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The Atlantis Grail #2
Compete
With Earth about to be destroyed by an extinction level asteroid, teenage nerd, geek, and awkward smart girl Gwen Lark, barely Qualified for rescue onboard one of the thousands of ark-ships headed to the ancient colony planet Atlantis.
Now faced with a year-long journey in space, life in a wondrously alien environment, and many tough life choices, Gwen must decide who or what she will become. Fleet Cadet or Civilian? Friend or lover? Average or extraordinary?
Can she make new friends? Can she trust the old ones, such as Logan Sangre, her sexy high school crush and an Earth special operative?
Time and time again, Gwen's uncanny ability to come up with the best answer in a crisis saves her life and others. And now, her unique Logos voice makes her an extremely valuable commodity to the Atlanteans - so much so that her enigmatic commanding officer Aeson Kassiopei, who is also the Imperial Prince of Atlantis, has taken an increasingly personal interest in her.
Before the end of the journey, Gwen must convince him that she has what it takes to compete in the deadly Games of the Atlantis Grail.
Now faced with a year-long journey in space, life in a wondrously alien environment, and many tough life choices, Gwen must decide who or what she will become. Fleet Cadet or Civilian? Friend or lover? Average or extraordinary?
Can she make new friends? Can she trust the old ones, such as Logan Sangre, her sexy high school crush and an Earth special operative?
Time and time again, Gwen's uncanny ability to come up with the best answer in a crisis saves her life and others. And now, her unique Logos voice makes her an extremely valuable commodity to the Atlanteans - so much so that her enigmatic commanding officer Aeson Kassiopei, who is also the Imperial Prince of Atlantis, has taken an increasingly personal interest in her.
Before the end of the journey, Gwen must convince him that she has what it takes to compete in the deadly Games of the Atlantis Grail.
Audiobook
First published August 14, 2015
About the author
Vera Nazarian
79 books1,042 followersVera Nazarian is a two-time Nebula Award Finalist, award-winning artist, and member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, a writer with a penchant for moral fables and stories of intense wonder, true love, and intricacy.
She immigrated to the USA from the former USSR as a kid, sold her first story at the age of 17, and since then has published numerous works in anthologies and magazines, and has seen her fiction translated into eight languages.
She is the author of critically acclaimed novels Dreams of the Compass Rose and Lords of Rainbow , romantic Renaissance epic fantasy trilogy Cobweb Bride , as well as the outrageous parodies Mansfield Park and Mummies and Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons , Pride and Platypus: Mr. Darcy's Dreadful Secret in her humorous and surprisingly romantic Supernatural Jane Austen Series , and most recently the bestselling high-octane science fiction series The Atlantis Grail , now optioned for film.
After many years in Los Angeles, Vera lives in a small town in Vermont, and uses her Armenian sense of humor and her Russian sense of suffering to bake conflicted pirozhki and make art.
Take the fun quiz to find out Which of the Lords of Rainbow do You Serve?
She immigrated to the USA from the former USSR as a kid, sold her first story at the age of 17, and since then has published numerous works in anthologies and magazines, and has seen her fiction translated into eight languages.
She is the author of critically acclaimed novels Dreams of the Compass Rose and Lords of Rainbow , romantic Renaissance epic fantasy trilogy Cobweb Bride , as well as the outrageous parodies Mansfield Park and Mummies and Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons , Pride and Platypus: Mr. Darcy's Dreadful Secret in her humorous and surprisingly romantic Supernatural Jane Austen Series , and most recently the bestselling high-octane science fiction series The Atlantis Grail , now optioned for film.
After many years in Los Angeles, Vera lives in a small town in Vermont, and uses her Armenian sense of humor and her Russian sense of suffering to bake conflicted pirozhki and make art.
Take the fun quiz to find out Which of the Lords of Rainbow do You Serve?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 428 reviews
October 20, 2015
This book was clearly not written for my demographic, and if I had to read "tendrils of hair", or "oh. My. God", or about some "yummy" guy more time I might have thrown something, but that being said, darn it I couldn't put this silly book down. I'm loosing guy points here, but I'm looking forward to the next one.
OK, I have to go skin a boar, read some Joseph Conrad or something...got to get those points back.
OK, I have to go skin a boar, read some Joseph Conrad or something...got to get those points back.
January 30, 2016
3.5 stars.
good things
you know the feeling when you have a new boyfriend who you are totally in love with and you can't help thinking about? unfortunately he smokes, has tattoos and is a bit of a bad-boy and your parents won't accept your relationship because they think 'that's not safe' or 'you deserve better'.
however you are desperately in love with him and you won't stop being his girlfriend despite all his flaws. because, the power of love?
well, this entirely sums up my relationship with this series. i know this is not the best book i've ever read, i know the mc always gets on my nerves, i know this is not really original, but i fell in love with the plot and i'm like: who cares about the characters! i want to see the twists and turns!
this series is so well plotted and fast-paced and the atlantean culture is so thoroughly-described and original that i couldn't put the book down.
it's mesmerising how nazarian is able keep the reader's attention focused, without making the book soppy or boring.
as a matter of fact, i decided to givewho-will-gwen-end-up-with Compete four stars because, well, the plot and the idea of this hunger games-like atlantean competition is interesting, not-so-original but definitely entertaining.
nazarian's writing has really improved since the first book ー which featured an annoying know-it-all-ish gwen telling us what she eats for breakfast and how speshul her voice is, but never showing us.
this book was better than the first one: we get to see new characters interacting and the plot develops a lot.
let me say that i LOVED the sci-fi parts: i'm a huuuuge quantum physics geek, and every time i read about the orichalcum and the atlantean technology, i felt mesmerised and excited.
i also liked the relationship between .
oh, and also
bad things
the only thing i didn't like (as always) is gwen. i mean, i usually like nerdy mcs ー y'know, they are okay, they like books, they are not beautiful. sympathising with this kind of mc is generally really simple for the reader.
but gwen.
oh, gwen. just no. staph.
she's such an unlikable and annoying character, so damn selfish and self-centred and... and... it's like the entire universe revolves around her.
it's like the author has to remind us constantly what a wonderful speshul snowflake she is. how clever, how pretty (but, ehi, she doesn't know it!), how talented and how kind-hearted she is. like, we know, right?!
and also, the fact that gwen wants so badly to be better than the other Qualified teens made me want to slap her multiple times.
i can cope with the fact that she isa mary sue speshul, but do you really have to remark it in every sentence about her?
you want an example? there it is:
the qualified teens have to choose between being a civilian (normal people) or being a cadet (the cool people soldiers or something). her brother chooses to be a civilian, while her sister and fuckfriend boyfriend decide to be cadets.
logically, you'd think she would choose to be a cadetbecause she desperately tries to be badass and speshul, right? BUT, NO!
basically the conversation goes this way:
atlantean chick: so, who are you
gwen: gwenevere lark
atlantean chick: ah, okay. *yawns*
what do you choose civilian or cadet
gwen: i want to be a citizen!1!1!! >:D
crowd: oh! woah! can she do that? how brave! how bold!
*you can hear fangirls squealing in the background and nicki minaj singing*
atlantean chick: *flat voice* pardon? you can't do that.
gwen: but i want to be a citizen!!1! and save my family!!1!
atlantean chick: but, listen, you really can'tー
random atlantean guy: *whispers something in the atlantean chick's ear*
atlantean chick: *gasps* *nods* well, well, seems like you are the main character of this book, lark. and since you are a speshul snowflake and that phoebus guy'sspeshul one protégée, you can actually do what you want. be an effing citizen, if you wish to. now, fuck off. next one.
gwen: holy moly!1!1 thank you!!!1 *flies away*
atlantean chick: oh, gosh. i effing hate all these annoying mary sues.
and i'm effing tired of mc trying to be original and different from others, and the fact that gwen is the love interest of three different guys doesn't really help either.
like, did you really need to throw in theharem bunch of guys who drools over plain jane gwen? really? because i really liked him in the first book and now *puff* he sounded like a mindless idiot who used cheeky pick up lines.
furthermore, gwen keeps whining about her feelings for the three guys throughout the whole book.
hum, don't you have some priorities? like, dunno, learning atlantean? learning how to pilot a spaceship? HUH?
also, the relationship between kass and gwen felt wrong to me, but mainly because of kass'bipolarity indecisiveness.
just to sum things up;
things i liked:
- the sci-fi parts.
- the quantum stream.
- logan (my heart hurts for you, son. may you find happiness and blithe! *cries for logan's broken heart*)
- blayne and grace
- laronda (but i need dawn so desperately... D:)
- the world building.
- did i say logan?
- the atlantean instructors (chior, mitrath etc.)
- oalla and keruvat (they would be an amazing couple)
- gennio and anu (especially the latter. i was laughing my ass off when he said 'she has a date with xelio' in front of aeson.)
- chiyoko sato.
- kem.
- the writing.
things i didn't like:
- the love square.
- gwen's speshulness.
- the race.
- terra patria attacking random people and then being neglected for all the book.
people i want to kill:
- gwen lark.
- aeson 'prince-in-shining-armor' kass.
- xelio handsome-brows (I'M NOT KIDDING).
- the consul.
- hugo what's-his-name.
- lady tiri.
so, all in all, (despite the outstanding flaws) i'm still hyped for the third book and hope gwen will have at least a sliver of decent character development.
i'm definitely going to read win, because the plot is soooo amazing and brilliant and because i might care a little for the characters. a little.
bene, ho finito.
andate in pace.
good things
you know the feeling when you have a new boyfriend who you are totally in love with and you can't help thinking about? unfortunately he smokes, has tattoos and is a bit of a bad-boy and your parents won't accept your relationship because they think 'that's not safe' or 'you deserve better'.
however you are desperately in love with him and you won't stop being his girlfriend despite all his flaws. because, the power of love?
well, this entirely sums up my relationship with this series. i know this is not the best book i've ever read, i know the mc always gets on my nerves, i know this is not really original, but i fell in love with the plot and i'm like: who cares about the characters! i want to see the twists and turns!
this series is so well plotted and fast-paced and the atlantean culture is so thoroughly-described and original that i couldn't put the book down.
it's mesmerising how nazarian is able keep the reader's attention focused, without making the book soppy or boring.
as a matter of fact, i decided to give
nazarian's writing has really improved since the first book ー which featured an annoying know-it-all-ish gwen telling us what she eats for breakfast and how speshul her voice is, but never showing us.
this book was better than the first one: we get to see new characters interacting and the plot develops a lot.
let me say that i LOVED the sci-fi parts: i'm a huuuuge quantum physics geek, and every time i read about the orichalcum and the atlantean technology, i felt mesmerised and excited.
i also liked the relationship between .
oh, and also
bad things
the only thing i didn't like (as always) is gwen. i mean, i usually like nerdy mcs ー y'know, they are okay, they like books, they are not beautiful. sympathising with this kind of mc is generally really simple for the reader.
but gwen.
oh, gwen. just no. staph.
she's such an unlikable and annoying character, so damn selfish and self-centred and... and... it's like the entire universe revolves around her.
it's like the author has to remind us constantly what a wonderful speshul snowflake she is. how clever, how pretty (but, ehi, she doesn't know it!), how talented and how kind-hearted she is. like, we know, right?!
and also, the fact that gwen wants so badly to be better than the other Qualified teens made me want to slap her multiple times.
i can cope with the fact that she is
you want an example? there it is:
the qualified teens have to choose between being a civilian (normal people) or being a cadet (
logically, you'd think she would choose to be a cadet
basically the conversation goes this way:
atlantean chick: so, who are you
gwen: gwenevere lark
atlantean chick: ah, okay. *yawns*
what do you choose civilian or cadet
gwen: i want to be a citizen!1!1!! >:D
crowd: oh! woah! can she do that? how brave! how bold!
*you can hear fangirls squealing in the background and nicki minaj singing*
atlantean chick: *flat voice* pardon? you can't do that.
gwen: but i want to be a citizen!!1! and save my family!!1!
atlantean chick: but, listen, you really can'tー
random atlantean guy: *whispers something in the atlantean chick's ear*
atlantean chick: *gasps* *nods* well, well, seems like you are the main character of this book, lark. and since you are a speshul snowflake and that phoebus guy's
gwen: holy moly!1!1 thank you!!!1 *flies away*
atlantean chick: oh, gosh. i effing hate all these annoying mary sues.
and i'm effing tired of mc trying to be original and different from others, and the fact that gwen is the love interest of three different guys doesn't really help either.
like, did you really need to throw in the
furthermore, gwen keeps whining about her feelings for the three guys throughout the whole book.
hum, don't you have some priorities? like, dunno, learning atlantean? learning how to pilot a spaceship? HUH?
also, the relationship between kass and gwen felt wrong to me, but mainly because of kass'
just to sum things up;
things i liked:
- the sci-fi parts.
- the quantum stream.
- logan (my heart hurts for you, son. may you find happiness and blithe! *cries for logan's broken heart*)
- blayne and grace
- laronda (but i need dawn so desperately... D:)
- the world building.
- did i say logan?
- the atlantean instructors (chior, mitrath etc.)
- oalla and keruvat (they would be an amazing couple)
- gennio and anu (especially the latter. i was laughing my ass off when he said 'she has a date with xelio' in front of aeson.)
- chiyoko sato.
- kem.
- the writing.
things i didn't like:
- the love square.
- gwen's speshulness.
- the race.
- terra patria attacking random people and then being neglected for all the book.
people i want to kill:
- gwen lark.
- aeson 'prince-in-shining-armor' kass.
- xelio handsome-brows (I'M NOT KIDDING).
- the consul.
- hugo what's-his-name.
- lady tiri.
so, all in all, (despite the outstanding flaws) i'm still hyped for the third book and hope gwen will have at least a sliver of decent character development.
i'm definitely going to read win, because the plot is soooo amazing and brilliant and because i might care a little for the characters. a little.
bene, ho finito.
andate in pace.
Read
August 19, 2015This is one of the few "teenager gladiator" series I've enjoyed. I love the humor, the variety of the characters, and while the author uses some of the expected tropes, like the Love Triangle, especially in the first book it was done with interest and sympathy. Pretty much all her characters are written with sympathy. Most important of all, I can't predict where the action is going to twist, unlike most in this subgenre.
The first book dealt with the ferocious competition between Earth's teens for who will go to the planet Atlantica, while the rest of earth is slated to be struck by an asteroid in less than a couple of years, and destroyed.
Book one was headlong with the training and competitions, with some fascinating sidesteps which kept the whole impossible to predict. Book two keeps up the wild action quotient at times, as the journey from Earth to Atlantica is competed. Gwen, our first person narrator is determined to throw herself into the competitions even though each is exponentially more deadly, because if she can win the Atlantean Grail, she can have anything she wishes, and she means to save her parents and family at the very least. Somehow.
We learn more about the Atlanteans through this book, including getting tantalizing glimpses of the politics way down at the tectonic level, which holds out promise for the third book. There are some really wild action scenes, some nifty sfnal bits as the ships pass through our solar system and beyond, and of course there is the romance. In this book it can get over the top at times, but I think that is exactly what the intended audience wants.
The tension rips along right until the last page. And promises yet another major change-up for the next book. I can hardly wait!
The first book dealt with the ferocious competition between Earth's teens for who will go to the planet Atlantica, while the rest of earth is slated to be struck by an asteroid in less than a couple of years, and destroyed.
Book one was headlong with the training and competitions, with some fascinating sidesteps which kept the whole impossible to predict. Book two keeps up the wild action quotient at times, as the journey from Earth to Atlantica is competed. Gwen, our first person narrator is determined to throw herself into the competitions even though each is exponentially more deadly, because if she can win the Atlantean Grail, she can have anything she wishes, and she means to save her parents and family at the very least. Somehow.
We learn more about the Atlanteans through this book, including getting tantalizing glimpses of the politics way down at the tectonic level, which holds out promise for the third book. There are some really wild action scenes, some nifty sfnal bits as the ships pass through our solar system and beyond, and of course there is the romance. In this book it can get over the top at times, but I think that is exactly what the intended audience wants.
The tension rips along right until the last page. And promises yet another major change-up for the next book. I can hardly wait!
January 1, 2016
After book 1, I snatched this up and devoured it in no time at all. Seriously, all I could think about on NYE was when will it be appropriate to go to bed and read a few chapters...turns out 2.30am was fine by everyone present!
First off, this is markedly different to book 1 and that's a good thing. I personally found the Hunger Games method of rehashing the competition a little on the stale side, so when this took us up into the skies and on the journey to Atlantis, I was so excited! I mean, they're going to travel to a distant galaxy, passing all those planets along the way...just, heck yes.
So now, we're traveling with Gwen and co. (maybe too many of the people she knew from Earth - I hate to sounds harsh, but really?! I mean, they're all great characters but how did SO many of Gwen's crew survive and Qualify?) on an alien spacecraft through space and reality is setting in for everyone as Earth shrinks in size before their very eyes and it's time to choose who they will be in this new world. Cadet or Civilian?
Gwen, being Gwen, is sticking to her plan though and wants to become good enough to compete to become a Citizen of Atlantis and have the opportunity to save the family she left behind. Her decision doesn't really matter now though because when it comes time to choose, her Logos voice is already setting her apart and guess who she gets to work with... be still my beating heart! It's Aeson Kass and he's giving her until the end of their journey to decide.
Safe to say, we get to spend a good amount of time with Aeson Kass, who just so happens to also be heir to the throne, the prince of Atlantis, a fact he conveniently hid on Earth. Such a delightfully slow burn with these two...but more on that in a moment.
Logan is not too far away but his special ops status causes a distrust to arise in Gwen starting a small seed of discontent. Meanwhile Gwen spends most of her journey doing both Cadet & Civilian work - pilot training with the cadets and learning the language and culture of Atlantis with everyone else, preparing the Earth refugees for the cultural immersion when they arrive on Atlantis. Oh and Gwen is also working for the OCC, directly under her commanding officer, a certain Aeson Kassiopei.
The tension between these two is palpable and undeniable, yet nothing is ever overt and there is minimal to no acknowledgement of their feelings, due in part to their very different positions. Although there are a few occasions when one of them says too much or the wrong thing to the other and that's easily the best part about them - those awesomely awkward scenes that just come out of nowhere (If you will pardon the pun!) but make total sense because, let's face it, these are two inexperienced people stuck in that awkward place between teenager and adult, living in somewhat close quarters. It's so refreshing that those cringe-worthy moments happen to BOTH of them, not just the girl!
Gwen's becomes more confident in herself over the twelve months in space, aided by all that she has achieved and learned and possibly by all that attention from Logan, Aeson and let's not forget Xelio (who didn't need to be another love interest, but whatever, I trust Vera, there's gots to be a reason for it!) and definitely had her butterfly exploding out of a cocoon moment!
It's a heck of journey getting there but OH MY, that ending is just... wow. I kind of saw it coming but at the same time I assumed it would never in a million years happen and so when it did, it was such a shock I had to go back and reread it to make sure I hadn't misunderstood. THAT kind of ending.
Does he even know what he's doing? How is this going to play out?! So many questions!
I can't wait until February, I need book 3 immediately!
First off, this is markedly different to book 1 and that's a good thing. I personally found the Hunger Games method of rehashing the competition a little on the stale side, so when this took us up into the skies and on the journey to Atlantis, I was so excited! I mean, they're going to travel to a distant galaxy, passing all those planets along the way...just, heck yes.
So now, we're traveling with Gwen and co. (maybe too many of the people she knew from Earth - I hate to sounds harsh, but really?! I mean, they're all great characters but how did SO many of Gwen's crew survive and Qualify?) on an alien spacecraft through space and reality is setting in for everyone as Earth shrinks in size before their very eyes and it's time to choose who they will be in this new world. Cadet or Civilian?
Gwen, being Gwen, is sticking to her plan though and wants to become good enough to compete to become a Citizen of Atlantis and have the opportunity to save the family she left behind. Her decision doesn't really matter now though because when it comes time to choose, her Logos voice is already setting her apart and guess who she gets to work with... be still my beating heart! It's Aeson Kass and he's giving her until the end of their journey to decide.
Safe to say, we get to spend a good amount of time with Aeson Kass, who just so happens to also be heir to the throne, the prince of Atlantis, a fact he conveniently hid on Earth. Such a delightfully slow burn with these two...but more on that in a moment.
Logan is not too far away but his special ops status causes a distrust to arise in Gwen starting a small seed of discontent. Meanwhile Gwen spends most of her journey doing both Cadet & Civilian work - pilot training with the cadets and learning the language and culture of Atlantis with everyone else, preparing the Earth refugees for the cultural immersion when they arrive on Atlantis. Oh and Gwen is also working for the OCC, directly under her commanding officer, a certain Aeson Kassiopei.
The tension between these two is palpable and undeniable, yet nothing is ever overt and there is minimal to no acknowledgement of their feelings, due in part to their very different positions. Although there are a few occasions when one of them says too much or the wrong thing to the other and that's easily the best part about them - those awesomely awkward scenes that just come out of nowhere (If you will pardon the pun!) but make total sense because, let's face it, these are two inexperienced people stuck in that awkward place between teenager and adult, living in somewhat close quarters. It's so refreshing that those cringe-worthy moments happen to BOTH of them, not just the girl!
Gwen's becomes more confident in herself over the twelve months in space, aided by all that she has achieved and learned and possibly by all that attention from Logan, Aeson and let's not forget Xelio (who didn't need to be another love interest, but whatever, I trust Vera, there's gots to be a reason for it!) and definitely had her butterfly exploding out of a cocoon moment!
It's a heck of journey getting there but OH MY, that ending is just... wow. I kind of saw it coming but at the same time I assumed it would never in a million years happen and so when it did, it was such a shock I had to go back and reread it to make sure I hadn't misunderstood. THAT kind of ending.
Does he even know what he's doing? How is this going to play out?! So many questions!
I can't wait until February, I need book 3 immediately!
March 19, 2019
Well.
Pretty much gonna die until I can get the next two books.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Pretty much gonna die until I can get the next two books.
And that's all I have to say about that.
August 15, 2015
I just LOVE this book. If you liked the first book, this one is just as good, so do not hesitate. It is as well written as the first one, has a lot of action and romance, all wonderfully balanced. And the ending, OMG, the ending! Didn't expect that, at least not yet, and now I can't wait for the next book. This series has the potential to become one of my all-time favorites.
September 12, 2015
A three star review, bordering on 2.5, for Compete? What? I was, and am, just as surprised as you are. Let me explain.
I read Qualify. I loved Qualify! Five stars, easy, despite some minor concerns, and I read it over and over. So, naturally, I waited in eager anticipation for the second book and bought it as soon as it came out. Great, right? No problems yet.
So basically the book is about Gwen's journey through space traveling to Atlantis, a year-long trip. It talks about her job, her social life, her romantic life, et cetera. Still no problems.
Then, like every book in the universe (is that a pun?), there is a choice. Pick A or B, you know what I'm talking about, a life-changing choice that will define the MC's remaining time alive. Oh, the choice. This choice in particular is Civilian or Cadet. Civilians have safe lives, but lower pay and job choices or whatever and Cadets have higher standards of living but may have to pay the ultimate price in battle. So what does Gwen choose?
And Gwen, being Gwen, the loophole to end all loopholes, the anomaly, chooses Citizen. Now, note that the refugees from Earth are not actually citizens of Atlantis, so obviously this is not part of the choice, hence we have a big scene, resulting in Gwen's working under secondary-love-triangle-occupant Aeson Kass, prince of Atlantis. She and two other Atlantean guys are his assistants and they do stuff, as people usually do.
And the story progresses and stuff happens, a terrorist group riot, no biggie, and stuff started going downhill for me at the first dance, soon after the attack.
For every Atlantean season (think spring, summer, winter, fall) a quadrant hosts a dance, color-themed, and Gwen goes to the first one with Logan, her current boyfriend. The dances are zero-gravity, which was a cool concept that I enjoyed, but enough about that. Logan is jealous that Gwen is interested in Aeson and breaks up with her. Just like that, dream boyfriend is out of the picture.
After this Gwen has some weird phase of self-discovery about her feeling for Kass, at which point I set my Kindle down on my desk, took a calming breath, and said "No." No. Just... No. What??? Wait, what? I get that Gwen was attracted to Kass, as was obviously displayed in the first book, but it was tentative, not like this. Imagine a gently falling feather floating through the air and then wham - a huge brick falls on top of it. That is how Gwen's affection for Kass felt to me.
And now I should cycle into the romance. Okay. In the first book the romance was not bad. Really, it was not. Gwen's crush on Logan, the Atlantean sex appeal thing was maybe a little over the top, but it was fine. So, so fine! To add the the metaphors, scenarios, whatever you want to call it, picture yourself casually strolling across the street and suddenly getting smashed by an eighteen-wheeler. Accurate comparison to the romance from Qualify to Compete.
First Logan lies in bed with Gwen after her concussion, not with the intention to do anything, but something happens - and it was unclear in the book, and probably on purpose - but I don't know if he ejaculated or something, and he leaves in embarrassment. Here comes the eighteen-wheeler, bam! What??? Where did this come from all of a sudden?
Then there's the scene after the Jump... I can't ever really talk critically about this one, except Gwen and Kass end up in a bed together - which under the circumstances was not romantic at all, just practical, right? - and after the Jump some weird stuff goes down. Let me just say this - Gwen ends up topless in front of Kass (accidentally, mind) and there is some squeezing in all the wrong places.
Okay, make that a Boeing 747 smashing into me as I walk across the street. I skipped this part because, compared to Qualify, this was rather sensual. And then there's this whole awkward dance thing they do afterwards, like they're both trying to delete what happened after the Jump. Now it could have been Jump sickness that drove them to do this, I get it, yeah, but whoa. What????
Then Xelio whatshisname takes in interest in Gwen and invited her to the Red dance zero-gravity deal, and she gets a fancy dress and makeup and is a total Cinderella showstopper. Even the rock-solid Kass is stunned by her, and when she sings he accuses her of using some kind of compelling voice of attractiveness - which, oops, she wasn't! - awkward for him. The whole Xelio deal was strange, because suddenly everyone wants a piece of nerdy Gwen Lark. The whole Xelio deal was very strange indeed.
And, the cherry on top, Aeson admits loud loud he misses his betrothed and wants to push her against a wall and to do all kind of stuff with her. Freudian slip, much? Now the moon has smashed into me walking across the street - or, should I say an asteroid?
Now with my other complaints. First off, the italicizing. Have you ever seen that meme "when God made me," like "just a dash of _____," and the whole cup of whatever it is gets poured in with an "oops?" That was the italicizing, it kind of bugged me after a while. It was pretty overdone, and to the point of my noticing is definitely a lot.
If there were a chart in Gwen's interest in Kass it would be like a skyscraper. You have the steps coming up, some trees, showing a gradual interest, confusion, and then zoom! Straight on up! Maybe because she sees him every day, and Logan is on a different ship, but wooooow. What?????
And as much as daily activities go, not much happened. Which I'm so okay with - if someone gave me a day-by-day Harry Potter book I would read that all night - but sometimes ordinary life just can't compensate.
But all in all, it was the romance asteroid that killed me. Maybe I just wasn't used to it, I don't know, I can't say, but I can speak for myself, and yikes.
Yet amongst all this criticism, what did I like?
I liked the pilot class, which was descriptive and engaging. Gwen's partner Hugo is a total jerk.
And speaking of total jerks - ANU. But if the characters are well-written enough for me to dislike them, and I'm supposed to dislike them, that's a sign or great writing! Unless they're just badly written characters, but that was not the case here.
One part in particular, when Aeson invites one of Gwen's friends to dance, had me grinning.
Everything before they romance-y parts I liked, and some after, but the romance kind of smeared the whole thing and I didn't find myself liking the rest of the book as much as I did before.
The characters are good, too, like in Qualify, and some welcome new additions to the cast are great.
A few more things before I wrap up.
Gwen has a totally new mood in this book - a melancholy, depressed mood, not always but very overpowering in certain scenes (particularly after breakups or romantic upheavals.) Compared to the optimistic, powerful Gwen, this new vulnerable and alien Gwen feels strange and forced. Depressed characters are everywhere these days, and I hate to see the Atlantis Grail books conform to that norm.
The romance killed this book for me. Stabbed it with a knife. I'm sorry, and other people loved it, sure, but I did not. Not at freaking all. Gwen and Aeson both seem to find new romantic wells deep within them, positively brimming with violent passion that needs to be expressed. Honestly, this might be the only reason I did not enjoy a book that had so much potential. Had.
And Aeson asks Gwen to be his bride at the end. Spoilers!!! This is NOT okay. I knew Logan wasn't going to stay, we all knew Logan wasn't going to stay, but a bride??? Marriage??? NOT OKAY. I don't care what you say, and know this well - there was nothing stupid in Qualify that I can remember expressly. But this. Is. Stupid.
"Oh, but he's the prince and she's a lowly alien girl, a representative of the nerds, not a gorgeous princess!"
Exactly!!! That's the point - political upset, blah blah blah. A sub-par ending for a sub-par book.
And has this never been used before? Nope! Think America and Maxon in the Selection, Katniss and Peeta in the Hunger Games. And poor Gale, Aspen and Logan are sitting in the corner.
In the end, I did not enjoy this book. I liked parts of it, yes, I really liked parts of it, but the glut of sudden and violent romance totally unexpected after having read Qualify set it off on a foul note. While I will be reading the next two books my sky-high standard have been battered down, way down. I can't hope for them next books to be as good as Qualify, only to be better than my final impression of Compete.
I read Qualify. I loved Qualify! Five stars, easy, despite some minor concerns, and I read it over and over. So, naturally, I waited in eager anticipation for the second book and bought it as soon as it came out. Great, right? No problems yet.
So basically the book is about Gwen's journey through space traveling to Atlantis, a year-long trip. It talks about her job, her social life, her romantic life, et cetera. Still no problems.
Then, like every book in the universe (is that a pun?), there is a choice. Pick A or B, you know what I'm talking about, a life-changing choice that will define the MC's remaining time alive. Oh, the choice. This choice in particular is Civilian or Cadet. Civilians have safe lives, but lower pay and job choices or whatever and Cadets have higher standards of living but may have to pay the ultimate price in battle. So what does Gwen choose?
And Gwen, being Gwen, the loophole to end all loopholes, the anomaly, chooses Citizen. Now, note that the refugees from Earth are not actually citizens of Atlantis, so obviously this is not part of the choice, hence we have a big scene, resulting in Gwen's working under secondary-love-triangle-occupant Aeson Kass, prince of Atlantis. She and two other Atlantean guys are his assistants and they do stuff, as people usually do.
And the story progresses and stuff happens, a terrorist group riot, no biggie, and stuff started going downhill for me at the first dance, soon after the attack.
For every Atlantean season (think spring, summer, winter, fall) a quadrant hosts a dance, color-themed, and Gwen goes to the first one with Logan, her current boyfriend. The dances are zero-gravity, which was a cool concept that I enjoyed, but enough about that. Logan is jealous that Gwen is interested in Aeson and breaks up with her. Just like that, dream boyfriend is out of the picture.
After this Gwen has some weird phase of self-discovery about her feeling for Kass, at which point I set my Kindle down on my desk, took a calming breath, and said "No." No. Just... No. What??? Wait, what? I get that Gwen was attracted to Kass, as was obviously displayed in the first book, but it was tentative, not like this. Imagine a gently falling feather floating through the air and then wham - a huge brick falls on top of it. That is how Gwen's affection for Kass felt to me.
And now I should cycle into the romance. Okay. In the first book the romance was not bad. Really, it was not. Gwen's crush on Logan, the Atlantean sex appeal thing was maybe a little over the top, but it was fine. So, so fine! To add the the metaphors, scenarios, whatever you want to call it, picture yourself casually strolling across the street and suddenly getting smashed by an eighteen-wheeler. Accurate comparison to the romance from Qualify to Compete.
First Logan lies in bed with Gwen after her concussion, not with the intention to do anything, but something happens - and it was unclear in the book, and probably on purpose - but I don't know if he ejaculated or something, and he leaves in embarrassment. Here comes the eighteen-wheeler, bam! What??? Where did this come from all of a sudden?
Then there's the scene after the Jump... I can't ever really talk critically about this one, except Gwen and Kass end up in a bed together - which under the circumstances was not romantic at all, just practical, right? - and after the Jump some weird stuff goes down. Let me just say this - Gwen ends up topless in front of Kass (accidentally, mind) and there is some squeezing in all the wrong places.
Okay, make that a Boeing 747 smashing into me as I walk across the street. I skipped this part because, compared to Qualify, this was rather sensual. And then there's this whole awkward dance thing they do afterwards, like they're both trying to delete what happened after the Jump. Now it could have been Jump sickness that drove them to do this, I get it, yeah, but whoa. What????
Then Xelio whatshisname takes in interest in Gwen and invited her to the Red dance zero-gravity deal, and she gets a fancy dress and makeup and is a total Cinderella showstopper. Even the rock-solid Kass is stunned by her, and when she sings he accuses her of using some kind of compelling voice of attractiveness - which, oops, she wasn't! - awkward for him. The whole Xelio deal was strange, because suddenly everyone wants a piece of nerdy Gwen Lark. The whole Xelio deal was very strange indeed.
And, the cherry on top, Aeson admits loud loud he misses his betrothed and wants to push her against a wall and to do all kind of stuff with her. Freudian slip, much? Now the moon has smashed into me walking across the street - or, should I say an asteroid?
Now with my other complaints. First off, the italicizing. Have you ever seen that meme "when God made me," like "just a dash of _____," and the whole cup of whatever it is gets poured in with an "oops?" That was the italicizing, it kind of bugged me after a while. It was pretty overdone, and to the point of my noticing is definitely a lot.
If there were a chart in Gwen's interest in Kass it would be like a skyscraper. You have the steps coming up, some trees, showing a gradual interest, confusion, and then zoom! Straight on up! Maybe because she sees him every day, and Logan is on a different ship, but wooooow. What?????
And as much as daily activities go, not much happened. Which I'm so okay with - if someone gave me a day-by-day Harry Potter book I would read that all night - but sometimes ordinary life just can't compensate.
But all in all, it was the romance asteroid that killed me. Maybe I just wasn't used to it, I don't know, I can't say, but I can speak for myself, and yikes.
Yet amongst all this criticism, what did I like?
I liked the pilot class, which was descriptive and engaging. Gwen's partner Hugo is a total jerk.
And speaking of total jerks - ANU. But if the characters are well-written enough for me to dislike them, and I'm supposed to dislike them, that's a sign or great writing! Unless they're just badly written characters, but that was not the case here.
One part in particular, when Aeson invites one of Gwen's friends to dance, had me grinning.
Everything before they romance-y parts I liked, and some after, but the romance kind of smeared the whole thing and I didn't find myself liking the rest of the book as much as I did before.
The characters are good, too, like in Qualify, and some welcome new additions to the cast are great.
A few more things before I wrap up.
Gwen has a totally new mood in this book - a melancholy, depressed mood, not always but very overpowering in certain scenes (particularly after breakups or romantic upheavals.) Compared to the optimistic, powerful Gwen, this new vulnerable and alien Gwen feels strange and forced. Depressed characters are everywhere these days, and I hate to see the Atlantis Grail books conform to that norm.
The romance killed this book for me. Stabbed it with a knife. I'm sorry, and other people loved it, sure, but I did not. Not at freaking all. Gwen and Aeson both seem to find new romantic wells deep within them, positively brimming with violent passion that needs to be expressed. Honestly, this might be the only reason I did not enjoy a book that had so much potential. Had.
And Aeson asks Gwen to be his bride at the end. Spoilers!!! This is NOT okay. I knew Logan wasn't going to stay, we all knew Logan wasn't going to stay, but a bride??? Marriage??? NOT OKAY. I don't care what you say, and know this well - there was nothing stupid in Qualify that I can remember expressly. But this. Is. Stupid.
"Oh, but he's the prince and she's a lowly alien girl, a representative of the nerds, not a gorgeous princess!"
Exactly!!! That's the point - political upset, blah blah blah. A sub-par ending for a sub-par book.
And has this never been used before? Nope! Think America and Maxon in the Selection, Katniss and Peeta in the Hunger Games. And poor Gale, Aspen and Logan are sitting in the corner.
In the end, I did not enjoy this book. I liked parts of it, yes, I really liked parts of it, but the glut of sudden and violent romance totally unexpected after having read Qualify set it off on a foul note. While I will be reading the next two books my sky-high standard have been battered down, way down. I can't hope for them next books to be as good as Qualify, only to be better than my final impression of Compete.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2019
Just as good as the first book.
May 16, 2022
What😃
Okay, I kinda saw it coming… but what😃
Okay, I kinda saw it coming… but what😃
February 9, 2017
I have just finished reading books 1 and 2 back to back. I always start out with 5 stars and reduce for anything that I see as a fault. I cannot fault either book. It was wonderful on so many levels. Well done Vera Nazarian. It has been a long time since I have read such wonderful fare. Thank you. I am eagerly awaiting the third book.
August 15, 2015
AMAZING READ! .. as always... Looking forward for WIN.. :-)
July 23, 2018
Holy crap.
Me and all other characters at the end of the book:
Me and all other characters at the end of the book:
January 27, 2023
2.5 ⭐⭐
There were small pockets of really engaging story but mostly nothing much happens.
But I'm committed now so I'm seeing this series through til the end (only because the library has the last two books in audiobook)
There were small pockets of really engaging story but mostly nothing much happens.
But I'm committed now so I'm seeing this series through til the end (only because the library has the last two books in audiobook)
May 9, 2023
It’s rare that the second book in a series is better than the first, but this is the case here. The one-year trip in space was intense and captivating, from its tragic beginning, to the lessons (flight school in particular), races, zero-gravity dances and all associated events. Thankfully the story follows a different path than The Hunger Games!
I liked the expanded cast of characters, mainly Gennio and Anu (one of my favourites!), and the consul (who would have thought?...). We got to see some of our old acquaintances up-close: Logan, who had a few surprises up his sleeve, Xelio and Oalla, who proved to be both interesting and likable, and a few others. A special mention for Blayne, as I forgot to do it in the review for Qualify. It’s commonplace to have characters with different sexual orientations these days, while people with disabilities are often overlooked. I’m glad Vera Nazarian took a chance; she did an excellent job with Blayne!
Gwen is less annoying, with her insistence on not choosing Civilian or Cadet the most notable exception. How come she doesn’t realize that even Citizens must be one or the other? I'm surprised everyone lets her get away with that nonsense.
Saving the best for last, Aeson is still Aeson, cool and composed, with only hints at what’s hiding underneath. And of course he is responsible for the biggest twist in the end!
Note after reading Win: I'm shelving the series as NA instead of YA.
I liked the expanded cast of characters, mainly Gennio and Anu (one of my favourites!), and the consul (who would have thought?...). We got to see some of our old acquaintances up-close: Logan, who had a few surprises up his sleeve, Xelio and Oalla, who proved to be both interesting and likable, and a few others. A special mention for Blayne, as I forgot to do it in the review for Qualify. It’s commonplace to have characters with different sexual orientations these days, while people with disabilities are often overlooked. I’m glad Vera Nazarian took a chance; she did an excellent job with Blayne!
Gwen is less annoying, with her insistence on not choosing Civilian or Cadet the most notable exception. How come she doesn’t realize that even Citizens must be one or the other? I'm surprised everyone lets her get away with that nonsense.
Saving the best for last, Aeson is still Aeson, cool and composed, with only hints at what’s hiding underneath. And of course he is responsible for the biggest twist in the end!
Note after reading Win: I'm shelving the series as NA instead of YA.
September 27, 2016
Once again, the story is interesting and I'm very intrigued by the world the author has created. It started out more like Hunger Games and Divergent, but is now definitely more of a sci-fi book. I like learning about their life in space, and Atlantean customs and traditions. Plus the whole idea of humans traveling to another world and immersing themselves in that culture is fascinating. I am looking forward to finding out what happens in the next book.
But honestly, I had to skim most of these for the interesting parts. The writing has gotten worse. The author would benefit greatly from an editor. I feel surprised that most of these reviews aren't bothered by that - I'm usually not very critical and am easily entertained. It takes a lot for me to rate something that I really did enjoy as 3 stars and not 4. But the writing is way too detailed, too repetitive, and the dialogue is just cringe-worthy at times. I'm rooting for Kass and Gwen, I really am, but their interactions are overwritten and the ending is just painfully obvious.
There are parts that are very well done, including the descriptions of the dancing and the court, as well as the flight sequences. I think this series really has potential, but to have wide spread success would need to be considerably edited down.
I recommend if you like light scifi and are a fan of YA, with the caveat to read it for its potential to get through the writing.
But honestly, I had to skim most of these for the interesting parts. The writing has gotten worse. The author would benefit greatly from an editor. I feel surprised that most of these reviews aren't bothered by that - I'm usually not very critical and am easily entertained. It takes a lot for me to rate something that I really did enjoy as 3 stars and not 4. But the writing is way too detailed, too repetitive, and the dialogue is just cringe-worthy at times. I'm rooting for Kass and Gwen, I really am, but their interactions are overwritten and the ending is just painfully obvious.
There are parts that are very well done, including the descriptions of the dancing and the court, as well as the flight sequences. I think this series really has potential, but to have wide spread success would need to be considerably edited down.
I recommend if you like light scifi and are a fan of YA, with the caveat to read it for its potential to get through the writing.
March 11, 2018
Love LOVE this series.
October 22, 2019
I really enjoyed Qualify, although I had a period where I got stuck in the middle and didn't come back for a number of months. This one I tore through in a matter of days, and it's even more *wow* than the first one. There we got the merest glimpse of Atlantean society, as the focus was on the deadly struggle to be one of the few who would Qualify for the limited number of berths aboard the fleet of ark-ships. In this volume, Gwen and two of her siblings have Qualified (that bittersweet ending I mentioned in my review of that volume) and are on their way to the world that will become their new home, and it's time to learn the knowledge and skills they will need in order to assimilate into its society.
And there's a lot, from piloting and combat to language and culture. And Gwen has additional classes and duties, since she has declared her intent to enter the Games of the Atlantis Grail and become a Citizen, not merely a Civilian or Cadet. She must learn Court Protocol, not to mention training the extraordinary Voice power that she possesses. And she has work in Aeson's office, as the most junior of his Aides.
Meanwhile, she's navigating a complex web of social relationships, sorting out friend from foe. She's got the romantic attractions to Logan and to Aeson, and then to a surprise third who asks her out for one of the key dances. And she has her friendships with other young people she met in the Regional Qualification Center where she started training, and who also made it through the harrowing final test to Qualify. And there are some enemies she must beware, some obvious, others not so clear.
But the relationship that I found most interesting was one that was not romantic or even friendly, but purely teacher-student. When Gwen first meets Consul Denu, she views him as a ridiculous perfumed fop -- and I have to confess I found him a complete prat. At her first lesson in Court Protocol, it's pretty clear he views her as little more than a witless and untutored barbarian, barely able to conduct herself as an adult. But as time goes by, they come to respect each other, especially as he reveals an ability to laugh at himself, if in an ornate and flowery fashion. She sees beyond the court mask to the poet, the keen observer of society and character, while he comes to see her versatility and ability to respond to complex situations on very little information. When she needs to look her best at a special event to reflect well upon her sponsor, she turns to Consul Denu for advice -- and he shows his trust of her by lending her two items of jewelry from his private collection. And later he shows that he trusts her judgment in her companions by also lending her friend another piece, quite possibly a priceless heirloom, for another dance. Finally, at the end, Gwen has come to trust him implicitly as her protocol officer when she is summoned to court.
There's a terrifying moment when Logan looks like he's been sent on an assassination mission, and the horror of a terrorist attack by agents of a desperate group of terrestrial governments who are realizing they were given promises the Atlanteans never intended to keep. And there's the Quantum Stream Race that nearly becomes Gwen's doom, until she discovers a new way of using her Voice -- one that so astonishes Aeson that he is left shaken, to the point it compromises his judgement at a key moment.
The ending is a complete surprise, and I have to confess that I'm a little uncomfortable about it. Oftentimes, when a series has had romantic tension as one of its major elements, resolving it can often leave subsequent books weak and tepid. However, given that Gwen is entering a completely alien culture, and a part of it that can be actively dangerous in subtle and treacherous ways, I'm hoping that we will not be disappointed -- especially considering the information that no, the meteor that created the entire situation was not happenstance, and even if it could be destroyed, it would be a temporary solution at best.
And there's a lot, from piloting and combat to language and culture. And Gwen has additional classes and duties, since she has declared her intent to enter the Games of the Atlantis Grail and become a Citizen, not merely a Civilian or Cadet. She must learn Court Protocol, not to mention training the extraordinary Voice power that she possesses. And she has work in Aeson's office, as the most junior of his Aides.
Meanwhile, she's navigating a complex web of social relationships, sorting out friend from foe. She's got the romantic attractions to Logan and to Aeson, and then to a surprise third who asks her out for one of the key dances. And she has her friendships with other young people she met in the Regional Qualification Center where she started training, and who also made it through the harrowing final test to Qualify. And there are some enemies she must beware, some obvious, others not so clear.
But the relationship that I found most interesting was one that was not romantic or even friendly, but purely teacher-student. When Gwen first meets Consul Denu, she views him as a ridiculous perfumed fop -- and I have to confess I found him a complete prat. At her first lesson in Court Protocol, it's pretty clear he views her as little more than a witless and untutored barbarian, barely able to conduct herself as an adult. But as time goes by, they come to respect each other, especially as he reveals an ability to laugh at himself, if in an ornate and flowery fashion. She sees beyond the court mask to the poet, the keen observer of society and character, while he comes to see her versatility and ability to respond to complex situations on very little information. When she needs to look her best at a special event to reflect well upon her sponsor, she turns to Consul Denu for advice -- and he shows his trust of her by lending her two items of jewelry from his private collection. And later he shows that he trusts her judgment in her companions by also lending her friend another piece, quite possibly a priceless heirloom, for another dance. Finally, at the end, Gwen has come to trust him implicitly as her protocol officer when she is summoned to court.
There's a terrifying moment when Logan looks like he's been sent on an assassination mission, and the horror of a terrorist attack by agents of a desperate group of terrestrial governments who are realizing they were given promises the Atlanteans never intended to keep. And there's the Quantum Stream Race that nearly becomes Gwen's doom, until she discovers a new way of using her Voice -- one that so astonishes Aeson that he is left shaken, to the point it compromises his judgement at a key moment.
The ending is a complete surprise, and I have to confess that I'm a little uncomfortable about it. Oftentimes, when a series has had romantic tension as one of its major elements, resolving it can often leave subsequent books weak and tepid. However, given that Gwen is entering a completely alien culture, and a part of it that can be actively dangerous in subtle and treacherous ways, I'm hoping that we will not be disappointed -- especially considering the information that no, the meteor that created the entire situation was not happenstance, and even if it could be destroyed, it would be a temporary solution at best.
October 12, 2019
This book was an excellent read. It was better than the first book in the series was, and every time I had to put it down was tough, especially during the second half of it. I mean, at first, I was just as annoyed by the main character's inability to use her brains for even the most simple of social interactions as I had been in book one. But she got better at thinking before speaking or acting, which I was pleased to see. Not to mention, this book has some excellent scenes scattered throughout it that made it an even more gripping read than the first had been, which you get more and more of as the book progresses. Oh, and that ending... WOW! Just WOW! Seriously, I'm torn between being glad I didn't have book three ready to go, because it was already late when I finished this one, and I know I'd have wanted to start it if I had it, and being disappointed I didn't have book three ready to go, because a large part of me didn't care that it was late, and just wanted to be reading the next book already.
October 12, 2018
Wow! Rather stunned after finishing book 2.
Even better than book 1; great narrative, sweeping you along; couldn't put it down. Loved the science and story telling, and that in most cases I didn't see what was coming - quite a few surprises and a breathtaking ending. Straight onto book 3 for me!
Even better than book 1; great narrative, sweeping you along; couldn't put it down. Loved the science and story telling, and that in most cases I didn't see what was coming - quite a few surprises and a breathtaking ending. Straight onto book 3 for me!
March 1, 2023
This 2nd book in the series did not disappoint.
August 9, 2019
Another Great Story
This is the second book of the Atlantis Grail trilogy that I have read. The story line is strong with interesting characters. I can't wait to read the last book in this series!
This is the second book of the Atlantis Grail trilogy that I have read. The story line is strong with interesting characters. I can't wait to read the last book in this series!
September 26, 2017
A fun and different book
April 3, 2020
This is a very good story, the 2nd book in the series, and I would rate it above the first book. It's probably intended to be a YA novel but could be enjoyed by anyone. I will definitely read the 3rd and last book in the series.
February 17, 2021
Great story, with interesting ideas and perspectives. A little to much teen angst and heartthrob for me.
May 6, 2017
When will Book three be out?? Vera's such a good writer! I thought it was supposed to come out in feb 2016?? I finished this book in a 4-hour reading marathon;)
April 24, 2019
Even better than the first...can't wait to see what happens next.
January 7, 2021
This entire series is amazing
November 8, 2021
Yes!
This is a young adult, coming of age book series that I could not put down!!! Lately I have been very discouraged by the quality of writing in the new books out. This series has changed my thinking. With very few mis-steps (prone vs supine) this author has become only the third that I actually bout her books! I recommend her highly to all age groups.
This is a young adult, coming of age book series that I could not put down!!! Lately I have been very discouraged by the quality of writing in the new books out. This series has changed my thinking. With very few mis-steps (prone vs supine) this author has become only the third that I actually bout her books! I recommend her highly to all age groups.
September 20, 2019
Compared to the non-stop action of the first book in the series, this (the second book) got off to a slow start. I started enjoying it about 40% in. It made up for that at the end. There was more romance in this one, with all the same characters that we grew to love in the first book. I’m torn between giving it 3 or 4 stars, I’m going with 4 because I do like the characters & premise of the book so much. The second I finished this I started the third one, I’m definitely hooked!
October 15, 2019
Like the survivor of a Bear Grylls show being shown a smorgasbord, I GORGED myself on this book. Unlike said survivor, I was left with no discomfort whatsoever when I was done. In fact, I was left with a somewhat dopey grin which prompted some raised eyebrows from my husband. Part of me is too nervous to read book 3 in case the magic wears off.
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