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Lupus Constellation #1
The Beginning
EVEN GODS WOULD BE ENVIOUS OF THIS POWER.
When fifteen-year-old Alex Leran moves to a bizarre Canadian town, her life changes forever. She makes an inconceivable revelation: she belongs to a covert elite empowered by the stars to control any living thing.
But there is a catch. Not all of them are gifted equally. In a special school where they learn and train their mighty powers, they are divided by color: Reds are the strongest, Blues are mediocre, and Yellows are the weakest, and therefore are despised.
Under the imperious regime of arrogant Reds, defiance is met with severe reprisal. But defiance is in Alex's blood. Wearing a blue uniform and consumed by anger, she soon finds herself standing alone to both the tyrannical Reds and their dark, alluring leader, Jake.
With sinister secrets around every corner, Alex will make one more dangerous discovery, so dark and blood-curdling that she may find herself challenged as never before.
________________________________
No star can shine without darkness, and no darkness is everlasting. Welcome to the addictive world of constellations.
When fifteen-year-old Alex Leran moves to a bizarre Canadian town, her life changes forever. She makes an inconceivable revelation: she belongs to a covert elite empowered by the stars to control any living thing.
But there is a catch. Not all of them are gifted equally. In a special school where they learn and train their mighty powers, they are divided by color: Reds are the strongest, Blues are mediocre, and Yellows are the weakest, and therefore are despised.
Under the imperious regime of arrogant Reds, defiance is met with severe reprisal. But defiance is in Alex's blood. Wearing a blue uniform and consumed by anger, she soon finds herself standing alone to both the tyrannical Reds and their dark, alluring leader, Jake.
With sinister secrets around every corner, Alex will make one more dangerous discovery, so dark and blood-curdling that she may find herself challenged as never before.
________________________________
No star can shine without darkness, and no darkness is everlasting. Welcome to the addictive world of constellations.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 14, 2018
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. I couldn’t put this book down form the beginning. What a beautiful and fascinating story telling.
Poor Alex goes from living a lavish life abroad to being an orphan in an instant when her parents die in a car crash. The only family she has lives in a remote part of Canada and they resent every fiber of her being. She is forced to go to a new school with a class system that is so cruel and brutal she doesn’t understand how the school is allowed to be maintained. Several friendly teachers and students try to befriend her but she has so much anger and pain that she’s not able to connect with anyone until closer to the end of the book. Once the book ends we’re all left wanting more!!!
Wow. I couldn’t put this book down form the beginning. What a beautiful and fascinating story telling.
Poor Alex goes from living a lavish life abroad to being an orphan in an instant when her parents die in a car crash. The only family she has lives in a remote part of Canada and they resent every fiber of her being. She is forced to go to a new school with a class system that is so cruel and brutal she doesn’t understand how the school is allowed to be maintained. Several friendly teachers and students try to befriend her but she has so much anger and pain that she’s not able to connect with anyone until closer to the end of the book. Once the book ends we’re all left wanting more!!!
December 24, 2017
A wonderful tale. The author expresses themselves so passionately in these words and has done a fantastic job in creating such a fantastic world. The book was full of adventure from start to finish. I immediately fell in love with the characters as the author had made them so likeable. The way the author paints a picture of the world around them is stunning.
December 27, 2017
For more reviews and author interviews, check out my blog: https://inkandpapercuts.wordpress.com/
I received Mia Tavor’s e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
WHAT IS THE BOOK ABOUT?
After moving to a northern Canadian town, fifteen-year-old Alex Leran is forced to accept that her new family–along with the school which she has to attend–value above all passivity and silent endorsement to inhumane practices driven by obsolete ideas that infuriate Alex and fuel her fervent rebellion against various agents of power. Her excruciating journey from complete ignorance to painful understanding is marked by the realisation that she belongs to a unique race blessed by the stars. Alex holds great power within her (be it supernatural or not) and while everyone attempts to restrain it, she comprises the only agent whose strong reaction against injustice seems to sensitise only few of the people she has just encountered. The time is soon to come; when the chips are down only the strong will survive. Alex is in great peril if she is to simply act against the system using her own voice. But, why not using the stars and their constellations?
WHAT DID I LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK?
It has turned out to be extremely rare for a YA fantasy series to surprise me; often, I think that I have become much of an adult to be taken aback by this genre. Nevertheless, Tavor’s first installment of the Lupus Constellation series is bound to amaze the readers due to its alluring yet dark fictional world. Tavor has written a contemporary YA novel worthy of international recognition–the shelves of every fantasy reader are incomplete if they do not include The Beginning.
Even if the English novel comprises a translation from its original by the author herself, I was astonished by the impeccable language used throughout the book. The author used the most appropriate diction in conveying the protagonist’s feelings and in describing people and surroundings. The flow of the story is smooth and just as fast as needed; the dialogues are natural and not forced and the world is so engaging and seductive for readers across genres. You need not be a fantasy reader if you are to enjoy this novel. All you need is a soft spot for suspense and there you are: you are going to think of the story and its characters for a long time after you finished reading it.
But the most important of all is the alluring ambiance that the author has successfully generated, a feeling that you will definitely miss once you complete the novel. Alex grows on you and so does the world in which she is forced to dwell; her good-for-nothing teachers and classmates, her violent aunt and passive uncle, her mysterious cousin and seductive Jake–you will miraculously get accustomed to them and their surroundings, you will reach a point where you will wish for another fifty pages so as to satiate your thirst for more.
I feel extremely lucky that the author sent me an e-copy of her novel. Reading breathtaking self-published books like The Beginning make me much more committed to my voluntary work as a book blogger and a beta reader. Tavor’s novel promises an intense journey which, despite disturbing at times, it is addictive and mesmerizing all at once. Her fiction deserves to be featured prominently next to bestselling series of similar genres as Divergent by Veronica Roth or The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Claire. Fantasy lurks until the very last page–though not central, the author cleverly conceals and preserves its unique nature in order to focus on Alex and her coming-of-age journey.
That old-school feeling of reading dark YA when all your peers study for the upcoming Physics exam or stay out at night drinking and having fun, that inexplicable attraction of reading until dawn to figure out what comes next, that childish identification with a female teenager who struggles to overthrow any authority, these are promised by Mia Tavor’s exquisite new novel.
WHAT DID I NOT LIKE?
Little if naught distracted me while reading the novel. For the sake of categorisation, I would have preferred it if there were more chapters–I believe that nine are extremely few for such a novel. Also, since several interactions took place through chatting I think that a different format regarding the font and the indexes would prove much more efficient.
Rate: 4.5/5 (Goodreads rate: 5/5)
VERDICT:
"The Beginning" comprises the first book of the Lupus Constellation series, a fantasy epic promising thrilling moments and intense plot twists. The author conceives a cruel and dark yet appealing and addictive world where everything comes at a high price. Mia Tavor weaves Alex's tale with virtuosity; the novel maintains something of the old-school allure of dark YA. Delaying vital questions as to the reason why Alex has to undergo such fierce changes and the true nature of her power, Tavor accentuates Alex and her feats thus delivering a paranormal atmospheric tale worthy of international praise and recognition.
I received Mia Tavor’s e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
WHAT IS THE BOOK ABOUT?
After moving to a northern Canadian town, fifteen-year-old Alex Leran is forced to accept that her new family–along with the school which she has to attend–value above all passivity and silent endorsement to inhumane practices driven by obsolete ideas that infuriate Alex and fuel her fervent rebellion against various agents of power. Her excruciating journey from complete ignorance to painful understanding is marked by the realisation that she belongs to a unique race blessed by the stars. Alex holds great power within her (be it supernatural or not) and while everyone attempts to restrain it, she comprises the only agent whose strong reaction against injustice seems to sensitise only few of the people she has just encountered. The time is soon to come; when the chips are down only the strong will survive. Alex is in great peril if she is to simply act against the system using her own voice. But, why not using the stars and their constellations?
WHAT DID I LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK?
It has turned out to be extremely rare for a YA fantasy series to surprise me; often, I think that I have become much of an adult to be taken aback by this genre. Nevertheless, Tavor’s first installment of the Lupus Constellation series is bound to amaze the readers due to its alluring yet dark fictional world. Tavor has written a contemporary YA novel worthy of international recognition–the shelves of every fantasy reader are incomplete if they do not include The Beginning.
Even if the English novel comprises a translation from its original by the author herself, I was astonished by the impeccable language used throughout the book. The author used the most appropriate diction in conveying the protagonist’s feelings and in describing people and surroundings. The flow of the story is smooth and just as fast as needed; the dialogues are natural and not forced and the world is so engaging and seductive for readers across genres. You need not be a fantasy reader if you are to enjoy this novel. All you need is a soft spot for suspense and there you are: you are going to think of the story and its characters for a long time after you finished reading it.
But the most important of all is the alluring ambiance that the author has successfully generated, a feeling that you will definitely miss once you complete the novel. Alex grows on you and so does the world in which she is forced to dwell; her good-for-nothing teachers and classmates, her violent aunt and passive uncle, her mysterious cousin and seductive Jake–you will miraculously get accustomed to them and their surroundings, you will reach a point where you will wish for another fifty pages so as to satiate your thirst for more.
I feel extremely lucky that the author sent me an e-copy of her novel. Reading breathtaking self-published books like The Beginning make me much more committed to my voluntary work as a book blogger and a beta reader. Tavor’s novel promises an intense journey which, despite disturbing at times, it is addictive and mesmerizing all at once. Her fiction deserves to be featured prominently next to bestselling series of similar genres as Divergent by Veronica Roth or The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Claire. Fantasy lurks until the very last page–though not central, the author cleverly conceals and preserves its unique nature in order to focus on Alex and her coming-of-age journey.
That old-school feeling of reading dark YA when all your peers study for the upcoming Physics exam or stay out at night drinking and having fun, that inexplicable attraction of reading until dawn to figure out what comes next, that childish identification with a female teenager who struggles to overthrow any authority, these are promised by Mia Tavor’s exquisite new novel.
WHAT DID I NOT LIKE?
Little if naught distracted me while reading the novel. For the sake of categorisation, I would have preferred it if there were more chapters–I believe that nine are extremely few for such a novel. Also, since several interactions took place through chatting I think that a different format regarding the font and the indexes would prove much more efficient.
Rate: 4.5/5 (Goodreads rate: 5/5)
VERDICT:
"The Beginning" comprises the first book of the Lupus Constellation series, a fantasy epic promising thrilling moments and intense plot twists. The author conceives a cruel and dark yet appealing and addictive world where everything comes at a high price. Mia Tavor weaves Alex's tale with virtuosity; the novel maintains something of the old-school allure of dark YA. Delaying vital questions as to the reason why Alex has to undergo such fierce changes and the true nature of her power, Tavor accentuates Alex and her feats thus delivering a paranormal atmospheric tale worthy of international praise and recognition.
December 6, 2017
Wow. It was a roller coaster from start to finish, and it was a long ride, but wow it was amazing!
Alex is such an amazing complex character, and the book is written so beautifully that you feel like you are Alex, and like you are living the story.
I read it in two days, because the story was gripping the whole way through. Twists at every turn and a plot coming together slowly as you read. With some books, you can tell where the story is going, long before the author gets there, but in The Beginning, it keeps you hanging on every word, waiting to see what comes next.
I really, really enjoyed this book, and I’m looking forward to the next one!
Alex is such an amazing complex character, and the book is written so beautifully that you feel like you are Alex, and like you are living the story.
I read it in two days, because the story was gripping the whole way through. Twists at every turn and a plot coming together slowly as you read. With some books, you can tell where the story is going, long before the author gets there, but in The Beginning, it keeps you hanging on every word, waiting to see what comes next.
I really, really enjoyed this book, and I’m looking forward to the next one!
July 2, 2018
I received a copy of this book in exchanged of an honest review.
This is the first Mia's book I have read and I loved it!!!... The development of Alex, the female main caracther is amazing, so detailed; at first I thought it wasn't necessary, but then I understood... Full of intrigue, mystery and unexpected allies, this plot will keep you reading and wanting for more... A really great beginning of this series!!! 👍👏👏👏
This is the first Mia's book I have read and I loved it!!!... The development of Alex, the female main caracther is amazing, so detailed; at first I thought it wasn't necessary, but then I understood... Full of intrigue, mystery and unexpected allies, this plot will keep you reading and wanting for more... A really great beginning of this series!!! 👍👏👏👏
February 5, 2018
Lupus Constelation: The Begining is a prologue to much bigger story.
This one will leave you craving for more of Alex and Her was in this unknown to Her World- discovering will be slow but intriguing.
I greatly enjoyed this story.
This one will leave you craving for more of Alex and Her was in this unknown to Her World- discovering will be slow but intriguing.
I greatly enjoyed this story.
July 1, 2018
Wonderful story. This is such an insight into social injustice and the internal strength of Alex. She is a strong character that faces terrible injustice and yet keeps surviving. Looking forward to the next in this series. Need to see what happens in the end.
July 13, 2018
I received an ecopy of The Beginning in return for a review however, all opinions and words are my own.
4.5 stars
I just want to start of with a content warning, there is a mild, on page, threat of sexual assault towards the end of the book, this doesn't get very far and is resolved quickly, but I just wanted to mention it.
I absolutely loved The Beginning, it's such an interesting read. I loved the school set it, although reading the book made me realise how easy it is to accept that a segragated school like this exists, whilst at the same time feeling really disgusted at the injustice of it. It's so 'real' because we have examples of this in the real word and the justification is that 'things have always been this way'. The author does a wonderful job with Alex as she manages to be the readers voice in the story and say a lot of the things we are thinking.
I really enjoyed the writing style of The Beginning and I was hooked right from the beginning. Alex is a wonderful main character and I loved her bravery and sass. There were a number of interesting characters in the book, such as Alex's cousin Mike, and several of the teachers. I am looking forward to finding out more about them in the later books.
I would have love to have a little more of the magic that is hinted at throughout the book, but I am so excited to read the second book as the ending of this book is a very interesting one. There is mystery woven throughout the plot and I cannot wait to see where the story takes us next.
4.5 stars
I just want to start of with a content warning, there is a mild, on page, threat of sexual assault towards the end of the book, this doesn't get very far and is resolved quickly, but I just wanted to mention it.
I absolutely loved The Beginning, it's such an interesting read. I loved the school set it, although reading the book made me realise how easy it is to accept that a segragated school like this exists, whilst at the same time feeling really disgusted at the injustice of it. It's so 'real' because we have examples of this in the real word and the justification is that 'things have always been this way'. The author does a wonderful job with Alex as she manages to be the readers voice in the story and say a lot of the things we are thinking.
I really enjoyed the writing style of The Beginning and I was hooked right from the beginning. Alex is a wonderful main character and I loved her bravery and sass. There were a number of interesting characters in the book, such as Alex's cousin Mike, and several of the teachers. I am looking forward to finding out more about them in the later books.
I would have love to have a little more of the magic that is hinted at throughout the book, but I am so excited to read the second book as the ending of this book is a very interesting one. There is mystery woven throughout the plot and I cannot wait to see where the story takes us next.
December 19, 2017
***SPOILER FREE***
Wow 💞The first installment of the Lupus Constellation series is AMAZING 🌌 I read this book within a day and it gave me so many feels and was just a worldwind of emotions , the story was so unpredictable ,was action packed throughout and had me on the edge of my seat 🖤and the new world and characters the author created were so unique and intriguing.....the main character (Alex) was a character that I grew to love ❤️ she was strong ,stubborn and courageous and her character developed so well throughout the book , she had great chemistry with all the characters and it was intresting to see how the relationships between them evolved.
Thank you to the author for sending me an Arc !🌺This book was written beautifully and I can’t imagine how amazing the second installment will be😊Overall I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end 💞its a perfect combination of YA fantasy action Romance read which I will definitely pick up and read again....and I can’t wait to read the next installment of this series🌺
Wow 💞The first installment of the Lupus Constellation series is AMAZING 🌌 I read this book within a day and it gave me so many feels and was just a worldwind of emotions , the story was so unpredictable ,was action packed throughout and had me on the edge of my seat 🖤and the new world and characters the author created were so unique and intriguing.....the main character (Alex) was a character that I grew to love ❤️ she was strong ,stubborn and courageous and her character developed so well throughout the book , she had great chemistry with all the characters and it was intresting to see how the relationships between them evolved.
Thank you to the author for sending me an Arc !🌺This book was written beautifully and I can’t imagine how amazing the second installment will be😊Overall I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end 💞its a perfect combination of YA fantasy action Romance read which I will definitely pick up and read again....and I can’t wait to read the next installment of this series🌺
July 30, 2018
Great idea, poorly executed
This book was recommended to me on several platforms based off of books I have recently read. I was very excited to find a new YA fantasy.
Within the first few chapters there were several grammatical errors; missing words, out of place words and unfinished thoughts. I would be surprised if they even used as editor. This does not get any better throughout the novel. Halfway through i wanted to quit out of frustration due to errors.
The main character has no development and appears to think having a temper tantrum will make everything go her way. In that respect, she is very much a 15 year old. Her thoughts are simple and her views of other characters are based on their looks, which left me wondering how the author plans to develop any character relationships.
The story has promise but I didn't gain any understanding of the whole point of the school until 75% through the book. Essentially there are too many errors and terrible introductions to both character, places and events for me to want to continue with this series.
This book was recommended to me on several platforms based off of books I have recently read. I was very excited to find a new YA fantasy.
Within the first few chapters there were several grammatical errors; missing words, out of place words and unfinished thoughts. I would be surprised if they even used as editor. This does not get any better throughout the novel. Halfway through i wanted to quit out of frustration due to errors.
The main character has no development and appears to think having a temper tantrum will make everything go her way. In that respect, she is very much a 15 year old. Her thoughts are simple and her views of other characters are based on their looks, which left me wondering how the author plans to develop any character relationships.
The story has promise but I didn't gain any understanding of the whole point of the school until 75% through the book. Essentially there are too many errors and terrible introductions to both character, places and events for me to want to continue with this series.
July 9, 2018
Got this advance reader's copy from the author for free!
I really like how the book was well written. I appreciate the vast use of descriptions that were not too overwhelming. As for the story, the ending was a really cliff hanger, and I was like "That's it? I was waiting for more!"
Kudos for the author for keeping the readers in the dark alongside the main character. The thrill of wanting to know this secret that's to be happening in the town keeps me on my toes that I immediately finished the book in only a day. I would have given this book 5 stars if only there's more story in the first book. I feel like this book is too introductory. The climax was even so-so. I feel that more will be in store in the next books and that's what I was most looking forward to. :)
I really like how the book was well written. I appreciate the vast use of descriptions that were not too overwhelming. As for the story, the ending was a really cliff hanger, and I was like "That's it? I was waiting for more!"
Kudos for the author for keeping the readers in the dark alongside the main character. The thrill of wanting to know this secret that's to be happening in the town keeps me on my toes that I immediately finished the book in only a day. I would have given this book 5 stars if only there's more story in the first book. I feel like this book is too introductory. The climax was even so-so. I feel that more will be in store in the next books and that's what I was most looking forward to. :)
October 4, 2018
I liked her style a lot, the way the book is written brings you there, you cannot wait to turn the other page, you do not want the story to finish, you want to understand what will happen after. I was curious about the plot development, and I am curious to see how the series will end. Unfortunately there are only 2 books for the moment and it looks like there is no information about the third.
Overall a good reading if you do not want to sleep.
Overall a good reading if you do not want to sleep.
July 29, 2019
Just Awesome...First part is like setting things for something bigger...and u find urself craving for next part....I liked her style a lot, the way the book is written brings you there, you cannot wait to turn the other page, you do not want the story to finish, you want to understand what will happen after. I was curious about the plot development, and I am curious to see how the series will end...
December 24, 2017
So this is an intriguing story. The characters a well written and believable but I felt that the writer spent too much time trying to lead us on this mysterious jorney and not enough true story was told. It's plain she can write we and leaves you feeling for these poor tortured people but the story just needs a bit more well story..
January 5, 2018
I think this book was really good, I just want to give a little warning. It’s a dark story but very interesting. It keeps you wanting to know more, I can’t wait for the next book to come out.
December 27, 2018
Little confusing at first but good read
This turned out to be a very interesting book and I look forward to reading the second. Alex character is very strong
This turned out to be a very interesting book and I look forward to reading the second. Alex character is very strong
July 5, 2018
This book has a dark and interesting feel with just enough intrigue to hold my interest but not enough action to keep me riveted. I enjoyed it while I was reading it but I wasn't really invested in the book untill the last 25%. As more happened and questions were being answered I found myself unable to put it down. By the final page I was sad that it had ended. I definitely need to read the next book with the hopes that it doesn't hold the same pattern.
I don't know if I can recommend this book to anyone but the series holds promise. If the next books can maintain the momentum this book finished with then I believe it could be a wonderful series, worthy of recommendation and rereads.
I'll update this review when I've read the second book.
*I volunteered to read and honestly review a Kindle copy of this book*
I don't know if I can recommend this book to anyone but the series holds promise. If the next books can maintain the momentum this book finished with then I believe it could be a wonderful series, worthy of recommendation and rereads.
I'll update this review when I've read the second book.
*I volunteered to read and honestly review a Kindle copy of this book*
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews