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Descendant Series #1
The Protector
A mass genocide of the human race. A world in quarantine. Jason Hook has spent eighteen years of his life growing up in a world plagued by monsters. The extinction of the human race seems inevitable. When Jason and his family are forced to move from their home in California to a small town in New York, he finds that some of the creatures are actually trying to save his life. For reasons he is only just beginning to discover, there is something about him that makes him a target for both friend and foe alike. Jason is at the apex of a world at war where he must choose between life, death, and the possibility of becoming one of the creatures he has sworn to hate. But in becoming a creature, Jason might just have a chance to save humanity. The Protector is the first novel in the paranormal Descendant Series. With new twists on your favorite paranormal monsters, this fast-paced story will suck you in right from the start.Buy The Protector to begin the epic adventure today!
319 pages, Paperback
First published June 29, 2010
23 people are currently reading
533 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 19, 2012
This book was one of the best books I have ever read! The story was perfectly put together! As soon I started reading Descendant: The Protector, I could not put the book down. As son as I was almost done with the first book of the series, I couldn't wait to read the next book (Descendant: The Devil's Minions). This book is a MUST READ. All the characters were perfectly put together, from there physical descriptions to there personality's. You feel that you are actually in the book itself, watching all the events take place. This books is perfect for all the thriller, adventure, and fiction reading lovers out there. Book was as great as the first. Can't wait to read book three, Descendant: The Black Wolf.
April 3, 2012
I enjoyed the book and the story, however I did feel as if the author had recently watched an Underworld movie when he came up with the story. There were also a few times when phrases were overused in a short space.
The characters were developed enough to create interest and the story was intriguing enough that I am going to read the 2nd one. Thumbs up to a new author! :)
The characters were developed enough to create interest and the story was intriguing enough that I am going to read the 2nd one. Thumbs up to a new author! :)
April 6, 2011
This was a fun read and had a very interesting twist to it. I definitely recommend it.
January 31, 2011
I am all for giving independent authors a try. Sometimes you find real gems - books that *should* be published via the big publishing houses, but for some reason aren't. This book does not fall into that category. I almost didn't finish reading it, but since I for the most part finish what I start... um... yeah.
The writing style was clumsy and detached - emotionless, with the only emotion communicated via the narrator saying what he/she was feeling. The abundance of "That's not important" and "I'll tell you about that later" and similar brush-offs became off-putting after the fifth or sixth occurrence. I can't stomach "I did this and then I did that and then I did this after that," which is how this book read to me.
The story could also use another round of editing - far too many instances of "then" that should have been "than," and "to" that should have been "too." Even something as simple as a "through" that should have been "threw" caused me to mentally stumble, and I had to reread the sentence to figure out what it was saying. A few more commas would have been nice, too.
The plot has potential, but everything else gets in the way of that potential.
The writing style was clumsy and detached - emotionless, with the only emotion communicated via the narrator saying what he/she was feeling. The abundance of "That's not important" and "I'll tell you about that later" and similar brush-offs became off-putting after the fifth or sixth occurrence. I can't stomach "I did this and then I did that and then I did this after that," which is how this book read to me.
The story could also use another round of editing - far too many instances of "then" that should have been "than," and "to" that should have been "too." Even something as simple as a "through" that should have been "threw" caused me to mentally stumble, and I had to reread the sentence to figure out what it was saying. A few more commas would have been nice, too.
The plot has potential, but everything else gets in the way of that potential.
December 21, 2010
This is a good traditional vampire book (meaning they don't sparkle) where good versus evil.
There is a subtle underlying hint of a biblical story here (but not a religious or christian book), which could take the series in an interesting twist. Lots of action, a good read for young men, but enough romance to keep girls interested. No explicit sex or bad language. Good for the teen set, but equally enjoyable for adults who like a fast paced read.
There is a subtle underlying hint of a biblical story here (but not a religious or christian book), which could take the series in an interesting twist. Lots of action, a good read for young men, but enough romance to keep girls interested. No explicit sex or bad language. Good for the teen set, but equally enjoyable for adults who like a fast paced read.
September 8, 2011
This is a signed copy thanks to Goodreads giveaways.
The creatures are attacking the human race. Your home is a safe place unless you invite one in, then it is never safe again for any owner. That is only one risk the few humans left have to take daily to try and survive.
The creatures are attacking the human race. Your home is a safe place unless you invite one in, then it is never safe again for any owner. That is only one risk the few humans left have to take daily to try and survive.
May 15, 2017
If you like paranormal books and monsters who are trying to destroy the world, you'll probably love this book. Personally that's not my genre at all, but I found this book to be very well written, fast paced and captivating. This is the first book in the Descendant series. I actually bought this book back in 2015 but could not remember anything about it So when I saw a promotion from the author, I thought I'd give it a try and read it again. Jason was a good character and I thought that the author did a good job with descriptions in the book.
September 19, 2021
It took me FOREVER to get through his book. And it wasn't that I didn't like it, it was just a slow read. Not sure I want to continue to series....
June 7, 2025
I liked it
I liked the read . I am looking forward to book 2. It’s a nice twist on a vampire story
I liked the read . I am looking forward to book 2. It’s a nice twist on a vampire story
November 27, 2015
As a keen reader of vampire and dystopian fiction, I knew that this was a book for me and I wasn’t disappointed. It met my standard criteria when reading vampire novels – vampire must not sparkle, there has to be some kind of traditional folklore woven in there somewhere and at least one person has to die horribly during the course of the book.
The story starts off well, setting the scene of a dark and dangerous world overrun by some kind of mysterious monsters. All we know from the prologue is that these monsters aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty and they’re looking for someone.
The first chapter then jumps to the perspective of, Jason Hook, who is a high school student like any other at this point, but that is soon to change. The story soon becomes thrillingly violent and addictive as he is forced to leave home to escape the bloodthirsty characters who are determined to see him dead.
Throughout this story a great number of new characters are introduced, which at times is a little overwhelming as you try to memorise who’s who before carrying on, but it all starts to make sense when you start discovering the histories of the characters. Especially as there are more instalments in ‘The Descendent Series’, I’m convinced that we will learn more about each character and the role they play in the Descendent universe, even if things appear a little murky now.
Koch uses a style I think has been popularised by the Song of Ice and Fire series, namely writing from the first person perspective of various characters within the narrative. I’m personally a fan this style, as long as it isn’t overdone and each character has something worthwhile to contribute to the story, otherwise the story becomes disorienting and carrying on becomes impossible unless you have a CSI-style whiteboard to hand. I think in this case, Koch ticked all the boxes for me which came as a relief as I don’t currently have access to a whiteboard!
I really enjoyed this book and finished it in a couple of sittings, desperate to see how the book would end. I’m particularly pleased that it ended well, leaving you wanting more but without feeling cheated out of a proper ending. As is the case with many début novels, the flow of narration seemed a lot smoother towards the end of the novel, as the author has built in confidence and become more familiar with their story and characters.
In the case of this particular novel, the little quirks which came up time and time again was an overuse of the name of the monsters and characters winking at each other as they spoke. After the first few times I started picking up on this every time it was mentioned and began to giggle to myself at the thought of the characters winking at every available opportunity, wondering if maybe one of the trade off’s to becoming a monster in this story is that you’re granted immortality, but lose the ability to blink both eyes simultaneously when you speak.
All things considered, I think that this book could do with some additional editing to iron out these issues, so that the reader can focus on what is a really absorbing and enjoyable story.
Another theme that was overused in this book was the ‘You don’t need to know that yet’ (I have a particular dislike of that phrase after a particularly frustrating former job, so I may be biased) and ‘I’ll tell you later’, however I think we can forgive that in light of the fact that there are actually sequels already available so the author can actually tell us later.
I look forward to reading more books in this series, and finding out what path Jason chooses to take and whether or not humanity can survive.
Reviewed by Nia at www.whisperingstories.com
The story starts off well, setting the scene of a dark and dangerous world overrun by some kind of mysterious monsters. All we know from the prologue is that these monsters aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty and they’re looking for someone.
The first chapter then jumps to the perspective of, Jason Hook, who is a high school student like any other at this point, but that is soon to change. The story soon becomes thrillingly violent and addictive as he is forced to leave home to escape the bloodthirsty characters who are determined to see him dead.
Throughout this story a great number of new characters are introduced, which at times is a little overwhelming as you try to memorise who’s who before carrying on, but it all starts to make sense when you start discovering the histories of the characters. Especially as there are more instalments in ‘The Descendent Series’, I’m convinced that we will learn more about each character and the role they play in the Descendent universe, even if things appear a little murky now.
Koch uses a style I think has been popularised by the Song of Ice and Fire series, namely writing from the first person perspective of various characters within the narrative. I’m personally a fan this style, as long as it isn’t overdone and each character has something worthwhile to contribute to the story, otherwise the story becomes disorienting and carrying on becomes impossible unless you have a CSI-style whiteboard to hand. I think in this case, Koch ticked all the boxes for me which came as a relief as I don’t currently have access to a whiteboard!
I really enjoyed this book and finished it in a couple of sittings, desperate to see how the book would end. I’m particularly pleased that it ended well, leaving you wanting more but without feeling cheated out of a proper ending. As is the case with many début novels, the flow of narration seemed a lot smoother towards the end of the novel, as the author has built in confidence and become more familiar with their story and characters.
In the case of this particular novel, the little quirks which came up time and time again was an overuse of the name of the monsters and characters winking at each other as they spoke. After the first few times I started picking up on this every time it was mentioned and began to giggle to myself at the thought of the characters winking at every available opportunity, wondering if maybe one of the trade off’s to becoming a monster in this story is that you’re granted immortality, but lose the ability to blink both eyes simultaneously when you speak.
All things considered, I think that this book could do with some additional editing to iron out these issues, so that the reader can focus on what is a really absorbing and enjoyable story.
Another theme that was overused in this book was the ‘You don’t need to know that yet’ (I have a particular dislike of that phrase after a particularly frustrating former job, so I may be biased) and ‘I’ll tell you later’, however I think we can forgive that in light of the fact that there are actually sequels already available so the author can actually tell us later.
I look forward to reading more books in this series, and finding out what path Jason chooses to take and whether or not humanity can survive.
Reviewed by Nia at www.whisperingstories.com
December 5, 2015
I will say, this was an easy, smooth read. There aren't any paragraphs that just run up the length of the book (which I've seen much too often). The story definitely pulled me in within the first few chapters, butt out did get a bit dull after that. It took a while for things to get interesting again, but once things picked up, it got much better the further into the story I got.
One thing I do want to point out is how odd reading Aderes's backstory felt. I can't really describe it, but reading what happened to her didn't seem to flow naturally. Maybe it was too detailed? Other parts of the book suffer from this as well. I've realized that there is a such thing as going into too much detail.
The human character's hate and fear of the "creatures" definitely came across as believable. I don't know why they were so hesitant to call them what they were: Dahmsheds, basically vampires. There are also other creatures that are known by other names than the ones used in this book, but I find new takes on mythological creatures interesting, so I don't mind the changes.
As for the characters, initially, Jason annoyed the hell out of me. However, I'm not sure his behavior would be any different from any other human in his situation. Knowing that did little to help me connect with him, and that's a no-go since he was supposed to be the relatable guy. I came to respect him a bit more later in the story though.
Aderes on the other hand, was an interesting character from the get go. Her backstory, however stilted the delivery, was a gripping one, and it explained why she acted the way she did throughout the story. Also, she is an awesome character overall. I enjoyed her POV more than any of the other characters.
Speaking of POV, I feel the different POVs could have been handled better if this was written in 3rd person rather than 1st...though I suppose it did allow for a more intimate look into the various characters' heads. The descriptions of the characters seemed a bit unnatural as well, like the characteristics were just being listed off. Though, I suppose describing physical traits is a straightforward process.
Personal note: This book had way too much winking. I can't help but cringe and get creeped out when people wink, and it happens so much in this book. Definitely could have done without that.
All in all, the book was ok. It wasn't mind-blowing nor was it awful. It was a decent story with a few...well one or two really interesting characters, and premise that was like many others (Though the execution could have been better). I'll be checking out the next book, because hello, more Aderes is something I'm down for.
One thing I do want to point out is how odd reading Aderes's backstory felt. I can't really describe it, but reading what happened to her didn't seem to flow naturally. Maybe it was too detailed? Other parts of the book suffer from this as well. I've realized that there is a such thing as going into too much detail.
The human character's hate and fear of the "creatures" definitely came across as believable. I don't know why they were so hesitant to call them what they were: Dahmsheds, basically vampires. There are also other creatures that are known by other names than the ones used in this book, but I find new takes on mythological creatures interesting, so I don't mind the changes.
As for the characters, initially, Jason annoyed the hell out of me. However, I'm not sure his behavior would be any different from any other human in his situation. Knowing that did little to help me connect with him, and that's a no-go since he was supposed to be the relatable guy. I came to respect him a bit more later in the story though.
Aderes on the other hand, was an interesting character from the get go. Her backstory, however stilted the delivery, was a gripping one, and it explained why she acted the way she did throughout the story. Also, she is an awesome character overall. I enjoyed her POV more than any of the other characters.
Speaking of POV, I feel the different POVs could have been handled better if this was written in 3rd person rather than 1st...though I suppose it did allow for a more intimate look into the various characters' heads. The descriptions of the characters seemed a bit unnatural as well, like the characteristics were just being listed off. Though, I suppose describing physical traits is a straightforward process.
Personal note: This book had way too much winking. I can't help but cringe and get creeped out when people wink, and it happens so much in this book. Definitely could have done without that.
All in all, the book was ok. It wasn't mind-blowing nor was it awful. It was a decent story with a few...well one or two really interesting characters, and premise that was like many others (Though the execution could have been better). I'll be checking out the next book, because hello, more Aderes is something I'm down for.
August 15, 2015
Actually enjoyed it despite a few shortcomings. Too many characters, and from that, too many changes of viewpoints. I'm not fond of 1st person anyway; to have so many 1st person viewpoints, even labeled, starts to really muddy the waters. But it is a nice twist on vampire lore, although another complaint is that for all their powers, ripping each others' heads off seems ridiculously easy. Is this supposed to be a weakness of the race?
September 11, 2012
Well I love vampire stories and this one didnt disappoint! Not a typical Vampire story but not a sparkly vampire vomit inducing love story either! when I finished this book I realized I NEEDED to read the others!
September 20, 2013
good read
April 5, 2017
As a fan of supernatural novels, I gave this one a try. The story line itself was not bad. I was excited it was going to be something different than your normal vampires and werewolves but come to find out they are just vampires and werewolves with different names (Dahmsheds and Rogues).
Could be a great read for some but the style this was written in was not for me.
Regardless, the book follows the trying high school times of Jason Hook in a dystopian future where the world is overrun by Dahmshed. Overall I liked the character. There were a few characters that were interesting (see Kyle, the school bully that you really would like someone to just punch already), Aderes (a good Dahmshed). Beyond that, there were a LOT of characters introduced. One too many, if you ask me. It became hard to keep track of everyone. Not to mention a lot of their descriptions didn't get past "a blonde with thick rimmed glasses" or some other article of clothing. That didn't help to differentiate who was who.
There were a few quirks that I could have gone without reading. Everyone is constantly winking. There is a time and a place for a wink. People I know in real life do not wink nearly as much as some of these characters do. And the reluctance to talk. Sometimes the dialogue got a little choppy when they would be going along, having a conversation just fine then all of a sudden, "I can't tell you that." "It is not my story to tell" is said quite a few times. I can 100% agree with some things are important to keep from someone in a dire situation or someone else's story is not yours to tell. They are just phrases that are overused, is all.
I would like to point out that descriptions of locations were well done. It was easier to visualize locations than it was to figure out people. Not to mention the locations, such as the marina, the school, or the safe house, they were interesting places and described very well.
Going into the book, I thought it was going to be solely a first person book from Jason's perspective. I was wrong. We bounced around from Aderes, to Elliott, back to Jason, to someone else. I didn't like it when they did that in Breaking Dawn or Allegiant, and both of those only switched between 2 characters. I feel that the book would have seemed less chopped up had it been simply written in 3rd person, rather than flitting between characters constantly. The changing of characters is not my cup of tea but it might work for others.
Overall, it was a good read once you got past the above things. Like I said before, the overall story line itself wasn't bad. It wasn't one that I picked up and couldn't put down - took me a bit of time to get through it. To be honest, I wasn't left feeling the need to read any of the other books to this series. I hope they went better. But the style of this book just wasn't quite for me.
Could be a great read for some but the style this was written in was not for me.
Regardless, the book follows the trying high school times of Jason Hook in a dystopian future where the world is overrun by Dahmshed. Overall I liked the character. There were a few characters that were interesting (see Kyle, the school bully that you really would like someone to just punch already), Aderes (a good Dahmshed). Beyond that, there were a LOT of characters introduced. One too many, if you ask me. It became hard to keep track of everyone. Not to mention a lot of their descriptions didn't get past "a blonde with thick rimmed glasses" or some other article of clothing. That didn't help to differentiate who was who.
There were a few quirks that I could have gone without reading. Everyone is constantly winking. There is a time and a place for a wink. People I know in real life do not wink nearly as much as some of these characters do. And the reluctance to talk. Sometimes the dialogue got a little choppy when they would be going along, having a conversation just fine then all of a sudden, "I can't tell you that." "It is not my story to tell" is said quite a few times. I can 100% agree with some things are important to keep from someone in a dire situation or someone else's story is not yours to tell. They are just phrases that are overused, is all.
I would like to point out that descriptions of locations were well done. It was easier to visualize locations than it was to figure out people. Not to mention the locations, such as the marina, the school, or the safe house, they were interesting places and described very well.
Going into the book, I thought it was going to be solely a first person book from Jason's perspective. I was wrong. We bounced around from Aderes, to Elliott, back to Jason, to someone else. I didn't like it when they did that in Breaking Dawn or Allegiant, and both of those only switched between 2 characters. I feel that the book would have seemed less chopped up had it been simply written in 3rd person, rather than flitting between characters constantly. The changing of characters is not my cup of tea but it might work for others.
Overall, it was a good read once you got past the above things. Like I said before, the overall story line itself wasn't bad. It wasn't one that I picked up and couldn't put down - took me a bit of time to get through it. To be honest, I wasn't left feeling the need to read any of the other books to this series. I hope they went better. But the style of this book just wasn't quite for me.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews