exchange of honest review.
A captivating young adult novel that grips you and you are compelled to read without putting it down!
I enjoyed reading Rise, the 1st installment of Trifecta series. It is story of Alexia Wick. She is a 15 year old high-school girl who also happened to be a witch. No! This is not Sabrina: The Teenage Witch-like story. There is a lot more going on in this novel from high-school drama to rite of the passage trials, sacred books, covens, vampires, Italian covens and Russian vampires .
There are 3 major covens: Alerium, Malerium and Xelerium. Alexia is an Alerium witch. She is a powerful witch who is still in the process of learning as to how she can harness her raw power. Darren, their family friend, is her mentor and teacher. Her parents are high priest and priestess of their coven. She has a strong bond with her parents and siblings and some bad luck when it comes to friends.
As the novel proceeds, she fell (literally) for Kaleb, a handsome senior.
The sweet romance between them ignites the essence of story and fuels the reader to explore further.
Why 3.5 stars?
Now here comes the most important question. Why did I rate this interesting novel 3.5 out of 5 stars when I am praising it so much?
There are few loose ends and unanswered questions that affected the plot developments as well as the character development. There is no clear description about the covens and their roles and how they are different from each other.
At several stages, while discussing and telling about crucial back story, the topic is dropped abruptly (and it is very annoying). It leaves you at loss and disappointed. The reader needs to know the back story and certain details as to what happened in the past that leads to present events. It helps us to connect to the characters and to picture in our mind what they are going through.
Overall it’s a good novel. I would love to read the second part, provided that there are no loose ends or unanswered questions; and dialogues/discussions on back stories are not abruptly ended to change the topic.
My Rating: 3.5
In One Word: Captivating
Review:
Thank you Net Galley and Luis Almonte to send me this book as an ARC in exchange of honest review.
A captivating young adult novel that grips you and you are compelled to read without putting it down!
I enjoyed reading Rise, the 1st installment of Trifecta series. It is story of Alexia Wick. She is a 15 year old high-school girl who also happened to be a witch. No! This is not Sabrina: The Teenage Witch-like story. There is a lot more going on in this novel from high-school drama to rite of the passage trials, sacred books, covens, vampires, Italian covens and Russian vampires .
There are 3 major covens: Alerium, Malerium and Xelerium. Alexia is an Alerium witch. She is a powerful witch who is still in the process of learning as to how she can harness her raw power. Darren, their family friend, is her mentor and teacher. Her parents are high priest and priestess of their coven. She has a strong bond with her parents and siblings and some bad luck when it comes to friends.
As the novel proceeds, she fell (literally) for Kaleb, a handsome senior.
“He confidently lifts me to my feet, and I swear they never touch the ground. I feel like I’m floating under his confident scrutiny.”
The sweet romance between them ignites the essence of story and fuels the reader to explore further.
Why 3.5 stars?
Now here comes the most important question. Why did I rate this interesting novel 3.5 out of 5 stars when I am praising it so much?
There are few loose ends and unanswered questions that affected the plot developments as well as the character development. There is no clear description about the covens and their roles and how they are different from each other.
At several stages, while discussing and telling about crucial back story, the topic is dropped abruptly (and it is very annoying). It leaves you at loss and disappointed. The reader needs to know the back story and certain details as to what happened in the past that leads to present events. It helps us to connect to the characters and to picture in our mind what they are going through.
Overall it’s a good novel. I would love to read the second part, provided that there are no loose ends or unanswered questions; and dialogues/discussions on back stories are not abruptly ended to change the topic.
December 10, 2016
Disclaimer: This book was given to me for by Xpresso Books free in exchange for an honest review, in no way my opinion about the book was affected by this. I judge the books only not the authors.
Well well, let me begin with saying that I have mixed feelings about this book.
I mean I enjoyed it this cannot be hidden, but there were some elements that did not match my taste quite well.
I loved the writing style, the fact that Luis was able to portrait the female leading character was really admirable and I really appreciated that. I loved the connection that Alexia has with her siblings and her family also the magic and the whole world were really well done. I am aware that this is only the first book so it was just a settlement of the whole story and there is much more to come. I did not like how fast some of the events developed, without spoiling anything it was not to my liking that there was some rush on the whole storyline and it did not feel right to me. On the other hand all the characters have a distinct personality and their own opinions, which is an important factor in a book.
There were some parts that reminded me of Divergent and Harry Potter I personally find it fine I did not dislike it. It felt familiar and I could more easily imagine the whole scene.
Overall I liked it and it was a quick enjoyable read for those who like magic, witches and vampires in one place like I do. I don’t want to give too much away from the story so if you are interested pick it up and read it!
I am sure that the upcoming book will be more elaborated and I am looking forward to reading it!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Luis Almonte
Almonte is an author and poet who resides in New York with his spouse and two dogs. Rise is his debut novel, and is the first instalment in the Trifecta Series, a young adult trilogy that is setting the literary world on fire!
He is an alumnus of New York University, where he studied leadership and management. In his spare time he enjoys cooking, entertaining, and reading. He is also an avid poker player. He attributes much of his success to his family, and is looking forward to writing the follow-up instalment in the series
CONTACT DETAILS
Facebook / Amazon
A huge thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for this opportunity!
Well well, let me begin with saying that I have mixed feelings about this book.
I mean I enjoyed it this cannot be hidden, but there were some elements that did not match my taste quite well.
I loved the writing style, the fact that Luis was able to portrait the female leading character was really admirable and I really appreciated that. I loved the connection that Alexia has with her siblings and her family also the magic and the whole world were really well done. I am aware that this is only the first book so it was just a settlement of the whole story and there is much more to come. I did not like how fast some of the events developed, without spoiling anything it was not to my liking that there was some rush on the whole storyline and it did not feel right to me. On the other hand all the characters have a distinct personality and their own opinions, which is an important factor in a book.
There were some parts that reminded me of Divergent and Harry Potter I personally find it fine I did not dislike it. It felt familiar and I could more easily imagine the whole scene.
Overall I liked it and it was a quick enjoyable read for those who like magic, witches and vampires in one place like I do. I don’t want to give too much away from the story so if you are interested pick it up and read it!
I am sure that the upcoming book will be more elaborated and I am looking forward to reading it!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Luis Almonte
Almonte is an author and poet who resides in New York with his spouse and two dogs. Rise is his debut novel, and is the first instalment in the Trifecta Series, a young adult trilogy that is setting the literary world on fire!
He is an alumnus of New York University, where he studied leadership and management. In his spare time he enjoys cooking, entertaining, and reading. He is also an avid poker player. He attributes much of his success to his family, and is looking forward to writing the follow-up instalment in the series
CONTACT DETAILS
Facebook / Amazon
A huge thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for this opportunity!
June 4, 2017
Rise blew my freaking mind. THANK YOU, INDIE BOOK CONNECT, FOR INCLUDING THIS IN MY BOX!!! I know that Rise is being considered for a TV series and if that happens, I will never ever leave my TV. This book was that good!
Alexia is the MC for Rise and she is immediately engaging. To give you an idea of what Rise is like, picture a book where the absolute best parts of Divergent, Hunger Games, and Twilight come together and make a book baby with the absolutely genius that is Luis Almonte. The classic high school dynamics come in because despite being a witch, Alexia goes to a normal school where she has to hide her family's secret all while preparing to prove herself in the Pre-Trials and the Trials to find her place within the coven. When things go horribly wrong, her family's lives are in danger and she is forced to trust the vampires that she is told to stay away from and suddenly anything can happen.
If I could give this book 10 stars, I would.
Alexia is the MC for Rise and she is immediately engaging. To give you an idea of what Rise is like, picture a book where the absolute best parts of Divergent, Hunger Games, and Twilight come together and make a book baby with the absolutely genius that is Luis Almonte. The classic high school dynamics come in because despite being a witch, Alexia goes to a normal school where she has to hide her family's secret all while preparing to prove herself in the Pre-Trials and the Trials to find her place within the coven. When things go horribly wrong, her family's lives are in danger and she is forced to trust the vampires that she is told to stay away from and suddenly anything can happen.
If I could give this book 10 stars, I would.
June 4, 2017
OMG! Seriously OMG! Alexia is my new favorite character ever. She's a 15 year old girl who wants to study astronomy and just fit in at school. But she's also a witch who needs to pass the Pre-Trials and also the Trials to bring honor to her family's coven. Not only does she have to hide the fact that she's a witch while trying to pass chemistry at her normal high school, she also has to balance the dynamic of having a best friend from a separate coven and the secret keeping that then ensues. When this poor girl finally gets her first boyfriend, she finds out that it breaks all of the rules of her coven and she's told she can't see him. But when things go horribly wrong and her family could lose everything, he is her last hope and she has to decide whether it is worth it to trust him.
8+ stars. It would have been 10 but I'm pouting that the next book isn't out yet. Major cranky pants about it. I need more!
8+ stars. It would have been 10 but I'm pouting that the next book isn't out yet. Major cranky pants about it. I need more!
June 4, 2017
This book came in my Indie Book Connect box and as soon as it hit my hot little hands, I couldn't put it down. It was amazing!!!! Alexia is from a family of witches and is preparing for the pre-trial and ultimately the trials to prove her worth within the coven. She also has to do this while blending in at a normal high school with regular friends and maintaining a relationship with a best friend from a separate coven. Did I mention that her first ever boyfriend is hiding a major secret? I will be counting down the days until the next book comes! Seriously - I NEED the next book to come out. Please hurry!
October 9, 2016
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an advance copy of the book in return for a review.
2 stars!!!
I don't what it is but I seem to be finding books that are extremely unsatisfying. The book starts off with a bang and that got me pretty excited. Plus, it showcases witches and vampires. I'm a huge sucker for paranormal reads. But after the first few chapters, the story just devolved. It went from bad to worse.
From the blurb, we gather the following. The story is about a girl named Alexia who comes from a family of witches. Every year the most powerful witches from the 3 covens - Allerium, Malerium and Xelerium undergo a series of Trials where they are pitted against each other. The story then follows on how she prepares for the trials and so on. Well, from this I guess you'd be thinking "well, that sounds interesting enough". Maybe it's like a paranormal "Hunger Games". Well sadly, no because the blurb is very misleading. Instead what we do get are the points discussed below.
A story that is very bland with no plot progression. Where do I even begin? I will give points to the author for writing because I thought it was done well. But besides this, there was no plot at all. The story reads like the diary of an average teenage girl who happens to be a witch. Chapters are filled with the mundane boring high school life of Alexia and that was it. I was so bored by page 50. I was wondering when the story was going to end or go somewhere. To top this off, there are some twists which are just left hanging. Something is introduced and then is just left. The characters don't bother chasing down a lead or anything. This makes for a very lack luster read. Even the Trials were boring. It gets over like in one or two chapters. That's it. There is some traction in the story towards the end but by then, I was just skimming and not reading in detail at all.
There's too much of info dumping and no character development. As the story is about covens and their politics, a lot of information is thrown at the reader but not built upon. There was hardly much of worldbuilding going on. I also found the rules for the Covens very confusing as when something is mentioned, it is just left there and some other side plot shows up. There are also a lot of characters introduced without any backstories. I can't even frame what I thought about the MC Alexia. She is a bit of a Mary Sue. She hardly has friends and hangs around with her siblings a lot which is weird. Minor characters make cameo appearances and then fade away. There are no real relationships and interactions between characters. They are like happenstances.
The only relationship that felt authentic to me was when Alexia was with her family. I liked how even her parents were a part of the story. But that was it. I think the main reason for this is because the author wanted to introduce a lot of elements but was unable to connect them altogether to make a successful story. Sadly, there was a major disconnect between things. I also found the romance to be very cringe-worthy. It was just placed in the story because that's what all YA novels require.
The love interest Kaleb was very Edward Cullen-esque. It reminded me too much of the "Twilight" series which I wasn't a fan of. Plus, the relationship was way too clunky and forced. I mean Alexia hardly has any interaction with this guy but then suddenly, he says that he "likes" her. Where did even come from? How has this relationship even progressed when they weren't even friends?
The other thing, and I promise it's the last, is that this book had no central storyline. There is no real villain mentioned until the very end which was the main reason I feel for the meandering storyline. There was no real focus. With a major villain, a story needs to go somewhere and all points lead to it. This would have really helped to give this novel direction.
All in all, a major disappointment. The story initially had potential but doesn't live up to the first couple of pages. I am not at all excited about the next book. I think this would be a skip for me.
2 stars!!!
I don't what it is but I seem to be finding books that are extremely unsatisfying. The book starts off with a bang and that got me pretty excited. Plus, it showcases witches and vampires. I'm a huge sucker for paranormal reads. But after the first few chapters, the story just devolved. It went from bad to worse.
From the blurb, we gather the following. The story is about a girl named Alexia who comes from a family of witches. Every year the most powerful witches from the 3 covens - Allerium, Malerium and Xelerium undergo a series of Trials where they are pitted against each other. The story then follows on how she prepares for the trials and so on. Well, from this I guess you'd be thinking "well, that sounds interesting enough". Maybe it's like a paranormal "Hunger Games". Well sadly, no because the blurb is very misleading. Instead what we do get are the points discussed below.
A story that is very bland with no plot progression. Where do I even begin? I will give points to the author for writing because I thought it was done well. But besides this, there was no plot at all. The story reads like the diary of an average teenage girl who happens to be a witch. Chapters are filled with the mundane boring high school life of Alexia and that was it. I was so bored by page 50. I was wondering when the story was going to end or go somewhere. To top this off, there are some twists which are just left hanging. Something is introduced and then is just left. The characters don't bother chasing down a lead or anything. This makes for a very lack luster read. Even the Trials were boring. It gets over like in one or two chapters. That's it. There is some traction in the story towards the end but by then, I was just skimming and not reading in detail at all.
There's too much of info dumping and no character development. As the story is about covens and their politics, a lot of information is thrown at the reader but not built upon. There was hardly much of worldbuilding going on. I also found the rules for the Covens very confusing as when something is mentioned, it is just left there and some other side plot shows up. There are also a lot of characters introduced without any backstories. I can't even frame what I thought about the MC Alexia. She is a bit of a Mary Sue. She hardly has friends and hangs around with her siblings a lot which is weird. Minor characters make cameo appearances and then fade away. There are no real relationships and interactions between characters. They are like happenstances.
The only relationship that felt authentic to me was when Alexia was with her family. I liked how even her parents were a part of the story. But that was it. I think the main reason for this is because the author wanted to introduce a lot of elements but was unable to connect them altogether to make a successful story. Sadly, there was a major disconnect between things. I also found the romance to be very cringe-worthy. It was just placed in the story because that's what all YA novels require.
The love interest Kaleb was very Edward Cullen-esque. It reminded me too much of the "Twilight" series which I wasn't a fan of. Plus, the relationship was way too clunky and forced. I mean Alexia hardly has any interaction with this guy but then suddenly, he says that he "likes" her. Where did even come from? How has this relationship even progressed when they weren't even friends?
The other thing, and I promise it's the last, is that this book had no central storyline. There is no real villain mentioned until the very end which was the main reason I feel for the meandering storyline. There was no real focus. With a major villain, a story needs to go somewhere and all points lead to it. This would have really helped to give this novel direction.
All in all, a major disappointment. The story initially had potential but doesn't live up to the first couple of pages. I am not at all excited about the next book. I think this would be a skip for me.
May 28, 2017
This book was surprisingly engaging. I knew I was going to like it based on the synopsis but I really couldn't put it down. It was like Divergent + Twilight + every other favorite YA read I have ever had plus some amazing other twists and turns. I can't wait for the next installment and was supremely bummed when I reached the end. I could have read this one forever and never gotten sick of it!!!!
November 22, 2016
*voluntarily and honestly reviewed this ARC via NetGalley*
I liked this one, even if crucial scenes did remind me of some of my favorite series, like Divergent, Twilight, The Selection... I try not to compare so this novel on its own was a great YA read of urban fantasy. The beginning was really good with hooking me in, and I loved the chemistry that sparked between our MCs. Their romance was a little rushed, especially towards the end, I felt, but the action and mystery that dealt with other things were pretty well-paced. Loved the build up, the writing style and how I could forget at times that I was reading.
I liked this one, even if crucial scenes did remind me of some of my favorite series, like Divergent, Twilight, The Selection... I try not to compare so this novel on its own was a great YA read of urban fantasy. The beginning was really good with hooking me in, and I loved the chemistry that sparked between our MCs. Their romance was a little rushed, especially towards the end, I felt, but the action and mystery that dealt with other things were pretty well-paced. Loved the build up, the writing style and how I could forget at times that I was reading.
October 11, 2016
What a fun read, and very well written. Teens of all ages will gravitate towards this book because of its candid approach to high school life and teenage angst. Being in publishing, I've certainly read my share of vampire novels (addicted to them) and I appreciate the fresh perspective in an over saturated genre. I can also see this book being made into film. Overall nice job highly recommend it 5 stars.
November 7, 2016
Great read.
Check out my full review at: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yaindie...
Check out my full review at: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yaindie...
November 1, 2016
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
Rise: where cool witching scenes are ruined by gross, cliche romances and formatting errors.
Positives: the witching world and all the cool spells and battle scenes
The times when I was most invested in the book were the times whenever Alexia was training with her mentor, Darren, and Alexia just being cool in general.
I really like the witching world that Luis Almonte created. There are three covens in the US: Alerium, Malerium, and Xelerium, each dealing with their own field of magic. Alerium is focused on light magic, as far as I recall, although Alexia seems to be in a league of her own, regularly breaking things because of her inability to control her offensive magic, and also mushing spells together through following her intuition. Also because why the heck not.
Aside from the witching world, there's also the Vampire world, who have their own politics to deal with. I won't go into further detail about that since there would be spoilers abound, but it's pretty interesting to see that there are different supernatural forces at play in the story.
The action scenes are also exciting. I really like the concept of The Annual Trials, where teen witches-in-training get their chance to graduate into full-fledged witches. The parade and ceremonies are imaginatively described, with flashy effects and rituals that only witches could do. The actual tests are full of action and tense moments, and I was glued to them.
I also like Alexia's relationship with Arianne and Jesi. Arianne is her former-best-friend who's beautiful and popular, and who ditched her for new friends.
I found the whole ditching-your-friend thing very reminiscent of high school and something I identify with, which is why I liked it a lot. It's harsh but real, and it's also a complicated thing between Arianne and Alexia because although they no longer hang out together anymore, there's still an obvious bond between them that is brought to light occasionally, especially in times when the other person is worried or in pain. I like that it's not a clean-cut "I'm your enemy now" kind of relationship, because relationships are complicated in that way sometimes.
Jesi, meanwhile, is the non-magical friend who stands by her after she's ditched. I assume she's going to take the role of "ordinary person caught in supernatural world" in the future books. She's loyal to Alexia and tries her best to be there for her, and is one of Alexia's true friends and ugggh I just love girl bonding so much, I think books really need a lot more of those.
Alexia's relationship with her siblings is cute, too. I like her bickering with Sam and Ryan, Ryan's protectiveness of her, and their closeness as a whole.
Cons: Really, what is it with vampires falling for teen girls?
The times when I was least interested in the book were the times when Alexia and Kaleb appeared together in the same page.
Seriously, the romance is gag-inducing. Alexia and Kaleb do the whole insta-love cliche thing. And actually, when Kaleb first appeared I cringed, because he's the stereotypical cool, handsome, brooding guy with SecretsTM. And who girls find hot except he Only! Has! Eyes! For! The! Leading! Girl!
And he's a vampire because of course he is. I'm not even sure if it's a spoiler because it's super obvious from the first few appearances of his so I won't mark it as one. Now, really, what's with hundred-year-old vampires going to high school indefinitely? Like, you'd think in one of those 100 years of them being around they'd think "Hey, why don't we like, stop pretending we're teens and go do something for the good of the world, like write a book or volunteer or whatever?"
Instead they decide to put themselves into an endless loop of studying subjects they probably already mastered, perving on teenage girls, and navigating the testy waters of high school social life.
There are not enough eyerolls for this.
And what's with 100 year-old vampires falling for underaged teens? Isn't this illegal in several countries? I'm pretty sure this is paedophilia. Why is this romantic in any sense of the word?
Also, take a look at this gem:
I... what? How exactly does one lose oneself in another person's gaze while in the act of kissing? Do people kiss with their eyes open and staring at each other? Have I been doing it wrong all this time? Or is this just how supernatural people kiss? I am so confused.
The dialogues can become excruciatingly boring.
I have a confession to make: Sometimes I skip sections of books, especially those really long, drawn-out, ten-page descriptions about mountains and trees and crap. But I don't usually skip dialogues.
I was super tempted to do it here, though. Yes, I know that dialogues need to push the story forward, but a lot of them are info-dumps under the guise of dialogues. What's hilarious is that even the characters in the book acknowledge them: There's a scene where Arianne complains that all this talk is boring, which Alexia acknowledges in her thoughts. It was so unintentionally hilarious to me, almost like the book was becoming self-aware.
The story also suffers from the Black Dude Dies First syndrome. Well, not literally, because there aren't even any black people in this book. LOL. There are a few people of color, though, and guess what? Two of them die first.
Besides, the Black Dude Dies First trope is less of blacks dying and more of killing off the token minorities first, with "first" being the keyword here. I don't mind minorities dying, especially in an "Anyone Can Die" kind of story. But the first important death here was of one of the token minorities, and the second important death was also of a character of color. And there aren't even a lot of POC characters in the first place.
The white people, of course, are all safe and sound (for now, at least).
Why is this important to point out as a negative? Aside from it being a cliche, for me it says that it's a-ok to kill minorities off because it's not as if they're getting a huge role anyway. Their stories are less important to be told than that of shiny, white people. There's also this essay on the Huffington Post by a brilliant girl (who wrote it when she was 15!) explaining why this is a problem. Although she talks about movies, this can also be applied to books just as easily.
The ebook's formatting is super weird. I downloaded the mobi version because I use a Kindle to read my e-books, and there were a lot of formatting errors in mine, mostly paragraph breaks. For example, the dialogues of two characters would be in just one paragraph. Of course, I thought it was intentional at first, but then I came across errors where the same dialogue gets a new paragraph in the middle of the dialogue. I was like "????"
I'm considering book formatting a big enough problem to insert into the review because formatting can make or break scenes. I found myself getting distracted often when I was reading dialogues. I'd think one person was speaking all throughout when actually it was two different people, or blinking in confusion when a new paragraph started in the middle of a person's dialogue.
In summary, Rise is an enjoyable enough read if you can stomach the cliche love-at-first-sight, girl-meets-vampire romance. Although it has its issues, such as minorities getting killed off early and formatting issues, I still loved the world of the witches and their covens. The action scenes are heart-stopping, exiting, and honestly the highlights of the book.
Would I read the second book? Rise's ending made me curious enough to see how it goes, although it won't be part of my I NEED TO READ THE SEQUEL ASAP OR I WILL FEEL INCOMPLETE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE bookshelf. Still, it's good enough for an author's first book, and I look forward to more of Luis Almonte's works.
(Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
June 16, 2017
Witches, vampires, and more! You really can't go wrong with this one. It's fun and adventure from the beginning. Every time we thought we could predict what was going to happen next, Luis Almonte switched it up on us in just the right way. We loved this book and you will too!
October 30, 2016
Title: Rise
Author: Luis Almonte
Published: 2016
Format: E-book
Pages: 240
Genres: Paranormal & Romance
Overall Rating: 2.5 Crowns
&&&
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
This book dives head first into the action and it drags you in without mercy. While confused, I was intrigued by the events in the beginning and all I wanted to do was learn more about this world and the characters. You’re thrown in media res and left with trying to find out what the hell is going on in the best kind of way.
And then begins chapter one, set four months prior to the events in the prologue and you begin to understand the elements of this world. It takes a huge halting break on the action and continues on a relaxing pace of character introduction and world-building with a whole lot of explaining of new terms and magic.
You also get a good look at Alexia’s personality. She’s realistic in the sense that she acts like a typical teenage girl. Struggling with herself inwardly while trying to fit in amongst her peers. Of course, there’s the early introduction of the love interest—the new guy at her school. It was a stereotypical meeting and their first interaction was nothing less than cliche. Cute? Of course, but still unoriginal.
Unfortunately, the prologue was perhaps the most fluid part of the book. The rest becomes choppy with an accelerate/halt feel; it was like a puzzle with mismatching pieces and you end up with this incomplete and nonsensical image. Moving my way through the book, Rise began to feel like a poorly-written mashup of Twilight, The Hunger Games, and Divergent. While the premise is interesting and the elements of the world are intriguing, this ultimately falls flat due to meaningless characters and too many subplots.
You have the forbidden and underdeveloped romance that was the instalove trope. This whole romance was lackluster and while they say they feel passion for each other, you can't see it. Up until they actually acknowledge their feelings for each other is fine. You can see this tension in the air when they are around each other. But after that, nothing. This might be because Almonte completely skips over any signs of their affection for each other after they being dating.
You have a bunch of potentially interesting characters that you just end up not giving a shit about because there was no energy spent developing these characters. Even with Alexia, the main character, I just ended up rolling my eyes with her decisions and thoughts because they were typical and didn’t define her as a character. You see her interact with other characters, but it reveals nothing about any of them. I genuinely believe the best books have the best characters--especially side characters.
As for the main plot, I wasn't even sure what the main plot was. It was more of a bundle of subplots that had no real direction.
Now, the reason I didn’t give this a lower rating was because of its potential. The concept itself is a good one, just poorly executed. The magical system in itself was creative and fascinating to read about. However, this book gave the sense it was trying too hard to be the next YA bestseller and it isn’t working. It doesn’t have a unique voice even when the core of the story is actually very good. Therefore, I do not recommend this book. It was disappointing and a bad turn for the potential it had.
-& Princess
Author: Luis Almonte
Published: 2016
Format: E-book
Pages: 240
Genres: Paranormal & Romance
Overall Rating: 2.5 Crowns
&&&
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
This book dives head first into the action and it drags you in without mercy. While confused, I was intrigued by the events in the beginning and all I wanted to do was learn more about this world and the characters. You’re thrown in media res and left with trying to find out what the hell is going on in the best kind of way.
And then begins chapter one, set four months prior to the events in the prologue and you begin to understand the elements of this world. It takes a huge halting break on the action and continues on a relaxing pace of character introduction and world-building with a whole lot of explaining of new terms and magic.
You also get a good look at Alexia’s personality. She’s realistic in the sense that she acts like a typical teenage girl. Struggling with herself inwardly while trying to fit in amongst her peers. Of course, there’s the early introduction of the love interest—the new guy at her school. It was a stereotypical meeting and their first interaction was nothing less than cliche. Cute? Of course, but still unoriginal.
Unfortunately, the prologue was perhaps the most fluid part of the book. The rest becomes choppy with an accelerate/halt feel; it was like a puzzle with mismatching pieces and you end up with this incomplete and nonsensical image. Moving my way through the book, Rise began to feel like a poorly-written mashup of Twilight, The Hunger Games, and Divergent. While the premise is interesting and the elements of the world are intriguing, this ultimately falls flat due to meaningless characters and too many subplots.
You have the forbidden and underdeveloped romance that was the instalove trope. This whole romance was lackluster and while they say they feel passion for each other, you can't see it. Up until they actually acknowledge their feelings for each other is fine. You can see this tension in the air when they are around each other. But after that, nothing. This might be because Almonte completely skips over any signs of their affection for each other after they being dating.
You have a bunch of potentially interesting characters that you just end up not giving a shit about because there was no energy spent developing these characters. Even with Alexia, the main character, I just ended up rolling my eyes with her decisions and thoughts because they were typical and didn’t define her as a character. You see her interact with other characters, but it reveals nothing about any of them. I genuinely believe the best books have the best characters--especially side characters.
As for the main plot, I wasn't even sure what the main plot was. It was more of a bundle of subplots that had no real direction.
Now, the reason I didn’t give this a lower rating was because of its potential. The concept itself is a good one, just poorly executed. The magical system in itself was creative and fascinating to read about. However, this book gave the sense it was trying too hard to be the next YA bestseller and it isn’t working. It doesn’t have a unique voice even when the core of the story is actually very good. Therefore, I do not recommend this book. It was disappointing and a bad turn for the potential it had.
-& Princess
December 1, 2016
*** 3.5 Cranky Stars ***
Alexia is the middle child of a family of witches and her parents were their coven’s high priest and priestess, which meant a lot of expectations, surrounded Alexia, her older brother, Ryan and her younger sister, Sam when it came to their craft.
Every witch had to pass a test called the Pre-Trials to qualify to the Annual Trial which is an important rite of passage in the witching world. It’s not determined by age but rather the mentor who trains young witches nominates their charge when they think they are ready. All three were nominated and would face the Pre-Trials at the same time.
The story reminded me of several different popular books out there: Divergent, Hunger Games, Harry Potter and a bit of Twilight. The witches live among the humans in secret. Aside from training for the Trials, Alexia has to go to high school and be involved in high school life and drama while keeping her other life hidden as it’s forbidden to disclose their existence to non-magical people.
Then another set of supernatural beings turned up and muddled the waters a bit more.
I liked the story but there were so many subplots embroidered into it that made falling in love with it difficult. There were also a few inconsistencies in the plot I would rather not say to avoid spoilers.
Granted, Alexia is only fifteen years old and the unwillingness of the adults to disclose vital information to the teens could explain all the bad decisions she made throughout the book. Let’s hope that book 2 will step up a notch.
April 13, 2020
My review of this book as seen on my blog -
Descendant of Poseidon Reads
I’ve been into the magic world stuff nowadays after watching The Magicians’ few episodes based on the novel of Grossman. On how every caster makes their own spell work even in the slightest projection or to the greatest production. I just love the way it was or the casting of it. Magic usually a great factor in everyone happy childhood, I think but not mine ‘cause I’m sure it is really a big contribution to my creative imagination back then. This book, Rise by Luis Almonte, which is his debut novel was a quite indulging novel I ever read with its cunning story. An exception to make if you want to read an original journey that comprises of a young adult story and sure a relatable one. Though this is the first book of the Trifecta Series, once you’ve read this you will definitely want the next. Told in the perspective view of the main character, Alexia Wick, which can be a good way to feel by the reader - the character itself (and I like the way it used to be).
Intensely glued to every single page of this story, the suspense, and anticipation it gives to let me fell for its flow and fluidly adrift to its whole. Not to mention of its well done constructive writing that lets you be engaged in every turn of the chapter. The steady pace of the story also put me not to be lagged and just go continue with the stream. This was really great and interesting book and wanted to read the next book to this. Hopefully, to give an answer to Kaleb’s part on how more he can be an interesting plot twister in the story.
What other to say - nothing other than if you’re into magic and fantasy and witches and stuff then maybe give this a try, I love on recommending this to you. Not for young readers but of course for an adult there (who is young at heart). Best wishes for the next book and the author.
Looking forward to the series.
I’ve been into the magic world stuff nowadays after watching The Magicians’ few episodes based on the novel of Grossman. On how every caster makes their own spell work even in the slightest projection or to the greatest production. I just love the way it was or the casting of it. Magic usually a great factor in everyone happy childhood, I think but not mine ‘cause I’m sure it is really a big contribution to my creative imagination back then. This book, Rise by Luis Almonte, which is his debut novel was a quite indulging novel I ever read with its cunning story. An exception to make if you want to read an original journey that comprises of a young adult story and sure a relatable one. Though this is the first book of the Trifecta Series, once you’ve read this you will definitely want the next. Told in the perspective view of the main character, Alexia Wick, which can be a good way to feel by the reader - the character itself (and I like the way it used to be).
Intensely glued to every single page of this story, the suspense, and anticipation it gives to let me fell for its flow and fluidly adrift to its whole. Not to mention of its well done constructive writing that lets you be engaged in every turn of the chapter. The steady pace of the story also put me not to be lagged and just go continue with the stream. This was really great and interesting book and wanted to read the next book to this. Hopefully, to give an answer to Kaleb’s part on how more he can be an interesting plot twister in the story.
What other to say - nothing other than if you’re into magic and fantasy and witches and stuff then maybe give this a try, I love on recommending this to you. Not for young readers but of course for an adult there (who is young at heart). Best wishes for the next book and the author.
Looking forward to the series.
November 7, 2016
Alexa Wick is a 15 year old girl, but she's no ordinary 15 year old girl. She's a sophomore at the South Haven Academy for the Gifted and Talented but what her classmates don't know is she's a witch, an Alerium witch to be exact. She's a special type of witch the daughter of a High Priestess and a Priest. Not only does she have to navigate High School she's also in training for the Annual Trials, where her abilities are pushed to their limits. When she meets Kaleb, he seems to be the perfect distraction Alexa needs. But when a dark secret is revealed can their young love survive it? Who will Alexa choose when push comes to shove Kaleb or her coven?
The book had me hooked from page one and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't stop reading, and the ending OMG!!! Now I have to wait impatiently for book 2. For a debut novel it gets an A+ from this impressed reader. Grab this book right up if you're into suspense and magic, you won't be disappointed, I know I wasn't. Wish I could give it more than just a 5 it deserves it.
Independent reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock.
The book had me hooked from page one and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't stop reading, and the ending OMG!!! Now I have to wait impatiently for book 2. For a debut novel it gets an A+ from this impressed reader. Grab this book right up if you're into suspense and magic, you won't be disappointed, I know I wasn't. Wish I could give it more than just a 5 it deserves it.
Independent reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock.
November 8, 2016
Rise-(Trifecta Book 1) by Luis Almonte gets off to a fast start with a riveting, exciting prologue. From there we follow Alexia Wick, a seemingly ordinary 15 year old girl, but one who actually has magical powers. Not only does she have magical powers, her parents are a High Priestess and a Priest and are part of a coven. This book grabs you right away with non-stop action and an appealing teenage setting. Alexia is training for the Annual Trials, but then she meets Kaleb who seems to be a perfect distraction. Their young romance is challenged and put to the test. Luis Almonte gives Alexia a strong voice throughout this novel, making her a sympathetic and convincing character. Highly recommend for YA readers who enjoy fantasy infused fiction. Looking forward to the next installment in this trilogy.
November 15, 2016
I was so conflicted for the first half of this book. It starts off pretty well in the prologue and then not much happens for the first 100 pages or so. It wasn't boring, just nothing exciting happened. However, as soon as Alexia enters the Trials, it is full of action and is like a different book which I found difficult to put down. Towards the end, the character of Kaleb is explored a bit more, which gives him a purpose, as I thought he was pretty pointless to begin with. All in all, a good read. I will definitely read the next one in the series, but only because the amazing second half made up for for the not so amazing first half.
January 30, 2017
This was a super fun story with witches and vampires and a whole lot more. I loved the setting, the characters and the plot twists. I would have preferred a little more in the progression of Kaleb and Alexia's relationship as it seemed to move a bit fast, but I'm hoping there will be more in the next book. This was well-written and easy to read with very few, if any, typos. I can tell a lot of care and work went into this, and for that, I easily give it a five star rating. I'm looking forward to seeing what this author does next!
August 31, 2018
This is going to be a listicle-style review, as I had so many issues with this book that it would take a novel of it’s own to relay them all otherwise. Besides the lack of originality, I have the following complaints/observations about “Rise”:
Alexia is very much a Mary Sue. I found little about her character to be unique and thus not much to keep me invested in her or her situation. Sam, at least, was something of a brat and therefore had some personality. Her actions were also not utterly tired and predictable.
Mr. Almonte was sloppy with his details. For example: in the prologue, Alexia said “the covenants are at war with each other, and the vampires have the upper hand for the first time” but then a few paragraphs later said “…call upon the Order to put a stop to this war before it begins.” A war cannot be both currently waged and not yet begun. Small things, such as the height of characters in relation to one another, are also inconsistent and contradictory. I’m sorry, but if I were 5’7”, I just couldn’t view anyone who is 5’9”-ish as “tall”. Little details like that, when they don’t align, are distracting.
I had an issue with things like Alexia being close enough to see the symbols on someone’s choker without also being close enough to hear their conversation. And if Alexia is 6” taller than Sam, there is NO WAY they can share pants. I have a sister, so I know. Again, details are important to keeping a reader believing in your story!
The melodrama (especially with Ms. Beech’s ‘dire pronouncement’ during the first Witching Hour) was rather heavy-handed. Ms. Beech might as well have said “something wicked this way comes” or “there is a fell voice on the air”. Subtle hints would have been much less cheesy and much more effective in the long run.
Typos. One would “thump” their head against a locker, not “thumb” it. There were others, but that was the only one I bothered to write down. There were also a lot of clichés throughout.
Mr. Almonte undermined the secretiveness of the covens by having all the witchy teenagers talk openly about witch business, politics, etc in a crowded high school hallway and having a teacher hold Witching Hour in an unsecured classroom. Seriously, if a janitor walked in at the wrong moment, the whole ‘secret society’ thing would blow wide open. Game over.
The idea/insistence that the Trials were a “rite of passage” was undermined by the inconsequentiality of failing multiple times. What is the point of having them if they really don’t matter in the end and a witch can still gain respect and standing without passing?
There was so much needless filler. I get that world-building needs to happen, and I’m appreciative when an author has taken the time to make sure the reader understands the stakes, context, etc of the events. However, we do not need to have everything recapped for us over and over again. Example: Alexia running through her school day after the chapter had just followed her through it, or that specialized training doesn’t happen until after a witch passes his/her Trials. That information was still being repeated more than halfway through the story.
Alexia’s ‘inquisition’ was ridiculous. Mr. Almonte built up the gathering and the entrance of the councilmembers, only to have them dismiss Alexia after a couple of unhelpful questions. Not much of an inquisition, really, but more of a friendly chat.
This was your stereotypical paranormal YA novel in all the worst ways and the only reason I finished reading it is because I said I would. “Rise” held little interest for me until about Chapter 9 when the Trials started. If I’d picked this book up for a pleasure read, I definitely wouldn’t have made it far enough to know that. Even though “Rise” ended on a cliffhanger, I’m not invested enough in the conflict or the characters to read subsequent books in this series.
Bottom line: “Rise” read like a “Twilight” fanfiction with a dash of “Hunger Games” style Trials thrown in, complete with vampiric instalove and a Mary Sue who constantly asked “What?”. If you don’t mind the usual tropes and plot, then you might enjoy this.
Alexia is very much a Mary Sue. I found little about her character to be unique and thus not much to keep me invested in her or her situation. Sam, at least, was something of a brat and therefore had some personality. Her actions were also not utterly tired and predictable.
Mr. Almonte was sloppy with his details. For example: in the prologue, Alexia said “the covenants are at war with each other, and the vampires have the upper hand for the first time” but then a few paragraphs later said “…call upon the Order to put a stop to this war before it begins.” A war cannot be both currently waged and not yet begun. Small things, such as the height of characters in relation to one another, are also inconsistent and contradictory. I’m sorry, but if I were 5’7”, I just couldn’t view anyone who is 5’9”-ish as “tall”. Little details like that, when they don’t align, are distracting.
I had an issue with things like Alexia being close enough to see the symbols on someone’s choker without also being close enough to hear their conversation. And if Alexia is 6” taller than Sam, there is NO WAY they can share pants. I have a sister, so I know. Again, details are important to keeping a reader believing in your story!
The melodrama (especially with Ms. Beech’s ‘dire pronouncement’ during the first Witching Hour) was rather heavy-handed. Ms. Beech might as well have said “something wicked this way comes” or “there is a fell voice on the air”. Subtle hints would have been much less cheesy and much more effective in the long run.
Typos. One would “thump” their head against a locker, not “thumb” it. There were others, but that was the only one I bothered to write down. There were also a lot of clichés throughout.
Mr. Almonte undermined the secretiveness of the covens by having all the witchy teenagers talk openly about witch business, politics, etc in a crowded high school hallway and having a teacher hold Witching Hour in an unsecured classroom. Seriously, if a janitor walked in at the wrong moment, the whole ‘secret society’ thing would blow wide open. Game over.
The idea/insistence that the Trials were a “rite of passage” was undermined by the inconsequentiality of failing multiple times. What is the point of having them if they really don’t matter in the end and a witch can still gain respect and standing without passing?
There was so much needless filler. I get that world-building needs to happen, and I’m appreciative when an author has taken the time to make sure the reader understands the stakes, context, etc of the events. However, we do not need to have everything recapped for us over and over again. Example: Alexia running through her school day after the chapter had just followed her through it, or that specialized training doesn’t happen until after a witch passes his/her Trials. That information was still being repeated more than halfway through the story.
Alexia’s ‘inquisition’ was ridiculous. Mr. Almonte built up the gathering and the entrance of the councilmembers, only to have them dismiss Alexia after a couple of unhelpful questions. Not much of an inquisition, really, but more of a friendly chat.
This was your stereotypical paranormal YA novel in all the worst ways and the only reason I finished reading it is because I said I would. “Rise” held little interest for me until about Chapter 9 when the Trials started. If I’d picked this book up for a pleasure read, I definitely wouldn’t have made it far enough to know that. Even though “Rise” ended on a cliffhanger, I’m not invested enough in the conflict or the characters to read subsequent books in this series.
Bottom line: “Rise” read like a “Twilight” fanfiction with a dash of “Hunger Games” style Trials thrown in, complete with vampiric instalove and a Mary Sue who constantly asked “What?”. If you don’t mind the usual tropes and plot, then you might enjoy this.
December 26, 2017
I really liked the story, it seems like recently I have had a lot of books to read abound witchcraft and that makes for a nice change from my usual angels and whatnot.
Rise centers around Alexia and her family as the core of the story and expands more and more as the story moves along. We discover that we live in a world where actually witches do exist and live amongst us, though we do not know about them. They have factions and very strict rules so that they are protecting themselves and us in one go.
Alexia is a teenage witch and has a brother and sister. they are training for the trials and well things get a little disrupted when she meets Kaleb!
A lot of the book is about the setting of the characters and the story and introducing us to an alternative world that is and isn't so different to ours.
Witches or not, well they seem to have the same problems we do, well.... for the most part!
I did finish the book in one go and I found it really well written, and an easy read. It took me a couple of chapters to get into it but I admit the reason that happened is because I was so tired after a never-ending day of work that I could not focus! Does it happen to you as well?
Well back to the book and the characters, and I think Luis did a really good job with the characters as an ensemble. They were cohesive and individual at the same time, and I really enjoyed some of the twists thrown in there at the right time.
This is really a great introductory book to a series, and based on what I have seen we are being setup for what is coming next. I am expecting the following books to have a lot more packed into them especially following some of the events that happened in the second part of Rise.
Something is going on, I am not sure what it is exactly, but I can tell you that I am really looking forward to those events.
I am not sure when book 2 is meant to be released, but I hope it will be soon and that we will not have a long time to wait for it.
In the meantime, I am going to recommend Rise to you and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Rise centers around Alexia and her family as the core of the story and expands more and more as the story moves along. We discover that we live in a world where actually witches do exist and live amongst us, though we do not know about them. They have factions and very strict rules so that they are protecting themselves and us in one go.
Alexia is a teenage witch and has a brother and sister. they are training for the trials and well things get a little disrupted when she meets Kaleb!
A lot of the book is about the setting of the characters and the story and introducing us to an alternative world that is and isn't so different to ours.
Witches or not, well they seem to have the same problems we do, well.... for the most part!
I did finish the book in one go and I found it really well written, and an easy read. It took me a couple of chapters to get into it but I admit the reason that happened is because I was so tired after a never-ending day of work that I could not focus! Does it happen to you as well?
Well back to the book and the characters, and I think Luis did a really good job with the characters as an ensemble. They were cohesive and individual at the same time, and I really enjoyed some of the twists thrown in there at the right time.
This is really a great introductory book to a series, and based on what I have seen we are being setup for what is coming next. I am expecting the following books to have a lot more packed into them especially following some of the events that happened in the second part of Rise.
Something is going on, I am not sure what it is exactly, but I can tell you that I am really looking forward to those events.
I am not sure when book 2 is meant to be released, but I hope it will be soon and that we will not have a long time to wait for it.
In the meantime, I am going to recommend Rise to you and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
December 28, 2016
This review first appeared at http://www.bookwormeverlasting.com/re...
Rise started out with a bang. I really enjoyed reading about Alexia, the protagonist, and her world of witches and vampires. Whenever I read fantasy books I always like to see how an author will approach their version of witches, vampires, and magic. Almonte’s magic was so fun to read about. The spells he thought of were clever and I was easily able to envision them. The same can be said about the action scenes - tons of excitement, anticipation, and visuals.
Rise has a lot going on: Alexia having to make her rite of passage, unrest between witches and vampires, romance, a stolen book, and drama. Maybe because there was so much going on there was parts in the story where I felt more of an explanation was needed, rather than adding another problem. For example, knowing more about the other covens (not just the one Alexia was in) would have been nice. It still made for an interesting story, though.
Now to my favorite part, the romance! It was the usual forbidden love between witch and vampire. I don’t mind tropes (some of them - begone, love triangles!). I just wish I felt a real connection between Alexia and Kaleb. It’s important to “show” a romance blossoming, rather than just flatly stating there’s a romance. I need to see it through actions. Preferably over the course of a few weeks, at the very least.
Despite any grievances I had, Rise was still an entertaining read and a series I would gladly continue reading. With crafty spells and intense fighting scenes, I’m confident the next books will be worth a read.
Rise started out with a bang. I really enjoyed reading about Alexia, the protagonist, and her world of witches and vampires. Whenever I read fantasy books I always like to see how an author will approach their version of witches, vampires, and magic. Almonte’s magic was so fun to read about. The spells he thought of were clever and I was easily able to envision them. The same can be said about the action scenes - tons of excitement, anticipation, and visuals.
Rise has a lot going on: Alexia having to make her rite of passage, unrest between witches and vampires, romance, a stolen book, and drama. Maybe because there was so much going on there was parts in the story where I felt more of an explanation was needed, rather than adding another problem. For example, knowing more about the other covens (not just the one Alexia was in) would have been nice. It still made for an interesting story, though.
Now to my favorite part, the romance! It was the usual forbidden love between witch and vampire. I don’t mind tropes (some of them - begone, love triangles!). I just wish I felt a real connection between Alexia and Kaleb. It’s important to “show” a romance blossoming, rather than just flatly stating there’s a romance. I need to see it through actions. Preferably over the course of a few weeks, at the very least.
Despite any grievances I had, Rise was still an entertaining read and a series I would gladly continue reading. With crafty spells and intense fighting scenes, I’m confident the next books will be worth a read.
November 18, 2016
This first installment of the Trifecta series is a fairly pleasant read with its intriguing premise. The Annual Trials was probably my favorite scene. It was exciting, captivating, and left me wanting more. It actually felt somewhat similar to a quick version of The Hunger Games. It wasn’t necessarily that one boy and girl would survive, but there was an arena and there were tasks that needed to be completed in order to ‘win’. There wasn’t really a moment where I felt bored throughout the read, and I generally liked most of the characters.
There were parts where I felt improvement could be made. For instance, when Kaleb, the love interest, entered the scene and revealed a big secret, I felt it was rushed. Alexia, then proceeded to accept this big secret and reveal her own. I’m not sure if it’s because the characters are so young, but you would think that it would take a lot more than one date to reveal something so major in your life.
Please read my full review on my blog:
https://bookloverblogs.com/2016/11/18...
There were parts where I felt improvement could be made. For instance, when Kaleb, the love interest, entered the scene and revealed a big secret, I felt it was rushed. Alexia, then proceeded to accept this big secret and reveal her own. I’m not sure if it’s because the characters are so young, but you would think that it would take a lot more than one date to reveal something so major in your life.
Please read my full review on my blog:
https://bookloverblogs.com/2016/11/18...
October 26, 2016
Actual rating: 2.5
*Spoiler and language warning*
This review is meant to be an honest review and is not meant to be taken otherwise:
I started reading the book a while ago and it's taken me so much longer than usual to read (I can usually finish a book in a day or two) for a few reasons:
1) I had a hard time with the writing style. That could just be because I have just read so many out-of-the-park books recently and I've gotten spoiled, but I found it not as flowing as, say, Sarah Prineas or Sherrilyn Kenyon, so I struggled a bit - it didn't seem very.... engaging? I don't really know how to say it without sounding like a bitch, but this really is just a reader giving feedback in hopes of having the rest of the series no less than awesome.
2) The romance with Kaleb (especially in the beginning) just made me cringe so hard, mostly because it was really cliche and, again, at this point I'm used to the more different types of romances, and believe me, I have read a fair share of romances. I also am just personally not a fan of people who embarrass themselves so fully and completely in front of the romantic target nor of instantaneous romance; In Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices (SPOILER ALERT FOR INFERNAL DEVICES), Tessa's love for Will and Jem may be quick internally (though not this quick), but she purposely did not express it at all, really, (even going as far as saying-but-not-actually-saying that she does not love Will to him directly, even though we, as the reader, know that it's a lie) until way later after they had both proven their love. I just feel that she should've played at least a little hard to get instead of the instant "I'm gonna date you".
3) The deaths. Not just any death, because I personally love my tragedies and I highly respect authors who aren't afraid to take back what they've created, but the anti-climatic, unfeeling kind of death bugs me (not to say that Alexia didn't feel anything, but that I didn't); my two favorite characters were killed (of course) but I just.... didn't feel anything, especially for the second one where I felt like it basically went like this: "Oh, yeah, you know this guy? Well, he's dead now. Go fuck yourself." Again, not meaning to be a dick, but that's how I felt.
4) The predictability! It killed me a little inside how easily and early I could predict some things, such as the fact that our boy Kaleb was a vampire! While I'm fairly sure that it was purposefully so, I am not so big on easily predictable things like that. Also, I am 99.99% sure that Aranis had a crush on Alexia and had pulled her aside at the party to tell her just that when she brushed him off - also goes off of the cliched childhood-friend-who-has-loved-the-main-character-since-forever-though-they-never-noticed and the tough-boy-who-immediately-captivates-said-main-character.
So now that I've torn this book apart, let's get into the good shit. I really love the plot and the directions that it has and can go towards. Witches and magic in general are a favorite of mine, and this one is an original as far as this specific plot is concerned, at least from what I've read. I enjoyed how it showed Alexia's character and power development and didn't get right into it immediately, though I'm generally good with either one. The prologue was a huge success as far as keeping the reader reading and curious, wondering, "How do we get from here to here?", and I'm also glad that it kept going a bit after that at the very end, and the ending definitely makes me want to find out what happens next, an occurrence I easily fall prey to every time (the cliff-hanger at the end of Golden Son from the Red Rising Trilogy had me comatose for a few minutes, feeling empty for days, and obsessed for months - until Morning Star came out).
So, in good faith , I post this review as helping advice to the author and partly as my own obligation, since I won a free signed copy with a kick-ass bookmark in the giveaway, and hope for an amazing remainder of the series.
By the way, the character for Aranis and Darren (though Aranis in particular) were so good and I wanted to have them forever and really hope that at least Aranis gets brought back as a vamp or just comes back somehow in general.
*Spoiler and language warning*
This review is meant to be an honest review and is not meant to be taken otherwise:
I started reading the book a while ago and it's taken me so much longer than usual to read (I can usually finish a book in a day or two) for a few reasons:
1) I had a hard time with the writing style. That could just be because I have just read so many out-of-the-park books recently and I've gotten spoiled, but I found it not as flowing as, say, Sarah Prineas or Sherrilyn Kenyon, so I struggled a bit - it didn't seem very.... engaging? I don't really know how to say it without sounding like a bitch, but this really is just a reader giving feedback in hopes of having the rest of the series no less than awesome.
2) The romance with Kaleb (especially in the beginning) just made me cringe so hard, mostly because it was really cliche and, again, at this point I'm used to the more different types of romances, and believe me, I have read a fair share of romances. I also am just personally not a fan of people who embarrass themselves so fully and completely in front of the romantic target nor of instantaneous romance; In Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices (SPOILER ALERT FOR INFERNAL DEVICES), Tessa's love for Will and Jem may be quick internally (though not this quick), but she purposely did not express it at all, really, (even going as far as saying-but-not-actually-saying that she does not love Will to him directly, even though we, as the reader, know that it's a lie) until way later after they had both proven their love. I just feel that she should've played at least a little hard to get instead of the instant "I'm gonna date you".
3) The deaths. Not just any death, because I personally love my tragedies and I highly respect authors who aren't afraid to take back what they've created, but the anti-climatic, unfeeling kind of death bugs me (not to say that Alexia didn't feel anything, but that I didn't); my two favorite characters were killed (of course) but I just.... didn't feel anything, especially for the second one where I felt like it basically went like this: "Oh, yeah, you know this guy? Well, he's dead now. Go fuck yourself." Again, not meaning to be a dick, but that's how I felt.
4) The predictability! It killed me a little inside how easily and early I could predict some things, such as the fact that our boy Kaleb was a vampire! While I'm fairly sure that it was purposefully so, I am not so big on easily predictable things like that. Also, I am 99.99% sure that Aranis had a crush on Alexia and had pulled her aside at the party to tell her just that when she brushed him off - also goes off of the cliched childhood-friend-who-has-loved-the-main-character-since-forever-though-they-never-noticed and the tough-boy-who-immediately-captivates-said-main-character.
So now that I've torn this book apart, let's get into the good shit. I really love the plot and the directions that it has and can go towards. Witches and magic in general are a favorite of mine, and this one is an original as far as this specific plot is concerned, at least from what I've read. I enjoyed how it showed Alexia's character and power development and didn't get right into it immediately, though I'm generally good with either one. The prologue was a huge success as far as keeping the reader reading and curious, wondering, "How do we get from here to here?", and I'm also glad that it kept going a bit after that at the very end, and the ending definitely makes me want to find out what happens next, an occurrence I easily fall prey to every time (the cliff-hanger at the end of Golden Son from the Red Rising Trilogy had me comatose for a few minutes, feeling empty for days, and obsessed for months - until Morning Star came out).
So, in good faith , I post this review as helping advice to the author and partly as my own obligation, since I won a free signed copy with a kick-ass bookmark in the giveaway, and hope for an amazing remainder of the series.
By the way, the character for Aranis and Darren (though Aranis in particular) were so good and I wanted to have them forever and really hope that at least Aranis gets brought back as a vamp or just comes back somehow in general.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2016
At its core Rise is a tale about an ordinary girl with extraordinary abilities. Alexia Wick is much like any other teenager trying to make sense of the world around her, except she's coming into her own as a young witch.
The story is narrated through her eyes, as she tries her best to navigate the pressures of high school. In Alexia you will find a relatable character, who values family ties above all. You see, when you carry a life threatening secret as big as she does, your inner circle must be carefully chosen.
The story is narrated through her eyes, as she tries her best to navigate the pressures of high school. In Alexia you will find a relatable character, who values family ties above all. You see, when you carry a life threatening secret as big as she does, your inner circle must be carefully chosen.
February 7, 2018
Rise by Luis Almonte
This review will contain spoilers, so don’t read if you don’t want to know.
It was a somewhat original idea – covens of witches are scattered across the globe. There’s three big ones in America. Our MC, Alexis, belongs to one. She’s got a big brother, Ryan, and a little sister, Sam. They’re all high school age. Their parents are the leaders of the coven, in charge of protecting the Book of Forgotten Spells (or Forbidden Spells, I forget which exactly it is).
When witches are old enough or powerful enough, they go through Trials and raise their rank in their coven. It’s about that time for all three siblings. As they practice, they keep their witchy nature from the humans they go to school with. There cannot be any inter-coven relationships or even witch-human ones, and the book tries to explain why. I’m not really behind that 100%.
Okay, beyond lurk major spoilers. You’ve been warned. Twice.
Since witches are real, other supernatural creatures were bound to be real too. I know this. I’m aware of this. But the reveal of Kaleb’s nature, what he is, was so underwhelming. And Alexis just accepted it. I get that she’s a witch, but what kind of tutoring did she have about other supernatural things? Did she already know Vampires existed? That much I didn’t get from the book.
Let me list the clichés here:
1. Alexis’s blood smells soooo delicious to him, more so than any other being/human
2. From the moment they laid eyes on each other, it was insta-love at its finest
3. He wants her so bad, but he’s afraid of himself, as she should be. He wants to drink her blood after all, so she should by all means fear him as she’s fawning over him.
4. Broody Vampire who’s three hundred or whatever years old (he was made in the Civil War, or the War for Independence, one of the two, which honestly reminds me of Bill from True Blood) that wants a 15 (!) year old girl
5. She cannot stop thinking about him right after she meets him. I was a teenager girl once, long long ago, and yes, I will admit that I totally obsessed over guys. But at school, while I was going to sleep, I wasn’t thinking of them. I didn’t think of them ALL THE TIME. At sleepovers, my friends and I’d gush about guys. It’s what we talked about during lunch. But boys were not all I was focused on.
I love romance, but I like it when it’s just a small part of the story and it isn’t thrown in your face from meeting #1. Here, sure it didn’t take over the storyline, but it was definitely thrown in my face from their first encounter.
It took quite a while, I’d wager around 40% of the book, to fully get into the story. The world building was almost nonexistent, which could be why it took so long for me to get into it. I haven’t read that many books about witches, and that could be another reason too. I don’t understand why casting spells without speaking has turned into a forgotten art. In sneaky situations, wouldn’t you want to be able to cast spells silently? What if you’re a mute witch? Does that mean you’re screwed? Are those made up words or Latin or something else? Is the witch-casting language universal across the globe?
Hmm. I’m torn between two and three stars. I did enjoy the ending and the implications for the next book. It has the opportunity to get better, more intense, with the quest to save a certain little someone from Leviticus.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This review will contain spoilers, so don’t read if you don’t want to know.
It was a somewhat original idea – covens of witches are scattered across the globe. There’s three big ones in America. Our MC, Alexis, belongs to one. She’s got a big brother, Ryan, and a little sister, Sam. They’re all high school age. Their parents are the leaders of the coven, in charge of protecting the Book of Forgotten Spells (or Forbidden Spells, I forget which exactly it is).
When witches are old enough or powerful enough, they go through Trials and raise their rank in their coven. It’s about that time for all three siblings. As they practice, they keep their witchy nature from the humans they go to school with. There cannot be any inter-coven relationships or even witch-human ones, and the book tries to explain why. I’m not really behind that 100%.
Okay, beyond lurk major spoilers. You’ve been warned. Twice.
Since witches are real, other supernatural creatures were bound to be real too. I know this. I’m aware of this. But the reveal of Kaleb’s nature, what he is, was so underwhelming. And Alexis just accepted it. I get that she’s a witch, but what kind of tutoring did she have about other supernatural things? Did she already know Vampires existed? That much I didn’t get from the book.
Let me list the clichés here:
1. Alexis’s blood smells soooo delicious to him, more so than any other being/human
2. From the moment they laid eyes on each other, it was insta-love at its finest
3. He wants her so bad, but he’s afraid of himself, as she should be. He wants to drink her blood after all, so she should by all means fear him as she’s fawning over him.
4. Broody Vampire who’s three hundred or whatever years old (he was made in the Civil War, or the War for Independence, one of the two, which honestly reminds me of Bill from True Blood) that wants a 15 (!) year old girl
5. She cannot stop thinking about him right after she meets him. I was a teenager girl once, long long ago, and yes, I will admit that I totally obsessed over guys. But at school, while I was going to sleep, I wasn’t thinking of them. I didn’t think of them ALL THE TIME. At sleepovers, my friends and I’d gush about guys. It’s what we talked about during lunch. But boys were not all I was focused on.
I love romance, but I like it when it’s just a small part of the story and it isn’t thrown in your face from meeting #1. Here, sure it didn’t take over the storyline, but it was definitely thrown in my face from their first encounter.
It took quite a while, I’d wager around 40% of the book, to fully get into the story. The world building was almost nonexistent, which could be why it took so long for me to get into it. I haven’t read that many books about witches, and that could be another reason too. I don’t understand why casting spells without speaking has turned into a forgotten art. In sneaky situations, wouldn’t you want to be able to cast spells silently? What if you’re a mute witch? Does that mean you’re screwed? Are those made up words or Latin or something else? Is the witch-casting language universal across the globe?
Hmm. I’m torn between two and three stars. I did enjoy the ending and the implications for the next book. It has the opportunity to get better, more intense, with the quest to save a certain little someone from Leviticus.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 19, 2016
I received a free copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book had short periods of somewhat exciting parts in between long periods of drawn-out description of . . . not much. Training in the Wicks' attic, I guess. And the not-really-explained estrangement between Alexia and her former best friend Arianne. I really couldn't tell you what of importance happened in the first half of the book. Honestly.
The prologue was essentially a chapter entirely removed from the last 20% of the book and planted in the front. It made me think the book was a lot more exciting than it was. In fact, I completely forgot about the prologue until I got to the part near the end where it belonged. It seemed almost like I was reading two different books. The nature of Kaleb and his family felt somewhat out of place--
Events that I would have expected to take up large portions of the book because of their importance--like the Trials--took barely any time at all. Essentially, anything exciting was brief.
The character development was okay, not great. Alexia's little sister, Sam, reminded me a lot of Amy from Little Women--and that's not a good thing, as Amy has always annoyed me to no end. The writing was, again, okay. There was a lot of description and narrative, but I don't recall much in the way of details that added to the story. I hope that since this was an uncorrected proof, the book's editor caught the errors before the final printing. For example, Almnote has a severe case of "___ and I" in places where it is grammatically incorrect. PSA: "___ and I" is to be used as a subject ("Joe and I like popcorn"); "___ and me" is to be used as an object ("Mom told Joe and me to clean our rooms"). Alexia seemed to think her father was both short and extremely tall at the same time. If I remember correctly, he wasn't much taller than I am (I'm 5'6). I'm sure there are other examples I'm forgetting, but those are things that bother me.
I'm interested to know what happens with the story, but I don't think I care enough to read whatever books come next.
How it ends:
Note: Maybe some mild language, but I can't remember.
This book had short periods of somewhat exciting parts in between long periods of drawn-out description of . . . not much. Training in the Wicks' attic, I guess. And the not-really-explained estrangement between Alexia and her former best friend Arianne. I really couldn't tell you what of importance happened in the first half of the book. Honestly.
The prologue was essentially a chapter entirely removed from the last 20% of the book and planted in the front. It made me think the book was a lot more exciting than it was. In fact, I completely forgot about the prologue until I got to the part near the end where it belonged. It seemed almost like I was reading two different books. The nature of Kaleb and his family felt somewhat out of place--
Events that I would have expected to take up large portions of the book because of their importance--like the Trials--took barely any time at all. Essentially, anything exciting was brief.
The character development was okay, not great. Alexia's little sister, Sam, reminded me a lot of Amy from Little Women--and that's not a good thing, as Amy has always annoyed me to no end. The writing was, again, okay. There was a lot of description and narrative, but I don't recall much in the way of details that added to the story. I hope that since this was an uncorrected proof, the book's editor caught the errors before the final printing. For example, Almnote has a severe case of "___ and I" in places where it is grammatically incorrect. PSA: "___ and I" is to be used as a subject ("Joe and I like popcorn"); "___ and me" is to be used as an object ("Mom told Joe and me to clean our rooms"). Alexia seemed to think her father was both short and extremely tall at the same time. If I remember correctly, he wasn't much taller than I am (I'm 5'6). I'm sure there are other examples I'm forgetting, but those are things that bother me.
I'm interested to know what happens with the story, but I don't think I care enough to read whatever books come next.
How it ends:
Note: Maybe some mild language, but I can't remember.
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December 9, 2016
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OMG WHAT A STORY! So, I was beyond confused at the start, not really caring for prologues that start at the end of the book. I was really worried that I had made a mistake picking up Rise by Luis Almonte. Then, the story switched to what happened before the prologue and just yessss! Read this in one sitting because it was that much fun!
Now, before you pick this up, do be aware that this is very much a young adult book. I don’t just mean it’s a book for young adults, I mean it reads like a book for teenagers, not like the other “young adult” books we might be used to that can sometimes pass for adult fiction (not the erotic kind). It’s cute and intense all at once.
Alexia is daughter to two of the most powerful witches in her coven and approaching her pre-trial, a time where young witches are given the chance to prove their prowess and finesse with the craft before moving onto Trials and then being recognized as an actual apprentice/student with potential. Of course, while this is all going on, she has school going on where her one-time bff no longer seems to be her friend, being from rival covens after all. Yet, there’s still the boy best friend from the rival coven, there for her. Almonte is great at side-stepping the potential one-sided romance here, shutting it down right after its implied to the reader. I loved that because we got the “angst” but without having it drawn out like it is in most YA books.
And the reason it gets shut down? Kaleb, yummm, the fantastic new student that’s also mysterious with his mysterious sister. I love him SO MUCH. Yes, the romance between him and Alexia is seemingly quick and sudden, but I didn’t care because I wanted it so badly. Then, we find out his secret (which I had already predicted woohoo) and it’s even better!
So, why three stars? I think mainly because it was fun, but it wasn’t the pinnacle of YA fiction. While it was fun, some parts were predictable and the writing was okay but not amazing. Still, Rise by Luis Almonte was extremely enjoyable and I would definitely pick up the second book in the series.
// I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this title. //
December 6, 2016
Rise, the first installment in Trifecta series, is a YA Paranormal book about witches and magic.
Alexia Wick, the protagonist of the story, is a 15-year-old sophomore at South Haven Academy who is also a witch with exceptional powers learning magic from her mentor Darren. The story revolves around her working hard to pass her trials and balancing school life. Alexia soon meets Kaleb, a charming guy who she finds attractive. They grew closer but Kaleb has a secret too that can destroy their relation.
This 240-page long book is fun to read as we learn about Alexia, her family, and the unique world she lives in. The plot of this book is quite different which involves 3 types of witches, their covens and their history with vampires. It gives Divergent–esque vibe in some parts. The book ends on a promising note, foreshadowing the interesting events that will follow in the series which I’m looking forward to.
Apart from few typing mistakes, I also found some annoying things that bugged me and forced me to give it a 3-star rating.
I enjoyed the story overall but I find it hard to relate to any of the characters. The author, instead of taking the time to develop characters and make them interact more, did a lot of info dump. The world building was somewhat confusing; important points were loosely introduced and not explained enough, the relationship between characters didn’t feel real – almost robotic. However, I love the strong bond Alexia shared with her family.
Talking about the romantic relationship between Kaleb and Alexia, I didn’t see the bond between them. Maybe romance was a secondary/tertiary theme of the book yet it felt too forced or not developed enough. I wanted to see more interaction between them rather than too much description on certain unimportant things.
After reading the prologue, I had a clear idea where the story was going and that made me lose interest in what happened in the course of the middle part and made me wanted to skim through it.I didn’t and I’m glad. It’s all worth it in the end. I really like where the series is going – the upcoming events look interesting and I have high hopes for the sequel given it ended on a promising note.
Recommended for all YA Paranormal/Witch/Magic fiction lovers.
Alexia Wick, the protagonist of the story, is a 15-year-old sophomore at South Haven Academy who is also a witch with exceptional powers learning magic from her mentor Darren. The story revolves around her working hard to pass her trials and balancing school life. Alexia soon meets Kaleb, a charming guy who she finds attractive. They grew closer but Kaleb has a secret too that can destroy their relation.
This 240-page long book is fun to read as we learn about Alexia, her family, and the unique world she lives in. The plot of this book is quite different which involves 3 types of witches, their covens and their history with vampires. It gives Divergent–esque vibe in some parts. The book ends on a promising note, foreshadowing the interesting events that will follow in the series which I’m looking forward to.
Apart from few typing mistakes, I also found some annoying things that bugged me and forced me to give it a 3-star rating.
I enjoyed the story overall but I find it hard to relate to any of the characters. The author, instead of taking the time to develop characters and make them interact more, did a lot of info dump. The world building was somewhat confusing; important points were loosely introduced and not explained enough, the relationship between characters didn’t feel real – almost robotic. However, I love the strong bond Alexia shared with her family.
Talking about the romantic relationship between Kaleb and Alexia, I didn’t see the bond between them. Maybe romance was a secondary/tertiary theme of the book yet it felt too forced or not developed enough. I wanted to see more interaction between them rather than too much description on certain unimportant things.
After reading the prologue, I had a clear idea where the story was going and that made me lose interest in what happened in the course of the middle part and made me wanted to skim through it.I didn’t and I’m glad. It’s all worth it in the end. I really like where the series is going – the upcoming events look interesting and I have high hopes for the sequel given it ended on a promising note.
Recommended for all YA Paranormal/Witch/Magic fiction lovers.
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