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Paradisa
Gods may be real, but the true heroes are human. That includes ex-Navy SEAL Connor Bishara, whose life fell apart when a colleague outed him as gay. In the ten years since his discharge, he’s lived each day listlessly as a fry cook, supporting his sister Clara's dreams instead of his own.
But as the political tensions of Paradisa - realm of the gods - start to bleed into Earth, a new door opens for saving the world. Taking the fight to them, Connor binds his soul to the enigmatic archangel Raphael—and struggles to cope with the sudden intimacy after years of shutting people out.
With the help of his sister and the varied pantheons of world mythology, Connor must open himself to love and defend men and gods from the encroaching war…or watch an army of evil destroy heaven from within.
But as the political tensions of Paradisa - realm of the gods - start to bleed into Earth, a new door opens for saving the world. Taking the fight to them, Connor binds his soul to the enigmatic archangel Raphael—and struggles to cope with the sudden intimacy after years of shutting people out.
With the help of his sister and the varied pantheons of world mythology, Connor must open himself to love and defend men and gods from the encroaching war…or watch an army of evil destroy heaven from within.
- GenresM M Romance
282 pages, Hardcover
Published February 27, 2020
10 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 15, 2021
"I just want to matter. To a person. To a group. To the world. I don't know."
I'd been excited to read this book for a while and it didn't disappoint, i fell in love with the writing instantly. There's incredible world building and lots of characters from a variety of mythology which i adored.
Also enjoyed the alternating povs between siblings Connor and Clara, each of their voices shine in own way and very different - i liked seeing how the plot developed through both of them. Each of them get a lot of development throughout the story as they learn about Paradisa and get used to the situation.
I liked how Wards were described the impact it has on the mortal and the ancients, the bonding of souls. How they could feel each others pain and emotions, the connection was beautiful and bittersweet.
Especially fell in love with Hephaestus he has always been a favourite for me, so i loved that he has a starring role here and Aphrodite was amazing too. Of course there's the angels to and I'm always fascinated by Michael and Lucifers tale, so i enjoyed how they appeared here.
I appreciated the amount of flaws in the character's too, they were recognised and self aware a lot yet it was so satisfying to see in all of them. Made the characters come to life and relatable, i definitely connected with Clara in a lot of her moments.
The romance is very subtle and slow burn across the story, it fit the characters and was beautiful to see them finally come together in the end. Also lots of amazing rep throughout, in various conversations and i loved that so much!
Plenty of incredible quotes and lines in this story, that really made me think and can relate a lot.
Overall theres just a lot to enjoy in this book, it has a bit of everything. I was of course a huge fan of the mythology, action and general plot was an interesting concept.
The ending is great with how reflects to the beginning and the epilogue is perfection. Would love to see more adventures in Paradisa! 💕
"But when you live as long as we do, you realise no one's name lasts forever. "
I'd been excited to read this book for a while and it didn't disappoint, i fell in love with the writing instantly. There's incredible world building and lots of characters from a variety of mythology which i adored.
Also enjoyed the alternating povs between siblings Connor and Clara, each of their voices shine in own way and very different - i liked seeing how the plot developed through both of them. Each of them get a lot of development throughout the story as they learn about Paradisa and get used to the situation.
I liked how Wards were described the impact it has on the mortal and the ancients, the bonding of souls. How they could feel each others pain and emotions, the connection was beautiful and bittersweet.
Especially fell in love with Hephaestus he has always been a favourite for me, so i loved that he has a starring role here and Aphrodite was amazing too. Of course there's the angels to and I'm always fascinated by Michael and Lucifers tale, so i enjoyed how they appeared here.
I appreciated the amount of flaws in the character's too, they were recognised and self aware a lot yet it was so satisfying to see in all of them. Made the characters come to life and relatable, i definitely connected with Clara in a lot of her moments.
The romance is very subtle and slow burn across the story, it fit the characters and was beautiful to see them finally come together in the end. Also lots of amazing rep throughout, in various conversations and i loved that so much!
Plenty of incredible quotes and lines in this story, that really made me think and can relate a lot.
Overall theres just a lot to enjoy in this book, it has a bit of everything. I was of course a huge fan of the mythology, action and general plot was an interesting concept.
The ending is great with how reflects to the beginning and the epilogue is perfection. Would love to see more adventures in Paradisa! 💕
"But when you live as long as we do, you realise no one's name lasts forever. "
May 3, 2020
Parasida is a mythology-blend following Connor and his sister Clara as they are pulled into adventure and battle.
Initially, I was a little underwhelmed because the blurb (at least the one on my copy of the book) described "political tensions" and "encroaching war" which makes the story sound more EPIC than it actually is. That's not to say there aren't battles and such - I'm talking about TONE. If you're looking for Game of Thrones Mythology Edition, this isn't it. This has the tone of a... slightly mature Disney's Hercules.
When I say mature, I mean there's swearing, injury, and golden god blood. It's more FUN than it is epic. When I looked at the book with this mindset, I enjoyed it a lot more. Yet another example of how blurbs ruin everything.
So if you're looking for a fairly light, wish-fulfilment adventure with plenty of cameos, then this is the book for you.
Initially, I was a little underwhelmed because the blurb (at least the one on my copy of the book) described "political tensions" and "encroaching war" which makes the story sound more EPIC than it actually is. That's not to say there aren't battles and such - I'm talking about TONE. If you're looking for Game of Thrones Mythology Edition, this isn't it. This has the tone of a... slightly mature Disney's Hercules.
When I say mature, I mean there's swearing, injury, and golden god blood. It's more FUN than it is epic. When I looked at the book with this mindset, I enjoyed it a lot more. Yet another example of how blurbs ruin everything.
So if you're looking for a fairly light, wish-fulfilment adventure with plenty of cameos, then this is the book for you.
February 2, 2021
Paradisa has the gorgeous scenery of a fantasy, the tech of a science fiction (clockwork style), and the pounding character action of an urban fantasy. For those who want a great fiction ride through mythology (and not just the Ancient Greek/Roman gods, though the focus is there since that is where the story starts), Paradisa is it.
The two point-of-view characters are brother and sister. The brother is ex-military and gay; the sister is an ace. They get caught up in saving some gods and dragged into a world beyond their imagining, but they journey together, providing support to each other. Mortals in an immortal world. Will they be able to survive - or will they end up in the Underworld, drowned in the waters of the Lethe?
A quick and enjoyable read.
(Read through Kindle Unlimited)
The two point-of-view characters are brother and sister. The brother is ex-military and gay; the sister is an ace. They get caught up in saving some gods and dragged into a world beyond their imagining, but they journey together, providing support to each other. Mortals in an immortal world. Will they be able to survive - or will they end up in the Underworld, drowned in the waters of the Lethe?
A quick and enjoyable read.
(Read through Kindle Unlimited)
January 29, 2021
Not bad but didn't truly capture my attention Certain chapters were a drag to get through. Overall, it's an ok book in my opinion but I'm not impressed or wanting more by this author. Maybe I'll read it again next year and see if my opinion changes.
November 15, 2023
Absolutely loved this book and have read it multiple times since. It's capitavting, doesn't get boring and the characters feel fully fleshed out and important to the story.
A very good read that I have recommended to many people so far.
A very good read that I have recommended to many people so far.
April 30, 2020
World building at a supernatural scale. The author does an amazing job of weaving all the world's religions/mythology together.
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July 18, 2020DNF. Bailing because there's to and fro with lavish descriptions of place, but not much else. Lots of world building via info dump. Interesting mashup of monotheistic and pagan mythologies.
April 7, 2020
OMG OMG. I've been WAITING for this book for a long time. When Michelle finally released it, I bought it immediately. As one of her early beta readers, I longed to see how this story fleshed out, and I was not disappointed. This is pure beauty and art.
The character development here is just superb. Connor is easy to warm up to, and he feels so real, with his past, his flaws and regrets and his raw strength and love. Clara shines in her own. Her identity becomes more fleshed out softly and naturally, and the way she's written is like watching a child grow into adulthood in a short time, but feeling completely natural. Raphael is just pure wonderfullness. He's got his troubles, but he is such a balm to Connor and their bond grows into something very layered, profound and unyielding. Of course Aphrodite and Hephaestus were great side characters, deep in their own ways, and in the end their story progressed with just as much satisfaction.
The relationship that grew between Raphael and Connor was slow burn but it totally fit their characters. It was obvious that both of them had their own things to work out before finally admitting that their bond was more than just a ward-angel bond. The trust and care they showed in each other was immediate, and over the course of the story it just grew with tremendous warmth. Honestly, I cheered when they finally revealed how they felt about each other, which is the kind of love story you want to root for and see. It was authentic and without a doubt beautiful the way they came together in the end.
The action scenes were fantastic, methodical and well described, something I've seen as a strength in Michelle's work before. These were even tighter and it's no surprise as her director talents seep into her world building and battle scenes.
Finally, I just want to note the tone and way words are put together. It's easy to get lost in this beautiful, fast moving story. It's just that good that I wanted to get to the next part immediately to see what happens. It's a true talent of storytelling here, but in addition to that, I really suggest that readers pay close attention to the way words are spun, the way things are described or how thoughts are conveyed. Many times I felt struck by the way a phrase was written or how a thought was described.
An epic story that is definitely going on my favorites list. As a early beta reader, I felt like this was like an old friend that I'd missed. Definitely recommend this story to others!
The character development here is just superb. Connor is easy to warm up to, and he feels so real, with his past, his flaws and regrets and his raw strength and love. Clara shines in her own. Her identity becomes more fleshed out softly and naturally, and the way she's written is like watching a child grow into adulthood in a short time, but feeling completely natural. Raphael is just pure wonderfullness. He's got his troubles, but he is such a balm to Connor and their bond grows into something very layered, profound and unyielding. Of course Aphrodite and Hephaestus were great side characters, deep in their own ways, and in the end their story progressed with just as much satisfaction.
The relationship that grew between Raphael and Connor was slow burn but it totally fit their characters. It was obvious that both of them had their own things to work out before finally admitting that their bond was more than just a ward-angel bond. The trust and care they showed in each other was immediate, and over the course of the story it just grew with tremendous warmth. Honestly, I cheered when they finally revealed how they felt about each other, which is the kind of love story you want to root for and see. It was authentic and without a doubt beautiful the way they came together in the end.
The action scenes were fantastic, methodical and well described, something I've seen as a strength in Michelle's work before. These were even tighter and it's no surprise as her director talents seep into her world building and battle scenes.
Finally, I just want to note the tone and way words are put together. It's easy to get lost in this beautiful, fast moving story. It's just that good that I wanted to get to the next part immediately to see what happens. It's a true talent of storytelling here, but in addition to that, I really suggest that readers pay close attention to the way words are spun, the way things are described or how thoughts are conveyed. Many times I felt struck by the way a phrase was written or how a thought was described.
An epic story that is definitely going on my favorites list. As a early beta reader, I felt like this was like an old friend that I'd missed. Definitely recommend this story to others!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews