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Night War Saga #1
Protector
An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here
Love. Honor. Protect.
As an Environmental Studies major, Allie knows the planet is in trouble – a series of natural disasters recently rocked the northern hemisphere, and species across the globe are going extinct. What Allie doesn’t know is that her world's decline is a casualty of an ancient battle called the Night War – the Norse goddess Nott’s crusade to control the weakest of the light realms. And Allie most definitely doesn’t know that her existence is the only thing stopping Nott from dragging the earth into total darkness.
When four gorgeous guys show up claiming to be Allie’s Asgardian protectors, she thinks they’re delusional. And when they order her to hunt down the pieces of an immortal weapon, she’s convinced they’re insane. But when Allie’s attacked, the guys’ crazy stories of demigods and dark elves begin coming together. And Allie’s not sure what scares her more – losing her life to the Goddess of Night . . . or losing her heart to one of her protectors.
Let the hunt begin.
Love. Honor. Protect.
As an Environmental Studies major, Allie knows the planet is in trouble – a series of natural disasters recently rocked the northern hemisphere, and species across the globe are going extinct. What Allie doesn’t know is that her world's decline is a casualty of an ancient battle called the Night War – the Norse goddess Nott’s crusade to control the weakest of the light realms. And Allie most definitely doesn’t know that her existence is the only thing stopping Nott from dragging the earth into total darkness.
When four gorgeous guys show up claiming to be Allie’s Asgardian protectors, she thinks they’re delusional. And when they order her to hunt down the pieces of an immortal weapon, she’s convinced they’re insane. But when Allie’s attacked, the guys’ crazy stories of demigods and dark elves begin coming together. And Allie’s not sure what scares her more – losing her life to the Goddess of Night . . . or losing her heart to one of her protectors.
Let the hunt begin.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2017
2543 people are currently reading
3820 people want to read
About the author
Leia Stone
92 books6,516 followersLeia Stone is the USA Today bestselling author of multiple bestselling series including Matefinder and Wolf Girl. She's sold over two million books and her Fallen Academy series has been optioned for film. Her novels have been translated into five languages and she even dabbles in script writing. Leia writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance with sassy kick-butt heroines and irresistible love interests. She lives in Spokane, WA with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 276 reviews
May 27, 2017
This book is co-written by Leia Stone and S.T. Bende, and I was really looking forward to it.
It's exactly the type of story that I love reading.
Except that as I was reading it, it was very familiar ... because the plot is virtually identical to Perfekt Order, by S.T. Bende.
ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME!!!
If you haven't read Perfekt Order, then you will probably enjoy this story.
But having already read Perfekt Order, I didn't appreciate buying a 2nd book to read the same plot I've already read.
And seriously, you have a co-writer to write the story you've already written????
That's really lame.
So no, I didn't enjoy this book at all.
It's exactly the type of story that I love reading.
Except that as I was reading it, it was very familiar ... because the plot is virtually identical to Perfekt Order, by S.T. Bende.
ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME!!!
If you haven't read Perfekt Order, then you will probably enjoy this story.
But having already read Perfekt Order, I didn't appreciate buying a 2nd book to read the same plot I've already read.
And seriously, you have a co-writer to write the story you've already written????
That's really lame.
So no, I didn't enjoy this book at all.
April 27, 2017
This was truly banal. Although the story was incredibly dull, & the romance lacked chemistry, I did appreciate the use of Norwegian & Dutch. That was a unique choice. =) I find French, Latin, or Spanish are the more common choices. 1 star
If like me you're interested in mythology i recommend the Latterday Olympians series by Lucienne Diver (adult) or the R. Caine High School series by Victoria Dannan (YA).
If like me you're interested in mythology i recommend the Latterday Olympians series by Lucienne Diver (adult) or the R. Caine High School series by Victoria Dannan (YA).
January 5, 2023
3.75 ⭐️
I finally found the perfect book to read during this time. I was looking for something light to keep me glued to the pages and I'm glad I came across the first title of this saga.
The protagonist Ally discovers that she is the descendant of a powerful Norse goddess and that she will have to defeat the Goddess of Night to save the people she loves and the whole world.
I know it's all stuff yet seen but the story is compelling and I really had fun reading it.
I will definitely finish the series.
To clarify, it's not a spicy saga (for now my rating is 0 🌶) and it's not a reverse harem (unfortunately 😥). Also, I would very well classify it as YA.
I finally found the perfect book to read during this time. I was looking for something light to keep me glued to the pages and I'm glad I came across the first title of this saga.
The protagonist Ally discovers that she is the descendant of a powerful Norse goddess and that she will have to defeat the Goddess of Night to save the people she loves and the whole world.
I know it's all stuff yet seen but the story is compelling and I really had fun reading it.
I will definitely finish the series.
To clarify, it's not a spicy saga (for now my rating is 0 🌶) and it's not a reverse harem (unfortunately 😥). Also, I would very well classify it as YA.
May 3, 2017
2.5
I just discovered this book a couple of week before the actual release day and I was really looking forward to, because it has a pretty cover and an interesting synopsis. Not to mention the Norse mythological elements too it. Unfortunately it disappointed me greatly. I read a few books from S.T. Bende before and I’m sad to say that this book has everything in it I didn’t like in her previous books either. As for Leia Stone I didn’t read anything from her before so I can’t comment on that front.
The basic idea in the book, the general plot would be great. It’s really interesting and has a lot of potential. However there is a lot of things in it, little elements to the story and the writing style that I didn’t like at all. One of them is the main character which is a really damming thing for me.
The world building is simple and uses the basics from Norse mythology with the different worlds and also the authors use the different gods and goddesses in the story but just in name. One of my disappointments was that the story only grazes the surface of the mythology, it only serves as a background to the events and doesn’t get an explanation. Also the story itself starts out flat and slow and it didn’t get much better later either. The time management is screwed up, it jumps weeks between scenes and basically everything interesting happens then and we only get to know them by Allie’s recounting, second hand.
There is a lot of mumbo-jumbo about energies and centers and such, which is really confusing and it’s a problem when there is so much attention focused on this particular element to Allie powers. I would have liked a different balance.
The best word I could describe Allie is dense. She needs to be goaded into everything, to start progressing also most of the things need to be spelled out for her to understand it. Her thoughts are all over the place and for me it caused disorienting effect. She is a bit selfish and immature. I couldn’t understand how she could concentrate on romance in the most inappropriate moments in the middle of the fight to stop the end of the world. I didn’t like heart all even if I think that her reaction to the secrets is the one of the most realistic I encountered in fantasy books like this.
As for the four boys they could have been interesting but we don’t get to know them at all. Allie and the boys don’t have the connection I expected. All of their important interactions and bonding moments happens behind the scenes. The only one we see more of is Tore, who is a bit irritating and unreasonable. I don’t understand the reasons most of his actions. The chemistry between him and Allie is really lacking.
This one ended up not being to my liking at all, at toward the end the plot picked up a little and I even liked some of the events. As for continuing the series, it’s still a big question mark and depends on my mood when it comes out.
I just discovered this book a couple of week before the actual release day and I was really looking forward to, because it has a pretty cover and an interesting synopsis. Not to mention the Norse mythological elements too it. Unfortunately it disappointed me greatly. I read a few books from S.T. Bende before and I’m sad to say that this book has everything in it I didn’t like in her previous books either. As for Leia Stone I didn’t read anything from her before so I can’t comment on that front.
The basic idea in the book, the general plot would be great. It’s really interesting and has a lot of potential. However there is a lot of things in it, little elements to the story and the writing style that I didn’t like at all. One of them is the main character which is a really damming thing for me.
The world building is simple and uses the basics from Norse mythology with the different worlds and also the authors use the different gods and goddesses in the story but just in name. One of my disappointments was that the story only grazes the surface of the mythology, it only serves as a background to the events and doesn’t get an explanation. Also the story itself starts out flat and slow and it didn’t get much better later either. The time management is screwed up, it jumps weeks between scenes and basically everything interesting happens then and we only get to know them by Allie’s recounting, second hand.
There is a lot of mumbo-jumbo about energies and centers and such, which is really confusing and it’s a problem when there is so much attention focused on this particular element to Allie powers. I would have liked a different balance.
The best word I could describe Allie is dense. She needs to be goaded into everything, to start progressing also most of the things need to be spelled out for her to understand it. Her thoughts are all over the place and for me it caused disorienting effect. She is a bit selfish and immature. I couldn’t understand how she could concentrate on romance in the most inappropriate moments in the middle of the fight to stop the end of the world. I didn’t like heart all even if I think that her reaction to the secrets is the one of the most realistic I encountered in fantasy books like this.
As for the four boys they could have been interesting but we don’t get to know them at all. Allie and the boys don’t have the connection I expected. All of their important interactions and bonding moments happens behind the scenes. The only one we see more of is Tore, who is a bit irritating and unreasonable. I don’t understand the reasons most of his actions. The chemistry between him and Allie is really lacking.
This one ended up not being to my liking at all, at toward the end the plot picked up a little and I even liked some of the events. As for continuing the series, it’s still a big question mark and depends on my mood when it comes out.
July 14, 2017
Loved it! I love a good mythology story. And this one wasn't just good. It was great! I was concerned this series would be too similar to Bende's other series (which I love), but fortunately this one had all the great writing and character building I was used to, but was its own special combination of awesome. I'm super excited about this series.
I loved going on this journey with Allie. First of all, she's awesome. She's no doormat, damsel-in-distress. She's strong and tough, yet fun and compassionate. She's got it all. Then she gets thrown into the Norse World, and boom! She keeps getting better.
Let's not forget her protectors. Seriously, I loved these guys. Allie sure hit the jackpot. The camaraderie and love could be felt through the pages. Just remember... Mack Pack. And Tore! This guy could be silently frustrating, but had a heart of gold. I especially loved watching his transition throughout the novel. He won me over.
And it wasn't all training and relationship building. There's plenty of action. These folks are on a mission. A huge mission, in fact. Lives are on the line! I loved the excitement of this novel and the anticipation of all the things to come. Can't wait for book 2 - Defender!
I loved going on this journey with Allie. First of all, she's awesome. She's no doormat, damsel-in-distress. She's strong and tough, yet fun and compassionate. She's got it all. Then she gets thrown into the Norse World, and boom! She keeps getting better.
Let's not forget her protectors. Seriously, I loved these guys. Allie sure hit the jackpot. The camaraderie and love could be felt through the pages. Just remember... Mack Pack. And Tore! This guy could be silently frustrating, but had a heart of gold. I especially loved watching his transition throughout the novel. He won me over.
And it wasn't all training and relationship building. There's plenty of action. These folks are on a mission. A huge mission, in fact. Lives are on the line! I loved the excitement of this novel and the anticipation of all the things to come. Can't wait for book 2 - Defender!
February 12, 2018
I love Thor, so obviously i loved this book.
Allie was a college student and had a normal life, well almost normal since she could see people's energy, but that's about all the excitement she had in her life until she meets with four hot guys who claim that she's an Asgardian demigod, that she's the daughter of the goddess of healing who's currently in a deep sleep caused by Nott, the night Goddess who's a power freak and wants to destroy earth. and Allie is the only one who could help wake her mother using a weapon that's lost and stop Nott.
It had a little bit of unneeded description that pushed to skip some pages but overall it was okay.
Allie was a college student and had a normal life, well almost normal since she could see people's energy, but that's about all the excitement she had in her life until she meets with four hot guys who claim that she's an Asgardian demigod, that she's the daughter of the goddess of healing who's currently in a deep sleep caused by Nott, the night Goddess who's a power freak and wants to destroy earth. and Allie is the only one who could help wake her mother using a weapon that's lost and stop Nott.
It had a little bit of unneeded description that pushed to skip some pages but overall it was okay.
April 27, 2017
An exciting new YA
Set in a land of gods and goddesses, Allie is completely clueless who she really is and it's up to 4 guardians to set her straight. Everything you want in a story, love, action, mystery and humor are all here, ready for you to enjoy!
Set in a land of gods and goddesses, Allie is completely clueless who she really is and it's up to 4 guardians to set her straight. Everything you want in a story, love, action, mystery and humor are all here, ready for you to enjoy!
January 7, 2020
Edwardian goodness
4 stars for a keep you reading practically whole book on your day off. I enjoyed the fallen academy series and I'm liking night war saga already. Having an Asgardian hottie and 3 other protectors protecting our protagonist heroine makes for a good read.
4 stars for a keep you reading practically whole book on your day off. I enjoyed the fallen academy series and I'm liking night war saga already. Having an Asgardian hottie and 3 other protectors protecting our protagonist heroine makes for a good read.
August 16, 2018
Meh
Interesting storyline it was just a little blander than I expected it to be. I’ll give it another shot with book two
Interesting storyline it was just a little blander than I expected it to be. I’ll give it another shot with book two
April 27, 2017
As a long-term fan of S.T. Bende's Elsker and Aere Sagas, I was so excited to read Protector, the first part of her new Night War Saga, co-authored with Leia Stone....... and I was completely blown away by the magic they have crafted!
Love. Honor. Protect.
As an Environmental Studies major, Allie knows the planet is in trouble—a series of natural disasters recently rocked the northern hemisphere, and species across the globe are going extinct. What Allie doesn’t know is that her world’s decline is a result of an ancient battle called the Night War—the Norse goddess Nott’s crusade to control the weakest of the light realms. And Allie most definitely doesn’t know that her existence is the only thing stopping Nott from dragging the earth into total darkness.
When four gorgeous guys show up claiming to be Allie’s Asgardian protectors, she thinks they’re delusional. And when they order her to hunt down the pieces of an immortal weapon, she’s convinced they’re insane. But when Allie’s attacked, the guys’ crazy stories of demigods and dark elves begin coming together. And Allie’s not sure what scares her more—losing her life to the Goddess of Night . . . or losing her heart to one of her protectors.
The story is fast paced and well balanced with just the right amount of light and shade in both plot and characterisation to keep the reader engaged and enthralled. The main characters, Allie, her Demi-God love interest Tore and his fearsomely faithful yet loveable band of protectors Bodie, Johann and Mack (Ahh Mack...... *sigh* -everyone needs their own MackPack, trust me 😍) are funny, feisty and at times totally full on in equal measure, but most importantly, they are believeable and real.
S.T. Bende and Leia Stone have an uncanny talent for writing characters that have us riding a never ending rollercoaster of emotions and reactions. Their heroes turn us into cheerleaders, rooting for their success and safety right from the get-go, and their villain... or in this case villainess, the deliciously naughty Nott, make you you want to pick up a big stick and wade right in.
There is never a dull moment in any of these ladies' previous books, and Protector is no exception. This is a fantastic start to what promises to be another epic series. If you love Norse Mythology, hot Gods, vile villains, action, adventure, friendship, loyalty, fun, romance and a little bit of crystal energy healing magic courtesy of the lovely Greta, then the Night War Saga is definitely not one to be missed.
Bring on book 2- Defender!
Love. Honor. Protect.
As an Environmental Studies major, Allie knows the planet is in trouble—a series of natural disasters recently rocked the northern hemisphere, and species across the globe are going extinct. What Allie doesn’t know is that her world’s decline is a result of an ancient battle called the Night War—the Norse goddess Nott’s crusade to control the weakest of the light realms. And Allie most definitely doesn’t know that her existence is the only thing stopping Nott from dragging the earth into total darkness.
When four gorgeous guys show up claiming to be Allie’s Asgardian protectors, she thinks they’re delusional. And when they order her to hunt down the pieces of an immortal weapon, she’s convinced they’re insane. But when Allie’s attacked, the guys’ crazy stories of demigods and dark elves begin coming together. And Allie’s not sure what scares her more—losing her life to the Goddess of Night . . . or losing her heart to one of her protectors.
The story is fast paced and well balanced with just the right amount of light and shade in both plot and characterisation to keep the reader engaged and enthralled. The main characters, Allie, her Demi-God love interest Tore and his fearsomely faithful yet loveable band of protectors Bodie, Johann and Mack (Ahh Mack...... *sigh* -everyone needs their own MackPack, trust me 😍) are funny, feisty and at times totally full on in equal measure, but most importantly, they are believeable and real.
S.T. Bende and Leia Stone have an uncanny talent for writing characters that have us riding a never ending rollercoaster of emotions and reactions. Their heroes turn us into cheerleaders, rooting for their success and safety right from the get-go, and their villain... or in this case villainess, the deliciously naughty Nott, make you you want to pick up a big stick and wade right in.
There is never a dull moment in any of these ladies' previous books, and Protector is no exception. This is a fantastic start to what promises to be another epic series. If you love Norse Mythology, hot Gods, vile villains, action, adventure, friendship, loyalty, fun, romance and a little bit of crystal energy healing magic courtesy of the lovely Greta, then the Night War Saga is definitely not one to be missed.
Bring on book 2- Defender!
May 27, 2020
Intriguing Norse Mythology Brought Up To Date!!🌈🍁🌲🙏😍
(Read using Kindle Unlimited)
Protector (Night War Saga #1)
Allie is an orphan that's attending college on a scholarship. She's always been able to see 'auras' but she also feels the energy too!😳 It can indicate if people are genuine, violent etc to her, so she uses it help keep her safe but it also drains her, their energies push on her constantly.😔 She goes into their small skiing town with her roommate, & she's captivated by a light energy. It turns out to be necklace in an antique store that she feels she has to have!!🙏
The necklace was a beacon that called her four protectors to her. They try to convince she's a Demigod from Asgard that needs to go on a quest to find pieces of a weapon to kill an evil goddess!🙈 Allie thinks they're all hot as hell but completely nuts.😂 Well that's until Tore takes her on a journey which brings her to her Mum who's in a sleeping curse & has been since she was a one year old!!😲💔😢 She's filled with rage & heartache, she wants to save Midgard (Earth) and her Mum!🙏😍
This was a really good read. Allie is full of the best snark.😃 Brodie & Johann, though hot, are like a pair of immature frat boys.😂 Mack is like the big brother she never had.😍 Tore is like a super tall & muscley bad boy she melts over!🔥💘🔥 They are all extremely protective of Allie & are determined that she succeed!🙏 I can't wait to start book #2 👍
Debbie, 1970, UK
(Read using Kindle Unlimited)
Protector (Night War Saga #1)
Allie is an orphan that's attending college on a scholarship. She's always been able to see 'auras' but she also feels the energy too!😳 It can indicate if people are genuine, violent etc to her, so she uses it help keep her safe but it also drains her, their energies push on her constantly.😔 She goes into their small skiing town with her roommate, & she's captivated by a light energy. It turns out to be necklace in an antique store that she feels she has to have!!🙏
The necklace was a beacon that called her four protectors to her. They try to convince she's a Demigod from Asgard that needs to go on a quest to find pieces of a weapon to kill an evil goddess!🙈 Allie thinks they're all hot as hell but completely nuts.😂 Well that's until Tore takes her on a journey which brings her to her Mum who's in a sleeping curse & has been since she was a one year old!!😲💔😢 She's filled with rage & heartache, she wants to save Midgard (Earth) and her Mum!🙏😍
This was a really good read. Allie is full of the best snark.😃 Brodie & Johann, though hot, are like a pair of immature frat boys.😂 Mack is like the big brother she never had.😍 Tore is like a super tall & muscley bad boy she melts over!🔥💘🔥 They are all extremely protective of Allie & are determined that she succeed!🙏 I can't wait to start book #2 👍
Debbie, 1970, UK
April 28, 2017
Oh My Goddess Protector is a Drop Dead Gorgeous Must Read that keeps UR heart racing full of killer action, magic, mystery lol funny humor N epic romance.. I devoured it in one sitting nothing could tear me away!
Leia Stone & S.t. Bende are a dynamic writing duo, The Night War Saga is Pure Asgardian Awesomeness I can't wait for book 2 Defender!!!
Allie is My #1 fave Beautiful badass heroine! She's Sweet, loving N sassy with the heart of a warrior and a fierce spirit!
Tore is Sinfully Sexy, brooding N fiercely protective, sarcastic with a devilish sense of humor the chemistry between him & Allie is absolutely delicious!
Holy Hotness all of Allie's Protectors need books of their own. I love Mack. Bodie & Johann they will steal UR heart!
5 Stars and beyond!!!
Leia Stone & S.t. Bende are a dynamic writing duo, The Night War Saga is Pure Asgardian Awesomeness I can't wait for book 2 Defender!!!
Allie is My #1 fave Beautiful badass heroine! She's Sweet, loving N sassy with the heart of a warrior and a fierce spirit!
Tore is Sinfully Sexy, brooding N fiercely protective, sarcastic with a devilish sense of humor the chemistry between him & Allie is absolutely delicious!
Holy Hotness all of Allie's Protectors need books of their own. I love Mack. Bodie & Johann they will steal UR heart!
5 Stars and beyond!!!
April 17, 2017
A funny, close pack of guys, a smoking hot male lead and an awesome MC. These are just four reasons I love this book.
While it took me a couple of pages to get into the book, once I did I couldn't put it down and was up until late finishing it.
Firstly, I have to mention the research these two have done for this book - it's phenomenal. It's engaging, interesting and really well-explained.
The characters obviously make the book as does the plot.
I loved it.
While it took me a couple of pages to get into the book, once I did I couldn't put it down and was up until late finishing it.
Firstly, I have to mention the research these two have done for this book - it's phenomenal. It's engaging, interesting and really well-explained.
The characters obviously make the book as does the plot.
I loved it.
Read
June 20, 2017I liked the story.... Looking forward to the next one
Read
March 22, 2018DNF Reverse harem not into that kind of thing.
August 17, 2017
Light up my life
I enjoyed this novel simply because it's a cute tale and a pleasing read. It's light, fun and full of sexy blokes. Definitely a good novel to read on the way to work.
I enjoyed this novel simply because it's a cute tale and a pleasing read. It's light, fun and full of sexy blokes. Definitely a good novel to read on the way to work.
December 14, 2017
Interesting
These two authors combine to create an interesting blend of Norse Mythology and modern life/characters. The storyline is fast, the characters fun and dynamic.
These two authors combine to create an interesting blend of Norse Mythology and modern life/characters. The storyline is fast, the characters fun and dynamic.
November 9, 2020
Esto me pasa por no leer la sinopsis jajajaja
Tenía una idea completamente errónea de la trama.
En fin, después de la sorpresa inicial, todo fue muy plano y por momentos aburrido. Solo el último cuarto de la historia repuntó para mí gusto.
Aún deliberando si continuo leyendo el resto de los libros o no 🤔
Tenía una idea completamente errónea de la trama.
En fin, después de la sorpresa inicial, todo fue muy plano y por momentos aburrido. Solo el último cuarto de la historia repuntó para mí gusto.
Aún deliberando si continuo leyendo el resto de los libros o no 🤔
September 30, 2018
Norse mythology and hunky men - what's not to like?
An entertaining story about Norse mythology, an ancient prophecy and 4 sexy protectors who won't take no for an answer. Add in some dark elves, frost giants and Asgard and you have an interesting start to a new series.
An entertaining story about Norse mythology, an ancient prophecy and 4 sexy protectors who won't take no for an answer. Add in some dark elves, frost giants and Asgard and you have an interesting start to a new series.
April 17, 2017
This book is beautiful! I need more of it! My favorite line will forever be "there's five Mack's, I must be delirious"
March 23, 2020
Protector is the story of a college girl, Allie, who is thrown into the life of Asgardians, no thanks to four (apparently hot) protectors. Allie is tasked with saving Earth, rescuing the realms from darkness, and singlehandedly destroying the goddess of Night (which no one, not even the god's, can do)... sounds logical.
"Rule number one of tutorial time: the most effective teaching tool is an intense desire to keep your tutor in the dark about how badly you want to jump him."
Now, this book was not what I expected it to be. I was both amused and disappointed on countless occasions. Let it be known that I love Leia Stone, all things Leia Stone do I love. However, this book just did not do it for me. Perhaps my expectations were too high. But I have high expectations anyways. We'll just ignore those and move on to the good stuff.
Personal Pros:
Mack (I love him, and he needs to be protected forever and ever).
The use of different languages (Norwegian & Dutch).
Dragons. I just love dragons.
Use of mythology, simply because I also love mythology.
That's it...
Personal Cons:
The lack of chemistry between Tore and Allie! They had all the makings of a great relationship, but it fell short constantly. I have never prayed for an author to insert some sort of steamy scene before I read this book. We know you can do it, Leia! We have all read, Wrecked!!!
The plot. It sped up, and then it dragged, and then it sped up again. The characters literally never had a break. No wonder Allie and Tore never kissed, there wasn't any time!
All of the characters. There was no depth. The only background story we received was Tore's, Allie's, and their mom's. That's it. It was like no one had a life before Allie came along.
So yeah, there's that. I am sad. I had such high hopes. It can't be helped... On to the ratings!
Language: Literally none. I mean, it's a YA book, you have permission to curse. But no, the author uses the work skit instead of shit. And it left me wishing they would just "god up" and say the real word.
Drugs/Drinking: Again, I say, absolutely none. The most they drank was tea. Which is also incredibly unrealistic, but I digress.
Sexual Content: Ahahahahaha... haha... ha... *sobs internally*. There was NONE!!!! THE MOST THEY DID WAS LEAN IN FOR A LIGHT PECK!! However, there were a few little innuendos and "that's what she said" jokes from Bodie. One of my personal favorites comes from Tore, "That was purely selfish. It would be a travesty if anything happened to your butt." Yeah, it made me giggle, but that's as far as anything goes in this book.
Violence: You think there would be a ton given the fact that this is literally titled the Night War Saga. But strangely enough, the violence was brushed over. The boys run their swords through a few dark elf things, but that's about it folks.
Age Recommendation: I think younger teens would like this series. My age rec. would be 11 and up.
"Rule number one of tutorial time: the most effective teaching tool is an intense desire to keep your tutor in the dark about how badly you want to jump him."
Now, this book was not what I expected it to be. I was both amused and disappointed on countless occasions. Let it be known that I love Leia Stone, all things Leia Stone do I love. However, this book just did not do it for me. Perhaps my expectations were too high. But I have high expectations anyways. We'll just ignore those and move on to the good stuff.
Personal Pros:
Mack (I love him, and he needs to be protected forever and ever).
The use of different languages (Norwegian & Dutch).
Dragons. I just love dragons.
Use of mythology, simply because I also love mythology.
That's it...
Personal Cons:
The lack of chemistry between Tore and Allie! They had all the makings of a great relationship, but it fell short constantly. I have never prayed for an author to insert some sort of steamy scene before I read this book. We know you can do it, Leia! We have all read, Wrecked!!!
The plot. It sped up, and then it dragged, and then it sped up again. The characters literally never had a break. No wonder Allie and Tore never kissed, there wasn't any time!
All of the characters. There was no depth. The only background story we received was Tore's, Allie's, and their mom's. That's it. It was like no one had a life before Allie came along.
So yeah, there's that. I am sad. I had such high hopes. It can't be helped... On to the ratings!
Language: Literally none. I mean, it's a YA book, you have permission to curse. But no, the author uses the work skit instead of shit. And it left me wishing they would just "god up" and say the real word.
Drugs/Drinking: Again, I say, absolutely none. The most they drank was tea. Which is also incredibly unrealistic, but I digress.
Sexual Content: Ahahahahaha... haha... ha... *sobs internally*. There was NONE!!!! THE MOST THEY DID WAS LEAN IN FOR A LIGHT PECK!! However, there were a few little innuendos and "that's what she said" jokes from Bodie. One of my personal favorites comes from Tore, "That was purely selfish. It would be a travesty if anything happened to your butt." Yeah, it made me giggle, but that's as far as anything goes in this book.
Violence: You think there would be a ton given the fact that this is literally titled the Night War Saga. But strangely enough, the violence was brushed over. The boys run their swords through a few dark elf things, but that's about it folks.
Age Recommendation: I think younger teens would like this series. My age rec. would be 11 and up.
April 19, 2017
Pretty darn close to 5 stars. Protector has it all: a strong heroine, great supporting characters, action, drama, suspense, humor, and a little bit of romance.
Plot:
College student Allie has always known she had a gift. What she didn’t know was that with the help of four guys from different worlds, she would be using her gift(s) to save the planet from an evil goddess.
Characters:
In terms of heroines, Allie is about as good as they come. She’s smart, determined, thoughtful, and kind. She’s bombarded with a lot of new information, but she doesn’t let herself get overwhelmed. She just finds out what she needs to do and takes it one step at a time. She’s able to do that with the help of four protectors, each of whom has a distinct personality. Mack is sensitive and nurturing, Johann is funny, and Bodie is flirty. While each of the guys is very likable, Allie finds herself attracted to Tore. Tore is the typical Alpha male — sexy, hard-headed, protective, overbearing, and aloof.
Writing:
Protector was very easy to dig into, and it was one of those books that you WANT to keep reading because the story is compelling. I’ve read all of Bende’s books, so I already knew she was great at world building and explaining the mythology in a natural manner that doesn’t become boring. I’ve never read anything by Leia Stone, but I am definitely adding her to my “to read” list. Protector has some cursing (mainly in Swedish) and a ton of violence. There is also a lot of sexual tension, so if the book were a movie, I’d probably rate it PG-13.
Bottom Line:
Protector has a great plot with extremely likable characters and plenty of action. It also has romance (but no triangles) and suspense (but no cliffhangers.) The book proves that S.T. Bende and Leia Stone make a great team, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next.
Plot:
College student Allie has always known she had a gift. What she didn’t know was that with the help of four guys from different worlds, she would be using her gift(s) to save the planet from an evil goddess.
Characters:
In terms of heroines, Allie is about as good as they come. She’s smart, determined, thoughtful, and kind. She’s bombarded with a lot of new information, but she doesn’t let herself get overwhelmed. She just finds out what she needs to do and takes it one step at a time. She’s able to do that with the help of four protectors, each of whom has a distinct personality. Mack is sensitive and nurturing, Johann is funny, and Bodie is flirty. While each of the guys is very likable, Allie finds herself attracted to Tore. Tore is the typical Alpha male — sexy, hard-headed, protective, overbearing, and aloof.
Writing:
Protector was very easy to dig into, and it was one of those books that you WANT to keep reading because the story is compelling. I’ve read all of Bende’s books, so I already knew she was great at world building and explaining the mythology in a natural manner that doesn’t become boring. I’ve never read anything by Leia Stone, but I am definitely adding her to my “to read” list. Protector has some cursing (mainly in Swedish) and a ton of violence. There is also a lot of sexual tension, so if the book were a movie, I’d probably rate it PG-13.
Bottom Line:
Protector has a great plot with extremely likable characters and plenty of action. It also has romance (but no triangles) and suspense (but no cliffhangers.) The book proves that S.T. Bende and Leia Stone make a great team, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next.
May 14, 2017
Allie has always been sensitive to the energy around her and able to feel the emotions of other people. She learned to live with her strange abilities and all was going well in her life until one day a necklace 'calls' to her. Unable to resist it's pull, Allie touches the strange necklace and that is when her whole life changes.
“Your mother is in the Night Sleep. She is Eir, the Goddess of Healing. And we need you to help wake her.”
So, a group of four guys - Tore, Mack, Johann and Bodie - comes to Allie, saying that she is a demigod, the only one who can wake her mother from the magically induced sleep and save Earth. No biggie, right?
It really annoyed me how Tore expected Allie to just give up her life as she knew it and simply 'deal with it'. How about a little compassion, you jerk? It is explained later that he feels a tremendous guilt for the role he played in all this mess, but it is still no reason to behave that way to a person you supposedly wronged.
And it did not feel all that believable how Allie was so agains helping the guys one moment, only to say 'let's make me into a god killing machine' the next. There was no middle ground between the two.
Great idea for the story and I especially like that it was based on the Norse mythology, but the execution was severely lacking. Most of the events did not have any emotions behind them and I was unable to connect with the characters.
“Your mother is in the Night Sleep. She is Eir, the Goddess of Healing. And we need you to help wake her.”
So, a group of four guys - Tore, Mack, Johann and Bodie - comes to Allie, saying that she is a demigod, the only one who can wake her mother from the magically induced sleep and save Earth. No biggie, right?
It really annoyed me how Tore expected Allie to just give up her life as she knew it and simply 'deal with it'. How about a little compassion, you jerk? It is explained later that he feels a tremendous guilt for the role he played in all this mess, but it is still no reason to behave that way to a person you supposedly wronged.
And it did not feel all that believable how Allie was so agains helping the guys one moment, only to say 'let's make me into a god killing machine' the next. There was no middle ground between the two.
Great idea for the story and I especially like that it was based on the Norse mythology, but the execution was severely lacking. Most of the events did not have any emotions behind them and I was unable to connect with the characters.
May 8, 2018
A really compelling start to the series. Its one of those rare stories that develop at a slow but fast pace at the same time. Don’t take this to mean that it must be boring because my friends it is anything but that. It dives into the story at the perfect pace for me.
I Love me some Mythology so I hoped from the very beginning I would love it and I wasn’t disappointed.
I also loved all the characters especially Allie and her four protectors they just felt so real and relatable. I loved Allies kickbutt attitude and fire but we get to see a really natural down to earth person grow into something more. Which was incredible to be apart of. hehe and I totally fell in love with Tore. From the very first moment she met him and may have Pepper sprayed him (loved the nickname choice btw Leia & St. Bende 😁). You honestly just can’t help but love them and the bond they all have.
I can def see myself reading this book and series again.
You may be wondering why the 4 stars then? Well the only reason is because I really felt the story build and develop so much more in the other 2 books a little more than this and I wanted others to see how much more connected I became to this story as it unravelled. That would be the only reason.
A big Thank you to be Both Leia Stone & St Bende for an amazing series and a great first kick off book that just left me wanting more.
Happy Reading My Nerdy Book Friends 🤓
I Love me some Mythology so I hoped from the very beginning I would love it and I wasn’t disappointed.
I also loved all the characters especially Allie and her four protectors they just felt so real and relatable. I loved Allies kickbutt attitude and fire but we get to see a really natural down to earth person grow into something more. Which was incredible to be apart of. hehe and I totally fell in love with Tore. From the very first moment she met him and may have Pepper sprayed him (loved the nickname choice btw Leia & St. Bende 😁). You honestly just can’t help but love them and the bond they all have.
I can def see myself reading this book and series again.
You may be wondering why the 4 stars then? Well the only reason is because I really felt the story build and develop so much more in the other 2 books a little more than this and I wanted others to see how much more connected I became to this story as it unravelled. That would be the only reason.
A big Thank you to be Both Leia Stone & St Bende for an amazing series and a great first kick off book that just left me wanting more.
Happy Reading My Nerdy Book Friends 🤓
July 30, 2017
I always liked books whose stories are based on well researched historical facts or mythologies and then adds a little fictional twists, since you get entertained and can expand your knowledge base at the same time. And Norse Mythology always was a favorite of mine, though unfortunately I have yet to find a really good book about it (Greek Mythology is way easier in that regard).
Especially in the first part of the story this book contains a lot of tidbits from Norse Mythology. Now while Odin, Thor and Loki are so well known that they are basically common knowledge (and of course they are made popular by Stan Lee's Thor series that is also based on Norse Mythology). But this series digs deeper. So while everyone may know that Odin is basically to Norse what Zeus is to Greek Mythology, not many may know that he has two ravens, Huginn and Muninn (Thought and Memory) that scout the world and report their findings to Odin, as he is always on a quest for knowledge. The book also features some more obscure Norse deities such as Eir, Nott and Vali (god of revenge) Leia Stone takes elements like these and incorporates them into the story. This is the part of the book I liked the most, followed by the interaction between Tore, Johann, Bodi and Mack (incredibly Norse names). I simply love a good we are like brothers ribbing.
On a side note I would like to point out that Huginn and Muninn are actually able to talk. It is not necessary to attach notes to them as if they were carrier pigeons, besides begging the question, who writes the notes. Also the Asgardian goods never forged a weapon. The most powerful weapons in Norse Mythology are Gugnir (Odin's spear) and Mjölnir (Thor's Hammer), both of which were forged by the dwarves of Swartalfheim. At this point I am not certain, if I should ascribe those things to artistic freedom or bad research. Which brings me to the things that I disliked about the book, hence the relatively low rating.
Norse Mythology notwithstanding the story is a pretty basic Hero's Quest. That in itself isn't he criticism, because there are scholars who say that there are only 3-7 plots out there. How you tell a story is more relevant than what story you tell.
An important aspect of the Hero's Quest for me is explaining why this hero, especially if he/she is so young (Allie just started college in is I think 18). Take Star Wars for example. Even though Luke being the only hope (except for Leia, who was Plan B) in vanquishing Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine wasn't uncovered until later in the trilogy, you knew from the start it had to be him, since he was the only Jedi around (Yoda and Obi-Wan failed before and therefore weren't really an option). In the course of the story you also realized that they were hoping that Vader would feel a connection to his son, giving Luke an additional advantage. Should that fail, he would be old enough to defend himself. Allie is the daughter of Eir, whose healing powers are the only thing hindering Nott from taking over Midgard. In the last part of the book, Eir transfers those powers onto Allie and a prophecy stating that she has to be the one to stop Nott. To do so she is to use a weapon forged by the gods, aptly named Godkiller, whose parts she has to find, which is her quest. This is not very good reasoning since any Asgardian could use Godkiller and also knows how to manipulate energy. Of course using a prophecy, which I always found kind of lame, hints at there being something about Allie that hasn't been revealed yet.
Which brings us to Nott. In Norse Mythology Nott is the night. She rides over the nine realms on her horse and brings the night. Her children are Earth and Day (the last sometimes also attributed to another goddess). She has no motivations or anything, she just is. Again making her a villain is artistic freedom. But I want you to think about it. Night is an essential part of how nature works, because that is when everything, even plants, rest. And the gods took Night and banished her to Swartalfheim. Since she was always an outsider, she then decides to conquer Midgard, the weakest of the Light realms, and make her own kingdom. To be perfectly honest, Nott can forget about complicated schemes that take decades to implement while she fights against the other gods. All she has to do is sit on her butt and wait until the world no longer having a night takes its toll. I assume that Stone didn't want to go with the usual suspects like Loki and Hel and therefore chose a more obscure goddess, especially as these are promoted by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If that is the case, Nott's reasoning for attacking Midgard being identical to Loki's in Avengers is kind of ironic. The dark elves wanting to create a dark realm is straight out of Thor The Dark Realm. Also, if they never accepted Nott, why are they helping her?
Last but not least, Allie herself. I am not certain if this series is YA, but it certainly reads like what. Allie's inner dialogue especially about Tore is as mature as a 14 year olds. I find this very annoying. Her insecurities regarding his ex-girlfriend - he asked for a six month break and they are together because of a sense of obligation, because she was there for him when his mother died, oh yeah, she is a real threat - were particularly exasperating. A general problem with Hero's quests involving young heroes is that it strains credulity that a person who received a few weeks of training would fight on the same level as someone whose trained for decades (in this case even centuries). A part of the Hero's quest is of course the hero believing he is basically invincible and then being taken down a peg, which also happens here. But Allie's constant whining about how she can take of herself or Tore finally accepting her as an equal fighter, especially given that she is in 2 fights in this book, both of which she wins, but in whose course she is seriously injured. Please accept that them trying to protect you is not a gender, but an experience thing, and stop your whining.
Will I read the other ones? I am not sure yet.
Especially in the first part of the story this book contains a lot of tidbits from Norse Mythology. Now while Odin, Thor and Loki are so well known that they are basically common knowledge (and of course they are made popular by Stan Lee's Thor series that is also based on Norse Mythology). But this series digs deeper. So while everyone may know that Odin is basically to Norse what Zeus is to Greek Mythology, not many may know that he has two ravens, Huginn and Muninn (Thought and Memory) that scout the world and report their findings to Odin, as he is always on a quest for knowledge. The book also features some more obscure Norse deities such as Eir, Nott and Vali (god of revenge) Leia Stone takes elements like these and incorporates them into the story. This is the part of the book I liked the most, followed by the interaction between Tore, Johann, Bodi and Mack (incredibly Norse names). I simply love a good we are like brothers ribbing.
On a side note I would like to point out that Huginn and Muninn are actually able to talk. It is not necessary to attach notes to them as if they were carrier pigeons, besides begging the question, who writes the notes. Also the Asgardian goods never forged a weapon. The most powerful weapons in Norse Mythology are Gugnir (Odin's spear) and Mjölnir (Thor's Hammer), both of which were forged by the dwarves of Swartalfheim. At this point I am not certain, if I should ascribe those things to artistic freedom or bad research. Which brings me to the things that I disliked about the book, hence the relatively low rating.
Norse Mythology notwithstanding the story is a pretty basic Hero's Quest. That in itself isn't he criticism, because there are scholars who say that there are only 3-7 plots out there. How you tell a story is more relevant than what story you tell.
An important aspect of the Hero's Quest for me is explaining why this hero, especially if he/she is so young (Allie just started college in is I think 18). Take Star Wars for example. Even though Luke being the only hope (except for Leia, who was Plan B) in vanquishing Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine wasn't uncovered until later in the trilogy, you knew from the start it had to be him, since he was the only Jedi around (Yoda and Obi-Wan failed before and therefore weren't really an option). In the course of the story you also realized that they were hoping that Vader would feel a connection to his son, giving Luke an additional advantage. Should that fail, he would be old enough to defend himself. Allie is the daughter of Eir, whose healing powers are the only thing hindering Nott from taking over Midgard. In the last part of the book, Eir transfers those powers onto Allie and a prophecy stating that she has to be the one to stop Nott. To do so she is to use a weapon forged by the gods, aptly named Godkiller, whose parts she has to find, which is her quest. This is not very good reasoning since any Asgardian could use Godkiller and also knows how to manipulate energy. Of course using a prophecy, which I always found kind of lame, hints at there being something about Allie that hasn't been revealed yet.
Which brings us to Nott. In Norse Mythology Nott is the night. She rides over the nine realms on her horse and brings the night. Her children are Earth and Day (the last sometimes also attributed to another goddess). She has no motivations or anything, she just is. Again making her a villain is artistic freedom. But I want you to think about it. Night is an essential part of how nature works, because that is when everything, even plants, rest. And the gods took Night and banished her to Swartalfheim. Since she was always an outsider, she then decides to conquer Midgard, the weakest of the Light realms, and make her own kingdom. To be perfectly honest, Nott can forget about complicated schemes that take decades to implement while she fights against the other gods. All she has to do is sit on her butt and wait until the world no longer having a night takes its toll. I assume that Stone didn't want to go with the usual suspects like Loki and Hel and therefore chose a more obscure goddess, especially as these are promoted by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If that is the case, Nott's reasoning for attacking Midgard being identical to Loki's in Avengers is kind of ironic. The dark elves wanting to create a dark realm is straight out of Thor The Dark Realm. Also, if they never accepted Nott, why are they helping her?
Last but not least, Allie herself. I am not certain if this series is YA, but it certainly reads like what. Allie's inner dialogue especially about Tore is as mature as a 14 year olds. I find this very annoying. Her insecurities regarding his ex-girlfriend - he asked for a six month break and they are together because of a sense of obligation, because she was there for him when his mother died, oh yeah, she is a real threat - were particularly exasperating. A general problem with Hero's quests involving young heroes is that it strains credulity that a person who received a few weeks of training would fight on the same level as someone whose trained for decades (in this case even centuries). A part of the Hero's quest is of course the hero believing he is basically invincible and then being taken down a peg, which also happens here. But Allie's constant whining about how she can take of herself or Tore finally accepting her as an equal fighter, especially given that she is in 2 fights in this book, both of which she wins, but in whose course she is seriously injured. Please accept that them trying to protect you is not a gender, but an experience thing, and stop your whining.
Will I read the other ones? I am not sure yet.
April 11, 2017
Protector was everything I had hoped it would be! I seriously love the references to Norse Gods/Goddesses & mythology! The story was so interesting I could NOT put it down once I started!
I have a serious love for Allie's guys! Tore, Mack, Bodie & Johann kept me laughing and completely in love! Especially Tore and Mack, they're the best! And can we all just take a moment to appreciate how amazing Mack is?!
Allie is awesome. She's interesting and even dealing with everything she stays strong!
I absolutely CANNOT WAIT to read book 2! It is gonna kill me waiting for Defender. :'(
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this series! It's GREAT!
I have a serious love for Allie's guys! Tore, Mack, Bodie & Johann kept me laughing and completely in love! Especially Tore and Mack, they're the best! And can we all just take a moment to appreciate how amazing Mack is?!
Allie is awesome. She's interesting and even dealing with everything she stays strong!
I absolutely CANNOT WAIT to read book 2! It is gonna kill me waiting for Defender. :'(
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this series! It's GREAT!
August 2, 2017
A girl stumbles into her protectors, learns that she's a demigod fated to save the Earth and her mother from evil Nott, ends up falling for one of her protectors, yada yada.
The novel started off interestingly enough, but then it took a boring turn, crammed with unnecessary descriptions. The humour is what kept me going forward, but it lacked the thrills and suspense needed to get someone pumping. It was, in true sense of the word, a lacklustre read.
I loved the inclusion of Norse mythology and Norwegian language, though. The action scenes were okay, not too good, and should have included more gripping elements. The characters, on the other hand, lacked originality and emotions.
The novel started off interestingly enough, but then it took a boring turn, crammed with unnecessary descriptions. The humour is what kept me going forward, but it lacked the thrills and suspense needed to get someone pumping. It was, in true sense of the word, a lacklustre read.
I loved the inclusion of Norse mythology and Norwegian language, though. The action scenes were okay, not too good, and should have included more gripping elements. The characters, on the other hand, lacked originality and emotions.
June 29, 2018
4.5 stars
Need to save the fifth star if it gets better....
I loved Protector and could not stop until I finished the book and then I went on with the other parts! Great Series, and I am happy that I read it after all three books were released, otherwise it would have been Hel to wait ;o)
Need to save the fifth star if it gets better....
I loved Protector and could not stop until I finished the book and then I went on with the other parts! Great Series, and I am happy that I read it after all three books were released, otherwise it would have been Hel to wait ;o)
July 2, 2017
Writing is good and engaging
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