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She just wants some peace. He’s trying to stop the bloodshed. Together, will they forge a destiny to save the world… or bring it to its knees? Ophelia Banner knows something’s wrong with her. Cursed to experience others’ emotions and steal their secrets, she longs to feel normal. But after a charming golden-eyed stranger claims her ability is a potent gift, she’s haunted with more questions than answers… Elias Kraus is desperate to end the hidden 3,000-year war that claimed the life of his parents. Close to organizing a summit to unite his allies, he’s shocked when a chance meeting with a woman reveals she’s his fated other half. But though he’s immediately captivated by the young beauty, he fears the prophecy foretelling doom for humanity if the couple dares to mate. With dark forces lurking around them, Ophelia works to develop her powers in a concealed fortress. And as Elias wrestles with telling her they’re destined to be together, he suspects there may be a traitor in their midst. Will Ophelia and Elias’s pairing restore the balance or send humankind to its destruction? Found is the page-turning first book in The Conduit Chronicles adult urban fantasy series. If you like strong characters, gods and monsters, and a dash of romance, then you’ll love Ashley Hohenstein’s spectacular adventure. Buy Found to undo a catastrophic omen today!
388 pages, Paperback
Published January 25, 2018
318 people are currently reading
328 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Hohenstein
12 books24 followersA LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME…
I was born in Paradise, California. That’s in the north for those of you unfamiliar with California geography. I was a voracious reader by the age of eight. I loved disappearing into a book. In many ways I found reading to be my sanctuary during a childhood that was not all so simple or happy. Tragedy struck our family early on, first with my father’s death when I was seven and then my step father’s death at eleven.
When a lot of things seemed uncertain, my imagination was a constant.
Consequently, when I wasn’t reading, I was writing. I was just digging through old boxes where I found several short stories I had written in elementary school. It was great to be reminded how integral writing has been in my life.
Fast forward to my twenties. I had set aside my pen and paper for a business. I had built a thriving massage practice but was in need of some serious TLC. So, I took off on a wild adventure—backpacking across Europe. This trip would change my life in many ways, but obviously it had a great deal to do with getting me here. Indeed, while traveling on a train, my imagination intoxicated with historical facts and architecture, The Conduit Chronicles began to dance around in my head. The story started out fuzzy and sparse but after the three months of travel drew to a close, I knew the Conduit world well.
I came home, bought a laptop and started getting the story down on paper. Then life happened and from then until now it would take me seven years to publish the first book, Found.
The good news is the second book only took me seven months and I intend to finish the series along with a few novellas by the end of 2021.
So where did all this writing mojo come from?I guess once you open Pandora's box, there's no turning back. I still massage and run a full-time business, but with the right support I make time for my dreams as well.
If you want to know more about my reading preferences or what I enjoy about being a writer, check out my Q&A section. I have some fun facts there.
I was born in Paradise, California. That’s in the north for those of you unfamiliar with California geography. I was a voracious reader by the age of eight. I loved disappearing into a book. In many ways I found reading to be my sanctuary during a childhood that was not all so simple or happy. Tragedy struck our family early on, first with my father’s death when I was seven and then my step father’s death at eleven.
When a lot of things seemed uncertain, my imagination was a constant.
Consequently, when I wasn’t reading, I was writing. I was just digging through old boxes where I found several short stories I had written in elementary school. It was great to be reminded how integral writing has been in my life.
Fast forward to my twenties. I had set aside my pen and paper for a business. I had built a thriving massage practice but was in need of some serious TLC. So, I took off on a wild adventure—backpacking across Europe. This trip would change my life in many ways, but obviously it had a great deal to do with getting me here. Indeed, while traveling on a train, my imagination intoxicated with historical facts and architecture, The Conduit Chronicles began to dance around in my head. The story started out fuzzy and sparse but after the three months of travel drew to a close, I knew the Conduit world well.
I came home, bought a laptop and started getting the story down on paper. Then life happened and from then until now it would take me seven years to publish the first book, Found.
The good news is the second book only took me seven months and I intend to finish the series along with a few novellas by the end of 2021.
So where did all this writing mojo come from?I guess once you open Pandora's box, there's no turning back. I still massage and run a full-time business, but with the right support I make time for my dreams as well.
If you want to know more about my reading preferences or what I enjoy about being a writer, check out my Q&A section. I have some fun facts there.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
January 23, 2022
I landed on a 2.5 rating rounded down primarily because I wanted to give up on this one so many times but pushed through it. I did think the concept of the world was interesting and the almost godlike hidden race was definitely intriguing. I look when books shift focuses like this one did, but I felt like the chapters were so short it hindered some character growth development. I also wanted this 600+ page ebook to be about more than a love triangle! All the ground work was there for adventure and fantasy and magic, but page after page just kept coming back to a love triangle in a world where two special beings are fated to be together. So it wasn’t even a very intriguing love triangle. It also may not have helped that I found every single character to be flat, unrealistic, and unlike able. I absolutely didn’t care what happened to anyone which is a hard way to live through a book. Obviously these are just my opinion so if you like urban fantasy adventure with a strong leaning towards a love triangle give this one a try.
June 18, 2019
Wow! What an amazing adventure. This book is so graphically enticing, and psychologically titillating. I cannot say enough good things about it! Do yourself a favor, give it a read. I finished it in less than 48 hours. Thank goodness I had the next book in the series to pick up immediately after. :-)
May 7, 2018
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.
Honestly I was thinking of not finishing this book, because the book had a slow beginning but it picked up to the point where I finished the rest of the book in one night. There were definitely slow moments and moments where I was confused on what was going on. Sometimes there was too much information given where I would be confused. Sometimes a scene would drag on just a little bit longer than it should and I would get a little bored.
Personally, I'm a sucker for the soulmate trope but I am not the biggest fan of love triangles. The one in this book also confused me, because I felt like we weren't given a lot of background knowledge about either of her potential suitors and how/why she fell in love with them. Even by the end, I only felt like I was rooting for one only because the other was annoying and borderline controlling majority of the book.
However, I feel like this storyline has potential and I want to see what direction she chooses to take it in.
Honestly I was thinking of not finishing this book, because the book had a slow beginning but it picked up to the point where I finished the rest of the book in one night. There were definitely slow moments and moments where I was confused on what was going on. Sometimes there was too much information given where I would be confused. Sometimes a scene would drag on just a little bit longer than it should and I would get a little bored.
Personally, I'm a sucker for the soulmate trope but I am not the biggest fan of love triangles. The one in this book also confused me, because I felt like we weren't given a lot of background knowledge about either of her potential suitors and how/why she fell in love with them. Even by the end, I only felt like I was rooting for one only because the other was annoying and borderline controlling majority of the book.
However, I feel like this storyline has potential and I want to see what direction she chooses to take it in.
January 14, 2022
The book Found starts out strong and immediately caught my attention. Through out the book the point of view switches mostly between the characters Elias and Ophelia, which made it a little challenging for me to get into. But I believe that is mostly just a personal preference thing since I struggle with that a bit with most books that have characters that switch point of view. The second part of this book jumps ahead a year and a half and introduces a new character, Lucas, who also has chapters that are of his point of view. Overall, I thought this book was pretty good and had an intriguing story, but I found myself slowly losing interest as the book went on which led me to rushing through the pages in attempt to regain interest in the book. Unfortunately I wanted to like this book more than I did, but it was extremely well written and had a good story line.
May 4, 2018
Couldn't put it down
I read thrillers and mysteries, mysteries and thrillers and a few police procedurals. I read a lot, usually 1 - 2 books per week. I know what I like to read and don't stray from my preferred genres or hardly ever. I read romance and fantasy novels......ugh.....never! That was until I read this amazing first novel. I planned on reading the first 40 pages or so to please a lady friend who had recommended it to me. I blew past the 40 pages and didn't stop reading it until the next morning.
Found is a confidently written first novel with engaging characters, and a terrific plotline , I literally couldn't put it down. It's something like a science fiction/fantasy/romance and suspense novel if that genre exists. Rubenstein writes in a visual style that paints her characters and their environments
in a magical way that illuminates unseen and unknown worlds different than our own. Her writing feels very natural and like all the best science fiction writers switches between worlds seamlessly never causing this reader to question where the author will take them next.
I really liked this book a lot. The plotline and characters captured my interest from the beginning and it was a fun read. This is the first book of four and the highest praise I can give it is that I'm really looking forward to it's sequels.
I read thrillers and mysteries, mysteries and thrillers and a few police procedurals. I read a lot, usually 1 - 2 books per week. I know what I like to read and don't stray from my preferred genres or hardly ever. I read romance and fantasy novels......ugh.....never! That was until I read this amazing first novel. I planned on reading the first 40 pages or so to please a lady friend who had recommended it to me. I blew past the 40 pages and didn't stop reading it until the next morning.
Found is a confidently written first novel with engaging characters, and a terrific plotline , I literally couldn't put it down. It's something like a science fiction/fantasy/romance and suspense novel if that genre exists. Rubenstein writes in a visual style that paints her characters and their environments
in a magical way that illuminates unseen and unknown worlds different than our own. Her writing feels very natural and like all the best science fiction writers switches between worlds seamlessly never causing this reader to question where the author will take them next.
I really liked this book a lot. The plotline and characters captured my interest from the beginning and it was a fun read. This is the first book of four and the highest praise I can give it is that I'm really looking forward to it's sequels.
January 20, 2022
Thank you BookishFirst and author Ashley Hohenstein for providing an electronic version of the book Found for me to read and review. If you're a fan of fiction, fantasy, magical powers, action, and love triangles, this book is for you.
The main protagonist is a girl named Ophelia, and she has magical powers that allow her to feel & experience other people's emotions. She doesn't realize it's a good magical power until she meets Elias, who also has powers and later introduces her to the magical world she wasn't a part of. Elias and Ophelia are soul mates in the magical world BUT Ophelia also has feelings for her housemate Lucas. This is where the love triangle comes in and I'm not a huge fan of it. There's no real reason why Ophelia likes both men other than the fact that she physically reacts to Elias and finds Lucas attractive. We're also constantly reminded that the two men are fighting over her and she's also not making up her mind about who she wants to be with so she's stringing both of them along. I feel like she needs to be a strong independent woman and make a choice and stick with it.
The chapters alternate perspectives between Ophelia, Elias, and Lucas. I personally wanted more chapters from Elias' POV because he has more things going on other than pining for Ophelia. The beginning of the book starts with an amazing action scene with Elias, and you learn about his mission and how dangerous it was going to be, but the rest of the book just puts this plot on hold! This storyline just freezes and disappears for the rest of the book, and it's all about Ophelia being pampered and spoiled while she learns about her magical powers. As I was reading, I kept looking at the page numbers to see when we're going to get back into action, and I was disappointed that the majority of the book was just filler and small character moments for Ophelia.
I understand that this is a fantasy novel and nothing was supposed to be realistic, but I felt like the characters were very one-dimensional. Everyone was beautiful, everyone was glowing, everyone was skilled and had an epic story...why aren't there more diverse characters? And why is everyone so fixated and obsessed with Ophelia? Only near the end of the book do we find out that Ophelia is linked to some future catastrophic event, but why was it revealed so late in the book? We never understand why Ophelia needed to be protected and I think this was a huge miss for this story.
I think the magical world is really interesting, I appreciate the detailed floor plans at the end of the book that helped me visualize the setting better, and I like all the minor characters' background stories but there are more things that I found disappointing rather than satisfactory. I don't think the novel had enough action scenes, the plot barely moved forward at all, I feel like the book was so long and yet barely anything happened, I don't like how everyone was one-note and I don't like how Ophelia was coddled. This novel gave me Twilight Saga vibes where an ordinary girl catches the eye of an attractive magical male protagonist and her life changes forever but she gets protected and carried along by attractive people. I feel like there's so much potential for this magical world and I wish the book focused more on that.
The main protagonist is a girl named Ophelia, and she has magical powers that allow her to feel & experience other people's emotions. She doesn't realize it's a good magical power until she meets Elias, who also has powers and later introduces her to the magical world she wasn't a part of. Elias and Ophelia are soul mates in the magical world BUT Ophelia also has feelings for her housemate Lucas. This is where the love triangle comes in and I'm not a huge fan of it. There's no real reason why Ophelia likes both men other than the fact that she physically reacts to Elias and finds Lucas attractive. We're also constantly reminded that the two men are fighting over her and she's also not making up her mind about who she wants to be with so she's stringing both of them along. I feel like she needs to be a strong independent woman and make a choice and stick with it.
The chapters alternate perspectives between Ophelia, Elias, and Lucas. I personally wanted more chapters from Elias' POV because he has more things going on other than pining for Ophelia. The beginning of the book starts with an amazing action scene with Elias, and you learn about his mission and how dangerous it was going to be, but the rest of the book just puts this plot on hold! This storyline just freezes and disappears for the rest of the book, and it's all about Ophelia being pampered and spoiled while she learns about her magical powers. As I was reading, I kept looking at the page numbers to see when we're going to get back into action, and I was disappointed that the majority of the book was just filler and small character moments for Ophelia.
I understand that this is a fantasy novel and nothing was supposed to be realistic, but I felt like the characters were very one-dimensional. Everyone was beautiful, everyone was glowing, everyone was skilled and had an epic story...why aren't there more diverse characters? And why is everyone so fixated and obsessed with Ophelia? Only near the end of the book do we find out that Ophelia is linked to some future catastrophic event, but why was it revealed so late in the book? We never understand why Ophelia needed to be protected and I think this was a huge miss for this story.
I think the magical world is really interesting, I appreciate the detailed floor plans at the end of the book that helped me visualize the setting better, and I like all the minor characters' background stories but there are more things that I found disappointing rather than satisfactory. I don't think the novel had enough action scenes, the plot barely moved forward at all, I feel like the book was so long and yet barely anything happened, I don't like how everyone was one-note and I don't like how Ophelia was coddled. This novel gave me Twilight Saga vibes where an ordinary girl catches the eye of an attractive magical male protagonist and her life changes forever but she gets protected and carried along by attractive people. I feel like there's so much potential for this magical world and I wish the book focused more on that.
January 21, 2022
Found opens with an action-filled scene featuring Elias and hinting at all sorts of dark magic. I was hooked. Or thought I was.
Things immediately grind to a halt as we’re introduced to Ophelia and Lucas. Content feels murky and disconnected, with more ambiguity than suspense.
Soon, all three characters and their stories converge, and suddenly the sole focus is an annoying, persistent love triangle. I mean, the entire book is all about this relationship drama. The “...conflict between gods and monsters that has raged for a millennia..” is barely background noise until we’re almost at the end of the book, when we briefly escape the mash of testosterone and the pampered love interest for a little action. Though, even here, the love triangle rears its ugly head to ensure we don’t forget.
Sadly, the promise of the gods and magic is never properly explored, though the hints are fascinating.
Then, we get to the end, and we’re left dangling off a ledge. I’m talking not one but multiple cliffhangers! We have absolutely NO resolution about anything at all, not even the nauseating love triangle.
I almost gave up not even halfway into this one. But I found the audio on Scribd, and the narrator is phenomenal. Her ability to flawlessly transition through the multiple accents and personalities was, I’m sorry to say, far more entertaining than the story itself.
Of course, all this complaining is just my opinion. If you enjoy love triangles with a vague promise of more to come, you might love this book.
*I received a free ebook via a BookishFirst giveaway.*
Things immediately grind to a halt as we’re introduced to Ophelia and Lucas. Content feels murky and disconnected, with more ambiguity than suspense.
Soon, all three characters and their stories converge, and suddenly the sole focus is an annoying, persistent love triangle. I mean, the entire book is all about this relationship drama. The “...conflict between gods and monsters that has raged for a millennia..” is barely background noise until we’re almost at the end of the book, when we briefly escape the mash of testosterone and the pampered love interest for a little action. Though, even here, the love triangle rears its ugly head to ensure we don’t forget.
Sadly, the promise of the gods and magic is never properly explored, though the hints are fascinating.
Then, we get to the end, and we’re left dangling off a ledge. I’m talking not one but multiple cliffhangers! We have absolutely NO resolution about anything at all, not even the nauseating love triangle.
I almost gave up not even halfway into this one. But I found the audio on Scribd, and the narrator is phenomenal. Her ability to flawlessly transition through the multiple accents and personalities was, I’m sorry to say, far more entertaining than the story itself.
Of course, all this complaining is just my opinion. If you enjoy love triangles with a vague promise of more to come, you might love this book.
*I received a free ebook via a BookishFirst giveaway.*
May 6, 2018
Found: The Conduit Chronicles (ARC) by Ashley Hohenstein: ***** Different, riveting
This story had me riveted as it unfolded and it stayed with me when I wasn’t able to read. It had some slow areas, but overall a good pace with a engrossing storyline. The primal theme in this story is about a love that is supposed to be, but threatens an entire world if consummated. A war lurks between powerful beings with incredible abilities and there’s a traitor in the midst of the alliance. This book has it all - mystery, danger, surprises.... likable and well developed characters, and deep love, fear, and hate. But, it ends on a cliffhanger so I’ll be stalking this writer until the next book is available ;-). Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily reviewing it.
This story had me riveted as it unfolded and it stayed with me when I wasn’t able to read. It had some slow areas, but overall a good pace with a engrossing storyline. The primal theme in this story is about a love that is supposed to be, but threatens an entire world if consummated. A war lurks between powerful beings with incredible abilities and there’s a traitor in the midst of the alliance. This book has it all - mystery, danger, surprises.... likable and well developed characters, and deep love, fear, and hate. But, it ends on a cliffhanger so I’ll be stalking this writer until the next book is available ;-). Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily reviewing it.
November 7, 2019
First off I want to say I listened to this on audio and Sarah Sampino did an AMAZING job with this book. I have listened to her a lot and this is by far her best work. There are 9 or more characters with different accents and she really did a wonderful job with each of them! I could easily tell who was talking at any given time.
That being said I did struggle with this book for a bit. It was slow and boring. I am telling you this so you can hang in there and get to the good part. It does happen. Then this turned into an lively book. There were multiple characters to keep track of. They all had different abilities and the fun was trying to figure out what they were and how they use them. This also has a bit of a Love triangle going on. I enjoy the push and pull off of these two men.
This is my first book by this author and it engaged me after a point. The idea of the castle was so imaginative! Very Harry Potterish! By the end I am eagerly looking forward to more.
That being said I did struggle with this book for a bit. It was slow and boring. I am telling you this so you can hang in there and get to the good part. It does happen. Then this turned into an lively book. There were multiple characters to keep track of. They all had different abilities and the fun was trying to figure out what they were and how they use them. This also has a bit of a Love triangle going on. I enjoy the push and pull off of these two men.
This is my first book by this author and it engaged me after a point. The idea of the castle was so imaginative! Very Harry Potterish! By the end I am eagerly looking forward to more.
March 7, 2019
This was okay, I just felt a little lost sometime reading this book, but overall pretty good. Not a big fan of love triangles, and this one just feels a little predictable (and if she doesn't end up with Elias I will be mad)
February 13, 2019
Not usually my type of books but kept my interest and wanted to keep reading
Liked this book and have recommended it to others. Looking forward to the next book. In fact that's why this review happened , I was looking to seen if it was out yet.
Liked this book and have recommended it to others. Looking forward to the next book. In fact that's why this review happened , I was looking to seen if it was out yet.
July 26, 2018
Started off slow, but it picked up in Part 2. I want to find out what happens next!
September 3, 2018
Amazing!
This is the most amazing book that I have read in a while. It keeps you reading to the very end, and wanting the next book! Great story!
This is the most amazing book that I have read in a while. It keeps you reading to the very end, and wanting the next book! Great story!
September 2, 2018
Spectacular, a must read for the whimsical!!
It's been a long time since I've read a book in this genre that totally captivated me, and I'm anxiously awaiting the next installment!
It's been a long time since I've read a book in this genre that totally captivated me, and I'm anxiously awaiting the next installment!
January 17, 2019
Action packed, pulls you in and you fall
One of those books that you fall into and you don't come out until the end. It drags you in and the next thing you know book is done and hours gone. I really loved the characters the author has put into play can not wait to read the next one!
One of those books that you fall into and you don't come out until the end. It drags you in and the next thing you know book is done and hours gone. I really loved the characters the author has put into play can not wait to read the next one!
February 24, 2018
A must read!
I was captivated by the storyline, characters, and magic that this author had to offer. I can easily see this book as a movie with all the action, drama, and thrilling scenes that was brought to life in my own mind. Can't wait for the next book!
I was captivated by the storyline, characters, and magic that this author had to offer. I can easily see this book as a movie with all the action, drama, and thrilling scenes that was brought to life in my own mind. Can't wait for the next book!
August 5, 2018
Found (The conduit chronicles) by Ashley Hohenstein
Reviewed by Angi
This book appears to be a first for Ashley, I honestly don’t remember where I first stumbled upon it, I downloaded it a while ago and was going thru my library and decided to embark on this story.
It was the cover that drew me in as I didn't read the blurb before starting. The cover was both intriguing and mysterious very well done.
The story itself… well, it starts with a fast-paced action scene. This is the essence of Elias. He is running both from something and to something. This is also your first taste of the supernatural side of the story. Then we quickly meet Ophelia (Olly). Extremely controlled in her everyday life, yet deeply pained and out of control with her mother, who is mentally ill and emotionally abusive to a daughter that is conflicted in her love for her mother and her need to survive her mother.
While visiting her mother she has an odd chance encounter with two strangers. This encounter spurs the beginning of a fast and dangerous new world and way of life for her.
We meet many colorful characters in this adventure. Not at any time can we figure who she can trust and not trust.
The story was well written and keeps you guessing. There is suspense and action galore. The story left me wanting for more. Which led to my one and only disappointment… book two is not yet available!
Reviewed by Angi
This book appears to be a first for Ashley, I honestly don’t remember where I first stumbled upon it, I downloaded it a while ago and was going thru my library and decided to embark on this story.
It was the cover that drew me in as I didn't read the blurb before starting. The cover was both intriguing and mysterious very well done.
The story itself… well, it starts with a fast-paced action scene. This is the essence of Elias. He is running both from something and to something. This is also your first taste of the supernatural side of the story. Then we quickly meet Ophelia (Olly). Extremely controlled in her everyday life, yet deeply pained and out of control with her mother, who is mentally ill and emotionally abusive to a daughter that is conflicted in her love for her mother and her need to survive her mother.
While visiting her mother she has an odd chance encounter with two strangers. This encounter spurs the beginning of a fast and dangerous new world and way of life for her.
We meet many colorful characters in this adventure. Not at any time can we figure who she can trust and not trust.
The story was well written and keeps you guessing. There is suspense and action galore. The story left me wanting for more. Which led to my one and only disappointment… book two is not yet available!
Read
March 23, 2018This book is amazing, a whole new world with vivid and wonderfully constructing characters and places. A perfect adventure that I cannot wait to continue. I am very excited to read the next book as soon as it is released.. Loved this book. And the inclusion of the sequel appears to be just as enraging as the first book. I will definitely be looking forward to this author's whole seek..
The book is amazing. A whole new world with vivid, wonderful characters and places that keep me turning every page in anticipation. Loved this book and I can't wait for the next book in the series so I can continue so I can continue this great adventurer. I absolutely recommend this book.
The book is amazing. A whole new world with vivid, wonderful characters and places that keep me turning every page in anticipation. Loved this book and I can't wait for the next book in the series so I can continue so I can continue this great adventurer. I absolutely recommend this book.
January 26, 2018
Brilliant New Fantasy Series!
Found is a captivating novel by a brilliant new author. The intriguing characters and unseen plot twists had me up into the early morning hours, not able to put it down!! Very refreshing to read a fantasy that is not just mirroring the same, typical characters and story lines. Ashley Hohenstein gives you a beautiful introduction into the life of her of Conduits, describing with just enough detail, yet waiting for the right moments to unravel more of world she has painted for us. Their world brings us into their life of mystery, romance, grief, danger, and more. The ending leaves me so excited to see where the characters' story will take them next, especially after reading the teaser scene for the next novel! Can't wait for more of The Conduit Chronicles!
Found is a captivating novel by a brilliant new author. The intriguing characters and unseen plot twists had me up into the early morning hours, not able to put it down!! Very refreshing to read a fantasy that is not just mirroring the same, typical characters and story lines. Ashley Hohenstein gives you a beautiful introduction into the life of her of Conduits, describing with just enough detail, yet waiting for the right moments to unravel more of world she has painted for us. Their world brings us into their life of mystery, romance, grief, danger, and more. The ending leaves me so excited to see where the characters' story will take them next, especially after reading the teaser scene for the next novel! Can't wait for more of The Conduit Chronicles!
September 24, 2019
First I want to mention, that this is this authors first book. I for one am impressed. The story starts a little slow, getting acquainted with the characters, there lives, etc, but once all of that is out of the way, it starts to flow. I love books that make you think, have suspense, intrigue, some action, mystery a variety of characters, this one has all the above and is a combination of urban fantasy and paranormal. Will definitely listen to Forsaken the next book in the series when released.
Sarah Sampino did an excellent job bringing these characters to life.
Reviewed for Audiobook Boom 💥
Sarah Sampino did an excellent job bringing these characters to life.
Reviewed for Audiobook Boom 💥
May 7, 2018
Ophelia (Olly to some) now lives in San Francisco running a successful psychology practice. Since she was young, she has always experienced others emotions and people find it easy to tell her their darkest secrets. This makes her practice as a therapist extremely successful, but her own life overwhelming. She considers this a curse as she can never avoid it.
This all changes when she comes across a couple of strangers, one she gets a dangerous vibe from and she tries to avoid, the other she bumps into sends electric shocks through her body and all she glimpse are his golden eyes staring back at her. From this moment, she is suddenly in danger.
She ends up thrust into a world she never knew existed, where the people she meets all have strange abilities, similar to her ability to feel and absorb feelings and emotions. But from a prophecy, she is in danger and a war may be coming. She has links to two men, one who hid what he was and the other who can’t get too close because of the sparks that they produce.
Olly has to fight with her feelings towards the two men, one who is a good friend that she loves and the other a practical stranger that makes her heart jump. Both are on the side of good and are trying to keep her safe. Olly starts to be taught how to defend herself and to work on expanding her control over her abilities. One side is trying to hunt down and kill all the ‘free-willed’ people with these abilities, those that want peace. She doesn’t have long until they come under attack again, this time against a much larger group and she must run for her life.
This is the first book in the Conduit Chronicles and starts you into an adventure, with enough length to let you find out about all the characters in the book, both good and bad, and find your way through Ophelia’s life. You experience the story through a few of the main characters voices, Ophelia, Elias and Lucas. Olly has to learn all about what she actually is and what she can do, but shows more ability than expected, giving voice to the prophecy that she may be the saviour or death of their kind!
A great story that gives you an insight into people with different abilities and stories of the old histories of gods, monsters and ancient lore. A very strong female cast, especially once Olly comes out from under her protection shield and discovers more about herself. A great read, that you definitely don’t want to put down. I can’t wait to see what they all get up to next book.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
This all changes when she comes across a couple of strangers, one she gets a dangerous vibe from and she tries to avoid, the other she bumps into sends electric shocks through her body and all she glimpse are his golden eyes staring back at her. From this moment, she is suddenly in danger.
She ends up thrust into a world she never knew existed, where the people she meets all have strange abilities, similar to her ability to feel and absorb feelings and emotions. But from a prophecy, she is in danger and a war may be coming. She has links to two men, one who hid what he was and the other who can’t get too close because of the sparks that they produce.
Olly has to fight with her feelings towards the two men, one who is a good friend that she loves and the other a practical stranger that makes her heart jump. Both are on the side of good and are trying to keep her safe. Olly starts to be taught how to defend herself and to work on expanding her control over her abilities. One side is trying to hunt down and kill all the ‘free-willed’ people with these abilities, those that want peace. She doesn’t have long until they come under attack again, this time against a much larger group and she must run for her life.
This is the first book in the Conduit Chronicles and starts you into an adventure, with enough length to let you find out about all the characters in the book, both good and bad, and find your way through Ophelia’s life. You experience the story through a few of the main characters voices, Ophelia, Elias and Lucas. Olly has to learn all about what she actually is and what she can do, but shows more ability than expected, giving voice to the prophecy that she may be the saviour or death of their kind!
A great story that gives you an insight into people with different abilities and stories of the old histories of gods, monsters and ancient lore. A very strong female cast, especially once Olly comes out from under her protection shield and discovers more about herself. A great read, that you definitely don’t want to put down. I can’t wait to see what they all get up to next book.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
April 9, 2020
For Ophelia, people have always shared things with her. Their darkest secrets and deepest fears. For as much as she loathes her ability, she’s gotten used it. When she decides to visit her mother, she bumps into a man with golden eyes who captivates her every thought. Fast forward a year, and things turn crazy. She’s quick to learn that she’s not the only one with gifts. The man with golden eyes does too, and he’s tied to her in more ways than she could imagine.
From the very beginning, we are thrust into action. Elias is on the run from someone or something. We don’t know all the reasons, but it’s clear that if he’s caught, it will mean his death. On the flipside, we are introduced to Ophelia, and she is also on the run…in a very different way. I liked Ophelia. She was a gentle, inquisitive character, but she knew how to fight when the time came. She is loving and loyal, even when people berate her.
I loved the slow way the author introduced us into the world. At first, it was a lot of craziness, but the author fed us information slowly, so that it felt natural. I’ve read a lot of books like this before that have had an awkward information dump somewhere toward the middle so I was glad to see this book avoided that.
The ending was strong and mysterious, leaving me ready to pick up the next volume to see what the author has in store for Elias, Ophelia, and Lucas.
Narration was wonderful with the way the narrator was able to create so many different voices and accents. A masterpiece to listen to.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
From the very beginning, we are thrust into action. Elias is on the run from someone or something. We don’t know all the reasons, but it’s clear that if he’s caught, it will mean his death. On the flipside, we are introduced to Ophelia, and she is also on the run…in a very different way. I liked Ophelia. She was a gentle, inquisitive character, but she knew how to fight when the time came. She is loving and loyal, even when people berate her.
I loved the slow way the author introduced us into the world. At first, it was a lot of craziness, but the author fed us information slowly, so that it felt natural. I’ve read a lot of books like this before that have had an awkward information dump somewhere toward the middle so I was glad to see this book avoided that.
The ending was strong and mysterious, leaving me ready to pick up the next volume to see what the author has in store for Elias, Ophelia, and Lucas.
Narration was wonderful with the way the narrator was able to create so many different voices and accents. A masterpiece to listen to.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
January 23, 2022
I was back and forth about this but ultimately I must say it is just an ok read. It is definitely an investment because this book (and every book in the series) ends in a huge cliffhanger. So if you start, be prepared for a long and strung out plot. Also be prepared to search yourself for key information outside of this book (more on that later).
The action scenes and meeting of Ophelia and Elias in the beginning of the book was interesting and thrilling. I was intrigued by the fantasy and magical world and wanted to know more about the conflict. But there was also so much detail and description particularly with Ophelia and her mother that don’t amount to anything and left me bored. I had to set the book down and come back to it over and over to get through many scenes.
Towards the beginning of the book, the timeline skips a year and a half in which we hardly get any information (except that Ophelia dreams every night about Elias) but we are supposed to believe that she built such a deep relationship with Lucas. Well that doesn’t really work for me, it just makes Lucas look controlling and selfish in his actions. The love triangle continues for the rest of the book and I am not a fan.
The kicker for me is that too much information about the characters and their backgrounds are withheld or even written about in novelettes or ‘bonus chapters’ on the author’s website. I understood so much more about character motivations after reading a bonus chapter outside of the book. Just include that information and cut down on other filler information that is, quite frankly, boring. I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.
May 10, 2022
This urban fantasy has a lot of potential. It centers on the need for an individual to be the force that puts an end to a war between the bad Conduits (beings with supernatural powers) who seek to destroy the others who want only peace. The protagonist, Ophelia, has the special powers of an empath. However, at the beginning of the novel, she is not aware of this; she just finds it annoying that people constantly tell her their lives' stories and that she often feels the emotions of others. She learns otherwise, and that she is also “the one” who is needed to overcome the evil and the war.
Unfortunately, for me, the potential was not realized. This fairly long book is a looooong drawn-out story of the competing loves of two Conduits – Elias and Lucas --for Ophelia, who is already, within her supernatural role, fated to be with one of them. (When two destined Conduits consummate a relationship, they become immortal and their powers are enhanced.) This over-worked, supposedly suspenseful narrative device of the two males yearning for the one special female did not work for me. Done that – Twilight, True Blood, etc.
Essentially the whole novel is about Ophelia meeting and living (in a castle) with many supernatural Conduits, including, of course, Elias and Lucas. Really too much female wish fulfillment. If the writing style or characterizations had been superb, that would have saved this novel – for me. I realize this is only my perspective.
I received a copy of the novel from the publisher via NetGalley. It is an honest review.
Unfortunately, for me, the potential was not realized. This fairly long book is a looooong drawn-out story of the competing loves of two Conduits – Elias and Lucas --for Ophelia, who is already, within her supernatural role, fated to be with one of them. (When two destined Conduits consummate a relationship, they become immortal and their powers are enhanced.) This over-worked, supposedly suspenseful narrative device of the two males yearning for the one special female did not work for me. Done that – Twilight, True Blood, etc.
Essentially the whole novel is about Ophelia meeting and living (in a castle) with many supernatural Conduits, including, of course, Elias and Lucas. Really too much female wish fulfillment. If the writing style or characterizations had been superb, that would have saved this novel – for me. I realize this is only my perspective.
I received a copy of the novel from the publisher via NetGalley. It is an honest review.
January 14, 2022
Wow, give me a glass of wine and a night to myself and I'll have a book flipped through and digested!
Ashley Hohenstein's first book in the Conduit Chronicles "Found" took the cake for most intense, yet complex Fantasy novel I've read in quite some time. This love triangle masterpiece kept me on the edge of my toes, and biting my nails, even though I tried not too after every chapter.
Though love seemed to be the main premise of the storyline, the threat of other-worldly war lurked around the corner, where monsters and characters from every realm fought one another to create the perfect paranormal, yet suspenseful urban fantasy setting.
Poor Ophelia had no idea what she was getting herself into after finding herself in the middle of a love triangle like no other, where one was practically a stranger and the other a friend she held near and dear to her heart. As she begins to grow in her abilities and trust her strengths, we see her develop into the warrior she was destined to be, standing up for those around her as 'the savior of her kind.'
If you're ready to be thrust into the world of magical, mystical adventure, with a strong female lead, this is the one for you! Be sure to check out this book wherever you shop!
4/5 Stars
Ashley Hohenstein's first book in the Conduit Chronicles "Found" took the cake for most intense, yet complex Fantasy novel I've read in quite some time. This love triangle masterpiece kept me on the edge of my toes, and biting my nails, even though I tried not too after every chapter.
Though love seemed to be the main premise of the storyline, the threat of other-worldly war lurked around the corner, where monsters and characters from every realm fought one another to create the perfect paranormal, yet suspenseful urban fantasy setting.
Poor Ophelia had no idea what she was getting herself into after finding herself in the middle of a love triangle like no other, where one was practically a stranger and the other a friend she held near and dear to her heart. As she begins to grow in her abilities and trust her strengths, we see her develop into the warrior she was destined to be, standing up for those around her as 'the savior of her kind.'
If you're ready to be thrust into the world of magical, mystical adventure, with a strong female lead, this is the one for you! Be sure to check out this book wherever you shop!
4/5 Stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2022
I entered for this e-book cause the cover really captured my attention. This story really starts out strong. Once you read on the point of view switches mostly between the characters Elias and Ophelia. I really thought this book was actually pretty good and had a very intriguing story. I admit it was extremely well written and had a very good story line. I saw that love seemed to be the main premise of the storyline, the threat of other-worldly war lurked around the corner, where monsters and characters from every realm fought one another to create the perfect paranormal, yet suspenseful urban fantasy setting.
I personally think that the magical world is super interesting, I really appreciated the detailed floor plans at the end of the book that helped me visualize the setting better, and I like all the minor characters' background stories though I don't think the novel had enough action scenes, I feel like the book was long and yet barely nothing happened. To be honest this novel definitely gave me Twilight Saga vibes where an ordinary girl catches the eye of an attractive magical male protagonist and her life changes forever but she gets protected and carried along by attractive people. I really feel like there's so much potential for this book.
I personally think that the magical world is super interesting, I really appreciated the detailed floor plans at the end of the book that helped me visualize the setting better, and I like all the minor characters' background stories though I don't think the novel had enough action scenes, I feel like the book was long and yet barely nothing happened. To be honest this novel definitely gave me Twilight Saga vibes where an ordinary girl catches the eye of an attractive magical male protagonist and her life changes forever but she gets protected and carried along by attractive people. I really feel like there's so much potential for this book.
January 31, 2022
I'll admit, from the moment I picked this one up, my expectations weren't high. The synopsis sounded interesting enough though, and I won a free copy, so I figured if give it a try. It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't very good.
I think my main problem with this was the love triangle. Unless the author drastically changes their mind between this one and the next book, it's painfully obvious who Ophelia will end up with. So the love triangle just felt pointless. And there wasn't even a plot to distract from it. No, the love triangle was the plot. I've never been a fan of love triangles, but this one bothered me even more than most because of the presence of fated mates. I thought it mightve held potential, but by the end of the book, I was just tired of it.
I'll admit that I probably wasn't the target audience for this one. I despise instalove, love triangles, and usually, the presence of fated mates. A book that combines all three of them is bound to bother me, and this one did just that. So this is probably a case of its not the book, it's me. I wouldn't discourage anyone from picking this one up, just be aware that it contains the aforementioned elements.
Thanks to BookishFirst for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
I think my main problem with this was the love triangle. Unless the author drastically changes their mind between this one and the next book, it's painfully obvious who Ophelia will end up with. So the love triangle just felt pointless. And there wasn't even a plot to distract from it. No, the love triangle was the plot. I've never been a fan of love triangles, but this one bothered me even more than most because of the presence of fated mates. I thought it mightve held potential, but by the end of the book, I was just tired of it.
I'll admit that I probably wasn't the target audience for this one. I despise instalove, love triangles, and usually, the presence of fated mates. A book that combines all three of them is bound to bother me, and this one did just that. So this is probably a case of its not the book, it's me. I wouldn't discourage anyone from picking this one up, just be aware that it contains the aforementioned elements.
Thanks to BookishFirst for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
February 15, 2022
The supernatural meets the everyday world is the best way I can describe this one and I need more of it. It opens up the possibility of magic in the real world with how the two storylines intertwine.
The idea that these supernatural "beings" would take airplanes and travel normally had me rethinking every book I've ever read that included magic, why not use the human way of doing things once in a while??
Elias and Ophelia are amazing characters, both nuanced and complex while being straightforward, it's a refreshing change to have characters who just put it out there and don't ask for permission or forgiveness.
Feeling what someone else is feeling can't be easy, but Ophelia does it with strength, determination, and compassion, even when certain people (her mother) set her teeth on edge she still tries to help everyone to the best of her abilities.
Elias is a force to be reckoned with, with strength and magic he makes fighting off demons seem like childs play while growing as a character till the very end, I was rooting for him every step of the way.
Overall a really interesting read and one I would recommend to fans of both magic and the supernatural.
The idea that these supernatural "beings" would take airplanes and travel normally had me rethinking every book I've ever read that included magic, why not use the human way of doing things once in a while??
Elias and Ophelia are amazing characters, both nuanced and complex while being straightforward, it's a refreshing change to have characters who just put it out there and don't ask for permission or forgiveness.
Feeling what someone else is feeling can't be easy, but Ophelia does it with strength, determination, and compassion, even when certain people (her mother) set her teeth on edge she still tries to help everyone to the best of her abilities.
Elias is a force to be reckoned with, with strength and magic he makes fighting off demons seem like childs play while growing as a character till the very end, I was rooting for him every step of the way.
Overall a really interesting read and one I would recommend to fans of both magic and the supernatural.
February 10, 2022
4/5 Stars
Ophelia, Lucas, and Elias. Three people caught in the crosshairs of destiny as well as those of love. Their choices will shape the lives of their people.
This was such an intriguing read. I loved the mythology of the Conduits and how it interweaves with real world religions/mythology. I am also so thankful that there was a glossary in order to keep all the words that had to do with Conduits straight. Each power readers see is unique and interesting.
I am not usually a fan of love triangles, but this one tugged at my heartstrings. Elias is trying to do right by his people, while also dealing with a prophecy that has determined the fate of his other half- Ophelia. Lucas has been protecting Ophelia for over a year and has fallen for her. And her reactions to all this were insanely believable.
But this novel wasn't only focused on romance. It also contains multiple types of training for Ophelia as she enters this world she never knew existed. There was a clear war that had been happening for thousands of years, and yet there's still a hint of mystery.
I need the next book!
Disclaimer: I received a review copy through BookishFirst.
Ophelia, Lucas, and Elias. Three people caught in the crosshairs of destiny as well as those of love. Their choices will shape the lives of their people.
This was such an intriguing read. I loved the mythology of the Conduits and how it interweaves with real world religions/mythology. I am also so thankful that there was a glossary in order to keep all the words that had to do with Conduits straight. Each power readers see is unique and interesting.
I am not usually a fan of love triangles, but this one tugged at my heartstrings. Elias is trying to do right by his people, while also dealing with a prophecy that has determined the fate of his other half- Ophelia. Lucas has been protecting Ophelia for over a year and has fallen for her. And her reactions to all this were insanely believable.
But this novel wasn't only focused on romance. It also contains multiple types of training for Ophelia as she enters this world she never knew existed. There was a clear war that had been happening for thousands of years, and yet there's still a hint of mystery.
I need the next book!
Disclaimer: I received a review copy through BookishFirst.
Want to read
March 31, 2022Found Preview Review
Reading Found, I was immediately intrigued by the two main characters contrasting lives. The woman, Ophelia, is a psychologist who seems to live an average everyday life, albeit with a strange gift, a troubled childhood and a poor maternal relationship. The man, Elias, on the other hand, appears to always be on the run, fighting in an unknown war for the continuation of an unknown race. The world they live in is contemporary America, a fact which makes this war and unknown race even more intriguing.
While the woman is an empath who experiences other people's emotions, she does not understand her gift, how to control it or where it comes from. It becomes clear that she knows no more than the reader and will be the character who will find the answers the reader also seeks. The man seems to be privy to all sorts of information not available to the general public, or even by many members of the unknown race he seems to be part of. The excerpt is a good read, but, infuriatingly, leaves more questions than answers just as, I suspect, the author intended.
Reading Found, I was immediately intrigued by the two main characters contrasting lives. The woman, Ophelia, is a psychologist who seems to live an average everyday life, albeit with a strange gift, a troubled childhood and a poor maternal relationship. The man, Elias, on the other hand, appears to always be on the run, fighting in an unknown war for the continuation of an unknown race. The world they live in is contemporary America, a fact which makes this war and unknown race even more intriguing.
While the woman is an empath who experiences other people's emotions, she does not understand her gift, how to control it or where it comes from. It becomes clear that she knows no more than the reader and will be the character who will find the answers the reader also seeks. The man seems to be privy to all sorts of information not available to the general public, or even by many members of the unknown race he seems to be part of. The excerpt is a good read, but, infuriatingly, leaves more questions than answers just as, I suspect, the author intended.
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