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What do you do when you realize nothing in your life is what you’ve believed it to be?
Arionna Jacobs' world is turned upside down when she loses her mother in a tragic accident. She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father.
Dace Matthews, a teaching assistant at Arionna's new college, is torn in two, unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged inside him.
When they meet, everything they thought they knew about life unravels. Dace has intimate access to Arionna’s mind, and something deep within her fights to rise to the surface. They don’t understand what’s happening to them or why, and they’re running out of time to sort out the strange occurrences around them.
Their meeting sets an ancient Norse prophesy of destruction in motion, and what destiny has in store for them is bigger than either could have ever imagined. Unless they learn to trust themselves and one another, they may never resolve the mystery surrounding who they are to one another, and what that means for the world.
Arionna Jacobs' world is turned upside down when she loses her mother in a tragic accident. She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father.
Dace Matthews, a teaching assistant at Arionna's new college, is torn in two, unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged inside him.
When they meet, everything they thought they knew about life unravels. Dace has intimate access to Arionna’s mind, and something deep within her fights to rise to the surface. They don’t understand what’s happening to them or why, and they’re running out of time to sort out the strange occurrences around them.
Their meeting sets an ancient Norse prophesy of destruction in motion, and what destiny has in store for them is bigger than either could have ever imagined. Unless they learn to trust themselves and one another, they may never resolve the mystery surrounding who they are to one another, and what that means for the world.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 7, 2012
68 people are currently reading
1897 people want to read
About the author
A.K. Morgen
4 books126 followersAyden lives in the heart of Arkansas with her childhood sweetheart/husband of twelve years, and their five furry minions. When not writing, she spends her time hiking, reading, volunteering, causing mischief, and building a Spork army. Ayden graduated summa cum laude with her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology in 2009 before going on to complete her graduate degree in CJ and Law. She currently puts her education to use in the social services and CJ field.
Ayden also writes New Adult romance under the penname Ayden K. Morgen.
You can find Ayden on Twitter @AKMorgen, on Facebook, or via her website at http://aydenmorgen.com.
Ayden also writes New Adult romance under the penname Ayden K. Morgen.
You can find Ayden on Twitter @AKMorgen, on Facebook, or via her website at http://aydenmorgen.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
September 21, 2013
ARC supplied by NetGalley and Curiosity Quills Publishing in exchange for a snarky honest review. Read along with the lovely Lisbeth. Read her review here.
| vlog review |
*cue piano music*
"There was once a girl named Arionna... she was left alone after a death... then possessiveMaceDace came into her life... and she turned into a crazy, annoying bitch."
Yeah... no. Did you actually think I'd write a song for you guys about this frightening book? I'd just humiliate myself.
I opened my file of FADE (oh, how the times have changed) with hopeful anticipation. The blurb sounded amazing, the cover was gorgeous, and the reviews were mostly positive. I was really rather excited - and Norse mythology! How interesting!
10% into FADE and I knew I wasn't going to like this. 40% and I felt like burning my shitty Nook to melted plastic. 70% and I was begging for the end to come.
No, no. FADE did not go well for me.
FADE begins with Arionna, our heroine and main character. She's average enough. Nothing special. Boring. "Relatable", according to most authors, but not all of us are plain as a brick, you know. Her mother has just died and Arionna is completely lost without her, especially when her first year at college starts. She meets some friends - triplets and another girl, and lo and behold... Dace makes his appearance.
It was also the most confusing scene I've ever read in a book. Arionna sees Dace on campus, and suddenly Dace is growling in her head that she's his, Arionna's crying out like-you-know-what, and saying that she belongs to this mysterious guy more than she belongs to herself.
I was left wondering if anyone saw Arionna, who was totally withering and moaning when she saw him. I mean, seriously!
Doesn't anyone see her doing this? Awkward.
Arionna opens her eyes and realizes he's gone. Over the next few days, she develops an unhealthy obsession with him. Where have I heard this before?
Arionna actually talks to Dace for the first time while she's being the ultimate rebel (sitting on a wall in the forest. What a stubborn little firecracker!), and these are his first words:
Mmm. Sexy.
Now, keep in mind he's saying this in a voice of 'soft, dark velvet' and scowling at her furiously.
The readers are supposed to feel that Arionna is being a brave, feisty heroine when she comes out with the most mature answer ever: "that's none of your business!"
Haha, no. Sweetie, you give him the middle finger and tell the douchebag to piss of, 'cause he sure as hell ain't your guardian angel. You don't even know his name. Of course, Arionna forgives him.
The second time they meet (again, in the forest, pg. 52) Dace shoves her up against a tree, sticks his knee in between her legs, and starts dry-humping her before randomly jumping away, panting, and claiming he can't control himself around her.
If this wasn't a cliché young-adult novel, that would be considered assault. But of course, Arionna wanted it, so... nope.
Arionna doesn't even question why the hell she can hear Dace's thoughts in her head - because by then, she belongs to Dace (she's his property), so why should it matter? The insta-love is unbelievable. The pain of her mother's death 'fades' whenever he's with her, but there is nothing - nothing! - good about Dace.
Most of FADE is simply make-out sessions. Literally, 3/4 of the book is just them:
• humping on tables!
• humping on trees!
• humping on couches!
• (humping anywhere, really.)
• Dace sending her dark stares!
• Dace growling that Arionna is his!
• Dace getting angry at her because she distracts him!
• Arionna worshipping Dace and saying she belongs to him!
Wait, I forgot. Dace is a dog. Ah, that explains it. He tries to bang everything in sight.
FADE really had no plot until the ending, and that's what really annoyed me. We have nothing except kissing scenes and a few snippets of information, like the fact that Dace is a shifter. Then Morgen tries to make up for it in the last few pages, cramming in so many confusing names and so much action, you're left wondering:
What the actual hell just happened?
Morgen should've gradually introduced us to the Norse myths and everything we needed to know instead of making it so needlessly confusing. Basically, if you didn't know about Norse mythology before FADE, you are absolutely and one-hundred percent screwed.
Because the plot (or lack of plot) was so unclear, my synopsis of the plot contains some spoilers:
Now, we learn this, and more (about triple goddess and sacrifices and more mind-paining information) in such few pages, you cannot register what's going on.
I'd like to take a large portion of my review and talk about Dace.
Dace.
This guy.
Now, Dace is an 'old soul', and 'very wise':
Dace is also a controlling, possessive dickface, and he doesn't care about what Arionna has to say. He blames Arionna constantly and gets angry at her she tries to 'help'. He completely brushes her off and always thinks that whatever she says is easily dismissible and funny:
No, she is not a piece of property. Perhaps her heart is yours, but Arionna herself is not.
Last time I checked, wolves do not see a she-wolf and instantly claim her. Sure - wolves are extremely protective of their mate, but they let them LIVE THEIR FUCKING LIFE. Dace would keep Arionna locked up in a white padded room forever if he could.
I don't think I've ever, ever, ever encountered a male love interest I've despised so much. EVER.
And Arionna is not a whole lot better. I'm definitely not one to slut-shame, but... listen to this and tell me that there's nothing wrong with our little protagonist. This takes place around page 168 and less than two weeks after they've met each other. She's pondering one of their humping sessions on a picnic table.
Picnic table. Now, please. Read this:
She then proceeds to defend herself by saying that being screwed on a picnic table in the middle of the forest is better than in the back seat of a car.
First of all, Arionna, PEOPLE EAT THERE, YOU KNOW. NO CHILD NEEDS TO LOSE THEIR INNOCENCE BEFORE THEIR TIME. THEY’RE PUTTING THEIR FUCKING FOOD THERE.
Second, have fun pulling wooden splinters from your ass. *blows kiss*
Arionna also happens to be a genius when it comes to words. Want to see her reaction when a friend is found brutally murdered?
She's brilliant, isn't she?
All the characters were flat and one-dimensional, and there's nothing that I found remotely interesting in FADE.
Actually, there was one thing. After my attention-grabbing snarky status updates (I was thrilled with all the likes. Thanks, guys!) the genre for FADE changed to New Adult, not YA.
The sneaky bastards. I took a screenshot so in case someone poked through the book and was shocked by the content, I had proof that it was YA and totally not my fault I had picked up soft porn.
But anyway. Ugh. This book, guys. I just can't deal with it.
One out of five stars. One of my least favorite books of 2012, but hilariously entertaining.
| vlog review |
*cue piano music*
"There was once a girl named Arionna... she was left alone after a death... then possessive
Yeah... no. Did you actually think I'd write a song for you guys about this frightening book? I'd just humiliate myself.
I opened my file of FADE (oh, how the times have changed) with hopeful anticipation. The blurb sounded amazing, the cover was gorgeous, and the reviews were mostly positive. I was really rather excited - and Norse mythology! How interesting!
10% into FADE and I knew I wasn't going to like this. 40% and I felt like burning my shitty Nook to melted plastic. 70% and I was begging for the end to come.
No, no. FADE did not go well for me.
FADE begins with Arionna, our heroine and main character. She's average enough. Nothing special. Boring. "Relatable", according to most authors, but not all of us are plain as a brick, you know. Her mother has just died and Arionna is completely lost without her, especially when her first year at college starts. She meets some friends - triplets and another girl, and lo and behold... Dace makes his appearance.
It was also the most confusing scene I've ever read in a book. Arionna sees Dace on campus, and suddenly Dace is growling in her head that she's his, Arionna's crying out like-you-know-what, and saying that she belongs to this mysterious guy more than she belongs to herself.
I was left wondering if anyone saw Arionna, who was totally withering and moaning when she saw him. I mean, seriously!
Doesn't anyone see her doing this? Awkward.
Arionna opens her eyes and realizes he's gone. Over the next few days, she develops an unhealthy obsession with him. Where have I heard this before?
Arionna actually talks to Dace for the first time while she's being the ultimate rebel (sitting on a wall in the forest. What a stubborn little firecracker!), and these are his first words:
"What the hell are you doing up there?"
Mmm. Sexy.
Now, keep in mind he's saying this in a voice of 'soft, dark velvet' and scowling at her furiously.
The readers are supposed to feel that Arionna is being a brave, feisty heroine when she comes out with the most mature answer ever: "that's none of your business!"
Haha, no. Sweetie, you give him the middle finger and tell the douchebag to piss of, 'cause he sure as hell ain't your guardian angel. You don't even know his name. Of course, Arionna forgives him.
The second time they meet (again, in the forest, pg. 52) Dace shoves her up against a tree, sticks his knee in between her legs, and starts dry-humping her before randomly jumping away, panting, and claiming he can't control himself around her.
If this wasn't a cliché young-adult novel, that would be considered assault. But of course, Arionna wanted it, so... nope.
Arionna doesn't even question why the hell she can hear Dace's thoughts in her head - because by then, she belongs to Dace (she's his property), so why should it matter? The insta-love is unbelievable. The pain of her mother's death 'fades' whenever he's with her, but there is nothing - nothing! - good about Dace.
Most of FADE is simply make-out sessions. Literally, 3/4 of the book is just them:
• humping on tables!
• humping on trees!
• humping on couches!
• (humping anywhere, really.)
• Dace sending her dark stares!
• Dace growling that Arionna is his!
• Dace getting angry at her because she distracts him!
• Arionna worshipping Dace and saying she belongs to him!
Wait, I forgot. Dace is a dog. Ah, that explains it. He tries to bang everything in sight.
FADE really had no plot until the ending, and that's what really annoyed me. We have nothing except kissing scenes and a few snippets of information, like the fact that Dace is a shifter. Then Morgen tries to make up for it in the last few pages, cramming in so many confusing names and so much action, you're left wondering:
What the actual hell just happened?
Morgen should've gradually introduced us to the Norse myths and everything we needed to know instead of making it so needlessly confusing. Basically, if you didn't know about Norse mythology before FADE, you are absolutely and one-hundred percent screwed.
Because the plot (or lack of plot) was so unclear, my synopsis of the plot contains some spoilers:
Now, we learn this, and more (about triple goddess and sacrifices and more mind-paining information) in such few pages, you cannot register what's going on.
I'd like to take a large portion of my review and talk about Dace.
Dace.
This guy.
Now, Dace is an 'old soul', and 'very wise':
"I wanted to let him slip his bonds so we can both have you. Both possess you. I wanted to throw you to the ground and bury us inside you until you're screaming for us to stop."
"I wanted to claim you right there, whether you wanted it or not, and regardless of the fact that you were in no such condition."
Dace is also a controlling, possessive dickface, and he doesn't care about what Arionna has to say. He blames Arionna constantly and gets angry at her she tries to 'help'. He completely brushes her off and always thinks that whatever she says is easily dismissible and funny:
"It was important," Dace said, shrugging one shoulder... He seemed faintly amused again [...]
[...] keeping me prisoner. He was so angry, and I didn't understand why. Did he blame me for this?"
"Don't. Do not touch me," he growled in warning. "I didn't do anything," I whispered back. "Ah, but you did... I was so, very, very angry with you [...] You belong to me."
No, she is not a piece of property. Perhaps her heart is yours, but Arionna herself is not.
Last time I checked, wolves do not see a she-wolf and instantly claim her. Sure - wolves are extremely protective of their mate, but they let them LIVE THEIR FUCKING LIFE. Dace would keep Arionna locked up in a white padded room forever if he could.
I don't think I've ever, ever, ever encountered a male love interest I've despised so much. EVER.
And Arionna is not a whole lot better. I'm definitely not one to slut-shame, but... listen to this and tell me that there's nothing wrong with our little protagonist. This takes place around page 168 and less than two weeks after they've met each other. She's pondering one of their humping sessions on a picnic table.
Picnic table. Now, please. Read this:
"I'd never had a desire to be rid of my virginty, but thinking back over our encounter, the way Dace gently held me prisoner and the way feeling my pleasure and his combined... well, had the wolf not been so eager, I wasn't sure I'd still be a virgin. I didn't want him to stop. Knowing what he felt because of me was arousing, and so was his dominance.
She then proceeds to defend herself by saying that being screwed on a picnic table in the middle of the forest is better than in the back seat of a car.
First of all, Arionna, PEOPLE EAT THERE, YOU KNOW. NO CHILD NEEDS TO LOSE THEIR INNOCENCE BEFORE THEIR TIME. THEY’RE PUTTING THEIR FUCKING FOOD THERE.
Second, have fun pulling wooden splinters from your ass. *blows kiss*
Arionna also happens to be a genius when it comes to words. Want to see her reaction when a friend is found brutally murdered?
"The entire thing sucks."
"Why her? Why now? It all... sucks."
"The entire situation did suck."
She's brilliant, isn't she?
All the characters were flat and one-dimensional, and there's nothing that I found remotely interesting in FADE.
Actually, there was one thing. After my attention-grabbing snarky status updates (I was thrilled with all the likes. Thanks, guys!) the genre for FADE changed to New Adult, not YA.
The sneaky bastards. I took a screenshot so in case someone poked through the book and was shocked by the content, I had proof that it was YA and totally not my fault I had picked up soft porn.
But anyway. Ugh. This book, guys. I just can't deal with it.
One out of five stars. One of my least favorite books of 2012, but hilariously entertaining.
September 28, 2012
This review is also available on my blog, Qwerty
Actual rating: 0.5 star (Well, it's slightly better than Ever)
Disclaimer: Lisbeth didn't exactly recommend this book. I did this to myself after seeing her giving Fade 0 goddamn star. Haha.
The Lord has given me strength to stomach this book, so here is what I came up with:
When I first saw the book blurb '....She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father (heard that before)...unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged inside him (yup, definitely about werewolves or shapeshifter, nothing new)...Norse prophesy-
Wait, what?
Norse prophesy?
Do you think what I think?
*flails*
Yup, apparently I wanted to read this book because of Loki. Well, not entirely...because I wanted to see myself what's all the fuss about the horribleness of this book. LOL. I couldn't agree more with the other reviewers, but for the sake of entertainment, I shall review this with character interview style!
***SPOILERS ALERT***
Me: *Clears throat* Hi Arionna! 'Nice' to have you here with us. So, let's get straight to business. During your mom funeral, you saw a wolf. And what did you feel at that moment?
Arionna: I wondered if he'd lost a loved one too. Do animals feel loss like us? Do they grieve, too? I hoped not.
Me: *Eye-twitch* So instead of running away from the scene and warning everyone else about the presence of the wolf, you wondered...did he (oh, you know its gender too)...ermm..lost a loved one too?
How...considerate.
Okay, moving on. When you first laid your eyes on Dace, you felt...
Arionna: Oh, I felt like I knew him. I felt...peaceful. As if looking at this beautiful boy washed away everything that happened since Mom died. I felt right in the way I never had before, not only unburdened and aware, but complete. Like gaping hole inside me had fillied with him. I think Dace felt the same way.
Me: *Snorts* I mean, sure! Your mom would feel so proud to see that you were moving on because...you met, ermm no, saw a random guy from a distance. And I believe Dace said he was not used to seeing beautiful girls standing on crumbling walls every day when he first met you?
Arionna: Yeah, he'd call me beautiful. *blushes*
Me: .......Uh, right. And then he held you gaze, an absolutely predatory gleam in his eyes. Nothing human reflected in that look, but something complete male did. His desire brushed across your thoughts like a caress. He wanted you, wanted to claim you. You was a virgin, but you wanted him to claim you?
Arionna: *Nods sheepishly*
Me:
Tell me, girl. Which part of the word 'rape' that you don't understand?
Anywaaaaaaaaaay, how do you view yourself?
Arionna: I'm just a girl. Just a sad, messed up girl. Nothing special about me at all.
Me: *Blink blink* Uhuhjustanothermarysue.
Arionna: What did you say?
Me: Nothing. How did you meet Dace for the next time?
Arionna: Call it instinct or whatever, but I knew he'd snow sooner or later when I went jogging in that area. Around forty-five minutes later, he showed up.
Me: Ermm..so, you just waited randomly for a random guy for 45 minutes in a random area. And when he did show up, you didn't want to talk, you wasn't ready to face him. You felt like you might start crying if you opened your mouth. You didn't let him touch you and you were half afraid the scene from Thursday would repeat if he touched you. Hmm.
Arionna: Yup.
Me: Then, Dace said you two are probably soul mates? In your second meeting?
Arionna: Aha, yes.
Me:
And then a few minutes later, you guys were kissing each other senseless? And you even hoped that he takes away your virginity against a tree?
Arionna: Yes. Whoaa...why you get so uptight?
Me: Me? Uptight? Eh, of course not. *wipes sweat on forehead* Okay, so you met a girl, a friend of Dace and what did she think about you and Dace?
Arionna: Chelle thinks maybe I'll be good for him.
Me: (Weird town, everybody thinks Arionna and Dace are soul mates. Really? How sweet!) And I also noticed you have a tendency to pass out or cry whenever you think the situation got better of you.
Arionna: Well, I couldn't help it.
Me: (Damsel in distress level 9000) Okay, tell me something. When Dace told you about what he really is, how did you feel?
Arionna: I thought I'm like him, I thought I'm not me.
Me: Instead of having a hard time believing Dace, you thought you're like him? You're just- Wow! I'm speechless. And you are really an incredible young woman, you know that, Miss Arionna? Because your heart felt like cracking open when you heard the death of Dani, the girl you barely knew.
Arionna: I-
Me: Yes, you're so incredible, Dace like to call you love? Like, I never heard of any of my friend's boyfriends calling their girlfriend love. The only person who uses that term of endearment is that lady from the post office. She even called me cupcake once. I wonder why Dace doesn't call you that. Huh.
Arionna: He-
Me: And suddenly halfway throughout the story, everybody isn't really a human? Yay! Now, we have a love child of Fallen and Shiver.
Arionna: Yup, that's the idea! And here's my favourite quote from the book, '...well, had the wolf not be so eager, I wasn't sure I'd still be a virgin.'
Me: Arionna?
Arionna: And Dace replied 'telepathically' of course. 'Do you honesltly think I'd take your virginity on a picnic table?'
Me: What r u're doing?
Arionna: And I asked 'Why not?'
Me: Arionna?
Arionna: It's better than the back of a car.
Me: STAHP!
(And punches are flying)
Me: Okay, kids. I think we're done here. Kthxbai.
Did I care about the mythology? No. I was too distracted with the level of intelligence shown by the characters. But I think that's the only thing that worth the 0.5 star because everything else is just wrong on so many levels.
Bonus time: I think my tablet got so petrified with my decision to read this book despite all the warnings. I brought it on board during my Dolphin Explorer cruise, or Dolphin Fin Explorer cruise as I'd call it (I only saw the fin of the dolphin, that's why. But what do I expect with a $8 cruise! Pffttt), and somehow I accidentally left it (I think my tablet just got scared too much until it decided to be left). And my tablet did have valid reasons to be scared.
Actual rating: 0.5 star (Well, it's slightly better than Ever)
Disclaimer: Lisbeth didn't exactly recommend this book. I did this to myself after seeing her giving Fade 0 goddamn star. Haha.
The Lord has given me strength to stomach this book, so here is what I came up with:
When I first saw the book blurb '....She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father (heard that before)...unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged inside him (yup, definitely about werewolves or shapeshifter, nothing new)...Norse prophesy-
Wait, what?
Norse prophesy?
Do you think what I think?
*flails*
Yup, apparently I wanted to read this book because of Loki. Well, not entirely...because I wanted to see myself what's all the fuss about the horribleness of this book. LOL. I couldn't agree more with the other reviewers, but for the sake of entertainment, I shall review this with character interview style!
***SPOILERS ALERT***
Me: *Clears throat* Hi Arionna! 'Nice' to have you here with us. So, let's get straight to business. During your mom funeral, you saw a wolf. And what did you feel at that moment?
Arionna: I wondered if he'd lost a loved one too. Do animals feel loss like us? Do they grieve, too? I hoped not.
Me: *Eye-twitch* So instead of running away from the scene and warning everyone else about the presence of the wolf, you wondered...did he (oh, you know its gender too)...ermm..lost a loved one too?
How...considerate.
Okay, moving on. When you first laid your eyes on Dace, you felt...
Arionna: Oh, I felt like I knew him. I felt...peaceful. As if looking at this beautiful boy washed away everything that happened since Mom died. I felt right in the way I never had before, not only unburdened and aware, but complete. Like gaping hole inside me had fillied with him. I think Dace felt the same way.
Me: *Snorts* I mean, sure! Your mom would feel so proud to see that you were moving on because...you met, ermm no, saw a random guy from a distance. And I believe Dace said he was not used to seeing beautiful girls standing on crumbling walls every day when he first met you?
Arionna: Yeah, he'd call me beautiful. *blushes*
Me: .......Uh, right. And then he held you gaze, an absolutely predatory gleam in his eyes. Nothing human reflected in that look, but something complete male did. His desire brushed across your thoughts like a caress. He wanted you, wanted to claim you. You was a virgin, but you wanted him to claim you?
Arionna: *Nods sheepishly*
Me:
Tell me, girl. Which part of the word 'rape' that you don't understand?
Anywaaaaaaaaaay, how do you view yourself?
Arionna: I'm just a girl. Just a sad, messed up girl. Nothing special about me at all.
Me: *Blink blink* Uhuhjustanothermarysue.
Arionna: What did you say?
Me: Nothing. How did you meet Dace for the next time?
Arionna: Call it instinct or whatever, but I knew he'd snow sooner or later when I went jogging in that area. Around forty-five minutes later, he showed up.
Me: Ermm..so, you just waited randomly for a random guy for 45 minutes in a random area. And when he did show up, you didn't want to talk, you wasn't ready to face him. You felt like you might start crying if you opened your mouth. You didn't let him touch you and you were half afraid the scene from Thursday would repeat if he touched you. Hmm.
Arionna: Yup.
Me: Then, Dace said you two are probably soul mates? In your second meeting?
Arionna: Aha, yes.
Me:
And then a few minutes later, you guys were kissing each other senseless? And you even hoped that he takes away your virginity against a tree?
Arionna: Yes. Whoaa...why you get so uptight?
Me: Me? Uptight? Eh, of course not. *wipes sweat on forehead* Okay, so you met a girl, a friend of Dace and what did she think about you and Dace?
Arionna: Chelle thinks maybe I'll be good for him.
Me: (Weird town, everybody thinks Arionna and Dace are soul mates. Really? How sweet!) And I also noticed you have a tendency to pass out or cry whenever you think the situation got better of you.
Arionna: Well, I couldn't help it.
Me: (Damsel in distress level 9000) Okay, tell me something. When Dace told you about what he really is, how did you feel?
Arionna: I thought I'm like him, I thought I'm not me.
Me: Instead of having a hard time believing Dace, you thought you're like him? You're just- Wow! I'm speechless. And you are really an incredible young woman, you know that, Miss Arionna? Because your heart felt like cracking open when you heard the death of Dani, the girl you barely knew.
Arionna: I-
Me: Yes, you're so incredible, Dace like to call you love? Like, I never heard of any of my friend's boyfriends calling their girlfriend love. The only person who uses that term of endearment is that lady from the post office. She even called me cupcake once. I wonder why Dace doesn't call you that. Huh.
Arionna: He-
Me: And suddenly halfway throughout the story, everybody isn't really a human? Yay! Now, we have a love child of Fallen and Shiver.
Arionna: Yup, that's the idea! And here's my favourite quote from the book, '...well, had the wolf not be so eager, I wasn't sure I'd still be a virgin.'
Me: Arionna?
Arionna: And Dace replied 'telepathically' of course. 'Do you honesltly think I'd take your virginity on a picnic table?'
Me: What r u're doing?
Arionna: And I asked 'Why not?'
Me: Arionna?
Arionna: It's better than the back of a car.
Me: STAHP!
(And punches are flying)
Me: Okay, kids. I think we're done here. Kthxbai.
Did I care about the mythology? No. I was too distracted with the level of intelligence shown by the characters. But I think that's the only thing that worth the 0.5 star because everything else is just wrong on so many levels.
Bonus time: I think my tablet got so petrified with my decision to read this book despite all the warnings. I brought it on board during my Dolphin Explorer cruise, or Dolphin Fin Explorer cruise as I'd call it (I only saw the fin of the dolphin, that's why. But what do I expect with a $8 cruise! Pffttt), and somehow I accidentally left it (I think my tablet just got scared too much until it decided to be left). And my tablet did have valid reasons to be scared.
September 7, 2012
This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...
Wow, that blew my mind! It was't what I expected and I couldn't be more pleased with this loveliness. Fade was unique and utterly fantastic.
Fade is based on Norse mythology, so it already has an element that hasn't been used in too many YA books. It took the myths and reshaped them into something that will be sure to hook quite a few fans.
Arionna was a fun lead. She was very real, she felt like an actual person. She'd just lost her mom, so she spends much of the book dealing with that loss in addition to all the crazy stuff happening around her. She deals well with Dace and his wolf. Let me explain that before I confuse anyone. Dace is a shapeshifter-he turns into a wolf. But, he hasn't been able to communicate with the wolf side of him and so he has to constantly struggle to keep the beast locked inside. But sometimes the wolf still gets a bit of a hold and he acts...primal, for lack of better term. But Arionna always knew how to deal with all that. She would be understanding when that was needed and she would put him in his place when that was needed. It was fun to see, especially the times when she made Dace grovel for forgiveness. Arionna was strong, clever, and a great heroine.
Dace is complicated, as you could probably tell from my brief explanation of his wolf issue. The wolf in him isn't bad, it's just primal. The wolf loves Arionna just as much as Dace's human side loves her. But, once again, he's more primal. That leads him to make Dace's human side do some stupid things. I think some people might be annoyed, because when the wolf does gain some hold, it makes Dace do something that might be qualified as sexist. I understood it as the wolf hierarchy that Dace's wolf is tapped into. But others might not be as understanding. Just a warning to those who are sensitive.
But, moving on. Dace was very sweet. He was protective of Arionna and would literally lay down his life for her. Was there insta-love? Yes, but this was very justified once you find out how deep the connection goes. I don't think anyone will be bothered by it. I loved their relationship. It was deep and profound and it find made me smile wistfully. I thought Dace was simply adorable.
The story is never what you expect. You think you've figured out what's going on when, suddenly, a plot twist comes out of nowhere and shakes everything up. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The use of mythology was brilliant. I adored it; it was original and thrilling. The plot moved quickly, and the ending was sweet with a nice lead into the next book. Which I'm very excited for. I can't wait to find out how this plays out for the characters. Does anyone know when the second book will be released, or how long the series will be?
Anyhow, Fade was magnificent. Anyone who likes myth based books, or just paranormal romance will love it.
5/5
Thanks to Netgalley and Curiosity Quills Press for a copy!
Wow, that blew my mind! It was't what I expected and I couldn't be more pleased with this loveliness. Fade was unique and utterly fantastic.
Fade is based on Norse mythology, so it already has an element that hasn't been used in too many YA books. It took the myths and reshaped them into something that will be sure to hook quite a few fans.
Arionna was a fun lead. She was very real, she felt like an actual person. She'd just lost her mom, so she spends much of the book dealing with that loss in addition to all the crazy stuff happening around her. She deals well with Dace and his wolf. Let me explain that before I confuse anyone. Dace is a shapeshifter-he turns into a wolf. But, he hasn't been able to communicate with the wolf side of him and so he has to constantly struggle to keep the beast locked inside. But sometimes the wolf still gets a bit of a hold and he acts...primal, for lack of better term. But Arionna always knew how to deal with all that. She would be understanding when that was needed and she would put him in his place when that was needed. It was fun to see, especially the times when she made Dace grovel for forgiveness. Arionna was strong, clever, and a great heroine.
Dace is complicated, as you could probably tell from my brief explanation of his wolf issue. The wolf in him isn't bad, it's just primal. The wolf loves Arionna just as much as Dace's human side loves her. But, once again, he's more primal. That leads him to make Dace's human side do some stupid things. I think some people might be annoyed, because when the wolf does gain some hold, it makes Dace do something that might be qualified as sexist. I understood it as the wolf hierarchy that Dace's wolf is tapped into. But others might not be as understanding. Just a warning to those who are sensitive.
But, moving on. Dace was very sweet. He was protective of Arionna and would literally lay down his life for her. Was there insta-love? Yes, but this was very justified once you find out how deep the connection goes. I don't think anyone will be bothered by it. I loved their relationship. It was deep and profound and it find made me smile wistfully. I thought Dace was simply adorable.
The story is never what you expect. You think you've figured out what's going on when, suddenly, a plot twist comes out of nowhere and shakes everything up. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The use of mythology was brilliant. I adored it; it was original and thrilling. The plot moved quickly, and the ending was sweet with a nice lead into the next book. Which I'm very excited for. I can't wait to find out how this plays out for the characters. Does anyone know when the second book will be released, or how long the series will be?
Anyhow, Fade was magnificent. Anyone who likes myth based books, or just paranormal romance will love it.
5/5
Thanks to Netgalley and Curiosity Quills Press for a copy!
October 3, 2012
Actual Rating: 0 stars!
I read this with the amazingly awesome reviewer named Oceana. Her review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... Please read hers before mine. :)
This book is not suitable for those younger than 13. YA Fifty Shades of Grey here (minus 50 something sex scenes).
Last note, to the family member who I know is reading, I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS ADULT. D:
~~~
I've begun to say this a lot: this book is horrible. It's the worst book I've read this year. The sad thing is, I've said that at least 4 times this year. The phrase is sort of becoming overused and has no real meaning anymore. But, please allow me to say it one that time, just for the sake of it.
This. Book. Is. The. Worst. Book. I. Have. Ever. Read.
Fade tricked me into thinking that it would be filled with an interesting plot and great characters. I know, it's very rare for that to happen today in YA literature. I didn't actually read all the summary. I only read the second paragraph and the first sentence of the third. If I had only read all the plot, maybe my expectations wouldn't have been so high.
To quote Oceana:
10% into FADE and I knew I wasn't going to like this. 40% and I felt like burning my shitty Nook to melted plastic. 70% and I was begging for the end to come.
No, no. FADE did not go well for me.
Except, I was dying by 25%. This book was terrible. Two of my friends have read it, all have finished with 1 - 0 stars. (Zulezza! Here's your mention: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... :D)
The review will contain spoilers, but then again, why would anyone want to read this?
Characters:
Arionna, or Bella-bot, was the main character of this book. She seemed very similar to what I've read about Anastasia Steele. Spineless, horny, stupid, and whiny. She was extremely dependent on Dace, her rapist lover. She was college age, yet seemed at most 15. Bella-bot was incredibly stupid and vapid. Her friend was brutally murdered by a pack of wolves to which Bella-bot's brilliant reply was, "Oh, well that sure sucks."
Can't you feel her immense and soulcrushing pain?
One of the most annoying clichés in books is the might as well be you heroine. The one where the reader is supposed to go, that sounds just like me. Little old boring me who has no life (many authors seem to assume this about us). I don't read books to for the might as well be you heroine. I like reading about exciting, realistic but not stick in the mud characters. Bella-bot was the personification of this cliché.
Let's examine some quotes, shall we?
What's happening to me? [Arionna thought]
Mine, he [Dace] said in my head as if in response to my question. You belong to me.
The words were little more than a growl, but they shot through me like an arrow.
... I belonged to him, perhaps more fully than I belongs to myself.
- 4% into the ARC
This was her first meeting with him. First meeting with Dace. Nuff said. Next is a collection of quotes all on the same Kindle page (10% in during their second meeting).
...an absolutely predatory gleam...
...desire brushed across my thoughts...
He wanted me, wanted to claim me.
I was a virgin, but I wanted him to claim me.
The animal strained hard to get to me, growling audibly.
I did belong to him.
Second meeting people. Second meeting. FKAJDHKADFKLHDKADHF
Dace. THIS GUY PEOPLE. He's Jace from City of Bones, Patch from Hush, Hush, Edward from Twilight, and Dexter from Dexter. So basically, a controlling, possessive asshole. He's said "You belong to me." (or something with belong referring to Arionna) six flipping in the book (which is nothing compared to the fourteen - yes one four - times Arionna says it referring to her belonging to him).
I don't think I have ever met a worse love interest. Ever. For once, my words escape me and I cannot find the right words to describe him without having an extremely excessively vulgar review which honestly is funny to read but give you no insight to the book.
The words in [brackets] are mine.
I'd never had a desire to be rid of my virginity [of course you haven't -_-], but thinking back over our encounter, the way Dace held me prisoner [how is this sexy?] and the way feeling my pleasure and his combined... well, had the wolf not been so eager, I wasn't sure I'd still be a virgin.
Please understand how this happened. He pushed her onto a picnic table and then pushed his leg between hers and then started humping her on the table. Another Oceana quote here (I love being the last one to write a review):
Arionna, honey-boo, INNOCENT PEOPLE EAT THERE, YOU KNOW. THEY DO NOT NEED TO KNOW WHAT THAT SUSPICIOUS LIQUID ON THE FUCKING TABLE IS. THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR FUCKING FOOD THERE.
Oh, god, EWWWWW.
And random Zulezza quote (just 'cause):
Me: .......Uh, right. And then he held you gaze, an absolutely predatory gleam in his eyes. Nothing human reflected in that look, but something complete male did. His desire brushed across your thoughts like a caress. He wanted you, wanted to claim you. You was a virgin, but you wanted him to claim you?
Arionna: *Nods sheepishly*
Me:
Tell me, girl. Which part of the word 'rape' that you don't understand?
(The Lack of) Plot:
Plot Outline:
0 - 20%: Make out scenes
20 - 40%: Make out scenes
40 - 60%: Make out scenes
60 - 80%: Lore and make out scenes
80 - 95%: LOOOOOOTS OF PLOT
95 - 100%: Last make out scenes
The part in between, the 80 - 95, was a huge infodump. After brain numbing nothingness, the sudden plot was a rush. I don't remember 70% of what happened there because there was just too much too fast. It's like Morgen tried to fit all the plot she missed in the rest of the book into that little time period. It's impossible to not be half asleep and miss a lot of the plot because all you're used to is kissing.
The real story in that little space is interesting. The lore was fun, granted it needs a bit of working on. The sad this is all that A. K. Morgen focused on was the unnecessary, abusive relationships which Arionna and Dace shared. It would have made this book a mediocre read instead of a trashy, terrible one.
What I liked and didn't:
Liked:
lore (sort of)
Disliked:
everything
romance
plot
characters
pacing
prose
everything
In conclusion:
I would never recommend this book. It wasn't even funny accidentally. It was a royal mess.
Just don't read it.
I read this with the amazingly awesome reviewer named Oceana. Her review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... Please read hers before mine. :)
This book is not suitable for those younger than 13. YA Fifty Shades of Grey here (minus 50 something sex scenes).
Last note, to the family member who I know is reading, I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS ADULT. D:
~~~
I've begun to say this a lot: this book is horrible. It's the worst book I've read this year. The sad thing is, I've said that at least 4 times this year. The phrase is sort of becoming overused and has no real meaning anymore. But, please allow me to say it one that time, just for the sake of it.
This. Book. Is. The. Worst. Book. I. Have. Ever. Read.
Fade tricked me into thinking that it would be filled with an interesting plot and great characters. I know, it's very rare for that to happen today in YA literature. I didn't actually read all the summary. I only read the second paragraph and the first sentence of the third. If I had only read all the plot, maybe my expectations wouldn't have been so high.
To quote Oceana:
10% into FADE and I knew I wasn't going to like this. 40% and I felt like burning my shitty Nook to melted plastic. 70% and I was begging for the end to come.
No, no. FADE did not go well for me.
Except, I was dying by 25%. This book was terrible. Two of my friends have read it, all have finished with 1 - 0 stars. (Zulezza! Here's your mention: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... :D)
The review will contain spoilers, but then again, why would anyone want to read this?
Characters:
Arionna, or Bella-bot, was the main character of this book. She seemed very similar to what I've read about Anastasia Steele. Spineless, horny, stupid, and whiny. She was extremely dependent on Dace, her rapist lover. She was college age, yet seemed at most 15. Bella-bot was incredibly stupid and vapid. Her friend was brutally murdered by a pack of wolves to which Bella-bot's brilliant reply was, "Oh, well that sure sucks."
Can't you feel her immense and soulcrushing pain?
One of the most annoying clichés in books is the might as well be you heroine. The one where the reader is supposed to go, that sounds just like me. Little old boring me who has no life (many authors seem to assume this about us). I don't read books to for the might as well be you heroine. I like reading about exciting, realistic but not stick in the mud characters. Bella-bot was the personification of this cliché.
Let's examine some quotes, shall we?
What's happening to me? [Arionna thought]
Mine, he [Dace] said in my head as if in response to my question. You belong to me.
The words were little more than a growl, but they shot through me like an arrow.
... I belonged to him, perhaps more fully than I belongs to myself.
- 4% into the ARC
This was her first meeting with him. First meeting with Dace. Nuff said. Next is a collection of quotes all on the same Kindle page (10% in during their second meeting).
...an absolutely predatory gleam...
...desire brushed across my thoughts...
He wanted me, wanted to claim me.
I was a virgin, but I wanted him to claim me.
The animal strained hard to get to me, growling audibly.
I did belong to him.
Second meeting people. Second meeting. FKAJDHKADFKLHDKADHF
Dace. THIS GUY PEOPLE. He's Jace from City of Bones, Patch from Hush, Hush, Edward from Twilight, and Dexter from Dexter. So basically, a controlling, possessive asshole. He's said "You belong to me." (or something with belong referring to Arionna) six flipping in the book (which is nothing compared to the fourteen - yes one four - times Arionna says it referring to her belonging to him).
I don't think I have ever met a worse love interest. Ever. For once, my words escape me and I cannot find the right words to describe him without having an extremely excessively vulgar review which honestly is funny to read but give you no insight to the book.
The words in [brackets] are mine.
I'd never had a desire to be rid of my virginity [of course you haven't -_-], but thinking back over our encounter, the way Dace held me prisoner [how is this sexy?] and the way feeling my pleasure and his combined... well, had the wolf not been so eager, I wasn't sure I'd still be a virgin.
Please understand how this happened. He pushed her onto a picnic table and then pushed his leg between hers and then started humping her on the table. Another Oceana quote here (I love being the last one to write a review):
Arionna, honey-boo, INNOCENT PEOPLE EAT THERE, YOU KNOW. THEY DO NOT NEED TO KNOW WHAT THAT SUSPICIOUS LIQUID ON THE FUCKING TABLE IS. THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR FUCKING FOOD THERE.
Oh, god, EWWWWW.
And random Zulezza quote (just 'cause):
Me: .......Uh, right. And then he held you gaze, an absolutely predatory gleam in his eyes. Nothing human reflected in that look, but something complete male did. His desire brushed across your thoughts like a caress. He wanted you, wanted to claim you. You was a virgin, but you wanted him to claim you?
Arionna: *Nods sheepishly*
Me:
Tell me, girl. Which part of the word 'rape' that you don't understand?
(The Lack of) Plot:
Plot Outline:
0 - 20%: Make out scenes
20 - 40%: Make out scenes
40 - 60%: Make out scenes
60 - 80%: Lore and make out scenes
80 - 95%: LOOOOOOTS OF PLOT
95 - 100%: Last make out scenes
The part in between, the 80 - 95, was a huge infodump. After brain numbing nothingness, the sudden plot was a rush. I don't remember 70% of what happened there because there was just too much too fast. It's like Morgen tried to fit all the plot she missed in the rest of the book into that little time period. It's impossible to not be half asleep and miss a lot of the plot because all you're used to is kissing.
The real story in that little space is interesting. The lore was fun, granted it needs a bit of working on. The sad this is all that A. K. Morgen focused on was the unnecessary, abusive relationships which Arionna and Dace shared. It would have made this book a mediocre read instead of a trashy, terrible one.
What I liked and didn't:
Liked:
lore (sort of)
Disliked:
everything
romance
plot
characters
pacing
prose
everything
In conclusion:
I would never recommend this book. It wasn't even funny accidentally. It was a royal mess.
Just don't read it.
October 20, 2016
Dnf al 50%.
Nop. Lo siento pero no puedo.
Amor instantáneo, nada de información y los protas sin carácter
Nop. Lo siento pero no puedo.
Amor instantáneo, nada de información y los protas sin carácter
September 5, 2012
In the start, it follows up on Arionna's mother who has died where they're at a graveyard going to bury her body. A wolf emerges, complete with a howl with burning yellow eyes. It's already interesting from the very beginning. I was very much fixated on the story and Arionna Jacobs who is yet a girl we're going to find out about.
'A lone wolf hunkered beneath the trees.
A wolf?
I blinked, certain I hadn't seen an animal at all, but I had. A wolf, or the domestic relation anyway, sat in the shadows of the trees, staring in our direction. Even from a distance, he looked as sad as I felt, and I wondered if he'd lost a loved one too.
Do animals feel loss like us? Do they grieve, too?
I hoped not.'
ARIONNA; A girl who is strong enough and not afraid, she's a girl who has tons of confidence (yet not so much) and takes risks. I love her for her well-being and her strong will for being who she can be and who she can't be.
DACE; mysterious, wild and totally out of control (well...sometimes). I love Dace (too). He was completely mysterious and wild as he controls his inner wolf, the feral wolf caged inside of him. He feels like he's completely torn to two as he meets Arionna at a college as a teaching assistant.
Soon the story starts to spin apart as the two meet yet both of them don't know why even though they don't understand what's happening. I felt completely so compelled to this story line and completely mystified as the plot starts to emerge from it's starting point.
'I didn't know, but I felt now, and feeling hurt.
The guy tensed as though he felt my eyes on him, and turned in my direction. He stood no less than a hundred feet from me, too far away to see clearly, but every feature of his face swam into focus as if I'd called his appearance up from the depths of my memory. He was gorgeous, with messy golden hair, strong cheekbones, and a sharp, defined jawline. Even his vivid, emerald eyes and the small scar above his right eyebrow were crystal clear to me.
I told myself to stop staring and look away. That grief had scrambled my brains, and I only imagined things that weren't there.
I didn't listen to that little voice of reason.
The boy lifted his head.
Time seemed to slow, stretching before me in ways I couldn't comprehend.
Our eyes met across the distance.
I stopped breathing, heat weaving through me in coils, burning away the hole I'd just discovered, and leaving me wrapped in a soft blanket of warmth. A thousand different sensations whispered through me like a summer's breeze, freezing me in place. Joy, fear, loss, hope, sorrow . . . I couldn't separate one emotion from the other. Before I even had the chance to try, a current of energy washed through me, pulling a gasp from my lips. Strength and familiarity rippled through the air between us. The powerful sensation swarmed over me like a thousand little teeth nibbling on my skin, and shook me to the core.
I knew him.'
With this snippet above, I guarantee you'll be rereading this (completely) as I fell in love with this book and couldn't stop putting it down, you should buy this book!
After reading this review... YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK! MUST!
Brief Review: 'Amazing, wild and creative, Fade was incredible, just simply incredible and heart-pumping, all you have to do is love it.'
Thanks to Netgalley!
You can find this on my blog!
'A lone wolf hunkered beneath the trees.
A wolf?
I blinked, certain I hadn't seen an animal at all, but I had. A wolf, or the domestic relation anyway, sat in the shadows of the trees, staring in our direction. Even from a distance, he looked as sad as I felt, and I wondered if he'd lost a loved one too.
Do animals feel loss like us? Do they grieve, too?
I hoped not.'
ARIONNA; A girl who is strong enough and not afraid, she's a girl who has tons of confidence (yet not so much) and takes risks. I love her for her well-being and her strong will for being who she can be and who she can't be.
DACE; mysterious, wild and totally out of control (well...sometimes). I love Dace (too). He was completely mysterious and wild as he controls his inner wolf, the feral wolf caged inside of him. He feels like he's completely torn to two as he meets Arionna at a college as a teaching assistant.
Soon the story starts to spin apart as the two meet yet both of them don't know why even though they don't understand what's happening. I felt completely so compelled to this story line and completely mystified as the plot starts to emerge from it's starting point.
'I didn't know, but I felt now, and feeling hurt.
The guy tensed as though he felt my eyes on him, and turned in my direction. He stood no less than a hundred feet from me, too far away to see clearly, but every feature of his face swam into focus as if I'd called his appearance up from the depths of my memory. He was gorgeous, with messy golden hair, strong cheekbones, and a sharp, defined jawline. Even his vivid, emerald eyes and the small scar above his right eyebrow were crystal clear to me.
I told myself to stop staring and look away. That grief had scrambled my brains, and I only imagined things that weren't there.
I didn't listen to that little voice of reason.
The boy lifted his head.
Time seemed to slow, stretching before me in ways I couldn't comprehend.
Our eyes met across the distance.
I stopped breathing, heat weaving through me in coils, burning away the hole I'd just discovered, and leaving me wrapped in a soft blanket of warmth. A thousand different sensations whispered through me like a summer's breeze, freezing me in place. Joy, fear, loss, hope, sorrow . . . I couldn't separate one emotion from the other. Before I even had the chance to try, a current of energy washed through me, pulling a gasp from my lips. Strength and familiarity rippled through the air between us. The powerful sensation swarmed over me like a thousand little teeth nibbling on my skin, and shook me to the core.
I knew him.'
With this snippet above, I guarantee you'll be rereading this (completely) as I fell in love with this book and couldn't stop putting it down, you should buy this book!
After reading this review... YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK! MUST!
Brief Review: 'Amazing, wild and creative, Fade was incredible, just simply incredible and heart-pumping, all you have to do is love it.'
Thanks to Netgalley!
You can find this on my blog!
August 27, 2014
Let me first say This is a DNF review. I read about 1/3 of the book, and couldn't go any further. I may try again later (when i forget why I had to put it down), in which case I may add more to this review.
Okay, So the first chapter (or 2) of Fade was pretty well written...More like heartwrenching really, the heroine loses her mother, and reading through her grief was painful...but at the same time, pushed me to keep reading to see how she deals....
Unfortunately the story denegrates from there...(this is like 2 or 3 chapters in) And I took copious notes with all the things i had issues with, but it really all boils down to one thing: A.K.M (the netgalley i have says the author's name is Ayden Morgen) uses the modus operandi of telling without showing. The heroine feels pain (and she uses this word a lot), or and, I'm paraphrasing here, "it was the most pain she'd ever felt' but, IMO at least, that's a very vague sentiment. there are all sorts of pain, and it's such a general term...does she mean hurt? isolated? inconsaeable? wth does she mean by 'i'm in pain'?...And she'll talk about characters jumping into her mind, but we never really understand what that means. From what I read, at least 2 different characters make it into her mind, but I don't quite know what that means.
Add to that, many, many times the heroine will know what another character is feeling/thinking without them every having to say a word...and quite a bit of the dialogue sounds more like an interview then real converstations...(and this irritated me to all hell and back, but seriously? would anyone, let alone the freaking Hero, ever answer a question, any question, with "probably so"? --that doesn't make you sound mysterious, it a makes you sound like a douche!grrr)
Oh, and the hero sounds kinda whiney. the heroine is sorta a pushover/doormat. and there's insta-love...sorta (they fight it)
and after getting to a third of the book, I still felt like I only had a sorta-kinda idea of what was going on. I', not sure if this makes sensse, but at times this felt like a real time diary entry.... the whole thing (but remember, I never finished) is pretty much the h's reaction to everything, rather then a whole cohesive story being told.
Now, to be fair, I have to mention, I've got a love/hate thing going on with first person novels, but I've read some truly well written ones...ones that make me question why i avoided them so long, ones that live on my keeper shelf, and make me glad that I gave them a chance...
Fade is pretty much the opposite. It's the bad kind of 1st pov writing, the kind that makes me think stories told this way are too confining, too narrow in scope, and make me never want to read another one again. Honestly, i think this would have been so much better in 3rd person, maybe not great, but better. As it it, it feels like we're on the periphery of a good story, but with the way it's written, we don't even get to the decent stage. 2 stars, -would've been one, but like i mentioned before, the begining was well done.
Okay, So the first chapter (or 2) of Fade was pretty well written...More like heartwrenching really, the heroine loses her mother, and reading through her grief was painful...but at the same time, pushed me to keep reading to see how she deals....
Unfortunately the story denegrates from there...(this is like 2 or 3 chapters in) And I took copious notes with all the things i had issues with, but it really all boils down to one thing: A.K.M (the netgalley i have says the author's name is Ayden Morgen) uses the modus operandi of telling without showing. The heroine feels pain (and she uses this word a lot), or and, I'm paraphrasing here, "it was the most pain she'd ever felt' but, IMO at least, that's a very vague sentiment. there are all sorts of pain, and it's such a general term...does she mean hurt? isolated? inconsaeable? wth does she mean by 'i'm in pain'?...And she'll talk about characters jumping into her mind, but we never really understand what that means. From what I read, at least 2 different characters make it into her mind, but I don't quite know what that means.
Add to that, many, many times the heroine will know what another character is feeling/thinking without them every having to say a word...and quite a bit of the dialogue sounds more like an interview then real converstations...(and this irritated me to all hell and back, but seriously? would anyone, let alone the freaking Hero, ever answer a question, any question, with "probably so"? --that doesn't make you sound mysterious, it a makes you sound like a douche!grrr)
Oh, and the hero sounds kinda whiney. the heroine is sorta a pushover/doormat. and there's insta-love...sorta (they fight it)
and after getting to a third of the book, I still felt like I only had a sorta-kinda idea of what was going on. I', not sure if this makes sensse, but at times this felt like a real time diary entry.... the whole thing (but remember, I never finished) is pretty much the h's reaction to everything, rather then a whole cohesive story being told.
Now, to be fair, I have to mention, I've got a love/hate thing going on with first person novels, but I've read some truly well written ones...ones that make me question why i avoided them so long, ones that live on my keeper shelf, and make me glad that I gave them a chance...
Fade is pretty much the opposite. It's the bad kind of 1st pov writing, the kind that makes me think stories told this way are too confining, too narrow in scope, and make me never want to read another one again. Honestly, i think this would have been so much better in 3rd person, maybe not great, but better. As it it, it feels like we're on the periphery of a good story, but with the way it's written, we don't even get to the decent stage. 2 stars, -would've been one, but like i mentioned before, the begining was well done.
January 30, 2021
I enjoyed this YA shifter romance!
After Arionna’s mother passes away, she moves in with her dad. While registering for her college classes one day, she sees Dace across campus and there’s a connection that is so strong, so electric and soul-shaking, it kinda freaked them out.
The thoughts going through their heads, the questions, the secrets, the theories, the explanations... they all described in a way I could visualize things clearly.
The Norse Mythology added an interesting element to this story. I was hooked and it made me want to look into reading more about it after I finished this book.
I have to admit, there were a few times I was a little confused, but for the most part, I was pulled in and entertained.
Lots of internal dialogue to let me get inside Arionna’s head and helped me to see all the craziness that was going on and why she felt the way she did. This story was full of suspense and shifters and soul mates that kept me turning the pages. There was always something happening.
The sexual tension between Arionna & Dace was through the roof. But if you’re looking for steamy sex scenes, you won’t find them in here. Plenty of kissing and grinding and handsy groping though.
Ronan was an interesting character. Was he the bad guy? Or was he just the bad boy with a good heart hiding in there somewhere? I wouldn’t mind reading more about him.
This was my first read from this author and I look forward to more. I definitely want to read book 2.
After Arionna’s mother passes away, she moves in with her dad. While registering for her college classes one day, she sees Dace across campus and there’s a connection that is so strong, so electric and soul-shaking, it kinda freaked them out.
The thoughts going through their heads, the questions, the secrets, the theories, the explanations... they all described in a way I could visualize things clearly.
The Norse Mythology added an interesting element to this story. I was hooked and it made me want to look into reading more about it after I finished this book.
I have to admit, there were a few times I was a little confused, but for the most part, I was pulled in and entertained.
Lots of internal dialogue to let me get inside Arionna’s head and helped me to see all the craziness that was going on and why she felt the way she did. This story was full of suspense and shifters and soul mates that kept me turning the pages. There was always something happening.
The sexual tension between Arionna & Dace was through the roof. But if you’re looking for steamy sex scenes, you won’t find them in here. Plenty of kissing and grinding and handsy groping though.
Ronan was an interesting character. Was he the bad guy? Or was he just the bad boy with a good heart hiding in there somewhere? I wouldn’t mind reading more about him.
This was my first read from this author and I look forward to more. I definitely want to read book 2.
September 8, 2012
I received this book by courtesy of Curiosity Quills Press publisher and the author, A.K. Morgen. Thank you for offering me Fade in order to write a review. Because English is not my native language, please excuse the possible mistakes.
I have to tell you from the beginning that although now, after I finished Fade I can say that it was interesting, the first half of the novel was really annoying. I have to digress a little in order to make you understand what I’m going to say later. I am not pro and I’m not against the famous Twilight series. I’ve read it before the Twilight mania started and it didn’t offer me a major impression. It was..ok, but nothing more. But I think it’s pretty obvious that Stephanie Meyer opened the gates for the fantasy literature and that her influence effused over other new authors. Anyone that denies this should check the number of young adult, fantasy or paranormal books that was published in these last years, compared with the number in the previous years.
However, I think we got to the point where the post Twilight literature is a little difficult to digest. Of course, I’m not talking about all the new novels, but about the ones that re-create most of the aspects from Meyer’s novel. Probably this is the reason why I hated the first half of Fade. Let’s start with the beginning. The girl that has to move with her dad in a small town? Check. The incredible beautiful and mysterious male character? Check. The first meet when everything near them disappears, they lose each other in the other’s sight and their worlds are completely messed? Check. Obsessive attempts from her to discover the truth about him and so called attempts from him to avoid it? Check. Mind reading? Check. Unnatural things, happening after they met? Check. Hmm..was there something else? Oh, yes, we should't forget that she stumbles a lot. So..this is the action in the first half of the book. And like this wouldn’t be enough, we also discover lots of pages full of thinking, meditations, incursions in the pained soul of the protagonist, thoughts and assumptions. I didn’t abandoned the book only because I was sorry for the time spent until that moment. If I already read half of the book, at least I should be comforted that I was able to read the full novel.
But, from the middle of the book, everything changes. The first surprise was that the male character is not a werewolf, as I suspected, but a shifter. I know it’s not a big difference, but it was the first sign of a sequence of surprises. I was sure that the story will develop in a very predictable way, without bringing anything surprising. But the storyline went in a totally different direction. I was suddenly thrown in the Scandinavian mythology, from where a Norse prophecy influences the lives of our characters. We’re suddenly caught in a game full of legends, reincarnation, unknown creatures we never meet in other fantasy books, enemies that we don’t know yet, secondary characters that change their place with the main characters and negative characters that actually have a very different role. As bored I was when I read the first part of the book, as fascinated I was when I got to the second one. I loved the secondary characters and I thought it was a welcomed change the fact that their roles become really important. I liked the wolf pack that keeps it’s natural way, having common rituals and having no supranatural characteristics. I appreciated the fact that the male character was not built in the usual way: dauntless and invincible. On the contrary, he has deep rooted fears and he is as frightened as the heroine by the unknown. Also, I liked the fact that the author offers a reason why all those supranatural beings are all living in a small place and she doesn’t treats this fact as a normal thing.
Still, there are two things that bothered me in this second part of the novel. First: the same bent for meditation and the amount of thoughts of the protagonist, thoughts that usually do nothing else but fill the pages. The second thing is the way the Norse prophecy was brought in the readers’ attention. Although a part of it is explained, there are a few aspects of it that remain in darkness. Somehow, you get the feeling that you didn’t read the whole text and you’re missing the most important thing. For a while, there is no mention about the prophecy and suddenly, all the characters are talking about it like they would continue an old conversation. I know that sometimes, you forget how it feels not knowing a certain thing and because of this, your explanations may be unclear for a person that hears about that thing for the first time. So I suppose the author probably boned at the subject of Scandinavian mythology and now fails to present the subject as novelty, and more like all the readers would have the same level of information about it like she has.
Pros:
- The storyline is different from other fantasy novels and brings a new vision and also a collection of new and intriguing characters and creatures.
Cons:
- Twilight influences: to many, to obvious and to insistent.
I have to tell you from the beginning that although now, after I finished Fade I can say that it was interesting, the first half of the novel was really annoying. I have to digress a little in order to make you understand what I’m going to say later. I am not pro and I’m not against the famous Twilight series. I’ve read it before the Twilight mania started and it didn’t offer me a major impression. It was..ok, but nothing more. But I think it’s pretty obvious that Stephanie Meyer opened the gates for the fantasy literature and that her influence effused over other new authors. Anyone that denies this should check the number of young adult, fantasy or paranormal books that was published in these last years, compared with the number in the previous years.
However, I think we got to the point where the post Twilight literature is a little difficult to digest. Of course, I’m not talking about all the new novels, but about the ones that re-create most of the aspects from Meyer’s novel. Probably this is the reason why I hated the first half of Fade. Let’s start with the beginning. The girl that has to move with her dad in a small town? Check. The incredible beautiful and mysterious male character? Check. The first meet when everything near them disappears, they lose each other in the other’s sight and their worlds are completely messed? Check. Obsessive attempts from her to discover the truth about him and so called attempts from him to avoid it? Check. Mind reading? Check. Unnatural things, happening after they met? Check. Hmm..was there something else? Oh, yes, we should't forget that she stumbles a lot. So..this is the action in the first half of the book. And like this wouldn’t be enough, we also discover lots of pages full of thinking, meditations, incursions in the pained soul of the protagonist, thoughts and assumptions. I didn’t abandoned the book only because I was sorry for the time spent until that moment. If I already read half of the book, at least I should be comforted that I was able to read the full novel.
But, from the middle of the book, everything changes. The first surprise was that the male character is not a werewolf, as I suspected, but a shifter. I know it’s not a big difference, but it was the first sign of a sequence of surprises. I was sure that the story will develop in a very predictable way, without bringing anything surprising. But the storyline went in a totally different direction. I was suddenly thrown in the Scandinavian mythology, from where a Norse prophecy influences the lives of our characters. We’re suddenly caught in a game full of legends, reincarnation, unknown creatures we never meet in other fantasy books, enemies that we don’t know yet, secondary characters that change their place with the main characters and negative characters that actually have a very different role. As bored I was when I read the first part of the book, as fascinated I was when I got to the second one. I loved the secondary characters and I thought it was a welcomed change the fact that their roles become really important. I liked the wolf pack that keeps it’s natural way, having common rituals and having no supranatural characteristics. I appreciated the fact that the male character was not built in the usual way: dauntless and invincible. On the contrary, he has deep rooted fears and he is as frightened as the heroine by the unknown. Also, I liked the fact that the author offers a reason why all those supranatural beings are all living in a small place and she doesn’t treats this fact as a normal thing.
Still, there are two things that bothered me in this second part of the novel. First: the same bent for meditation and the amount of thoughts of the protagonist, thoughts that usually do nothing else but fill the pages. The second thing is the way the Norse prophecy was brought in the readers’ attention. Although a part of it is explained, there are a few aspects of it that remain in darkness. Somehow, you get the feeling that you didn’t read the whole text and you’re missing the most important thing. For a while, there is no mention about the prophecy and suddenly, all the characters are talking about it like they would continue an old conversation. I know that sometimes, you forget how it feels not knowing a certain thing and because of this, your explanations may be unclear for a person that hears about that thing for the first time. So I suppose the author probably boned at the subject of Scandinavian mythology and now fails to present the subject as novelty, and more like all the readers would have the same level of information about it like she has.
Pros:
- The storyline is different from other fantasy novels and brings a new vision and also a collection of new and intriguing characters and creatures.
Cons:
- Twilight influences: to many, to obvious and to insistent.
September 28, 2012
When I first started this book I was sure I wouldn't like it, but as I continued to read the book I actually liked it the idea of the book. The romance in this book was overwhelming, and to dramatized. The Norse mythology in the book was its saving grace for me without it the book would have been the same as many other YA romance book; not saying many parts of it weren't just that this main idea of this book is what set it apart. The characters were well defined but at the same time bland they had qualities much the same as a few of the other YA adult books; I am not saying that it can't be good but with as many YA romances there are there needs to characteristics in the main characters that will separate them from other characters in similar books with similar plot. This book could have been much better if the main story idea what have been the focus of the book and not secondary to the romance. Other than these problems this book was a quick easy read and I would be recommended to readers who enjoy YA romances.
April 20, 2021
I love the cover of this book. I hope the content is as awesome.
Update:
As someone who really enjoys werewolf books, I'm sad to say that at 34%, I just can't continue on with this book. The MC is driving me mad, constantly either whining or rambling. There are two paragraphs of her ramblings between dialogue!!! I'm skimming just to find what was said next. And she wants to know everything, but given the opportunity, doesn't ask any questions???
Update:
As someone who really enjoys werewolf books, I'm sad to say that at 34%, I just can't continue on with this book. The MC is driving me mad, constantly either whining or rambling. There are two paragraphs of her ramblings between dialogue!!! I'm skimming just to find what was said next. And she wants to know everything, but given the opportunity, doesn't ask any questions???
October 10, 2012
Some books you sit and read and only stop when you finish or when you have them physically dragged from your hands. Some books take an effort of will to put down. Some books you make time for. Some books you read whenever you have a moment.
This was not one of those books, alas. Early on I was struggling to keep reading. By 30% I had to go back and re-read as I realised I’d started skimming the book rather than reading it. At 40% I kept getting up to get a drink of water, to make coffee, to do any number of random, pointless tasks in order to avoid the book. I tried to force myself to keep on reading – but it was forcing myself.
At 55% I stopped, I wasn’t remotely enjoying myself, I was having to force myself to sit and read, if I didn’t catch myself I was skipping and skimming and, frankly, it wouldn’t be fair to the other books I DNFed to keep reading this book.
The main reason for this was the writing. Even Barney has never seen prose this purple. The book cover should be a deep, shocking magenta to reflect the content. I have never read a book that is so overwrought, long winded, dramatic and just pure purple in its writing. I found it impenetrable, more than a little annoying and it stopped me both enjoying the plot and forming any kind of connection with the characters.
I can’t adequately describe the plot without including an except so – this is what happens when the protagonist, Arionna, sees Dace for the first time across a university quad:
"He was dressed casually in jeans and boots, with a light black jacket zipped up his chest and a beanie cap on his need. Nothing out of the ordinary at all, just another guy in the parade that had already passed by, but something… shifted… as soon as my eyes landed on him.
A warm breath brushed across my neck, my stomach fluttered.. I wanted to revel in the buoyant feelings whirling through me, but didn’t get the chance.
Longing swept through me like a river, melting everything I thought I knew about myself, and reordered it. Pieces shifted, pulled apart, and came back together in new ways, unburdened by the little things that had accumulated over the years. The idiosyncrasies, the pet peeves, the ingrained behaviours and thought processes,.. all vanished for a moment. A massive hole opened somewhere inside me, deep down in a place I’d never known existed before.
{……. I’m going to cut a page here because she goes on and on about this hole…}
The guy tensed as though as though he felt my eyes on him and turned in my direction. He stood no less than a hundred feet from me, too far away to see clearly, but every feature of his face swam into focus as if I’d called his appearance from the depths of my memory. He was gorgeous, with messy golden hair, strong cheekbones, and a sharp defined jawline. Even his vivid, emerald eyes and the small scar above his right eyebrow were crystal clear to me.
I told myself to stop staring and look away. That grief had scrambled my brains, and I only imagined things that weren’t there
I didn’t listen to that little voice of reason
The boy lifted his head
Time seemed to slow, stretching before me in ways I couldn’t comprehend
Our eyes met across the distance
I stopped breathing, heat weaving through me in could, burning away the hole I’d just discovered and leaving me wrapped in a soft blanket if warmth. A thousand different sensations whispered through me like a summer’s breeze, freezing me in place. Joy, fear, loss, hope, sorrow…I couldn’t separate one emotion from the other.
Before I even had the chance to try, a current of energy washed through me, pulling a gasp from my lips. Strength and familiarity tripled through the air between us. The powerful sensation swarmed over me like a thousand little teeth nibbling on my skin, and shook me to the core.
I knew him.
I think maybe I’d always known him, and I didn’t know how. But I desperately wanted to know, because for the first time in weeks, being awake didn’t hurt. Grief wasn’t breaking my heart, my eyes weren’t burning with unshed tears, and my head didn’t hurt from lack of sleep.
I felt… peaceful. As if looking at this beautiful boy washed away everything that happened since mom died. I felt right in a way I never had before, not only unburdened and aware, but complete. Like the gaping hole inside me had filled with him."
This goes on for a staggering 4 more pages in my Kindle. And it’s not the only one – whether it’s grief for her mother or returning to think about Dace, we constantly get these extremely long, over descriptive, flowery, dramatic internal monologues. Rather than truly conveying emotion, it’s actually a barrier. I had trouble feeling or empathising with Ariona’s grief over the death of her mother because the writing was so overwrought it felt fake, dramatized. If someone described their grieving process in such an excessive manner it’d come across more as narcissistic attention seeking than genuine grief or pain.
Read More
This was not one of those books, alas. Early on I was struggling to keep reading. By 30% I had to go back and re-read as I realised I’d started skimming the book rather than reading it. At 40% I kept getting up to get a drink of water, to make coffee, to do any number of random, pointless tasks in order to avoid the book. I tried to force myself to keep on reading – but it was forcing myself.
At 55% I stopped, I wasn’t remotely enjoying myself, I was having to force myself to sit and read, if I didn’t catch myself I was skipping and skimming and, frankly, it wouldn’t be fair to the other books I DNFed to keep reading this book.
The main reason for this was the writing. Even Barney has never seen prose this purple. The book cover should be a deep, shocking magenta to reflect the content. I have never read a book that is so overwrought, long winded, dramatic and just pure purple in its writing. I found it impenetrable, more than a little annoying and it stopped me both enjoying the plot and forming any kind of connection with the characters.
I can’t adequately describe the plot without including an except so – this is what happens when the protagonist, Arionna, sees Dace for the first time across a university quad:
"He was dressed casually in jeans and boots, with a light black jacket zipped up his chest and a beanie cap on his need. Nothing out of the ordinary at all, just another guy in the parade that had already passed by, but something… shifted… as soon as my eyes landed on him.
A warm breath brushed across my neck, my stomach fluttered.. I wanted to revel in the buoyant feelings whirling through me, but didn’t get the chance.
Longing swept through me like a river, melting everything I thought I knew about myself, and reordered it. Pieces shifted, pulled apart, and came back together in new ways, unburdened by the little things that had accumulated over the years. The idiosyncrasies, the pet peeves, the ingrained behaviours and thought processes,.. all vanished for a moment. A massive hole opened somewhere inside me, deep down in a place I’d never known existed before.
{……. I’m going to cut a page here because she goes on and on about this hole…}
The guy tensed as though as though he felt my eyes on him and turned in my direction. He stood no less than a hundred feet from me, too far away to see clearly, but every feature of his face swam into focus as if I’d called his appearance from the depths of my memory. He was gorgeous, with messy golden hair, strong cheekbones, and a sharp defined jawline. Even his vivid, emerald eyes and the small scar above his right eyebrow were crystal clear to me.
I told myself to stop staring and look away. That grief had scrambled my brains, and I only imagined things that weren’t there
I didn’t listen to that little voice of reason
The boy lifted his head
Time seemed to slow, stretching before me in ways I couldn’t comprehend
Our eyes met across the distance
I stopped breathing, heat weaving through me in could, burning away the hole I’d just discovered and leaving me wrapped in a soft blanket if warmth. A thousand different sensations whispered through me like a summer’s breeze, freezing me in place. Joy, fear, loss, hope, sorrow…I couldn’t separate one emotion from the other.
Before I even had the chance to try, a current of energy washed through me, pulling a gasp from my lips. Strength and familiarity tripled through the air between us. The powerful sensation swarmed over me like a thousand little teeth nibbling on my skin, and shook me to the core.
I knew him.
I think maybe I’d always known him, and I didn’t know how. But I desperately wanted to know, because for the first time in weeks, being awake didn’t hurt. Grief wasn’t breaking my heart, my eyes weren’t burning with unshed tears, and my head didn’t hurt from lack of sleep.
I felt… peaceful. As if looking at this beautiful boy washed away everything that happened since mom died. I felt right in a way I never had before, not only unburdened and aware, but complete. Like the gaping hole inside me had filled with him."
This goes on for a staggering 4 more pages in my Kindle. And it’s not the only one – whether it’s grief for her mother or returning to think about Dace, we constantly get these extremely long, over descriptive, flowery, dramatic internal monologues. Rather than truly conveying emotion, it’s actually a barrier. I had trouble feeling or empathising with Ariona’s grief over the death of her mother because the writing was so overwrought it felt fake, dramatized. If someone described their grieving process in such an excessive manner it’d come across more as narcissistic attention seeking than genuine grief or pain.
Read More
September 11, 2012
As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!
Fade deserves a solid three stars. I really wanted to love this because because I absolutely adore the author, but it ended up just being a enjoyable read for me. It's a great debut, really, it is! There were just some things within the novel that I'm not a fan of, including "insta-love." The story itself is brilliant, though. I've never read anything like it. The ideas are original, the plot line was captivating and the characters were, overall, very likable.
Just before Arionna Jacobs starts college, her mother dies in a car accident. When the audience really gets to know her, we see a sad, lonely girl who misses her mother, the woman that was also her best friend. Ari, as she called by those she is close with, decides to move in with her father and go to school at the university where he works. There she meets Mandy, along with a set of triplets: Beth, Dani, and Chelle. They become fast friends, though the real connection is between Chelle and Ari. She also meets Dace, the man who gets her heart racing, her body jittery and takes over her mind with dominant thoughts that terrify and confuse her. As they grow closer, she learns things about Dace, about herself that shock her to her very core and things that will change her life in every way imaginable.
I liked the triplets and Gage, even though we didn't see much of him. Chelle was my favorite character. She was sweet and really cared for Dace, Ari and their other friends. She thought of everyone before she thought of herself. Such a sweetheart. Ari's dad was also an awesome character. Stories where the parents really love and cherish their children make me super happy. This was one of those stories! I liked Dace and Ari, but they both had quirks that annoyed me. I really liked their backstories and those backstories explained a lot about who they were and why the couple acted the way they did.
The insta-love was what really bothered me. That along with the info dumping are why I had trouble reading at some points. Another issue I had with the novel was the language, which was a bit mature for the age group it was written about. Like I said before, the idea of this novel was awesome. It's obvious that it takes a lot of work to have that fit the plot, and I admire the author for being able to pull it off as well as she did. I've seen other people say that this novel reminded them of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and I can see where they are coming from. There does appear to have been some influence by the popular series, but elements they share are not overwhelming. They really can't be compared because Ms. Morgen truly makes Fade her own.
I loved the writing style in Fade. It was very dark and picturesque. The setting was so written so vividly that I could easily see it in my mind. Not many authors can do that. Ms. Morgan has a lot of talent! She has also really piqued my interest in Norse mythology. I've never read or heard any Norse tales. I will definitely be changing that now that I've got a taste of their legends!
Ms. Morgen gives us a great story in Fade and I really am looking forward to reading the next installment. There is a lot than can be done with this series and I think the author will handle it excellently.
I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley.
Fade deserves a solid three stars. I really wanted to love this because because I absolutely adore the author, but it ended up just being a enjoyable read for me. It's a great debut, really, it is! There were just some things within the novel that I'm not a fan of, including "insta-love." The story itself is brilliant, though. I've never read anything like it. The ideas are original, the plot line was captivating and the characters were, overall, very likable.
Just before Arionna Jacobs starts college, her mother dies in a car accident. When the audience really gets to know her, we see a sad, lonely girl who misses her mother, the woman that was also her best friend. Ari, as she called by those she is close with, decides to move in with her father and go to school at the university where he works. There she meets Mandy, along with a set of triplets: Beth, Dani, and Chelle. They become fast friends, though the real connection is between Chelle and Ari. She also meets Dace, the man who gets her heart racing, her body jittery and takes over her mind with dominant thoughts that terrify and confuse her. As they grow closer, she learns things about Dace, about herself that shock her to her very core and things that will change her life in every way imaginable.
I liked the triplets and Gage, even though we didn't see much of him. Chelle was my favorite character. She was sweet and really cared for Dace, Ari and their other friends. She thought of everyone before she thought of herself. Such a sweetheart. Ari's dad was also an awesome character. Stories where the parents really love and cherish their children make me super happy. This was one of those stories! I liked Dace and Ari, but they both had quirks that annoyed me. I really liked their backstories and those backstories explained a lot about who they were and why the couple acted the way they did.
The insta-love was what really bothered me. That along with the info dumping are why I had trouble reading at some points. Another issue I had with the novel was the language, which was a bit mature for the age group it was written about. Like I said before, the idea of this novel was awesome. It's obvious that it takes a lot of work to have that fit the plot, and I admire the author for being able to pull it off as well as she did. I've seen other people say that this novel reminded them of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and I can see where they are coming from. There does appear to have been some influence by the popular series, but elements they share are not overwhelming. They really can't be compared because Ms. Morgen truly makes Fade her own.
I loved the writing style in Fade. It was very dark and picturesque. The setting was so written so vividly that I could easily see it in my mind. Not many authors can do that. Ms. Morgan has a lot of talent! She has also really piqued my interest in Norse mythology. I've never read or heard any Norse tales. I will definitely be changing that now that I've got a taste of their legends!
Ms. Morgen gives us a great story in Fade and I really am looking forward to reading the next installment. There is a lot than can be done with this series and I think the author will handle it excellently.
I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley.
March 26, 2018
Link eklentileri ve video için bloguma gitmeniz gerekiyor :(
Kitabın tanıtımına buradan ulaşabilirsiniz: Fade - Kitap Tanıtımı
En sonunda Fade bitti. İlk okuduğumda çok basit kurgusu olan bir kitap diye düşünmüştüm, nitekim ilk yarısı öyleydi de. İnandırıcılık yoktu, her şey bir anda oluyordu. Tema yoktu, anlatım zayıftı... Ama yarısından sonra kitaba ve hikayeye ısındım, her şey yerine oturdu Ari ve Dace'in ilişkisi o kadarda saçma gelmemeye başladı. Aralarında ki ilişkiye özenir oldum, aralarındaki tutku iç çekmeme, gülmeme ve sırıtmama neden oldu.
Ari annesinin ölümünü atlatamayan bir kızdır. Annesinin ölümünden sonra üniversitede profösör olan (mitoloji) babasının yanına taşınır ve aynı üniversitede okumaya başlar. Ama her uyanık dakikasını annesinin yasını tutarak geçirir. Bir gün okula, dersine giderken bir çocuk görür ,yeşil gözlü...İçindeki kurt ile onunla orada birleşir,i muhteşem bir acı yaşar ama aynı zamanda annesinin ölümünü unutmuşturda. Bu andan itibaren Ari'nin hayatı değişir. Dace ile kendisinin gerçek kimliğini ve dünyanın sonunu getirecek olan, Ragnarök'ü engellemek için iki kurdu Skoll ve Hati'yi durdurmak zorunda olduklarını öğrenir. Hem birbirlerini tekrar tanıyıp hemde Dace'in kurduyla olan bağlarını güçlendirmelilerdir. Peşlerindeki güçlü kurtlar ise bunu hiç kolay yapmamaktadır.
Kitabın sonu beni büyüledi ama başı o kadar zayıftı ki! Dace ile Ari'nin ilişkilerine bayıldım. Yazarın değişen uslübüda renk kattı. İkinci kitabı kesinlikle okuyacağım. özellikle Ari kendi kurdunu geri kazanmış gibi duruyor, çok merak ediyorum.
Kitapta beni rahatsız eden şey ise Ari'yi çok kendine odaklı gösteren yas kısmı. Annen öldüğünde yas tutarsın ama bu kitapta bu o kadar çoktu ki adeta beni yordu. Bence yazarın bu yasa bu kadar odaklanmaması gerekiyordu. Ari pek güçlü bir karakter değildi, acıyla başa çıkmak için Dace'e yaslanmayı tercih ediyordu.
Geçen sene iskandinav mitolojisini görmüştüm ve bu kitap birçok şeyi bana tekrar hatırlattı. okumaktan gerçekten zevk aldım. Arada sırada Dace ve Ari arasında geçen sıcak anları saymazsak kitap iki öğrenci arasında geçiyor ama kesinlikle Genç Edebiyatı denemez. O yöndende sevdiğim bir kitap oldu. Paranormal, biraz yetişkin, biraz zayıf ama sonu etkileyici bir kitap okumak isteyenlere öneririm.
Buda kitapta geçen harika bir şarkı :)
Kitap Netgalley aracılığıyla elime geçti. Kitabı okuyup dürüst bir şekilde yorumlamam için gönderdiler.
September 17, 2012
3.5 Stars from the Mad Scientist http://madsteampunkery.com
Fade is based on an ancient Norse mythology concerning shapeshifters offered such a story full of inner turmoil, imprint romance, grief.
The story starts off with immense grief. Arionna's mother had just died in a car accident. Her life was thrown in a topsy-turvy state. With her mother gone she had to move in with her father in another city and change colleges. The Mad Scientist felt for her. *Side Note... her father was an amazing character!
However, really quick into the story the average girl's eyes connect with Dace, a green eyed golden haired boy. It was instant love, in wolf shapshifter layman terms, imprinting. The pressing love between these two was fast and slow, climatic, & destined. (Sound like Twilight anyone?)
Destined you may ask while quirking your head to the side. They were together for milenna beforehand. Destiny dictates that they find each other once again. Now that they found each other (again) they need to work at keeping the world from coming to its pending doom. (Think Angelfire, which I LOVED!)
The Mad Scientist does admit that AK Morgen did have me swooning over Dace way more then expected. His intense desire and inner turmoil had you feel for him, meanwhile, making my stoic reader stance melt with his obsessive desire for Arionna.
AK Morgen's writing was very lurid & distinct. She took the tale and wove it into a story that was very easy to paint in your mind. I enjoyed the POV being from Arionna. What was intriguing was her ability to get into Dace's mind or not. With a story with such a background there needs to be much information. It was well laid out in such a way where the reader was not in overload mode. Even at a few parts of the book I felt a Mind Blow enter here and there.
In spite of the good writing, the Mad Scientist felt that Arionna's inner monologue dragged at many parts. Feeling that so much of it could be cut out so the story could cut to the chase.
** Thanks to NetGalley & Curiosity Quills Press for the ability to read & review this book which so ever did not influence or bend my thoughts in any manner. All Mad thoughts are presented in the right mind of a twisted brain of the Mad Scientist!**
Fade is based on an ancient Norse mythology concerning shapeshifters offered such a story full of inner turmoil, imprint romance, grief.
The story starts off with immense grief. Arionna's mother had just died in a car accident. Her life was thrown in a topsy-turvy state. With her mother gone she had to move in with her father in another city and change colleges. The Mad Scientist felt for her. *Side Note... her father was an amazing character!
However, really quick into the story the average girl's eyes connect with Dace, a green eyed golden haired boy. It was instant love, in wolf shapshifter layman terms, imprinting. The pressing love between these two was fast and slow, climatic, & destined. (Sound like Twilight anyone?)
Destined you may ask while quirking your head to the side. They were together for milenna beforehand. Destiny dictates that they find each other once again. Now that they found each other (again) they need to work at keeping the world from coming to its pending doom. (Think Angelfire, which I LOVED!)
The Mad Scientist does admit that AK Morgen did have me swooning over Dace way more then expected. His intense desire and inner turmoil had you feel for him, meanwhile, making my stoic reader stance melt with his obsessive desire for Arionna.
AK Morgen's writing was very lurid & distinct. She took the tale and wove it into a story that was very easy to paint in your mind. I enjoyed the POV being from Arionna. What was intriguing was her ability to get into Dace's mind or not. With a story with such a background there needs to be much information. It was well laid out in such a way where the reader was not in overload mode. Even at a few parts of the book I felt a Mind Blow enter here and there.
In spite of the good writing, the Mad Scientist felt that Arionna's inner monologue dragged at many parts. Feeling that so much of it could be cut out so the story could cut to the chase.
** Thanks to NetGalley & Curiosity Quills Press for the ability to read & review this book which so ever did not influence or bend my thoughts in any manner. All Mad thoughts are presented in the right mind of a twisted brain of the Mad Scientist!**
December 18, 2012
WOW. At first glance this may appear to be the typical plot line that Twilight feeds from in that a troubled teenage girl falls in love with a young lad who had a dark secret to hide but they are both drawn to each other like magnets. As they both discover more about each other through a series of sometimes dangerous and mysteriously powerful encounters they both accept that their passion for each other can not be extinguished and so must learn how to love each other without going insane. Yet as their love finally kindles even more mindblowing secerets are revealed in each, opening their eyes to how much they are connected to each other and in way unimaginable. Their very connection, let alone their very existence together as a couple, will be part of an ever expanding mythological puzzle that unless solved quickly and by them alone will not only endanger some of their close friends (who hide their own secrets) but perhaps the future existence of mankind itself.
This has all the power and seduction of Twilight packed with the drama and tension of Trueblood. Nothing and no-one is what they appear in this book and with each chapter you are more drawn in and captivated by what is unfolding. This is a truly envigorating twist on the Ragnarok myth with characters never before used in such a manner and I dare say A K Morgen is a genius for it. Without giving too much away if you are a reader who not only likes norse mythology but loves wolves then this is a book for you. It has the powerful bite of a wolf but is as hypnotically gripping as a wolf's eyes. I am so delighted this seems to be part of a series and I desperately await the next book.
This has all the power and seduction of Twilight packed with the drama and tension of Trueblood. Nothing and no-one is what they appear in this book and with each chapter you are more drawn in and captivated by what is unfolding. This is a truly envigorating twist on the Ragnarok myth with characters never before used in such a manner and I dare say A K Morgen is a genius for it. Without giving too much away if you are a reader who not only likes norse mythology but loves wolves then this is a book for you. It has the powerful bite of a wolf but is as hypnotically gripping as a wolf's eyes. I am so delighted this seems to be part of a series and I desperately await the next book.
April 13, 2017
I love that this wasn't a werewolf book. With vampires and werewolves flooding the market, having a shifter book instead felt... better.
In the beginning, Arionna, understandably, is pretty depressed after her mother's death. Then she meets Dace. She still struggles through her mother's death, but he helps her see a light at the end of the tunnel, but he also introduces her to a world she has forgotten exists.
I enjoyed this book. I love that it uses Norse Mythology and is based on some familiar characters and legends. I also enjoyed the connection to the wolf pack.
The internal dialogue gets heavy in a few places that, for me, really bogged down the pace and became distracting and repetitive. But at about halfway, this seemed to decrease, and although still present in places, I found it didn't affect the pace too much after that.
Aside from that, the concept if interesting, and often sad in places. I'm looking forward to seeing where the next book goes.
In the beginning, Arionna, understandably, is pretty depressed after her mother's death. Then she meets Dace. She still struggles through her mother's death, but he helps her see a light at the end of the tunnel, but he also introduces her to a world she has forgotten exists.
I enjoyed this book. I love that it uses Norse Mythology and is based on some familiar characters and legends. I also enjoyed the connection to the wolf pack.
The internal dialogue gets heavy in a few places that, for me, really bogged down the pace and became distracting and repetitive. But at about halfway, this seemed to decrease, and although still present in places, I found it didn't affect the pace too much after that.
Aside from that, the concept if interesting, and often sad in places. I'm looking forward to seeing where the next book goes.
November 6, 2019
Fade by A.K. Morgen
Ragnorök Prophecies #1
The loss of Arionna Jacobs mother sends her from Tennesee to her father’s home in the Northwest where he teaches Mythology and she will enroll in college. Meeting Dace Matthews, a teacher’s assistant on campus, is BIG for both of them. She feels a link to him just as he feels one to her. The story is based in Norse Mythology with Dace and Arionna eventually realizing they have a purpose to fulfill before the series ends. In this book the basics are provided, main characters are introduced and the good and bad identified. The story is well plotted and written and will appeal to readers who enjoy mythology, shapeshifters, reincarnation, soul mates and like books written for the young adult genre. It will be interesting to see what happens next as Dace and Arionna continue their journey together to thwart the evil in their midst.
Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars
Ragnorök Prophecies #1
The loss of Arionna Jacobs mother sends her from Tennesee to her father’s home in the Northwest where he teaches Mythology and she will enroll in college. Meeting Dace Matthews, a teacher’s assistant on campus, is BIG for both of them. She feels a link to him just as he feels one to her. The story is based in Norse Mythology with Dace and Arionna eventually realizing they have a purpose to fulfill before the series ends. In this book the basics are provided, main characters are introduced and the good and bad identified. The story is well plotted and written and will appeal to readers who enjoy mythology, shapeshifters, reincarnation, soul mates and like books written for the young adult genre. It will be interesting to see what happens next as Dace and Arionna continue their journey together to thwart the evil in their midst.
Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars
August 15, 2012
I must preface this with the fact I'm Ayden's Editor.
This book is a great twist on Norse mythology, on shapeshifters, wolves, and reincarnation. The emotions of Arionna losing her mother poured from the page, and I just knew this girl who stayed strong was destined for more.
The characters were deep and all interconnected, whether they realized it or not. There were times I didn't know who was a good guy and who was a bad guy, and I liked that the plot kept me on my toes.
The fantasy/mythology was incredibly well-thought out and very interesting. I've never read anything quite like it. So while it started off "normal", the book ended with a BANG.
I can't wait to get my hands on the next novel in the series. Eh-hem! You hear me, Ayden?
This book is a great twist on Norse mythology, on shapeshifters, wolves, and reincarnation. The emotions of Arionna losing her mother poured from the page, and I just knew this girl who stayed strong was destined for more.
The characters were deep and all interconnected, whether they realized it or not. There were times I didn't know who was a good guy and who was a bad guy, and I liked that the plot kept me on my toes.
The fantasy/mythology was incredibly well-thought out and very interesting. I've never read anything quite like it. So while it started off "normal", the book ended with a BANG.
I can't wait to get my hands on the next novel in the series. Eh-hem! You hear me, Ayden?
December 5, 2012
****3.5**** This started out strong. But somewhere in the middle, I wanted to go to sleep. It has great potential to be a good Trilogy, maybe. It eventually started to pick up. Arionna is a bit whiny and Dace can be an ass. There was a I didn't see that coming part in there, also. I will definitely read the next book and give this author another shot.
September 5, 2012
Captivating story that draws you in from page one....I'm excited for more and think this is a definite must read!!!
December 25, 2012
I had high hopes for this, but it's just another insta love novel with a thin plot.
July 29, 2019
Love love loved this story. Such a heartbreaker! All of the characters involved were so amazing and real. Made me believe in them!
February 11, 2021
Awesome Read!!
This book’s storyline surprised me; I wasn’t thinking that the characters would have such strength. Vast emotions throughout and left me pining for more! Will definitely look for more from A. K. Morgen!! Well done.
This book’s storyline surprised me; I wasn’t thinking that the characters would have such strength. Vast emotions throughout and left me pining for more! Will definitely look for more from A. K. Morgen!! Well done.
September 22, 2017
Full of excitement w/ mythology and suspense...
December 18, 2019
3.5 stars.
August 7, 2020
Really good.
Read
October 5, 2021Beautiful
June 13, 2022
Hi
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2012
I thought when I picked up this book that it would be similar to other werewolf stories I've read before. And while it does have some similarities, Fade is like nothing I've ever read before.
The story starts with Arionna's mothers funeral and then shortly after she moves in with her father. One of the things I loved right off the bat about the story was that her grief didn't take a back seat in the story. A lot of times they mention a death in the family and for like one week the character is depressed and then suddenly she's over it. Arionna didn't do that at all. Throughout the book, her grief and sadness stays with her and even though she does have moments of happiness, she still thinks of her mother. When Arionna meets Dace, its a instant connection and even though it sounds ridiculous, she feels like she's known him her whole life. Yes, there is that insta attraction and for a while he's all she thinks about. And honestly at first it annoyed me because I felt like all she cared about, thought about, was him. But as I kept reading it didn't bother me as much especially once I learned more. It's hard to say what exact kind of paranormal stuff is going on in the story without giving away the story but there's Norse mythology and Dace is a shapeshifter who turns into a werewolf. At times I felt as frustrated as she felt because she was thrown into this whole new world and no one wanted to tell her anything.
Dace is...complicated. I loved Dace but at times I really wanted to kick him. From the beginning, he's brooding and never really tells Arionna anything which is frustrating as hell. He wants to keep her in the dark about everything and while that sounds perfect in his head, it's just not working out in the real world. But at the same time I understand why he feels like he's doing the right thing. From a young age, Dace was told that the wolf inside of him was bad and that he should fear it instead of embrace that part of him. And whenever Dace is around Arionna his wolf gets restless and wants out but Dace won't let it because he thinks it'll hurt her. He's has a lot of stuff he's going through that makes it hard for him to trust and let anyone in, including his soul mate.
As part of the soul mate thing, both Dace and Arionna can read each others thoughts and communicate through thought. Of course Dace closes himself off and blocks it so only he can read her thoughts and not the other way around. That irritated Arionna and myself a lot but the crazy thing is Dace doesn't think he's doing anything wrong. I hope I'm not making Dace sound bad because I really do like him and even though he makes mistakes they're honest mistakes. Both Dace and his wolf are very possessive and protective of Arionna and when he feels like someone is touching or harming what's his, well lets just say things get complicated. I know a lot of people probably found this to be a problem but I loved Dace's possessive/alpha side. It undeniably sexy and it's probably the thing I love most about him. Both of them are new to this and aren't even sure what to do or how to be together but slowly they both get to know each other and their boundaries and it works out.
A.K. Morgen has definitely caught my attention with Fade and I can't wait to read what happens next. The ending really shocked me and I can't wait to see what Arionna and Dace will face in the next book. For a first time being published A.K. Morgen did a fantastic job. I recommend this to paranormal lovers and readers looking for something a little different then the usual werewolf stories.
*Received from NetGalley and Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for an honest review
**This review also appears on my blog World of Books
The story starts with Arionna's mothers funeral and then shortly after she moves in with her father. One of the things I loved right off the bat about the story was that her grief didn't take a back seat in the story. A lot of times they mention a death in the family and for like one week the character is depressed and then suddenly she's over it. Arionna didn't do that at all. Throughout the book, her grief and sadness stays with her and even though she does have moments of happiness, she still thinks of her mother. When Arionna meets Dace, its a instant connection and even though it sounds ridiculous, she feels like she's known him her whole life. Yes, there is that insta attraction and for a while he's all she thinks about. And honestly at first it annoyed me because I felt like all she cared about, thought about, was him. But as I kept reading it didn't bother me as much especially once I learned more. It's hard to say what exact kind of paranormal stuff is going on in the story without giving away the story but there's Norse mythology and Dace is a shapeshifter who turns into a werewolf. At times I felt as frustrated as she felt because she was thrown into this whole new world and no one wanted to tell her anything.
Dace is...complicated. I loved Dace but at times I really wanted to kick him. From the beginning, he's brooding and never really tells Arionna anything which is frustrating as hell. He wants to keep her in the dark about everything and while that sounds perfect in his head, it's just not working out in the real world. But at the same time I understand why he feels like he's doing the right thing. From a young age, Dace was told that the wolf inside of him was bad and that he should fear it instead of embrace that part of him. And whenever Dace is around Arionna his wolf gets restless and wants out but Dace won't let it because he thinks it'll hurt her. He's has a lot of stuff he's going through that makes it hard for him to trust and let anyone in, including his soul mate.
As part of the soul mate thing, both Dace and Arionna can read each others thoughts and communicate through thought. Of course Dace closes himself off and blocks it so only he can read her thoughts and not the other way around. That irritated Arionna and myself a lot but the crazy thing is Dace doesn't think he's doing anything wrong. I hope I'm not making Dace sound bad because I really do like him and even though he makes mistakes they're honest mistakes. Both Dace and his wolf are very possessive and protective of Arionna and when he feels like someone is touching or harming what's his, well lets just say things get complicated. I know a lot of people probably found this to be a problem but I loved Dace's possessive/alpha side. It undeniably sexy and it's probably the thing I love most about him. Both of them are new to this and aren't even sure what to do or how to be together but slowly they both get to know each other and their boundaries and it works out.
A.K. Morgen has definitely caught my attention with Fade and I can't wait to read what happens next. The ending really shocked me and I can't wait to see what Arionna and Dace will face in the next book. For a first time being published A.K. Morgen did a fantastic job. I recommend this to paranormal lovers and readers looking for something a little different then the usual werewolf stories.
*Received from NetGalley and Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for an honest review
**This review also appears on my blog World of Books
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