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Delcroix Academy #2
The Marked
„Night Academy“ wartet mit Nervenkitzel und unerwarteten Wendungen auf. Wie die Hauptperson weiß der Leser nie genau, wem er trauen kann. Und da Dancia sich zwischen Cam und Jack entscheiden muss, bleibt’s auch in der Liebe spannend. Schon immer war es Dancias sehnlichster Wunsch, ihre Fähigkeit, die Kräfte der Natur zu beherrschen, für das Gute einzusetzen. Auf der Night Academy scheint er in Erfüllung zu gehen – zumindest behauptet das Cam, Dancias von allen angehimmelter Freund. Aber kann sie ihm glauben? Warum ist dann Jack, mit dem sie nicht nur ein verunglückter Kuss verbindet, abgehauen? Und warum tauchen immer wieder wütende Ex-Schüler auf der Night Academy auf? Dancia ist hin- und hergerissen – was, wenn die Night Academy ganz andere Ziele verfolgt, als sie vorgibt? Sie muss unbedingt Jack finden …
320 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2012
27 people are currently reading
2015 people want to read
About the author
Inara Scott
24 books676 followersI wrote my first book when I was in high school--a romance called "A Wild and Stormy Passion," which featured swordplay, kidnapping, a pirate heroine, and lots of naughty bits (that came entirely from my adolescent imagination!). Since then, I've written young adult novels and adult romances of the category, contemporary, and fantasy varieties. My books are romantic and sensual. I like strong women and strong men and the sparks that fly when they get together.
I am a dabbler and an emotional sponge. I can't read scary books or anything with an unhappy ending. I reserve the right to enjoy country music, puppies, true love, and happily ever after.
If you're perusing my Goodreads shelves, you should know I only review books I want to share the word about. If you ask me, life's too short to read something you don't enjoy.
I am a dabbler and an emotional sponge. I can't read scary books or anything with an unhappy ending. I reserve the right to enjoy country music, puppies, true love, and happily ever after.
If you're perusing my Goodreads shelves, you should know I only review books I want to share the word about. If you ask me, life's too short to read something you don't enjoy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
March 24, 2012
Another disappointment. All right, I’ll be honest. I mildly liked the first book, I didn’t love it but it was good enough for me to read the second one. After this book I do not care about this series at all.
The things I liked in the first one? Jack and the relationship she had with her grandmother. They were almost completely absent in this addition. Jack is always firmly in the background and outside of a few brief appearances you don’t see him until the end. I totally hate what the author did to his character (I’ll get to that later). The grandmother is only brought up as an afterthought like, “Oh, maybe I should mention her instead of you know, forgetting that one of the reasons she was so hesitant about getting into the Program was because she didn’t want to leave her grandmother behind”.
This book was heinously slow due to the lack of a plot. We seriously did not find out anything at all, nor there doesn’t seem to actually be any forward progress whatsoever. Most of everything seems to have no purpose and we’re just given an excessive amount of page time dedicated to Dancia and her relationship with Cam. *barf*
Let me make it clear. I hate Cam. He seems like one suspicious mofo. I swear to god he is not as goody goody as he seems and is actually a sly, conniving little maggot. I totally bet he’s using his persuasion powers to emotionally manipulate Dancia into doing what she wants. Ugh. Gross. Get him out of here. I could not stand it whenever he appeared and also his obnoxious ex. Whatever.
Dancia is just a dumb broad who can’t do any thinking for himself and is just too damn gullible. Does this woman have any brains at all? Her steadfast denial of the facts or desire to do some of her own research irritates the crap out of me. I wanted to shake her a good many times.
Jack, oh Jack. I’m so sorry what happened to you.
Whatever. I’m so disappointed.
The things I liked in the first one? Jack and the relationship she had with her grandmother. They were almost completely absent in this addition. Jack is always firmly in the background and outside of a few brief appearances you don’t see him until the end. I totally hate what the author did to his character (I’ll get to that later). The grandmother is only brought up as an afterthought like, “Oh, maybe I should mention her instead of you know, forgetting that one of the reasons she was so hesitant about getting into the Program was because she didn’t want to leave her grandmother behind”.
This book was heinously slow due to the lack of a plot. We seriously did not find out anything at all, nor there doesn’t seem to actually be any forward progress whatsoever. Most of everything seems to have no purpose and we’re just given an excessive amount of page time dedicated to Dancia and her relationship with Cam. *barf*
Let me make it clear. I hate Cam. He seems like one suspicious mofo. I swear to god he is not as goody goody as he seems and is actually a sly, conniving little maggot. I totally bet he’s using his persuasion powers to emotionally manipulate Dancia into doing what she wants. Ugh. Gross. Get him out of here. I could not stand it whenever he appeared and also his obnoxious ex. Whatever.
Dancia is just a dumb broad who can’t do any thinking for himself and is just too damn gullible. Does this woman have any brains at all? Her steadfast denial of the facts or desire to do some of her own research irritates the crap out of me. I wanted to shake her a good many times.
Jack, oh Jack. I’m so sorry what happened to you.
Whatever. I’m so disappointed.
April 4, 2012
Overall, though the first book was passable, this one just kind of disintegrated into a mess of paranormal love triangles and supernatural vendettas. The characters devolved, and there was the sense of the storyline being repeated with slightly different elements. I just couldn't get into "The Marked", even though I did valiantly struggle to the end.
While some authors can make love triangles work, unfortunately, I felt that Scott could not. If anything, I think what really bothered me the most was the fact that all the female characters identified through their relationships with men. Now, recently, there was a study done that said that women overwhelmingly define themselves through their relationships with other people and not necessarily by the sense of the actual self. What I saw here not only backed that study up, but really disappointed me in that all of the girls seemed sad and "powerless" without their boys in their lives. There was only one small moment without Cam or Jack where Dancia actually seemed happy and that was over pretty quickly. Otherwise? She was mourning for her lost friendship with Jack or worried that Cam would consider her a traitor for missing her best friend, who happens to be male, and who may or may not be a potential love rival.
What's worse, one of the characters actually starts breaking down under the pressure of not being able to snag a boy - but implied that said pressure was caused on purpose to make her talent grow.
I can't get past that. At first I thought I could take that into account with everything else (another band of supernaturally talented children challenging the Delacroix Program, etc), but the more I think about it, the more angry I get.
It's hard enough being a girl in Western culture right now - I grew up in the 90s and it was easier, but not by much. But now we've got books like this having male teachers practically torturing the MC to make her talent "grow", and then having the message (and I hope this was unintentional) that you'll be sad if you see all of your friends getting boyfriends when you don't. Yeah, okay, in real life, that happens. But it seemed like it was pushed to the extreme here, and I'm not okay with that. It had such a heterosexist slant at times I had to reread parts of it to be sure I was interpreting things correctly - there were no queer characters, and while YA is still growing in that area, this book feels like a throw back to the bad old days where we don't talk about queer people at all. All the girls are getting a man, or they're sad and weak or literally shapeshift to get one.
This is what makes girls self-injure. Books like this don't help them feel stronger, it makes them hate themselves more. This is why we have the highest numbers in self-injury that we've had in the past 20 years. This is why girls starve and cut and burn themselves - because of messages, whether intentional or not, like this.
Overall, disappointed and disgusted. While I thought that the Big Reveal/Big Bad would make up for things at first, under further consideration in the face of everything I've talked about here, just didn't. If the author can make the love triangle work and have it make sense, I'm fine with it. Here, all I saw was a girl considered as weak and then being exploited because she was considered weak. The plot was contrived.
I won't be reading the third book, and I wish I could have the time back that was spent reading this one.
(posted to goodreads, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)
While some authors can make love triangles work, unfortunately, I felt that Scott could not. If anything, I think what really bothered me the most was the fact that all the female characters identified through their relationships with men. Now, recently, there was a study done that said that women overwhelmingly define themselves through their relationships with other people and not necessarily by the sense of the actual self. What I saw here not only backed that study up, but really disappointed me in that all of the girls seemed sad and "powerless" without their boys in their lives. There was only one small moment without Cam or Jack where Dancia actually seemed happy and that was over pretty quickly. Otherwise? She was mourning for her lost friendship with Jack or worried that Cam would consider her a traitor for missing her best friend, who happens to be male, and who may or may not be a potential love rival.
What's worse, one of the characters actually starts breaking down under the pressure of not being able to snag a boy - but implied that said pressure was caused on purpose to make her talent grow.
I can't get past that. At first I thought I could take that into account with everything else (another band of supernaturally talented children challenging the Delacroix Program, etc), but the more I think about it, the more angry I get.
It's hard enough being a girl in Western culture right now - I grew up in the 90s and it was easier, but not by much. But now we've got books like this having male teachers practically torturing the MC to make her talent "grow", and then having the message (and I hope this was unintentional) that you'll be sad if you see all of your friends getting boyfriends when you don't. Yeah, okay, in real life, that happens. But it seemed like it was pushed to the extreme here, and I'm not okay with that. It had such a heterosexist slant at times I had to reread parts of it to be sure I was interpreting things correctly - there were no queer characters, and while YA is still growing in that area, this book feels like a throw back to the bad old days where we don't talk about queer people at all. All the girls are getting a man, or they're sad and weak or literally shapeshift to get one.
This is what makes girls self-injure. Books like this don't help them feel stronger, it makes them hate themselves more. This is why we have the highest numbers in self-injury that we've had in the past 20 years. This is why girls starve and cut and burn themselves - because of messages, whether intentional or not, like this.
Overall, disappointed and disgusted. While I thought that the Big Reveal/Big Bad would make up for things at first, under further consideration in the face of everything I've talked about here, just didn't. If the author can make the love triangle work and have it make sense, I'm fine with it. Here, all I saw was a girl considered as weak and then being exploited because she was considered weak. The plot was contrived.
I won't be reading the third book, and I wish I could have the time back that was spent reading this one.
(posted to goodreads, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)
January 13, 2011
The first book wasn't great, but not terrible either. Unfortunately, it's not something you'd like to read much more than once, so waiting eight months for a sequel to a book that wasn't exactly awesome is going to be hard. It's like when you read a series and love it, you want the book to come as fast as possible because you love the series. This series is the kind where you want the book to come out as fast as possible, because otherwise you're going to forget the whole story.
October 9, 2012
Spoilers
The plot was boring, the main character was an insufferable bitch, the romance was blah and it was all so predictable and unimaginative.
-Dancia was a dull, indecisive, whiny, unremarkable girl yet everyone around her thought she was speshul snowflake..ugh. She was so dumb and annoying all she did was throw herself into dangerous situations and make everything ten times worse.
I really started to hate the bitch when she ditched her friend to hang out with her boyfriend, Cam. She felt guilty and knew her friend was upset and lonely..but did she make time for her friend? Nope, the selfish cow carried on ignoring her for Cam. And then when said friend started to hang out with a bunch of guys because she had no one else, Dancia got all judgmental about it..ugh, she was vile.
One of the worst things about Dancia was how she acted like a fucking doormat and let Cam treat her like shit — she had no self respect.
I was pissed when Dancia killed Jack, she could have stopped him from hurting her friends some other way but the stupid cow killed him. For someone she supposedly cared about, Dancia gets over killing Jack really quickly — he wasn't even a bad guy — he was just confused and angry. She doesn't feel guilty at all, I'm hoping he's not dead and he comes back and kills the bitch.
-Cam came across as very sleazy and manipulative — he kept things from Dancia, lied to her and got angry with her whenever she asked questions. He just expected Dancia to trust him implicitly when he'd done nothing to earn her trust. I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that he's been using his persuasion powers on Dancia to shut her up.
He acts like a douche and treats Dancia like shit but Dancia is always the one who apologises to him and admits she's wrong...ugh. He thought it was perfectly ok to lie and hide things but when Dancia doesn't tell him every little thing he has hissy fits — he was a dick and a half. He's fine bossing Dancia around and acting all alpha but when it comes to his boss, Judan, he acts like a lapdog — he can't form opinions of his own and he thinks everything Judan tells him is the truth — so he's a dick without a backbone. He's an awful love interest.
-Trevor and Esther's non relationship had far more chemistry than Dancia and Cam's. I might have actually enjoyed the book if it had been from Esther's POV.
-Catherine, Dancia's roommate, was one of the few decent characters. Unlike Dancia, she actually had common sense, self respect and ambition. I was surprised that there was actually a couple of female characters that weren't painted as shallow whores.
-There was yet another mean girl that hated the heroine just because she was dating a guy she liked. Apparently YA authors think that most girls are all boy crazy, petty, jealous shrews that bully any girl that's interested in their ex or their crush. In reality those kind of girls are very few and far between and they're never as bad as YA fiction portrays them. Unfortunately authors prefer to demonize most female characters in order to make their dull heroine seem more likeable.
Just another standard YA book with cookie cutter characters, poor world building, rubbish dialogue and a forgettable plot. I doubt I'll read the next book.
The plot was boring, the main character was an insufferable bitch, the romance was blah and it was all so predictable and unimaginative.
-Dancia was a dull, indecisive, whiny, unremarkable girl yet everyone around her thought she was speshul snowflake..ugh. She was so dumb and annoying all she did was throw herself into dangerous situations and make everything ten times worse.
I really started to hate the bitch when she ditched her friend to hang out with her boyfriend, Cam. She felt guilty and knew her friend was upset and lonely..but did she make time for her friend? Nope, the selfish cow carried on ignoring her for Cam. And then when said friend started to hang out with a bunch of guys because she had no one else, Dancia got all judgmental about it..ugh, she was vile.
One of the worst things about Dancia was how she acted like a fucking doormat and let Cam treat her like shit — she had no self respect.
I was pissed when Dancia killed Jack, she could have stopped him from hurting her friends some other way but the stupid cow killed him. For someone she supposedly cared about, Dancia gets over killing Jack really quickly — he wasn't even a bad guy — he was just confused and angry. She doesn't feel guilty at all, I'm hoping he's not dead and he comes back and kills the bitch.
-Cam came across as very sleazy and manipulative — he kept things from Dancia, lied to her and got angry with her whenever she asked questions. He just expected Dancia to trust him implicitly when he'd done nothing to earn her trust. I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that he's been using his persuasion powers on Dancia to shut her up.
He acts like a douche and treats Dancia like shit but Dancia is always the one who apologises to him and admits she's wrong...ugh. He thought it was perfectly ok to lie and hide things but when Dancia doesn't tell him every little thing he has hissy fits — he was a dick and a half. He's fine bossing Dancia around and acting all alpha but when it comes to his boss, Judan, he acts like a lapdog — he can't form opinions of his own and he thinks everything Judan tells him is the truth — so he's a dick without a backbone. He's an awful love interest.
-Trevor and Esther's non relationship had far more chemistry than Dancia and Cam's. I might have actually enjoyed the book if it had been from Esther's POV.
-Catherine, Dancia's roommate, was one of the few decent characters. Unlike Dancia, she actually had common sense, self respect and ambition. I was surprised that there was actually a couple of female characters that weren't painted as shallow whores.
-There was yet another mean girl that hated the heroine just because she was dating a guy she liked. Apparently YA authors think that most girls are all boy crazy, petty, jealous shrews that bully any girl that's interested in their ex or their crush. In reality those kind of girls are very few and far between and they're never as bad as YA fiction portrays them. Unfortunately authors prefer to demonize most female characters in order to make their dull heroine seem more likeable.
Just another standard YA book with cookie cutter characters, poor world building, rubbish dialogue and a forgettable plot. I doubt I'll read the next book.
December 27, 2011
I basically felt this book was pretty much a repeat of the first book with just a slightly different scenario - only thing time Jack is not physically by Danica's side and we have an introduction of a new character Barrett. In book 1, Danica was initiated into Delcroix Academy, and in this book, she was initiated into the program. Cam kind of watches over her and guides her through, while Jack is a constant doubt in her mind. I don't think very much changed in this book, and I'm disappointed to read a 320-paged ARC to see the story progressed so little. This book had such a slow pace, and it wasn't until the end where all the action was did it pick up a bit.
I had a huge problem with Danica and thought that after Book 1, she would have grown more of a person. She's still the same naive, dumb girl who lets a boy just look at her and she's totally lost. She was presented with a lot of doubts, but she lets all of that slide by and does nothing about it until it's too late. I had expected her to be stronger after everything she has been through.
As for Cam, I've never thought he was swoon-worthy. There's just something off about Cam, and I just don't trust him. I wish there was more to him that would just sweep me off my feet, but there wasn't. I understand that Mr. Judan has given him a lot, but I just find it so hard to believe that such a leader would be such sheep, following orders without question.
I did like Barrett though his grand exit really disappointed me. I was hoping there was a reasoning behind his carefree ways, but I was just hoping he would play a more important role in the book than giving up, especially since there are so few with the earth affinity.
Overall, I thought this was an okay read. I didn't like it, but I didn't dislike it either. It just didn't leave a lasting impression on me because it had pretty much the same storyline and plot progression as the first book.
I had a huge problem with Danica and thought that after Book 1, she would have grown more of a person. She's still the same naive, dumb girl who lets a boy just look at her and she's totally lost. She was presented with a lot of doubts, but she lets all of that slide by and does nothing about it until it's too late. I had expected her to be stronger after everything she has been through.
As for Cam, I've never thought he was swoon-worthy. There's just something off about Cam, and I just don't trust him. I wish there was more to him that would just sweep me off my feet, but there wasn't. I understand that Mr. Judan has given him a lot, but I just find it so hard to believe that such a leader would be such sheep, following orders without question.
I did like Barrett though his grand exit really disappointed me. I was hoping there was a reasoning behind his carefree ways, but I was just hoping he would play a more important role in the book than giving up, especially since there are so few with the earth affinity.
Overall, I thought this was an okay read. I didn't like it, but I didn't dislike it either. It just didn't leave a lasting impression on me because it had pretty much the same storyline and plot progression as the first book.
July 8, 2011
Here is why I enjoyed this book so much. Dancia has real thoughts and feelings. I don't understand when people say she's weak or is mean to her friends. Her thoughts come naturally to her. She is strong in that she tries to use her power when she knows she can accidentally injure people in the process. Her thinking her friends have quirks is only natural because I honestly observe people around me and honestly don't have the best thoughts of people and I never state them because they will hurt feelings. I do think there is stil something good in store in the future. It has a good beginning nonetheless. The Candidates is a good ride in reading that has to take its time to conclude so you see its true thrilling suspense and supernatural elements. It was only one book in the series and more like an opener to see what it deals with. I just love books in paranormal genres, so this doesn't let down at all. You should definitely read this book and get ,The Marked, the next book in the series. I am sure you'll enjoy it.
July 17, 2012
Well, what do you know? This book actually turned out better than I thought. Yay!
I wasn’t really thrilled over the first book, the Candidates (or the Talents), from Inara Scott’s Delcroix Academy series. There really wasn’t anything new to the idea of the whole school for kids with special abilities. Yes, very X-Men-like, but the Marked turned this typical urban fantasy story to a whole other level. Not exactly as ground breaking as I want a book to be but this was better and more eventful than the first book.
I experienced a whole new perspective over the characters in this book, particularly Jack and Catherine. Jack, who was Dancia’s best friend (even though their moments as best friends in the Candidates wasn’t really elaborated, kind of feels unrealistic since I didn’t feel them really bond or anything other than what was narrated in the book), takes on becoming the bad boy that everyone thought he’d be. I can’t understand his motives though. There’s something missing, some details I think, I don’t know. Anyway, I’m a little bummed that he went on to the “dark side” (or just the opposing team, dark side might be too harsh, then again maybe not... whatever).
Now Catherine, on the other hand, is now my girl friend, best friend even. She may have been a little insufferable and annoying and kind of irrelevant during the first book but here I got to see the other side of her that’s a lot more interesting and I love her (Cathy, give me a hug! On second thought, never mind, I won’t be hearing the end of it).
Dancia, our protagonists, is the youngest amongst those within the Program. This means she has to work twice as hard to show she’s worth being a part of it. Now since she’s still struggling to control her power and the fact that some of students who are part of the Program don’t seem to trust her, Dancia is in turmoil of stress; poor girl. As much as I sympathize though, I still can’t get the whole “Cam and Dancia” fever. I just don’t buy it. Why don’t I buy it? Why don’t I feel all giddy and mushy (I always feel that way when I’m totally rooting for the couples) when I read about their short stolen moments? Why aren’t you two (Dancia and Cam) pulling this off?!
I didn’t exactly like how flat and vague the ending of the Candidates went about, but I’m glad the plot and execution of the Marked made the cliff-hanger from the first book worth enduring. I’m happy to see some action I’ve been waiting for to finally happen and a big “hooray!” to the whole Team Dancia versus Team...uh... wait, what’s his name? (O gosh, I forgot). Anyway, the Team Dancia versus Team Bad Guys (I’m sorry, I really can’t remember. Wow that was bad. I’m saying it’s a good part but I can’t remember the names of the characters...Awkward) scenes were great!
Now the last part of the book gave out this moment where someone from Delcroix is not the person he/she says he/she is, and our good guys (Dancia and company) are out to change things and make things right for all those of them who have “talents”, also to fulfil the purpose they were set out to do – protect human kind – the right way. So Book III, please be awesome.
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @ www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com/
I wasn’t really thrilled over the first book, the Candidates (or the Talents), from Inara Scott’s Delcroix Academy series. There really wasn’t anything new to the idea of the whole school for kids with special abilities. Yes, very X-Men-like, but the Marked turned this typical urban fantasy story to a whole other level. Not exactly as ground breaking as I want a book to be but this was better and more eventful than the first book.
I experienced a whole new perspective over the characters in this book, particularly Jack and Catherine. Jack, who was Dancia’s best friend (even though their moments as best friends in the Candidates wasn’t really elaborated, kind of feels unrealistic since I didn’t feel them really bond or anything other than what was narrated in the book), takes on becoming the bad boy that everyone thought he’d be. I can’t understand his motives though. There’s something missing, some details I think, I don’t know. Anyway, I’m a little bummed that he went on to the “dark side” (or just the opposing team, dark side might be too harsh, then again maybe not... whatever).
Now Catherine, on the other hand, is now my girl friend, best friend even. She may have been a little insufferable and annoying and kind of irrelevant during the first book but here I got to see the other side of her that’s a lot more interesting and I love her (Cathy, give me a hug! On second thought, never mind, I won’t be hearing the end of it).
Dancia, our protagonists, is the youngest amongst those within the Program. This means she has to work twice as hard to show she’s worth being a part of it. Now since she’s still struggling to control her power and the fact that some of students who are part of the Program don’t seem to trust her, Dancia is in turmoil of stress; poor girl. As much as I sympathize though, I still can’t get the whole “Cam and Dancia” fever. I just don’t buy it. Why don’t I buy it? Why don’t I feel all giddy and mushy (I always feel that way when I’m totally rooting for the couples) when I read about their short stolen moments? Why aren’t you two (Dancia and Cam) pulling this off?!
I didn’t exactly like how flat and vague the ending of the Candidates went about, but I’m glad the plot and execution of the Marked made the cliff-hanger from the first book worth enduring. I’m happy to see some action I’ve been waiting for to finally happen and a big “hooray!” to the whole Team Dancia versus Team...uh... wait, what’s his name? (O gosh, I forgot). Anyway, the Team Dancia versus Team Bad Guys (I’m sorry, I really can’t remember. Wow that was bad. I’m saying it’s a good part but I can’t remember the names of the characters...Awkward) scenes were great!
Now the last part of the book gave out this moment where someone from Delcroix is not the person he/she says he/she is, and our good guys (Dancia and company) are out to change things and make things right for all those of them who have “talents”, also to fulfil the purpose they were set out to do – protect human kind – the right way. So Book III, please be awesome.
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @ www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com/
March 2, 2012
THE FAERYS VIEW
The Marked (Delcroix #2) by Inara Scott is the second installment in the The Delcroix Academy series. The first book, The Candidates, was one of my favorite books of 2010. Ms. Scott does a spectacular job in this paranormal romance filled with danger, thrills, mystery and intrigue an oh, let's not forget swoon worthy romance!
The Marked is one of those books that is difficult to put down, most of the same characters are present from The Candidated (Delcroix Academy, Book # 1) so I had a sense that I knew most of the people present that I knew and loved (or disliked). The narrative was fantastic with just the right amount of tension to keep me turning pages deep into the night. In true Inara Scott style there were shocks and thrills throughout and rarely a dull moment.
Dancia remains at Delacroix with her loyal girlfriends and of course, Cam-the love of her life. Dancia still isn't trusted by some of the eldest watchers who believe she helped Jack get away after stealing 2 valuable books from the counsel library from the first book. She still misses Jack who she believes is innately good but had a rough life and holds people at bay for fear of getting hurt.
There is still danger lurking around Delcroix Academy, specifically a powerful group of kids with powers that are out to destroy the Academy and they don't care who gets hurt. They are called The Irin and they form cells that work co-dependently together all over the world under a man named Gregori, the problem is they are getting bolder in their attacks and they have some serious talent.
The fight to save Delcroix Academy and even their very own lives against Gregori and his Irin followers has everyone on edge. Ms. Scott does a marvelous job of displaying how fear can either bring people together or push them apart. I am as much, if not more, invested in the characters and actually care about them as if they were my own friends or enemies; this is how beautifully Ms. Scott depicts her characters. The plot weaves in its twists and turns when you least expect them and keeps the book flowing and exciting until the very end. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series!
THE FAERY SAYS THE MARKED BY INARA SCOTT MADE MY WINGS A FLUTTER!
The Marked (Delcroix #2) by Inara Scott is the second installment in the The Delcroix Academy series. The first book, The Candidates, was one of my favorite books of 2010. Ms. Scott does a spectacular job in this paranormal romance filled with danger, thrills, mystery and intrigue an oh, let's not forget swoon worthy romance!
The Marked is one of those books that is difficult to put down, most of the same characters are present from The Candidated (Delcroix Academy, Book # 1) so I had a sense that I knew most of the people present that I knew and loved (or disliked). The narrative was fantastic with just the right amount of tension to keep me turning pages deep into the night. In true Inara Scott style there were shocks and thrills throughout and rarely a dull moment.
Dancia remains at Delacroix with her loyal girlfriends and of course, Cam-the love of her life. Dancia still isn't trusted by some of the eldest watchers who believe she helped Jack get away after stealing 2 valuable books from the counsel library from the first book. She still misses Jack who she believes is innately good but had a rough life and holds people at bay for fear of getting hurt.
There is still danger lurking around Delcroix Academy, specifically a powerful group of kids with powers that are out to destroy the Academy and they don't care who gets hurt. They are called The Irin and they form cells that work co-dependently together all over the world under a man named Gregori, the problem is they are getting bolder in their attacks and they have some serious talent.
The fight to save Delcroix Academy and even their very own lives against Gregori and his Irin followers has everyone on edge. Ms. Scott does a marvelous job of displaying how fear can either bring people together or push them apart. I am as much, if not more, invested in the characters and actually care about them as if they were my own friends or enemies; this is how beautifully Ms. Scott depicts her characters. The plot weaves in its twists and turns when you least expect them and keeps the book flowing and exciting until the very end. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series!
THE FAERY SAYS THE MARKED BY INARA SCOTT MADE MY WINGS A FLUTTER!
March 13, 2012
As becomes evident in my original review of "The Candidates" by Inara Scott I was very excited to get my hands on this novel, its sequel. However, after having finished it I must admit that I am a bit disappointed.
The largest problem that I had with this book is that I felt that there was a disconnect between what was going on in the plot of the book and the emotional development surrounding these parts. There was one specific part of the book (chapter 15) where Danica was training in the woods and something that she perceived as being terrible happened but I personally didn't understand why it was such a big deal solely because I don't think that the terror and horror that she was experiencing during it was as developed as it needed to be. The dialogue, of this part especially, felt too robotic and unnatural for my liking.
Furthermore, I was extremely confused by Jack's behaviour in this book (which broke my heart because he MADE the series for me)- I didn't understand why he ran hot one moment (joking around with Danica as if they hadn't been separated by time and their differing circumstances) and cold the next (to well, not joking- doing something far, far serious).
That being said, I did appreciate that the secondary characters of this series- Trevor, Anna, Hennie Esther and Catherine played a larger part (yes, I said CATHERINE- never did I expect to actually like that girl). I thought they helped to liven up the story- whether it be through their humor or seeing their abilities slowly start to develop. I also loved Barrett, the newly introduced male character in this book, I'd have to say that he is my most favourite male character after Jack and Yashir (I like Yashir a lot because he reminds me of Samuel from "The Glee Project").
All in all, while I was a tad disappointed by this installment of the series I WILL continue on with it (with the cliffhanger-ish ending of this book you'd be crazy not to!).
The largest problem that I had with this book is that I felt that there was a disconnect between what was going on in the plot of the book and the emotional development surrounding these parts. There was one specific part of the book (chapter 15) where Danica was training in the woods and something that she perceived as being terrible happened but I personally didn't understand why it was such a big deal solely because I don't think that the terror and horror that she was experiencing during it was as developed as it needed to be. The dialogue, of this part especially, felt too robotic and unnatural for my liking.
Furthermore, I was extremely confused by Jack's behaviour in this book (which broke my heart because he MADE the series for me)- I didn't understand why he ran hot one moment (joking around with Danica as if they hadn't been separated by time and their differing circumstances) and cold the next (to well, not joking- doing something far, far serious).
That being said, I did appreciate that the secondary characters of this series- Trevor, Anna, Hennie Esther and Catherine played a larger part (yes, I said CATHERINE- never did I expect to actually like that girl). I thought they helped to liven up the story- whether it be through their humor or seeing their abilities slowly start to develop. I also loved Barrett, the newly introduced male character in this book, I'd have to say that he is my most favourite male character after Jack and Yashir (I like Yashir a lot because he reminds me of Samuel from "The Glee Project").
All in all, while I was a tad disappointed by this installment of the series I WILL continue on with it (with the cliffhanger-ish ending of this book you'd be crazy not to!).
September 14, 2012
Dissapointed and bitter! I had higher hopes and expectations from this...
Now why did you have to go and do that, huh?
I read this book with half the enthousiasm I had for the first and I couldn't help finding it lacking for me. The story was good and the training scenes were interesting, but I missed Jack! I missed Jack waayy too much!
When he left in the end of The Candidates I knew that he would probably get involved in something like that, but not that they would make him into this! He's ruthless, cold and with scraps of remorse! I was never a huge fan of Cam. Yeah he's a good guy and all, but he's kind of flat, colorless... Jack had fire, humour and inteligence! Ok, he was a bit paranoid at times, but he was right most of the time! Now why would anyone do this to him???
This is not where I had pictured this storyline going and I don't mean it in the fun surprise kind of way either. Unless there are some serious changes in the next book (like for example Jack redeeming himself and coming back into the story as more than a guest star) I 'll be quiting this series!
Now why did you have to go and do that, huh?
I read this book with half the enthousiasm I had for the first and I couldn't help finding it lacking for me. The story was good and the training scenes were interesting, but I missed Jack! I missed Jack waayy too much!
When he left in the end of The Candidates I knew that he would probably get involved in something like that, but not that they would make him into this! He's ruthless, cold and with scraps of remorse! I was never a huge fan of Cam. Yeah he's a good guy and all, but he's kind of flat, colorless... Jack had fire, humour and inteligence! Ok, he was a bit paranoid at times, but he was right most of the time! Now why would anyone do this to him???
This is not where I had pictured this storyline going and I don't mean it in the fun surprise kind of way either. Unless there are some serious changes in the next book (like for example Jack redeeming himself and coming back into the story as more than a guest star) I 'll be quiting this series!
February 2, 2013
pg 191 progress comments "I beginning to hate all the characters. Hennie - too crazy in love (not bad though) Esther - becoming all depressed JUST because she doesn't have a BF. She's 14, for goodnessakes, you're not getting married any time soon so stop acting like THAT girl. Cam - clueless. Dancia - sits there and does nothing. Cam and Dancia - terrible relationship. Jack - I liked you... but... Barret - He's probably evil, haha..."
Finished:
I got pissed at everyone, because I thought all the characters basically sucked. Too lazy to go into detail, but mostly Esther from the beginning towards the late middle. Getting depressed and changing yourself just because you don't have a boyfriend? Are you kidding me. You are FOURTEEN. Enough said.
Basically everyone drove me bonkers during the middle of the book. And Dancia just sat there doing nothing. The romance in the book is eh... I don't feel it between Cam and Dancia. I miss Jack... He's gone over the edge. Hopefully he can climb back...
I love the plot though, characters could've been dealt with better in my opinion.
Finished:
I got pissed at everyone, because I thought all the characters basically sucked. Too lazy to go into detail, but mostly Esther from the beginning towards the late middle. Getting depressed and changing yourself just because you don't have a boyfriend? Are you kidding me. You are FOURTEEN. Enough said.
Basically everyone drove me bonkers during the middle of the book. And Dancia just sat there doing nothing. The romance in the book is eh... I don't feel it between Cam and Dancia. I miss Jack... He's gone over the edge. Hopefully he can climb back...
I love the plot though, characters could've been dealt with better in my opinion.
February 19, 2012
Ah waiting for the next one is gonna suck!!! Review to come
March 6, 2012
Awesome end! Can't wait for the next one! Review to come.
April 8, 2024
[a hard five stars] Delcoroix Academy… What really happens behind closed doors? The book begins with our main character- Danica, getting accepted into a prestigious program within her school. Turns out this isn’t just any old program, but a program for the gifted and only few know about. Danica has always felt like the minority, knowing something was different about her; only recently did she discover that she had the ability to manipulate gravity. Other students have different talents - things tied to the earth, life and power. Given the chance to train and really hone in on her powers, how can she say no? But she can’t tell her friends, not yet…
Being ‘watched’ by one of the program recruits, they decided that she was right where she needed to be and they wanted to help her thrive with her gift. Accepting her role means she will be able to understand more about her abilities… Right? Will she be able to use her power for good like she’s always wanted?
Thrown into a world unknown while also navigating normal life, her classes take a turn into a more magical realm of science. Will she tell her friends what she’s truly studying or why she seems so preoccupied all of the time? Navigating this new life and trying to keep a balance, she meets new friends and foes, all while discovering that not everything is what it seems.
Can she really trust this ‘Program’ to be on the side of good? They tell her that her talent is like nothing they have ever seen. What do they truly want from her and her gifts? Who can she truly trust? Is she safe and what does this new world entail?
I really liked this book. It was written really well. I liked the past tense way of telling it. And that was fun to write my description of it above. I’m just now seeing there isn’t another book after this in the series and am pretty bummed out since I loved it so much.
The characters were nicely developed and I really liked the story. You would think it was a cliche, and maybe it was, but I loved it and didn’t feel like it was too overplayed to me, personally.
The looming mystery to it is also pulled me in, and leaving me with questions that made this book a nice page turner.
The beginning was a little hard to get into, but I think that’s just how I am with books, because I ended up loving it. Again, I really like the side characters as well and how they are developed and the little details that really paint a scene during dialogue.
It was the perfect amount without dragging on. I like the speed that it moves along, doesn’t carry and drag out more than it has to. It had the perfect flow and I loved it. Wanted to give it five stars so much, I couldn’t read it fast enough to post here!
Being ‘watched’ by one of the program recruits, they decided that she was right where she needed to be and they wanted to help her thrive with her gift. Accepting her role means she will be able to understand more about her abilities… Right? Will she be able to use her power for good like she’s always wanted?
Thrown into a world unknown while also navigating normal life, her classes take a turn into a more magical realm of science. Will she tell her friends what she’s truly studying or why she seems so preoccupied all of the time? Navigating this new life and trying to keep a balance, she meets new friends and foes, all while discovering that not everything is what it seems.
Can she really trust this ‘Program’ to be on the side of good? They tell her that her talent is like nothing they have ever seen. What do they truly want from her and her gifts? Who can she truly trust? Is she safe and what does this new world entail?
I really liked this book. It was written really well. I liked the past tense way of telling it. And that was fun to write my description of it above. I’m just now seeing there isn’t another book after this in the series and am pretty bummed out since I loved it so much.
The characters were nicely developed and I really liked the story. You would think it was a cliche, and maybe it was, but I loved it and didn’t feel like it was too overplayed to me, personally.
The looming mystery to it is also pulled me in, and leaving me with questions that made this book a nice page turner.
The beginning was a little hard to get into, but I think that’s just how I am with books, because I ended up loving it. Again, I really like the side characters as well and how they are developed and the little details that really paint a scene during dialogue.
It was the perfect amount without dragging on. I like the speed that it moves along, doesn’t carry and drag out more than it has to. It had the perfect flow and I loved it. Wanted to give it five stars so much, I couldn’t read it fast enough to post here!
April 1, 2012
"The Marked" by Inara Scott ~ Missed It's Mark For Adult CrossOver
A rather slow-paced book well targeted for a younger reader~preteen to early teens.
Published by: Hyperion/Disney Book Group
Pages: 320
Ebook format @Barnes&Noble
2nd Book in "Talents" series
Cover Story !
Well, darling cover art, isn't it, for "The Talents?" I think the girl model is perfect for the storyline it's portraying, and she's slinking into the creepiest of private school gates! What does happen behind those private school walls? Love it. A bit too much sky on both the book covers, however gorgeous those skies may be. And once Dancia has gotten a semester behind her, she's a little less worried it appears on the cover of "The Marked," the only problem is she's looking very strange holding up one stone pillar. Uh, oh! Rated: C overall
Summary of "The Talent" and preview of the series:Publishers Weekly
Debut author Scott launches the Delcroix Academy series with this light paranormal romance. Dancia has always kept a low profile, avoiding anything that might bring attention to her secret: whenever she witnesses injustice, a protective instinct kicks in and she’s able to take out the threat (knocking out a gunman or blowing out the tires on a car pursuing a boy). Now Dancia is being recruited to the freshmen class of Delcroix Academy, an exclusive boarding school for geniuses. A mediocre student, Dancia can’t understand why they want her, but Cam, a junior helping with her recruitment, persuades her to attend, and Dancia starts a new life and begins to come out of her shell. Dancia’s crush on Cam grows, as does her relationship with brooding Jack, who suspects there is a conspiracy at Delcroix. Dancia eventually discovers the truth about Delcroix, but the unresolved “telekinetic girl caught between good soldier and edgy rebel” love triangle (which, along with the academy setting, may feel familiar to X-Men fans) and Dancia’s determination to use her power for good pave the way for later books. Ages 12-up
My Review of "The Marked"~2nd in the series:
Well, here we are at last. I wanted to start my review off on a good footing by giving you a background on this little book. For the most part, the books in a YA genre I've been choosing are ones I'm looking toward having a "crossover" affect. That is; will we find them interesting and exciting, or literary or whatever the criteria may be...for adult reading, as well as for YA reading? I'm sorry to say that in this case, I think the book is well-placed in the YA genre in a pre-teen to early teen category. And, even then, I'm not rating it a 5 star for them...
Inara Scott writes for a juvenile reader, no doubt about that. But that's no excuse for having an underdeveloped storyline. Her characters are cute and cuddly, but not very interesting in a larger sense. They are paperdoll cutouts pretty much. I think preteeners and ups are going to be short-changed in this one.
There's an attempt here to be a sort of "round up" book of Harry Potter, Divergent, and Hunger Games for the much younger crowd...or something, but nothing really holds water. A bit of mythology, a drop of magic, a sprinkle of the absurd. Tiresome at this point.
The pace of the book is horribly slow, tedious, actually. It lacks spark and drive to push it through...something seems to be weighing it down. I think the author wanted to say something but thought she had to muck through some things to get there. It was painful for an adult to read at times. I wondered if young girls would get through it because there was "boy talk" to fill some gaps. Now I'm wondering if it just has "seriesitis;" the disease of trying to stretch a book along so that it can become one of several in a series instead of getting to the point.
Interesting are the different Talents the students at Delacroix Academy have. However, in this volume, we are so busy trying to toss aside the rocks and ruins of things that have washed up against us, trying to find a thread of the story midst teenie heart-throbs and jr. high pranksters/jokesters, that it's exhausting to figure out why and how Dancia will ever learn to curb and control hers! Was that a convoluted sentence? See what I mean by weighty and confusing??
The adjunct plot is finding out whether Dancia's friend, Jack, is a renegade "talent" who's gone over to the darker side, or whether he's a renegade who's gone over to the side of good! All pretty confusing because the plot is so twisted and unclear. And, frankly, because all the rest is such a mess~I'm ready to leave with Jack any old time!!
Scott's writing didn't work for me, but I thought her original idea of children with qualities of courage, integrity, and sacrifice for others, working for good in world leadership was a fine one. Where she lost me was in the delivery of the very interesting Talents: Earth, Life and Somantic; how they worked, and how the talent training was balanced with the underlying plot of whether Delacroix Academy was a sink or swim hole. A cleaner outline might have helped...or a better edit.
In the long-run, I have to confess this is one of the very, very few books I didn't finish. Couldn't. I did read 200+pages of it, so I gave it my all in hopes of finding renewed hope. Alas, not for me...
2 stars
Deborah/TheBookishDame
PS: This really pains me, too, because I love Disney!!! :[
PPSS: I've had time to reflect upon whether I thought this was a good book for preteens in and of itself. I would like to say it was, but I stick by my guns here. A fine writer must be true to her calling. I've read Inara Scott's blog and other writings, and I think she can do better than she did in this particular book...
A rather slow-paced book well targeted for a younger reader~preteen to early teens.
Published by: Hyperion/Disney Book Group
Pages: 320
Ebook format @Barnes&Noble
2nd Book in "Talents" series
Cover Story !
Well, darling cover art, isn't it, for "The Talents?" I think the girl model is perfect for the storyline it's portraying, and she's slinking into the creepiest of private school gates! What does happen behind those private school walls? Love it. A bit too much sky on both the book covers, however gorgeous those skies may be. And once Dancia has gotten a semester behind her, she's a little less worried it appears on the cover of "The Marked," the only problem is she's looking very strange holding up one stone pillar. Uh, oh! Rated: C overall
Summary of "The Talent" and preview of the series:Publishers Weekly
Debut author Scott launches the Delcroix Academy series with this light paranormal romance. Dancia has always kept a low profile, avoiding anything that might bring attention to her secret: whenever she witnesses injustice, a protective instinct kicks in and she’s able to take out the threat (knocking out a gunman or blowing out the tires on a car pursuing a boy). Now Dancia is being recruited to the freshmen class of Delcroix Academy, an exclusive boarding school for geniuses. A mediocre student, Dancia can’t understand why they want her, but Cam, a junior helping with her recruitment, persuades her to attend, and Dancia starts a new life and begins to come out of her shell. Dancia’s crush on Cam grows, as does her relationship with brooding Jack, who suspects there is a conspiracy at Delcroix. Dancia eventually discovers the truth about Delcroix, but the unresolved “telekinetic girl caught between good soldier and edgy rebel” love triangle (which, along with the academy setting, may feel familiar to X-Men fans) and Dancia’s determination to use her power for good pave the way for later books. Ages 12-up
My Review of "The Marked"~2nd in the series:
Well, here we are at last. I wanted to start my review off on a good footing by giving you a background on this little book. For the most part, the books in a YA genre I've been choosing are ones I'm looking toward having a "crossover" affect. That is; will we find them interesting and exciting, or literary or whatever the criteria may be...for adult reading, as well as for YA reading? I'm sorry to say that in this case, I think the book is well-placed in the YA genre in a pre-teen to early teen category. And, even then, I'm not rating it a 5 star for them...
Inara Scott writes for a juvenile reader, no doubt about that. But that's no excuse for having an underdeveloped storyline. Her characters are cute and cuddly, but not very interesting in a larger sense. They are paperdoll cutouts pretty much. I think preteeners and ups are going to be short-changed in this one.
There's an attempt here to be a sort of "round up" book of Harry Potter, Divergent, and Hunger Games for the much younger crowd...or something, but nothing really holds water. A bit of mythology, a drop of magic, a sprinkle of the absurd. Tiresome at this point.
The pace of the book is horribly slow, tedious, actually. It lacks spark and drive to push it through...something seems to be weighing it down. I think the author wanted to say something but thought she had to muck through some things to get there. It was painful for an adult to read at times. I wondered if young girls would get through it because there was "boy talk" to fill some gaps. Now I'm wondering if it just has "seriesitis;" the disease of trying to stretch a book along so that it can become one of several in a series instead of getting to the point.
Interesting are the different Talents the students at Delacroix Academy have. However, in this volume, we are so busy trying to toss aside the rocks and ruins of things that have washed up against us, trying to find a thread of the story midst teenie heart-throbs and jr. high pranksters/jokesters, that it's exhausting to figure out why and how Dancia will ever learn to curb and control hers! Was that a convoluted sentence? See what I mean by weighty and confusing??
The adjunct plot is finding out whether Dancia's friend, Jack, is a renegade "talent" who's gone over to the darker side, or whether he's a renegade who's gone over to the side of good! All pretty confusing because the plot is so twisted and unclear. And, frankly, because all the rest is such a mess~I'm ready to leave with Jack any old time!!
Scott's writing didn't work for me, but I thought her original idea of children with qualities of courage, integrity, and sacrifice for others, working for good in world leadership was a fine one. Where she lost me was in the delivery of the very interesting Talents: Earth, Life and Somantic; how they worked, and how the talent training was balanced with the underlying plot of whether Delacroix Academy was a sink or swim hole. A cleaner outline might have helped...or a better edit.
In the long-run, I have to confess this is one of the very, very few books I didn't finish. Couldn't. I did read 200+pages of it, so I gave it my all in hopes of finding renewed hope. Alas, not for me...
2 stars
Deborah/TheBookishDame
PS: This really pains me, too, because I love Disney!!! :[
PPSS: I've had time to reflect upon whether I thought this was a good book for preteens in and of itself. I would like to say it was, but I stick by my guns here. A fine writer must be true to her calling. I've read Inara Scott's blog and other writings, and I think she can do better than she did in this particular book...
December 24, 2019
Finally got around to reading this sequel that has been sitting on my shelf for year. So sad that the 3rd book never was published. I'll have to check out the wattpad incomplete story of 3rd book The Chosen.
May 18, 2018
I was kinda disappointed with the ending, Im hoping there's a third book.
December 22, 2019
Great
Absolutely love this series. Hopefully the next book will be out soon and I can't wait. Each character is unique.
Absolutely love this series. Hopefully the next book will be out soon and I can't wait. Each character is unique.
April 27, 2021
Definitely one of the better paranormal boarding school books I’ve read. Also I’ll die with Jack.
January 5, 2024
There was some potential that seems missed. Talents set up this entire world where lots of roads could be taken and Marked seemed like a lead into something bigger, similar to a bridge. It doesn’t seem like there’s any more books in the making but it would be lovely to see the character and plot development evolve and give answers and resolutions to all the questions that Marked left us with.
April 24, 2012
******Spoiler Alert******
****There are spoilers from book one in this review. If you haven't read it don't read this review****
My review of The Talents (the name has been changed since I purchased the book) is HERE
You've heard of the Sophomore Slump with secondary novels? Not this one! If anything, it runs circles around the first novel in this series! There was a lot of everything in this novel. Dancia gets training finally to control her talents but it's not easy and her trainers are very unconventional. There are new characters, Barrett, a senior that provides some levity and some balance to Dancia's life, as well as being her trainer. And she meets the other people in the Program. And finally, she and Cam can be together. As her watcher, he wasn't allowed to be her boyfriend, but now that she's part of the program, they can date as she'll no longer have a watcher, or will she?
Anna and Trevor are up to their old tricks but it wouldn't be any fun if they weren't! All the old characters are back. Hennie is still with Yashir though she hasn't told her parents yet. And Esther is having a crisis of confidence because she can't find a boyfriend. And then, Catherine makes an unusual breakthrough and actually speaks to Dancia. What is going on??? And Jack. Whoever said he wasn't going to be in this novel was wrong, very wrong! And Dancia's doubts about Delcroix, Mr. Judan and The Program continue which gets between her and Cam.
Dancia asks a lot of questions in this one. Sometimes, I think she pushes Cam too far when he is obviously torn up about something. But Cam is much more forthcoming in this one and the trust builds between them strengthening their relationship. Grandma is still kicking around, but I'm starting to wonder what happened to Dancia's parents. I'm having questions myself that Dancia hasn't asked.
And although this book could provide an ending , I think there is more of the story to come. At least I hope so.
There's a lot more action in this one, whether it's Dancia learning to use her talents, or a rogue band of teens that have talents of their own, or an all out fight to the death. New people are brought into the know and talents previously hidden are revealed. Even new friendships are forged. And mounting distrust arises from the most unlikely of people.
I loved every minute of this book. It didn't take long to read , but still I didn't want to put it down even when I had to take one of my kids to tutoring. Of course, it was at the very end when I had just a few of the most exciting pages left. I am so excited for where this series is headed. If you were just lukewarm about the first book, grab this one. It's on fire! Dancia's talents are incredible, but some of the talents of others in the group are even more impressive. This was such a great second novel! I think it was so much better than the first that they were almost like to different series. But all the elements are the same. This is a Sophomore Slam Dunk!
Thanks to Inara Scott for providing me an ARC of the book for review! This in no way influenced my opinion of the book and no monetary compensation was received for my review.
Now, go get your copy of The Marked!
Heather
****There are spoilers from book one in this review. If you haven't read it don't read this review****
My review of The Talents (the name has been changed since I purchased the book) is HERE
You've heard of the Sophomore Slump with secondary novels? Not this one! If anything, it runs circles around the first novel in this series! There was a lot of everything in this novel. Dancia gets training finally to control her talents but it's not easy and her trainers are very unconventional. There are new characters, Barrett, a senior that provides some levity and some balance to Dancia's life, as well as being her trainer. And she meets the other people in the Program. And finally, she and Cam can be together. As her watcher, he wasn't allowed to be her boyfriend, but now that she's part of the program, they can date as she'll no longer have a watcher, or will she?
Anna and Trevor are up to their old tricks but it wouldn't be any fun if they weren't! All the old characters are back. Hennie is still with Yashir though she hasn't told her parents yet. And Esther is having a crisis of confidence because she can't find a boyfriend. And then, Catherine makes an unusual breakthrough and actually speaks to Dancia. What is going on??? And Jack. Whoever said he wasn't going to be in this novel was wrong, very wrong! And Dancia's doubts about Delcroix, Mr. Judan and The Program continue which gets between her and Cam.
Dancia asks a lot of questions in this one. Sometimes, I think she pushes Cam too far when he is obviously torn up about something. But Cam is much more forthcoming in this one and the trust builds between them strengthening their relationship. Grandma is still kicking around, but I'm starting to wonder what happened to Dancia's parents. I'm having questions myself that Dancia hasn't asked.
And although this book could provide an ending , I think there is more of the story to come. At least I hope so.
There's a lot more action in this one, whether it's Dancia learning to use her talents, or a rogue band of teens that have talents of their own, or an all out fight to the death. New people are brought into the know and talents previously hidden are revealed. Even new friendships are forged. And mounting distrust arises from the most unlikely of people.
I loved every minute of this book. It didn't take long to read , but still I didn't want to put it down even when I had to take one of my kids to tutoring. Of course, it was at the very end when I had just a few of the most exciting pages left. I am so excited for where this series is headed. If you were just lukewarm about the first book, grab this one. It's on fire! Dancia's talents are incredible, but some of the talents of others in the group are even more impressive. This was such a great second novel! I think it was so much better than the first that they were almost like to different series. But all the elements are the same. This is a Sophomore Slam Dunk!
Thanks to Inara Scott for providing me an ARC of the book for review! This in no way influenced my opinion of the book and no monetary compensation was received for my review.
Now, go get your copy of The Marked!
Heather
August 14, 2014
I read the first book in this series, The Talents (originally called The Candidates) this fall. It was a fun read, full of mystery and romance, so I was excited to get to read an advance edition of the sequel. (Spoilers for The Talents)
The Marked continues a little while after the first book ends. Dancia is being initiated into the Program, and though she is still sad that Jack is gone, she is excited to begin training her talent. And now that she is an official member of the Program her and Cam can finally be together. But not everything is perfect like Dancia hopes. She still has to contend with hostility from Anna, and a weird watchfulness from Trevor. Hennie and Esther feel lonely when Dancia's spends most of her time with Cam, and the two are feeling their own pressures as the school begins to prep them to enter the Program themselves. Esther's talent for shape shifting grows stronger, until she begins to lose herself. And while Hennie seems happy with Yashir and her language classes, not everything is as perfect as it seems. Then the school is attacked and Dancia learns about a secret group of talented people called the Irin, the enemies of the Program. And she learns that Jack has joined them and wants her to join too.
I felt this book was stronger than the first. Dancia was a more solid character and the mystery of the plot was well-woven and executed. As much as I missed Jack, Inara made up for his absence with her other characters. Hennie and Esther play a much bigger role, which I was happy about. Cam also because more complicated, which was really great. Dancia's crazy button-down roommate cracked open a little, which was a very cool character transformation. I also like that Dancia's relationships with all these characters from the first book transformed in different ways, pushing the story and the characters to new levels. The addition of some new characters, particularly Dancia's student-teacher Barrett, really enhanced the story and broadened the world.
I also loved that Inara really brought the characters together and made them a team, even if an awkward team at times. They were constantly dealing with their issues and conflicts in different ways at every turn, creating tension and fireworks that kept the story interesting and page-turning.
The mystery in this book was also good. Now that we know all about the talents and the Program, Inara stepped it up a notch by introducing the real bad guys--or so you think. I liked that everything wasn't clear cut, and like the first book, Jack muddles things for Dancia. Every time she thinks she's got it all figured out, Jack steps in and forces her to think bigger.
The book ends with a bang and a big fight, which was even cooler than where The Talents ended. I am excited to see how this series comes to an end, and what choices Dancia finally makes.
The Marked continues a little while after the first book ends. Dancia is being initiated into the Program, and though she is still sad that Jack is gone, she is excited to begin training her talent. And now that she is an official member of the Program her and Cam can finally be together. But not everything is perfect like Dancia hopes. She still has to contend with hostility from Anna, and a weird watchfulness from Trevor. Hennie and Esther feel lonely when Dancia's spends most of her time with Cam, and the two are feeling their own pressures as the school begins to prep them to enter the Program themselves. Esther's talent for shape shifting grows stronger, until she begins to lose herself. And while Hennie seems happy with Yashir and her language classes, not everything is as perfect as it seems. Then the school is attacked and Dancia learns about a secret group of talented people called the Irin, the enemies of the Program. And she learns that Jack has joined them and wants her to join too.
I felt this book was stronger than the first. Dancia was a more solid character and the mystery of the plot was well-woven and executed. As much as I missed Jack, Inara made up for his absence with her other characters. Hennie and Esther play a much bigger role, which I was happy about. Cam also because more complicated, which was really great. Dancia's crazy button-down roommate cracked open a little, which was a very cool character transformation. I also like that Dancia's relationships with all these characters from the first book transformed in different ways, pushing the story and the characters to new levels. The addition of some new characters, particularly Dancia's student-teacher Barrett, really enhanced the story and broadened the world.
I also loved that Inara really brought the characters together and made them a team, even if an awkward team at times. They were constantly dealing with their issues and conflicts in different ways at every turn, creating tension and fireworks that kept the story interesting and page-turning.
The mystery in this book was also good. Now that we know all about the talents and the Program, Inara stepped it up a notch by introducing the real bad guys--or so you think. I liked that everything wasn't clear cut, and like the first book, Jack muddles things for Dancia. Every time she thinks she's got it all figured out, Jack steps in and forces her to think bigger.
The book ends with a bang and a big fight, which was even cooler than where The Talents ended. I am excited to see how this series comes to an end, and what choices Dancia finally makes.
December 23, 2012
In this second installment in the exciting Delcroix Academy series, Inara Scott dives right back into the world I fell for in The Candidates. Just like the first book, The Marked is a book that's full of tension, twists and the right amount of romance. I liked that while the first book introduced me to the characters, built up the series's world, and allowed me to see what was going on at the academy, The Marked gave me characters who grew a lot more, unveiled some shocking surprises, and dove deeper into this complicated world. There's new characters who are introduced to the storyline, a lot more danger, and the right amount of action that kept me turning the pages.
I really liked the direction the characters grew in this book. Danica learns a lot more about herself, and the power she can control. She also finally starts to stand up for herself more in this book, well I should say she stands up to Anna more. I just wish she would have done so sooner. Cam and Jack are both still very much apart of this story line. I have to say, up until something happens I still liked Jack. I was secretly hoping something would change and he'd, well I don't know, be back in Danica's life like he was in book 1. Part of this story's excitement and twists come from the role Jack plays in this story. Then there's Cam. Cam, Cam, Cam. There's still something about Cam I don't like, but at the same time there's something about him I can't help but like. I know that doesn't really make sense does it. I guess for such a smart guy he just doesn't get it sometimes, and I wanted him to catch on to what was going on at the Academy sooner that he did. There's so many sighworthy moments between him and Danica I couldn't help but over look the minor irritations I had with him, and like him more.
There's something about this world that fascinates me. I don't know if it's the beautiful northwest setting that seems a perfect fit for all that goes down, or the fact this world is set within our own that intrigues me. There's still plenty of danger lurking around the Academy, and a huge twist in the storyline definitely puts everyone who's there at risk. I love that this is a no brainer, really fun read. It's nice to just sit down and read a book that just flows, doesn't over do it with the descriptions, heavy writing or all that's going on. It has the right of amount of everything in it to keep the story line exciting. I like that's not a complex read, but one that just goes. Be rest assured that once you start reading this book, there's no stopping till you're done. If you're looking for a fun, clean cut read that's a little different, is about teens with extraordinary powers, has some strong characters, a bit of action and some romance I'd recommend picking this series up.
I really liked the direction the characters grew in this book. Danica learns a lot more about herself, and the power she can control. She also finally starts to stand up for herself more in this book, well I should say she stands up to Anna more. I just wish she would have done so sooner. Cam and Jack are both still very much apart of this story line. I have to say, up until something happens I still liked Jack. I was secretly hoping something would change and he'd, well I don't know, be back in Danica's life like he was in book 1. Part of this story's excitement and twists come from the role Jack plays in this story. Then there's Cam. Cam, Cam, Cam. There's still something about Cam I don't like, but at the same time there's something about him I can't help but like. I know that doesn't really make sense does it. I guess for such a smart guy he just doesn't get it sometimes, and I wanted him to catch on to what was going on at the Academy sooner that he did. There's so many sighworthy moments between him and Danica I couldn't help but over look the minor irritations I had with him, and like him more.
There's something about this world that fascinates me. I don't know if it's the beautiful northwest setting that seems a perfect fit for all that goes down, or the fact this world is set within our own that intrigues me. There's still plenty of danger lurking around the Academy, and a huge twist in the storyline definitely puts everyone who's there at risk. I love that this is a no brainer, really fun read. It's nice to just sit down and read a book that just flows, doesn't over do it with the descriptions, heavy writing or all that's going on. It has the right of amount of everything in it to keep the story line exciting. I like that's not a complex read, but one that just goes. Be rest assured that once you start reading this book, there's no stopping till you're done. If you're looking for a fun, clean cut read that's a little different, is about teens with extraordinary powers, has some strong characters, a bit of action and some romance I'd recommend picking this series up.
July 23, 2012
SPOILER CITY OVER HERE. I can't help but talk all about everything in this book.
Anyway, I was incredibly surprised at how good this book was. I mean, I liked the first one but it wasn't anything really special. But this book set up everything to come. The beginning was annoying. Dancia: "Oh Cam! CAM CAM CAM CAM." -_- I dislike Cam. He's such a perfect little Ken doll. And he's so naive and stupid sometimes! ARGH. Hopefully with the revelation at the end of this book, he won't be such an idiot in the next book.
So at first I was angry at Anna. Seriously? Just because Dancia was friends with Jack doesn't mean that she's contacting him. Get over Cam already! And then the practice session where she was on Dancia's team. MAJOR TURN AROUND. I really started to like her there!! And after the boat, I like her more than Dancia!!! (Not that I was really fond of Dancia or anything...) I LOVED when she said that Dancia should be her partner. :) YES.
And I always had a thing for Trevor. He was the mysterious best friend. I kind of wanted Dancia to see the light and fall head over heels for him. >//////> But now that I think about it, I'd rather have him with anyone else. XD Esther could be a good match. I thought her character development in this was well done. And Hennie's too of course. I also love the nicer Catherine. She reminds me of Aphrodite from the House of Night series.
And now onto my favorite character from the last book, Jack. When he came back, I was happy to see him. But the more he appeared the less I knew him. Dancia was right. The boy she had been friends with was gone. Now the big question..... Is he really dead? :D He has the power to change states of matter, right? Solid, liquid, gas. So there is a possibility that he made the air around him solid when he dropped into the water, creating an air pocket. Or possibly changed the water into gas (though not sure if that would work...) I'm not the best person to ask about it. But it is certainly possible. It would definitely be hilarious if Scott had him appear later and Dancia be like, "O.O" I would laugh.
I was also impressed that Dancia could do it. I think she's becoming a good heroine. I still don't care for Cam much but like I said, he might get better. And the others are all amazing.
Now as for new characters, Barrett was a wonderful inclusion. I was really sad when he said he wasn't a fighter. Because sometimes you just need a guy who can make you laugh. :) And I really liked the relationship between him and D. I'll be sad to see him graduate.
Overal, a job well done. I totally was up until 3am finishing this book. ;)
Anyway, I was incredibly surprised at how good this book was. I mean, I liked the first one but it wasn't anything really special. But this book set up everything to come. The beginning was annoying. Dancia: "Oh Cam! CAM CAM CAM CAM." -_- I dislike Cam. He's such a perfect little Ken doll. And he's so naive and stupid sometimes! ARGH. Hopefully with the revelation at the end of this book, he won't be such an idiot in the next book.
So at first I was angry at Anna. Seriously? Just because Dancia was friends with Jack doesn't mean that she's contacting him. Get over Cam already! And then the practice session where she was on Dancia's team. MAJOR TURN AROUND. I really started to like her there!! And after the boat, I like her more than Dancia!!! (Not that I was really fond of Dancia or anything...) I LOVED when she said that Dancia should be her partner. :) YES.
And I always had a thing for Trevor. He was the mysterious best friend. I kind of wanted Dancia to see the light and fall head over heels for him. >//////> But now that I think about it, I'd rather have him with anyone else. XD Esther could be a good match. I thought her character development in this was well done. And Hennie's too of course. I also love the nicer Catherine. She reminds me of Aphrodite from the House of Night series.
And now onto my favorite character from the last book, Jack. When he came back, I was happy to see him. But the more he appeared the less I knew him. Dancia was right. The boy she had been friends with was gone. Now the big question..... Is he really dead? :D He has the power to change states of matter, right? Solid, liquid, gas. So there is a possibility that he made the air around him solid when he dropped into the water, creating an air pocket. Or possibly changed the water into gas (though not sure if that would work...) I'm not the best person to ask about it. But it is certainly possible. It would definitely be hilarious if Scott had him appear later and Dancia be like, "O.O" I would laugh.
I was also impressed that Dancia could do it. I think she's becoming a good heroine. I still don't care for Cam much but like I said, he might get better. And the others are all amazing.
Now as for new characters, Barrett was a wonderful inclusion. I was really sad when he said he wasn't a fighter. Because sometimes you just need a guy who can make you laugh. :) And I really liked the relationship between him and D. I'll be sad to see him graduate.
Overal, a job well done. I totally was up until 3am finishing this book. ;)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2016
For some reason, the Goodreads page for this book has the summary written in German even though it’s the US version. So I was a little confused. Also, this is the second book of the Delcroix Academy series but apparently, the author and the publisher gave up after this book so even though there is a cliffhanger, the series is done. That annoys me to no end. Really, what is this nonsense? So already this book has a few major no-no’s going on.
That being said, I did enjoy the first book and apparently gave it a 4* back when I read it eons ago so I was hoping for something amazing as well for the second book. Alas, that was not to be the case. While it wasn’t a terrible book, the book just seemed to lack a lot of action and there didn’t really seem to be a point. Someone on Goodreads commented that it felt as if it was book one again and that’s the truth. It really did. Other than the fact that the Dancia now knew what the school was really all about, the way how the story progressed could have easily been the first book.
The characters didn’t seem to be developed in any way. I wasn’t a fan of Dancia or Jack or even Cam. I think I might’ve liked them a little more in the first book only because there was Jack and he added some character personality to the whole story. Unfortunately in the second book, other than a few mentions and a phone call or two from him, he was basically nonexistent. Also, none of the secondary characters struck any sort of interest with me either. It was a little disappointing to be honest. I suppose I can see why the second book sort of flopped which is why neither the author nor the publisher wanted to release a third book but at the same time, at least finish the goddamn story and not leave major plot holes covered.
The plot, like mentioned, was honestly just meh to me. The few action scenes were randomly inserted seemed out of the loop from the rest of the plot and didn’t really make much sense there. There were also a lot of plotlines that were introduced in the book but had no conclusion to them.
Overall, the book was a let-down. I expected something more only because I liked the first book. Plus, the synopsis was interesting and there was a lot of potential. I guess the author didn’t pull through.
To read more: http://holedupinabook.blogspot.com/20...
That being said, I did enjoy the first book and apparently gave it a 4* back when I read it eons ago so I was hoping for something amazing as well for the second book. Alas, that was not to be the case. While it wasn’t a terrible book, the book just seemed to lack a lot of action and there didn’t really seem to be a point. Someone on Goodreads commented that it felt as if it was book one again and that’s the truth. It really did. Other than the fact that the Dancia now knew what the school was really all about, the way how the story progressed could have easily been the first book.
The characters didn’t seem to be developed in any way. I wasn’t a fan of Dancia or Jack or even Cam. I think I might’ve liked them a little more in the first book only because there was Jack and he added some character personality to the whole story. Unfortunately in the second book, other than a few mentions and a phone call or two from him, he was basically nonexistent. Also, none of the secondary characters struck any sort of interest with me either. It was a little disappointing to be honest. I suppose I can see why the second book sort of flopped which is why neither the author nor the publisher wanted to release a third book but at the same time, at least finish the goddamn story and not leave major plot holes covered.
The plot, like mentioned, was honestly just meh to me. The few action scenes were randomly inserted seemed out of the loop from the rest of the plot and didn’t really make much sense there. There were also a lot of plotlines that were introduced in the book but had no conclusion to them.
Overall, the book was a let-down. I expected something more only because I liked the first book. Plus, the synopsis was interesting and there was a lot of potential. I guess the author didn’t pull through.
To read more: http://holedupinabook.blogspot.com/20...
June 24, 2012
First Impression:
Book One of the Delcroix Academy series, now titled The Talents, was one of my top 5 reads of 2010. Seriously, that book was amazing! And repackaging of this series aside, I was super excited to finally get aback into this world and figure out what was going to happen next.
While Reading:
The Marked takes readers back to Delcroix Academy. Dancia, in her second year, has a lot of surprises in store. The Watchers are pushing her to gain further control of her powers. Her boyfriend Cam is always there for support and to push her to her limits. And an old friend returns.
Last year when I finish The Talents, I had all these grand ideas in my head about what book two would hold. Sadly, The Marked totally went in a direction that I was not expecting. Not even in my wildest dream did I imagine this plot.
All together The Marked was a good step forward in the series. But I was really disappointed with Jack's character. If you remember from The Talents, Jack was one of Dancia's best friends and possible love interest. For me, Jack made book one of the series memorable. In my grand ideas for this book, I was hoping Jack would come back, Dancia would ditch Cam (sorry Cam, I don't like you), and they could pick up where things left off. But The Marked gave me none of that. Instead, Dancia is falling deeper in love with Cam. Jack has undergone a complete change, and is barely the same character that I loved from The Talents.
Final Verdict:
I want to be able to say that I loved The Marked. But I can't. If I push aside the issues that I have in regards to the changes with Jack, it is easy to say that I liked The Marked. Dancia is still a wonderful character. I enjoyed going back to Delcroix Academy and watching everyone grow. But sadly, it all comes back to Jack. His character was one of the things that really drew me into The Talents to begin with. And to see what has become of him, kinda mad me sad. I wish that I felt more secure about this series, but The Marked has given me some big doubts. And I am not sure how I feel about this series now. At this point, I am willing to give the third book a shot. But I am currently not holding out high hopes.
Book One of the Delcroix Academy series, now titled The Talents, was one of my top 5 reads of 2010. Seriously, that book was amazing! And repackaging of this series aside, I was super excited to finally get aback into this world and figure out what was going to happen next.
While Reading:
The Marked takes readers back to Delcroix Academy. Dancia, in her second year, has a lot of surprises in store. The Watchers are pushing her to gain further control of her powers. Her boyfriend Cam is always there for support and to push her to her limits. And an old friend returns.
Last year when I finish The Talents, I had all these grand ideas in my head about what book two would hold. Sadly, The Marked totally went in a direction that I was not expecting. Not even in my wildest dream did I imagine this plot.
All together The Marked was a good step forward in the series. But I was really disappointed with Jack's character. If you remember from The Talents, Jack was one of Dancia's best friends and possible love interest. For me, Jack made book one of the series memorable. In my grand ideas for this book, I was hoping Jack would come back, Dancia would ditch Cam (sorry Cam, I don't like you), and they could pick up where things left off. But The Marked gave me none of that. Instead, Dancia is falling deeper in love with Cam. Jack has undergone a complete change, and is barely the same character that I loved from The Talents.
Final Verdict:
I want to be able to say that I loved The Marked. But I can't. If I push aside the issues that I have in regards to the changes with Jack, it is easy to say that I liked The Marked. Dancia is still a wonderful character. I enjoyed going back to Delcroix Academy and watching everyone grow. But sadly, it all comes back to Jack. His character was one of the things that really drew me into The Talents to begin with. And to see what has become of him, kinda mad me sad. I wish that I felt more secure about this series, but The Marked has given me some big doubts. And I am not sure how I feel about this series now. At this point, I am willing to give the third book a shot. But I am currently not holding out high hopes.
April 10, 2012
The second installment in the Delcroix Academy series has definitely convinced me that this series is inspired almost wholly by the X-Men. There was a quote partway through when Cam's explaining what The Program does, and it's so obvious that Delcroix is Xavier's school for gifted children, being attacked by guys with comparable powers. That said, I love stories about people with superpowers, so this didn't detract too much from the story for me.
Unfortunately, even more than in book one, I do not like Cam. He's too perfect, which seems to mean lacking personality. I mean, this guy doesn't seem to have a sense of humor or be interested in anything besides Delcroix. Other than the fact that he's super duper hot, I really don't see why Dancia's so into him. Unless, as I personally fear, he's manipulating her with his persuasive abilities. Even if he's not, this is what I've thought about him from the beginning of book one, so I really can't not be creeped out by their relationship. It's not even that I ship her with Jack; she really should find someone else that's neither of them. Too bad since the book is largely about her relationship with Cam.
Speaking of creepy, Mr. Judan freaks me the hell out. He has way too much power over everyone, with his power of persuasion. Seriously, I don't think anyone can have persuasion powers and not go full-on power hungry. I mean, at one point, it says that if Judan wants a student to leave Delcroiz, he can get the parent(s) a new job. What the heck? He has too much power if he can just have people transferred like that!
The best part of this series, which I shamefully neglected to mention in my first review, remains Dancia's grandma. She is one of the spunkiest 78 year old women ever. She's such a feminist and loves giving people a hard time just for fun. I love that she gave Dancia a hard time for not fighting back and letting her boyfriend protect her. Grandma makes me smile. Both of my favorite quotes from this series have been grandma's work.
Book two cements this series as a fun, action-packed ride. Although I'm not blown away, I have every intention of continuing on with the series, because they're so fun to read.
Unfortunately, even more than in book one, I do not like Cam. He's too perfect, which seems to mean lacking personality. I mean, this guy doesn't seem to have a sense of humor or be interested in anything besides Delcroix. Other than the fact that he's super duper hot, I really don't see why Dancia's so into him. Unless, as I personally fear, he's manipulating her with his persuasive abilities. Even if he's not, this is what I've thought about him from the beginning of book one, so I really can't not be creeped out by their relationship. It's not even that I ship her with Jack; she really should find someone else that's neither of them. Too bad since the book is largely about her relationship with Cam.
Speaking of creepy, Mr. Judan freaks me the hell out. He has way too much power over everyone, with his power of persuasion. Seriously, I don't think anyone can have persuasion powers and not go full-on power hungry. I mean, at one point, it says that if Judan wants a student to leave Delcroiz, he can get the parent(s) a new job. What the heck? He has too much power if he can just have people transferred like that!
The best part of this series, which I shamefully neglected to mention in my first review, remains Dancia's grandma. She is one of the spunkiest 78 year old women ever. She's such a feminist and loves giving people a hard time just for fun. I love that she gave Dancia a hard time for not fighting back and letting her boyfriend protect her. Grandma makes me smile. Both of my favorite quotes from this series have been grandma's work.
Book two cements this series as a fun, action-packed ride. Although I'm not blown away, I have every intention of continuing on with the series, because they're so fun to read.
March 23, 2012
Let me just say that The Marked gave me a lot more than I thought possible. When I finished up with The Candidates (review can be found HERE), I was thinking that it couldn’t get any better than that. Boy was I wrong! (I meant all of that in a good way). Not only did we get five times the romance but we also got five times the action and five times the mystery. For those of you who have read The Candidates, you know that the novel finished off on a note where Dancia knows about the Program and now knows that her abilities are in need of training so that she doesn’t accidentally kill anybody. Well, The Marked not only starts with Dancia being put into the Program, but the novel itself mainly focuses on Dancia and her training. Well… that and the romance between her and the very yummy Cam *smiles*.
For most of the novel, I was pretty shocked at the fast pace that it kept up. Unlike The Candidates, which only had specific fast points, The Marked was constantly keeping me on my toes and guessing. Friendships and relationships were tested, abilities were used more frequently (yay) and we were introduced to a new villain. I know what you’re thinking: New villain? Don’t you mean Anna? No. No. I don’t mean Cam’s ex Anna who always comes off dead set on ruining Dancia. I’m talking about the group of “evil” Talents.
Personally, since I am unsure of how to describe the group of evil Talents, I’ll just tell you how I felt when I read about them and when they faced off against the Program people. It’s like reading a novel about the X-men and depending on the type of person you are that might excite you (like me)!!! Not only do you get to see that the character talents come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but you get to see—well read about-- them in action.
Author, Inara Scott, creates a whole new world where you continue to find yourself guessing about who is really the bad guy. Maybe the “evil” Talents aren’t all that bad, maybe it’s the Program and the Watchers who are the real monsters. Maybe, just maybe, somebody on the inside isn’t as dedicated as they appear to be. Let’s not forget that Jack also makes a return…*gasp*. With so many twists and unexpected scenes, I couldn’t put it down.
For most of the novel, I was pretty shocked at the fast pace that it kept up. Unlike The Candidates, which only had specific fast points, The Marked was constantly keeping me on my toes and guessing. Friendships and relationships were tested, abilities were used more frequently (yay) and we were introduced to a new villain. I know what you’re thinking: New villain? Don’t you mean Anna? No. No. I don’t mean Cam’s ex Anna who always comes off dead set on ruining Dancia. I’m talking about the group of “evil” Talents.
Personally, since I am unsure of how to describe the group of evil Talents, I’ll just tell you how I felt when I read about them and when they faced off against the Program people. It’s like reading a novel about the X-men and depending on the type of person you are that might excite you (like me)!!! Not only do you get to see that the character talents come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but you get to see—well read about-- them in action.
Author, Inara Scott, creates a whole new world where you continue to find yourself guessing about who is really the bad guy. Maybe the “evil” Talents aren’t all that bad, maybe it’s the Program and the Watchers who are the real monsters. Maybe, just maybe, somebody on the inside isn’t as dedicated as they appear to be. Let’s not forget that Jack also makes a return…*gasp*. With so many twists and unexpected scenes, I couldn’t put it down.
February 22, 2017
2nd in series about a school for gifted, including magic students and one girl from the local community who is trying to fit in.
September 21, 2012
Es ist wohl am einfachsten, wenn ich damit anfange, dass in Night Academy das Rad nicht neu erfunden wird. Wie so selten eigentlich in letzter Zeit. Auf das House of Night gehen die Vampyre, nach Mythos Academy die Nachfahren alter Krieger und nach Night Academy eben die Begabten. Ich muss dazu sagen, dass ich den ersten Teil der Serien nicht kenne. Ich war an der Geschichte sehr interessiert und wollte wissen, ob es sich lohnen würde den ersten Teil zu kaufen.
Als ich anfing zu lesen, wurde ich sofort von einer Flut von Gedanken überrollt. Dancia wurde gerade in das Programm aufgenommen und machte sich nun allerlei Sorgen. Ich sollte am besten mit dem Schreibstil anfangen. Der Schreibstil ist wirklich etwas Wichtiges in einem Buch. Er erschafft Atmosphäre und lässt einen in der Geschichte versinken nur um zwei Aspekte zu nennen. Angenommen der Schreibstil ist nun wirklich nicht gut. Dann kann kein noch so guter Lektor etwas daran ändern und mit der Übersetzung hat das irgendwann auch nichts mehr zu tun. Inara Scotts Schreibstil ist holprig, unbeholfen und lässt einen leider gar nicht in die Geschichte eintauchen.
Die spannendsten Szenen werden absolut unspannend und leider ist die Geschichte auch voraussehbar, denn selbst für mich, die bei der einfachsten Geschichte vom Ende total überrumpelt ist, war die Geschichte einfach langweilig. Denn es passierte fast gar nichts. Die Handlung war so gut wie nicht existent. Auch als Dancia und Cam eine „Pause“ machte, hatte das nur zur Folge, dass sie sich ihren Freundinnen zuwandte.
Ein Pluspunkt in dieser Geschichte ist Dancia. Sie muss ihre Freundinnen belügen und fühlt sich nicht gut dabei, als sie sich von ihnen entfremdet. Sie bringt ihre Probleme authentisch rüber, sie steht für ihre Sache und ihre Freunde ein. Sie gibt die Hoffnung nicht auf und sie rappelt sich immer wieder auf. Sie denkt nach, bevor sie handelt und bildet sich ihre eigene Meinung. Wäre Dancia nicht so ein natürlicher und sympathischer Charakter gewesen, wäre das Buch viel schwerer zu ertragen gewesen.
Als ich anfing zu lesen, wurde ich sofort von einer Flut von Gedanken überrollt. Dancia wurde gerade in das Programm aufgenommen und machte sich nun allerlei Sorgen. Ich sollte am besten mit dem Schreibstil anfangen. Der Schreibstil ist wirklich etwas Wichtiges in einem Buch. Er erschafft Atmosphäre und lässt einen in der Geschichte versinken nur um zwei Aspekte zu nennen. Angenommen der Schreibstil ist nun wirklich nicht gut. Dann kann kein noch so guter Lektor etwas daran ändern und mit der Übersetzung hat das irgendwann auch nichts mehr zu tun. Inara Scotts Schreibstil ist holprig, unbeholfen und lässt einen leider gar nicht in die Geschichte eintauchen.
Die spannendsten Szenen werden absolut unspannend und leider ist die Geschichte auch voraussehbar, denn selbst für mich, die bei der einfachsten Geschichte vom Ende total überrumpelt ist, war die Geschichte einfach langweilig. Denn es passierte fast gar nichts. Die Handlung war so gut wie nicht existent. Auch als Dancia und Cam eine „Pause“ machte, hatte das nur zur Folge, dass sie sich ihren Freundinnen zuwandte.
Ein Pluspunkt in dieser Geschichte ist Dancia. Sie muss ihre Freundinnen belügen und fühlt sich nicht gut dabei, als sie sich von ihnen entfremdet. Sie bringt ihre Probleme authentisch rüber, sie steht für ihre Sache und ihre Freunde ein. Sie gibt die Hoffnung nicht auf und sie rappelt sich immer wieder auf. Sie denkt nach, bevor sie handelt und bildet sich ihre eigene Meinung. Wäre Dancia nicht so ein natürlicher und sympathischer Charakter gewesen, wäre das Buch viel schwerer zu ertragen gewesen.
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