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Marked #1
Marked by Power
Is being marked with just one of the powers enough? Is being marked with six? What about being marked with all twelve?
When Mackenzie’s seventeenth birthday comes around, she planned to spend a few years at the school for the marked learning about her new powers, and then leaving and living her life. But nothing goes as planned when she attends the marking ceremony and all twelve marks appear.
Kenzie lives in a world where being marked with six powers is normal, being marked with seven or more is rare. But being marked with twelve? Well, that’s unheard of.
With learning about her new powers, the last thing Kenzie needs to worry about is falling for her hot teacher. Not to mention the unneeded distractions of the sexy twins, the jerk in all her classes, and her older brother’s best friend who finally seems to notice her.
Romance and marked powers are never a good mix, not when there are people who desire her for more than her heart.
Kenzie may not know, understand or want her twelfth power, but someone does.
This is a reverse-harem series.
When Mackenzie’s seventeenth birthday comes around, she planned to spend a few years at the school for the marked learning about her new powers, and then leaving and living her life. But nothing goes as planned when she attends the marking ceremony and all twelve marks appear.
Kenzie lives in a world where being marked with six powers is normal, being marked with seven or more is rare. But being marked with twelve? Well, that’s unheard of.
With learning about her new powers, the last thing Kenzie needs to worry about is falling for her hot teacher. Not to mention the unneeded distractions of the sexy twins, the jerk in all her classes, and her older brother’s best friend who finally seems to notice her.
Romance and marked powers are never a good mix, not when there are people who desire her for more than her heart.
Kenzie may not know, understand or want her twelfth power, but someone does.
This is a reverse-harem series.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 14, 2017
1243 people are currently reading
3282 people want to read
About the author
Cece Rose
42 books716 followersCece Rose is the proud owner of one dog, two cats, two turtles, and one annoying boyfriend.
She hails from Devon in the South-West of England, but dreams of sunny skies and sand between her toes. Although, whenever abroad, she'll moan about the heat and the sand that gets everywhere.
She has largely convinced all who know her that she's a vampire, mainly due to her nocturnal habits and tendency to bite. In reality, it's because her creativity only ever strikes when the sky is dark and the stars are shining. (Plus, it's actually quiet enough to concentrate on writing when everyone else in the world is sleeping.)
Website: www.ceceroseauthor.com
Contact: cece_rose_author@outlook.com
If you want to keep up with everything she's doing, please join her Facebook reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/44633...
She hails from Devon in the South-West of England, but dreams of sunny skies and sand between her toes. Although, whenever abroad, she'll moan about the heat and the sand that gets everywhere.
She has largely convinced all who know her that she's a vampire, mainly due to her nocturnal habits and tendency to bite. In reality, it's because her creativity only ever strikes when the sky is dark and the stars are shining. (Plus, it's actually quiet enough to concentrate on writing when everyone else in the world is sleeping.)
Website: www.ceceroseauthor.com
Contact: cece_rose_author@outlook.com
If you want to keep up with everything she's doing, please join her Facebook reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/44633...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 406 reviews
February 11, 2018
I like to read the occasional coming of age fantasy story, but this was just atrocious.
The new student nearly kills herself in her first fire magic session and after some guy (not the teacher) rescues her by extinguishing the fire, the first thing after being saved from imminent death by suffocation is how HOT that guy is. Erm, WHAT?????????? No heart pumping, adrenaline rush, still flooded with panic, OMG I almost died!!!!!!!!!!??????????
On the way to the headmaster's office (no, not the infirmary to check her for injuries, the headmaster's office) afterwards she runs into the next guy and again, ooooh, so hot. I would imagine that almost dying would put your mind on something else than the asses and fuckability of the male campus residents.
Then the teacher. Tells protagonist, who has never in her life worked any magic to start a fire (magic known to get out of control easily) without the SLIGHTEST instruction of how to correctly and safely do it, and tadaaaa, she loses control and the instructor, instead of, you know, just doing her job and teaching her something, just bitches at her and sends her to the headmaster. And that's supposed to be a competent magic teacher teaching a dangerous kind of magic at a reputable magic school? That's a joke.
And then the headmaster, gives her detention (considers suspending her) when clearly the accident happened because his teacher is utter crap, doesn't even hear her to learn what exactly happened. BTW, she is going to have the detention with the hunky, sexy male guy she had just met. That's how a bunch of imbeciles run a magic school and probably kill half of the students with their incompetence and get the other female quarter knocked up within the first three months, because, you know that is not a school but a swinger club.
None of the students talk like the high school graduates they are supposed to be, somewhat in a manner close to an adult, educated, with personal interests, the ability to talk politely and not in some kind of slang. They talk like immature uneducated, underclass hillbilly teenagers. None of the females has apparently any interests in life other than getting laid and procreating as soon as possible. The males have no personal characteristics, they are just the meat market with the model good look.
I do like romantic or erotic fantasy if it's well written, but here the erotic attraction is so artificial, in your face and poorly written that it curls my toenails while reading. It's erotic attraction on the level of a five minute porn clip on youporn and the characters are permanently horny imbeciles.
Made it to about page 50 or so and then quit. There may be a potentially interesting story in there somewhere, but the idea is wasted on this excess of crappy writing. Needs a complete rewrite to become readable.
The new student nearly kills herself in her first fire magic session and after some guy (not the teacher) rescues her by extinguishing the fire, the first thing after being saved from imminent death by suffocation is how HOT that guy is. Erm, WHAT?????????? No heart pumping, adrenaline rush, still flooded with panic, OMG I almost died!!!!!!!!!!??????????
On the way to the headmaster's office (no, not the infirmary to check her for injuries, the headmaster's office) afterwards she runs into the next guy and again, ooooh, so hot. I would imagine that almost dying would put your mind on something else than the asses and fuckability of the male campus residents.
Then the teacher. Tells protagonist, who has never in her life worked any magic to start a fire (magic known to get out of control easily) without the SLIGHTEST instruction of how to correctly and safely do it, and tadaaaa, she loses control and the instructor, instead of, you know, just doing her job and teaching her something, just bitches at her and sends her to the headmaster. And that's supposed to be a competent magic teacher teaching a dangerous kind of magic at a reputable magic school? That's a joke.
And then the headmaster, gives her detention (considers suspending her) when clearly the accident happened because his teacher is utter crap, doesn't even hear her to learn what exactly happened. BTW, she is going to have the detention with the hunky, sexy male guy she had just met. That's how a bunch of imbeciles run a magic school and probably kill half of the students with their incompetence and get the other female quarter knocked up within the first three months, because, you know that is not a school but a swinger club.
None of the students talk like the high school graduates they are supposed to be, somewhat in a manner close to an adult, educated, with personal interests, the ability to talk politely and not in some kind of slang. They talk like immature uneducated, underclass hillbilly teenagers. None of the females has apparently any interests in life other than getting laid and procreating as soon as possible. The males have no personal characteristics, they are just the meat market with the model good look.
I do like romantic or erotic fantasy if it's well written, but here the erotic attraction is so artificial, in your face and poorly written that it curls my toenails while reading. It's erotic attraction on the level of a five minute porn clip on youporn and the characters are permanently horny imbeciles.
Made it to about page 50 or so and then quit. There may be a potentially interesting story in there somewhere, but the idea is wasted on this excess of crappy writing. Needs a complete rewrite to become readable.
December 16, 2017
I'm not exactly sure how to feel about the book.
On the one hand, the plot was interesting (even though a lot of events were easy to predict) and I would really like to know more. The whole marking system is fascinating.
On the other hand, I did not feel emotional connection to the characters or the story. I was unable to fully immerse myself into the book and was left feeling a little detached while reading. Though maybe that was a good thing, considering all the teen drama here (not a fan of that).
Also, I wasn't exactly happy about the way the information was given to us. Every fact and clue about the world we learn as we go, along the way, which made it harder to properly understand the world building here and led to some confusing moments. It took me some time to realize what the marks meant and piece together some facts about how the society is build and I still don't fully understand all of that.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and will definitely read the next book, but I believe the book could've been better. There's room for improvement.
On the one hand, the plot was interesting (even though a lot of events were easy to predict) and I would really like to know more. The whole marking system is fascinating.
On the other hand, I did not feel emotional connection to the characters or the story. I was unable to fully immerse myself into the book and was left feeling a little detached while reading. Though maybe that was a good thing, considering all the teen drama here (not a fan of that).
Also, I wasn't exactly happy about the way the information was given to us. Every fact and clue about the world we learn as we go, along the way, which made it harder to properly understand the world building here and led to some confusing moments. It took me some time to realize what the marks meant and piece together some facts about how the society is build and I still don't fully understand all of that.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and will definitely read the next book, but I believe the book could've been better. There's room for improvement.
October 18, 2017
Holy burning marks......
Marked by Power, the collaborative book by Cece rose and G. Bailey, was absolutely out of this world, insanely good.
Marked by power follows Kenzie, a seemingly ordinary girl who just wants to get through the next 3 years and get back to her plans. Life, however, has other plans for Kenzie. Whilst most people are blessed with anywhere between 1-7 marks, 8/9/10/11 marks are rare because the more marks you have, the easier it is to go off the deep end...Kenzie got 12. This gorgeous character gets thrown into a situation that neither she nor anyone else has ever planned for, or so she thought.
The twelve marks each represent a power, a power that Kenzie must master by going to some very drawn out and long classes. But again, life is not that simple. A war with the rebels is coming and at the moment theres not much they can do about it. Kenzie needs to learn to protect herself against friend and foe, but her powers have a mind of their own.
Fortunately for her, there are some very fine ass men who get to keep an eye on her. These fine ass men are Easton, Locke, Logan, Enzo and Mr Daniels... For everyone reading this review, i give fair warning Mr Daniels is mine! The guys in this story are unique, brilliantly constructed characters and just down right enjoyable to read.
Their job of looking out for Kenzie fell into their laps accidentally, but i bet for damn sure no one is complaining.
Kenzie is an amazing character, she was funny, vulnerable, tough and just a great all round read. I literally cannot believe how much i loved her! She was just so easy to connect with and i found myself really getting absorbed into her feelings, her actions and her words.
Some of the secondary character, I really liked Kelly! I felt like she was a really good friend and companion to Kenzie and i think they both needed each other. Until the end and then you'll understand why i now say i wish i could hit Kelly over the back of the head.
Ryan, ugh! i genuinely don't like Ryan. He just seems so delusional and a bit spineless! But Cece and G.Bailey have an uncanny ability to make really strong characters that i cant help but to have an emotional reaction to.
Marked by power has a very Jaymin Eve quality to it. Its scene setting was superb, the characters and world building was flawless, the writing flowed perfectly and was never overdone. It was just a book that had me turning page after page to get more.
I need book two ASAP!!!
Marked by Power, the collaborative book by Cece rose and G. Bailey, was absolutely out of this world, insanely good.
Marked by power follows Kenzie, a seemingly ordinary girl who just wants to get through the next 3 years and get back to her plans. Life, however, has other plans for Kenzie. Whilst most people are blessed with anywhere between 1-7 marks, 8/9/10/11 marks are rare because the more marks you have, the easier it is to go off the deep end...Kenzie got 12. This gorgeous character gets thrown into a situation that neither she nor anyone else has ever planned for, or so she thought.
The twelve marks each represent a power, a power that Kenzie must master by going to some very drawn out and long classes. But again, life is not that simple. A war with the rebels is coming and at the moment theres not much they can do about it. Kenzie needs to learn to protect herself against friend and foe, but her powers have a mind of their own.
Fortunately for her, there are some very fine ass men who get to keep an eye on her. These fine ass men are Easton, Locke, Logan, Enzo and Mr Daniels... For everyone reading this review, i give fair warning Mr Daniels is mine! The guys in this story are unique, brilliantly constructed characters and just down right enjoyable to read.
Their job of looking out for Kenzie fell into their laps accidentally, but i bet for damn sure no one is complaining.
Kenzie is an amazing character, she was funny, vulnerable, tough and just a great all round read. I literally cannot believe how much i loved her! She was just so easy to connect with and i found myself really getting absorbed into her feelings, her actions and her words.
Some of the secondary character, I really liked Kelly! I felt like she was a really good friend and companion to Kenzie and i think they both needed each other. Until the end and then you'll understand why i now say i wish i could hit Kelly over the back of the head.
Ryan, ugh! i genuinely don't like Ryan. He just seems so delusional and a bit spineless! But Cece and G.Bailey have an uncanny ability to make really strong characters that i cant help but to have an emotional reaction to.
Marked by power has a very Jaymin Eve quality to it. Its scene setting was superb, the characters and world building was flawless, the writing flowed perfectly and was never overdone. It was just a book that had me turning page after page to get more.
I need book two ASAP!!!
February 18, 2018
Usually when I dislike a book I stop reading it so, I'm not sure why I finished this one, but I did. First of all the author's writing style is sloppy and does not flow at all leaving the reader wondering if they are reading a 13 year old's fan fiction or a legitimate novel. My other issue was with the characters in the novel. I understand that in their society it is okay to have multiple fathers and that's 100% fine, but if the main character is going to strut around, drooling over everything male she sees I think she needs to take a reality check. Basically, she has 0 real relationships. I think the story started out as an amazing idea that just fell through. The plot is so predictable you can see everything coming from a mile away. You know it's bad when a teacher tries to kill the "heroine" so early in the book that you're still struggling with names. I could go on and on about how the rebels kidnap her at the end of the novel and of course I could try and pretend to be shocked, but I wasn't in the slightest. If you're looking for a novel that makes you want to gorge your eyes out with spoons then this is definitely the book for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 17, 2017Rating : TBA
Not really sure what i feel about this book yet. But I definitely want to read more.
Not really sure what i feel about this book yet. But I definitely want to read more.
December 9, 2017
I'm really sorry to say that I didn't like this book. I didn't like the heroine nor her relationship with the guys.
When I read reverse harem books, I like (expect) all the guys knowing about each other. Sadly, there were moments where I felt like she was cheating on one of the boys with the others. There was no "sharing" talk and I think it's because of that I felt this way.
Usually, in the books I've read, there's no kissing/touching any of the boys without them knowing the h's feelings for all of them.
When I read reverse harem books, I like (expect) all the guys knowing about each other. Sadly, there were moments where I felt like she was cheating on one of the boys with the others. There was no "sharing" talk and I think it's because of that I felt this way.
Usually, in the books I've read, there's no kissing/touching any of the boys without them knowing the h's feelings for all of them.
June 10, 2018
Pretty good book. It has a good storyline and easily to fall in love with heroes... the main heroine of this series is just getting her feet under her and learning and understanding her powers but in the long run I think she will be a serious bad ass.. well let's hope the author's imagination can pull this series in the right direction to make this an epic read! Fingers crossed 🤞...
Now I'm off to read book 2😁😘😉
Overall rating:
4*~ A Good Read
Now I'm off to read book 2😁😘😉
Overall rating:
4*~ A Good Read
July 28, 2020
3.5 stars.
It was good fun.
Mackenzie Crowe is the first Marked to receive all twelve marks. In a world where power is everything, Mackenzie is now a big target. No one knows what the twelfth mark does. Will it be something that can be used for protection or destruction? With the Rebel group growing stronger everyday, Mackenzie must try to figure out her twelfth mark soon, preferably before fate catches up with her.
I LOVED the concept. It was damn cool. A universe where you have various marks like Fire, Water, Pain, Light, Transmution and many more that appear on your skin at their designated places when you immerse yourself in some water from a magic realm? Where can I sign up for my turn?
It's the second time I'm reading this, I've read the boxed set before, and I didn't enjoy some of the drama this time. Seemed pointless.
The guys are:
Easton Black- Bro's friend and secret childhood crush
Logan and Landon - Sexy twins
Lorenzo aka Enzo- 🔥🔥
Mr. Daniels- Why are all the hot teachers only in books?😂 [JK. He's hot tho]
We have insta-attraction. The moment she sees them, they're described in a way that we know who the MMCs are immediately. I mean, I know that we always do but here, it's like they were the only hot guys here and everyone else is ugly/irrelevant to even mention kinda. Not good.
It was a quick and light read. My favourite thing in the whole book is the concept of the Marked, lol.
It was good fun.
Mackenzie Crowe is the first Marked to receive all twelve marks. In a world where power is everything, Mackenzie is now a big target. No one knows what the twelfth mark does. Will it be something that can be used for protection or destruction? With the Rebel group growing stronger everyday, Mackenzie must try to figure out her twelfth mark soon, preferably before fate catches up with her.
I LOVED the concept. It was damn cool. A universe where you have various marks like Fire, Water, Pain, Light, Transmution and many more that appear on your skin at their designated places when you immerse yourself in some water from a magic realm? Where can I sign up for my turn?
It's the second time I'm reading this, I've read the boxed set before, and I didn't enjoy some of the drama this time. Seemed pointless.
The guys are:
Easton Black- Bro's friend and secret childhood crush
Logan and Landon - Sexy twins
Lorenzo aka Enzo- 🔥🔥
Mr. Daniels- Why are all the hot teachers only in books?😂 [JK. He's hot tho]
We have insta-attraction. The moment she sees them, they're described in a way that we know who the MMCs are immediately. I mean, I know that we always do but here, it's like they were the only hot guys here and everyone else is ugly/irrelevant to even mention kinda. Not good.
It was a quick and light read. My favourite thing in the whole book is the concept of the Marked, lol.
August 14, 2023
Nothing crazy unique but it was a fun read!! Also the MC was slightly more interesting than expected which I appreciated, and I loved the best friend.
August 5, 2018
Well, this was disappointing. Interesting world let down by a shallow, dumb heroine and terrible plotting.
Also, I just cannot get my head around a school that would treat a one of a kind student like that! Plus, the insta-lust was irritating.
DNF @ 33%. At least I got it as a freebie and didn't pay for this!
Also, I just cannot get my head around a school that would treat a one of a kind student like that! Plus, the insta-lust was irritating.
DNF @ 33%. At least I got it as a freebie and didn't pay for this!
Want to read
July 2, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/2/2019)! 🎁
October 31, 2017
These two authors came together and knocked this one out of the park! I was so hooked into this story.
Kenzie is biding her time, waiting to go into the real world and follow her dreams. Never did she think she would be Marked with more power than anyone else. She's assigned tutors to help her control her powers and learn to use them. Not everyone is so helpful though. When you have something nobody else does, it makes it hard to know who you can trust and who can't. Even when those people are supposed to be the ones you can always count on.
This book gives you everything you could possibly want. An interesting story line, a sassy heroine, some super hot tutors, one angry a-hole and a smoking hot teacher that you just want to do so many things with. Oh and that ending, never. saw. it. coming. CECE & GEM, I NEED THE NEXT ONE NOW PLEASE!!!!!!!!!
Kenzie is biding her time, waiting to go into the real world and follow her dreams. Never did she think she would be Marked with more power than anyone else. She's assigned tutors to help her control her powers and learn to use them. Not everyone is so helpful though. When you have something nobody else does, it makes it hard to know who you can trust and who can't. Even when those people are supposed to be the ones you can always count on.
This book gives you everything you could possibly want. An interesting story line, a sassy heroine, some super hot tutors, one angry a-hole and a smoking hot teacher that you just want to do so many things with. Oh and that ending, never. saw. it. coming. CECE & GEM, I NEED THE NEXT ONE NOW PLEASE!!!!!!!!!
October 12, 2018
I really liked this book. I enjoyed the plotline even though the twists didn't really surprise me :
I really like the guys and I can't wait to have more of them in the next book. The twins, the teacher, Easton and Enzo are all really hot and I'm glad she doesn't have to choose one of them. After all, in this world, reverse harems seems to be the norm. (There are more men than women)
The fact that Kenzie always seemed to be late for her classes annoyed me sometimes. It seems to repeat itself again and again. There might be some minor details that I could talk about but I'm a bit lazy right now so I'll leave it at that.
This book ends on a cliffhanger but you kinda see it coming. Hopefully, we'll learn what her power is.
I really like the guys and I can't wait to have more of them in the next book. The twins, the teacher, Easton and Enzo are all really hot and I'm glad she doesn't have to choose one of them. After all, in this world, reverse harems seems to be the norm. (There are more men than women)
The fact that Kenzie always seemed to be late for her classes annoyed me sometimes. It seems to repeat itself again and again. There might be some minor details that I could talk about but I'm a bit lazy right now so I'll leave it at that.
This book ends on a cliffhanger but you kinda see it coming. Hopefully, we'll learn what her power is.
November 13, 2018
A fun book
Entertaining and perfectly fun, this book comes across as both mysterious (what DIES the twelfth mark do?) and high school cute... I mean, a crush on a younger teacher? He’s worth it though, so, like I said - fun.
In this world, there are the marked, the unmarked and the humans. The marked undergo a ritual at the age of 17 in order to discover their marked powers and enter the marked academy, where they will learn to use them. Most receive between 2 - 8 marks, with the strongest of them finding a blessed 10 or 11 on their bodies when they emerge from the pool. Kenzie Crowe ends up with 12... a feat no other student has ever accomplished. If that’s not complicated enough, no one even knows what the twelfth mark does!
Add in some rebels, rouges and a society more flush with men than women and you have the recipe for a lively RH tale that will make you smile, and cringe with embarrassment.... that girl. Lol
Entertaining and perfectly fun, this book comes across as both mysterious (what DIES the twelfth mark do?) and high school cute... I mean, a crush on a younger teacher? He’s worth it though, so, like I said - fun.
In this world, there are the marked, the unmarked and the humans. The marked undergo a ritual at the age of 17 in order to discover their marked powers and enter the marked academy, where they will learn to use them. Most receive between 2 - 8 marks, with the strongest of them finding a blessed 10 or 11 on their bodies when they emerge from the pool. Kenzie Crowe ends up with 12... a feat no other student has ever accomplished. If that’s not complicated enough, no one even knows what the twelfth mark does!
Add in some rebels, rouges and a society more flush with men than women and you have the recipe for a lively RH tale that will make you smile, and cringe with embarrassment.... that girl. Lol
November 17, 2019
Ugh cliff hangers suck
I really loathe the cliffhanger trope. You don’t need to end the story like that to keep me interested. There was no reason to end right there.
There are some typos in this book which get kind of annoying but I enjoyed the story. I’m intrigued by everything going on but I was not a fan of how everyone treated Kenzie just because she has 12 marks. Everyone thinks she’s trying to gain special treatment while not really explaining things to her or helping her. I was frustrated by this. Still though I’m intrigued enough to continue.
I really loathe the cliffhanger trope. You don’t need to end the story like that to keep me interested. There was no reason to end right there.
There are some typos in this book which get kind of annoying but I enjoyed the story. I’m intrigued by everything going on but I was not a fan of how everyone treated Kenzie just because she has 12 marks. Everyone thinks she’s trying to gain special treatment while not really explaining things to her or helping her. I was frustrated by this. Still though I’m intrigued enough to continue.
November 1, 2017
Wow! I loved it! It sweeps you off of your feet and just keeps you on edge through the whole thing! I already love the boys! Not so surprised about the huge cliffhanger ending since CeCe was involved in writing this one! Four thumbs up and ten stars ladies this was awesome!
November 1, 2017
I loved it! I can hardly wait for the next book in the series! This story had me hooked within a few pages. I really liked that the story is faster paced and didn't drag or rehash scenes! Wonderfully written and had a great story with plenty of action and romance!
August 17, 2018
4.5 Stars.
OMG....the cliffhanger. I am not even going to waste time with a review, I am diving right in to book 2 now.
Audible: I added the whispersync audible narration to this kindle book. I didn't listen to a lot of it but from the parts I did listen to, I enjoyed.
OMG....the cliffhanger. I am not even going to waste time with a review, I am diving right in to book 2 now.
Audible: I added the whispersync audible narration to this kindle book. I didn't listen to a lot of it but from the parts I did listen to, I enjoyed.
November 1, 2017
In the world of the Marked, there are things that are normal, expected. There are fewer women than men, so it's normal to be raised by multiple dads and one mom. At age 17 you go to The Marked Academy where you are tested to see how many marks you have and then you spend the next 3 years there being trained. It is normal to receive six marks. Mackenzie Crowe (Kenzie) doesn't care how many marks she receives, 1 or 11. She has a plan; she is only here to put in her three years, then back to her plan. That is until she becomes the first student to ever be marked with all 12 marks; fire, water, air, earth, pain, healing, divination, spirit, protection, technomancy, transmutation, and the unknown 12th mark. Suddenly, there is nothing normal about Kenzie. As if this isn't enough to deal with, she has the additional drama of her best friend and roommate, Kelly only receiving 2 marks, being assigned her older brother, Ryan's best friend and her childhood crush, Easton Black as her student guide, and developing a serious crush on her teacher, Mr. Daniels. Then there's also the twins Logan and Locke and the hot jerk, Enzo. Plan, what plan?
Marked By Power is the brilliant collaboration of Cece Rose and G Bailey. I confess that that these are two of my favorite authors, so I expected nothing short of the excellence that this book is. The world building and story development have true depth. The characters are fantastic. The interactions and dialogue are engaging. Everything seems natural and moves along realisitically. Not easy to do in this paranormal setting. Kenzie is part superhero/part goof. She's funny, feisty, quirky. Her habitual lateness, her temper, her tendency to speak/act before thinking, her love of bacon, and her weakness for the hot guys surrounding her endeared her to me. Easton is the perfect guy you grew up around who never noticed you, but now he does. Logan and Locke are warm and funny. Enzo is the bad boy, and Mr Daniels is the forbidden hot teacher. Her best friend Kelly is great despite the secrets she's been keeping. Ryan is questionable. I am not sure how I feel about him yet. I'm trying to keep an open mind, but if he chooses an ideal over his baby sister, I am not going to be a fan. There are plenty of side characters within the school and outside of it that add layers. It's impossible to know where everyone stands at this moment.
This book has something to appeal to everyone; entertaining story, charismatic characters, action, humor, conflict, surprises, suspense, a touch of sexy, and a bit of romance. I hated that it came to an end and eagerly look forward to the next.
Marked By Power is the brilliant collaboration of Cece Rose and G Bailey. I confess that that these are two of my favorite authors, so I expected nothing short of the excellence that this book is. The world building and story development have true depth. The characters are fantastic. The interactions and dialogue are engaging. Everything seems natural and moves along realisitically. Not easy to do in this paranormal setting. Kenzie is part superhero/part goof. She's funny, feisty, quirky. Her habitual lateness, her temper, her tendency to speak/act before thinking, her love of bacon, and her weakness for the hot guys surrounding her endeared her to me. Easton is the perfect guy you grew up around who never noticed you, but now he does. Logan and Locke are warm and funny. Enzo is the bad boy, and Mr Daniels is the forbidden hot teacher. Her best friend Kelly is great despite the secrets she's been keeping. Ryan is questionable. I am not sure how I feel about him yet. I'm trying to keep an open mind, but if he chooses an ideal over his baby sister, I am not going to be a fan. There are plenty of side characters within the school and outside of it that add layers. It's impossible to know where everyone stands at this moment.
This book has something to appeal to everyone; entertaining story, charismatic characters, action, humor, conflict, surprises, suspense, a touch of sexy, and a bit of romance. I hated that it came to an end and eagerly look forward to the next.
April 25, 2018
Re-read # 3:
Yep, I stand by my earlier comments, though I will add that I got a Harry Potter vibe from it this time around. And noticed how much I both disliked the MC and the Marked society even more. (They are a bunch of abusive, controlling asshats, honestly.) Oh, and did I forget to mention the damn cliffhanger!? How could I have forgotten to mention that!
But I am still a big fan of the five love interests...especially Enzo. Continuing on...
Update on re-read:
I still feel the same way I did before - irritating flibertigibbet - but this time I will add that I also felt a bit let down. The premise here was really cool. I loved the marks concept, and the MC being remarkable for how many she had, and the mystery of what the impact of that will be. And I'm just a sucker for school/university settings (don't ask me why since I conversely am not a huge YA fan). And hell...Enzo.
But then there are all the places where the actions of the characters were forced and twisted around to suit where the authors wanted the plot to go (I HATE forced plot devices!). A good example of that being sticking the MC out in a cabin in the woods to "protect" her - because somehow that is safer than the dorm. *growl*
Actually, this is a quibble I always have with G. Bailey (and I've tried a lot of her books) - the stories have great premises/concepts/ideas/worlds, but somehow the potential is never realized. Usually it is an issue either with writing style, the aforementioned plot devices, or just wrapping things up too quickly (almost more like an outline). Here, that was mostly less of an issue - probably due to the collaboration. But I still felt the promise of this story went unrealized. And a damn shame it is too.
And another small edit:
A little too 'insta-love-y' for me. Or at least insta-attraction. And without a valid reason for it since they mostly came across as normal teenagers. There just wasn't enough development of the relationship building here (except perhaps with Enzo since that is an attraction being fought...we shall see...maybe that's why I've ended uphating liking loving him...or maybe it's just that I adore a bad bad boy ;O )
Original review:
Has possibilities but heroine needs work (definitely a Special Snowflake)
Overall good story and nice world building, but let down by an annoying, flighty, passive, hormone-ridden heroine. Even after being stabbed during an obvious attempt on her life, the idiot cannot manage to take her studies seriously or focus/concentrate on anything - except of course for the hot abs/eyes/hair/butts of every guy around her.
I also had a hard time believing that she would be safer somehow off in a remote cabin in the woods that she traipses to and from alone than in the dorm with everyone else. That’s really rather silly...
Yep, I stand by my earlier comments, though I will add that I got a Harry Potter vibe from it this time around. And noticed how much I both disliked the MC and the Marked society even more. (They are a bunch of abusive, controlling asshats, honestly.) Oh, and did I forget to mention the damn cliffhanger!? How could I have forgotten to mention that!
But I am still a big fan of the five love interests...especially Enzo. Continuing on...
Update on re-read:
I still feel the same way I did before - irritating flibertigibbet - but this time I will add that I also felt a bit let down. The premise here was really cool. I loved the marks concept, and the MC being remarkable for how many she had, and the mystery of what the impact of that will be. And I'm just a sucker for school/university settings (don't ask me why since I conversely am not a huge YA fan). And hell...Enzo.
But then there are all the places where the actions of the characters were forced and twisted around to suit where the authors wanted the plot to go (I HATE forced plot devices!). A good example of that being sticking the MC out in a cabin in the woods to "protect" her - because somehow that is safer than the dorm. *growl*
Actually, this is a quibble I always have with G. Bailey (and I've tried a lot of her books) - the stories have great premises/concepts/ideas/worlds, but somehow the potential is never realized. Usually it is an issue either with writing style, the aforementioned plot devices, or just wrapping things up too quickly (almost more like an outline). Here, that was mostly less of an issue - probably due to the collaboration. But I still felt the promise of this story went unrealized. And a damn shame it is too.
And another small edit:
A little too 'insta-love-y' for me. Or at least insta-attraction. And without a valid reason for it since they mostly came across as normal teenagers. There just wasn't enough development of the relationship building here (except perhaps with Enzo since that is an attraction being fought...we shall see...maybe that's why I've ended up
Original review:
Has possibilities but heroine needs work (definitely a Special Snowflake)
Overall good story and nice world building, but let down by an annoying, flighty, passive, hormone-ridden heroine. Even after being stabbed during an obvious attempt on her life, the idiot cannot manage to take her studies seriously or focus/concentrate on anything - except of course for the hot abs/eyes/hair/butts of every guy around her.
I also had a hard time believing that she would be safer somehow off in a remote cabin in the woods that she traipses to and from alone than in the dorm with everyone else. That’s really rather silly...
March 22, 2018
Pros: Intriguing idea and new world. Sympathetic main characters, generally speaking. Relationships are surprisingly organic, natural. I didn't feel like things were forced or unbelievable. The cultural aspect was established well, and so there's no need to explain a shift in thinking. Love that main character, Kenzie, gets back (inadvertently) at the mean girl. Decent pacing.
Cons: cliched bureaucrats and teachers that preferred to bully others instead of doing their jobs. In those moments, Kenzie became this weak person who didn't stand up for herself.
There was an alarming timing issue throughout the book. E.g., the characters walk into a room with an hour to kill before they have to be somewhere; they say two sentences to each other and are suddenly LATE. No. There needs to be more accurate demarcation of time.
Punctuation was atrocious. Periods are your friends; they denote the end of one sentence and the beginning of another. This author loves commas. Commas are used instead of periods and then also thrown in other random places that make no sense.
There were inconsistencies in the established facts. E.g., the school headmaster says that each first year student will get a guide, and then connects Kenzie with hers. Where is the best friend, Kelly's guide?? Never mentioned and obviously lacking. Also, at one point in her training, main character turns on her "night vision" that's connected to her animal. That's great. Why doesn't she use that same "night vision" in the following scene when she's getting lost in the woods after her phone dies?? It's not like she doesn't know she can do it. Also, Kenzie is in a snit with Kelly and says she won't speak to Kelly until after she apologizes. The last words out of Kelly's mouth when they had their showdown were "I'm sorry for lying to you." Soooo???
The word choice in many places leaves much to be desired. E.g., during the first water class, the instructor says that Kenzie's time was under 5 minutes and that's impressive for the first try. Ummmm, one second is "under 5 minutes," but I doubt the instructor would call that impressive.
Cliffhanger ending is lame and almost completely predictable, but I'll still try to read the next book because I want to find out what's going on.
Cons: cliched bureaucrats and teachers that preferred to bully others instead of doing their jobs. In those moments, Kenzie became this weak person who didn't stand up for herself.
There was an alarming timing issue throughout the book. E.g., the characters walk into a room with an hour to kill before they have to be somewhere; they say two sentences to each other and are suddenly LATE. No. There needs to be more accurate demarcation of time.
Punctuation was atrocious. Periods are your friends; they denote the end of one sentence and the beginning of another. This author loves commas. Commas are used instead of periods and then also thrown in other random places that make no sense.
There were inconsistencies in the established facts. E.g., the school headmaster says that each first year student will get a guide, and then connects Kenzie with hers. Where is the best friend, Kelly's guide?? Never mentioned and obviously lacking. Also, at one point in her training, main character turns on her "night vision" that's connected to her animal. That's great. Why doesn't she use that same "night vision" in the following scene when she's getting lost in the woods after her phone dies?? It's not like she doesn't know she can do it. Also, Kenzie is in a snit with Kelly and says she won't speak to Kelly until after she apologizes. The last words out of Kelly's mouth when they had their showdown were "I'm sorry for lying to you." Soooo???
The word choice in many places leaves much to be desired. E.g., during the first water class, the instructor says that Kenzie's time was under 5 minutes and that's impressive for the first try. Ummmm, one second is "under 5 minutes," but I doubt the instructor would call that impressive.
Cliffhanger ending is lame and almost completely predictable, but I'll still try to read the next book because I want to find out what's going on.
February 22, 2018
Not really sure what to rate this so I’ll list things I like and don’t like:
I like the plot- very creative world. It’s like Divergent meets Black Mage series almost.
Don’t like: the rebels goal isn’t as clearly defined (though is revealed in better detail in book two, but I was still a little confused). Should have been explained in the first book.
I like reverse harem- so hot. Except if you’re hoping for lots of page turning threesomes, this book isn’t it.
Her relationship with the 5 (?) guys doesn’t pick up any heat until towards the end and even then it’s like a low simmer. BUT: it does make for more focus on the actual plot which I appreciate.
Don’t like: Kelly. The bff dynamic is always super awesome, like hell yeah, totally down for some girl power... but can you make the bff a little more mature? I guess I just didn’t like the character all that much. The maturity in general for all the characters could improve considering they are fast-tracking to adulthood.
The writing is decent. Does she paint a beautiful picture with her words? She’s no Calia Read but decent writing. Sometimes the pace is a little too fast in scene changes and I have to backtrack if I accidentally skipped a little. So there’s that.
Don’t like: WHO THE FUCK EDITED THIS BOOK? Find a new career buddy (because the use of commas and punctuation was SO TERRIBLE I found myself cringing). I hope it was only this way for the kindle version and not the actual print copies. *cringe*
I like the plot- very creative world. It’s like Divergent meets Black Mage series almost.
Don’t like: the rebels goal isn’t as clearly defined (though is revealed in better detail in book two, but I was still a little confused). Should have been explained in the first book.
I like reverse harem- so hot. Except if you’re hoping for lots of page turning threesomes, this book isn’t it.
Her relationship with the 5 (?) guys doesn’t pick up any heat until towards the end and even then it’s like a low simmer. BUT: it does make for more focus on the actual plot which I appreciate.
Don’t like: Kelly. The bff dynamic is always super awesome, like hell yeah, totally down for some girl power... but can you make the bff a little more mature? I guess I just didn’t like the character all that much. The maturity in general for all the characters could improve considering they are fast-tracking to adulthood.
The writing is decent. Does she paint a beautiful picture with her words? She’s no Calia Read but decent writing. Sometimes the pace is a little too fast in scene changes and I have to backtrack if I accidentally skipped a little. So there’s that.
Don’t like: WHO THE FUCK EDITED THIS BOOK? Find a new career buddy (because the use of commas and punctuation was SO TERRIBLE I found myself cringing). I hope it was only this way for the kindle version and not the actual print copies. *cringe*
May 7, 2018
Another trash YA novel
I don't know why I even bothered to read 60% of this book. The tropes are unbearable. The main character can't stop drooling over literally every male character with a name. The author also resorts to cheap middle school drama at every turn. Here's how every one of her magical classes go (no spoilers)
Kenzie shows up 10 min late to (every) class.
"Sorry I'm late."
Teacher: "Don't expect special treatment because of your 12 marks. Now, listen to me talk while I don't give you any instructions on how to use your dangerous power."
(Kenzie proceedes to talk to hot guy in class next to her)
Teacher: "Something to add Kenzie? No? Well, how about you try out your power first then."
(Kenzie's turn to practice): "Oh no, my power was too much and something bad happened!"
Teacher: "I can't believe this recklessness! So irresponsible!"
Kenzie: "That not fair, you didn't teach-"
Teacher: "Life isn't fair! Detention!"
I don't know why I even bothered to read 60% of this book. The tropes are unbearable. The main character can't stop drooling over literally every male character with a name. The author also resorts to cheap middle school drama at every turn. Here's how every one of her magical classes go (no spoilers)
Kenzie shows up 10 min late to (every) class.
"Sorry I'm late."
Teacher: "Don't expect special treatment because of your 12 marks. Now, listen to me talk while I don't give you any instructions on how to use your dangerous power."
(Kenzie proceedes to talk to hot guy in class next to her)
Teacher: "Something to add Kenzie? No? Well, how about you try out your power first then."
(Kenzie's turn to practice): "Oh no, my power was too much and something bad happened!"
Teacher: "I can't believe this recklessness! So irresponsible!"
Kenzie: "That not fair, you didn't teach-"
Teacher: "Life isn't fair! Detention!"
November 12, 2017
I absolutely am in love with this new series!
In this book we meet Kenzie. She is one with the power of the marked, but she is very rare and unique. We get to follow her as she gets her marks and embarks on a new journey at the academy. Her uniqueness feels like a hindrance to her, as she has to try to learn all of her new powers while also juggling feelings for not one, not two, but 5 guys!
I loved the interaction and dialogue between all of the characters. This book had it all--the characters were very well developed, there was action, there was intrigue, there was conflict, and my favorite addition--romantic interest with 5 fantastic guys.
I honestly was not ready for the book to end, and I will be anxiously waiting the second book in this series.
Well done!
In this book we meet Kenzie. She is one with the power of the marked, but she is very rare and unique. We get to follow her as she gets her marks and embarks on a new journey at the academy. Her uniqueness feels like a hindrance to her, as she has to try to learn all of her new powers while also juggling feelings for not one, not two, but 5 guys!
I loved the interaction and dialogue between all of the characters. This book had it all--the characters were very well developed, there was action, there was intrigue, there was conflict, and my favorite addition--romantic interest with 5 fantastic guys.
I honestly was not ready for the book to end, and I will be anxiously waiting the second book in this series.
Well done!
August 20, 2018
I'm kind of annoyed, the idea was really good and I tried to like the book.
But it was just impossible, the way the teachers and headmaster's acted was plain dumb nobody acts like that. The girl Kenzie.... What the hell who thinks to themselves "yeah I'm gonna put this fire out with air" I'm not asking for the protagonist to be a genius but not even a 10 year old would think that's a good idea.
But the characters were not the only problem. Like nothing was explained and I'm usually good with this but in this case it undermined the book capacity to be more.
I couldn't go further than 100 pages. I tried , I really did, I wanted to like the book but it wasn't even 'Meh' it was... I don't want to hurt the author because I'm sure she tried her best but it just was no good.
But it was just impossible, the way the teachers and headmaster's acted was plain dumb nobody acts like that. The girl Kenzie.... What the hell who thinks to themselves "yeah I'm gonna put this fire out with air" I'm not asking for the protagonist to be a genius but not even a 10 year old would think that's a good idea.
But the characters were not the only problem. Like nothing was explained and I'm usually good with this but in this case it undermined the book capacity to be more.
I couldn't go further than 100 pages. I tried , I really did, I wanted to like the book but it wasn't even 'Meh' it was... I don't want to hurt the author because I'm sure she tried her best but it just was no good.
August 27, 2021
Super good read!
I loved this collaboration of two amazing authors! Kenzie is strong but loving and loyal. The world building was richly imagined and brought to life with compelling writing. Sexy East is my favorite, Enzo and Mr. Daniels a tie for second. I can’t believe it even took me this long to grab a copy! Five glittery stars!
I loved this collaboration of two amazing authors! Kenzie is strong but loving and loyal. The world building was richly imagined and brought to life with compelling writing. Sexy East is my favorite, Enzo and Mr. Daniels a tie for second. I can’t believe it even took me this long to grab a copy! Five glittery stars!
December 5, 2017
Surprisingly good 4 stars ⭐️
Cliffhanger ending
Cliffhanger ending
May 3, 2018
The fact that this girl thought she could put out fire with air at her age earned her the TSTL title from me. Other things factored in after this, but there was no turning back after that moment.
February 20, 2019
This was very easy to read, somewhat predictable & included a number of convenient or obvious moments but, despite that it was fun & satisfying. I’m looking forward to reading more.
November 7, 2017
Cece Rose and G. Bailey team up for the very first time and what do they do? Completely draw you in to this great new world with magic, HOT guys, an even HOTTER teacher, sexual tension **I mentioned the HOT guys, right?**, drama, betrayal and the list goes on!
One of the marked, Kenzie is 17 and now must attend The Marked Academy for three years if she has any dormant powers that get unlocked at the ceremony. Kenzie has a plan: get her marks - she'll be happy with whatever - complete her three years then back to the real world. Yeah... plans never work out for the feisty heroine.
Kenzie enters the sacred waters and is blessed with ALL the marks. Even the elusive 12th mark that has not been seen on anyone in centuries. No one knows what the 12th Mark's power is and now Kenzie has a great big target on her back.
Enter East (her big brothers best friend and long-time crush), the twins Locke and Logan, the bad boy Enzo and the powerful and mysterious Mr. Daniels. (Is it wrong that I kind of hope we never learn his first name?) When it's deemed that Kenzie needs assistance controlling her very strong powers, these guys are assigned to the task.
Follow Kenzie on her path to learning her powers, exploring her relationships, dealing with her new reality - you know, wave bye to the Plan - experiencing betrayal from the very people you thought would never do so, and a huge shock at the end.
If you are familiar with either of these authors, you know they LOVE to leave you wanting more with those wonderfully cruel cliffhangers. Chop chop girls! I need book 2 ASAP!!!
One of the marked, Kenzie is 17 and now must attend The Marked Academy for three years if she has any dormant powers that get unlocked at the ceremony. Kenzie has a plan: get her marks - she'll be happy with whatever - complete her three years then back to the real world. Yeah... plans never work out for the feisty heroine.
Kenzie enters the sacred waters and is blessed with ALL the marks. Even the elusive 12th mark that has not been seen on anyone in centuries. No one knows what the 12th Mark's power is and now Kenzie has a great big target on her back.
Enter East (her big brothers best friend and long-time crush), the twins Locke and Logan, the bad boy Enzo and the powerful and mysterious Mr. Daniels. (Is it wrong that I kind of hope we never learn his first name?) When it's deemed that Kenzie needs assistance controlling her very strong powers, these guys are assigned to the task.
Follow Kenzie on her path to learning her powers, exploring her relationships, dealing with her new reality - you know, wave bye to the Plan - experiencing betrayal from the very people you thought would never do so, and a huge shock at the end.
If you are familiar with either of these authors, you know they LOVE to leave you wanting more with those wonderfully cruel cliffhangers. Chop chop girls! I need book 2 ASAP!!!
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